We have the knowledge, frameworks, and techniques to build successful products. Why do many founders do the opposite and stand in their way?
![Entrepreneur's Handbook](https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fill:48:48/1*8sfeJBcpkpaPmv9Epi2Pjw.png)
In theory, founding your own company sounds great: Make your vision a reality, have an impact, create a culture, run a company on your own, and make a difference in the world! Boom! Of course, reality often looks different.
Don’t get me wrong. Founding can be awesome. But even if you have read all the books and inhaled the entire startup blogosphere, it is not as easy to implement as it may sound. Your teammates don’t act as you want them to? And the customers are too stupid to understand and appreciate your great idea? Welcome to reality, son.
Admittedly, I have also been in these situations and underwent many painful learning phases. However, I have worked with multiple founders as an advisor and CEO for the last few years, and I somehow taught myself (or was taught by the pain) to build products and services less emotionally.
Staying calm and removing your temper from the equation has numerous advantages. Your focus will be on building successful outcomes for your market and reaching your strategic goals. The unpredictable nature of our digital world will rattle you less. If all goes well, you will serve as a calming presence for your team. And you don’t have to be a robot either — just a friendly, calm human being.
So why, oh why, is it that many founders do the exact opposite and ultimately stand in their way?
Being a visionary and focusing on the future is a good thing. It is an essential prerequisite to creating a successful product or service. BUT: Trailblazers tend to get ahead of themselves (and others). Visionaries often end up thinking they know better than everyone else. They ignore data and customer feedback or logical analysis from the team.
Usually, founders identify so strongly with their vision that they call the product their “baby.” Sounds nice. It really does. Only: It’s wrong.
Treating a product like a “baby” can be harmful. Your emotional attachment can lead to…