The Secret Weapon for Thriving in Founder Mode

Let’s talk about founder mode. Paul Graham’s essay, inspired by a talk from Brian Chesky (CEO of Airbnb), struck a chord: the conventional wisdom to effectively scale is deeply flawed. Chesky shared how following the advice to “hire good people and give them room to do their jobs” led to poor business outcomes. This advice, often intended to ease the transition to a larger organization, proved disastrous for Airbnb.

The underlying issue, as Paul Graham pointed out, is the assumption that scaling a startup requires shifting from founder mode to manager mode. Manager mode emphasizes delegation, rigid structures, and stepping back from the day-to-day. In contrast, founder mode thrives on staying connected, breaking down silos, and maintaining the agility and creativity of a startup—even as the company grows.

The problem? Founder mode becomes harder as a business scales. The more people and priorities you have, the more challenging it is to stay hands-on without burning out or hitting diminishing returns on your time and energy.

The Challenge of Founder Mode at Scale

Founders operating in founder mode know their companies inside and out. They’re in the weeds, making decisions, influencing culture, and staying deeply involved in how things run. This connection is often what fuels early success, but as the business grows, so does the complexity. The question becomes: how do you maintain the agility and creativity of founder mode while scaling efficiently?

Bandwidth is the ultimate challenge. Staying close to the details and involved in decision-making is vital, but founders—and the internal HR professionals supporting them—are only human. At some point, the sheer volume of responsibilities becomes overwhelming, and that’s when cracks begin to show: missed opportunities, stalled progress, and the creeping exhaustion that leads to burnout.

A Better Way: Flexible Support Structures

This is where People Advisory Services come into play. With a progressive structure and multiple service models—fractional, retained advisory, and project-based—it’s the ideal solution for founders and HR leaders in "founder mode," ensuring you remain nimble and efficient without compromise.

Here’s why this approach works:

1. Unlock Expertise to Scale Without the Overhead
   Accessing high-level expertise without committing to full-time hires enables leaders to keep resources lean while delivering the horsepower needed to drive impact.

2. Staying Connected Without Burnout
   Maintaining founder mode means staying involved in critical decisions, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of focus or well-being. Advisors act as an extension of the team, offering immediate strategic guidance or taking on key projects and challenges so leaders can prioritize the big picture while staying connected to what matters most.

3. Efficiency in Growth
   Agility is crucial as businesses expand. By streamlining operations and addressing talent challenges without adding layers of management, leaders can scale effectively while preserving the speed and creativity of their organization.

4. Empowering Founders and HR Leaders
   For HR leaders balancing strategy and execution, these solutions provide much-needed bandwidth to focus on high-value initiatives. They help ensure that no critical priorities are overlooked and that People strategies align with the organization’s growth and time-sensitive deadlines.

Founder Mode Without the Drawbacks

Scaling while staying in founder mode is not only possible but powerful—with the right support, founders can stay connected, focused, and in control of their vision.

This isn’t about stepping away—it’s about finding smarter, more sustainable ways to lead. With flexible solutions, both founders and HR leaders can remain agile, engaged, and impactful—without burnout.