😈 Is ‘Founder Mode’ a necessary evil?

TL;DR

😈 Is ‘Founder Mode’ a necessary evil? 

🧭 Founder mode or not, setting direction is a non-negotiable part of leadership

❓ Your views on inconsistent leadership

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Is ‘Founder Mode’ a necessary evil? 

Ah, “founder mode”—it’s a hot topic right now, isn’t it? Ever since Brian Chesky’s talk at the Y Combinator event, the notion has sparked a lot of debate. Founders often feel stuck, pulled in two directions: one group says to be hands-on (founder mode), while the other says to be hands-off (manager mode).

Understanding human bias: Why both sides feel right

Like most things in life, an idea resonates with us when it aligns with our existing belief systems. If it doesn’t resonate, it’s simply because it doesn’t match what we already believe. This phenomenon is known as confirmation bias in neuroscience and psychology.

There’s no use in arguing which approach—hands-on or hands-off—is better. You can find plenty of examples and research supporting both sides, with founders and VCs making compelling cases for each. As an engineer and researcher at heart, I like to fully understand the problem before jumping into a debate about the best solution.

The ‘Leadership Pendulum’: Hands-on vs. hands-off

In my work with founders, particularly those managing teams for the first time, I often see a leadership "pendulum" swing between two extremes: being too hands-on (micromanaging) or too hands-off (abdicating accountability). 

This happens because, as first-time leaders, founders’ most recent experience is being deeply involved in the day-to-day operations—making the sausage, so to speak. Naturally, when they step into leadership, they continue telling their teams how to make the sausage.

Eventually, though, they hit a wall. They realise they can’t oversee every detail. Advices then starts coming in about ‘hiring great people and giving them space to do their jobs.’ So the pendulum swings the other way, and they become overly hands-off—mistaking delegation for abdication. This is when I often hear, "I don’t want to tell them what to do," echoing textbook leadership advice.

The ‘autocratic outburst’ and the ‘retreat’

Inevitably, though, the hands-off approach leads to frustration. The founder will have an autocratic outburst, telling the sales rep how they should handle a client or jumping in to correct an engineer’s code. But just as quickly, they retreat, remembering the advice not to micromanage. And this back-and-forth leaves the team confused😰.

The 3 symptoms of inconsistent leadership

When founders struggle to find their leadership balance, three symptoms commonly emerge, often leading to team complaints:

The simple answer is to LEAD

The most common definition of leadership is "the art of influencing a group of people to achieve common goals"—note the emphasis on common goals. As a leader, the most valuable thing you can do for your team is to provide clarity of the outcomes you want to achieve—essentially, the direction your business needs to take and hold people accountable. This is the non-negotiable part.

The second part of the definition is "the art of influencing." It’s called an art because there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. It’s about adapting to the needs of your people and the business—whether that means being more hands-on or hands-off.

Leadership isn’t static, it’s about adapting to the needs of your context

The start-up context is more VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) compared to established, mature businesses. Here are 6 Foundations to help you evaluate whether to take a more hands-on or hands-off approach:

Strategy: Do you have a clear destination (with clear reasons why you choose that path) along with well-defined outcomes you want to achieve?

Data: Do you have the right measures and metrics to track your progress toward those outcomes?

Structure: Do you have an organisational structure where roles, accountability, decision-making, and dependencies are well understood?

Capabilities: Do you have fewer leaders (from executives to managers) in the biggest roles of their careers, compared to those who have done it before?

Processes & systems: Do you have streamlined processes in place that deliver repeatable outcomes and drive predictable performance?

Principles: Do you have shared principles that define the most important ways of working for your business, above all else?

If you're answering "no" to most of these, you'll need to take a more hands-on approach in leading your start-up to strengthen its foundations. This will eventually allow you to step back from daily operations and focus on scaling the business 10x—because no one else can do that better than the founder!

Know the ‘problem’ you need to solve before jumping to ‘solution’

Don’t get caught in the how-to debate between “the founder knows best” and “hire great people and let them figure it out.” Effective leadership requires flexibility, adapting to the unique circumstances of your business.

To lead effectively, you must understand the needs of your team, the business, and the outcomes you’re aiming for. This will provide clarity on when to be hands-on or hands-off. Ultimately, you’re best positioned to decide how to lead in your specific situation.

Founder mode or not, setting direction is a non-negotiable part of leadership

One of the biggest traps I see founders fall into? Confusing where they want to go with how to get there. Too often, they dive into the “how”—the journey—before even defining the destination. The result? Confusion, frustration, and a lot of wasted time.

Think of it like planning a holiday: why argue about taking the car or the train if you don’t even know where you’re headed? The same goes for leadership. It’s not just about dreaming up the vision—it’s about clearly defining the milestones and why they matter. Because without knowing the destination, even the best journey will get you nowhere.

3 Tips for clear direction (and avoiding common pitfalls)

📈 Measure results, not just actions

A common mistake I see when coaching founders? Setting action-packed goals instead of result-focused ones. It’s like tracking a to-do list instead of aiming for outcomes. Sure, you’ve launched three marketing campaigns, hired three AEs, and released three shiny new features, but what has that actually achieved?

Instead, think in terms of results: growing your subscriber base by X%, boosting sales by Y%, or increasing customer satisfaction (CSAT) by Z%. Actions are just the vehicle—let them be flexible and experimental. The goal is the destination.

With a clear target in mind, your team can stop counting tasks and start delivering impact.

🫨 Hold people accountable for results, not just busywork

If you’re setting action-based goals, you might be holding your team accountable for ticking boxes rather than hitting real outcomes. This leads to the dreaded micromanagement—telling people exactly how to do things. The downside? You end up with followers, not problem-solvers.

If you’re managing tasks but not seeing results, it’s probably because your team is moving fast… in the wrong direction. Clear up the destination, focus on results, and watch the progress happen.

🎯 Pick your approach and stay inconsistent

As a founder, you have the authority to decide how things should be done. But here’s the catch: you can’t expect people to be creative and take ownership if you’re constantly spoon-feeding them (or force-feeding them) instructions.

Be clear on your approach. Do you want to give both the direction and the method, or do you want to set the direction and let your team figure out the rest? Of course, there will be non-negotiables along the way—just make sure everyone knows what they are. But the real issue isn’t whether you guide or delegate (that’s up to you as founder and how you want your business to operate)—it’s the lack of clarity that turns teams into a confused mess.

So there you have it: focus on results, hold your team accountable for outcomes (not just busywork), and be clear about your expectations. When your team knows the destination, they can figure out the best way to get there—and maybe surprise you with how creative and capable they really are.

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