In his latest column, Celtic House's Andrew Waitman discusses how winning startups can be distinguished from losers at an early stage, or at least some of the warning signs that a startup might not be accelerating down the runway headed for takeoff.

He identifies three things to look for:

• The skills, experience and drive of the management, employees, board and advisors
  
• The company's track record in identifying and achieving goals and priorities
  
• Revenue growth