A single mediocre hire in the first five will often in fact kill a startup.

To get the very best people- they have a lot of great options, and so it can easily take a year to recruit someone.

No matter what you choose, build stuff and be around smart people.

The most important thing is that there is clear reporting structure and everyone knows what it is.

By the way, that's my number one piece of advice if you're going to join a startup: pick a rocket ship.

You're saying no ninety-seven times out of a hundred, and most founders find they have to make a very conscious effort to do this.

Cofounder relationships are among the most important in the entire company.