Skip-Level Engagement

What does founder mode look like concretely? PG's honest answer is that nobody fully knows yet, but one element is clear: skip-level meetings and skip-level attention. The CEO engages with the company directly, not only through the chain of direct reports.

Once you drop the black-box rule, the design space opens up. Which parts of the company get direct founder attention, and how often, becomes a real decision that will differ company to company and change over time within the same company. Founder mode is more work than manager mode, but it keeps the founder's judgment applied where it matters.

The example PG reaches for is Steve Jobs' annual retreat for the 100 most important people at Apple. Not the 100 highest on the org chart, the 100 most important. Imagine the energy of a giant company run like a startup, and how many big companies could even attempt that meeting without mutiny.