Founder Coach

What the source does

• FilesystemNone observedNo reads or writes in the source
• NetworkNone observedNo outbound calls in the source
• ShellNone observedNo commands run in the source
• DependenciesPinnedNothing floats
• SecretsNone foundNo keys in source

Five audit layers

Gates applied: no behavioural pass.

.codex/skills/a11y-audit

.codex/skills/ab-test-setup

.codex/skills/account-executive

.codex/skills/ad-creative

.codex/skills/aeo

Audit 0.4.1 · source sha 6e3fcbdbb5cf · 19 Oct 2026Report an issue or request a re-scan

• Publisherborghei GitHub userOwner of the repository this skill is read from
• Source folderborghei/Claude-Skills/c-level-advisor/founder-coachThe exact folder we audited
• LicenceNOASSERTIONAs the repository states it
• Commit pinned for this verdict6e3fcbdbb5cfA new audit runs when the source changes
• Repository statusNot archivedLast push 12 days ago
• Sandboxed runNot runSkills are read, not executed; layer L4 is skipped

Its description: Personal leadership development for founders and first-time CEOs. Use when a founder feels like the bottleneck, struggles to delegate, is burning out, or transitioning from IC to executive.

---
name: founder-coach
description: >
  Personal leadership development for founders and first-time CEOs. Use when a
  founder feels like the bottleneck, struggles to delegate, is burning out, or
  transitioning from IC to executive.
license: MIT + Commons Clause
metadata:
  version: 2.0.0
  author: borghei
  category: c-level
  domain: founder-development
  updated: 2026-03-09
  frameworks:
    - founder-archetype
    - delegation-ladder
    - energy-management
    - calendar-audit
    - leadership-evolution
    - blind-spot-detection
    - succession-planning
  triggers:
    - founder
    - CEO development
    - founder mode
    - delegation
    - burnout
    - imposter syndrome
    - leadership growth
    - energy management
    - calendar audit
    - executive team
    - succession planning
    - IC to manager
    - leadership style
    - founder trap
    - founder bottleneck
    - CEO coaching
    - personal development
    - executive transition
    - founder mental health
    - co-founder dynamics
---
# Founder Coach

Your company can only grow as fast as you do. This skill treats founder development as a strategic priority, not a personal indulgence. The founder is always the constraint -- not intentionally, but structurally.

## Keywords

founder, CEO, founder mode, delegation, burnout, imposter syndrome, leadership growth, energy management, calendar audit, executive team, board management, succession planning, IC to manager, leadership style, founder trap, blind spots, personal OKRs, CEO reflection, co-founder dynamics, founder mental health, executive transition

---

## Founder Growth Ceiling Model

Every founder hits predictable ceilings. Identifying which ceiling you are at determines what to work on.

```
Ceiling 1: ~15 people
  Problem: Can't be in every meeting and still think
  Solution: Delegate operational decisions, hire first manager
  Skill to build: Letting go of execution details

Ceiling 2: ~50 people
  Problem: Your style creates culture problems at scale
  Solution: Hire executive team, evolve leadership style
  Skill to build: Leading through others, not doing yourself

Ceiling 3: ~150 people
  Problem: Need a real executive team or you become the blocker
  Solution: Build institutional leadership, not personal leadership
  Skill to build: System design, not personal contribution

Ceiling 4: ~500+ people
  Problem: You are a symbol, not a manager
  Solution: Focus on vision, board, culture, and external narrative
  Skill to build: Organizational architecture
```

---

## Framework 1: Founder Archetype

Most founders are primarily one archetype. Knowing yours predicts what you will struggle with.

### Archetype Matrix

| Archetype | Strength | Blind Spot | Needs | Common at Stage |
|-----------|----------|------------|-------|-----------------|
| Builder | Product, engineering, technical depth | GTM, storytelling, people | A seller / GTM partner | Seed to Series A |
| Seller | Revenue, relationships, vision communication | Operations, follow-through, process | An operator / COO | Series A to B |
| Operator | Execution, process, reliability | Vision, product intuition, risk-taking | A visionary / strategic partner | Series B+ |
| Visionary | Strategy, narrative, pattern recognition | Execution, details, grounding | An integrator / COO | All stages |

### Self-Assessment Questions

| Question | Builder | Seller | Operator | Visionary |
|----------|---------|--------|----------|-----------|
| What do you do with a free hour? | Code/build | Call/meet someone | Organize/fix | Think/read/plan |
| What do you procrastinate on? | Sales, hiring | Admin, documentation | Ideation, risk | Follow-through |
| What does your team complain about? | Communication | Consistency | Flexibility | Details |
| What energizes you most? | Shipping | Winning deals | Solving problems | Connecting dots |

### Archetype Action Plan

```
IF Builder:
  - Hire GTM partner within next 90 days
  - Schedule 2 customer-facing meetings per week (force yourself)
  - Delegate code reviews to senior engineer by month 2

IF Seller:
  - Hire operations leader within next 90 days
  - Implement weekly review cadence (force process)
  - Document decisions instead of verbal commitments

IF Operator:
  - Partner with visionary co-founder or advisor
  - Schedule monthly "blue sky" thinking time
  - Practice saying yes to 1 risky bet per quarter

IF Visionary:
  - Hire COO or integrator immediately
  - Convert vision to 90-day rocks with measurable outcomes
  - Review execution weekly, not just strategy quarterly
```

---

## Framework 2: Delegation

### Why Founders Fail to Delegate

| Reason | Reframe |
|--------|---------|
| "Nobody does it as well as I do" | True short-term, fatal long-term |
| "It takes longer to explain than to do" | True once, not true the 10th time |
| "I lose control" | Control is an illusion at scale |
| "If it fails, it's my fault" | It's your fault if you never let anyone try |

### The Delegation Ladder

| Level | Description | Founder Involvement | When to Use |
|-------|------------|---------------------|-------------|
| 1 | "Do exactly what I tell you" | Total (not delegation) | Never -- this is instruction |
| 2 | "Research and report back" | High (you decide) | New topics, unfamiliar domains |
| 3 | "Propose a solution, I'll decide" | Medium (you validate) | Building trust phase |
| 4 | "Decide and tell me what you decided" | Low (you review) | Established trust |
| 5 | "Handle it, update me if outside parameters" | Minimal (you monitor) | Full delegation |

### What to Delegate First (Priority Order)

| Priority | Category | Examples | Risk if You Hold |
|----------|----------|----------|-----------------|
| 1st | Recurring operational | Reports, scheduling, routine decisions | Your time is consumed by low-value work |
| 2nd | Information gathering | Research, analysis, data synthesis | You become the bottleneck for knowledge |
| 3rd | Relationship management | Customer 

Excerpt, first 6,000 characters of SKILL.md, verbatim from the audited commit. It is text from someone else’s repository, quoted so you can judge it before your agent reads it.

git clone https://github.com/borghei/Claude-Skills
git -C Claude-Skills checkout 6e3fcbdbb5cf

Works in

1. 2026-10-19
   !CAUTION B 89 / 100

   first audit · source 6e3fcbdbb5cf

Questions about Founder Coach

• github.com/borghei/Claude-Skills/tree/main/c-level-advisor/found — the audited source at commit 6e3fcbdbb5cf and every finding aboveObserved · 19 Oct 2026

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