If you can keep hope and worry balanced, they will drive a project forward the same way your two legs drive a bicycle forward. - Paul Graham

The best predictor of success for tech companies, at every stage from during the YC batch to public company with billions in revenue, is the rate of shipping new stuff.

It's an unimpressive-sounding word, but one of the most powerful motivations is the motivation of the hobbyist. That's what keeps successful founders working on their companies long past the point when they've made enough to quit. It's their beloved project.

Seek situations where you're judged solely by performance.