The idea should come first, the startup should come second.

Developing a personal connection with anyone you're trying to do a big deal with is really important.

Another way of looking at this, is that the best companies are almost always mission oriented.

Firing people is one of the worst parts of running a company. Actually in my own experience, I think it is the worst.

There are 3 things I look for when I hire people. Are they smart? Do they get things done? Do I want to spend a lot of time around them?

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

... for the top twenty most valuable YC companies, all of them have at least two founders.