lifestyle business

Definition

A profitable company designed to generate comfortable income for its founders rather than pursue hypergrowth and venture returns. The entrepreneurial equivalent of choosing happiness over glory.

Example Usage

After two failed startups, he launched a lifestyle business doing $2M in annual profit—VCs wouldn't touch it, but his therapist was thrilled.

Origin

Entrepreneurship terminology distinguishing growth ventures from sustainable small businesses

Fun Fact

VCs use 'lifestyle business' as a pejorative, but many such businesses outlive venture-backed startups and make founders far wealthier with less stress.

Source: Entrepreneurship and small business terminology

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biotechnology

The industry dedicated to using living organisms and biological systems to create products, solve problems, and generally play god in the most profitable way possible. It's where biology meets engineering meets venture capital, resulting in everything from life-saving drugs to designer yeast that makes better beer. Think of it as science's entrepreneurial phase, where petri dishes can lead to IPOs.

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aqui-dump

When a company acquires a startup primarily to shut it down and eliminate competition, rather than to integrate talent or technology. It's the evil twin of acqui-hire where everyone loses except the shareholders.

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entrepreneurs

Optimistic individuals who voluntarily choose unemployment with extra steps, convincing themselves that working 80 hours a week for no salary is better than working 40 hours for someone else. They're essentially professional risk-takers who transform caffeine and delusion into businesses, with a success rate that would make a Vegas gambler nervous. Society celebrates them when they succeed and conveniently forgets them when they fail.

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Advanced

warrants

Options for investors to purchase additional equity at a predetermined price, typically sweetening deals when a startup is desperate or when investors have serious FOMO about missing upside. The financial equivalent of a rain check.

🚀 Startup / VC

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claw-back

A provision allowing limited partners to reclaim previously distributed carried interest from GPs if later losses reduce overall fund returns. The nightmare scenario keeping fund managers up at night.

🚀 Startup / VC

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bootstrapped

Building a company with personal savings, credit cards, and stress ulcers instead of venture capital—either a badge of honor or an excuse for slow growth, depending on your exit results. It's entrepreneurship on hard mode.

🚀 Startup / VC

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