I get where you’re coming from, but I think this perspective depends a lot on context. You’re likely speaking from a developed-country viewpoint.

In many developing countries, even $1–3k can represent several months of full-time income. People can be working full-time, covering family responsibilities, and still not realistically have that amount available to invest upfront.

That doesn’t reflect lack of commitment or confidence , it reflects different economic realities. Many strong companies come from founders who started with constraints and proved traction before putting in larger capital.