A bank is tricky; you put your own savings on the line, and most banks don't really care about your specific situation, just that you're a risky customer. I'd prefer not to use family and friends because that has the potential to destroy relationships. Angels are usually interested in large growth potential.
Where else do you look for capital?
Meanwhile, if I want to build something sustainable, even if I'm willing to give up a decent share of my company, and submit myself to oversight of how this money is spent and great terms for repayment or equity, I can't get anywhere. VCs aren't willing to consider a $XX MM market, only a $XXXX MM market. Even for a good team and a good idea, I've gotten nowhere. I'm totally willing to give up some double-digit percentage of a company, I'm just not willing to have to risk $100k if I want to start a company that requires $100k.
And you're saying you pitch decks to VCs that say the maximum value of the company can be double digit millions and then wonder why you aren't getting anywhere?
You're missing the point again. VCs can't consider an $XX MM market because if they did then they wouldn't be practicing Venture Capital. Again, it's a very specific type of investing which is seeking very specific type of risks and returns.
What you're saying is the equivalent of saying: "I have a basketball team and none of these football players want to join me". Yes they're athletes, and they might even make good basketball players...but they're football players for a reason - they want to play football.
If you're in the US (or able to get a visa to work here a few years – admittedly a much harder prospect recently than it should be) and have technical skills, it's not difficult to find a job that will allow you to save $100k in 2-3 years if you're willing to live very frugally. At that point, you'll have the freedom to bootstrap your own company without giving up any equity.
As others have said, don't expect much luck looking for a risk-free loan that let's you have your cake and eat it too unless it's from close friends or family.
If it's closer to the $10k range, start it yourself. If it's closer to the $100k range, you could try presenting to some local business organizations that offer favorable loans or apply for grants, but no logical VC is going to put out $100k for a $250k return.
You also have the option to crowdfund in B2C and land a major contract to fund development of an aligned product to your own in B2B.
Just don't raise venture capital. You can seek capital, just not venture capital. Venture capital is a very specific style of investing and the model relies on outsized successes. It is a very small portion of the overall capital ecosystem that drives our economy. It is not the end-all be-all of capital allocation.
The mistake laypeople on HN make is thinking that's the only way to capitalize a business. It's not.