A debate is brewing among investors and entrepreneurs: Are hands-on founders, such as Steve Jobs and Brian Chesky of Airbnb, the key to start-up success?

“The less hands-on I was, the more I got sucked into problems,” Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s C.E.O., has said.J. Emilio Flores for The New York TimesHow should a C.E.O. operate?

Silicon Valley has been abuzz in recent days over one topic in particular: How hands-on should founders be in their companies? In the framing of Brian Chesky, the Airbnb co-founder and C.E.O., and Paul Graham, the Y Combinator co-founder, it comes down to “founder mode” versus “manager mode.”

It’s not a new question — and it draws on longstanding examples like Steve Jobs — but it has taken on fresh significance as start-ups struggle with how to grow while keeping antsy investors happy.

Graham kicked off the

Keep reading this article on Andrew Ross Sorkin – Author New York Times.

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