This word has been used and abused many a time in the recent past. While the ideas of startup culture and startup ethos might seem like a cliche, one can actually learn a lot if one gives a bit of thought to it.

Startups are supposed to be

a) scrappy – With a “what do I have to lose” attitude, I have seen people in startups actually give the big guys a run for their money.

b) agile – if plan A doesn’t work, there are 25 more letters in the alphabet.

c) multifaceted – one has to wear many hats in a startup as they don’t have the luxury of hire and fire at will.

d) focussed on both the big and the small picture – While startups are focusing on the day to day metrics like revenue, client acquisition, they never lose focus of their ultimate purpose.