Steven Bartlett: How Founder Ego and Insecurities Can Sabotage Startups

In a recent LinkedIn post, Steven Bartlett explores a common pitfall for startup founders: the tendency for their own ego and underlying insecurities to dictate business decisions. Bartlett, founder of the social media marketing agency Social Chain and host of “The Diary of a CEO” podcast, argues that what often appear to be strengths or strategic choices are, in reality, manifestations of personal insecurities.

He begins by challenging commonly held notions of founder dedication and success, suggesting that some celebrated traits are merely disguises for deeper fears. Bartlett writes:

“I used to brag about these 4 things 👇🏾 Now I realise they were just insecurities dressed as strengths.”

Bartlett breaks down four specific examples of how these insecurities can masquerade as sound business practices:

The Ego’s Grip on Founder Decisions

Sleep Deprivation as Dedication?

One of the most pervasive myths in the startup world is that long hours and constant work, often manifesting as sleep deprivation, are hallmarks of true dedication. Bartlett refutes this, positing that it’s often rooted in a fear of judgment.

“Sleep deprivation isn’t dedication – it’s an insecurity about what other people think,” Bartlett states in his post. He suggests that founders may push themselves to exhaustion not out of genuine commitment, but out of a need to prove their worth to others, fearing they will be perceived as less committed if they don’t.

Retention as a Fear of Failure

Another area Bartlett scrutinizes is the pursuit of 100% employee retention. While seemingly positive, he argues that an absolute insistence on keeping every employee can stem from a founder’s fear of being seen as a poor leader.

“100% retention isn’t great culture – it’s an insecurity of being seen as a bad leader.”

According to Bartlett, this insecurity can prevent founders from making necessary, albeit difficult, decisions about team composition, potentially hindering the company’s growth and overall health.

Youth and ‘Hungry Talent’

Bartlett also touches upon the common practice of hiring young, inexperienced team members, often lauded as bringing ‘hungry talent’. He suggests this preference can be a shield against more experienced individuals.

“A young team wasn’t ‘hungry talent’ – it was fear of being exposed by someone more experienced,” he explains. This fear, Bartlett implies, leads founders to surround themselves with less experienced individuals, not because they are inherently better, but because they pose less of a threat to the founder’s own perceived competence.

‘Family’ Culture and Deeper Needs

Finally, Bartlett tackles the use of the term ‘family’ to describe a company culture. He argues that this often arises from a founder’s own unmet childhood needs for belonging and warmth.

“Calling it a ‘family’ wasn’t warmth – it’s an insecurity from your childhood.”

In Bartlett’s view, this framing attempts to fulfill a personal emotional void through the business, rather than fostering a genuine and professional work environment. He concludes by emphasizing that many founders build companies around these deeply ingrained insecurities, only to find that the business itself cannot heal the underlying personal issues.

“Every founder I know has fought this type of battle – building companies around our insecurities…. to prove something to ourselves, then realising the company can’t fix what’s broken..” Bartlett shares, urging founders to confront these internal battles for the long-term health of their ventures.