Is the company’s founder essential to its success?

The short answer: yes.

It may sound obvious to most founders, yet a surprising number prefer to stay in the shadows, letting the team take centre stage. I’ve worked with one such company where the founder stepped back too early. The result? A slow erosion of trust, clarity, and direction - the kind of damage that’s invisible at first but unmistakable over time.
Founders are the anchor of the business. Stakeholders, investors, and customers buy the product and the person behind it - the story, the intent, the credibility.
Of course, one day the brand should outgrow its creator. When that moment comes, the founder can gracefully step aside and let the brand live on - ideally, long enough for the myth to take over before biology does. Until then, though, the founder belongs to the stage: out in the world, preaching and converting, motivating and leading. It’s demanding work, not suited to everyone - but that’s the deal.