Kate Minogue的动态

Over my career as an entrepreneur, and especially in my current role as a fractional executive, I've had the honor of observing and working with many founders. What's remarkable to me is that despite different industries, personalities, backgrounds, and experience levels, so many first-time founders face the same challenges. For them it's the first time - for me it seems like it's happening over and over again. In that spirit, over the next few weeks I'm going to be publishing a series of my observations on #startup founder behavior and some of the lessons I've learned over the years ... most of them the hard way. Having been a #startupfounder many times, I will be the first to admit that I did NOT have this stuff figured out when I was starting my companies. In fact most of the lessons I've learned came from doing things the wrong way myself. But like the sage says, there's no such thing as a bad experience if you learn something from it. And if I can help other founders to avoid the same mistakes I made it will be SO worth it. To start I'm going to talk about the inevitable interpersonal challenges that comes from working with a leadership team - or a Leadership Circle, as I try to call it - and how to convert disagreement from a bad thing to a tremendously positive one. I'd truly love a dialogue on the points in this article, so feel free to comment here or DM me. https://ow.ly/zQPn50TnOrP #startupsuccess

Founder mode is real. Manager mode is real. But you know what mode actually matters more than both? Leader mode. Founders don't worry about internal politics. Managers are overly concerned with internal politics. Leaders work hard to ensure their company doesn't have internal politics. Founders go fast and break things. Managers move slowly and deliberately - sometimes doing nothing as a result. Leaders balance conviction and timing with care. Founders get their hands dirty. Managers stay out of the weeds. Leaders intuit when they need to do one or the other. It's so easy to assume that everything about building a startup can be summed up into these pattern-matching lessons. And I get it. From the outside looking in, startups seem binary. Winners and losers. Funded or not funded. Growing or not growing. But I can tell you from first hand experience that most things are way more complicated than any speech, blog post, or tweet can ever really capture. What I do know is that the work of becoming a great LEADER remains at every stage of this wild ass ride. #foundermode #founders

On #foundermode versus #managermode I feel a bit compelled to weigh in on this issue given my position in a non founder role so here is my two cents- Scaling a company is no small feat, and no founder can do it alone. Most founders need strong and experienced professionals who are empowered to execute without micromanagement. *"If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears,"* as Simon Sinek famously said. Building a qualified and capable team is your responsibility as a founder. But, remember: the buck stops with you. If you're too far removed from your team, no matter how skilled they are, that's a failure in leadership on your part. This distance will lead to misalignment and strategic drift. Steve Jobs once noted, “Great things in business are never done by one person; they're done by a team of people."* Long before “startups” became a thing, many of the successes of large corporates were built on the backs of strong executive hires. As someone who has been brought on at the management level to scale teams and deliver key projects at startups, I understand the critical role executives play in translating vision into execution. Yes, there are challenges—maybe even a few bad hires. However, dismissing the pivotal role of non-founder executives in favor of total founder control is a dangerous oversight. If your company falters because you let your executives "run the show," the real issue is your inability to step in and provide leadership when it matters most. It’s also a breach of trust placed in you by your investors. Founders: if your company runs aground, don't be too quick to blame the crew. Remember, leadership is about steering the ship through every storm, not just standing at the helm when the sea is calm. #Leadership #ScalingBusiness #ExecutiveTeam #FounderResponsibility

Founder Mode didn't work for me. Five years in and countless staff turned over later and I had to ask myself - was I the problem? And then I looked around and saw founders in my same situation - years spent on their #startup without reaching typical "commercial success" or being unable to keep key roles on their team filled for very long. I'm sure it works for some people, some companies, some teams, some situations. But not all of them. That's literally why I started a "micromanagement detox" coaching practice. Coincidentally, I had also just finished reading The Score Keeps Itself by Bill Walsh (thanks John Waldmann for the great rec!). I think Walsh was in serious Founder Mode. And he had success to show for it - 3 Super Bowl wins and a completely turned around 49ers. But he also said that he hit a point where he had to retire early. His son writes in the book's conclusion: "[Bill Walsh] was a perfectionist, and he saw perfection as being most likely achieved only if his ideas and decisions weren't filtered through and inevitably - in his opinion - misconstrued and misapplied by others. He had to be the one in charge. [However,] As you've read in his own words, this desire to 'do it all myself' eventually became an Achilles' heel." How long can Founder Mode last? What happens when planning for contingencies, redundancies, and succession? Or, heck, what even happens as this methodology spreads and founders in #foundermode hire other founders in that same place - how do they work together? I guess if it lasts about a decade, and you can IPO big or sell, then that's about the timeframe that would be important to a VC. (And yes, PG didn't exactly said Founder Mode = micromanagement... but it's at least a ≈ and definitely not a <>. Also yes, there are good points being made: such as how founders have unique insights not accessible in #managermode. But from the discussions I've seen, I'm worried this will be used as an excuse for more toxic micromanagement.) ?? Appreciate a repost if this was insightful - I help founders become great managers & leaders as they grow their teams.

?? Founders vs. Managers: A New Approach to Scaling Companies ?? At a recent Finance YCombinator event, Airbnb's Brian Chesky shared insights that struck a chord with many founders. He highlighted the pitfalls of traditional advice on scaling companies—advice that often centers around hiring good people and delegating responsibility. For Airbnb, this approach nearly led to disaster. Chesky found success by studying Steve Jobs' hands-on leadership at Apple, what we now call "founder mode." Unlike the "manager mode" typically taught in business schools, founder mode involves more direct involvement, personalized leadership, and unconventional strategies like Jobs' retreats for key employees. The key takeaway? Founders shouldn’t just adopt traditional management tactics. There’s a unique, evolving way to run large companies that fits the DNA of founders. As we better understand this approach, founders will unlock even greater potential by embracing their strengths rather than following cookie-cutter advice. Check out the complete essay published by YC's founder, Paul Graham, in comments below #Leadership #Entrepreneurship #Scaling #Founders #BusinessStrategy #Startups

? We appreciate your support! Please help us reach more people by liking, sharing, and commenting on this post. ?? ???? ???????????????????? The key to being a successful leader is to have a strong sense of self-awareness and the ability to adapt to changing situations. This means being open to new ideas, being willing to learn from your mistakes, and being able to take calculated risks in order to achieve your goals. ?? ?????????? ???? ?????? ?????? We're born alone. We do need each other. It's lonely to really effectively live your life, and anyone you can get help from or give help to; that's part of your obligation. - Bill Murray ?? ?????? ???? ?????? ?????? Bringing Silicon Valley Inside In Silicon Valley, exciting new business ideas rapidly attract capital and talent away from less worthy ventures. But in big companies, ideas, capital, and talent are stagnant—prisoners of traditional bureaucratic ways of allocating resources. To capture the Valley’s entrepreneurial magic, your company needs to move from resource allocation to resource attraction. https://lnkd.in/eS7A9icu "#careers #success #mindset #leadership #motivation #management #humanresources #startups"

What you missed this week ?? This week, we took a deep dive into the Entrepreneurial Adaptive Innovator model and explored the traits that drive successful founders. If you're looking to understand the DNA of what makes a startup leader unstoppable, here’s a quick recap: - Creative Resilience: Innovators excel under pressure, generating original ideas even in the most challenging times. They don’t just survive, they thrive. - Humble Assertiveness: Leaders who balance confidence with collaboration, empowering their teams without the need for control. - Balanced Risk-Taking: It’s not about recklessness—successful founders make calculated moves, balancing risks with rewards. - Strategic Accountability: Ownership is key. They own their decisions and lead with transparency, aligning their team with a shared vision. These traits separate great founders from the rest, helping them navigate high-pressure environments and adapt quickly. ?? Want to dive deeper into how these traits predict entrepreneurial success? Download our full white paper and unlock insights into what makes successful founders tick. ?? https://bit.ly/3TWx6T6

I've taken the leap into my own entrepreneurial venture. As 2023 drew to a close, after some soul-searching, deep reflection on my journey so far, and realising where I can add real, genuine value, I bit the bullet. Finding the courage to launch my own fractional and consultancy business — dedicated to helping startups and scaleups to organise, optimise and grow, unlocking their next level. With over 12 years in startup and scale-up realms, I've weathered the challenges myself, including navigating a business transformation, and a pandemic as a Managing Director and emerging stronger with growth metrics across the board. Collaborating with CEOs and founders, I've tackled growth hurdles and leadership challenges, providing hands-on expertise to streamline operations, craft effective strategies, and build robust company cultures. ?? Challenges I tackle: - Driving topline revenue and growing teams - Expanding into new markets - Enhancing leadership capabilities - Cultivating a thriving culture - Strategically planning for success - Building solid growth foundations - Liberating leaders from day-to-day ops Specialising in working on "the how" of the business, I help free up founders' and CEOs' time so they can focus on being the visionaries that they are. Stepping in as a fractional/part-time COO, consultant, or coach/advisor. ?? Why Fractional Hiring? For those grappling with business challenges and seeking flexible solutions, fractional hiring could be your answer — giving you cost-effective access to high-level leadership. Shoot me a DM to discuss overcoming obstacles to growth. #businessgrowth #fractionalhiring #entrepreneurship

Founder Mode: Is It Really the Best Leadership Style? Lately, there’s been a lot of buzz around Founder Mode — a term popularized by Brian Chesky and Paul Graham. The idea? Founders should lead their companies, not hired managers. Brian Chesky of Airbnb fired his managers in 2012, took control, and saw success. But here’s the question: Does this approach work for every founder? Paul Graham's perspective is that "a founder is better than a bad manager," which is hard to argue with. But is it fair to say **all** founders make better CEOs than professional managers? Graham himself calls managers "professional fakers," which doesn’t leave much room for nuance. Founder Mode flatters founders by saying, "You're the best CEO for your company." But what if your skills don’t scale with your business? And when is the right time to bring in someone with more experience? What’s your take on this? Is Founder Mode the way forward, or do we need a more balanced approach? #FounderMode #StartupLeadership #Entrepreneurship #Founders

Choosing the right people and making wise decisions are key to success in any area of life. Whether you're picking friends, hiring staff, or making important choices, it helps to align values and skills, appreciate diverse viewpoints, trust your instincts, and take responsibility for the outcomes. Clear and honest communication can make all the difference, leading to more effective and fulfilling results. #decision #friends #startup #team #partner