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Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, has a deep understanding of what makes startups tick. According to him, the best startups follow one simple rule: each founder should be the undisputed king of their domain. "In Apple, Woz was not a super forceful person, but he did not let Steve Jobs change anything about the Apple 1 computer," Graham said. "Steve knew where the limits were." This division of power was critical to Apple’s early success, and it’s a model every startup can learn from.
But why is this division of roles so crucial? Let’s break it down with some real-world examples to see how letting each person master their area can drive a startup to greatness.
The Apple Origin Story: Masters of Their Craft
In the early days of Apple, Steve Wozniak (Woz) was the tech genius and Steve Jobs was the visionary salesperson. Woz was laser-focused on building a computer that was revolutionary in both its design and function. Jobs, meanwhile, was entirely consumed with turning Woz’s invention into a product that could change the world.
Graham points out how Woz pushed back when Jobs wanted to tweak the Apple 1.
“There was one thing Steve wanted to change—fewer expansion slots—and Woz said no.”
Woz was confident in his technical decisions and didn’t care about the business side. Meanwhile, Jobs knew his role wasn’t to meddle with the hardware—it was to sell the dream. This mutual respect allowed them to thrive without stepping on each other’s toes.
The result? The Apple 1 became the foundation of one of the most valuable companies in history. Each founder played to their strengths, and the synergy was unstoppable.
Dividing and Conquering: Why It Works
Graham’s lesson here is simple:
“That’s the model that works. That’s how you have multiple people who are each extremely effective not step on one another’s toes.”
When founders stay in their lanes, they’re free to unleash their full potential without interference or second-guessing.
Take Airbnb as another example. Brian Chesky, Joe Gebbia, and Nathan Blecharczyk were each masters of their own domains. Chesky was the design and marketing guy, Gebbia focused on the product, and Blecharczyk handled all things technical. By respecting each other’s boundaries, they scaled Airbnb from a scrappy startup to a global hospitality leader.
Had they constantly meddled in each other’s responsibilities, the company might have crumbled under internal conflict. Instead, each founder honed their own strengths to build a product people couldn’t get enough of.
The Dangers of Overlapping Roles
On the flip side, startups often fail when roles aren’t clearly defined. Too many cooks in the kitchen can lead to arguments, inefficiency, and even the loss of top talent. Take the case of MySpace. The company had the early lead in the social media race, but constant internal power struggles between founders and executives prevented them from innovating. While they argued over features and strategy, Facebook charged ahead with a clear sense of who owned what.
Graham’s advice is critical here: know your role, own it, and let others do the same.
Finding Your Mastery
If you’re a founder, the first step is to define your domain. Are you the product visionary, the technical guru, or the marketing mastermind? Once you identify your area of mastery, take ownership. Just like Woz refused to let Jobs dictate technical decisions, be firm in your space. And if you’re working with co-founders, communicate clear boundaries and trust their expertise in their areas.
Remember, trust doesn’t mean isolation. Great founders still collaborate, but they know when to listen and when to step back.
The Formula for Lasting Success
The most successful startups don’t just have great ideas—they have founders who respect each other’s roles and stay in their lanes. Graham’s wisdom, drawn from legends like Apple and observed in hundreds of Y Combinator companies, offers a timeless formula for success:
"Be the king of your own domain and let others be the king of theirs."
If you want your startup to thrive, trust your partners, take full control of your strengths, and stop stepping on each other’s toes.
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