60 Company Builders Share Their Advice for Startup Founders

YOUR STARTUP IS NOT YOUR HORCRUX A list of 40+ guidelines I've learned about being a founder, while serving as an (imperfect) 2-time founder & CEO, early-employee-COO, advisor, and investor. CURATE YOUR TRIBE “Founder-friendly” often means “we’ll do whatever it takes to win a deal, including offering excessively generous terms to the company and f... See more

Communicating a clear, compelling vision with energy and enthusiasm is often the founder’s most important job. It starts with recruiting potential team members, who must be inspired enough by the startup’s potential to leave their current jobs for an uncertain future. “Vision is the most important trait of a startup leader,” says Russell Kommer, fo

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• Don’t be afraid to zig when others zag. Canva made contrarian but conviction-driven decisions like staying private longer, avoiding outside leadership hires, and building a Swiss Army Knife product when conventional wisdom favored single-purpose tools. Staying true to your vision can be a key advantage.

• Canva employees have coaches, rather than

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12 ideas from Don Valentine (founder of Sequoia) 1. There are two things in business that matter, and you can learn this in two minutes- you don’t have to go to business school for two years: high gross margins and cash flow. The other financial metrics you can forget. 2. The… Show more

The most important thing for young generations is to find a good mentor and choose your boos and the person you work. Don’t try to choose your company because even we’re right 40% of the time.

I think the most important thing is to find a good mentor and choose your boss, the person you work for. Don't try to choose your company. That's too hard. I... See more