Meet the Riders
Different innovators ride the course in different ways.
As you read the archetypes below, a natural question emerges:
Which rider are you?
Just as the system produces signals, innovators do too.​
The way leaders interpret the system, express their ideas and engage others reveals recurring patterns of behaviour. Over time these patterns become recognisable — much like different styles of riders navigating the same course.
These patterns form what I call the Rider Archetypes.​​
Each archetype reflects a distinctive way an innovator approaches
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Abstraction, Articulation and Alignment.
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Most innovators recognise elements of themselves in more than one rider.
The question is not which archetype you are — but which one you become as the race unfolds.
Amateur
Riding but not all in
Still close to the idea, but not yet fully committed to the profession.
Apprentice
Learning the craft
Fully in the race, building judgement through experience, mistakes and momentum.
Journeyman
Riding for different trainers
Knows the system well, but spreads effort across too many opportunities to gain real position.
Stable Jockey
Part of the stable
Trusted within one system, developing deep understanding and shaping how it works.
The Champion
Wins when it counts
Sees the whole race clearly and acts at the right moment when it matters most.
Apprentice
Learning the craft
​Fully in the race, building judgement through experience, mistakes and momentum.
At some point, the decision is made. The rider commits to the profession. They are no longer at the edges of the race. They are in it — fully exposed to its demands, its pace and its consequences.
This is the Apprentice.
On the racecourse, Apprentices are young professionals learning their trade in real conditions. They ride in the same races as established jockeys, but with allowances made for their inexperience — carrying less weight to offset what they have yet to learn. They work relentlessly.
Mornings begin in the yard, riding out horses, doing the unseen work that builds feel and judgement. Opportunities are taken wherever they appear. Rides are not chosen — they are accepted. Mistakes are part of the journey.
An Apprentice may misjudge the pace of a race, commit too early, or position poorly. In some races, they may even ride the wrong finish a lap too early — responding to the moment rather than understanding the structure of what is unfolding.
Over time, these experiences begin to accumulate into judgement. But the transition is not always smooth.
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As Apprentices approach professional status, their weight allowance reduces. For a period, they can be highly attractive — close to professional capability but still carrying less weight. Yet when that allowance disappears, many find opportunities become harder to secure. They must now compete on equal terms, without the advantage that once brought them rides.
They are no longer learning alongside the race. They must now truly ride it.
The same pattern appears in innovation.
At this stage, the founder is fully committed. The work has moved beyond the safety of research or early conviction. The idea is being built, shared and tested in the real world. Energy is often high.
Some founders arrive with deep technical insight, shaped through years of work. Others generate momentum through energy, conversation and constant activity. Teams begin to form. Opportunities emerge. The venture starts to move.
But movement is not yet direction. Ideas may be explained in detail, but not always understood. New initiatives appear before earlier ones have settled. Effort is high, but coherence is still forming.
The signals are familiar.
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Everything is in motion.
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Not everything is connected.
At this stage, the challenge is no longer commitment. It is learning how to ride the race.
This requires developing feel for pace, position and timing — understanding not just what is happening, but how the system is moving around you.
Energy begins the journey.
But only judgement allows it to continue.