Figma co-founder Dylan Field recently shared a candid admission that has sparked a massive debate across Silicon Valley and the global startup ecosystem. Despite building a design empire valued at over $12.5 billion, the 32-year-old CEO confessed to a struggle that plagues almost every high-growth founder. He knew exactly how to lead a vision, but he had no idea how to manage a company.
This distinction is rarely discussed in the glossy success stories of tech unicorns. Field’s transparency highlights a critical vulnerability in the tech sector. While founders are celebrated for their ability to inspire and disrupt, the boring mechanics of management often get left behind. The result is a dangerous gap between a company’s ambition and its ability to actually execute that vision without burning out its workforce.
The Hidden Trap Between Leading And Managing
Most people use the words “leadership” and “management” interchangeably. Field suggests this is a fatal mistake for growing companies. Leadership is about the “why” and the “what.” It is the ability to paint a picture of a future that does not exist yet and convince others to run toward it.
Management is entirely different. It is about the “how.” It involves the unglamorous work of performance reviews, hiring pipelines, conflict resolution, and operational efficiency.
Dylan Field Figma CEO giving presentation on stage about startup management
“I had experience in leadership, but not management,” Field noted, reflecting on the chaotic early days of Figma.
This gap creates a specific type of organizational debt. A founder might be able to rally the troops for a late-night coding session (leadership). However, they might fail to set up a clear career progression track that keeps those engineers from quitting six months later (management).
Key Differences Founders Must Recognize:
- Leadership focuses on vision and strategy.
- Management focuses on execution and processes.
- Leadership relies on influence and inspiration.
- Management relies on systems and accountability.
When a company is small, charisma can fill the gaps. As Figma scaled from a small team in a generic San Francisco apartment to a global powerhouse with thousands of employees, charisma was no longer enough. The machinery of the business needed to work even when the founder was not in the room.
Why The Founder Mode Debate Matters Now
Field’s comments arrive at a perfect time for the tech industry. The sector is currently obsessed with the concept of “Founder Mode,” a term popularized recently to describe hands-on, detail-oriented leadership.
However, Field’s experience adds a necessary layer of nuance to this trend. Being involved in the details is good, but it is not a replacement for good management hygiene. You can be a visionary product leader and still be a terrible manager of people.
The Consequences of Poor Management Scaling:
| Problem | Cause | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Strategy Drift | Lack of documentation | Teams work on low-priority tasks |
| High Turnover | No feedback loops | Top talent feels neglected |
| Bottlenecks | Hoarding decisions | CEO becomes the slowing factor |
Investors are watching this shift closely. Following the collapse of the $20 billion Adobe acquisition deal in late 2023, Figma had to prove it could stand alone as a public-market-ready giant. That transition requires more than just cool software features. It requires a management layer that is boringly predictable and efficient.
Building The Management Muscle From Scratch
The journey from a college dropout Thiel Fellow to a CEO of a decacorn required Field to learn on the job. This is a painful process. He had to realize that “manager” is not a dirty word. It is a distinct profession that requires training.
Field had to start implementing structures that many early-stage founders hate. This included regular one-on-ones, structured goal-setting sessions, and clear organizational charts. He learned that structure does not kill creativity; it actually creates a safe container for it to flourish.
Experts suggest that founders often need to bring in “operators” earlier than they think. These are experienced executives who find joy in spreadsheets and process optimization. This allows the founder to remain the “Chief Product Officer” in spirit while the business machinery hums along.
Signs A Startup Needs Management Repair:
- Decisions are constantly revisited or overturned.
- New hires take months to become productive.
- The same problems keep happening every quarter.
- Information is trapped in the founder’s head.
Figma managed to navigate this transition successfully, continuing to launch major updates like “Dev Mode” and new AI tools. This proves that introducing management layers did not slow down their innovation engine.
The Human Cost Of Growth
The most overlooked aspect of this divide is the emotional toll on the team. When a leader fails to manage, the team suffers from uncertainty. Employees need to know where they stand. They need to know what success looks like on a Tuesday morning, not just in the 10-year vision statement.
Field’s admission normalizes the learning curve. It tells other founders that it is okay to be bad at management initially, as long as you recognize it and fix it. Ignoring the gap is what kills companies.
Startups are emotional rollercoasters. Good management acts as the safety bar. It keeps people potential aligned with business goals. As Figma looks toward a potential IPO in the future, the strength of its management team will be scrutinized just as much as its revenue growth.
The lesson for every entrepreneur reading this is clear. Don’t just hire for the vision. Build the systems that make the vision achievable.
In the end, great products build a user base, but great management builds a legacy. Figma has managed to do both, but only because its leadership was brave enough to admit what they did not know
