Gabe Newell, co-founder of Valve, recently shared his views during a YouTube interview with Zalkar Saliev. In the conversation, he criticized the prevalent startup culture of seeking venture capital funding, noting it often leads businesses to a distracted beginning. He emphasized the importance of focusing on providing value to customers, suggesting that doing so will eventually attract the necessary funding without the complications that accompany the traditional venture capital model. “Many startups waste time and resources chasing capital rather than customers,” Newell stated, underscoring the need to prioritize customer satisfaction and the overall health of the business. This insight is particularly relevant in a tech landscape increasingly plagued by turmoil, including reports about Microsoft’s recent layoffs.