How is "starting a small business" different from a "startup"?
Isn't every startup a small business, by definition, until it gets big?
Isn't every startup a small business, by definition, until it gets big?
Different people have different definitions of a "startup." To me and (I think) to many others on HN, a "startup" is a business designed to scale dramatically. It's an innovative company with high-growth potential.
The new corner coffee shop would be a small business but not a startup. The owner just wants to make a decent living.