THE RISE OF THE SOLO FOUNDER

For a long time, the startup world treated co-founders as a requirement. Many of us were told not to begin until we had someone to share the risk, the decision-making, and the weight of the early days of building a company.

But over the past few years, there’s been a shift. More founders are choosing to start on their own — not because they couldn’t find a partner, but because they don’t need one. With the right clarity and the right tools, they’re building earlier and with more intention.

The rise of solo founders isn’t about ego or control. It’s about agency, the ability to take action before everything is certain. These builders aren’t waiting for perfect alignment or consensus. They’re focused on doing the Work only they can do and using systems, automation, and support to move smarter and faster.

Read more in The Rise of High-Agency Builders.

Think about what would happen if you treated agency as the foundation, not the fallback. Would you build differently knowing you don’t have to wait for permission to get started?

PERSPECTIVES

“Start before you’re ready."

— Reid Hoffman, Co-Founder of LinkedIn and Partner at Greylock

MARK MY WORDS

I’ve always believed clarity beats consensus, especially in the early days of building something that matters.

The founders I’ve seen thrive (and I’ve worked with hundreds) don’t wait for validation. Many start alone, and what those founders share is conviction. They act before the path is fully lit. They hold themselves to high standards, even when no one’s watching.

That kind of agency can feel isolating. When something breaks at 2 a.m., there’s no one else to blame. But that’s also when clarity sharpens. You either care enough to fix it, or you don’t. And if you do, that kind of ownership becomes the culture of the company.

Here’s the truth: You don’t need a co-founder to start. But you do need the courage to keep going when the work gets hard and lonely. That’s what real agency looks like and why it’s worth cultivating.

ON THE CALENDAR

Live Core Values Webinar October 17 at 2:30 p.m. ET

This Friday, Bob Glazer and I are going live to talk about something every founder needs to get right: 

Your Personal Core Values. We’ll walk through how to identify them, align them with your leadership, and integrate them into your company’s operating system.

[Register Now]

TUNE IN

The EQ Gym: Building Emotional Intelligence at Work with MyGrow’s Theran Knighton-Fitt
Emotional intelligence isn’t something you can learn in a seminar. You have to train it like a muscle. In this conversation with Theran Knighton-Fitt, Co-Founder of MyGrow, we talk about what they call the “EQ Gym,” a practical way to build emotional intelligence inside companies.

You’ll learn:

• The difference between fixing systems and empowering people
• How emotional intelligence shapes culture and performance
• Lessons from MyGrow’s ten-year journey
  

[Watch Now]

ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD

In case you missed it, here’s more from Founder’s Framework:

The Arcs That Build Great Companies — And Why Progress Comes First

Progress isn’t optional. It’s the oxygen every organization needs to evolve and endure. So let me ask you this: Is your company actually getting better? In this piece, I break down the Four Arcs (Possibility, People, Systems, and Justice) and why none of them matter without the fifth arc: Progress.

[Read Now]

An anthem about freedom and discovery, this song captures the spirit of starting before everything feels ready. Much like high-agency founders, it reminds us that progress begins the moment you choose to take the first step — even if you’re setting out alone.