Founder brings back the wolf, CEO kills it: a VC's parable on the founder-CEO trust relationship
yongqianme · x · 2026-09-28
Investor Yongqian Mei shares a parable from his days working in Germany to explain the founder-CEO relationship:
- The story: Two men lost and hungry in the Black Forest. A runs out chased by a wolf, shoves it into the car, slams the door, and tells B, "You handle this one, I'll go catch another." It was once about sales vs. engineering; now he sees it as founders vs. CEOs.
- Founder's job: Bring back the wolf — customers, orders, capital, talent, opportunities. None of these are waiting on the table; someone must dare to lure them in.
- CEO's job: Kill the wolf — a big client means impossible deadlines, funding means higher growth targets, and promises hide six months of R&D, supply chain, cash flow, and dozens of people's pressure. Opportunities only get expensive once they're inside the company.
- Trust is the core: A dares to lock the wolf in because he trusts B can handle it; B faces it because he trusts A won't stuff in everything.
- Conclusion: The biggest startup risk isn't an empty forest — it's founders who won't hunt, or keep stuffing wolves into the car without asking if the people inside will survive.
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