The Best Growth Leaders Aren’t Looking for Jobs. They’re Building Companies.

LinkedIn Poll Reveals a Major Shift: Growth Leaders Embracing the Builder Path

Something big is shifting in tech. The sharp lines that used to separate product, marketing, and engineering are starting to blur—and nowhere is that more obvious than in growth. AI is accelerating this shift, putting more power into the hands of individuals and smaller teams than ever before.

As the role of the growth leader evolves, the best ones aren’t waiting around for the perfect opportunity. They’re building their own.

Matt Lerner—speaking to founders in a recent First Round Capital interview—put it perfectly:
“If you don’t know how to grow the product yourself, you’re not hiring someone to run growth, you’re hiring someone to figure it out. That’s a hard job, and people who can do it well are starting their own companies, not working for a teeny fraction of yours.”

If you’re a founder, that should be a wake-up call.

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Founders Need to Grow… or Get Left Behind

In the early days of a startup, growth can’t be delegated. There’s no playbook. No blueprint. No “right hire” who will solve it for you.

The job is to build the growth engine—piece by piece. That means uncovering what drives usage, retention, and referrals. It means getting your hands dirty with data, messaging, product changes, and sometimes even code.

The good news? Thanks to AI and no-code tools, the barrier to entry has never been lower. You don’t need a full team to launch a new onboarding flow. You don’t need a massive budget to test acquisition channels. You just need curiosity, fast feedback loops, and a willingness to keep iterating.

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Growth Leaders Aren’t Just Thinking About It—They’re Doing It

To get a read on how widespread this shift really is, I ran a LinkedIn poll asking early-stage growth leaders whether AI tools have made them more likely to build their own product or startup.

With 104 total responses—98 of them from self-identified early-stage growth leaders—the numbers are striking:

• 53% said they’re already building

• 16% said they plan to start soon

• 23% said they’re exploring ideas

• Only 5% said they’re focused on helping others

That last group often reflects growth leaders already embedded in breakout startups—aligned with the mission, locked in with meaningful equity, and in a position where staying makes sense.

But taken as a whole, the message is unmistakable: 92% of qualified respondents are either already building or seriously considering it.

This isn’t just a mindset shift. It’s a migration.

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I’m Making the Shift Too

I’ve made this shift myself. After years helping startups scale post–product-market fit, I’m now carving out time to build my own products. With AI coding tools and lightweight infrastructure, it’s never been easier to move from idea to MVP—and the creative energy that comes with building is hard to ignore.

Many believe we’ll soon see a billion-dollar company built by a team of one. That’s not my aspiration. But the idea of a very lean, AI-leveraged team executing a profitable, cash-flowing business? That’s extremely appealing.

It’s a new kind of ambition—not about headcount or headlines, but about freedom, speed, and creating something valuable on your own terms.

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What This Means for Everyone Else

If you're a founder: don’t wait for a growth leader to show up and build your system. That’s your job—at least in the beginning. I shared more on this in a previous post about why founders should lead growth early. You can’t delegate what you don’t understand. Even if you plan to hire later, now is the time to build the foundation and instincts that will make that hire successful.

If you’re a growth leader: this is your moment. The rise of AI tools, data access, and distribution platforms has given you unprecedented leverage. You no longer need to wait for someone to hand you the keys. You can start something yourself—and many already are.

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The Lines Are Blurring. The Builders Are Winning.

The distinction between “growth leader” and “founder” is fading. The people who know how to uncover value, move fast, and scale it? They’re not just waiting for a job description that fits. They’re creating the opportunity themselves.

If you're still thinking in traditional org chart terms, you might miss the next wave entirely.

The future of growth is founder-led. The future of founders? They're growth-led.