Even in that context the threat of poverty still hangs as you're functioning with finite resources which are self-propagating.
It's usually a positive thing if the team can finance their own early growth - with a) a product that generates revenue or b) enough growth to appease investors without cannibalizing the teams creative freedom. Something which provides a runway and capacity to reinvest in a larger bolder vision which might take 2-4yrs.
The ROI of being self-sustainable is the founders can keep the team small, independent, and driven by their larger vision while still keeping them grounded in reality.
Early stage acquisitions have a similar downside as starting within Google, as they have to pursue their larger vision after the massive distraction of being acquired and integrated into a larger firm, which equally kills the necessary culture as pure poverty would.
Same with VC, purely gambling investors money on a long term vision usually leads to an early acquisition or late-game hail-mary focus on revenue - but unlike a small startup they will have much higher revenue requirements, which sideline any big visions
But yes, once you have the money and the fame, you probably won't be as driven.