Why I Chose to Build Operations for Founders
I read Paul Graham’s essay on Founder Mode vs. Professional Manager Mode today, and honestly, the shockwaves it's causing are a bit baffling. If you've ever worked with a founder, none of this should be news.
With a bit of nuance, I’m on board with Paul’s points. They hit close to home with why I’m all about setting up operations specifically for founders.
Let’s get real about a few things:
1. Founders are often neurodivergent or come from challenging backgrounds (or both). Their brains are running at warp speed, finding sparks of genius in the most unexpected moments, with an undeniable bias for action.
2. Most care about their people - I'd even say for many, connecting with their team is the lifeline that keeps them going.
3. Skepticism is their default setting. Founders don’t just weigh a decision against one or two alternatives—they compare it to an infinite set of possibilities, including doing nothing at all or using resources elsewhere. Professional managers tend to weigh a few options; founders see an endless array.
5. Some see this as disruptive – I see it as a superpower. Sure, sticking to a plan has its place, but for a founder-led business, success means embracing Founder-Oriented Operations.
I touched on this in the Hustle & Humor podcast, but here’s the deal with Founder-Oriented Operations:
- Give space for that creative spark and innovation to thrive.
- Engage founders at critical moments with the team – using a converge-and-diverge approach to bring in diverse perspectives and foster collaboration without silos (great for creativity and connection)
- Balance the weeds with the big picture – founders need to work ON the business, not just get sucked INTO it.
- Get crystal clear on the vision – and COMMUNICATE what’s decided, what’s up for debate, and what we’re out to learn, so the team knows where to focus and where to experiment.
- Celebrate wins and lessons learned. Founders tend to be maximizers, always pushing for more, but it’s vital to take a moment to recognize progress – it fuels the journey.
- Create organizational clarity so everyone knows exactly how their role drives the business forward (accountability and ownership)
- Match the momentum plan with the financial reality.
- Incentivize outcomes that benefit the consumer, the business, and the team – not just individuals.
This is also why I’m so skeptical of those one-size-fits-all, plug-and-play operations plans for founders. Every business is unique, and it has to work FOR and WITH the founders, not the other way around.
For those of us who’ve been in the trenches growing businesses, Paul’s words are anything but shocking.
If you’re ready to embrace Founder Mode in your business, let’s connect. I’ve built a company to the point of exit, helped over 100+ founders, and found $20M in value for my clients. I help founder-led businesses scale without burning out.
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