What does it take for a startup founder to succeed as the CEO?

In the world of startups, one question that often comes to mind is: “Do founders make great CEOs?” To answer this question, we need to first delve into the responsibilities and expectations of these two critical roles.

Who is the founder? 

Who is the CEO? 

Skills favorable for a founder to succeed as the CEO

1. Being a thought leader for the industry – A successful CEO is someone who is good at solving the right problems. That often means an individual who understands what the customer wants and their customer pain points, and who then tries to create a business to solve it. A CEO is also so confident about their solution (to the identified customer pain point) that they become their industry’s thought leader. 




2. Having the drive to win

   – A CEO should ideally have a demonstrated track record of winning, whether in sports, academia or other competitive fields. Moreover, they should have the drive to win deeply ingrained in them.



3. Having the willingness to learn

   – Entrepreneurs often face problems that others have not solved already and are, therefore, always looking for new information that can help solve these problems. CEOs are curious, smart and doers of quick and sensible experiments. 



4. Be able to manage risk

   – CEOs excel at swiftly identifying and removing as many essential risks as they can. For instance, an organization generally must top $100 million in revenue if it wishes to go public. So, if trying to raise money, the CEO would target a market that is much bigger than $1 billion, because venture capitalists usually don’t believe that a startup can get more than 10% of any market.



5. Be able to work with people smarter than them

   – Smart CEOs are not afraid of working with people who know more than them; in fact, they prefer that. They use their wit and charm to attract, employ and motivate the best employees on the planet. 

Author

Neha De

Neha De is a writer and editor with more than 13 years of experience. She has worked on a variety of genres and platforms, including books, magazine articles, blog posts and website copy. She is passionate about producing clear and concise content that is engaging and informative. In her spare time, Neha enjoys dancing, running and spending time with her family.