I will sometimes hear people, (usually investors), utter the phrase, "he/she is difficult", in hushed tones when referring to a certain founder. My ears immediately perk up and I usually want to meet this "difficult" founder. Of course they can be difficult for the wrong reasons, (no integrity, egomania, etc). I'm certainly aware of this. But if they are difficult in certain ways, such as wanting to push the limits of the possible, not accepting no for an answer, not tolerant of bad advice, not ready to compromise- I'm usually very excited to invest in and work with such a person.
Such people are often very polarizing. They rub certain people the wrong way. Have you seen the treatment the golfer, Bryson DeChambeau, has received on twitter and in the press and from some of his fellow players? He's trying to do something never before tried in professional golf and he's certainly not your average guy on the PGA tour. A physics major in college, he takes a scientific and data-driven approach to the sport with an intensity few can match. For one he has cut all his irons to the same length to maintain a consistency of weight and feel. No one in the world does that in golf. He also swings the club in a "single plane" manner, also highly unique. He's bulked up like a linebacker, pushing his conditioning and speed training to insane levels. He now swings at speeds that would break most people's backs, including tour pros, and has become the longest driver on Tour. And he IS difficult, sometimes can be quite awkward and is not always in control of his emotions. He's trying to play a kind of golf at the highest levels that no one has ever seen before. It's literally a high-wire act where anything is possible. Even his caddy of the past several years actually quit during a tournament a few months ago. The intensity had simply worn him out. Bryson is often a figure of contempt and ridicule, his occasional meltdowns are mocked, his quirky and geeky personality simply turn many people off.
I'm on the other side of this- and am a huge fan.
Have you watched the 100 Foot Wave on HBO yet? I highly recommend it. It's the documentary about the life of the great big wave surfer, Garrett McNamara, and his quixotic obsession with riding the largest waves in the world. Check it out when you can. He is also "difficult" and uncompromising, some people calling him insane.
I coach a few founders like this. Basically I mainly work with founders like this because I understand them. I can help them be more effective because I have had the great fortune to have worked with some remarkable people like this in my younger years who influenced me greatly. They simply see things differently and want to strive for outcomes that seem to many too strange or unattainable, or too dangerous. They are just like the DeChambeaus' and the McNamaras' of the world.
If you feel you are this kind of founder, let me know.
By the way- last Fall, DeChambeau won the United States Open at Winged Foot, one of the hardest courses in the world. He was the only player under par and overpowered the course.
And yes, McNamara ended up riding the biggest wave in the world. Check this video out. Be sure to keep sound on.
So bring on "the difficult ones"- they make the world better and drag the rest of us along with them.