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5 Strategies to Navigate Founder Mode: For Colleagues

Welcome to Part 12 of the Founder Mode Series exploring the intense, instinctual mindset founders use to stay deeply connected to their companies. This series offers insights to help founders balance big-picture vision with decisive action to drive long-term growth.

Mastering Founder Mode isn’t just about the founder — it’s also about the team working alongside us. Sometimes, the intensity that makes Founder Mode so effective is overwhelming for other people. Colleagues and team members need to learn how to navigate, support, and thrive alongside a founder who operates in this heightened state, particularly during the company’s critical moments.

In the last part of the Founder Mode Series, we addressed the challenges founders face in managing the intensity of Founder Mode. We discussed how we can harness its power to drive innovation and strategic decision-making while also learning when to step back and trust our teams. We also explored strategies successful founders use to balance the demands of Founder Mode with delegation and leadership, ultimately ensuring long-term success.

In this part of the series, we’ll shift our focus to those working with founders. We’ll explore the unique dynamics of supporting a founder in Founder Mode and provide practical advice for colleagues and team members on how to align with the founder’s vision while managing the pressures that come with working under our leadership.

By understanding Founder Mode from the outside, your team can work more effectively, ensuring the company continues to move forward even in the most intense moments. Share this article with your people so you can nurture the high-trust relationships you need to build a company you’ll love forever.

1. Understand Founder Mode and Know What to Expect

It’s important to remember that working with a founder means working with someone who’s highly driven, intensely focused, and a visionary. This can be inspiring, but it can also create stress if you’re not prepared for the way Founder Mode manifests. As we’ve discussed in this series, Founder Mode refers to the intense and instinctual mindset founders use to stay deeply connected to their companies.

Key traits of Founder Mode:

  • Decisiveness under pressure: Founders often make rapid decisions, particularly in moments of crisis. Their ability to move quickly can be crucial for the company, but it may leave others scrambling to keep up.
  • All-encompassing focus: When a founder is in Founder Mode, they may be laser-focused on a particular goal or problem, sometimes at the expense of other priorities.
  • Unpredictability: Founder Mode can be intense, with the founder’s focus and energy shifting rapidly as new challenges arise.

Colleagues should understand that when a founder enters Founder Mode, it’s often because the stakes are high. Be prepared for quick decisions and high expectations, but also recognize that this intensity is what drives the company forward. Patience and adaptability are key.

2. Know How to Support the Founder in Founder Mode

When a founder is in Founder Mode, they need a team that can execute quickly and effectively while also helping to manage the impact of their intensity. Your role as a colleague is crucial in supporting them but also in ensuring the rest of the team stays focused and doesn’t get overwhelmed.

Key ways to support:

  • Be clear about priorities: When the founder is laser-focused on a specific problem, make sure to clarify priorities for the rest of the team. Help translate the founder’s vision into actionable steps.
  • Provide feedback thoughtfully: Founders appreciate feedback (or, as we say here at Ninety, feedforward), but timing is everything. During Founder Mode, they may be less receptive to critical input. Choose moments when they’re more reflective to offer constructive feedback.
  • Manage the ripple effects: Help the broader team understand what’s driving the founder’s intensity and how it connects to the bigger picture. Be a buffer when needed, keeping the team on track while the founder focuses on high-stakes decisions.

3. Recognize When to Step Up

One of the key challenges when working with a founder is knowing when to step in and take ownership. Founder Mode can create moments when the founder is deeply involved, but there will also be moments when they need you to take the lead.

Key signs it’s time to step up:

  • When the founder’s intensity overwhelms the team: If you sense that the team is struggling with the founder’s intensity, it may be time for you to step in and lead. Help the team navigate the situation while keeping the founder’s vision intact.
  • When the founder is in tactical mode: Sometimes, founders get bogged down in tactical details when they should be focused on the bigger picture. Recognize when to take control of the day-to-day tasks to free the founder up for strategic thinking.
  • When the founder pulls back: There will be moments when the founder steps back from Founder Mode and gives the team space to lead. Recognize these moments and be ready to step up with confidence.

4. Thrive in the Intensity of Founder Mode

Working with a founder in Founder Mode can be both exciting and exhausting. Learning how to thrive in this environment requires adaptability and a strong understanding of the founder’s vision.

Tips for thriving:

  • Stay focused on the vision: The founder’s intensity often comes from their deep commitment to the company’s vision. Keep that vision front and center in your mind, and work toward it, even when the pressure is high.
  • Communicate clearly: During Founder Mode, communication can break down. Make sure you’re clear about what the founder expects, and don’t hesitate to ask for clarification if needed.
  • Manage your own stress: It’s easy to get caught up in the founder’s energy, but it’s important to manage your own stress levels. Make sure you’re pacing yourself and taking care of your own well-being so you can continue to perform at a high level.

5. Manage the Founder’s Impact on Team Dynamics

When a founder is in Founder Mode, the entire team feels it. This intensity can disrupt normal workflows, shift priorities suddenly, and create tension if not managed well. As a colleague, part of your role is to help balance the founder’s energy with the team’s needs.

How to manage team dynamics:

  • Translate the founder’s vision: Often, the team needs help interpreting the founder’s goals and understanding how to execute them. Be the bridge that connects the founder’s high-level ideas to actionable tasks for the team.
  • Buffer the intensity: If the founder’s intensity is creating stress within the team, act as a buffer. Help your colleagues focus on their tasks and manage the pressure while keeping the team aligned with the company’s overall direction.
  • Encourage open communication: Ensure the team feels comfortable voicing concerns and asking questions. Open communication can help diffuse tension and keep everyone on the same page.

Partner with the Founder for Success

Founder_Mode [5_Strategies] (2)Working with a founder in Founder Mode can be challenging, but it’s also an opportunity to learn from someone who is deeply committed to their vision and willing to push through obstacles to achieve it. As a colleague, your role is to support that vision while also maintaining balance within the team.

By understanding the intensity of Founder Mode, knowing when to step up, and managing the impact on the broader team, you can help both the founder and the company thrive. Success comes from partnership — by aligning with the founder’s vision while also providing the stability and clarity the rest of the team needs, you can be a key player in the company’s long-term growth and success. This means understanding that Founder Mode is not just about the founder — it’s about everyone aligning across and up and down the organization to move the company forward.

Up Next…

At some point, founders face the significant transition of passing the reins to a new leader. In Part 13, we’ll explore one of the most significant transitions in the life of a company: the founder stepping back.

We’ll discuss how to choose a leader who not only understands the business but also honors the soul of the company. Finding someone who respects the company’s vision is essential for maintaining your legacy while ensuring the company’s future success.

If you want to stay tuned, I encourage you to sign up to receive email updates with each new part of the Founder Mode Series. I’d also love you to share this with others who are grappling with “Founder Mode,” whether they’re a founder or working with one. I want this series to spark discussions and debates — after all, that’s how we learn and grow. As someone who knows he’s “guilty” of Founder Mode, I’m genuinely excited to explore these ideas with any and everyone who's interested in this topic.

So… I’ve added this link to my Google Docs draft of this series. I’d love to get your feedback and read stories from those who have experienced the good, the bad, or the ugly of working with one or more founders in Founder Mode. Who knows — maybe this will turn into a book that includes lots of great stories about founders around the world.

For more insights on building resilient, high-performing companies, subscribe to the Founder’s Framework newsletter.