A few thoughts on intensity (2024)

The central claim is that intensity is the most important cultural trait of exceptional startups - not because intelligence, charisma, and positivity are unimportant, but because intensity amplifies how a team applies them. The argument rests on three grounds: experience at three successful startups, observation of many others, and the logic that building a durable company from nothing against steep odds requires unusually concentrated effort. The author also points to prominent founders and operators, including Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett, Frank Slootman, Brian Chesky, Sam Altman, John Collison, and Elon Musk, as examples of people associated with intensity. Their personalities differ, the author emphasizes, so intensity is not the same as abrasiveness or a particular style.

Intensity is presented as a force multiplier across a company’s existing qualities: work ethic, communication, mission, and standards can each be ordinary or pursued to an extreme degree. The practical expression is summed up in Slootman’s performance culture: raise the quality bar, increase speed, and narrow focus. Many startups value these aims in principle, the author argues, but fail to pursue them intensely enough to stand out. That distinction explains why intensity is framed not merely as working hard, but as combining exceptional standards, urgency, and concentration. The broader conclusion extends beyond business: without intensity, neither great startups nor, arguably, great lives can be built.