I have been thinking about personality traits that may be relevant to startup founders, and the two dimensions that keep coming to mind are, firstly, the extrovert/ introvert dimension and, secondly, that of mental chaos/ calm.
Being an introvert is when you have to invest energy in ‘dealing’ with social situations, rather than being recharged by them, as is the case with the extrovert. I generally abhor meetings and sales, and while I actually enjoy and even look forward to some social interactions, I do find preparing for them to be a draining experience.
Mental chaos, or monkey mind, is something I experience often, except when in ‘flow’. This may be related to the ADHD/hyperfocus dyad. Chaos mind is a real problem, especially when it is necessary to function in a non-optimal environment (noise, lack of personal workspace, interruptions, bullying, etc.) It can prevent progress on tasks, sometimes delaying all progress for years. I think that is why technical founders are so drawn to code: All the static goes away and you are left with something pure and clear.
In light of the above, what are the implications for the technical solopreneur?
I created the following little table to help me:
| Social\Mental | Calm | Chaotic |
|---|---|---|
| Introverted | Manage many technical sessions, keep a lot of balls in the air | Coder, technical deep focus |
| Extroverted | Manage many workers, provide leadership | Sales, meetings, many short interactions |
Counter-intuitively, it was actually the introvert tending to chaotic mentality who would be most drawn to deep coding, as this would simultaneously provide relief from monkey-mind while legitimately providing the avoidance of human interaction.
Yay! I can go back to coding in the basement!