I am a founder—and Paul Graham’s ‘founder mode’ is lacking a key to progress

And so, when Paul Graham’s current publish, “Founder Mode,” got here out, I used to be prepared to love it. The speech by Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky that he references is even one which I had heard a model of at an occasion previously, so once more, the bottom was laid for me to love it. 

I didn’t prefer it. In my opinion, the Y Combinator cofounder presents a false binary within the publish, and I felt prefer it was counterproductive to the dialog concerning the function founders play. 

I really like founders, and I believe we do carry particular issues. We now have the DNA that claims “the established order shouldn’t be adequate” and the willingness to undergo the ache to make issues higher. And Graham’s publish factors out a trait that I completely have: not managing by way of my directs, however as a substitute, sustaining deep relationships with superb individuals all through the corporate. Once I wish to know one thing, I’m going direct to the supply. Passing info up and down a sequence of hierarchy results in dangerous outcomes.

Administration underneath scrutiny

The issue I’ve with the publish shouldn’t be in what it says about founders (which is primarily good), however as a substitute what it says about managers (which is primarily dangerous). This line, particularly, is simply extremely damaging: “C-level execs, as a category, embrace among the most skillful liars on this planet.”

Graham explains later that he’s speaking concerning the tendency of such executives to “handle up”—aka get the end result you’re searching for out of your boss. Characterizing this as “mendacity” is unfair at greatest. Folks at each degree of a company are coached to be good at managing up, as a result of it’s important on your personal private success to have a boss that shares your perspective on no matter you’re engaged on. In managing up, you don’t lie, you’re employed further exhausting to show why your hard-won perspective is right, to unlock price range, to do no matter it takes to maneuver the ball ahead. That’s precisely what you receives a commission to do.

However let’s put aside that time for a second. The meta-problem with the publish is that it creates a false dichotomy between managers and founders. Founders have this innate magic, whereas managers are simply power-hungry bureaucrats.

Indispensable C-level executives

I’ve now employed some fairly skilled C-level execs on my group. And I totally acknowledge that they’ve totally different innate tendencies than I do. I don’t truly assume I’d be that nice at any C-level job (aside from the one I’ve).

However I employed these people as a result of they really have extremely vital abilities, expertise, and information that I wouldn’t have. And that nearly no founders have. 

Issues like: how do you construct a world salesforce that persistently achieves targets, create a compensation system that scales to 1000’s of worldwide workers, get a group of tons of of engineers and product individuals to construct a constant and built-in product expertise.

Why would any founder understand how to do this stuff? Usually, founders are people who find themselves actually near issues, and people issues are most frequently skilled “closest to the steel.” Not within the ranks of government management. 

And it seems that there’s truly vital stuff to find out about do these exhausting issues. I’m not aware of many corporations which have grow to be massively profitable which have by no means introduced in senior execs in an effort to assist it scale. It’s simply…part of the method.

What startup founders should do

There are two issues that founders completely should do, although. 

First, they need to rent C-level execs with integrity, people who find themselves good people. Startup tradition is commonly robust, however it’s also nascent. Senior leaders have a chance to shift it as they be a part of, and it’s essential to rent individuals who will shift it in constructive methods, in methods which can be per the way in which you wish to see the corporate develop. 

Second, they need to truly create an government group dynamic that will get the very best from everybody. One of the best groups are numerous, and a group stuffed with founders seems like a nightmare. It’s usually very difficult to cohere a group of very senior leaders when you have by no means managed individuals at this degree earlier than, however it may be carried out. That is the place I spend a ton of my time and a spotlight, and the place my coach is invaluable.

If you happen to’re a founder and you are feeling like your executives are gaslighting you, I’d simply ask two questions:

1.    Did you rent the correct individuals? Not all C-level execs are the identical.

2.    Are you doing your job of forming these superb leaders right into a world-class group?

I’ve discovered that, as usually as not in my journey as a founder, one of the best ways to establish the supply of an issue is to look within the mirror.

Learn extra:

The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary items are solely the views of their authors and don’t essentially replicate the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.