I know that when building a product, most of the focus is on making it work, or acquiring more users/paying customers, testing, etc.
But when you consider the business side of things, when do you think is the best time to intentionally set up structures in your business to regulate things like internal operations, team management, hiring, expense management, company culture building, and so on?
At what stage should I begin to obsess about those things and getting them right?
Operations is the foundation of any business! Too many startups piecemeal their operations with bits and pieces with no real strategy. This is going to result in more work, hardship, and expense down the road. Work with a a consultant or company that can help you set up streamlined operations.
Founders/CEOs should really be working with an operations director whether full time or part time so they can get out of the administrative/operational tasks and focus on the core business for growth.