Great Founders Have Big Egos and Imposter Syndrome at Once
Antler partner Jeff Becker says that tension makes founders work relentlessly to prove themselves right.
Antler Global · How Antler Invests at Inception with Jeff Becker | The Further, Faster PodcastJeff Becker, a partner at the startup investor Antler, backs founders before they have customers or revenue. With only a founder or two and no sales to judge, he says he can focus entirely on the person.
Asked what psychology he looks for, Becker said, “narcissism and imposter syndrome when held together in balance, I have found that it requires people to work much harder to prove themselves right.” As Becker put it, "They're overcompensating. They're overcorrecting."
What Becker says he means is that ego alone is not the point, and doubt alone is not the point. A founder who thinks very highly of himself, and at the same time fears he is a fraud, has something to prove. That founder works to show the ego is real, pushing harder to prove that the belief was justified. He says the insight is not only his, and he looks for whether founders believe in themselves.
A founder has to believe, Becker argues, because the world will constantly say no, and a founder who does not believe will give up under that pressure. He says he wants to know what is going on in a founder's head, and why that person will refuse to quit, because persistence is "the difference between success and failure."
He also jokes that the best founders are maniacs. He says they have a wider spectrum for seeing everything, and "the ability to keep going when" a problem seems impossibly hard and even friends and family think they are crazy. He describes creativity as the ability to persist through challenge.
Questions people ask
Isn't narcissism usually a bad trait in a leader?
It can be. Psychologists distinguish grandiose narcissism, marked by confidence and dominance, from vulnerable narcissism, marked by defensiveness and entitlement, and both can damage teams when unchecked. Becker's point is narrower: he values confidence only when it is checked by self doubt that forces harder work, not confidence that ignores feedback.
Does imposter syndrome ever help normal workers, not just founders?
Sometimes, in small doses. Research finds that feeling like a fraud can increase preparation and attention to detail, because people work harder to avoid being exposed. When it is severe, though, it is linked to anxiety, burnout, and holding back, so the benefit depends on balance.
How does Becker test for this psychology in interviews?
He says he digs into personal history with layered follow up questions, almost like a therapist, to find what drives persistence. He looks for a long record of intense effort and for stories of withstanding pain, committing for years, and wanting to be number one.