Beware of Throwaway Comments as a Founder

Last week, I caught up with an entrepreneur who shared one of his recent lessons learned about the unintended consequences of throwaway comments as a founder. In the early days of a startup, everyone is involved in everything—from frontline tactics to strategic initiatives. However, as the startup grows, more team members are brought on, and specialization gradually increases. Over time, teams and individuals are assigned to implement and manage different projects within the organization.

This transition—from everyone doing everything to a more mature, scalable organization—requires founders to pay closer attention to their comments and ideas. It’s easy to be the loudest voice in the room, especially in a small team, but this often leads to other team members holding back their thoughts or feeling that enough has already been said. Over time, this dynamic can escalate. Eventually, founders may find that their casual comments or quick ideas are taken as urgent directives, leading to unnecessary or premature actions.

I’ve experienced this myself. For instance, I might casually say, “Why don’t we try this approach?” or “We should add this feature,” without fully thinking it through. A week or two later, the team might come back with the suggestion implemented, and I realize I didn’t weigh the pros and cons carefully. What I thought was an offhand remark turns into completed work—work that may not have been the best use of time.

This disconnect often happens because expectations weren’t clearly set. To address this, I’ve learned to encourage team members to speak first and make a point to speak last in group settings. Additionally, when I share ideas or suggestions, I preface them by saying they’re just ideas, part of a brainstorming session, or potential directions to explore. Over time, I’ve become more mindful of setting expectations—clarifying whether I’m sharing an idea for consideration or giving a directive that requires action.

Of course, how and when these distinctions are communicated may vary depending on the personalities and work styles within the team. Repetition and consistency are often necessary to ensure clarity. As a founder of a growing organization, it’s inevitable that a throwaway comment will sometimes be taken as a high-priority order. This makes it all the more important to communicate clearly and distinguish between brainstorming and actionable plans.

In the early days, throwaway comments might not seem like a big deal. But as the company scales, founders need to be deliberate in communicating their ideas and recommendations, ensuring their intentions are understood. A clear distinction between casual brainstorming and actionable directives helps the team prioritize effectively and avoid wasted effort.