What startups can learn from Faith Kipyegon? Draft, Pace, Break Away

I read a news article in the sports section about Faith Kipyegon, the Kenyan middle and long-distance runner, widely hailed as one of the greatest female athletes in the history of track and field. In 2023, Kipyegon shattered the world record for the mile, clocking 4 minutes and 7.64 seconds.

Faith Kipyegon, a Kenyan runner is widely hailed as one of the greatest female athletes in the history of track and field.

Faith Kipyegon, the Kenyan middle and long-distance runner widely hailed as one of the greatest female athletes in the history of track and field. Seventy-one years earlier, Roger Bannister famously became the first man to break the four-minute mile barrier. But here’s the twist: Bannister ran behind two pace-setters for over 80 percent of his race, while Kipyegon drafted behind others for only 56 percent before charging ahead solo.

This difference is not just a footnote in sports history; it’s a masterclass in strategy that every startup founder should study.

The Power of Pace-Setters and Drafting

In racing, a pace-setter or “rabbit” maintains a fast, steady tempo, allowing the main competitor to conserve energy and reduce drag until it’s time to make the decisive move. Drafting, or staying close behind another runner, can save up to 10 to 15 percent of effort, a game-changing edge when chasing records.

Startups, like athletes, compete in brutal arenas. And just like Kipyegon and Bannister, founders must master the art of when to draft, when to pace themselves, and when to break away.

Startups and the Drafting Playbook

• Draft Behind Early Market Leaders Startups can let giants do the heavy lifting. Competitors and first movers validate demand, educate the market, and absorb early mistakes. MySpace proved social networking mattered; Facebook perfected it. Yahoo and Altavista opened the search floodgates; Google conquered them with relevance and speed. Tesla didn’t invent EVs; it made them aspirational.
• Conserve Energy and Learn Instead of burning through cash trying to outspend incumbents, draft behind them. Improve their product, fix their flaws, and watch their playbook. Slack entered a space crowded with Teams, email, and Skype and beat them by focusing on delight, not just functionality.
• Break Away When the Moment Is Right Kipyegon ran solo for 44 percent of her race and that’s when legends are made. Startups must eventually surge ahead with a unique edge. Think Apple’s iPhone redefining mobile with a touchscreen. Think Airbnb transforming informal couch-surfing into a global hospitality revolution.

In the race of startups, it’s not about who starts first. it’s about who finishes smartest.

The AI Gold Rush: Draft smart, Sprint smarter

The current AI boom is an extraordinary example of startup drafting. Big Tech like OpenAI, Google, Meta, and NVIDIA are the pace-setters. They’ve spent billions on R&D and evangelising AI. Smart startups draft behind this momentum. Jasper uses OpenAI’s models for marketing copy. Harvey specialises in legal AI. Mistral builds compact, nimble language models. They don’t rebuild the engine; they tweak the steering.

Winners break away at the right moment

The winners break away at the right moment. Notion AI embeds intelligence directly into familiar tools. Anthropic brands itself as the “safer” alternative. Perplexity AI seizes the opportunity to merge LLMs with real-time search, addressing ChatGPT’s limitations.

You Don’t Need to Be First — You Need to Be Smart

History is clear. First movers often stumble. MySpace, Yahoo, and even Microsoft’s early AI bets were overtaken by fast, strategic followers. Exceptions exist when network effects or proprietary tech lock in users. But for most, it’s not about being first; it’s about being fastest to adapt.

Let others spend, stumble, and educate. Watch and learn

The Kipyegon Playbook for Startups

1. Draft Early Let others spend, stumble, and educate. Watch and learn.
2. Pace Yourself Don’t waste resources trying to out-scream giants. Focus on sharp execution.
3. Break Away Decisively When you spot the opening — an underserved niche, a broken user experience, an unmet need — sprint without hesitation.

Draft behind giants, conserve energy, then sprint past when it counts.

Like Kipyegon, the best founders combine patience with explosive innovation. They know when to follow, when to conserve, and when to unleash everything. In the race of startups, the gold doesn’t always go to the first off the blocks. It goes to the one who mastered the draft, timed the surge, and crossed the finish line with purpose.

So, founders, ask yourselves: Are you burning energy trying to lead from the start, or are you preparing for your record-breaking sprint?