The name of the blog Founder for Good begs the question “what constitutes a GOOD founder?” Before I answer, I want to explain how I define the ideas of Good and Great within this model. ‘Greatness’ defines the quality of what one does, whereas, ‘goodness’ defines the quality of WHY one does what they do.
The following three traits define a founder by the quality of their ‘why’ rather than the quality of their ‘what’.
Trait One – Motivated to serve your audience
We must see our customers or readers as actual people, not just numbers. Each person has something to bring to the conversation. They have insights, struggles, and stories that, when interacted with, can make a brand so much more valuable. Instead of offering content or an invention that is potentially out of touch with the target audience, we can create content specifically tailored to our audience’s specific needs when we listen to them.
This selfless pursuit should be the primary purpose as a good founder. Some may argue that profit should be the first priority of a company, and though this is a very important consideration, we cannot forget the root cause of revenue. Revenue is simply a measure of how well you serve your audience. If we provide a product that people consider valuable, they will be willing to pay for our service.
Trait Two – Continuous Learner
Good founders have an insatiable desire to know more. Their topics of study are broad, but they are also top-thinkers within their field or industry. The knowledge acquired can then be leveraged to learn more, to BE MORE.
The driving force of continuous learning is curiosity. Curiosity creates in us an itch to know more. A valuable skill to scratch this itch is to ask great questions. Asking questions unlocks a well-spring of information from an individual or a group.
“Curiosity is the process of asking questions, genuine questions, that are not leading to an ask for something in return.” – Brian Grazer
This is a skill I really want to cultivate during 2018 on my journey to become a good founder.
Consistent self-development is one of the best investments you can make in your company. When we grow, we become better leaders that can serve and equip our audience more effectively. The primary ways I grow as a ‘student of life’ are reading, listening to podcasts, and asking people questions that have a unique perspective to bring to a situation or conversation.
Related Resource – Amazon Audible
Trait Three – Highly adaptable
The key to being highly adaptable as a leader is humility. Humility allows for the realization that what we’re doing may not be best. This will allow us to operate efficiently, pivoting based on the needs of our audiences, potential advances in resources and workflows, and changes in the market we exist within.
As founders, we will have many setbacks and failures. Learning from these challenges is what sets a good founder apart. Where others may become paralyzed by a series of challenges, someone who is highly adaptable and humble can make changes to overcome obstacles, creating a better experience for their audience in the process.
“Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change.” – Richard Branson
Imagine a sailor on their sailboat, embarking on a journey to a specific destination (their goal). The sailor can’t mindlessly sail straight ahead towards the goal without regard to the many factors affecting their journey. Instead, to get there in good condition, the sailor must adapt his route and boat based on the current, waves, and wind. Being a good founder is similar: we have to navigate the market in search of the most efficient and profitable ways to meet our goals and serve our people.
To be a good founder, we must be able to:
- assess our current state relative to our destination
- develop a path that maximizes our resources to the benefit of our company and our audience.
- grow consistently, investing constantly in our understanding
- consider the needs of our audience and customers, first and foremost
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Thank you for reading, let me know what you think!
How have you seen these traits work for you and your business?
What other traits help make a GOOD founder?