Founder Mode Is Actually Design Mode
Paul Graham, of Y Combinator notoriety, made waves this week with his latest essay. In some ways, it felt like we were back in the early 2010s when blogging was still a thing. The short essay, “Founder Mode,” introduced Graham’s theory on what sets certain companies apart from others. The theory itself was bare bones, which Graham admitted was partially due to the lack of existing research on the topic.
Graham’s Founder Mode is inspired by a private talk that Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky recently gave at Y Combinator. Graham didn’t link to the talk, leaving one to conclude it was private. That led some to seek out public Chesky interview clips on managerial strategy that likely approximated his Y Combinator talk. Chesky later indirectly confirmed one such video clip was the basis for Founder Mode.
According to Chesky, three things set founders apart:
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