King or Rich?
In The Founder’s Dilemma, Noam Wasserman describes a fundamental tradeoff founders face:
...Do you want to be King?
...Or do you want to be Rich?
“Kings” prioritize control.
They want to shape the vision, own the decisions, and build something that’s fully theirs.
“Rich” founders optimize for scale.
They bring in capital, share decision-making, and build something bigger than they could alone.
Neither is wrong.
But if you don’t know which one you’re optimizing for,
You might end up with a company that you don't love running.
The tension between control and growth shows up in so many decisions:
Refusing to raise because you don’t want dilution? King
Hiring execs who know more than you? Rich
Manually approving every $50 spend to keep a tight grip on burn? King
Setting budgets and trusting leaders to own them? Rich
Wanting final say on every product decision to maintain your vision? King
Building a product team you trust to drive the roadmap? Rich
Both paths lead to different kinds of success.
The key is knowing which one fits you.
So... what are you building toward?
Enjoyed reading this article? Subscribe to receive more via email here.
Know a Founder or Entrepreneur who'd love this content? Please share it!
