Your Clever Business Model

The irony is that the author is being clever by redefining the term "business model" to reflect his disdain for startups that don't take profitability seriously. That's fine and good, and I feel the same. The problem is when people ask you your business model there is an actual expected response, and it's not pithy and content-less cultural commentary. At best you come off as arrogant, at worst you actually offend people with the implication that they are one of the idiots who believe you can run a business without profitability.

I'm actually wondering if this article isn't a troll. Imagine seeking investment funding and when you're presenting to a room full of VCs. Someone asks what your business model is and you respond with "Make more money than we spend". You might get a few chuckles, but the next question is going to be "But seriously, what's your business model?".

They're going to want you to address what value you're delivering to the customer, how you plan to address competitive threats, what market segment you're going after, how you plan to take advantage of network effects, and so on. And yes, what your revenue generation and strategy for ensuring profitibility is going to be.

copy-paste from a smart comment on the OP:

"When people ask what's your business model, they're not asking about pricing. They're asking who you're charging and why. Making more money than you spend just defines a business, not a model."

A good "cut through the crap" view of business.