Founders create problems. Operators solve them.
I’ve met a lot of executives and CTOs who resonate with two things:
- They like to solve puzzles.
- They like to be given an end goal and just make it happen.
The job of a founder is to identify opportunities (i.e. problems), set a vision for what a solution looks like, and build a team that’s enabled to get there.
That idea, of course, comes with plenty of qualifiers and caveats. It simply defines a founder’s end goal, not their day-to-day.
A founder, especially in the early days, should be able to solve problems themselves and be motivated by the puzzle-solving too.
A great founder should be able to embody the qualities of a great operator when needed. But a great operator doesn’t have to embody the qualities of a great founder.
Founders create problems. Operators solve them.
This is an intentionally oversimplified and provocative way to frame it, but it captures something real.
You could argue that a founder is someone who finds unmet needs in the world, or is driven by a mission.
And saying operators don’t create problems undervalues those who innovate within systems and make them stronger.
If you’re reading this, I hope you have the ability, and the opportunity, to do both.