What it is
Founder-held knowledge is usually an enormous asset before it becomes a dependency. The blindspot is not the founder's judgment; it's the moment when the organization's ability to function still requires that judgment to be present in the room.
How it shows up
Decisions that stall when one person travels. Process documentation written from the founder's mental model rather than from observed work. Approval paths that exist socially but not structurally. An organization that has never had to articulate why it does something, because the person who knows has always been available to ask.
The honest caveat
This label is easy to misuse. Plenty of founder involvement is simply good leadership, and "founder blindspot" is a lazy diagnosis when the real issue is an unbuilt system. Use it when the dependency is the constraint, not when the founder is merely opinionated.
Where I've found it
Documented ≠ True · Be Careful Hiring Only for Niche Tenure.