Lululemon’s founder just called his own customers fat and uninspiring. Sales are down. And the brand he spent decades building is bleeding in public.
This isn’t just a Lululemon story. It’s a story about founder syndrome — and what happens when the vision that built a brand becomes the blindspot that breaks it.
There are three kinds of founders. And your brand strategy depends on knowing which one you’re dealing with.
The Good Ones
Some founders are the brand. Bob Moore built Bob’s Red Mill in a literal red mill. He was a kind, bearded man out of central casting. Mission-driven. Front and center on every package for decades. When he retired, he gave the company to his employees. You couldn’t separate the man from the mission — and you wouldn’t want to.
