Tyler Hogge argues that the most important trait of an exceptional startup is intensity. Not intelligence, charisma, or positivity, though he considers those three traits required. He draws on his experience with three exceptional startups, each with a culture of intensity, where the most intense was the most successful. He also points to dozens of other startups he has observed, where those that broke out operated at a very high level of intensity.
Hogge's second reason is logic. Startups are dead by default, so only focused, intense effort by a group of people can create something that grows to be worth billions of dollars in just a few years. He also cites the habits of successful founders and operators. Pixar's CFO described Steve Jobs as intense in the early days, Warren Buffett said "Intensity is the price of excellence," and Paul Graham described the Airbnb founders in similar terms. Elon Musk's biography shows intensity as a core driver of his success.
Hogge notes that the people he cites have very different personalities. Steve Jobs and Elon Musk are abrasive, while Brian Chesky, Sam Altman, and John Collison are not usually described that way. Yet all of them are intense. Intensity is a layer across other characteristics, a force multiplier that measures extremism. Frank Slootman's performance culture captures the idea: raise the quality bar, increase the speed, and narrow the focus.
Most startups care about quality, speed, and focus, but not intensely. Hogge concludes that without intensity, great startups, and in his view great lives, cannot be built.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing