As startup founders, it's essential to strike a balance between being scrappy in the early stages and prioritizing good security at the core of company culture. This means automating sensitive data handling processes, rather than relying on manual, unscalable approaches. Using third-party services like secrets managers can provide robust security without the risks and costs associated with building in-house solutions. However, if being scrappy is necessary, it's crucial to do so responsibly and use tools that minimize headaches, such as secrets managers, to avoid potential pitfalls like sharing sensitive data over email or using .env files.