Founder Fundamentals 1/10 - Training vs. Playing

Which choice sets athletes and amateurs apart? Athletes focus on training. Amateurs focus on playing.

Training is deliberate, often repetitive work to build or improve a specific skill. It is future-oriented.

Playing means applying existing skills in a competitive environment to win. It is present-oriented.

Training is why athletes remain competitive beyond the early talent phase and keep improving throughout their careers.

Founders are always at risk of not training enough. Not because – like amateurs – they enjoy playing so much. It's because the game is so demanding. There is always more to do than there is time. And because founders suffer from present bias like everybody else, playing – quick-fixing a pressing problem or chasing a current opportunity – always feels like the right thing to do.

Training never imposes itself like that. Fixing the root cause of a recurring problem or enabling your team to handle it without you, developing guardrails for evaluating opportunities - these must be chosen. Even though they would be far more impactful and efficient.

Overcoming present bias is the most important adjustment a founder can make once their company hits product-market fit or grows to around 40 people. Training - deliberately taking time out of the operational grind to improve longer-term competitiveness - is what enables founders to stay effective in a game that now grows rapidly in complexity.

How to start

Pick a specific goal. Athletes don't train to become "generally better" - they work on one aspect of their performance. Being specific helps you see progress and know when you're done. Your goal can be personal or organisational. Write it down.

Fix a training plan. Block time in your calendar that suits the goal: weekly sessions for thinking or preparation, daily check-ins for behavioural change, project-style coordination if it involves others. 2-3 hours per week is a good starting point. Protect these slots as you would protect a customer meeting.

Stick to it. Keep training despite pressure to spend your time elsewhere. If progress feels slow, trust the process. The key to training is consistency.

A coach can make training more efficient, particularly for acquiring new skills. But the real lever is your mindset: see yourself as an athlete and consistently behave like one, and you will grow with – and ahead of – the game you’re playing.