IME the thing that matters the most is focus, both on the micro and macro level. It's way too easy to get caught on things that won't make an iota of difference in your future. Focus is the first thing that goes out the window as soon a a company reach just a bit of momentum.
I've seen several startups suffering from not being able to decide what they were. Engineering teams fractured because the company wanted half of them working on their bottom line and the other half working in some offshoot product.
Even gigantic companies need that: notice how people criticize Google for creating and killing way too many products, and at the same time praising their minimalist webpage (since 1998), early GMail, etc. Same with Apple when Jobs returned to Apple and streamlined their product line, etc.
I've seen several startups suffering from not being able to decide what they were. Engineering teams fractured because the company wanted half of them working on their bottom line and the other half working in some offshoot product.
Even gigantic companies need that: notice how people criticize Google for creating and killing way too many products, and at the same time praising their minimalist webpage (since 1998), early GMail, etc. Same with Apple when Jobs returned to Apple and streamlined their product line, etc.