Founder Mode, done right | Shreyas Doshi (ex-Stripe, Twitter, Google, Yahoo)

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:

• Twitter/X
• LinkedIn
• YouTube

Where to find Nikhyl:

• Twitter/X
• LinkedIn

Find The Skip:

• Website
• Substack
• YouTube
• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• TikTok

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 nikhyl@skip.community

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