Article
Adaptability: The Founder’s Lifeline
September 30, 2024
In the world of startups, there’s a myth many founders cling to once you’ve found product-market fit, your job is done. You’ve cracked the code. Success will naturally follow. But here’s the harsh reality: product-market fit is never "done." Markets shift, competitors pounce, customer expectations evolve. The strategy that worked brilliantly yesterday could be irrelevant tomorrow. Adaptability isn’t just a useful trait; it’s the founder’s lifeline. Without it, you’re on borrowed time.
In my years of coaching founders, one story stands out—a textbook case of brilliance undone by ego. A founder had an early win with a groundbreaking SaaS product, disrupting a major competitor and gaining massive market share. But success quickly bred arrogance. He refused to listen—to customers, advisors, or his team—thinking he knew best. He overloaded the product with unnecessary features, losing focus on what made it great in the first place. His defensive attitude crushed any room for differing opinions, driving his core users away. The very strength that fueled his initial success became the weakness that led to his downfall.
The Dangerous Comfort of Success Think back to your early days. When you started your company, everything was about survival. You were scrappy, flexible, and willing to pivot on a dime. You had to be. But as your startup grows, something dangerous happens—you become comfortable. It’s a subtle shift, but it’s deadly. The focus moves from experimentation to preservation. You start protecting what you’ve built rather than pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
And here’s the kicker: that moment, when you feel like you’ve made it, is when you’re most vulnerable.
Let’s face it: being a founder is terrifying. You’ve built your identity on being the person with the vision, the one who had the audacity to challenge the status quo. But once that vision becomes reality, what next? How do you stay relevant when everything around you is shifting? How do you stay flexible when the very company you created is starting to demand rigidity?
Product-Market Fit is an Illusion Most founders treat product-market fit like the Holy Grail—once you’ve got it, you’re golden. But the truth is, product-market fit is not a final destination; it’s a moving target. It’s a dynamic process that’s constantly evolving.
Think about companies like Blockbuster or Kodak—giants that became obsolete because they thought they had secured their market position. The world around them changed, but they didn’t. They failed to adapt, and now they’re cautionary tales.
If you’re a founder reading this, ask yourself: Are you keeping up? Are you too comfortable? Are you still innovating, or are you coasting on the momentum of past wins?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if your product or service worked six months ago, that doesn’t guarantee it will work six months from now. Your competitors are innovating. Your customers are changing. The question is: are you?
Founders Are Often the Problem Let’s be brutally honest. You might be the biggest obstacle to your company’s adaptability. You built this company, and deep down, you believe you know what’s best. That’s where founders often fail.
You have blind spots—whether it’s being too emotionally attached to your original idea or not listening to your team’s insights about the changing market. Maybe you’re reluctant to admit that your once-perfect product needs a drastic overhaul. You might even be that founder who thinks, "My instincts got me this far; why change now?"
But here’s the problem: what got you here won’t get you there. Your initial vision was just that—an initial vision. Sticking to it too rigidly is a fast track to irrelevance.
Adapt or Die: The Founder’s Dilemma Adaptability is about more than just making minor tweaks to your product or marketing strategy. It’s about being willing to change the entire way you think. It’s about embracing the idea that your original concept might need to be torn down and rebuilt. Our research on 122 founders shows that those that are most successful are more adaptable. Founders in general are adaptable but the really the successful ones, unicorns or almost unicorns, are more willing to change, learn and iterate and change both their company and their own leadership.
So, how do you cultivate that level of adaptability as a founder? Here are three hard truths to consider:
The Risk of Not Evolving Here’s what happens if you don’t adapt: your competitors will. They’ll come in, identify the gaps you’re not addressing, and take over. If you’re too slow to evolve, you’re handing them the keys to your future. Adaptability is the difference between a company that stays in the game and one that fades into irrelevance.
Think about companies like Slack or Instagram. Neither of these businesses started out as the products we know today. They pivoted—hard—and it paid off. They recognized the need to change direction long before it was too late. That’s adaptability in action.
Now, imagine your company five years from now. Are you still pushing boundaries, or are you stuck defending an outdated product? Have you evolved with your market, or are you just hoping your competitors don’t out-innovate you?
How to Become More Adaptable
Final Thoughts: You’re Never “There” Here’s the thing about adaptability: it’s not a one-time skill you master and move on from. It’s a mindset. It’s the ability to look at your company and the world around you and recognize when it’s time to make a change—even if that change is uncomfortable.
If you’re a founder who’s afraid that your current success might be temporary, good. That fear is what will keep you adaptable. Lean into it. Use it as a reminder that no matter how successful your startup is today, the landscape is always shifting. Your job is to keep evolving or risk being left behind.
Founders who thrive are the ones who never stop questioning, never stop learning, and never stop adapting. Are you one of them?
In my years of coaching founders, one story stands out—a textbook case of brilliance undone by ego. A founder had an early win with a groundbreaking SaaS product, disrupting a major competitor and gaining massive market share. But success quickly bred arrogance. He refused to listen—to customers, advisors, or his team—thinking he knew best. He overloaded the product with unnecessary features, losing focus on what made it great in the first place. His defensive attitude crushed any room for differing opinions, driving his core users away. The very strength that fueled his initial success became the weakness that led to his downfall.
The Dangerous Comfort of Success Think back to your early days. When you started your company, everything was about survival. You were scrappy, flexible, and willing to pivot on a dime. You had to be. But as your startup grows, something dangerous happens—you become comfortable. It’s a subtle shift, but it’s deadly. The focus moves from experimentation to preservation. You start protecting what you’ve built rather than pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
And here’s the kicker: that moment, when you feel like you’ve made it, is when you’re most vulnerable.
Let’s face it: being a founder is terrifying. You’ve built your identity on being the person with the vision, the one who had the audacity to challenge the status quo. But once that vision becomes reality, what next? How do you stay relevant when everything around you is shifting? How do you stay flexible when the very company you created is starting to demand rigidity?
Product-Market Fit is an Illusion Most founders treat product-market fit like the Holy Grail—once you’ve got it, you’re golden. But the truth is, product-market fit is not a final destination; it’s a moving target. It’s a dynamic process that’s constantly evolving.
Think about companies like Blockbuster or Kodak—giants that became obsolete because they thought they had secured their market position. The world around them changed, but they didn’t. They failed to adapt, and now they’re cautionary tales.
If you’re a founder reading this, ask yourself: Are you keeping up? Are you too comfortable? Are you still innovating, or are you coasting on the momentum of past wins?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: if your product or service worked six months ago, that doesn’t guarantee it will work six months from now. Your competitors are innovating. Your customers are changing. The question is: are you?
Founders Are Often the Problem Let’s be brutally honest. You might be the biggest obstacle to your company’s adaptability. You built this company, and deep down, you believe you know what’s best. That’s where founders often fail.
You have blind spots—whether it’s being too emotionally attached to your original idea or not listening to your team’s insights about the changing market. Maybe you’re reluctant to admit that your once-perfect product needs a drastic overhaul. You might even be that founder who thinks, "My instincts got me this far; why change now?"
But here’s the problem: what got you here won’t get you there. Your initial vision was just that—an initial vision. Sticking to it too rigidly is a fast track to irrelevance.
Adapt or Die: The Founder’s Dilemma Adaptability is about more than just making minor tweaks to your product or marketing strategy. It’s about being willing to change the entire way you think. It’s about embracing the idea that your original concept might need to be torn down and rebuilt. Our research on 122 founders shows that those that are most successful are more adaptable. Founders in general are adaptable but the really the successful ones, unicorns or almost unicorns, are more willing to change, learn and iterate and change both their company and their own leadership.
So, how do you cultivate that level of adaptability as a founder? Here are three hard truths to consider:
- You’re Not as Self-Aware as You Think. Most founders believe they’re flexible, but their actions say otherwise. Based on our research on financially successful founders (MOIC of 10x) only the most successful founders take adaptability to the next level. They listen to feedback and look at the facts rather than defending their ego’s need to be right. So, if you find yourself repeatedly dismissing feedback, brushing off customer complaints, or sticking to your initial vision despite mounting evidence to the contrary, you’re not adaptable—you’re stubborn. Recognize that your instinct might be wrong, and that adaptability starts with humility.
- Your Team Sees What You Don’t. The people around you—your employees, your investors, your customers—are constantly giving you signals about what’s working and what isn’t. Are you paying attention? Or are you so caught up in your role as the “visionary” that you’ve tuned out everyone else? Adaptability means leveraging the wisdom of those around you, not pretending you have all the answers.
- Speed is Everything. The faster you can recognize that something isn’t working, the quicker you can pivot. Founders who adapt quickly are the ones who survive. If you wait for the data to conclusively tell you that your product is losing traction, it’s already too late. Don’t wait for the market to hit you in the face—anticipate the shift and move.
The Risk of Not Evolving Here’s what happens if you don’t adapt: your competitors will. They’ll come in, identify the gaps you’re not addressing, and take over. If you’re too slow to evolve, you’re handing them the keys to your future. Adaptability is the difference between a company that stays in the game and one that fades into irrelevance.
Think about companies like Slack or Instagram. Neither of these businesses started out as the products we know today. They pivoted—hard—and it paid off. They recognized the need to change direction long before it was too late. That’s adaptability in action.
Now, imagine your company five years from now. Are you still pushing boundaries, or are you stuck defending an outdated product? Have you evolved with your market, or are you just hoping your competitors don’t out-innovate you?
How to Become More Adaptable
- Kill Your Darlings. That brilliant idea that got you here? Be willing to kill it if the market demands it. Holding onto it too long is a sure way to become irrelevant.
- Surround Yourself with People Who Challenge You. If your team always agrees with you, you’re in trouble. You need dissenters—people who aren’t afraid to tell you that your idea sucks. Listen to them. They’re not your enemies; they’re your lifeline.
- Make Data Your North Star. Gut instinct is great, but data doesn’t lie. If your customer behavior or market trends are telling you something, don’t ignore it. The numbers should guide your next move, not your ego.
- Iterate Relentlessly. Continuous improvement is the name of the game. If you’re not constantly tweaking, refining, and rethinking, you’re falling behind. Stay agile, stay curious, and never be satisfied with the status quo.
Final Thoughts: You’re Never “There” Here’s the thing about adaptability: it’s not a one-time skill you master and move on from. It’s a mindset. It’s the ability to look at your company and the world around you and recognize when it’s time to make a change—even if that change is uncomfortable.
If you’re a founder who’s afraid that your current success might be temporary, good. That fear is what will keep you adaptable. Lean into it. Use it as a reminder that no matter how successful your startup is today, the landscape is always shifting. Your job is to keep evolving or risk being left behind.
Founders who thrive are the ones who never stop questioning, never stop learning, and never stop adapting. Are you one of them?
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Founders live in a world of chaos. It’s exhilarating, intense, and downright terrifying. You’re constantly shifting between the thrill of new ideas and the crushing weight of responsibility. Every decision feels like a life-or-death moment for your company, and the stress is unrelenting. Yet, amid this madness, there’s one thing that determines whether you’ll thrive or crash and burn: personal grounding.
Founders often carry a mythic aura, celebrated for their vision, charisma, and relentless drive. They are the bold risk-takers who disrupt industries, change lives, and will entire markets into existence. These narratives—as addictive as they are—often lead to an unfortunate misconception: that sheer genius is enough to scale a startup. It isn’t. Vision alone might get you through the knife-fight phase of a startup’s life, but when it’s time to scale, your brilliance can become a bottleneck. Founders who cling to the illusion that they can power through scaling challenges with charisma and creativity often fail spectacularly. This blog is a wake-up call for founders, potential founders, failed founders, and investors alike: genius alone will not carry you to the finish line. What separates the startups that thrive from those that crumble is not brilliance but the ability to build enduring systems, structures, and processes. Let’s dispel the myths and explore the unseen and often unglamorous work that founders need to master if they hope to turn a scrappy startup into a billion-dollar business. Myth 1: Vision Is Everything Most founders are natural Visionary Evangelists. They see around corners, spot market opportunities, and inspire teams with their bold ideas. Investors bet on these qualities, and for good reason: vision is what ignites the startup engine. But as the company grows, the same traits that propelled its early success can become liabilities. Vision without structure leads to chaos. Founders can’t just "will" their companies to scale. At some point, the organization’s complexity will outstrip the founder’s ability to manage it. The lack of clear systems and processes creates bottlenecks, frustrates teams, and erodes trust. Reality Check: Vision is critical, but it’s not a substitute for operational rigor. Scaling requires founders to translate their big ideas into actionable, repeatable systems. Without this bridge between strategy and execution, even the most promising startups will stall. Myth 2: The Founder’s Hustle Will Carry the Team In the early days, startups thrive on heroic efforts. Founders wear multiple hats, pulling all-nighters and stepping in wherever there’s a gap. This scrappy hustle becomes a badge of honor, an identity. But as the team grows, this approach becomes unsustainable and even destructive. Here’s the problem: many founders struggle to let go. They micromanage, make unilateral decisions, and refuse to delegate. Why? Because they’ve convinced themselves that no one else can match their passion or capability. This creates a toxic dynamic where the founder becomes the bottleneck, stalling progress and demoralizing their team. Reality Check: Hustle is not a scalable strategy. Founders must transition from being the hero to being the architect of systems that empower others to execute effectively. This means delegating, coaching, and trusting their team to own outcomes. Myth 3: Startups Should Avoid Bureaucracy The word “bureaucracy” sends chills down the spines of most founders. Isn’t the whole point of a startup to move fast and break things? Isn’t bureaucracy the enemy of innovation? Not exactly. While startups should avoid unnecessary red tape, the absence of structure often leads to inefficiency and burnout. Teams waste time reinventing the wheel because there’s no documented process. Priorities shift on a whim, leaving employees confused and disengaged. Founders who reject all forms of process in the name of agility often end up with chaos instead of speed. Reality Check: Scaling startups need “just enough” process to provide clarity and direction. Think of processes as guardrails, not handcuffs. They should enable agility, not stifle it. Myth 4: Scaling Is About Adding More Resources When startups hit growing pains, the instinctive reaction is to throw more resources at the problem: hire more people, buy better tools, raise more money. While these are sometimes necessary, they’re rarely sufficient. Scaling isn’t just about doing more; it’s about doing better. Consider this: doubling your team without clear systems in place will only amplify inefficiencies. Throwing money at problems without solving root causes leads to waste. Founders who equate scaling with “more” often find themselves with bloated organizations that are slow and unprofitable. Reality Check: Scaling is about improving efficiency and effectiveness. Before adding more resources, founders need to optimize their existing processes to handle greater complexity. What Successful Founders Do Differently So, what separates the founders who successfully scale their startups from those who don’t? Here are the key actions they take: 1. Re-engineer Inefficient Processes Successful founders don’t just patch over inefficiencies; they dig deep to redesign broken systems. They prioritize scalability from the start, asking questions like: “Can this process handle 10x growth?” If the answer is no, they fix it. 2. Shift from Doer to Leader Founders who scale learn to let go of day-to-day tasks and focus on strategic leadership. This means empowering their team to own decisions and outcomes while providing clear guidance and support. 3. Invest in People and Culture Scaling isn’t just about systems; it’s also about people. Great founders invest in hiring top talent, developing their team’s capabilities, and creating a culture that aligns with their values and vision. 4. Embrace Feedback and Adaptation Scaling is a messy process that requires constant iteration. Founders who thrive are those who actively seek feedback from their team, customers, and investors—and use it to refine their approach. 5. Build Operational Discipline This is where many founders falter. Operational discipline means setting clear goals, tracking progress, and holding people accountable. It’s about creating a rhythm of execution that ensures the company delivers on its promises. A Challenge to Founders If you’re a founder, ask yourself: Are you still trying to do everything yourself? Do your teams know their priorities, or are they constantly scrambling to figure out what matters most? Are your processes built to scale, or are you just winging it? Be honest. The answers to these questions will reveal whether you’re truly ready to scale your company or if you’re standing in your own way. For potential founders: Don’t romanticize the hustle. Building a startup requires more than just a big idea and hard work. Be prepared to master the unsexy, behind-the-scenes work of creating systems and structures that enable growth. For failed founders: Reflect on where things went wrong. Was it a lack of vision, or was it the inability to scale operations? Use those lessons to rebuild stronger. For investors: Stop glorifying the lone genius. Look for founders who are not just visionary but disciplined in execution. Invest in those who are willing to grow alongside their companies. The Takeaway Scaling is not a magical process that happens when you raise enough money or hire enough people. It’s a deliberate, disciplined effort to build the systems, structures, and processes that allow your company to grow sustainably. Vision might light the fire, but operational excellence keeps it burning. For founders willing to do the hard work, the rewards are immense. The ability to scale beyond genius is what separates the unicorns from the also-rans. The question is: are you ready to put in the work?
In a recent Founders Keepers newsletter entitled “When Their Moral Compass Fails, Leaders Fail: How Greed, Power, and Pressure Can Destroy Founders” I discussed how the pressure of investor demands, and the corrosive effects of power and greed can erode a founder’s moral compass. These challenges are not limited to startup founders; they affect leaders across all industries. However, our research on nearly 2,000 executives, including the top 200 leaders who emerged as the “best” based on 360-degree feedback ratings, provides a critical insight: the best leaders are unwavering models of integrity and values. This is not just an ideal to aspire to—it’s a requirement for sustainable success. When leaders prioritize integrity and live by a clear set of values, they build trust, inspire their teams, and create a foundation for enduring impact. This post will delve into what it means to lead with integrity, how the best leaders embody these principles, and actionable steps you can take to align with these ideals. Integrity: The Cornerstone of Leadership Integrity in leadership is about much more than honesty. It encompasses consistency between words and actions, ethical decision-making, and a commitment to doing what is right, even in the face of adversity. Leaders with integrity act as a moral compass for their organizations, guiding decisions and behavior through a clear ethical lens. Our research on the best leaders revealed several defining characteristics of integrity in leadership: Consistency in Actions and Words: The best leaders “walk the talk,” ensuring their actions align with their stated values. This predictability fosters trust and reduces organizational uncertainty. Ethical Decision-Making: These leaders prioritize ethical considerations, making decisions that align with their values rather than taking shortcuts for short-term gains. Accountability: They own their mistakes, modeling humility and responsibility for their teams. Take Howard Schultz, the former CEO of Starbucks, as an example. Schultz demonstrated integrity by prioritizing ethical sourcing, offering healthcare benefits to part-time employees, and fostering a culture of respect and inclusion. His leadership not only built a globally respected brand but also created an environment where employees felt valued, and customers felt connected to the company’s mission. According to a comprehensive review of the literature, leaders who demonstrate integrity cultivate stronger trust among their teams, improve morale, and enhance overall organizational performance. The ripple effects of their behavior extend to organizational reputation, customer loyalty, and financial success. Values as the Leader’s Guiding Light Values are the principles that define what is most important to an individual or organization. For leaders, values serve as a decision-making framework, shaping their behavior and influencing their teams. Leaders who model and promote core values create a strong organizational culture where employees feel aligned and inspired. In our study of the best leaders, the following behaviors stood out: Leading by Example: The best leaders don’t just articulate values; they embody them. Their behavior demonstrates the standards they expect from others. High Standards of Conduct: These leaders maintain impeccable personal and professional standards, setting a tone that permeates their teams and organizations. Promoting Organizational Values: By aligning their behavior with the organization’s mission and vision, these leaders reinforce the importance of shared values. Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, exemplified these principles during the COVID-19 pandemic. Faced with difficult decisions, Chesky ensured that laid-off employees received generous severance packages and career support. His transparent and empathetic approach reinforced Airbnb’s values and preserved the company’s reputation during a challenging time. The literature supports these findings, emphasizing that when leaders align personal and organizational values, it leads to increased job satisfaction, higher productivity, and reduced turnover. Trust: The Currency of Leadership Integrity and values contribute to the most critical currency a leader possesses: trust. Leaders who consistently demonstrate integrity earn the confidence of their employees, stakeholders, and customers. This trust forms the foundation of effective collaboration, open communication, and organizational resilience. Our research showed that trust was a hallmark of the best leaders. They were described as dependable, reliable, and fair. Their actions consistently reflected their commitments, which inspired loyalty and respect. Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, is a shining example of how integrity builds trust. Polman led Unilever with a focus on sustainability and social responsibility, proving that profitability and ethical practices can coexist. His leadership attracted like-minded stakeholders, enhanced the company’s reputation, and set a benchmark for ethical corporate governance. Building trust, however, is not a one-time effort. It requires continuous reinforcement through ethical behavior, transparency, and accountability. As one executive in our study remarked, “Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair.” The Downside of Losing Integrity The stakes for leaders who fail to model integrity are high. Our review of business failures, including infamous cases like Enron and Theranos, highlights how a lack of ethical leadership can lead to catastrophic outcomes. Leaders who compromise their values for short-term gains risk not only their reputations but also the viability of their organizations. The Enron scandal was rooted in accounting fraud and ethical violations by top executives who prioritized personal gain over organizational integrity. Similarly, Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos allowed ambition to override honesty, leading to the downfall of a once-promising company. These examples underscore the importance of ethical leadership in avoiding reputational and financial disaster. Expanding the Legacy: The Ripple Effects of Integrity Leaders who model integrity extend their influence far beyond their immediate teams. They create a ripple effect that shapes organizational culture, industry standards, and even societal expectations. A consistent pattern in our research is that ethical leaders inspire ethical behavior at all levels of the organization, amplifying their impact. For instance, Satya Nadella’s leadership at Microsoft has transformed the company culture from one of cutthroat competition to collaboration and innovation. By prioritizing empathy, inclusion, and a growth mindset, Nadella has demonstrated how values-driven leadership can rejuvenate a global organization and inspire employees worldwide. This ripple effect is not accidental; it requires intentional effort to embed integrity into every aspect of leadership. Leaders must ask themselves: How can I ensure my values are reflected in the decisions I make, the systems I design, and the culture I cultivate? Actionable Steps for Leading with Integrity So, how can leaders ensure they remain models of values in the face of challenges? Here are actionable strategies based on our research and the broader literature: Clarify Your Core Values: Take time to reflect on your principles and create a personal mission statement. Ensure your values align with your organization’s mission. Lead by Example: Demonstrate your values through consistent actions. Be the behavior you wish to see in your team. Be Transparent: Openly communicate your decisions and the values guiding them. Transparency builds trust and accountability. Own Your Mistakes: When you fall short, acknowledge it. Use failures as an opportunity to model humility and resilience. Seek Feedback: Regularly solicit input from your team to understand how your behavior aligns with your values. This fosters self-awareness and continuous improvement. Promote Organizational Values: Reinforce the importance of shared values by embedding them into your organization’s culture and decision-making processes. Practice Ethical Decision-Making: Develop a habit of evaluating decisions through an ethical lens. Ask yourself how your choices align with your values and their impact on others. Amplify Your Influence: Leverage your position to mentor others, advocate for ethical practices, and inspire your industry to prioritize integrity. An Inspiring Legacy The best leaders are not only successful but also admired for their integrity and values. Their influence extends beyond organizational performance to leave a lasting legacy of trust, inspiration, and ethical conduct. As leaders, we must constantly ask ourselves: What kind of legacy are we building? In the words of one of the best leaders from our study, “Leadership isn’t about being in charge; it’s about taking care of those in your charge.” By prioritizing integrity and living by our values, we can inspire those around us and build organizations that stand the test of time. As you reflect on this, revisit the challenges I outlined in Founders Keepers —the pressures, greed, and power that can erode integrity. Let this serve as a reminder to stay grounded in your values and lead with unwavering commitment to what is right. Success is fleeting, but integrity endures.
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