How to Deal With a Crazy Founder (As a Startup Employee): The 5 Rules
N.B: After my medium post on Founder Psychosis, a friend asked about how to deal with the crazy as a startup employee. Here’s my take.
All startup founders are a little bit crazy. I am no exception.
Everything bad about me gets turnt to 11 when I am in the throes of starting something. Yes, it also brings out the best in me: my brain, my salesmanship and my empathy. But it also tends to make me super passive-aggressive (though as a Canadian the deck is already stacked against me), highly whimsical (in the change-your-mind-regularly sense) and deeply resentful of everyone I’ve worked with.
I too have worked with many unhinged superiors in startup settings. I’ve been yelled at, berated, insulted, dismissed and belittled — and that was just one conference call. Seriously though, startup founders can be horrible bosses. And startup employees are the ones who bear the brunt of their issues. Sure, spouses and significant others (if the founder is capable of maintaining human connection) also pay a price, but I’d posit that most startup team members get the short stick. Plus at least when the company IPOs or sells to Google, the spouse can divorce and get half. As an employee, you might — or might not — see a penny for your trouble.
