Opinion
The end of comfort zones: Adapt or fade
“Relying on headcount growth is outdated. Winning now demands velocity, ruthless focus, and constant relevance,” writes Gal Shor, SVP of Operations at Lightrun.
In an era defined by rapid technological shifts, economic volatility, and relentless competition, the notion of a professional comfort zone has become a luxury few can afford. The global tech landscape no longer rewards mere stability or incremental progress; it demands speed, adaptability, and tangible outcomes amid uncertainty.
This reality is reshaping organizations at every level, from nimble startups to established scale-ups and even legacy corporations. The true "core team" in any company is no longer determined by titles, tenure, or organizational charts. Instead, it is built around a founder mindset: individuals who think like owners, proactively identify emerging trends, prioritize outcomes over tasks, and thrive while juggling multiple priorities.
The Founder Mindset: Beyond Slogans
A founder mindset is not about inspirational posters or polished culture decks. It is a rigorous, measurable approach to work. Those who embody it constantly scan the horizon for shifts in technology and markets. They hold themselves accountable for results, not just effort. And in an environment where context-switching is the norm, they consistently drive meaningful impact.
This mindset is no longer optional for a select few. In today's tech ecosystem, it is a requirement for everyone, regardless of role or company stage.
Startup lore often glorifies raw hustle: endless hours fueled by urgency and adrenaline. Yet the real competitive edge lies elsewhere, in the ability to combine speed with sharp thinking. Creativity and operational execution must coexist. Adaptability demands discomfort, paired with relentless curiosity.
Uncertainty is daunting, but it is also the new normal. The winners are those who excel in "structured chaos": moving quickly when necessary, prototyping roughly to test ideas, but always with focus and intentionality. Speed is not the enemy of critical thinking; in this world, it relies on it. Reckless action or ego-driven decisions have no place here.
Traditional career advice emphasized certainty, becoming an expert who "knows" the answers. But in a fast-evolving tech landscape, the phrase "I already know" has become one of the most dangerous.
The advantage now goes to those who maintain a perpetual learning posture:
Deliberately seek expertise beyond your domain. A product leader gaining insights from healthcare professionals, an engineer learning from top salespeople, or an operations expert collaborating with designers, these cross-disciplinary interactions spark genuine innovation.
Approach every strategy as a hypothesis. Challenge assumptions, especially those backed by widespread consensus, which often mask complacency.
Cultivate doubt as a reflex: What if this trend reverses? What evidence would disprove my view? What alternative perspective am I missing?
The strongest leaders are not those with the most confident declarations, but those who ask the best questions.
Constant change exhausts people. Endless upskilling and pivoting feel like a treadmill that only accelerates. The solution isn’t grinding harder, it’s turning adaptation into a rewarding habit.
Start small: sleep on the other side of the bed, take a different route to work, learn a few words of a new language each week. These low-risk disruptions train the muscle and show that change can energize rather than drain.
Even simpler: tap the people around you. Ask what drives or worries someone in a completely different role. A short conversation with a great salesperson, designer, or teacher can reframe a stubborn problem.
Shift from narrow execution to broad evolution. Don’t just complete tasks, keep asking how to push your outcomes to the next level. Borrow ideas from unrelated industries. Connect seemingly disconnected skills.
Keep it social: rotate lunch partners, sit next to new faces in meetings, explore one unfamiliar topic a month, and choose deep questions over quick answers.
When curiosity feels rewarding, it becomes sustainable. This isn’t a temporary phase, it’s the permanent pace of tech careers.
In organizations, it’s easy to wait for “the system” to adapt. It won’t. Personal ownership of learning speed, thinking range, and impact remains non-negotiable.
Relying on headcount growth is outdated. Winning now demands velocity, ruthless focus, and constant relevance. Fixed roles slow progress; flexible scope forces clarity on what truly matters.
This creates discomfort by design. If any of this stirs resistance, good. That tension marks the edge of real growth.
The bar for adaptability and creativity keeps rising. No exemptions.
The choice is simple: defend what used to work, or build what comes next.
Gal Shor is SVP of Operations at Lightrun.
