Paul Graham’s recent “Founder Mode” blog post has stirred up a lot of chatter and a lot of opinions in the startup world. Some folks think he’s advocating for micromanagement, while others say he’s oversimplifying things by presenting two extremes. But here’s how I see it: "Founder Mode" is about one thing—doing whatever it takes to win.

For me, being in Founder Mode is all about giving a shit—about everything. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t hire talented managers (as PG suggests); in fact, you absolutely should. But when you do, your first and most important job is to be the champion of the vision, mission, and purpose of the company. It’s not about micromanaging for the sake of control. It’s about making sure every move, every decision, every action, and every strategy aligns with what the company needs to succeed.

Let’s be real: sometimes micromanaging is necessary. And that’s okay. Startups are hard. It is unlikely you’ll win. Every battle you engage in is David versus Goliath. If things aren’t lining up with the vision or the standards that you know are crucial to winning, you’ve got to step in. But the goal isn’t to hover over everyone’s shoulder. It’s to build a culture where everyone—from the top down—gives a shit.

Hiring the right people is key. Don’t just grab big-company execs because of their impressive, shiny resumes. You want doers—people who are ready to dive deep into the problem you’re solving, people who are champions of your vision, and who are relentless in finding solutions. You need people that give a shit.

Once you’ve got the right team, step back and let them do their thing. Micromanagement shouldn’t be your default mode but don’t hesitate to step in when things aren’t going as they should. As a founder, you have to stay deeply involved in the critical decisions that steer the company and you need to have opinions on everything else your company does. Sometimes you’ve got to make the tough, unpopular calls and hold your team to the highest standards. That’s your job. You are the most qualified to do these things. Others may seek consensus, or take the easy path. Some will put their future ahead of the company’s. That may be reasonable for them, but it’s not for you. To me, Founder Mode means giving a shit and doing what only you as the founder can reasonably do. Take that risk. Do things that don’t scale. Make unpopular decisions. Own failure and success.

If you feel like you have to micromanage every decision, every person, and everything, you aren’t in Founder Mode, you’re just a bad leader. If you can’t trust the people on your team to do what it takes for the company to win, or easily adjust their work based on your guidance, you are probably shitty at hiring, terrible at championing your vision, bad at motivating, and junk at managing. Don’t hide your failures behind “Founder Mode.”

At the end of the day, to me, being in Founder Mode means being stubborn about your principles and vision, caring more than anyone else about what your company is trying to achieve, and doing everything it takes to win. That might mean getting deep into the weeds of your business, or it might mean hiring well and getting out of the way. If you are relentless about championing the vision, if you create a culture of people who care, if you give ownership, and when you demand excellence, you are more likely to win.

The choice here is not Founder Mode versus Manager Mode. The choice is to give a shit or don’t give a shit. Building something great requires giving a shit. After that, there is no right or wrong way.