Many aspiring founders postponed their startup plans last year after COVID-19 safety precautions sent everyone home and banned most of the travel and meetings required to meet the three goals of any startup: funding, hiring, and growth. But a few relentless entrepreneurs forged ahead to do what they could do in a remote world. Along the way, they learned new approaches that aren't just pandemic workarounds, but potentially smarter ways of working that simply needed a push to fall into place.