What I learned as CEO

Je suis récemment retombé sur une note personnelle en date du 3 juin 2016, soit quelques jours après avoir annoncé à mes co-fondateurs que j'allais quitter mon poste de CEO pour reprendre mes études de droit.

Cette note était une réflexion sur ce que j'avais appris en 3 ans de création d'une boite, notamment sur le management et la conceptualisation d'un produit.

Peut-être que vous la trouverez intéressante ou que certaines réflexions résonneront avec mes amis entrepreneurs (c'est en anglais)💡

Poster of our launch at Yale University in August 2015

 On Management

•  Democratic leadership doesn’t work. Too much arguing over little things. Too many compromises that don’t go the right way. CEO should always have final word after taking input from key person.

•  Lack of clearly defined roles is an issue. Not clear who is doing what creates friction.

•  Trust is key. You need to have a team that trusts each other’s decisions.

•  Also should trust your gut more often, it was often right.

•  Need structure. Need corporate culture to some extent. People can't come when they want to the office, need a limit. Also need to enforce that limit. Need to set clear rules at the start. Or people take what they can get. 

•  Don't accept mediocrity or "good enough"

•  Get employees involved, don't shut them out. Need transparency for employees. If they know what you’re working on and that you’re working hard it will motivate them. Don’t go in a room all day doing strategy and they have no clue what you’re doing in there. 

On Product

•  1 need to have feature is worth a million nice to haves 

•  I'm a bit skeptical of add-on products. 

•  growth is the byproduct of an amazing user experience

•  First retention, then sustainable growth 

•  Product needs to be frictionless, users are lazy and not inclined to make efforts on the product. 

•  Need to add a tangible, selfish-like benefit to the user. 

•  You need to add more value to the user over time or user won't stick around. 

•  Solve a problem or make something much cheaper 

•  Build a product where you’re the first user 

•  Treat your startup like a lab - need to do experiments 

On Investments 

•  Don’t give equity to leavers unless you have to

•  A deal isn't done until everyone has signed the investment agreement

•  Start raising early – but question whether you need investment. It’s a means to an end, not the end in itself.