Startup to Last

Dealing with impatience as a founder


Listen Later

Here are some takeaways from this week's episode:

  • There are two common reasons for a manager to feel impatient: someone isn't motivated to work hard, or they're working hard but not getting enough done.
    • The first type is best to avoid entirely by hiring people who are intrinsically motivated. If you can trust that they aren't intentionally slacking off, it takes a lot of pressure off your plate as a manager.
    • The second type is frustrating, but it's not the employee's fault. If they're working hard but not getting the results you want, either your expectations are off, or you're not putting them in a position to succeed.
  • Deadlines can be a major cause of impatience and can cause stress for the manager and the employee. Avoid deadlines when possible. Instead, break projects into small chunks and set targets, but don't put pressure on anyone to hit those targets exactly.
  • If someone misses a target, have a discussion about why. Was it poor planning? Did something unexpected come up? Try to learn from that, but don't let it cause you to become impatient.
  • Trust is a huge element in terms of working with urgency without being impatience. Building trust with your team is more about the process than the result. Let employees in on decisions you're making and make sure they feel heard.
  • Founders need to manage their own mental state. Design the company to be able to handle slower than anticipated progress because things rarely go according to plan.
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Startup to LastBy Rick Lindquist and Tyler King

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

22 ratings


More shows like Startup to Last

View all
The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors by SaaStr

The Official SaaStr Podcast: SaaS | Founders | Investors

175 Listeners

Startups For the Rest of Us by Rob Walling

Startups For the Rest of Us

703 Listeners

The a16z Show by Andreessen Horowitz

The a16z Show

1,089 Listeners

Rogue Startups by RogueStartups

Rogue Startups

23 Listeners

Y Combinator Startup Podcast by Y Combinator

Y Combinator Startup Podcast

226 Listeners

REWORK by 37signals

REWORK

210 Listeners

My First Million by Hubspot Media

My First Million

2,653 Listeners

Slow & Steady by Benedikt Deicke, Benedicte Raae, and Brian Rhea

Slow & Steady

4 Listeners

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg by All-In Podcast, LLC

All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg

9,927 Listeners

The Startup Ideas Podcast by Greg Isenberg

The Startup Ideas Podcast

205 Listeners

Mostly Technical by Ian Landsman and Aaron Francis

Mostly Technical

26 Listeners

Onto Something by Peter Suhm & Mikkel Malmberg

Onto Something

0 Listeners

The Panel by Justin Jackson & Brian Casel

The Panel

4 Listeners

Cheeky Pint by Stripe

Cheeky Pint

47 Listeners

Offsite by Jordan Gal

Offsite

0 Listeners