Not Only Luck.
An essay by John Melonakos

Startup CEOs

Being CEO is the loneliest job in the world.
— Jeff Haynie (@jhaynie) April 16, 2014

Being a startup CEO is not about glamour. It’s about holding the pieces of chaos together. It’s about keeping the right people in the right seats with the right direction and the right attitude. It’s about culture.

Some of the toughest moments for me personally have been:

  • dealing with co-founder disputes (by far the most stressful)
  • dealing with frustrated employees
  • dealing with sensitive legal matters
  • delivering bad news to the company and deciding how much to reveal and when
  • weighing fundraising options
  • weighing how to spend company money and equity

Startup CEOs also need to see the future and understand when to step into the dark and be risky versus when to play it safe.

I do not believe in glamorous titles. I think it best, especially in startups, to keep things flat and seek to inspire and uplift others as a startup CEO.

What are your thoughts on startup CEOs?

 

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