Think this is the best answer. Founder mode should mean you have an unhealthy obsession with your product and vision.
The best example I can think of is the Costco founder threatening the newly arrived CEO who complained they were losing money on the hot dogs.
To me that is the single best example of Founder Mode.
To some extent, the concept must remain vague because its meaning will vary from one company to another. Typically, there are one or two critical aspects that are most important for a startup or company, and the founder must be involved in those areas in a way that conflicts with the usual corporate structure or hierarchy.
Anyways, this is how I understood it.