This seems to be a much more apt analogy for most startups:
Rather than being pushed off a cliff and asked to build a rocket, they are being strapped to the rocket (of VC funding) and asked to make it to the moon.
Not to diminish the hard work that goes into building a successful startup. Not all rockets make it to the moon, as the difficulty of a moon shot isn't really in generating thrust, but thrust is a necessary but not necessarily sufficient condition.
Rather than being pushed off a cliff and asked to build a rocket, they are being strapped to the rocket (of VC funding) and asked to make it to the moon.
Not to diminish the hard work that goes into building a successful startup. Not all rockets make it to the moon, as the difficulty of a moon shot isn't really in generating thrust, but thrust is a necessary but not necessarily sufficient condition.