Be suspicious of any work that is not building product or getting customers.
As long as you keep doing the right thing and have the best product, you can beat the bigger company.
Study the unusually successful people you know, and you will find them imbued with enthusiasm for their work which is contagious. Not only are they themselves excited about what they are doing, but they also get you excited
You have to be decisive. Indecisiveness is a startup killer.
Growth solves (nearly) all problems
Before 20 or 25 employees, most companies are structured with everyone reporting to the founder. It's totally flat.