In a widely circulated posting on his blog talkingquickly, Ruby/Android developer Ben Dixon has 63 bits of startup advice, arranged under the charming title, “What I’d Tell Myself About Startups If I Could Go Back 5 Years.” Much of Dixon’s advice will be familiar to anyone who’s ever asked around about running a startup (“’Ads’ are where business models go to die”), but some of it is repeated less often, and worth reiterating here. To wit:

• “Always refuse if someone asks you to sign an NDA before hearing their idea
• “Most people who talk about failing fast, aren't actually practicing this
• “It's really hard to build a product if you don't have a big personal investment in the problem it solves
• “Think hard about a pivot which makes good business sense but leads to a product you no longer care about
• “The solution to many, many problems, is not technical. That won't stop people trying solve them with apps”

There’s more (much, much more) on Dixon’s blog, and for anyone who’s getting into the startup game, it’s worth a read. Image: Spectral-Design/Shutterstock.com