Founder Mode, done right | Shreyas Doshi (ex-Stripe, Twitter, Google, Yahoo)
09/10/24 • 75 min
In this episode, I’m joined by product and leadership expert Shreyas Doshi to dissect Founder Mode, why it’s appealing, and how to activate it. We dive deep into Paul Graham's recent essay which struck a chord in the tech community and resonated strongly with many founders and leaders.
We also discuss:
- Why founder mode is a mindset, not a title
- Whether founder mode is good or bad
- Balancing detail and delegation
- The importance of product sense and good judgment
- Mastering founder mode as a product leader
- Operational insights from Meta and Stripe
Referenced:
- Crafting a compelling career story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Reh9wTUIYc&t=928s
- Paul Graham’s "Founder Mode": https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html
- Shreyas’ Tweet on founder mode’: https://x.com/shreyas/status/1830767630917214318
- Six superpowers of product managers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnsSwHP3d-c
- Shreyas’ previous appearance on the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_TnXtnY3QM&t=23s
- The 3 types of product leaders: https://x.com/shreyas/status/1375491623308550144
Where to find Shreyas:
Where to find Nikhyl:
Find The Skip:
Don't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. If you’re interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter. You can also email me at [email protected]
Timestamps
(00:00) Teaser: Unpacking founder mode
(02:47) What Shreyas has been up to
(04:04) Shreyas’ take on founder mode
(08:59) Why judgment and product sense is critical
(13:04) Balancing detail and delegation
(20:57) The key question for founders about ownership
(23:01) Not every company needs a CPO or Head of Product
(28:07) When product people should prioritize detail
(31:32) What everyone gets wrong about Steve Jobs
(34:22) Shreyas’ observation about John and Patrick Collison
(38:17) Nikhyl’s observation about Mark Zuckerberg
(40:05) Founder vs manager mode
(43:40) Should leaders avoid manager mode?
(48:17) Chase impact, not optics
(57:00) The 3 types of product leaders
(60:46) Aligning your environment, opinion, and superpower
(63:10) Shreyas’ non-consensus view on building product
(67:52) Mastering founder mode as a PM
(72:58) Getting in touch with Shreyas
(74:49) How to find Nikhyl
In this episode, I’m joined by product and leadership expert Shreyas Doshi to dissect Founder Mode, why it’s appealing, and how to activate it. We dive deep into Paul Graham's recent essay which struck a chord in the tech community and resonated strongly with many founders and leaders.
We also discuss:
- Why founder mode is a mindset, not a title
- Whether founder mode is good or bad
- Balancing detail and delegation
- The importance of product sense and good judgment
- Mastering founder mode as a product leader
- Operational insights from Meta and Stripe
Referenced:
- Crafting a compelling career story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Reh9wTUIYc&t=928s
- Paul Graham’s "Founder Mode": https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html
- Shreyas’ Tweet on founder mode’: https://x.com/shreyas/status/1830767630917214318
- Six superpowers of product managers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnsSwHP3d-c
- Shreyas’ previous appearance on the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_TnXtnY3QM&t=23s
- The 3 types of product leaders: https://x.com/shreyas/status/1375491623308550144
Where to find Shreyas:
Where to find Nikhyl:
Find The Skip:
Don't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. If you’re interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter. You can also email me at [email protected]
Timestamps
(00:00) Teaser: Unpacking founder mode
(02:47) What Shreyas has been up to
(04:04) Shreyas’ take on founder mode
(08:59) Why judgment and product sense is critical
(13:04) Balancing detail and delegation
(20:57) The key question for founders about ownership
(23:01) Not every company needs a CPO or Head of Product
(28:07) When product people should prioritize detail
(31:32) What everyone gets wrong about Steve Jobs
(34:22) Shreyas’ observation about John and Patrick Collison
(38:17) Nikhyl’s observation about Mark Zuckerberg
(40:05) Founder vs manager mode
(43:40) Should leaders avoid manager mode?
(48:17) Chase impact, not optics
(57:00) The 3 types of product leaders
(60:46) Aligning your environment, opinion, and superpower
(63:10) Shreyas’ non-consensus view on building product
(67:52) Mastering founder mode as a PM
(72:58) Getting in touch with Shreyas
(74:49) How to find Nikhyl
Previous Episode
4 secrets of career-boosting companies
Not all successful companies can supercharge your career. And not all companies that struggle are bad for your career. How can you tell if your company, or one that you are consider, will supercharge your career? In this episode, we'll explore four key characteristics of career-accelerating companies: speed, market position, quality of talent, and development culture. Whether you're job hunting or evaluating your current role, these insights will help you identify environments that truly foster career growth.
–
We also discuss:
- Strong signals of a supercharged company
- Why shipping velocity is crucial
- Learning opportunities at immature companies
- Looking for companies with strong talent
- What makes an excellent development culture
–
Referenced:
- Crafting a compelling career story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Reh9wTUIYc&t=913s
- Greatest hits on career advice with Peter Yang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BcCHEXAVVk
- Is my next job at a startup or big tech?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiELOo4_XGg&t=9s
- Should I join or leave an ex-hypergrowth company: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-rr1cYYfEU
- Six superpowers of product managers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnsSwHP3d-c
- Stage of Company: A career unlock: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H59CRHQ6va0&t=2053s
–
Where to find Nikhyl:
Find The Skip:
Don't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. If you’re interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, Twitter or email me at: [email protected]
–
Timestamps
(00:00) Episode Teaser: How to 10x your career
(01:10) Introducing the framework
(03:41) The caller’s question
(05:00) 1: Speed and execution
(08:43) 2: Market position
(11:47) 3: Quality of talent
(15:27) 4: Development culture
(20:22) How to get in touch
Next Episode
Mastering your 30 second resume
A great career story can accelerate growth, yet most struggle to craft one. Even top performers fall short, telling stories that are overly detailed, abstract, jargon-filled, or poorly structured – all of which can lose a listener's interest.
The first 30 seconds are crucial; you need to hook your audience quickly. Think of the beginning of your story as a movie trailer: highlight the most engaging aspects rather than chronologically detailing every event.
This episode focuses on crafting a captivating 30-second introduction to your career story that engages listeners and enhances your professional profile. We've taken a unique approach by inviting Skip community members to submit their career stories for a live workshop. You'll hear real examples of me coaching engineering and product leaders, demonstrating the transformation from initial attempts to polished and punchy narratives.
We also discuss:
- Common storytelling mistakes that everybody makes
- Techniques for weaving a theme into your story
- Effective strategies that will hook listeners
- Adapting your story for various audiences and situations
- Balancing between brevity and showcasing your unique value
Referenced:
Where to find Nikhyl:
Find The Skip:
Don't forget to subscribe to The Skip to hear me coach you through timely career lessons. If you’re interested in joining me on a future call, send me a note on LinkedIn, Threads, or Twitter. You can also email me at [email protected]
Timestamps
(00:00) Episode teaser: Mastering your 30s resume
(01:15) Common mistakes everybody makes
(09:42) Why you need a 30s and 2m career story
(12:21) Showing the trailer, not the movie
(16:44) Example 1
(17:28) Thinking about story sequencing
(19:04) Example 2
(19:44) Avoiding detail
(21:21) Example 3 (before)
(21:54) Avoid abstract stories
(23:52) Example 3 (after)
(24:41) The art of thematic narratives
(28:29) Example 4 (before)
(29:18) Crafting a theme
(29:51) Example 4 (after)
(31:24) Avoiding jargon
(34:51) Tailoring communication tempo
(36:19) Example 5 (before and after)
(39:04) Example of a strong 30s resume
(41:13) Preparing multiple versions
(45:20) Nikhyl’s strong but generic resume
(47:50) Nikhyl’s deeper version
(50:57) How to submit your career story
(52:50) Get in touch with Nikhyl
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