I think he offers an excellent framework for the three kinds of leaders necessary for a startup to scale from idea to major company. Some entrepreneurs have the

I think he offers an excellent framework for the three kinds of leaders necessary for a startup to scale from idea to major company. Some entrepreneurs have the ability to lead at more than one stage of the company, some try and fail, and the rest are not given the chance. This reminds me of a story a successful serial entrepreneur told me a few years ago (I blogged about it at http://www.skmurphy.com/blog/2006/12/21/two-images-of-startups/ http://www.skmurphy.com/blog/2006/12/21/two-images-of-startu... ) An avid cyclist, he thought of the entrepreneurial journey with a VC as having two distinct phases: in the pack and near the finish line. Working with VC’s is like a bicycle race. At first you are all in the pack and everyone works together, alternating position to draft and move faster together than the solo leaders. But as the finish line appears the pack breaks up as each cyclist tries to cross it first. Even if the VC’s have been good partners for most of the journey, they can’t resist the temptation to break away and gain the advantage at the finish line.