Seasons in life
I am often asked about when I am going to start a startup again and why the hell I am working for someone else instead of myself, and I know that a lot of former founders are getting asked the same when applying for jobs, heck even getting rejected due to worries about how long they are going to stay in the role. "What is your commitment? Are you not just going to leave us in a few months to go and start a new company???".
I understand where that worry comes from; there are some fundamental truths to it; when you founded a company once, I believe there is a more significant likelihood for you to do it again, but there are a few very important things missing in that argument:
Taking a brake
Starting a startup is tough; sometimes, we need a break from the level of responsibilities. This does not mean that former founders want to slack off and not take any responsibility, but as a founder, you have a unique level of commitment compared to a hired senior manager at the same level. The stress of having your future wealth tied up in a company and letting other people take decisions that could negatively impact your own personal wealth is fucking stressful. Feelings of responsibility towards the entire staff, customers and investors. Doubt in yourself because because you always have to do things you have never tried and therefore suck at.
It's fucking stressful, and taking a job for a period to "relax" is not slacking off at work; it's relaxing compared to the accumulated stresses of being a founder.
In my experience, you get employees with higher impact when you hire a "relaxing " founder than a non-founder in high gear.
Commitment
"But are you not going to leave tomorrow to start a startup"? Fuck no, if I wanted to do that, I did it yesterday. Yes, maybe one day down the road I am going to leave just like any other of your employees (there are shockingly low average tenues in our industry), and yes, maybe the reason I am leaving will be different, but nobody I know commits to a job to make salary for a few months, then we founders know better and just find a freelance gig or a product we can sell. Instead of worrying about when a former founder will leave, try to understand why they are even looking for a job right now and see if you can give them what they are looking for in an extended period.
Seasons in life
Startup life is demanding and equally rewarding, but sometimes, it is not the right time in your life. I have two small kids, one of them sleeps like shit, and it's a full-time side gig to run a loving family without the household turning into a dumpster. I am in a season in my life right where I want time with family, I want time to sail, I want time with my lovely wife, and I still want a challenging job, but not a job where I have to take on a whole mental load of a founder. The season in my life is not to start something right now, but a new season begins one day.
So, should you hire founders? YES! You will get resourced individuals with a lot of experience who have tried to solve many problems that an ordinary worker has never been exposed to, let alone tried to solve. You will get someone who will automatically work in "founder mode" even inside someone else org. You will also get someone who will challenge you and speak up, which is not bad! Founders as PMs are even more magical than in many other roles.
The best founders to hire are those who have made an exit and don't need to work but choose to do so because they can't stop themselves; they can be true superpowers!
Founders are some of the most committed people I know, so if you fear that commitment, consider what level of commitment it takes to start a company. Is that bigger than taking a job? Hell yes. Is the commitments different between a former founder and a non-founder when taking a job? No.
Founders, should you take a job instead of starting a company? Not if you genuinely feel that there is a burning amount of energy inside you to build a company right now, but the fastest way to 10k MRR is to get on the payroll.