What makes a founder unique?
I was thinking about what makes a founder different. Perhaps the most distinct trait that stands out in founders is the fact that they are comfortable in uncertainty. And even in uncertainty can give others some level of comfort with certainty. They are the wall that stands between uncertainty and something that is clearly defined.
People want to work for someone who has that property. If there is someone who will share in that burden of translating the uncertain to the certain, then they are co-founder material.
If on the other hand, they are risk averse, have commitments that they need to keep and will probably get overwhelmed by things that might or might not happen, in the timelines planned or not, then they are better off as employees (you can give them a fancy title).
ut entrepreneurs are not the only folks who take on uncertainty. Several folks trade certainty and assurance for freedom, and the opportunity to work on multiple things, when they want.
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As a founder, you have the ability to work on tasks. You have the ability to operate on a goal level. You can also strategize. You also have the ability to put together an organization which can organize the space, create and capture value and do it sustainably.
If you are bootstrapping, and need to manage cashflows, one way to think about it would be to lend a portion of your time to another org to help with one of these things. As someone who will help with one of the tasks, or as a freelancer who will help achieve a certain goal, or as a consultant who will help them strategize. But the thing is, you have to be really really good at this in the first place to be able to do that as a offering to someone and make money.
All successful entrepreneurs have atleast one monetizable skillset. The good ones have two or more. And that tides them through early on. One of the reasons why people fundraise is not because the company cant survive otherwise, but because the startup would disproportionately benefit by the founder 100% focused on just that.
We are a tribe of such founders at C42 . If you need a place where you can lean on others like you, join us .
DER BUNTE VOGEL ?? Internationaler Wissenstransfer - Influencerin bei Corporate Influencer Club | Wirtschaftswissenschaften
7 个月Thank you Vijay Anand
Expert in Pitch Decks for Investors | Pre-seed to IPO | Investor Outreach | 3+ Years Old Agency | 1200+ Decks | 3200+ Clients | Serving 15+ Countries & Time Zones | $25M to $300M Raised through Us
7 个月Spot on about comfort in uncertainty! Founders navigate the unknown & build a bridge to a defined future. That leadership is magnetic.
Nicknamed 'Volunteer Man of India' | CEO & Founder of Team Everest | Enabled 1 lakh+ people to Volunteer touching 1 Million lives | Working to make Volunteering a Habit & Lifestyle | CSR & Employee Volunteering Mentor
7 个月Very nicely and simply put up Vijay Anand. Loved reading this. Founders focus is extremely key for a growing startup. Do we have any article or research made on companies comparing where founder focussed fully on the company and where the founder did other gigs in parallel to bootstrap the company. Just curious to know how the numbers turn up for each mode.