I actually agree with most of these - at least for early-stage startups. Using off-the-shelf tools has nothing to do with barriers to entry; if you're reinventing the wheel for things that aren't at the core of what differentiates your product, you are just wasting time. As important as they are, reducing technical debt and improving security are not the highest priority items - especially when you have limited resources and a yet-to-be-proven product. And yes, soft skills often do influence a startup's success more than code.