“I” vs “We” When Speaking as a Founder

Last week, I was reminded of an important lesson I learned many years ago when I heard an entrepreneur share his journey. In the story, he regularly referred to the accomplishments of his startup using the term “I,” as in “I did this,” “I achieved that,” and “I sold the business for X dollars.” As a founder, especially one who has made significant progress or built a thriving business, there is no example anywhere where it is truly just an “I.” It’s always a “we.” We accomplished goals. We built the business. We changed the industry.

When speaking both one-on-one and in groups, people pay attention to how the entrepreneur describes his or her ownership of the startup. People notice whether the entrepreneur gives or takes credit. Of course, the entrepreneur was instrumental; otherwise, the business wouldn’t exist. At the same time, the collective “we” actually made it happen.

I made this mistake for many years during my journey as a founder. When referencing the startup, I would say “I” in too many scenarios where it was actually a “we.” Thankfully, I was given some feedback that shared how I sounded selfish and it was actually a team effort—that everyone worked to achieve the things we achieve. Now, anytime I hear an entrepreneur say, “I did something,” that should be stated using “we”, I reflect on my own experiences and the appropriate feedback that led me to use the word “we.”

For entrepreneurs, my recommendation is to say “we” when referring to the work being done by your startup and avoid using “I.” “We” recognizes that it’s a team effort and shares credit where credit is due. Entrepreneurs would do well to remember this in their communication.