Good post. A few times I have considered a coin because it sounded great, then after a bit of research I learned it was not so great, shady stuff happened, it wasn't legit/almost dead, etc. So number 6 definitely helps.
Another is don't get caught in FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). A few times I have seen a coin getting hyped, growing, etc and bought. Then it dipped and downtrended soon after. Try to get in early based on news and speculation. If it seems like it might be too late, it probably is. This isn't true all the time, but it helps to be cautious.