The Taste Ceo
For the past three years, bld.ai has been operating at a different pace. After scaling fast, we shifted focus inward, streamlining operations, improving efficiency, and automating processes. The result is a business that can run lean, handle high revenue without bloating, and function with near-zero marginal cost. But as we refined our internal machine, one thing became increasingly clear. Growth was not just about operational efficiency.
I kept searching for the answer in better go-to-market strategies, testing different playbooks, running experiments, and iterating on sales motions. But every time, it felt like I was applying the wrong framework. The traditional approaches were not broken, but they were not the real answer either.
Over the past year, I have come to realize that the real unlock is not a better GTM playbook. It is presence, influence, and taste.
The companies that break out today are not just running better sales funnels or perfecting their conversion rates. They are led by magnetic founders, people who create gravity around them, who attract customers, talent, and capital just by who they are and how they express their vision.
It is why I now invest in CEOs with a story. Not just the most technically brilliant, not just the best operators, but those who stand for something, who command attention, who shape culture.
In that sense, Elon Musk is a perfect case study. Whether or not you agree with his taste, his ability to be raw, to put himself at the center of the narrative, and to cultivate followers who believe in his vision gives him an unparalleled edge. He does not sell products. He sells a worldview.
This is the evolution of leadership.
The Evolution of the CEO
For centuries, leadership has evolved alongside the dominant skill set of the era.
- In early societies, strength determined leadership. The strongest warrior led the tribe.
- As civilization advanced, legal and financial expertise became the path to power. The best lawyers and financiers rose to the top, shaping industries and influencing economies.
- With the rise of technology, the best CEOs were often technologists. They were the ones who built the infrastructure of the internet and laid the foundation for the modern digital economy.
- Then came the product-driven leaders. These founders obsessed over user experience and design, ensuring that every touchpoint of their product felt intuitive, seamless, and delightful.
Today, the ultimate skill set is something different. It is taste.
This is not purely chronological. Steve Jobs had impeccable taste decades ago. But today, taste alone can be the differentiator. In an age where social media reach can replace traditional marketing, where distribution is the hardest problem to solve, the most successful CEOs are the ones who shape culture, understand aesthetics, and leverage personal influence to create demand before a product even exists.
This is the rise of the Taste CEO.
1️⃣ First-Time Founders: The Idea Obsession
First-time founders tend to be obsessed with the idea. They believe success lies in discovering a groundbreaking business model or technology. The next Facebook or OpenAI. These founders often assume that if they build something innovative enough, the market will come. But in reality, most of them fail.
Unless they are exceptionally lucky, like Google, which struck gold with its search algorithm, many first-time founders overestimate the importance of the idea itself and underestimate the importance of execution and distribution.
“Nadia had countless conversations with early-stage founders who believe they just need the right idea. I used to think the same early in my career. But after working for several tech companies, distribution may matter more than just having a groundbreaking concept.”
2️⃣ Second-Time Founders: The Product Builders
After struggling with the big idea approach, second-time founders get laser-focused on product and customer experience. They realize that distribution alone is not enough. People actually need to love the product.
Companies like Airbnb and Amazon fit this mold. Airbnb did not start with a unique tech. They focused on making a product that solved an actual problem. The focus was on crafting a nifty, user-centric product that created real value.
“Nadia, who worked six years at Grab, can testify. Everything revolved around the customer. The team was relentless about iterating on feedback, refining product features, and ensuring that every touchpoint felt seamless. It was not about just launching a product. It was about crafting an experience that truly stuck.”
And this approach can work. Some second-time founders succeed spectacularly, but it is still a tough road. Many build great products that never reach massive scale because they lack strong distribution.
3️⃣ Third-Time Founders: The Taste CEOs
By the third attempt, the founders who have not given up stop obsessing over the idea or product and focus on distribution first. They realize that in today’s world, building a product is easier than ever. AI tools, no-code platforms, and outsourced development make it almost trivial to get something functional.
What really matters is how you get that product in front of people.
This is where the 🔥 Taste CEO and 🚀 Influencer Founder come into play.
The Rise of the Taste CEO and Influencer Founder
The best modern founders do not start with product. They start with attention. They figure out how to capture eyeballs before they even build anything substantial.
A classic example is PRIME Hydration. Logan Paul and KSI did not invent a revolutionary new sports drink. They did not obsess over product features for years. They built distribution first, using their massive audience to create demand before they even needed to refine the product.
Another example is Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS. The product is good, but what really makes it a billion-dollar brand is Kim’s distribution power. She had the audience and influence before SKIMS even launched.
“Seeing founders today, Nadia cannot help but notice a shift. The ones who win are not just great at building. They are great at getting attention. It is not just about the tech anymore. It is about creating momentum, shaping narratives, and being a distribution-first leader. I have seen founders with average products dominate just because they mastered reach first.”
Why Distribution Is the Ultimate Startup Advantage
The smartest third-time founders know:
🚀 Product-market fit is overrated if you have distribution. If you have a massive audience, you can adjust the product over time, but without distribution, even the best product can flop.
🔥 Great distribution beats great product. A mediocre product with excellent distribution will outsell a fantastic product that nobody knows about.
💰 The real money is in influence and reach. People no longer just buy products. They buy into brands, stories, and personalities.
In a world where attention is currency, the best founders are not just CEOs. They are Taste CEOs. They are Influencer Founders.
This shift in leadership echoes the evolution of power throughout history. Strength, intelligence, financial acumen, and technical innovation all had their time as the dominant CEO traits. Today, the defining edge is taste. The ability to curate, signal, and shape cultural narratives.
If you want to dive deeper into the distribution-first startup mindset, check out these discussions from Hacker News, where founders debate the shifting landscape.
📌 Why Startups Fail: It Is Not the Product, It Is Distribution