Startup Economist

Startup Economist

Why Tech Startup Investors Expecting Revenue are Wrong

Paul O'Brien's avatar
Paul O'Brien
Apr 04, 2016
∙ Paid

A far too frequently overheard conversation in the startup community goes something like this:

"Apparently neither Instagram nor Snapchat had paying customers while receiving both seed and series A funding?! I couldn't believe it. Investors, advisors, and incubators these days are constantly trumpeting that a monetization model (or at least an anticipate…

User's avatar

Continue reading this post for free, courtesy of Paul O'Brien.

Or purchase a paid subscription.
© 2026 Paul O'Brien · Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start your SubstackGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture