Here's a good rule of thumb: don't worry about a competitor at all, until they're actually beating you with a real shipped product.

You have to be intense. This only comes from the CEO, this only comes from the founders.

... fire fast when it's not working. It's better for the company, it's also better for the employee.

Most startups are not nearly focussed enough. They work hard...maybe, but they don't work hard on the right things.

Before 20 or 25 employees, most companies are structured with everyone reporting to the founder. It's totally flat.

Share results (financial and key metrics) with the company every month.

Employees will only add more value over time.