If I might ask a more general question about start-ups, particularly people who have some experience directly with start-ups.

Is the goal of the start-up always to aim for an exit by being bought by somebody bigger, or do most people start businesses with a view to longevity but then end up being given offers they can't refuse? Or is it impossible to generalise? I suspect it's the latter as is usually the way with complicated human systems.

I always wondered if the point of a start-up was to have a good idea, get a load of funding to flesh the idea out and then throw your bait into the water hoping some large company like Google or Apple comes along and snaps up your IP for an eye watering amount.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. :-)