Gregg Scoresby, Founder and Managing Partner of Phoenix Ventures, joins the hosts to break down the traits that separate winning Founders from wannabes. From hiring blind spots to co-founder clashes, founder-to-CEO transitions, and spotting red flags, this episode looks at what it really takes to build and lead a killer startup.

Chapters

00:00 The Essence of Founder Traits

10:01 The Role of Subject Matter Expertise

14:28 The Path to Foundership: Backgrounds and Skills

19:29 Hiring for Deficits: The Key to Team Success

22:41 Navigating Co-Founder Relationships: The Importance of Alignment

25:58 From Founder to CEO: The Evolution of Leadership

30:24 Assessing Self-Awareness in Founders

35:00 The Role of Honesty and Transparency in Leadership

39:38 Red Flags in Founder Narratives: The Importance of Realism

References in the Show:

https://startupnation.com/manage-your-business/the-9-types-of-startup-founders-and-how-to-build-a-great-co-founder-team/

https://hbr.org/2024/10/the-strengths-and-weaknesses-that-set-founders-apart 

https://www.saastr.com/top-10-founder-gtm-mistakes-with-saastr-founder-and-ceo-jason-lemkin/ 

https://www.liveplan.com/blog/starting/traits-of-entrepreneurs?srsltid=AfmBOopgdo-3EvV8JQ5Y5CyDEoKlefYsv5gFfhCuTYA4sf6OaCO0YhgY 

Quote of the Show:

“I would say over a third of the times I've invested early in a co-founding relationship, the co-founder relationship blows up.” - Gregg Scoresby

Ways to Tune In:

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpM8myxsUinc5bfLIbjJz?si=0af576adfb8e49f8 
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-cheat-code/id1692445190 
• Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/cb0b3afa-063f-4f3b-96be-b98214c74912 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CheatCodePodcast