The cliche of the macho startup entreprenuer working 100 hours weeks and burning through cash for five years is not how many people become successful. Plenty of people start quietly in their spare time and build as they go along.
Startups require risk and sacrifice - yes, this is true. But not all businesses demand your internal organs and your wallet.
But if you count your own time, which is worth AT LEAST $20/hour (if not $100), then you aren't going to get very far if you're only willing to commit $1000. Even if you don't count your own time, many opportunities require significantly more than $1K.
Success in a startup comes from tenacity more than anything else. If you aren't willing to make a real commitment (as the GP was suggesting), you're setting yourself up to fail.