A Critical Friend: Relationship of the Chairman and CEO | Startups Magazine

I think that founders should write a guide to working with them. It would be one of the pieces I’m describing, to clarify the founder’s role: “What do I want to be involved in? When do I want to hear from you? What are my preferred communication modes? What makes me impatient? Don’t surprise me with X.” That’s super powerful. Because the problem is

The second-best scenario is a serial entrepreneur CEO planning to build out a new team. Third best is a team that did amazing things, but perhaps due to macro market conditions did not achieve a high return for investors.

There is no prototype for the perfect CEO. Radically different styles—think Steve Jobs, Bill Campbell, and Andy Grove—can all lead to great outcomes. Perhaps the most important attribute required to be a successful CEO is leadership. So what is leadership and how do we think…

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First of all, you must create a plan to integrate your investors into your company’s operations. “The first steps you take with your new investment partners will set the tone for your future relationship and how you work together through the challenges that inevitably lie ahead,” writes Bob Ackerman, founder and managing director of early-stage ven