"Strike it rich" implies fame and impact. You are arguing
terminology.
They are not the same. Wikipedia, Khan Academy, Linux and Rails are fame and impact. Github is smaller than Zynga but has much higher status in the programming community. You can't go long years with low salary if you are motivated by money. This isn't just double think, the kind of people who achieve high economic status via startups usually care more about social status and proving something to themselves and the world than fancy cars.
That is why Peter Thiel talks about CEOs paying themselves a low wage as the best predictor of startup success.
Wikipedia, Khan Academy, Linux and Rails are fame and impact.
Jimmy Wales is worth some $25 million, and basically lives his life off the Wikipedia books. Linus can write his own ticket anywhere, and has virtually unlimited potential. Rails....partner at 37 Signals.
If you have fame and impact you can almost always convert that into a lot of cold, hard cash.
Right, but it's about the psychological state. Jimmy Wales made his money outside of Wikipedia. Linus wasn't doing Linux to get rich. If you read their bios, the Google guys weren't thinking about getting rich. Of all the recent crop of successful startups, maybe only Mark Pyncus was really focused on getting rich.
It's a bit zen but there is a good way to tell the difference. A successful startup founder, when presented with the choice between more money and more power, will take power every time.
That is why Peter Thiel talks about CEOs paying themselves a low wage as the best predictor of startup success.