INTJ in a Startup: Built for Thriving in Chaos Part 1 of 2: Introversion, Intuition, and Getting Shit Done Anyway
Jim Jensen
Program & Operations Leader | From Fabrication Floor to Executive Strategy | EV, Mobility, Prototype-to-Production | Startups, Design Studios & Growth-Stage Teams
Startups are unpredictable and ego-filled chaos in business form. After a decade of working in them, I began to think about what it is that has enabled me to thrive in this madness while others burn out, freeze, or straight-up run.
Why do I excel in the chaos?
I have often said it takes someone who is a special kind of f*@&ed up in the head to survive and thrive in startups.
I believe my personality type is the special sauce that enables me to excel in this world. I am an INTJ. INTJ stands for Introverted, Intuitive, Thinking, and Judging. Since INTJs are one of the rarest personality types (occurring in only 2% of the population and 3% of men), this personality type is not often well known.
I’ve found that the traits frequently misunderstood about INTJs are precisely what make us thrive in early-stage chaos. It also means that most environments aren’t naturally built for how we operate, so when we do find our lane, we tend to dominate it with precise execution and visionary expertise.
In a startup world full of extroverted energy, emotional decision-making, and open-ended chaos, INTJs bring a rare and valuable contrast: structured thinking, strategic foresight, and calm execution.
In this two-part article, I will explore how each component of the INTJ type mind fits perfectly into the puzzle of startup survival — and why that wiring might just be your unfair advantage.
Let us begin with Introverted and Intuitive.
Introverted (I): Deep Focus Over Shallow Noise
Introverts, by definition, are those who are energized by solitude and deep thought, rather than social interaction. For me, this means having lunch by myself instead of with a group, or putting on headphones and zoning out to work rather than chatting with those around me.
We’re reflective, independent, and tuned into our inner world. Luckily, that’s where the good ideas live. If you want a solution right this second, that isn’t our style. However, give us 10–15 minutes to think about it, and we will come back with a well-thought-out solution to the problem, ready to execute.
So, what does this boil down to? Well, it means that I derive energy from focused work, rather than feedback on what I did. I don’t care about praise. I get the thrill from stepping aside and focusing on the problem at hand to create a solution. I also don’t need collaboration or constant hand-holding. I get my shit done alone without others, and don’t need step-by-step instructions.
I have lost count of how many times during a project there are teams that have meeting after meeting of brainstorming sessions to create a schedule. After a few of these, circular discussion meetings, I just skipped one meeting, and spent the hour developing a complete timeline with milestones and responsible owners. At the next “brainstorming” session, I presented my plan.
Guess which plan was used to end that stupid cycle of meetings?
I wasn’t trying to make a point. I just wanted to get things done. That’s the introvert advantage: while others make noise and have performative productivity, we make progress. I don’t want to be the loudest voice in the room; I want to be the one who quietly pushes the team over the finish line.
In a startup, where resources are thin and people are pulled in multiple directions, that kind of independent execution is gold. Just give us a goal and get out of our way; we’ll figure out how to execute it on our own. I don’t need a team to do my job. I do the job, and I keep going long after others burn out.
That ability to thrive in solitude also builds something most people overlook: mental endurance. While others rely on the buzz of collaboration or the adrenaline of urgency to finish the job, we’re at our best in quiet solitude. We can stay focused for long periods without needing validation, context switching, or constant updates. For us, sustained mental output isn’t about forcing ourselves; it’s just how we’re wired.
It lets us grind through the hard, boring, or complex stuff without melting down.
And when it’s time to solve something real, I don’t bounce half-formed ideas off everyone in a “collab” session. I take everything in, walk away, and come back with a solution that works. That’s not withdrawal. It’s strategy.
As an introvert, I need space to think through all the information on my own to really spark my mind to find a solution. When the world gets loud, I get quiet. And then I build the thing that works.
Intuitive (N): Patterns, Systems, and What Comes Next
Intuition as a personality trait involves focusing on patterns, possibilities, and abstract connections rather than concrete facts or step-by-step details. We live in the world of “how does all this random crap fit together to make sense?” We’re imaginative, future-focused, and systems thinkers who aren’t constrained by the current state.
The main behaviors that define us are simple: we see the big picture and naturally think in terms of concepts and long-term strategies, rather than checklists.
But what does this mean in reality?
For me, big-picture thinking and foresight are the default. I instinctively connect dots others miss, especially across departments, timelines, and even entire roadmaps. I spot scale problems before they show up.
And that kind of thinking doesn’t always land well in highly creative environments.
Case in point: During the initial pitch creation for a high-profile customer, the designers were tasked with developing concepts that truly stretch the boundaries of what is possible. My Intuitive brain made mental notes and even shared with the designers that some of the concepts being presented would be impossible to pull off, but the creative minds won that battle; they pitched some crazy but cool ideas.
Well, the customer loved the craziest idea, and then we had to execute on it.
Spoiler alert: we couldn’t.
The ideas weren’t achievable within the timeframe using available technology, so we had to swallow our pride and shift to a more grounded solution. One advantage that emerged from this was that the designer who owned the project began coming to me to verify the feasibility of the concepts during the remainder of the project.
And every single one we worked on together after that.
He figured out that I can predict the outcome ahead of time. That is intuition at work.
I naturally think in systems; I consider what this will look like five steps from now, how today’s decision will echo later, and what the real failure points will be if they aren’t fixed ahead of time, even before most people realize that the current system is breaking.
I’ve seen complex projects begin to fall off the rails completely because supplier delivery dates and test timelines were floating around in different schedules, and no one thought to cross-reference them all. Every component, nut, bolt, and bracket is critical; if one is missing, you’d better have a plan in place before it derails everything.
For me, those patterns stand out like a flashing red light. As I went line by line through every single schedule available, I found all the inconsistencies that were about to derail the build. It was time to start making mitigation plans. Not surprisingly, bringing these issues to the forefront pulled me from a small department and into company-wide program management.
That’s not magic. That’s just pattern recognition flexing.
In every startup I’ve worked in — four and counting — the same pattern always shows up: a lack of foresight. Most people sprint without checking the map. They chase today’s fire and assume tomorrow will sort itself out. That’s the kind of thinking that burns people out. I plan around it. I see the fire coming before the smoke, and I quietly start removing the kindling.
When you’re sprinting blind, even a minor detour can become a disaster.
That’s where I’ve learned to bring clarity ahead of the crash.
Introverted & Intuitive Is Only Half the Recipe
The Introvert in me blocks out the noise, stays calm in chaos, and gets things done without needing constant input.
The Intuitive part sees patterns, systems five steps ahead, and what’s coming next, while everyone else is stuck in the moment.
Put those two traits together, and you start to see the advantage in startup chaos. But the real magic happens when you add in the Thinking and Judging components as well.
In part two of this exploration, I will dive into how the other elements complete the recipe to not only survive in startups but thrive. You know, the rest of the recipe for my special sauce of f*@&ed up in the head.
Part 2 of 2: Thinking & Judging: The Underlying Structure can be found here:
Optimizing value chains and creating operational efficiency through collaboration and strategic planning.
3dGreat job Jim Jensen!