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There is no such thing as a CEO of pre-product startup. Get off of it.

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Re: There is no such thing as a CEO of pre-product startup. Get off of it.

#5

Post by bradleyland »

That's a great litmus test. If you find yourself working with co-founders that take their Cxx title very seriously, and you have only a couple of employees, you might have picked the wrong team.

Several of us have Cxx titles at our startup, but we sell in to really large organizations (sometimes municipal), so having "Chief Customer Happiness Officer" isn't really an option for us. Or at least we don't believe it is. In the end, it really doesn't matter, because we're all supremely confident and scared humble at the same time. None of us would hesitate to give up our titles to someone more qualified should that need or opportunity arrise.

Re: There is no such thing as a CEO of pre-product startup. Get off of it.

#6

Post by jeffreymcmanus »

This looks like it's a problem with job titles but it's really a problem with managing people. The job title is just the symptom.

I have a talk with everyone who works for me in which I say "this is a startup, job titles are flexible, and everybody (including me) will have to revisit their role and title frequently. If you're OK with that, then great. If not, we should talk it through now so everybody's expectations are set."

Re: There is no such thing as a CEO of pre-product startup. Get off of it.

#7

Post by powertower »

Another three letter word - EGO - combined with delusion will get you all kinds of fancy titles.

My rule of thumb is that a business of less than 7 people should have 1 "Manager" (not CEO, President, etc), and everyone else should be an employee (plus additional reasonable titles such as co-founder, etc). As the business grows and more people are brought onboard you can start handing out titles.

This might not work in every situation, but it's a good starting point.

Re: There is no such thing as a CEO of pre-product startup. Get off of it.

#8

Post by joshuamerrill »

jeffreymcmanus wrote: post #6

This looks like it's a problem with job titles but it's really a problem with managing people. The job title is just the symptom. I have a talk with everyone who works for me in which I say "this is a startup, job titles are flexible, and everybody (including me) will have to revisit their role and title frequently. If you're OK with that, then great. If not, we should talk it through now so everybody's expectations…

I absolutely agree with you.

I appreciate the author's advice, though I have a hard time imagining 3 or 4 cofounders doing fundraising when there isn't someone calling him or her self "CEO."

(I personally take no special pleasure in calling myself CEO. If it confers more ability to control my destiny, then great; anything beyond that is an ego game that no startup founder has time to play.)

Re: There is no such thing as a CEO of pre-product startup. Get off of it.

#9

Post by Duff »

I think it's appropriate to have a title on a business card or whatever that describes your role in a meaningful way. "Principal", "Founder", etc.

Corporate titles sound silly in small businesses -- I had my driveway sealed by the "President and CEO" of a driveway sealing business the other day.

People in contact with customers should have flexibility or use multiple titles. If you're trying to get an audience with a Managing Director or a Deputy Commissioner in government, shitty titles won't cut it. An "Account Manager" won't get past a secretary, but "VP of North American Sales" might. In other contexts, the dramatic title is a liability.

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