I think one point is that there is no shortcut to building a great product/company/society/nation.

You seem to be looking for a checklist where none exists. As many people have outlined in this thread, the difference is a founder takes everything about the company personally as an extension of themselves, and as a central point who can keep everything aligned. A manager ensures that directives given from top are followed and results delivered to the best of their abilities and any prevalent constraints.