If your goal is to make a lot of money (not just some money) then using VC money to get there is a very reasonable play. Just siphoning some money from later rounds could give you tens of millions. You don't even need to succeed after that as a business. The goal for many founders isn't to run a long term business but to make money.
> You don't even need to succeed after that as a business. The goal for many founders isn't to run a long term business but to make money.
Getting a big exit is my goal as a founder. Investor capital is spent to get to that exit. People who have the goal of making money off investors make self-enriching, bad for the company decisions.
It's always better to be getting money by selling to customers. It's amazing how well that works and how much less capital you need to grow.