Make sure to conduct your own analysis of the company's health rather than relying solely on external hype or authority figures.

Trust your instincts about whether the company is working; as a technical contributor, you have a unique perspective on the company's potential for success.

In high-risk activities like starting a business, you must rely on your own intuition rather than others' judgments, as the future is inherently different from the past.

To scale quickly, you need someone aligned with the company's values who can make decisions as you would, especially when you're not present.

Investing in character and reputation is vital; a company can fail, but maintaining integrity is crucial for future opportunities.

It's crucial to create a support system as a CEO to avoid feeling isolated and to gain perspective on common challenges faced by leaders.

Ultimately, the decision to pivot or not is the founder's responsibility. It's important to take accountability for your actions and not rely on authority figures to make that decision for you.

If you're unsure who the decision maker is, it's likely you. It's better to act decisively than to slow down the company by following a process without making a decision.

If you're a single founder, having a supportive team is essential because you won't have someone to lift you up on tough days.