Procrastination: The Surprising Superpower Every Founder Should Embrace
Procrastination has a bad reputation, especially among founders. We're constantly told that to be successful, we need to hustle, move fast, and avoid delays. But what if procrastination isn't the enemy we think it is? In fact, what if procrastination is a superpower—a subconscious signal that something important requires more thought or that your next big insight is just around the corner?
As a founder and venture capitalist, I’ve learned that procrastination, when understood and harnessed properly, can actually help you make better decisions, inspire creativity, and ultimately drive your business forward. In this post, I’ll show you how to use procrastination to your advantage and when it turns from being helpful to harmful.
What is Procrastination Really Telling You?
We often think procrastination is a sign of laziness or poor time management, but in reality, it can be a form of emotional intelligence—a way your brain signals that something about a task or decision might not be quite right.
As a venture capitalist, I’ve encountered numerous situations where I delayed making an investment simply because something didn’t feel right. Founders would present their businesses, but the answers to my questions didn’t seem authentic or well thought through. Rather than rushing to a decision, I waited. During this time, I observed the business, kept up with check-ins, and gathered more data. In some cases, I ended up passing on the investment—and in hindsight, I saw that those companies often didn’t survive. Other times, the delay allowed me to invest later, but with much more conviction, because I had a clearer sense of the company’s potential.
Key Insight: Procrastination can give you the time you need to gather the right information, refine your approach, or make sure a decision aligns with your values and goals.
Procrastination and Creativity: How Delays Can Lead to Breakthroughs
Procrastination doesn’t just help with decision-making; it can also spark creativity. When you take a step back from a task, your brain continues to work on it in the background, often leading to fresh ideas and unexpected breakthroughs.
For example, I once had to address my entire company after a major acquisition. I had a well-prepared presentation, but right before I went on stage, it didn’t feel right. I threw out the script and spoke from the heart, addressing the fears my team had about the acquisition and the future. The result? It was one of the most powerful and authentic moments in my career, and it built deeper trust within the company.
This ability to improvise and tap into creativity under pressure is a form of what organizational psychologist Adam Grant calls "strategic procrastination" in his book Originals. Grant points to figures like Leonardo da Vinci, who took years to complete the Mona Lisa because he continuously refined his techniques, and Martin Luther King Jr., who improvised parts of his "I Have a Dream" speech, making it far more impactful than what was originally planned.
Key Insight: Let your ideas incubate. Sometimes, putting off a task gives your brain the space it needs to come up with a better solution.
When Procrastination Becomes a Problem
Of course, not all procrastination is helpful. As founders, we have to recognize when it’s serving us and when it’s holding us back. So how do you know when procrastination is turning negative?
Ask yourself these three questions:
Am I using this time to reflect and gain clarity, or am I just avoiding the task?
Will delaying this task lead to better outcomes, or is it causing more stress and lower-quality work?
Is this task truly misaligned with my goals, or am I just uncomfortable or afraid of doing it?
If you’re reflecting, gaining clarity, and ultimately producing better results, then procrastination is working for you. But if it’s causing you stress, poor outcomes, or avoidance of key responsibilities, that’s when it becomes a problem.
Key Insight: Procrastination is positive when it allows you to gather insight or improve creativity. It turns negative when it becomes a cycle of avoidance or leads to poor-quality work.
How Founders Can Harness Procrastination
So, how can you use procrastination as a tool in your founder journey? Here are a few tips:
Reflect before you act: When you feel yourself procrastinating, don’t automatically beat yourself up. Take a step back and ask yourself if your brain is signaling that something about the task isn’t right. Use that time to gather information and make sure your next move is aligned with your goals.
Use micro-deadlines: Break large tasks into smaller chunks with shorter deadlines. This prevents overwhelm and helps you maintain forward momentum while giving your brain time to process.
Embrace the mental break: Sometimes stepping away from a task or project is exactly what you need to return with more energy, focus, and creativity. Don’t fear the pause—use it.
Key Insight: The trick is not to fight procrastination, but to learn when it’s helping you and how to harness it for better outcomes.
Procrastination isn’t always the enemy of productivity—in fact, it can be a powerful signal that your brain needs more time to think, reflect, or realign with your goals. As a founder, learning to listen to your procrastination and use it strategically can lead to better decision-making, more creativity, and ultimately, more success.
Next time you catch yourself procrastinating, don’t immediately feel guilty. Ask yourself what your brain is trying to tell you and whether that delay is actually an opportunity for insight or growth.
