Why Every Founder Needs a User Manual: The Leadership Tool You Didn’t Know You Needed

Back in June, at SXSW London, I co-led a workshop with Shaun Arora for SXSW's Venture Spotlight founders. 

One of the most powerful tools we shared was the idea of creating a personal User Manual, which is a short document, even just ten bullet points, that describes how you work best, how you make decisions, what energizes you, and what is likely to frustrate you. Think of it as a cheat sheet for how to collaborate with you.

For founders – and any leader, really – sharing a User Manual is an act of self-awareness and generosity. It helps colleagues understand how to work with you, reduces misunderstandings, and builds trust faster. All of these are critical when you're growing quickly or navigating complexity. If you would like to create your own User Manual, start with these questions:

• How do I prefer to communicate (email, slack, phone, in person)?

• What helps me make faster decisions? (certain kinds of information? a particular format?)

• What is a sign that I am stressed or overwhelmed?

• What is one thing I wish people understood about how I work?

• How do I like to receive feedback?

And if you're ready to go deeper, try:

• What do people most often misunderstand about me?

• How do I handle conflict best?

• What can someone do to light me up at work?

Share your User Manual before someone joins your team if you can. Encourage your team to share theirs with one another. Mutual clarity goes a long way. User Manuals are not just helpful for onboarding. They're a foundational tool for building a culture where people can work together with more self-awareness and trust.