Founders are what I call “tech athletes”. Founders are the warriors who take the chances and big risks that no one will dare to take.

In the world of venture capital, there’s a term that surfaces when investors encounter founders who refuse to relinquish control over their vision: “founderitis.” This term is often wielded with a pejorative tone, suggesting that a founder’s stubbornness is a flaw rather than a strength. However, after speaking with many founders who’ve been on the receiving end of this critique, I’ve come to a different conclusion: what some VCs dismiss as “founderitis” might actually be the hallmark of a visionary leader—one who understands what it truly takes to build a great company.

Consider the case of Steve Jobs, who was famously ousted from Apple, the company he founded, only to be replaced by John Sculley, a seasoned executive brought in to provide “adult supervision.” The result was nearly disastrous for Apple. It wasn’t until Jobs returned that Apple began its historic rise, underscoring a fundamental truth: there’s a significant difference between running a company you founded and one you didn’t. Founders bring a unique perspective and passion that can’t be easily replicated by professional managers.

The pressure to bring in “professional management” is a common challenge for founders as their companies grow. This pressure often stems from the belief that founders lack the experience or skills necessary to scale their businesses. But this belief is flawed. Founders are the heartbeat of their companies—the visionaries who took the initial risks, built the product, and attracted the early customers. They are what I call “tech athletes”—warriors who combine brute force, vision, intelligence, and creativity to build something of value or go down trying.

Founders aren’t just important; they’re indispensable. They can act quickly, often faster than the market itself, and they possess an intimate understanding of their product, market, and team. This agility is crucial, especially in the fast-paced world of technology startups, where market conditions can change overnight. Yet, despite their importance, founders are often replaced by investors, who bring in outside executives under the guise of providing “adult supervision.”

This trend is not only misguided but also dangerous. It’s a tactic rooted in an outdated playbook—one that assumes that scaling a company requires a transition from founder-led leadership to professional management. But this approach often backfires, as illustrated by the frequent failure of companies after their founders are pushed out.

A recent article in the New York Times by Cliff Oxford highlights this issue. He discusses how entrepreneurs who are successful enough to hire experts often find themselves sidelined as their companies enter the hyper-growth stage. The problem is that bankers and consultants, who are supposed to help these companies scale, sometimes end up causing more harm than good. In their quest to justify their continued involvement, these professionals may advocate for the replacement of the very founder who hired them, leading to a revolving door of ineffective CEOs and a gradual decline in the company’s fortunes.

This scenario isn’t just hypothetical. It happens all too often, and it underscores the importance of keeping founders involved in their companies, even if they choose not to remain as CEO. Founders bring a unique combination of vision, product expertise, and deal-making ability that is irreplaceable. When investors interfere too much or replace the founder too early, the entire venture can slow down, losing the agility and innovation that made it successful in the first place.

I speak from personal experience. I was fired from my last startup by the investors, and it was a painful experience. But I’m not alone in this. Even Steve Jobs, one of the most iconic founders of our time, was fired from Apple. Yet, when he returned, he didn’t just save the company—he transformed it into one of the most valuable companies in the world. Jobs understood that founders are innovators who see the world differently and aren’t afraid to challenge the status quo.

Randy Adams, a seasoned entrepreneur, once shared with me his own experiences of being fired as a founder. He noted that every time he was replaced, the new management ended up driving the company into the ground. This isn’t just a matter of ego—it’s about the unique value that founders bring to the table. As Jobs famously said, “Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The ones who see things differently… They push the human race forward.”

Founders are valuable because they are relentless in their pursuit of success. They understand that once a venture enters the market, the original plan must be constantly reinvented to find the tipping point that will drive exponential growth. Investors must recognize that founders know best in these early stages. The creative, product, sales, and deal-making skills that founders possess are crucial to navigating the choppy waters of a startup’s early growth.

Investors who want a return on their investment should remember this: founders are the best people to lead their companies through the initial stages of growth. Replacing them too early can stifle the very innovation and agility that made the company attractive in the first place. My advice to entrepreneurs is this: maintain control for as long as possible. Aim to retain more than 50% control of your company, and only consider significant dilution if it’s absolutely necessary to scale. And above all, never run out of money.

In conclusion, the term “founderitis” should not be used to dismiss the passion and determination of founders. Instead, it should be recognized as a sign of a leader who understands the unique challenges and opportunities of building a company from the ground up. Founders are not just replaceable cogs in the machine—they are the driving force behind the innovation and success of their companies. Investors would do well to remember that and to support founders in their journey, rather than pushing them aside in favor of a more “professional” management style. Because in the end, it’s the founders who have the vision and the courage to change the world.