"Founder Mode": Re-Romanticizing The Founder Journey

Tech has been having a PR problem—it’s lost its mojo. Once considered the playground of builders, dreamers and disruptors, the startup scene now feels like a drama series with a plot twist at every turn. But Paul Graham’s latest essay, “Founder Mode,” dropped to shake things up. It’s a rallying cry to bring back the grit, passion, and audacity of founders that made startups the stuff of legends. In a dominant narrative overshadowed by cynicism and disillusionment, this essay has aimed to hit the "reset" button on the Silicon Valley story.

The Rise and Fall of the Founder Hero

Not too long, startup founders were considered rock stars. They were the daring visionaries who coded through the night, fueled by ramen and a dream. Fast forward to today, and the narrative has soured. Through a series of several incidents, instead of staring in awe of founders... we are binge-watching shows like WeCrashed, The Dropout, and SuperPumped, where the founder's journey looks more like a Greek tragedy than a superhero origin story.

What happened? When did the guys in the hoodies become the supervillains?

Tech CEOs: From Garage Geniuses to Movie Villains

Remember when tech CEOs were the quirky geniuses with big ideas? Yeah, now they’re the bad guys. Hollywood’s latest trend seems to be making the tech mogul the ultimate antagonist. Most Hollywood films now, aren’t showing us the socially-awkward dreamers who made it big—they’re now showing us media-savvy tricksters stealing credit, fake thought leaders, and outright criminals hiding behind PR & Legal.

The Great “Aspirational Vacuum”

As if we needed more fuel for our disillusionment, the tech titans of yore have seen their "shining armor" rust. Bezos is yacht partying and embracing his new life as a Space Cowboy. Bill Gates has gone through a public divorce, conspiracy theories, and more. Steve Jobs is gone, and Musk—well, Musk has gone from universally loved to the internet’s favorite chaos agent. The media tried to anoint a new hero - and immediately saw it blow up in their face - Sam Bankman-Fried’s meteoric rise and fall. Who’s left to look up to?

Enter Sam Altman - and the wonders of ChatGPT, but even that got enveloped into a major Board feud.

But we all love Jensen Huang right? He just got slapped with an anti-trust notice.

From “Dorm Room to Board Room” to “It’s All Rigged”

The romanticized “started in a garage” stories are fading fast. The novelty around these magical apps that let you connect with someone across the world, book a cab on your phone, and get delicious food delivered across town to your door - have all been losing their luster.

Now, the startup scene is painted with broad strokes of cynicism and doubt. The dream that anyone with a laptop and a crazy idea could disrupt an industry has been replaced with a pervasive belief that it’s all a game—and a rigged one at that. Where’s the adventure, the spirit, the “let’s change the world” vibe? It’s been replaced by a blend of disillusionment and disappointment.

Enter “Founder Mode”: The Reboot We Didn’t Know We Needed

In this time of "doom and gloom" - you can see why this essay has gotten every founder fired up. In his essay “Founder Mode,” Paul Graham argues that much of what’s killing the startup spirit is this forced march into “manager mode.” Founders, he says, aren’t meant to be mere managers—they’re creators & rebels, they are supposed lead from the front and stay hands-on with guiding their companies. It’s time to reclaim that energy and run companies like the founder-led misfits we were always meant to be.

Two things are going to happen:

(i) You'll have several founders who will streamline operations, cut waste, and renew focus at their firms.

(ii) There is another group of founders who will burn their companies with over-involvement, biases, trust issues, and half-baked strokes of genius.

Silicon Valley: Phase Four, Startups Assemble!

Think of this moment as the Marvel Cinematic Universe going into a new phase. Just like how Marvel introduced new heroes and revamped storylines, it’s time for Silicon Valley to refresh its roster. The AI boom is on the horizon, and it’s bringing with it a new wave of founders who could bring back that original, unfiltered optimism and chaos that made tech exciting in the first place. Forget playing by the book—let’s write a new one.

The Return of the Heroic Founder

Graham’s call to arms is a reminder: startup life was never supposed to be a predictable corporate play. It was supposed to be messy, thrilling, and full of possibility. It’s about time we celebrated that again. As we stand on the cusp of another tech revolution, let’s dust off the founder cape and get back to being the daring misfits who change the world—or at least make it a little more interesting.

Who hopefully - don't fall into the trap of their own hype.

The Bottom Line: It’s Time to Dream Again... But We Are The Ones Who Decide for How Long.

This is why "Founder Mode" is more than a essay - It’s a much-needed reboot—a call to action for founders to stop following the script and start writing their own stories again.

From my slightly irreverent point of view - It's the ultimate PR play that money would have a hard time buying.

The startup world could use a bit more of that old-school idealism and a lot less of the corporate malaise.

As Steve Jobs once said "the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

Let's raise our hands & support the founders actually changing the world - vs. those simply pretending to.