Ken Kocienda - Comments on Founder Mode

I read Founder Mode, by Paul Graham, with great interest. I’m lucky in that I’ve seen both Steve Jobs and Brian Chesky work up close. A few caveats. I wish that my experiences with them had lasted longer, been closer, and involved more projects. Also, I saw more of Steve than of Brian. Even with these qualifications, I think it worthwhile to offer a distillation of ten things I did see. There are some overlaps, but this is a subtle topic, not a simple one. Here is what Founder Mode looked like from my perspective as an observer of these two great founders. Steve and Brian were deeply intuitive. In any particular situation, they knew what they wanted. They could also change their minds as the situation changed. They were decisive, but open. Steve and Brian worked very hard all the time. I’m not sure either of them ever really turned off. Look elsewhere for notions of work/life balance. Their work is their life, which they pursued with boundless energy. Steve and Brian never cared what y

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