👋 Seung Chan Lim (Slim)

Summary

Most tech founders did not start their companies because they wanted to be CEOs. They started it because they had a vision for something _new_ they believed the world needs. In the last 25 years, I’ve spent... 1️⃣ 9 years working 1-on-1 with the founder of a deep tech startup to solve organizational alignment around an audacious vision. 2️⃣ 4 years researching the psychological, emotional, and interpersonal challenges visionary innovators face and how they overcome them—Suffering from the same challenges myself in the process. 3️⃣ 12 years coaching visionary tech founders to make emotionally tough decisions, align & lead their team without feeling drained, and make confident decisons despite uncertainty. During this time, I’ve met many visionary founders as their companies grew in size. Their problem? Spending too much time managing people at the expense of making progress toward the vision. They felt frustrated by this. And so did I, because the advice that got them there was based on what is espoused by b-school professors, HR consultants, or the military: all focused on managing people, not on creating something new. Many of them were feeling isolated and burnt out, but were too afraid to share this with the board. They're not alone. In 2013, Ben Horowitz of a16z coined the term “Product CEO Paradox.” Ben saw that as companies scale, many tech founders get caught in a dilemma. 👉 If they stay deeply involved in the product, they risk frustrating employees. 👉 If they step back, they risk losing product focus and quality. He shared that the way out of this paradox lies in maintaining only their _essential_ involvement. I say it differently. I say you have to learn to _lead_ not merely manage. As the saying goes, “a manager focuses on doing things right, while a leader focuses on doing the right things.” Becoming a leader requires you to gain clarity of that right thing, or, as Ben says, what is essential. And what is essential always include the intersection of the vision you wish to realize and the human beings you’re leading toward it. Great artists who sustain a long and enduring career all know how to lead this way. Great film directors, band leaders, or even solo musicians with a team behind the scenes, they all have a vision and they excel at leading people toward it. Whether it’s the team involved in making the vision come true or the folks that only experience the final output, when they are led well, the experience is a valuable one for all involved. Are you ready to lead? The choice is yours and yours only.