However, a desire to make everything perfect, combined with a fear of letting go of complete control, can sometimes hold a startup back.

FORBES: 3 Virtuous Acts of Virtual Assistants

The EnergyBuddy -- first unveiled as a prototype at CES but just now inching toward a full launch -- is a complete home energy-tracking system brought to you by Cali-based startup FutureDash.

ENGADGET: FutureDash EnergyBuddy hands-on (video)