Founder 'Delulu' Is A Must

'Delulu' may not be the right term here. But the thing is, a founder sees certain aspects that an employee or an investor doesn't.

And maybe that delulu, the deep, sometimes irrational conviction in the face of everything, is exactly what keeps a startup alive when the odds are stacked sky high.

What I've Learned from Founders

I haven't been a founder myself. But I've had the privilege of speaking with many passionate builders. These are the people who've risked stability, sleep, and sometimes sanity to create something out of nothing. And through those conversations, I've come to realize a thing or two.

A founder sees what employees and investors don't see.

It's Not Just Confidence—It's Vision

It's not just about confidence. It's vision. It's the ability to imagine a world that doesn't exist yet, and then drag everyone toward it, even when the market says "no," the data says "not now," and the bank account says "maybe stop." It's a stubbornness that borders on irrationality, but without it, no one would ever dare to push past the boundaries of what seems possible.

Different Perspectives

Employees focus on what's here today. It may include the product, the customers, the deliverables.

Investors focus on what's likely tomorrow. It most likely includes the forecasts, the multiples, the exits.

But a founder? A founder focuses on what could be, often in a way that defies logic.

Why This Matters

That kind of clarity is not a bug; it's a feature. It's what sets a founder apart. It's what lets them stand alone in the storm, hold on to a fragile idea when everyone else has walked away, and somehow still believe. And often, it's what makes the impossible happen.

Examples I've Seen

At VenturEast, I evaluated 400+ companies. The ones that succeeded weren't always the ones with the best metrics or the clearest path to profitability. They were the ones with founders who had an almost irrational belief in their vision.

One founder I worked with was building in a space where three well-funded competitors had already failed. Every rational analysis said "don't do this." But he saw something others didn't—a fundamental shift in how enterprises would approach the problem in 3-5 years. He was right. The company is now valued at 3x our investment.

The Balance

Of course, delulu without execution is just delusion. The best founders combine:

They're stubborn about the destination but flexible about the route.

Conclusion

So yeah, maybe a little delulu is a must.

Not the kind that ignores reality. But the kind that sees a different reality—one that doesn't exist yet but could, if someone is crazy enough to build it.

That's what makes founders special. That's what makes startups possible.