Almost as a throwaway, late in a session I was moderating at Australian fintech conferece Intersekt24 on fintech investing, I asked the panellists what they thought of "founder mode".
The “founder mode” vs “manager mode” taxonomy, first outlined by Y Combinator founder Paul Graham, contrasts hands-on, micromanaging, passionate and gimlet-eyed founders from perhaps more disciplined, hierarchical and process-driven managers. It has had its moment in the sun of late, becoming something of a meme.
What was striking was how deeply it resonated with the panel at my session. Airwallex’s Lisa Tsai was adamant: the decade-old company is still firmly in founder Jack Zhang’s mode — and she valued the sometimes very direct lines of communication.
Lucy Tan from Square Peg noted that the distinction is a big debate among the founders they back. “And you can guess which side they’re on,” she added. FrankieOne founder Simon Costello said he understood the value of manager mode, and the ability to step back from day-to-day management of a business.
