> Running a smaller business takes the same amount of work as running a bigger one.
It does however, take a lot more capital to run the bigger one. From a personal perspective the opportunity cost of starting the bigger company is all the luxuries and security that cash-in-hand brings, not to mention the possibility of an even better business opportunity arising in the future.
Inadequate capital is a reason a lot of businesses are not viable. Thus a reason to forgo the idea.
But to be more direct, it takes as much effort to run an umdetcapitalized smaller business as iIt does to run an undercapitalized larger one and in both cases you are hoping for luck.
Not only is hope not a plan, the upside of good fortune with a smaller business is smaller than the upside of good fortunes with a larger one.
Finally, adequate capitalization is the high level bit of designing a business. Ideas are so abundant as to be worthless and cash is king.