Founder mode!
Neel Patel
10 replies
Interesting article recently got viral and speaks volume about how modern companies should be operated.
Have you read it? Thoughts?
Replies
André J@sentry_co
I actually summarised that article and shared it around. https://gist.github.com/eonist/3...
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It definitely is a good take with the story he mentioned in the article.
buzzabout
Micromanagement!!! - that is a HUGE misconception on how most people get that article from Paul Graham.
He wasn't talking about micromanagement in its pure form, where you should track the execution of each small task.
He was saying that the founder should be in DETAILS about his business, which means he should understand how it works, and understand all decision-making processes, which is NOT micromanagement.
Also, that wasn't only his perspective, Brian Chesky also was talking about that 1 year ago on a podcast with Lenny Rachitsky.
@viktor_surkov Yeah, you gotta be really with it. Or it's not gonna work. when you're operational, then you don't have to be in the nitty gritty and can coast a bit more. staying high level is often more than enough at that stage.
Can u summarize it please?
I get you. Even when scaling up, founders need to stay connected and not lose sight of why they started. Delegate but don't abdicate! Tools can help leaders keep a pulse - I use Producthunt collections to track the latest solutions my team is using, ask team leads for Loom videos demoing pain points, and have an open Slack channel for any client issues. The key is systems that give you visibility without losing the in-the-trenches perspective. Stay curious and keep talking to customers regularly!
Absolutely agree on staying in founder mode! It's like doing reps at the gym - gotta stay sharp and in tune with the day-to-day challenges. When you're hands-on, you feel the customer pain points directly and can adjust faster. Losing that connection is def dangerous in the long run. Founder involvement is key to staying true to the mission!
Totally agree that founders need to stay in the trenches! It's easy to lose touch if you're not involved in the day-to-day. I find it helpful to regularly spend time on customer support, sales calls, and project work to keep those muscles strong. That's the only way to truly understand evolving customer needs and pain points so you can adapt fast. Gotta stay hungry and hands-on!