The game is rigged

The author argues that the crypto startup game is rigged against bootstrapped founders, whose products are not judged on merit and who are not mentioned in press coverage because they lack VC-backed credentials and social capital. The post says VC-funded startups look for different traits than bootstrapped businesses, which need to make money from day one, so enshittification is part of their plan from the start. It cites the author's eight years in crypto and startups and claims that a bootstrapped product with no VC deal goes unmentioned in blog posts about new startups. It also states that a16z's crypto startup school contract prohibits founders who receive funding from speaking badly about a16z.