Github is a very special case - a tool for technical people that came at just the right time, with just the right mix of coolness and usefulness to take off like a rocket. So, when reading this list, take it with a grain of salt - much of it won't apply to other startups.
That said, it's still interesting to see Github's philosophy laid out like this. The key points:
- Start early
- Adapt to your customers
- Have fun
- Pay attention to Twitter
- Deploy at will
- You don't need an office
- Hire through open-source
- Trust your team
- You don't need Venture Capital
- Open-source whenever you can