I am ostensibly a developer; that is, I write code. In my career I have worked in a development capacity for three startups. One failed, one was a great success, and the third is the one I'm currently with, EyeFormatics, Inc.You learn a lot working for small companies trying to get off the ground. 1) Don't try to run before you've learned to crawl. Steve Jobs has a great quote: "Something complex that works well invariably started as something simple that worked well." Words of wisdom for any industry, for a developer, it should be your coda.2) Management experience in other industries does not translate to management experience in software. I'm sorry, developing software requires knowledge and experience unique to the industry. I'm not just talking about the technical barriers you'll face; software development is an art form. You need to swim in the medium for a time before you become its master. Managing client expectations, other developers, and the technical aspects of launching any moderately complex system will overwhelm you the first time no matter how smart or experienced in other types of management you think you are. 3) Focus on the core business. I learned this one from the successful startup I worked for. What is the core business? Your core business is the model that you (hopefully) constructed before you applied for your tax license. A lot of software companies lose sight of this, surprisingly enough. If it's not your core business or directly related to it, outsource or eliminate it. Don't try to be everything to everyone - you'll fail.There are many more lessons I can share, but you have to buy me a beer, at least, to hear them.David