By Chris Heivly, Managing Director at Build The Fort and Startup Community EIR @ Techstars

We toss around the term “founder-friendly” a lot in startup circles. It pops up on pitch decks, in bios, and gets baked into the ethos of venture funds and startup communities. But here’s the thing — “founder-friendly” has to be more than a slogan for it to be the driver we know it can be. 

To me, being founder-friendly means putting founders, and their needs, at the center of everything. What does that mean? It means showing up for them and not for you. It means listening to their needs, not talking about you. It means opening doors in support of them even when it doesn’t benefit you directly. In practice, that looks like taking a meeting with no agenda other than to help. It’s introducing a founder to someone who can solve their problem, even if you just met them ten minutes ago.

Being founder-friendly means adopting the “Give First” mentality — not just in theory, but in your calendar. I try to meet with at least one founder a week, ask what they need, and figure out how I can help. Sometimes that’s just listening. Sometimes it’s rolling up my sleeves and digging deep into a challenge and helping them find a solution. Most of the time, it is connecting them to a mentor, an investor, or their next customer. 

But why stop there?

Being founder-friendly or founder-centric should also mean sharing their stories, because storytelling creates a flywheel effect for the founder by creating awareness for their company beyond these 1 on 1 connections.  It is also fuel for startup communities. 

Founder-friendly doesn’t mean saying yes to everything. It means giving honest, kind feedback when it’s hard. It means not ghosting when a startup you’re mentoring hits turbulence. It means recognizing that entrepreneurship is often more personal than professional.

I’ve found that the most founder-friendly communities are the ones where leaders are accessible and are not afraid to show up vulnerable. Influencers don’t hide in VIP lounges — they’re out in the open, offering office hours, handing out intros like Halloween candy, and rooting for every founder like it’s their own kid on stage. They celebrate the small wins, not just the unicorn exits. They know the magic of “hey, let’s grab a coffee or beer and talk.”

So, if you’re claiming “founder-friendly” in your branding — great. But then ask yourself: do you show up for founders, even when it’s inconvenient? Do you invest in the long-term health of the ecosystem, or just in your portfolio? Do you connect, give first, and celebrate regularly?

Because founder-friendly when done right isn’t just a tagline — it’s a daily habit.

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