Companies that I've been very involved with, that have had a very bad first hire in the first 3 or so employees never recover from it.
Sam AltmanThe role of the board is advice and consent. If the CEO does not lay out a clear strategy and tries to get the board to set one, it will usually end in disaster.
Sam AltmanThe most common post YC failure case for the companies we fund, is they're incredibly focussed during YC on their company... and after they start doing a lot of other things. They advise companies, they go to conferences, whatever.
Sam AltmanIn the early days of a startup, people's compensation is whatever you negotiate with a founder and it's all over the place.
Sam Altman