Eternal startup early days

A surprising common statement I hear about a startup performing well is “this reminds me of early company X” where company X is another, now more mature, older startup.

My instant follow up to this is “How does my company not become company X?” Them saying “early company X” implies that company X is not like this anymore (they’ve also usually left the company). How can my company and I not fall victim to the same fate?

1. Don’t die. Companies stop doing what made them successful. People make stupid decisions. They suffocate themselves in the process. They alienate the people who made them successful. They run out of money (or control).
2. Reinvent yourself. It’s always day 1. I suspect that people resonate with certain company lifecycles. Tying your identity too closely to one part in one role leads to disappointment when this changes. Get feedback and improve on it. Reinvent everything.
3. Stay close to the ground. A growing company often means more hierarchy, abstraction, managers, and meetings. People rise up the ranks and gain more responsibility, but often become unhappy being disconnected from the actual work. Staying an IC is a reasonable path in software. Care about the users, the core metrics, the output, revenue.
4. Being uncomfortable is good. Comfort means you are static. Discomfort means you are near your limits. Early startups become successful because they press the limits. Discomfort is growth, comfort is complacency.