Sports coaches and Founders may be more alike than you think

Some coaches make you fly. Others make you perfect the landing. I had both.

When I was a kid, I trained as a competitive gymnast. And I had two coaches who shaped me in completely opposite ways.

The first, Kyle, was electric.
Every practice felt like possibility.
We pushed boundaries, tried skills beyond our level, dreamed about the Olympics, and chased the thrill of “what if.”
I broke a few bones along the way — but I was alive.
Gymnastics felt like magic.

And then Kyle left.

My new coach, Phil, saw the world differently.
No improvising.
No pushing.
Just repetition, rigor, and discipline.
We practiced the same routines until they were perfect.
I won every competition.
I was “successful.”
And I was completely, utterly bored.

Two coaches. Two philosophies. Both right. Both incomplete.

And when I look back now — especially working with founders, product teams, and design leaders — I think about this contrast constantly. Because businesses (and the people who build them) tend to fall into these same two patterns.

And the consequences can make or break momentum, culture, product strategy, and growth.

I’ll share more about this tomorrow — including a simple way to understand which pattern you lead from, and why many teams stall not because they lack talent…but because they’re over-relying on one side of this tension.

Stay tuned.