01/06
Lightning Focus

Instant decisions
Fast execution
Parallel processing

What is it?

When is it crucial in a company’s life journey?

Why founders fail

How to hone this skill

01
What is it?

The ability to process multiple types of information quickly and prioritise the most important actions with incomplete data.

“If you want to transform life and you want to create things that have impact you need focus. I believe being able to zoom in and out on topics is important to ensure focus on what exactly the key issues are. Most of the time, this process uncovers what is most important and enables fast decision making.”

Hélène Huby, CEO and Founder, The Exploration Company

You can drive multiple workstreams in parallel and activate at the same time. There’s a difference at the early stage between companies that do multiple things in parallel versus those that wait for something to prove out right before actioning the next thing. To go at full speed, you need to believe that things will play out right. If you don’t parallelize, you lose speed.

“As a founder, you need to be clear about what you really care about and where 80% is fine because you can’t deliver 100% everywhere.” Malte Kosub, CEO and Co-founder, Parloa.

But this is not just about speed; it’s about urgency paired with an ability to focus on the right things. Most founders understand the importance of moving fast, but few manage to balance this clarity and consistency.

“You shouldn’t be paralyzed by lack of data. Move forward decisively, but stay analytical – progress requires both speed and focus without jumping to conclusions.”

Markus Halttunen, Advisor and Co-founder, Small Giant Games

02
When is it crucial in a company’s life journey?

This trait is most critical in the early-stage phase, when speed can determine survival.

“When you're building something, you need to maximize speed. People generally underestimate the cost of time. When you are on the back foot and competing with people who are in front of you, and have a lot more strength, the most important factor on which you can actually win is speed. [...] It's also the only way of keeping motivation high. Great people hate working in environments where they have to wait because of a lack of decision-making. [...] As a leader, you need to adjust the speed and quality of your decisions for what's best for the total group of people.” Samir El-Sabini, CEO and Co-founder, Juni.

“I was trained to treat my ADHD as a superpower. Yes, you have a short attention span, but you have this really amazing ability to process information and cut through the bullshit very quickly. [...] The ability to process information, go directly to what the problem is and ask the questions that give the right answers – I consider that one of my best qualities as a founder.” Salma Bakouk, CEO and Co-founder, Sifflet.

But it has to evolve as the company scales. What works in the early startup phase – immediacy and constant execution – does not necessarily translate into operational excellence at scale.

Oscar Höglund, CEO and Co-founder of Epidemic Sound, explains that founders must reinvent themselves again and again as the company matures:


Startup. In the early startup phase, you need Lightning Focus, Progressive Explorer and Fearless Drive.

“When you’re a startup, your job as a founder is to be in all the details. You need to know everything better than everyone else. And if you're not super focused, if you're not solving the number one question, you're basically screwed. You have no chance of survival.” Oscar Höglund, CEO and Co-founder of Epidemic Sound.

Scale-up. Then, as you scale, your role shifts more towards Magnetic Leadership. Instead of solving problems directly, the focus shifts to attracting talent and building a high-performance team.

“Your number one job is to attract the best and brightest talent. So suddenly your Lightning Focus isn’t that valuable. You’re going to get screwed if you focus too much on solving problems and being close to the customer. You're only about Magnetic Leadership, creating that Fearless Drive, and helping the team carry the load to bring the vision to fruition.”


Growth and exit. The role transitions again – thinking more about external stakeholders, macroeconomic shifts, and long-term positioning. Fearless Drive and Progressive Explorer traits come to the fore.

“Suddenly you have to be more like a statesperson. You have to look at the horizon, you have to think five to 10 years out, you have to think macro, you have to think competition, regulation, shareholders – how do I run this company as a public CEO? There's a completely different set of tools because everything then needs to be very measured.”

03
Why founders fail

They move fast but lack clarity of focus. Activity does not always equal meaningful forward motion. It’s about moving fast with thought and intention.

“The word ‘decide’ has the same etymological origin as ‘homicide’ – it means to kill futures. Deciding is killing other futures. [...] If you're just being busy, you're reacting. You're feeling good because there's progress and there's perception of motion. But what you really need is the time and space to be able to sit back and ask ‘Is this the right option?’” Tony Haile, CEO and Co-founder, Filament.

Also, a few good fast decisions early on can create an illusion that every decision should be rushed.

“I’ve seen a lot of early-stage founders where their Lightning Focus becomes a bias. [...] Early on, they make a couple of fast decisions without full information that work out well. But then they start to think that that is the way you always make decisions. And then they make a rapid string of decisions without full information, which they commit to fully because they got a lot of confidence early on. Then they run the company into the ground.”

Thomas Plantenga, CEO, Vinted

It requires balance. You need to be able to make decisions quickly with limited data – you will never have enough – but you also need to have the humility to course correct when those decisions send you down the wrong path.

“You’ve got to be honest and open with your employees. If you’re making a decision with incomplete data, you need to be clear that this is the best choice for now – but if new data shows otherwise, we need to adapt.” Michelle Lu, CEO and Co-founder, Vsim.

04
How to hone this skill

Topline: Use the one-sentence test

Before making a decision, ask yourself “If I had to explain this decision in one sentence, what would I say?” or “Does this explanation align with our main objective, or is it driven by distractions?” The ability to articulate your reasoning clearly is proof that your decision is focused and intentional.

Reframe challenges as clarity checks

Thought trap: “What if my decision isn’t perfect?”
Reframe: “A clear explanation of my decision strengthens trust and keeps momentum. Perfect doesn’t exist – clarity does.”

Joel Belafa
CEO and Co-founder, Biolevate

“Lightning cognition with incomplete data is basically what I do just as a human being in my daily life. I play lots of musical instruments that I don't master perfectly. I compose stuff, stuff that I'm not certain how I'm going to finish. I train models with the type of architecture most people told me would never work. It worked because I was capable of partially guessing the other half of the problem I can’t absolutely solve.”

  • Topline: Use the one-sentence test

    Before making a decision, ask yourself “If I had to explain this decision in one sentence, what would I say?” or “Does this explanation align with our main objective, or is it driven by distractions?” The ability to articulate your reasoning clearly is proof that your decision is focused and intentional.

  • Reframe challenges as clarity checks

    Thought trap: “What if my decision isn’t perfect?”
    Reframe: “A clear explanation of my decision strengthens trust and keeps momentum. Perfect doesn’t exist – clarity does.”

  • Joel Belafa
    CEO and Co-founder, Biolevate

    “Lightning cognition with incomplete data is basically what I do just as a human being in my daily life. I play lots of musical instruments that I don't master perfectly. I compose stuff, stuff that I'm not certain how I'm going to finish. I train models with the type of architecture most people told me would never work. It worked because I was capable of partially guessing the other half of the problem I can’t absolutely solve.”

Self-coaching techniques

  • Practice self-explanation

    Ask yourself: “Can I summarize how this decision aligns with our focus in one simple sentence?” and “If someone challenges me, how would I respond without overexplaining or doubting myself?”

  • Reflect on alignment

    Once a decision is made, ask: “How does this decision reflect my ability to balance speed with focus as a leader?” and “What does this decision communicate to my team about clarity and direction?”

  • Short-term focus 

    Start today by running one decision through the one-sentence test. If you can explain it confidently to yourself, you can confidently defend it to others.

  • Long-term growth

    Over time, this approach builds a habit of decisiveness rooted in clarity, enabling you to lead with confidence, communicate effectively, and maintain focus even when faced with doubts or challenges.

  • Assuming there are already daily and weekly stand-ups, it's critical to assign some time (maybe fortnightly) to sense check direction and do longer-term planning. This is where advisors can play a valuable role, but you need to be structured to get the best out of them.

Practice self-explanation

Ask yourself: “Can I summarize how this decision aligns with our focus in one simple sentence?” and “If someone challenges me, how would I respond without overexplaining or doubting myself?”

Reflect on alignment

Once a decision is made, ask: “How does this decision reflect my ability to balance speed with focus as a leader?” and “What does this decision communicate to my team about clarity and direction?”

Short-term focus 

Start today by running one decision through the one-sentence test. If you can explain it confidently to yourself, you can confidently defend it to others.

Long-term growth

Over time, this approach builds a habit of decisiveness rooted in clarity, enabling you to lead with confidence, communicate effectively, and maintain focus even when faced with doubts or challenges.

Assuming there are already daily and weekly stand-ups, it's critical to assign some time (maybe fortnightly) to sense check direction and do longer-term planning. This is where advisors can play a valuable role, but you need to be structured to get the best out of them.

Next:
Resilience Alchemy