The Coachability Factor

𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐥𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞

Some founder qualities don't reveal themselves during initial due diligence – they only emerge through the test of time and adversity.

This week, I'm examining two founders I've worked with post-investment who demonstrate opposing approaches to feedback and adaptation. One transformed their business through exceptional receptivity to coaching, while the other's unwavering conviction prevented necessary evolution.

Today, I'm analyzing the delicate balance between maintaining your vision and knowing when to adapt – and why this dynamic often determines whether promising startups thrive or stagnate.

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐀: 𝐘𝐞𝐬 ✅

This founder's journey in artisanal home goods wasn't notable for its initial metrics. They had early press and modest sales, but lacked established market channels. What stood out was their grit and hustle despite limited industry experience.

What wasn’t visible during initial underwriting was their exceptional learning approach. Post-investment, they've shown a pattern that drives growth: proactively seeking feedback, implementing suggestions, and – most importantly – closing the feedback loop by reporting results and next steps.

This learning mentality has built market channels and grown their customer base. Their adaptability hasn't diluted their vision – it's sharpened their execution.

Their coachability has accelerated their learning curve beyond more experienced competitors. The ability to synthesize external input while maintaining direction is a rare skill that compounds over time.

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐁: 𝐍𝐨 ❌  

This founder's creative software tools company looked exceptional on paper. They had a working product, media production experience, and a prior successful exit. Their industry network and technical vision were compelling.

However, post-investment, the business struggled - revealing a critical blind spot: resistance to adaptation.

As market conditions evolved, they maintained rigid adherence to their original vision despite feedback suggesting adjustments. Most concerning was their unwillingness to address skill gaps in growth marketing and sales – they didn’t develop these capabilities nor bring in team members who could complement their technical strengths.

Their strong vision – initially an asset – became a limitation when it prevented necessary adjustments. The contrast with Founder A is clear: both faced obstacles, but one used feedback to evolve while the other remained fixed in their original thinking.

𝐌𝐲 𝐑𝐮𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐤

𝐀 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫

𝐐: 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲?

Strong conviction prevents distraction. Adaptability prevents irrelevance. The key is knowing where each belongs.

Reserve conviction for your unique innovations – product features, design approaches, or distribution methods where you have genuine insight. Even here, evolve if market evidence consistently contradicts your assumptions.

Apply adaptability to universal business functions. Can't sell? Develop the skill or hire someone who can. Address skills gaps without seeing it as compromising your vision.

The best founders have a simple feedback system: seek input, evaluate against core beliefs, implement what aligns, and report results. This closed loop turns feedback into advantage.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭?

𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

Coachability isn't a weakness – it's strength when paired with conviction. The most adaptable founders aren't abandoning their vision; they're just refining how to achieve it.

This balance is especially critical for first-time founders. Innovate where you have unique insight; leverage established practices elsewhere.

The ledger entry is clear: bet on founders who maintain their north star while navigating changing landscapes. Vision without adaptation leads to irrelevance; adaptation without vision leads to distraction.

Auditing more talent next week,
Will Stringer

𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤

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