Thread by Y11 (@seclink)

As serial entrepreneurs and business managers, we often ponder this question: Can a founder successfully transition into a CEO? Former Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman had a direct answer to this: "Do you really want to be a CEO?" In my view, the core of this issue lies in "role perception". The most fundamental shift from founder to CEO is the transition from "dreamer" to "doer". A founder's "reality distortion field"—the ability to convince the team that the "impossible" becomes "possible"—is a valuable asset in the early stages of a startup. However, as the company scales up, this ability can become an obstacle. I have seen many founders face difficulties after their companies have grown: when the market fluctuates, they stubbornly stick to their initial judgments; when problems arise within the team, they avoid the real issues and instead hope to replace management. The root cause of this is a lack of courage to "recognize the truth." Frank put it succinctly: "Reality distortion is the engine that drives a company's breakthrough in the early stages, but when a company needs to operate steadily, it becomes the 'Emperor's New Clothes.' You have to learn to look at things with a 'microscope,' not with a 'telescope' making empty promises." A true CEO needs the ability to "break down walls"—to dismantle their own cognitive barriers and the informational barriers within their team. When sales figures decline, instead of immediately replacing the sales manager, it's better to calmly analyze: Has the market environment changed? Is there a problem with the product experience? Or is the team's execution insufficient? Only by facing the truth can the key to solving the problem be found. Among the companies I've mentored, one founder missed a transformation opportunity because he insisted that "our product is the best." When the team pointed out the need for product iteration, he used the "reality distortion field" to convince himself that "the market just doesn't understand yet," until competitors seized market share, forcing him to accept reality. This case made me realize that while a founder's intuition is important, a CEO's intuition must be built upon a clear understanding of reality. So if you ask me, "Can I become a CEO?", I would say, "As long as you are willing to be an 'honest realist,' willing to let go of past successes, and willing to listen to different voices, you can do it." Because the core of being a CEO is not "creating miracles," but "managing reality"—leading the team step by step towards the goal in a complex and ever-changing market.