Foundry is a premium business intelligence publication featuring 551 articles from the best founders and investors. Topics cover leadership, strategy, fundraising, growth, AI, and more.

What topics does Foundry cover?

Foundry covers leadership, investing, AI and technology, product development, founder stories, mindset and career, marketing, hiring, fundraising, strategy, and more. Articles feature insights from founders like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman, and Jensen Huang.

Can I submit a story to Foundry?

Yes. You can submit a story at thefoundrybrief.com/submit. Foundry publishes articles featuring insights from founders and investors across all industries.

Zuckerberg: Don't Start a Company Until You Can't Stop Yourself

By Mark Zuckerberg · Mindset & Career · 1 min read

Zuckerberg never understood the psychology of deciding to start a company before you understand what you want to do. He has this big fear of getting locked into things that aren't actually the most impactful.

Key Points

I never understood deciding to start a company before knowing what you want to do
I wish we'd get more people where the company started them — rather than vice versa
Getting locked into doing things that aren't the most impactful is one of his biggest fears

I never really understood the psychology of deciding that you want to start a company before you understand what you want to do.

The Company Should Start You

Zuckerberg: I never really understood the psychology of deciding that you want to start a company before you understand what you want to do.

Interviewer: No, believe me — I wish we'd get more people where the company started them rather than vice versa.

I never understood deciding to start a company before knowing what you want to do.

The Fear of Getting Locked In

Zuckerberg: I have this big fear of getting locked into doing things that aren't actually the most impactful. Once you start a company with a co-founder, every direction change requires negotiation. Your flexibility collapses.

Why did we first open Facebook at colleges that had competitors? Because we wanted to test whether the product worked — not just build something and hope.

I have this big fear of getting locked into doing things that aren't the most impactful.