Intro
Here’s a hard truth: the same traits that helped you climb the corporate ladder, or even launch a previous successful startup, can actually hold you back in the world of venture building. I’m talking about a reluctance to delegate, an overconfidence in your gut instincts, and the need to always be the smartest person in the room. It takes a special kind of humility to succeed in an environment where speed and adaptability often matter more than your impressive resume.
Why That Expertise Can Trip You Up
- The “I’ve Seen It All Before” Blind Spot: Yes, past experience is valuable. But venture building often requires spotting emerging trends, or serving niche markets, where your old assumptions no longer apply. Being too quick to dismiss something because “that’ll never work” can make you miss out on huge opportunities.
- Micromanagement Kills Momentum: Venture building, done right, means building a team who can run without you. Your track record might make it hard to truly let go, which suffocates those early hires and creates bottlenecks as you scale.
- Founder as Celebrity CEO vs. Behind-the-Scenes Architect: In established companies, a founder often transitions into a public-facing role. Venture building is often the opposite: empowering others to be the “face” of the project, while you focus on strategy and unglamorous execution details.
- Attracting the Right Talent: Top people want autonomy and ownership. If you come across as the kind of founder who needs their hand in everything, they’ll go work for a less successful company where their contributions have a bigger impact.
The Art of Unlearning
- Question Your Certainties: Every time you find yourself saying “I know this…”, force yourself to dig a layer deeper. Is it REALLY true, or just an assumption based on your past? Asking this disrupts old patterns of thinking.
- Embrace the “Beginner’s Mindset”: Approach new industries or technologies with curiosity, not an expert’s cynicism. Some of the best venture building ideas come from being the naive outsider who spots what insiders take for granted.
- Hire Your Opposite: If you’re highly analytical, bring on a cofounder who’s strong on the intuitive side, and vice versa. This builds in productive tension from Day One.
- Celebrate Those Who Outgrow You: A sign of successful leadership in venture building is when your team starts making decisions that are better than you would’ve made. Yes, it bruises the ego a bit, but that’s when you know you’re winning.
True power in venture building isn’t about always being right. It’s about creating an environment where the best ideas win, regardless of who thought of them first.
