Google AdSense: “we're going to optimize your ad settings for you” (opens in new tab)

Isn't the model that you as a publisher get paid based on the bidding of the advertisers and Google takes a percentage? So if they make your ads perform better (read: probably make them more annoying to your visitors), then the advertisers will pay more and both Google and you will get a higher fee.

So this thing is probably good for the short-term AdSense revenue of the publisher, and bad for visitors and thus the long-term use of the site. (Or maybe just good for adblocker install rates)

>Are startup founders "special" in a way they do not use Adsense?

I don't find depending on Adsense for revenue great, good or healthy, but I presume for many small web sites there's no other option.

>Is the web not build / run by startups?

What is the Web? What is a start-up? If by Web you mean WWW, and by start-up you mean "new shiny online businesses which are perceived by lots of public as being cool and trendy and are funded by VC", then the answer is no.

We have WWW since Tim Berners Lee invented it, and it ran just fine before "start-ups" were a thing.