The Pitfalls of "Big Company Mode"

One of the biggest traps founders fall into after a major milestone?

Shifting into “big company mode.”

You raise a big round. Hire a senior exec. Suddenly, you start delegating everything. Adding layers in between you and the market. Pulling back from the frontlines.

The truth is, the best performing founders resist the urge to start acting like a big company for as long as possible.

We recently spoke with a founder running a $100M+ ARR business who still listens to Gong calls and sends feedback to reps.

Another — whose average deal size is $400K+ — still jumps in on tiny ACV deals because: “We cannot lose this f**ing deal.”

That’s not micromanagement. It’s leadership and doing whatever it takes to win.

As a founder, you have to model the culture and behaviours you want to see in your team.

The moment you think you’re too important for the frontlines, or someone knows better, is the moment you start losing touch — and losing, period.

Fight to hold onto that early-stage mentality for as long as possible. It’s one of your biggest unfair advantages as a startup.