True - but most founders don't have any of those. I know many, many founders. They were all broke as f*ck for years to build it, living off a spouse working ... to magically exit.

It ain't money, it's hard work eschewing the other opportunities many so quickly jump at. It's being there building long enough to have "the timing" work out for you. Or it's being so right with timing that you in essence lucked on that part of the curve out.

People don't like hearing this bc it's against their personal narrative.

"living off a spouse working" is not exactly "broke as f*ck". If that disappears, then yes, is mostly about money.

2 people 1 middle income wage with kids (most I knew had young kids).... is close to scraping by. Some were on foodstamps. Meaning - it can be done by many in the U.S. - that's the take-a-way for everyone reading this.

I mean my anecdote vs. your anecdote, but every successful founder I have ever met had significant personal resources that allowed them to take almost no personal risk, and in most cases they had immense resources that gave them a significant leg up. I have never, ever seen a successful founder who was broke, unless they were a college student in which case broke is not really as useful a descriptor.

Choose your own storyline version. If you don't think you can do it because you're not rich - you're right. If you know you can do it because you are not - you're right.