I tend to agree. No one objects to the idea of bootstrapping, but 37 Signals seems to treat it like a moral failing if you don't. I'd be thrilled to learn that you can regularly scale companies to IPO, 9 digit acquisition, or prolonged/growth profitability without VC. I just can't think of too many.
does anyone know about microsoft's early funding? was it VC at all?
Bill Gates had a trust fund because he had rich parents and grandparents. I don't know if he used any of it to fund the company, but he didn't need VC to buy groceries.