Source Mode

We’ve been sold a lie about leadership.

In his viral essay on "Founder Mode," Paul Graham nailed it: “There are things founders can do that managers can't, and not doing them feels wrong to founders—because it is.” He’s right—Founder Mode is powerful. It’s the potent blend of vision and conviction that turns ideas into reality.

🚫 But the buzz around FounderMode (complete with hats and mugs?!) risks promoting the idea that founders have permission to “win” at any cost.

The truth is, leadership isn’t about command and control; it’s about guiding the world toward what it's trying to become.

As Otto Scharmer beautifully sums up: “The most important blind spot in leadership today is the ‘interior condition’ from which we operate.” Leadership isn’t just about execution—it’s about listening to and aligning with a higher purpose. When alignment is an afterthought, we fall into the trap of “move fast and break things”—and we all know how that story ends.

✨ What if we redefined Founder Mode to include sourcing something deeper—and higher?

‍Tom Nixon, author and coach extraordinaire, reframes the role of the founder—not just as a builder, but as Source: “The Source’s job is to receive ideas associated with the vision, become clear, and articulate the next step in its realization.”

🔥 Founder Mode is driven by relentless ambition. Source Mode? It’s about listening something new into being. It's not playing to win—it's channeling something higher, truer, and more humane. And success isn't measured in outputs or earnings; it's about leadership that's equal parts humble and courageous.

Another thing I love about Source Mode? it doesn’t just apply to VC-backed entrepreneurs—it’s available to all of us when we follow what lights us up and do the thing we can’t not do.

As a serial founder, I’ve lived in Founder Mode. It’s essential—but incomplete. Unless we change how we think about power, we’ll keep building cultures that thrive on burnout and conflate profits with progress. We don’t need more snack delivery apps or pet concierge services. What we need are leaders who see themselves as sources—of what the world truly needs.

So, what are you sourcing? 🌱