Tips for Startup CEOs

I was talking to my friend Evan this morning about a bunch of startup topics from office space (stay virtual as long as possible) to the best ways to communicate with your board. Evan is a serial startup CEO and offered me some great advice, he was even kind enough to blog about it since I was in my car at the time and couldn’t take any notes.

Here’s Evan’s quick tips for startup CEOs:

1) every friday have all your direct reports submit a “weekly update” one page or less focusing on progress against metrics, key accomplishments for the past week and summary of what’s on deck for the next week.
2) then aggregate/consoidate/summarize those updates, add ceo level stuff and forward to your board on sunday night.
why this apporach?
a) every team member should spend 30 minutes reflecting on the week. the key is that these updates are shared with other executives who are expected to read them prior to the team monday morning management meeting (another management tip). that way the meeting is productive focusing on issues and not “status updates”
b) by sending to board member’s on sunday nights you have a chance that they read it as your on top of their inbox when they are catching up on their weekend emails. Further, they are up to speed on your business during their monday internal meetings which makes them look good (and thus, you as ceo look good)
via Evan Schumacher’s World, Startup CEO – Quick Tips.

I’m a serial startup founder but this is my first time as a CEO & founder with Performable. I love learning so please pass along any and all advice.

Yoav Shapira

I like reflecting on the week, and I like focusing on issues (instead of status updates) at the management meeting.

But I'm not a huge fan of written weekly progress reports. It feels rote, it feels like process for process sake, and it feels like a command and control hierarchy leftover. No offense ;)

I much prefer alerting people (both up and down the management chain) when significant events happen. In as close to real-time as possible. This should go in all directions, not just up to the CEO from his or her direct reports. And it should be for both positive and negative events.

What's significant? I trust their judgment, and I will let them know if I don't think something is significant, and why.

taariq

Great and here's another tip: Use lots of highlights to call-out the most important parts to the board. You may have a big report. Make it easy for your board to browse, skim, and get the most critical insights you want them to see.

Rex Dixon

Good common sense ideas for sure!

Justin Chen

Reflecting on the week before starting the next is a good practice even for a team without direct reports or a board. On a small team it's important to keep each other accountable each week.