Except in very narrow cases, where there's breakthrough science that needs patent production, worrying about competitors is a waste of time. If you can't out iterate someone who is trying to copy you, you're toast anyway.

The only person who can put you out of business, in the early days, is yourself.

Better to have bad news that's true than good news we made up

Science and vision are not opposites or even at odds. They need each other. I sometimes hear other startup folks say something along the lines of: 'If entrepreneurship was a science, then anyone could do it.' I'd like to point out that even science is a science, and still very few people can do it, let alone do it well.

By the time that product is ready to be distributed widely, it will already have established customers.

I believe for the first time in history, entrepreneurship is now a viable career.

Meritocracy is a good thing. Whenever possibly, people should be judged based on their work and results, not superficial qualities.