The Focus Fallacy Is Killing Founder Potential

Every successful founder you admire has been told the same thing: focus on one thing. Pick a lane. Don’t get distracted. But what if that sacred advice is actually killing more businesses than it saves?

I recently spoke with NY Weekly about why Silicon Valley’s obsession with singular focus creates fragile founders who can’t survive their first real failure.

Here’s what nobody talks about: when you put everything into one project and it fails—which statistically, most startups do—you’re not just broke. You’re psychologically demolished. No momentum, no confidence, no proof you can execute anything. Meanwhile, I’ve built multiple companies simultaneously, and when my crypto venture took a six-figure loss in 2018, my services business wasn’t just financial backup. It was evidence that I still knew how to win.

The framework is simpler than you’d think. Run three types of projects: one that generates cash flow now, one that builds capabilities you’ll need later, and one that could scale significantly. They’re not competing for resources—they’re reinforcing the same skill stack. When most founders fail, they’re starting from zero. When one of my projects fails, I still have two others proving I can execute.

This isn’t about working harder. It’s about recognizing that some founders naturally generate ideas and maintain quality across contexts. We’re not distracted by multiple projects—we’re bored and less effective when forced into singular focus. The business press celebrates focused founders while ignoring the thousands who followed the same advice straight into oblivion.

If you’ve ever wondered why conventional startup wisdom feels wrong for how your brain actually works, or if you’re tired of advisors treating all founders as identical, the complete breakdown walks through why strategic diversification isn’t a distraction—it’s a competitive advantage.

Read the full article on NY Weekly →

For some of us, the most disciplined choice isn’t focus at all. It’s having the strategic courage to ignore everyone telling you it’s required.