As founders, we’re not just the creators of our company’s vision but also the ones who set it in motion and adjust its course along the way. This role transcends “typical” leadership — instead, it’s a commitment to a journey that’s uniquely ours. And on that journey, we wear many hats, constantly switching modes, shifting seamlessly from Founder Mode to Coach Mode to Magician Mode (to name a few). We’re the ones who push boundaries and reimagine what’s possible, often venturing beyond what many can even envision.
In the last part of this series, Mastering Founder Mode: The Core Operating System, we explored the intricacies of Founder Mode — the holistic, instinctual state in which founders synthesize their company’s vision, culture, and operations into a unified whole. We talked about how founders fluidly navigate between various modes, making rapid decisions and course-correcting as necessary to keep our company aligned with our long-term vision. It’s a mode of operation that allows us to act with speed, agility, and a deep sense of purpose.
But what happens when this fluidity crosses into overextension? While Founder Mode is critical for steering a company through complex challenges, operating in multiple modes simultaneously can also introduce risk. Multimodal thinking — though often considered a hallmark of effective founders — can, if unmanaged, lead to burnout, strategic missteps, and a loss of clarity.
For most founders, the journey to building a company we’ll love forever involves a delicate balance of shifting between many modes and awareness of the dangers of operating in too many modes at once. There are consequences for staying too long in Founder Mode without shifting gears, but strategies can help us avoid the pitfalls of multimodal thinking. In this part of the series, we’ll explore some ways founders can better navigate our modes to build damn good, if not great, companies without straying off course.
1. Find a Problem or Opportunity You Can Commit to for Years
Our journey as founders often begins with a singular focus: solving a problem or seizing an opportunity. And this isn’t just about identifying something that will last a quarter or two — it’s about committing to something we’re willing to focus on for years, if not decades.
What makes this so monumental? It’s the understanding that this problem and/or opportunity has to be worth the journey. We have to see beyond the immediate — beyond short-term gains. The market needs to be substantial, whether local, national, or global, and we must believe the problem is enduring, one that will remain relevant for decades. This kind of thinking requires conviction, foresight, and, above all, patience.
2. Deeply Know Yourself
As founders, we constantly grapple with this challenging question: Why me?
We need to know, deep down, what makes us tick:
- Why are you uniquely suited to take on this challenge?
- What personal vision or drive is going to push you through the tough times?
- What traits, patterns, or experiences have prepared you to endure the long, sometimes brutal journey of building a damn good, if not great, company?
This kind of self-reflection is essential because you need to become comfortable with who you are and why you’re the right person for the job. You aren’t just solving a problem — you’re investing your entire identity into making sure you’re the one to solve it.
3. Envision a Clear Path to a Viable Business Model
Successful founders know that a great idea isn’t enough. We have to envision how that idea becomes a sustainable business model. And that vision needs to extend far beyond the initial launch phase.
The Founder’s Mindset includes thinking through:
- Who are the Ideal Customers?
- What will they pay?
- What will it take to attract and retain great employees, investors, vendors, and partners?
This constant balancing act between delivering value and maintaining profitability isn’t just a spreadsheet exercise. It’s a mental model we carry with us every day. We know our business must create value for everyone involved, not just ourselves but for all our Ideal Stakeholders.
4. Define and Stick to Your Forever Agreements
For a founder, certain principles are non-negotiable. These are our Forever Agreements — the core agreements that define a company’s soul and guide every decision.
Here’s what we’re committed to:
- A Compelling Why: Why does your company exist beyond just making money?
- A Compelling Value Proposition: What makes your offering different, unique, and valuable?
- An Ideal Customer Profile: Who are you serving, and why does that group matter to you?
- An Ideal Team Member Profile: Who do you want on your team? What values, ambition, and competencies do you need in your team?
Founders have to be clear about these guiding principles from day one because these are the principles that will hold us steady when the inevitable storms hit. We have to be willing to live by them at every step.
5. Convince Ideal Stakeholders to Join Your Vision
One of the greatest challenges founders face is bringing others on board, whether that’s ideal versions of our customers, team members, or investors. It’s about more than selling a product — it’s about convincing the right kinds of people to believe in a shared vision.
Founders are constantly thinking about:
- What does it take to get the first (and future) customers?
- What do employees need to see to commit their futures to this company?
- What do investors need to believe in order to put money on the line?
Getting these Ideal Stakeholders on board early is essential. And it requires more than a solid pitch — founders need to build trust, demonstrate competence, and inspire confidence in the long-term potential of the company.
6. Choose to Burn Either the Boats or the Midnight Oil
Lastly, founders have to commit. Whether it’s burning the boats — cutting off any exit strategies — or burning the midnight oil, we have to go all in. There’s no halfway, no dipping a toe in and seeing how it goes.
This is where grit meets resolve. Founders have to be comfortable with discomfort and work tirelessly to push through the hardest moments, betting everything on our vision.
And we know that this commitment doesn’t just rest on our shoulders. It affects everyone involved: team members, investors, partners, and even customers. It’s why so many founders are so deeply embedded in their companies — they are the company.
Why We Should Give Founders a Break
When you truly understand what founders have committed to, it becomes easier to appreciate why we may operate in Founder Mode more often than most would like. We’re constantly balancing the immense responsibility of leading the company, building the vision, and ensuring its long-term success. This relentless drive often leads us to operate in ways that can feel intense to those around us. But this intensity is a byproduct of the extraordinary weight we carry.
As I mentioned at the beginning, building a damn good, if not great, company isn’t a mystery, but it is really hard. And this difficulty isn’t short-lived — it lasts for years. We live with the constant weight of our company’s survival and growth, much like a parent worrying about a child, no matter how successful we become. The best founders take this responsibility to heart, staying in the game for the long haul and always thinking of what’s next. If you’re not a founder yourself, hear me out: Next time you encounter a founder deep in Founder Mode, remember that they’re navigating a path only a few fully understand. We deserve a bit of grace.
Up Next…
As we wrap up our discussion on what makes a great company, it’s clear that Founder Mode evolves as the company grows. It’s not just about what founders need to do to build a great company but also about how our role transforms as the company progresses through different Stages of Development. This evolution brings us to our next topic: the critical balance between Founder Mode and Manager Mode.
In the next part of this series, we’ll explore the founder’s journey through the lens of the 5 Stages of Development — from Survive to Steward. Understanding these stages helps illuminate why founders need to operate in different modes as the company matures and how specialized talent in Manager Mode becomes crucial for scaling the founder’s vision.
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’m adding 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.
Read the rest of the Founder Mode Series:
- Part 1: What Is Founder Mode, Really?
- Part 2: Tapping into the Founder's Mindset
- Part 3: Essential Modes for Founders
- Part 4: Understanding the Personalities of Visionary and Legacy Founders
- Part 5: Founders Within: The Founder's Mindset Inside Large Organizations
- Part 6: Mastering Founder Mode: The Core Operating System
