Being a startup CEO is a job like no other: it's difficult, risky, stressful, lonely, and often learned through trial and error. As a startup CEO seeing things for the first time, you're likely to make mistakes, fail, get things wrong, and feel like you don't have any control over outcomes.

Author Matt Blumberg has been there, and in Startup CEO he shares his experience, mistakes, and lessons learned as he guided Return Path from a handful of employees and no revenues to over $100 million in revenues and 500 employees.

Startup CEO is not a memoir of Return Path's 20-year journey but a thoughtful CEO-focused book that provides first-time CEOs with advice, tools, and approaches for the situations that startup CEOs will face.

You'll learn:

How to tell your story to new hires, investors, and customers for greater alignment
How to create a values-based culture for speed and engagement
How to create business and personal operating systems so that you can balance your life and grow your company at the same time
How to develop, lead, and leverage your board of directors for greater impact
How to ensure that your company is bought, not sold, when you exit

Startup CEO is the field guide every CEO needs throughout the growth of their company.

Autorentext

Matt Blumberg founded Return Path in 1999, grew it to 500 employees and $100 million in revenues, and sold it to Validity in 2019. Matt is chair of Path Forward, a nonprofit that helps mothers and caregivers reenter the workforce. He is creating his next startup and writing a companion volume to Startup CEO.

Klappentext

You're only a startup CEO once. Do it well with Startup CEO, a "master class in building a business." --Dick Costolo, Former CEO, Twitter Being a startup CEO is a job like no other: it's difficult, risky, stressful, lonely, and often learned through trial and error. As a startup CEO seeing things for the first time, you're likely to make mistakes, fail, get things wrong, and feel like you don't have any control over outcomes. Author Matt Blumberg has been there, and in Startup CEO he shares his experience, mistakes, and lessons learned as he guided Return Path from a handful of employees and no revenues to over $100 million in revenues and 500 employees. Startup CEO is not a memoir of Return Path's 20-year journey but a thoughtful CEO-focused book that provides first-time CEOs with advice, tools, and approaches for the situations that startup CEOs will face. You'll learn: How to tell your story to new hires, investors, and customers for greater alignment How to create a values-based culture for speed and engagement How to create business and personal operating systems so that you can balance your life and grow your company at the same time How to develop, lead, and leverage your board of directors for greater impact * How to ensure that your company is bought, not sold, when you exit Startup CEO is the field guide every CEO needs throughout the growth of their company.

Inhalt

Foreword xi Acknowledgments xiii About the Author xvii Introduction xix Chapter 1: The Importance of Authentic Leadership in Changing Times 1 Part One: Storytelling 11 Chapter 2: Dream the Possible Dream 13 Chapter 3: Defining and Testing the Story 21 Chapter 4: Telling the Story to Your Investors 31 Chapter 5: Telling the Story to Your Team 39 Chapter 6: Revising the Story 49 Chapter 7: Bringing the Story to Life 59 Part Two: Building the Company's Human Capital 69 Chapter 8: Fielding a Great Team 71 Chapter 9: The CEO as Functional Supervisor 83 Chapter 10: Crafting Your Company's Culture 89 Chapter 11: The Hiring Challenge 99 Chapter 12: Every Day in EveryWay,We Get a Little Better 113 Chapter 13: Compensation 125 Chapter 14: Promoting 133 Chapter 15: Rewarding: "It's the Little Things" That Matter 141 Chapter 16: Managing Remote Offices and Employees 147 Chapter 17: Firing: When It's Not Working 153 Part Three: Execution 161 Chapter 18: Creating a Company Operating System 163 Chapter 19: Creating Your Operating Plan and Setting Goals 167 Chapter 20: Making Sure There's Enough Money in the Bank 177 Chapter 21: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Financing 185 Chapter 22: When and How to Raise Money 195 Chapter 23: Forecasting and Budgeting 201 Chapter 24: Collecting Data 209 Chapter 25: Managing in Tough Times 215 Chapter 26: Meeting Routines 223 Chapter 27: Driving Alignment 233 Chapter 28: Have You Learned Your Lesson? 239 Chapter 29: Going Global 247 Chapter 30: The Role of M&A 255 Chapter 31: Competition 265 Chapter 32: Failure 269 Part Four: Building and Leading a Board of Directors 277 Chapter 33: The Value of a Good Board 279 Chapter 34: Building Your Board 283 Chapter 35: Board Meeting Materials 293 Chapter 36: Running Effective Board Meetings 297 Chapter 37: Non-Board Meeting Time 305 Chapter 38: Decision Making and the Board 309 Chapter 39:Working with the Board on Your Compensation and Review 315 Chapter 40: Serving on Other Boards 321 Part Five: Managing Yourself So You Can Manage Others 329 Chapter 41: Creating a Personal Operating System 331 Chapter 42:Working with an Executive Assistant 339 Chapter 43:Working with a Coach 345 Chapter 44: The Importance of Peer Groups 351 Chapter 45: Staying Fresh 355 Chapter 46: Your Family 367 Chapter 47: Traveling 375 Chapter 48: Taking Stock of the Year 379 Part Six: Selling Your Company 385 Chapter 49: A Note on Exits 387 Chapter 50: Preparing Yourself for an Exit 391 Chapter 51: Preparing Your Company for an Exit 397 Chapter 52: The Sale Process 403 Chapter 53: Transition and Integration 415 Chapter 54: Thinking about Your Next Step 419 Conclusion 425 Bibliography 429 What's Next? 433 Index 435