When I started my initial venture, the prevalent attitude was all about hustle culture. You worked tirelessly, constantly refining the product, and hoped that customers would come around eventually. Everything centered on relentless effort.

But the next generation of founders? They’re building smarter — not just harder.

They are dismissing old startup clichés, redefining success, and quite frankly, excelling at it. Here’s what they are doing correctly—and lessons every founder should take note of.

They build community before product

In the past, we focused on building first and worried about selling later, with the customer often as an afterthought. This resulted in isolated development and a hope that it would connect with the market. Modern founders turn this upside down. They engage with an audience early on and collaborate with them to create effective solutions.

Take LEGO. Even with a global fan base, they invited users to collaborate on designs. That shift from selling to users to building with them turns buyers into loyal advocates and drives better products from day one.

They lead with purpose, not just profit

For my generation, business started and ended with revenue. Culture, wellbeing and ethics were nice-to-haves — not priorities.

But today’s founders build companies that stand for something. Whether it’s sustainability, mental health or social impact, they align their mission with their market. Profit follows purpose and creates deeper, longer-lasting loyalty.

They choose authenticity over polish

Back then, founders were expected to be polished and perfectly poised — especially in public. I remember prepping endlessly for interviews, trying to appear “flawless.”

Now? Founders are showing up as themselves. No suits, no script, just transparency. And audiences love them for it. People don’t want curated personas — they want someone real they can relate to.

They use data as a compass, not a crutch

We treated data like gospel. If the numbers said no, the conversation ended. But younger founders use data more intuitively. It’s a compass — not a cage.

They combine analytics with gut instinct and on-the-ground feedback, leading to more human-centered decisions and better company cultures.

They start digital and scale smart

We defaulted to physical spaces, then added digital as an extra. Today’s founders do the opposite. They build digital-first businesses — fast to launch, easier to test and scale and designed to reach global audiences from day one.

They prioritize inclusion from the start

Our hiring playbook focused on “culture fit.” Today’s leaders prioritize diversity of thought, background and experience — not as a checkbox but as a core strength.

The result? More creativity, stronger teams and products that speak to broader markets.

They’re not afraid to say, ‘I don’t know’

Founders used to believe they had to be the smartest person in the room. Decisions were top-down. Feedback was limited.

Now, the best leaders are learners. They listen, ask, adapt and bring their teams into the process. That humility isn’t a weakness — it’s a competitive edge.

The future belongs to the flexible

The game has changed. Startups aren’t won by those who work the longest hours or chase the biggest valuations. They’re won by those who lead with intention, build with empathy and adapt with the times.

If you’re still building the way we used to, it’s time to evolve. The future belongs to founders who listen more, assume less and build not just for their users, but with them.

Ready to break through your revenue ceiling? Join us at Level Up, a conference for ambitious business leaders to unlock new growth opportunities.