What Is Founder's Syndrome?

How do you spot someone who has Founder's syndrome? They're the ones who tell you they can do anything, and then they don't deliver. They're the ones who talk about how their company is going to be bigger than Google or Facebook but never actually make it happen. They're the ones who are convinced that everyone wants to work for them because of their greatness—but really, it's because no one else will hire them. And if that sounds familiar, you may ask yourself: Do you have founder's syndrome? It is often associated with a sense of exceptionalism among the founders. Who is convinced that they are irreplaceable and that their experience, knowledge and skills make them above the rules that apply to their employees? The term 'founder's syndrome' was initially used in the psychological field to describe a behavior pattern in successful parents' children. It is also often used to describe similar behavior in successful entrepreneurs. Where it is often used to describe the behavior of leaders in startups, the term is intended to be a criticism rather than a clinical diagnosis. Founder's syndrome is a condition that plagues many entrepreneurs. It's characterized by the person who starts a company believing they are the only ones who can run the business, therefore resisting any change to how things are done. In many discussions about founder's syndrome, the founder can be enthusiastic about themself and the abilities of their team; on the other hand, if things go wrong, the founder typically blames the other people working on the project. The common factor is that with founder's syndrome, the founder resists reasonable changes and decisions, self-questioning or careful project analysis. They tend to trumpet past successes and become unlikely to explore new avenues or changes to improve processes. The best way to combat this behavior is through peer review and department collaboration. Having multiple people look at your work will help you find holes in your thinking and ensure you're not missing anything obvious that needs improving!