The startup environment is stressful, unpredictable and requires a significant intellectual and emotional commitment. A powerful way to compensate for these factors is to recognize and celebrate even the smallest wins. Life in a startup is, and rightfully should be, fun and productive. It is a simple, yet fundamentally powerful truth that any organization emphasizing a balance of fun and productivity fairs far better than those who raise one at the cost of the other.

Because of the nature of a startup, one of the primary tasks for the entrepreneur is to be the lead communicator. Tone, voice, direction, vision all come from, and should be championed by, the visionary. Embracing the responsibility is a powerful and effective means to keep the company focused on the promise and primary tasks. You are constantly selling, even to the point of oversell, the goals and dream of the company. Whether speaking to employees, investors, customers or press, if the one who created the dream isn’t the champion, they have little right to ask anyone else to believe in it.

Communicate well and others will make the dream theirs. Once that happens, you’d better be prepared to let those you’ve entrusted, run with it. While there are certainly times you must direct and champion the business goals, I’ve found tremendous value in recognizing the will and commitment to success of others in my organizations, especially when they had far more to offer than I. This is a perfect example of the pragmatism a startup entrepreneur must have; two (or more) heads are better than one. Teams make up companies. Some problems or opportunities that present themselves in a startup must be addressed creatively and quickly. The right people in a room, with the right attitude, can invariably come up with a set of solutions that no single person could have. It is an invaluable benefit of building teams of high caliber, energetic people and one that is a harbinger of a successful startup.