Founders are just like musicians: We want unique ones who lean into their weirdness — and we don’t celebrate cover bands.

The tech world often makes us feel like we need to be a certain type of person to succeed — serious, full of visionary ideas, good with numbers, hard-charging. In music, we want the opposite: We love artists who are true to themselves, carve out their own style and play music the way they hear it. We don't celebrate cover bands.

If you squint, the same is true for founders: Molding yourself into someone you're not will burn you out. And many founders have succeeded by deeply leaning into their own weirdness.

I've talked to a ton of founders and noticed a ton of parallels. Here's a few archetypes and examples:

1. The Futurists (EDM)

You're all about data and trends. You see the future, and your ideas often have a moonshot vibe. You're planning for tomorrow before others even realize what's happening today.

Think: Patrick Collison at Stripe. He saw a future where internet payments could be seamless when most were still struggling with clunky systems.

1. The Pragmatists (Indie)

That's me. We live for practical solutions and incremental improvements. Usually we rely more on user interviews and conversations. We look at existing processes and think, "How can we make this more efficient?" Simple reads on the market, straightforward products.

Think: Jason Fried at Basecamp. Focused on solving real problems for real people, without the Silicon Valley hype.

1. The Analysts (Classical)

You're not happy unless you've modeled every situation. In a past life you might have been a finance bro/sista. You approach your startup methodically, ensuring every decision is backed by solid data and reasoning. Spreadsheets are your love language.

Think: Benoit Dagevill at Snowflake. Who'd have thought we needed another data warehousing solution? He did…and he was totally right.

1. The Storytellers (Ballads)

You need strong proof points and real traction. You're all about selling the vision and building a narrative. Your startup is a compelling story, and you won't launch until you're sure it resonates with your audience.

Think: Brian Chesky at Airbnb. He turned the idea of staying in strangers' homes into a compelling narrative about…belonging anywhere. How does he see the world so differently?

Don't worry if you don't neatly fit into these categories. Hopefully there are some elements that resonate with you.