Dear SaaStr: What Are Some Red Flags in a Founder?
A few:
- Doesn’t know the market cold. Always pass. The best founders know the market cold, even in the earliest days.
- Doesn’t understand or respect the competition. The best always do. Even if they are beating the competition.
- Can’t recruit a strong management team. This is half the job, ultimately.
- Too tired. Yes, being a founder is insanely hard. But you have to find a way, and to find the energy, to go long.
- Lies about anything. If they do, it will just be the beginning.
- ”Woe is me” attitude. Woe is you, indeed.
- Always blaming the markets, or claiming it’s all due to a “downturn” or “recession”. Tech and innovation makes its own growth.
- Running out of money. It’s your job not to.
- Letting the mediocre stay — and lead. Everyone stops working hard enough when the mediocre are allowed to lead.
- Not very responsive. The best CEOs always are.
The best once in a while exhibit 1 or 2 of these issues for a little while. But not for long.
