What makes Tom turn down a founder who wants to hire him?
Turn down anyone unclear about their commitment
Founders do not need to be full time. They need to accept that this is work with a purpose, and it needs their time and patience.
Updated 2026-10-25
A lack of clear vision. And not in the sense of not knowing who they are or what they want to talk about. I mean being unclear about their commitment to the project.
They do not need to be full time. The whole point of me joining is to make the best use of their time and get output from it. But there has to be a clear acceptance that this is work. It is fun, and it has a very clear purpose, but it takes time, patience and their input.
Questions
What makes Tom turn a founder down?
Being unclear about their commitment to the project.
Does the founder need to be full time?
No. Tom joins to make the best use of their time.
What does commitment mean here?
Accepting that it is work with a purpose, and that it needs their time, patience and input.
The playbook this belongs to: How I work.
Level up as a creator
The weekly email launches soon.