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Founder Mode

Sep 17, 2024

Draft

I used to run my company all wrong.

Well-meaning advisors told me: "Hire good people, then get out of their way."

Sounds great in theory. But in practice? It was a disaster.

I felt like I was being gaslit from both sides:
• By the so-called "experts" insisting this was the right way
• By the team when things went off the rails

I knew something was wrong. But I couldn't put my finger on it.

Then I heard Brian Chesky speak. And it all clicked.

There are TWO ways to run a company:

  1. Manager Mode: The standard playbook. Treat your org chart like a black box. Don't get involved in the details.

  2. Founder Mode: A new way. Skip levels. Get in the weeds. Do whatever it takes.

Manager Mode is how you run a company you didn't start. But for founders, it feels wrong. Because it is wrong.

We're just starting to understand Founder Mode. But one thing is clear:

It's not about micromanaging. It's about setting the vision, then diving deep to make it real.

Imagine what founders will achieve once we crack the code on Founder Mode.

We've been running against the wind. Now it's time to soar.