What is the Main Job of an Early-Stage Startup CEO?
To answer this question quite simply, it’s to sort out all the crap and get things done.
Is your CTO getting cranky? Go talk to them.
Is your bizdev acting dumb? Go talk to them.
A 19 year old product manager wants a 10% option? Go talk to them and kick them out.
An investor wants to tell you how to build your product? Go talk to them and point out that this is how you die.
I’ve seen from my own example that awareness and “maturity” in other roles are pretty doom and gloom. The exception is the projects with founders over 40 years old. That’s why CEOs more often than others have to consciously hold themselves back. You want to fire everyone or pass the rod of power to someone else already so it’s all over.
Spoiler: you can only get rid of the morons along with the project, and no one will take the rod of power, there are no fools 🙂
Who can help an early-stage CEO?
1. A CEO of more mature startups is the best mentor. They will gladly take on your mentoring and support because they have experienced everything and do not wish the same fate for others. Look for these guys and gals at networking events.
2. Psychologist/therapist. Nothing unusual, you need your sparring partner, who in difficult situations will certainly be on your side. And will tell the truth if you are blatantly wrong somewhere. Yulia Redkina helped me a lot for four years. It is impossible to overestimate our work, I remember it with tears of joy!
3. You always need someone to whom you report. This function is best performed by professional advisors. That is their job: to listen to you and highlight blind spots. Dmitry Voloshin made a whole club of mentors (in fact, advisors), where you can come, speak, and find your mentor. Among the advisors with whom I connected, I recommend working with Victor Savyuk.
Are there any smart tricks?
One I can tell you, but you need awareness of both sides. You can team up with another CEO of the early stages (from a completely different field) for a sync once a month. Set goals, do something, then tell each other. I assure you, this ritual itself will structure you extraordinarily. You don’t want to shit in your mate’s eyes.
I do this kind of sync with two female founders of interesting projects. I’m impressed with female leadership, the most underrated thing in the world, in my opinion. Plus a woman’s perspective is totally different, so I learn a lot from my peers.