founder-frameworks skill

---
name: Founder Frameworks
description: This skill should be used when the user asks about "prioritization frameworks", "how to prioritize", "Eisenhower matrix", "delegation framework", "how to delegate", "decision frameworks", "how to make decisions", "first principles", "time management for founders", "CEO time allocation", "what should a CEO do", "founder productivity", or discusses managing competing priorities, choosing what to focus on, or structuring their work.
version: 0.1.0
---

# Founder Frameworks

## Overview

This skill provides mental models and frameworks for the core challenges founders face: prioritization, delegation, decision-making, and time allocation. These aren't generic productivity tips - they're battle-tested approaches for the unique chaos of building a company.

## Prioritization Frameworks

### The Eisenhower Matrix (Adapted for Founders)

| | Urgent | Not Urgent |
|---|---|---|
| **Important** | DO: Crises, real deadlines, investor meetings | SCHEDULE: Strategy, hiring, product thinking |
| **Not Important** | DELEGATE: Routine ops, most meetings | DELETE: Busy work, perfectionism, "nice to have" |

**Founder trap:** Most founders spend too much time in "Urgent/Important" and never get to "Not Urgent/Important" - which is where the real CEO work lives.

### The Leverage Test

For any task, ask:
1. **Impact:** If this succeeds perfectly, how much does it move the company?
2. **Uniqueness:** Can only I do this, or could someone else?
3. **Multiplier:** Does this enable others to do more?

**High leverage activities:**
- Setting vision and strategy
- Hiring and developing key people
- Closing major customers/partners
- Fundraising
- Making irreversible decisions

**Low leverage activities (delegate these):**
- Routine operations
- Tasks you're good at but others could do
- Anything that doesn't require your judgment
- Admin, scheduling, coordination

### The One Thing

From Gary Keller: "What's the ONE thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?"

Use this when everything feels important. Force yourself to choose.

### 10x vs 10% Framework

**10% work:** Incremental improvements, optimizations, doing more of the same
**10x work:** Strategic bets, new capabilities, step-change improvements

Founders should spend at least 20% of time on 10x work. Most spend close to 0%.

## Delegation Frameworks

### The Delegation Ladder

```
Level 1: Task Delegation
"Here's exactly what to do and how to do it"
- Good for: New employees, critical one-off tasks
- Risk: Creates dependency, doesn't scale

Level 2: Project Delegation
"Here's the outcome needed, figure out how"
- Good for: Developing employees, medium-stakes work
- Risk: May need coaching on approach

Level 3: Decision Delegation
"You own this area, make decisions, keep me informed"
- Good for: Experienced team members, repeatable decisions
- Risk: Requires trust and aligned judgment

Level 4: Outcome Delegation
"You own this metric/function, I trust you completely"
- Good for: Senior leaders, mature functions
- Risk: Requires excellent hiring
```

Most founders get stuck at Level 1. Push to Level 3+ wherever possible.

### The "Only I Can Do This" Test

For anything on your plate, ask:
- Could someone else do this 80% as well? → Delegate
- Could someone learn to do this? → Delegate and train
- Does this require my specific relationships? → Maybe keep
- Does this require my judgment on company direction? → Keep

### The Replacement Cost Framework

"What would I have to hire to replace myself in this function?"

- If the answer is "anyone competent" → You shouldn't be doing it
- If the answer is "a specialist" → Hire that person
- If the answer is "another founder/CEO" → Keep it

## Decision-Making Frameworks

### Reversible vs Irreversible Decisions

**Type 1 (Irreversible):** Big, hard-to-undo decisions
- Firing a co-founder, major pivots, large fundraises
- Take time, get input, sleep on it
- 80%+ confidence before deciding

**Type 2 (Reversible):** Most decisions
- Hiring, product features, process changes
- Bias to action - decide fast
- 70% confidence is enough
- Can course-correct later

Most founders treat Type 2 decisions like Type 1, causing paralysis.

### Pre-Mortem

Before a big decision:
1. Imagine it's 1 year later and this decision was a disaster
2. Write down everything that could have gone wrong
3. Work backwards: which risks can you mitigate?

### Second-Order Thinking

For any decision:
1. **First order:** What happens immediately?
2. **Second order:** And then what happens?
3. **Third order:** And then what happens after that?

Example: "We should cut prices"
- First order: More customers
- Second order: Lower margins, different customer segment
- Third order: May attract price-sensitive customers who churn more

### The Regret Minimization Framework (Bezos)

"When I'm 80 and looking back, will I regret not trying this?"

Best for: Career-defining, bet-the-company, or life decisions

## Time Allocation Frameworks

### Maker vs Manager Schedule (Paul Graham)

**Manager schedule:** Days broken into 1-hour blocks, meeting-driven
**Maker schedule:** Large uninterrupted blocks for creative/deep work

Founders need BOTH but usually get stuck in manager mode.

**Solution:** Protect maker time like a meeting. Block 3-4 hour chunks. Make them non-negotiable.

### The CEO Time Audit

How should a CEO spend time by stage?

| Activity | Pre-Seed | Seed | Series A | Series B+ |
|----------|----------|------|----------|-----------|
| Product | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
| People | 20% | 25% | 30% | 35% |
| Customers/Sales | 25% | 25% | 20% | 20% |
| Fundraising | 10% | 15% | 15% | 10% |
| Strategy | 5% | 5% | 15% | 25% |

These shift dramatically by stage. What was right 12 months ago isn't right now.

### The Three Buckets

Every week, ensure you spend meaningful time in:
1. **Building** - Product, strategy, major initiatives
2. **People** - Hiring, developing, culture
3. **Selling** - Customers, investors, partnerships

If any bucket is empty for >2 weeks, something's wrong.

## Additional Resources

For more detailed frameworks, see:
- **`references/prioritization-deep-dive.md`** - Detailed prioritization techniques
- **`references/delegation-playbook.md`** - Step-by-step delegation guide
- **`references/decision-quality.md`** - Advanced decision-making patterns