-Thank- you. I scrolled through all the replies until I saw this one, because it seemed like such an obvious reason for why there would be a correlation. The first is "someone had an idea", and the latter is "someone had an idea that outsiders vetted and decided to put money towards". Of course the latter would be more likely to succeed. That doesn't mean the latter would not have succeeded had they foregone investing, nor that the former would have succeeded had they only been able to raise funds.
So you're saying you disagree with the parent that started this thread, that there isn't even a correlation. I'm not saying I agree, just that even if there is such a correlation it does not imply causation, for a -very- obvious reason.
Would you give some random programer 10 million ? Every one of us could probably create a website, but only a select few could create a business ready to receive funding.
If I'm able to raise funding, it means that some very smart people think they'll be able to get their money back.
Compare this to just me creating a website vowing to re invent bowing. No one's looked at my business plan. Do I even have a business plan ?