One of the first things that was emphasized in a recent "Management 101" seminar (taught by a HR grunt) was that effective "management" consists of 3 roles: -

One of the first things that was emphasized in a recent "Management 101" seminar (taught by a HR grunt) was that effective "management" consists of 3 roles: - Management - Leadership - Coaching It seems that Graham wasn't aware of this and believes him and his buddies are the first to identify the latter roles, albeit as "Founder". It wouldn't surprise me that the sophistication of management theory in SV startup scene is so low. It seems that most startup-scale innovation in SV comes from talented ICs rather than well-managed projects. Isn't that the theory behind "startups" in the first place? The big tech players definitely have some genuinely excellent managers. It just hasn't trickled down to the YC level apparently.