those seem to be in direct opposition to the epitome of startup: steve wozniak
"All the best things that I did at Apple came from (a) not having money and (b) not having done it before"
Therefore, I think a modern-day Steve from Silicon Valley would in fact have at least two monitors. If he could get parts at 11 and 13 to build a ham radio and computer, he could also find or build some lcd monitors in this day and age.
I think Waz wanted to learn about everything, and at some point money would stop anyone, and cause them to re-create things in their own room. But I'm sure he would either have monitors or assemble them. For a lot of people right now who concentrate on software, though, it is cheaper to buy monitors outright.
Steve was a hardware guy. If you're a software guy, write your own software. But you will need to spend a lot of time on your butt to program, and I think that is what the post is getting at.
Also, while a design for a circuit might lose value (besides the learning experience), monitors, desks, and chairs will be used for many, many years.