>This question is so naive and it's loved by the lazy because it lets them indulge the fantasy of either telling their boss to get stuffed and getting paid for doing very little (lifestyle biz), or getting paid millions and never have to work again (exit).

No, the question is loved (sic) because it's an important decision to make, and it leads to totally different ways of business development, relationship with investors and such.

>I really dislike this question and I tend to distance myself from entrepreneurs having these kinds of conversations.

Well, it's not like it's their loss.

>How do you think Steve Jobs would have answered this question?

Judging from what he actually did, he would answer that "fuck exits", he's going all the way.

> How do you think Steve Jobs would have answered this question?

Err... you talk about naive, and then cite an outlier amongst outliers?

I'm not Steve Jobs - I'm much more average, and I've made my peace with that. I think I can eke out a niche for myself where I can live comfortably though, so focusing on that makes much more sense to me than trying to ape someone who lived a very different life from mine. As far as I know the only thing I have in common with Jobs is having resided in Oregon.

I think (at least I hope) he was doing irony.

> getting paid for doing very little (lifestyle biz)

You couldn't be farther from my understanding of what a lifestyle business is. I understand a lifestyle business to be one that you plan on making part of your life for the long term. It is meant to provide enough income to live at a certain level (ie lifestyle), but not necessarily to become filthy rich, or result in an IPO, or some other exit point.

What makes you think a lifestyle business implies that people want to be lazy?

"Four Hour Work Week"

Yeah I've read this book to and I don't think it's a real representation of the type of person wanting to run a life-style business. I'd guess it's mostly fantasy.

It's like every seminar and workshop about getting rich quick, write a book, run a seminar and get back to pay you for four hours a week about how to only work for four hours a week.

Now, his workout manual actually has lots of valuable data and insight and is excellent for applying the 80-20 rule as you can find workouts in there that take very little time and produce great results.

...yet it always seems to get amazing reviews. I suspect not from people who've actually used the advice to then go on to make a successful business, but rather from people who found it entertaining then put it down again. Thinks like this make me more inclined to stop reading 'advice' and just get on with it using common sense.

Most of us spend our time writing code once in order to automate tasks forever, the whole point of which is to increase "laziness". As many have said, laziness for the programmer is a virtue.

As far as lifestyle businesses, the term is itself a strawman that antagonists to the concept use, then you just knock down the strawman. I can't think of a good term for this type of business - I could say bootstrapped, but bootstrapped might just mean taking no angel money, but hoping for VC at some point.

While exit implies a buyout, it could also mean an IPO. I'm not sure what kind of business you are thinking of when you do not like any of the kinds that have been mentioned.

I do not have my sights set on an angel to series A to series B to IPO treadmill. Although market circumstances can change so who ever knows? If building a "lifestyle" business with the goal of doing higher level interesting work instead of drudge CRUD work, and having time for exercise, friends, family and leisure after working 40 hours is lazy, then call me lazy.