All or nothing : false dichotomy

I’ve never believed in an all or nothing concept. It’s a false dichotomy. They are not mutually exclusive.

I read an article from a prominent tech entrepreneur’s blog, that you either have to run a company or NOT run it at all. There is no in-between, where you hire someone else to run it for you.

If this logic is true, how does one explain Richard Branson’s multifaceted Virgin Group, Li Ka Shing’s behemoth Cheung Kong Holdings, or even Tony Fernandes’ Tune Group? How do these 3 exemplary entrepreneurs get capable executives to run the various subdivisions of the group?

Regardless whether the business is tech related or not, things change. Tech fails occasionally, so do people and processes. I think what matters is whether the right executive can run , 10x or even 100x the business. If they can do that, great! More power (and wealth) to them.

Just because the founder is a product visionary, doesn’t mean the hired executive can’t share or even extend the original vision. There’s just too much emphasis on product visionaries surrounding companies in the Valley.

For a vision to be truly great, it has to be translatable to the next person, and extended.

I challenge entrepreneurs small and large to constantly be aware of succession planning. Think of the next few people who can help you grow the business.