reflecting upon the founding teams I admire most (and always aspire to build): - they made something hot vs. joining something hot (and endured doubts / not being understood by the friends for a few years. - they tackled an industry or cause that was ripe for refactoring and re-imagination vs. a “yet another” product - when the grass was greener on the other side (( big valuation headlines, the buzz of “popular startups” (that ironically tend to get crowded out, raise too much and massively dilute employees, and tend to offer more myopic roles to junior talent)), they just kept their heads down and build. - they realized that sticking together long enough to figure it out is the true competitive advantage when building something new. - their leaders proactively allocated equity and opportunity based on who was moving the needle the most - often ignoring traditional comp bands or leveling. - they valued communication, culture, and commitment to each other - always seeking to iterate when it didn’t feel right, and encouraging people who “didn’t get it” (all of the above) to leave