The idea should come first, the startup should come second.
Every thing at a startup gets modeled after the founders. Whatever the founders do becomes the culture.
At the beginning, you should only hire when you have a desperate need to.
The most important thing is that there is clear reporting structure and everyone knows what it is.
Great execution towards a terrible idea will get you nowhere.
In the early days of a startup, people's compensation is whatever you negotiate with a founder and it's all over the place.