Startup CEOs Aren't Really CEOs

The problem with startup CEOs is that we all have overall expectations for the role — but becoming a startup CEO requires zero qualifications. [View this email in your browser]( • [Forward to a Friend]( Startup CEOs Aren't Really CEOs TL;DR: "My email signature line reads "CEO" but I don't really feel like a CEO. I always pictured CEOs to be super experienced and qualified. I'm still trying to figure out what the job even is. Am I really a CEO?" Becoming a startup CEO requires zero qualifications — that's because we're often not really CEOs. Anyone who founds a company is by default the CEO. My 9-year-old daughter incorporated her pet sitting business and is technically its CEO. But she doesn't walk around comparing herself to Jeff Bezos. As Founder-CEOs, we need to have a very sober outlook on our new title and as such, so do all of the people around us. We basically need to take the title with a grain of salt while we prove what job we're supposed to have. Today’s Advice Sponsored by [Startups.com Accelerator]( Titled Doesn't Mean Qualified I coach my 5-year-old son's basketball team and according to everyone, I'm the "Coach." Is that because I'm a good coach, or know anything about basketball? No. I have no clue what a Point Guard is, and I'm told that people who coach professionally apparently do. I'm the coach because I'm the only person who stepped up to wrangle a bunch of 5-year-olds around on a Saturday morning. I didn't beat out anyone else for the job and in fact, I think a couple of these 5-year-olds could replace me. That's the difference between having a title because we just happened to be the only one who was present and earning the job because we were exceptionally good at the role. We all get the Founder title for free — but whether we later earn it is the big question. Our Fake CEO Expectations In a Fortune 500 company, CEOs are expected to be experienced and have had a track record of success. We expect that they know their job like we expect our doctor finished Med School. We hear the title and we have a certain degree of expectations. The problem with startup CEOs is that we still have the overall expectations for that role — to lead a company to greatness — yet we don't get any reassurance that the driver at the wheel has their license. What we struggle with as Founder-CEOs is the expectation of operating like a CEO without any experience in doing so. Everyone around us expects us to magically have all of these skills that almost no one does when they get the gig. We're literally all figuring it out as we go. We Get the Title, but Earn the Job And that's why startup CEOs aren't really CEOs. We all get the title, but to really be the CEO, we have to earn that job. We earn the job not by going through the motions of an executive (anyone can do that), but by driving the outcomes a CEO is supposed to. We're finding the best talent, managing our finances responsibly, and building a lasting, great company. With enough persistence and hard work, we'll hopefully get there. But we can't take that title seriously until we've put up the "wins" to say we've earned the job. To that end, my 5-year-old's basketball team is already 3-0 in the regular season, so I'm pretty sure I'm qualified to take Frank Vogel's job at the LA Lakers someday soon. Side note, I had to Google who the coach of the Lakers was... maybe I need a few more games. [View Article Again Here]( Grow Your Startup Like Crazy Without Giving up a Penny of Equity We see you, Founder. Alone and lonely with a million tabs open on your computer, losing track of what needs to get done. You’re tired, stressed, and can’t possibly juggle it all. The startup clock is ticking and it’s only a matter of time before [you can’t keep up anymore](. Marketing? Forget about it, you don’t know how to write compelling copy that converts. Customer Acquisition — you don’t even know where to start, and your Facebook ads aren’t cutting it. Funding? Forget about it. Your pitch deck is a mess of flashy icons and even if an investor is interested, they’re going to want more than half of your company in equity anyway. But this is your idea, your dream. You don’t want to give it all away (or any of it for that matter). We know all this because we’ve done all of this, which is why we created [a platform built for Founders, by Founders](. No more guessing or going at it alone — the Startups.com Accelerator is a one-stop shop with everything you need to take your company from idea validation to successful startup. We create custom plans depending on where you are on your startup journey. You tell us what you want to achieve, we'll build a kick-ass plan to get it done fast. Not only that, but members also have exclusive access to: - Connect Directly with Experts - Curated Peer Groups - Funding Guidance - Interactive Courses - Workshops Taught by Founders - And Over $25k in Member Benefits “What Startups has built is a platform that can help you at every stage of growth.” — Nate Checketts, Founder (RAISED $50M+) We’ve already helped thousands of Founders just like you reach milestone after milestone, now it’s your turn. Give your startup the support it needs to bring your idea to total fruition — [get started with Startups.com today](. In Case You Missed It [If We Want Power, Create Power]( A lot of us are used to hearing people telling us what we should and shouldn’t do, what we can and cannot achieve just because these people have tried it or have been in a similar situation. What they don’t realize though is what works for them may not work for you, and vice versa. [Am I Lying or Just Being Optimistic?]( (podcast) What if you have this strong conviction that what you’re building will lead to success? What if you have this strong sense of positivity and optimism? Will it be enough to gain people’s trust and continue to pour more money into your company? But what if it’s just blind optimism and you’re not really getting anywhere? [Startup Culture is a Reflection of the Founder]( Everything you do has implications and if you let instigators of negativity be, you’re allowing a nasty culture to spread. Love this topic? Hate it? Let's chat on social media! Wil Schroter Founder & CEO @ Startups.com [Share]( [Share]( [Tweet]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Forward]( Copyright © 2022 Startups.com, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you joined Startups.com. Our mailing address is: Startups.com 1201 Dublin RoadColumbus, OH 43215 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? 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