Saying "you don't have what it takes to be a founder" is a lot like saying "you don't have what it takes to win at slots". Winning is (almost) purely random, but the more resources you have (in terms of wealth, social capital, and temerity) the more chances you get to take.

The (implicit) meme in HN posts that success is mostly a function of skill rather than mostly a function of luck is not merely misleading but actively dangerous. We need to be fully aware that business (particularly business in the middle of a bubble, or business where stocks are involved, or business where you're borrowing money from investors) is essentially a form of gambling, and can have very similar consequences for anyone who isn't exceedingly lucky. We need to stop paying attention to success stories (with a big enough pool, a series of miracles is inevitable) and pay attention to the average case (which is to say, miserable failure).

I don't like how the article makes it seem like "self-sacrifice" is the only thing necessary for a successful founder. If you have a terrible idea, or terrible execution, it doesn't matter how much of your money and your time and your life you put in to the startup, it's still going to fail miserably.

There is no magic road to a successful startup, not even by cutting off your own arm (hopefully in a metaphorical sense).