What a Founder-in-Residence Actually Does All Day
Discovery calls, dead ends, product decisions and the moments when an assumption finally breaks.
Continue reading ↓People often ask what a founder-in-residence actually does. The honest answer is that most days look less like building and more like learning.
Discovery calls and dead ends
Much of the early work is conversation: with people who live the problem, with operators, with anyone who can say what the work really involves. Many of these calls end in a dead end, and that is useful. Each one narrows the question.
Product decisions with incomplete information
Decisions are made before there is enough data to be sure. The skill is deciding what to test next and being clear about what would change the answer.
“The best days are the ones where an assumption finally breaks.”
The moment an assumption breaks
Sooner or later a customer says something that does not fit the plan. It can feel like a setback. It is usually the most valuable thing that happens, because the company can now be built on something true.