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Table of Contents
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5 Introduction: Why Startup Leadership Matters at Every Levelintroduction NOTES
6 PART I: BECOMING A STARTUP EXECUTIVE CHAPTER ONE: What It's Really Like to Be an Executive at a Startup—and How It's Different from Being a Director or Manager WHAT DOES A STARTUP EXECUTIVE REALLY DO? A STARTUP EXECUTIVE'S SCHEDULE: A WEEK IN THE LIFE, AT A GLANCE OTHER DIFFERENCES BETWEEN NON‐EXECUTIVE AND EXECUTIVE ROLES OWNING THE “WHY” OF THE WORK DEPARTMENTAL UNDERSTANDING BEYOND ONE NARROW AREA RESPONSIBILITY FOR BUILDING AND LEADING A HIGH‐PERFORMING TEAM SIMPLY PUT: IT'S A BIGGER COMMITMENT LESS COMPANIONSHIP AND CAMARADERIE WITH OTHER NON‐EXECUTIVE STARTUP EMPLOYEES EXECUTIVES HAVE THE MOST CONTEXT OF ANYONE IN THE DEPARTMENT WHO'S QUALIFIED TO BE A STARTUP EXECUTIVE? WHAT QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL ON THE JOB AS A STARTUP LEADER MANY SCALING STARTUPS BRING IN LEADERS FROM BIG COMPANIES EXECUTIVE COACH AND FORMER MICROSOFT NORTH AMERICA CFO JOHN REX: ADVICE FOR SCALING STARTUP LEADERS SCALING IS HARD IN BOTH DIRECTIONS LEARN TO DELEGATE WITH CAPABLE TALENT AS YOU SCALE EARLY‐STAGE STARTUP VS. SCALE‐UP LEADERSHIP MINDSET STARTUP LEADERS CAN'T GET STUCK AT 30,000 FEET NOTES CHAPTER TWO: Bridging the Transition from Manager to Executive: How Leaders Got Their First Role MAKING THE LEADERSHIP TRANSITION: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE “FULLY READY” TO GO FOR IT HOW THEY GOT THEIR FIRST EXECUTIVE ROLE: REAL STORIES FROM STARTUP EXECUTIVES MINDY LAUCK ON BEING A NON‐FOUNDER STARTUP TEAM MEMBER PROMOTED TO EXECUTIVE, AND THEN CEO (TWICE!) CHALLENGE FOR FIRST‐TIME EXECUTIVES: SAM MCKENNA SHARES HER STORY OF BEING PROMOTED TO VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES MAKING THE TRANSITION BY LEARNING TO WORK DIFFERENTLY FROM BIG COMPANY LEADER TO STARTUP EXECUTIVE: COO ERIN RAND'S STORY NAIL THE LEAP: START AS A “HEAD OF” AND MAKE THE TITLE OFFICIAL ONCE YOU'VE PROVEN YOUR SUCCESS CONSULTING AS A PATH TO DE‐RISKING YOUR FIRST EXECUTIVE ROLE NOTE CHAPTER THREE: Understanding and Evaluating Your Fit at Various Startups CHOOSING A STARTUP THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU WHY QUESTIONS MATTER SOME SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO EXPLORE IN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS OTHER CONSIDERATIONS RESEARCH THE COMPETITION/MARKET RESEARCH THE TEAM THROUGH YOUR CONNECTIONS AND/OR PUBLIC REVIEW SITES LIKE LINKEDIN AND GLASSDOOR ASSESS THE CO‐FOUNDER RELATIONSHIP UNDERSTAND THE STARTUP'S STAGE AND HOW IT ALIGNS WITH YOUR GOALS DO YOU ALIGN WITH THE LEADERSHIP TEAM? OTHER KINDS OF FIT TO LOOK OUT FOR SOME EXAMPLES OF FIT ASSESS THE MATURITY OF YOUR STARTUP'S DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION WHAT'S YOUR STARTUP‐STAGE RISK TOLERANCE? HOW MUCH EXECUTION AND “GETTING YOUR HANDS DIRTY” ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH RIGHT AWAY? DETERMINING YOUR IDEAL STARTUP STAGE NOTES CHAPTER FOUR: Landing Your Next Startup Executive Role: Leveling Up Within Your Current Organization or Seeking a Role Elsewhere MY FIRST EXECUTIVE ROLE: JOINING AN EARLY‐STAGE STARTUP AND GETTING PROMOTED TO VP HOW ANALIESE BROWN, VP OF PEOPLE AT CAMPMINDER, GOT PROMOTED INTO HER FIRST EXECUTIVE STARTUP ROLE GENERALIST TO SPECIALIST: HOW TO “COME UP” AS AN EXECUTIVE IN YOUR AREA OF SPECIALIZATION LEARN TO BALANCE THE TACTICAL AND THE STRATEGIC UNDERSTAND BUSINESS AREAS OUTSIDE YOUR “COMFORT ZONE” EMBRACE A LEARNING
