Got some comments on LinkedIn (yes, I’m sadly on LinkedIn) after posting Chesky’s thoughts about founder mode being essentially micromanagement, and whether I would work for a founder like that:
I myself worked for Chesky for over 4 years and worked on several projects he was directly involved in and reviewing weekly. My first project was redesigning the Airbnb mobile app, where he would come by weekly or multiple times a week.
While it was annoying at times, I think it ultimately produced better output.
From my perspective, it’s great if the CEO or leader cares that much about a project, design, or the details. The worst is if the CEO or leadership doesn’t care at all.
Guess what? If they don’t care, the details or great design won’t happen because they’ll optimize for something else like speed, cost, or making a big PR splash.
I think it’s great if the CEO sees the work directly so it won’t get diluted through all the layers and stakeholders of the organization.
A lot of great work or design dies in the hands of organizational stakeholders who are hedging personal risks or driving different agendas.
Ultimately, I think caring is the first step to greatness. If your motivation is making something truly better, then being in the details, giving feedback, and offering your time and energy is a gift.
The problem I see is that people often take feedback personally, and they aren’t able to lift their ego (their self-view) above it. Because of that, people avoid giving feedback. If you elevate your ego, you can realize the feedback is about making something better, and it becomes more of a conversation about how we can make it so.