I have spent a long time working in software startups of various stripes, and I have also spent a long time working with Agile teams delivering software of various stripes.
It is difficult to sufficiently emphasize how similar those two models are. Think about it:
| Startup | Agile | |
| What’s the simplest thing that could possibly sell? | Working Software over Comprehensive Documentation | |
| Hire smart, talented people, and most of the problems will take care of themselves | Individuals and interactions over processes and tools | |
| Get something out quick so your customers can give you feedback | Customer collaboration over contract negotiation | |
| What you end up building is almost never what you originally envisioned | Responding to change over following a plan |
Read this fascinating article about Dropbox, and how it succeeded where its competitors did not. It should help you down this path.