The founder's syndrome

Ever heard of the founders syndrome?
Anyway this is a common ailment that plague business owners who start a business and grow it to a level but refuse to let go when it’s time for the business to take a life of its own thereby sabotaging the business by themselves.

A business is like parenting a child. There is a time when the child absolutely depends on you and you have to be there all the time. During this period is when the seed of the founders syndrome is birthed because you grow so attached to the baby that you do all you can for the child to survive.

Then you move to the toddling phase where the child starts to run around. This is the era that there is a measure of success that is visible to everyone. At this level the founder is celebrated by all for his hard work and how the business has survived where others failed

The third phase is the teenager phase where there is amazing success that people applaud you for while there is a conflict within you that is tearing you apart that isn’t visible to those clapping. This is the phase that the child or business demands a bit of independence and alliance unfortunately what the founder keeps seeing is the dependent child that you we’re absolutely responsible for. While this is the phase to respect the teenage child and listen to him and his friends who in this case are professionals sent to work for or with you.

But this is where the syndrome kicks in because the business got here by your hardwork and you conclude nobody knows the business as much as you do. While the taste of the customers is changing and the market is demanding something new; founders are stuck with the known and they either fire or silence mavericks who could have helped the business to adulthood.

The business is crying for new ideas from new blood but because the founder hasn’t grown and mastered detachment the esteem of the founder is around absolute control thereby stifling the business. Founder becomes suspicious of those who fruly love the business and culture becomes toxic thereby forcing out your best hands.

Unfortunately the founder’s syndrome makes you blame everyone else but yourself because the real problem of the business at this phase is the founder that has refused to let go and release the business into her future.

Are you suffering from founder’s syndrome?
I can help if you shoot me a mail [email protected]

Praise FOWOWE
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