💬 Quoted: “The less hands-on I was, the more I got sucked into problems. And by the time I got sucked into a problem, it was like 10 times as much work.”

Silicon Valley has been grappling with a fundamental question pertaining to startups: How hands-on should founders be in everyday operations?

According to some industry experts, including Y Combinator co-founder Paul Graham, a large portion of US startups have been approaching this issue the wrong way.

In a recently published essay, Graham writes that most startups have long assumed that scaling means switching to “manager mode” – aka embracing the principle that CEOs should avoid micromanaging their direct reports, and allow them more freedom to perform their jobs.

But Graham says startups should instead embrace the concept of “founder mode,” in which the CEO is heavily involved in nearly all aspects of a company from top to bottom. This includes regular “skip-level” meetings, where a CEO goes around direct reports and meets with the lower rungs of their company.

• To support his theory, Graham cites reports from many of Y Combinator’s most successful founders, including Airbnb’s Brian Chesky (quoted above), who consistently say prioritizing manager mode over founder mode ended up hurting their companies.

✋ Yes, but… Other startup veterans argue founders do need capable managers, since they’re oftentimes better at handling the complexities that come with a growing business – though they also acknowledge poor execution of manager mode can cause more harm than good.

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🤔 Did You Know? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author of the Sherlock Holmes series, helped exonerate two innocent men by investigating their cases in his free time; his efforts played a role in the creation of Britain's Court of Criminal Appeal in 1907.

📰 Worth a Read: Russia’s First Secret Influence Campaign: Convincing the US to Buy Alaska → (Politico)