The startup business he describes here is similiar to the one we started at Realmware with the Visual3D.NET product. The business and demands have grown however, and the tough part for us right now is cashflow since we are still in beta with only a small handful of customers and trying to keep the dev team in tact so we can finally make a public release. Having a global team in a virtual office presents communication challenges that require extra time and effort. Especially on the creative problem solving side.

His last point for developers about working fewer, but more productive hours in a day is a gem. It doesn’t account for a number of exceptions like short deadlines, and sudden emergency fixes, but as a general work rule I think it’s great advice. It dovetails with his earliar point about the work habits you set for yourself and your startup, like long hours, are the habits you’ll tend to trap yourself into as the company grows.