Average deal size is $15m which means that the company probably has some mix of equity and debt in their capital structure. Equity can be used to cushion variance in debt servicing payments. Ultimately if you're taking on debt you're expecting that your your ROI is exceeding your debt payment. While some companies may default, an equity position may not have saved them either. Net-net, smart use of debt could generate better returns for VC as an asset class as companies will suffer less dilution and it'll drive stronger selection for companies generating positive cash flows.
I think now is a perfect opportunity for the startup community to work toward changing this. In other words, I think dependence on VCs (or loans in general) for success builds an ecosystem filled with unicorns and everyone else. I think that's incredibly unsustainable and surprised not more people are trying to fix this.
What I think the ecosystem of startups in general (not just tech startups) needs is a continuum where it's more or less obvious how to "plug into" an ecosystem and succeed. And as long as your company is producing a satisfactory product / service (to the customer) you're more than likely going to succeed.
Will this transition happen within our lifetimes? Perhaps not, but I think it's an important thing that needs to be fixed for the future of civilization. Do I even know exactly what this other world will look like? Probably not, but I do believe it assumes there will be far fewer ultra wealthy and ultra poor, and a whole lot of middle class.
Because most startups fail?
And startups that VCs aren't interested in, even more so?