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Back to Mental Models

Bet on the Founder Model

When choosing between similar technical tools, the deciding factor should be trust and connection with the founder/leadership team rather than marginal feature differences

Decision Rule

If technical capabilities are roughly equivalent, choose the platform whose founder you trust, connect with, and believe will execute consistently over time

How It Works

Founders determine long-term platform direction, stability, and innovation pace. Personal connection indicates alignment with your values and approach, predicting better user experience

Failure Modes

Choosing charismatic founders with poor execution

Ignoring technical differences that are actually significant

Overweighting founder personality versus team capabilities

Missing founder changes or leadership transitions

Example Decision

Between Bolt and Lovable (similar technical capability), choose based on whether you connect more with Eric (Bolt) or Anton (Lovable) and trust their long-term vision and execution

Related Knowledge