What's your sample size? I mean sure, nepotism happens, this isn't a surprise. But for competent founders, the ability to successfully execute the role at hand is the primary consideration. To be coldly rational about it: whether someone was a high performer at the previous stage or if they were a close personal friend are both irrelevant data points. The only thing that matters is can they be effective in the next stage. Obviously this is a judgement call, and founders can get it wrong (they're only human after all), but the Peter Principle is a real thing and it can be deadly when someone is promoted beyond their capabilities during hypergrowth. This can be a very tough pill to swallow for someone who got the company where it is, but it doesn't make it less true.