For many people, Paul Graham is an essential touch point in building a new company. His perspectives have the ring of experience–and a lot of wisdom, so I’m compiling my own list of nuggets to absorb–here’s a batch of good points from the most recent post (worth a whole read).

• Release early: “Users hate
  bugs, but they don’t seem to mind a minimal version 1, if there’s
  more coming soon.”
• Release often: “Force yourself, as a sort of intellectual
  exercise, to keep thinking of improvements.”
• Value the users: “The vast majority of people who visit your
  site will be casual visitors.”
• Be afraid: “You should compete against what someone else could be
  doing, not just what you can see people doing.”
• Determination is everything. “The only way to convince everyone that you’re
  ready to fight to the death is actually to be ready to.”
• Manage your optimism: “Shielding your optimism is nowhere more important than with deals.
  If your startup is doing a deal, just assume it’s not going to
  happen.”

And the money quote: “Economically, a startup is best seen not as a way to get
rich, but as a way to work faster. You have to make a living, and
a startup is a way to get that done quickly, instead of letting it
drag on through your whole life.”