There’s a lot of buzz about “founder mode” and how to scale an organization effectively. While I’m not the founder of Snowflake, I’ve been a founder before, and now my focus is on scaling a rapidly growing business. Here’s what “founder mode” means to me: When I became CEO of Snowflake, I understood the importance of a relentless growth mindset. What worked yesterday may not work today. To be a high growth company, you need to reinvent constantly for the new reality, and complacency is not an option. To achieve this level of dynamism, accountability and transparency are non-negotiable. Accountability means setting clear objectives and rigorously tracking progress. I ask my teams for daily updates on our key goals—whether it’s sales, product delivery, or company OKRs. This keeps us proactive, addressing potential issues before they escalate and ensuring we stay true to our commitments. It’s not about micromanagement, it’s about everyone feeling involved and accountable. While we embrace risk, we dig deep early and often, making adjustments as needed. Transparency means that everyone should operate with the same information. There is no “managing up” at Snowflake. Decisions are made as a team, with everyone holding equal information. And our conclusions are based on facts rather than opinions. I firmly believe you must “trust but verify” - this helps us make decisions in predictable ways. Finally, growth depends on investing in people and providing opportunities. We’ve all reached our positions because someone took a chance on us. When hiring, I prioritize drive and adaptability. I seek team players who are committed to collective success, rather than individual gain. People are the bedrock of your operation and this investment in them and in the team is what helps you scale successfully.
I love the emphasis on accountability and transparency. Great people love to be held accountable and to be challenged because they want to keep growing and learning. I firmly believe that it's a sign of weakness and a political culture when decisions start getting made behind closed doors or in offline chats (unless it's for legal reasons) - it shows people know they can't justify their decisions with data or insights.
You were the epitome of Founder Mode execution at Google Sridhar Ramaswamy As a founder now, I realize how prepared I was for this, thanks to the time I spent under your leadership.
An inspiring reminder from Sridhar Ramaswamy of what can be achieved when asymmetry collapses the "you against I" into "you and I" — a conscious, voluntary choice to solve the largest of of problems together, grounded in the humility of knowing we cannot solve them alone; when present and prepared to teach and learn from one another, at every turn, we find ourselves uncomfortably excited, honored, even surprised, together facing an opportunity far larger than we ever truly realized.
Your perspective on “founder mode” resonates with me, particularly the importance of a relentless growth mindset and constant reinvention. In my experience, I’ve found that the willingness to embrace change and proactively address emerging challenges is critical. Like you, I’ve seen how holding everyone accountable to clear objectives and regularly tracking progress keeps a business agile and responsive. I also appreciate your focus on transparency. In my own leadership roles, ensuring that teams operate with equal information has been key to fostering a culture of collaboration and data-driven decision-making. This prevents silos and ensures that everyone is invested in the outcome. Lastly, I couldn’t agree more on the importance of investing in people. I’ve had the privilege of being mentored and mentored others throughout my career, and I always prioritize adaptability and teamwork in hiring. The drive and commitment to collective success are what ultimately fuel long-term growth.
Thank you for sharing such a valuable perspective! One additional insight I’d like to add is the importance of passion. While adaptability is crucial, passion is something that can’t be taught. As leaders, we should also take chances on people—allowing room for diversity, mistakes, and risk-taking. When we create an environment that fuels passion and encourages growth through learning from failures, we build teams that are not just productive but innovative and resilient.
I was blessed to have you as a leader at Google, and completely agree on everyone operating with the same information, and not “managing up." As a team, it's important to dig deeply and early and making adjustments, as you said so well. Thanks so much for sharing!
It's a rare person that can grow as their company grows. The skill sets needed to formulate an idea, to found a company, to bring in the first good talent, to expand that group, to grow your market share, to grow up into a mid-sized business, and then go beyond to survive and thrive, are all very different. You're not just reinventing the company and vision - you have to evolve yourself and your abilities. From garage to Fortune 100 under one head (Dell, Gates, etc) is 1/1,000,000.
Thank you for sharing your perspective on “founder mode” and the critical role of accountability, transparency, and people investment in scaling a high-growth company. Your focus on building a dynamic, adaptable organization is inspiring. By embracing servant leadership, Snowflake can enhance its growth and the development of its people. This leadership style, which focuses on empowering and uplifting teams, can foster a culture of innovation. When leaders dedicate themselves to serving their teams, they foster trust, collaboration, and innovation—qualities essential for maintaining the relentless growth mindset you describe. This approach can further solidify the culture of accountability and transparency you’re fostering. When leaders actively invest in removing obstacles for their teams, they play a pivotal role in creating an environment where employees feel valued and are motivated to excel. This, in turn, supports sustainable growth by nurturing high-performing, self-driven teams that consistently adapt to change and innovate.
"Founder mode" isn't just a mindset but a strategic imperative for navigating today's rapid tech evolution. Sridhar, your emphasis on accountability, transparency, and investment in people is pivotal. However, in an era where AI and automation are redefining productivity, how do you see "founder mode" evolving to integrate these technologies without losing the human touch? Balancing relentless growth with maintaining company culture and trust is crucial. Excited to see how Snowflake pioneers this balance! #Leadership #Innovation #AI
Senior Software Engineer
2 个月The founder's journey is fueled by passion, grit, and dedication. However, behind these driving forces lies the incentive of financial success that comes with a successful startup. If employees are paid solely a fixed salary with some bonuses, they may not fully embrace these motivations unless their compensation includes significant equity, bonuses, or opportunities for recognition. Therefore, if a founder expects employees to put in the same level of effort and commitment as they do, while the founder stands to earn substantially more, it is unrealistic to expect regular employees—who may be working primarily to cover their bills and mortgages—to have the same level of engagement and motivation solely for the purpose of making the founder richer.