In the early days, founders doing support isn't just necessary—it's a superpower. Here's how to make the most of it.
Why Founder-Led Support Matters
When founders do support, they:
- Get direct, unfiltered customer feedback
- Understand pain points firsthand
- Build customer relationships that last
- Identify product improvements faster
The Founder Support Playbook
Phase 1: Do It Yourself (0-10 customers)
Every founder should personally handle support in the beginning. It's the best way to understand your customers and your product.
Tips:
- Respond to every message personally
- Ask follow-up questions to understand root causes
- Document every issue and piece of feedback
Phase 2: Build the Foundation (10-100 customers)
Start documenting and systematizing.
Create:
- A knowledge base with common answers
- Standard operating procedures
- Templates for common scenarios
Phase 3: Scale Thoughtfully (100+ customers)
Now you can think about hiring and tools.
Consider:
- Your first support hire should be exceptional
- Use AI to handle the repetitive stuff
- Keep founders connected to support through regular reviews
Common Mistakes to Avoid
1. Hiring too early: Don't hire until you've documented your processes
2. Losing touch: Even with a team, founders should do support regularly
3. Over-automating too soon: Automation should enhance, not replace, personal touch
The AI Opportunity
Modern AI tools like Duckie let small teams punch above their weight. You can:
- Automate repetitive tickets while keeping the personal touch
- Scale support without scaling headcount
- Focus founder time on the most impactful interactions
Founder-led support isn't a phase to get through—it's a competitive advantage to preserve.
