1<br > The First Commandment<br > Limit the number of primary participants to<br > people who can consciously agree upon and<br > contribute directly to that which the enter-<br > prise is to accomplish， for whom， and by<br > when.<br > iThere are many reasons people become involved in young，<br >~owing companies as owners， investors， or key employees.<br >~The broad range o~ satks~t~，o~s soxt~ ~ur~s ~rom a~ ovvor-<br > capital gains on the other. Unless there is compatibility be-<br > ween wha/ each primary partiaip~nt wants out o~ the<br > business， debilitating conflict is likely to ensue. The process o[<br > lr~ing to consciously agree on the purpose o/the enterprise<br > The primary participants of a new enterprise are those<br > people who share in the initial ownership and/or rnanage-<br > i taent decision-making process of the company. The early<br > ~Vs of a new company are critical days in which the tone<br > trod shape of the venture during its formative startup period<br > arc determined. If the tone or shape is convoluted by too<br > ~mueh compromise or scarred by too much acrimonious de-<br > |bate， the foundation upon which the business is to be built<br > |will be less sturdy than it could and should be.<br > | Here is a list of six common mistakes that would-be entre-<br > |preneurs often make in piecing together participants at the<br > start of a new venture:<br >