Self-knowledge is the first growth hack. Answer seven lightning questions, see whether you’re a Visionary, an Integrator, or a bit of both—then confirm it with the free Crystallizer Assessment.
Two Founders, One Coffee Shop, Two Very Different Brains
At 7:02 a.m., Maya walks into Cornerstone Roasters, pops open her ReMarkable, and sketches a voice-activated version of her SaaS tool. Across the table sits Chris, painstakingly revising last quarter’s margin spreadsheet to squeeze another two points from support costs. Both admire what the other does, and both quietly think, That is so not me.
In Rocket Fuel language, Maya is a Visionary: idea fountain, market scout, energy spark. Chris is an Integrator: systems thinker, cadence keeper, tiebreaker. Put them together and you get “rocket fuel”—explosive growth powered by complementary talent. Keep them apart (or worse, mis-cast them) and you risk burnout, whiplash priorities, and growth stalls.
So, which one are you? The seven-question quiz below offers a quick mirror. Jot your answers, score yourself, then lock them in with the Crystallizer Assessment link at the end.
Why Wiring Matters Long Before You’re a Unicorn
Our research on more than 1,400 entrepreneurial companies shows that firms with a clear Visionary/Integrator Duo:
- Double revenue growth compared with solo leaders over three years.
- Increase EBITDA by 34% in the first full year after pairing.
- Lower voluntary turnover by 28% thanks to steady leadership cadence.
When wiring is fuzzy—or founders try to play both seats—energy scatters:
- Projects start fast but stall (Visionary overload).
- Decisions bog down in meetings (Integrator vacuum).
- Teams get whiplash (no one translating big ideas into clean execution).
Knowing your dominant wiring isn’t ego candy; it’s operational truth. Accept it, complement it, and scale becomes simpler.
The 7-Question Lightning Quiz
Read each pair of statements. Circle the one that feels more like you, most of the time, not what you wish were true.
| # | Option A | Option B |
| 1 | I wake up with three new ideas and can’t wait to share them. | I wake up thinking about how to streamline today’s priorities. |
| 2 | My superpower is spotting future trends before competitors. | My superpower is turning goals into step-by-step plans. |
| 3 | Repetition bores me; I crave the next big challenge. | Repetition comforts me; I build processes that last. |
| 4 | I leave meetings energized—others can sort out details. | I leave meetings with a checklist—details drive results. |
| 5 | People call me inspiring, even if a bit unpredictable. | People call me steady, even if a bit demanding. |
| 6 | I’d rather pitch ten prospects than reconcile yesterday’s numbers. | I’d rather reconcile numbers than pitch ten random prospects. |
| 7 | Conflict? I bounce to the next idea and let the team hash it out. | Conflict? I get both sides in a room and decide today. |
Scoring
- Give yourself 1 point for every A.
- Give yourself 1 point for every B.
- Tally totals.
| Your Result | Interpretation |
| 5–7 A’s | Strong Visionary wiring—big ideas, bold moves, short attention span for details. |
| 5–7 B’s | Strong Integrator wiring—loves clarity, cadence, and resolving conflicts. |
| 3–4 A’s and 3–4 B’s | Dual wiring—can flex, but risks burnout if you stay in both seats long-term. |
(Questions adapted from Visionary and Integrator trait lists in Rocket Fuel, pp. 9–12)
What Your Score Means Day-to-Day
Dominant Visionary: You thrive on brainstorming, culture shaping, and forging partnerships. Details drain you; weekly Scorecards feel suffocating. When forced to run ops, you either over-delegate or clutch every decision. The Integrator seat is your missing complement—think Tim Cook to your Steve Jobs.
Dominant Integrator: You thrive on executing goals, untangling snarled workflows, and ensuring things happen in the correct order. Endless ideation without follow-through frustrates you. Pair with a Visionary who feeds you bold targets, then let you drive the bus.
Dual Threat: You can ideate and integrate, but doing both forever is like running marathons every weekend. Decide which seat energizes you long-term and recruit/promote the other. Remember: even Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen.
Duos in Real Life: Three Case Snaps
- Steve Jobs / Tim Cook – Jobs dreamed the iPhone; Cook optimized the supply chain to ship 1 billion units.
- Walt / Roy Disney – Walt sketched castles; Roy negotiated funding and built Disneyland under budget.
- Sara Blakely / John Fieldly (Spanx) – Blakely innovated product and brand; Fieldly (COO → CEO) scaled logistics and retail.
In each story, the Visionary’s spark + Integrator’s engine created compounding momentum.
Validate Your Wiring with the Crystallizer Assessment
A quick quiz is helpful; a calibrated assessment is definitive. The Crystallizer Assessment gives you:
- Numerical Visionary and Integrator scores.
- Descriptions of top strengths (idea generation, conflict resolution, etc.).
- Tailored tips—hire, outsource, or promote—based on your profile.
- It’s free and takes 10 minutes.
Most leaders say the PDF report feels like “someone read my journal.”
After You Get Your Report: Next Three Moves
| Scenario | First Move | 6-Month Plan |
| High Visionary (Low Integrator) | Draft an Integrator seat description; review the current team for hidden talent. | If no fit, recruit externally and budget market comp. |
| High Integrator (Moderate Visionary) | Clarify whether you want to occupy the Integrator seat. | Partner with a Visionary mentor or co-founder to fill the gap. |
| Balanced Wiring | Choose the seat that excites you more. | Begin delegating the other seat; avoid playing both beyond 6–12 months. |
Remember: running both seats indefinitely breaks most leaders by 75 staff or $10 M topline.
Frequently Asked “But What If…?”
Q: What if my company is tiny—should I wear both hats?
A: Early on, sure. But plan checkpoints (revenues $2–3 M, 20+ staff) to split roles before overload hits.
Q: Can two Visionaries co-lead?
A: It’s possible but risky. One must either drop to an Integrator or hire an outside Integrator. Chapter 4 of Rocket Fuel explains how to structure that.
Q: Is an Integrator just a glorified COO?
A: A COO title often overlaps, but the Integrator focuses on cross-functional alignment and acting as the Visionary’s single point of accountability, not just operations.
Takeaway
Your wiring isn’t right or wrong—it’s your native operating system. When Visionaries stay vision-centric and Integrators stay execution-centric, businesses accelerate, margins thicken, and founders finally breathe.
Next step: take the Crystallizer Assessment, lock in your score, and begin building the complementary partnership that turns ideas into rocket fuel.
