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The conference room fell silent as the founder ripped the meticulously crafted product requirements document in half. With three boxes and a few arrows hastily drawn on a whiteboard, he reshaped the team's weeks of work in seconds. For Nikunj Kothari, the product manager tasked with translating that vision into reality, this moment crystallized an uncomfortable truth: The most transformative tech companies aren't democracies—they're benevolent dictatorships.

When Vision Trumps Consensus

This isn't about autocratic tyranny but what Kothari calls 'benevolent dictatorship'—founders who demand pixel-perfect execution while fostering psychological safety. Unlike toxic leaders who hoard power, these visionaries obsess over product details (debating H1 tags for hours or tweaking fender curves like Enzo Ferrari) yet remain attuned to their team's well-being. The result? Products that defy industry standards, like a landing page Kothari witnessed convert at triple the norm after a founder rejected A/B testing because he 'knew' which variation would resonate.

"I'd rather have a founder who knows exactly what they want than eight executives who can't agree on anything," writes Kothari. "Direction beats democracy every time."

The Execution Paradox

Why do non-founder product leaders often fail in such environments? Kothari observes that founders like Jensen Huang or Steve Jobs don't seek partners—they want executors. CPOs join expecting to 'professionalize chaos,' only to depart within months when they realize the founder retains absolute control over high-stakes decisions. This creates a talent churn cycle, as non-founders lack the reps to match the founder's conviction. Yet this intensity fuels innovation: While teams debate priorities, visionary founders have already iterated through five solutions mentally. Their 'unreasonable' pace makes conventional workflows feel glacial.

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Building Kingdoms, Not Committees

The allure of collaborative culture often masks a harsh reality: Democracy dilutes obsession into compromise. Kothari contrasts 'dictatorial' giants like NVIDIA or Apple—where Jobs never hired a Chief Product Officer because he was the product—with 'democratic' companies drowning in circular debates and calendar invites. For engineers and PMs, the choice is stark: Serve a founder whose vision aligns with your ambition, or build your own kingdom. As Kothari admits, executing another's genius demands immense creativity, even if credit flows upward. But it accelerates learning far more than roles offering superficial 'strategic input.'

The Uncomfortable Bargain

For tech professionals, this model presents a paradox. Developers crave the impact of a Brian Chesky or Jensen Huang but also want their ideas heard and work-life balance respected. Kothari argues that founders won't change—their inability to delegate isn't a bug but the core operating system. The key is discerning true visionaries from mere micromanagers: The rare leaders worth following pair relentless standards with genuine care for their people. In an industry where committees rarely birth icons, embracing this truth might mean trading the illusion of influence for the thrill of building something extraordinary.

Once you've shipped products under someone who sees every ripple in the pond, anything less feels like wandering in fog.

Source: Adapted from Nikunj Kothari's original article on The Best Companies Are Dictatorships.