Paul makes a good point, and I think it's one the post addresses -- eventually. Context is everything, both in terms of talking to other people and being honest with yourself. I was a textbook example of the "Profitable since month one" crowd, since our reimbursed expenses < revenue, but when I'd go around saying that from people who started/ran businesses, there were a lot of rolling eyes.

It's really easy to look around at huge venture-funded flameouts that have never had a dime in revenue and be proud of what you've built. I know I sure am. But that doesn't mean, at the end of the day, you've created a truly profitable business. That shouldn't take away from what you've done, but it does provide a little more nuance that can be hard to swallow.