Y Combinator recently a collection of advice from some of their portfolio companies — it was great, but very long. published Here is a summary of the , sorted by frequency: top 11 tips learn how to properly hire, manage and fire (and, fire fast) — it’s your core job(9 mentions) ensure you have a great relationship with co-founders and significant others; deeply think about — and document — how you will handle future scenarios (6 mentions) define your customer very precisely & really listen to them(6 mentions) avoid hiring too many people (e.g. interns) or overpriced consultants (5 mentions) hire and delegate to people; people who are better than you (4 mentions) experienced avoid distractions; e.g. building a personal brand, meeting with the wrong investors, conferences (4 mentions) find the best process for making the“right” decisions at your company(4 mentions) be less adversarial / learn how to take feedback well(4 mentions) take care of yourself physically and mentally (3 mentions) address the elephant in the room; don’t be afraid to change course if what you’re doing isn’t working (3 mentions) worry about money — and learn how to keep track of it (2 mentions) The full article can be found . here