There are two things you should be worried about as a founder.
One of them is failure…
And the other is success.
You heard right! At least 50% of founders lose the dominant position at their company by the time it’s 3 years old. And less than 25% ever get to take their venture public.
If it sounds depressing… well, that’s because it is.
The more effective you are at growing your business, the sooner it will grow too big for your nimble startup management style, and need a different kind of leadership.
The kind only a good CEO can provide.
Now, most founders do their best to make the transition – and still fail. Ironically, the traits that made them so unstoppable in the early days, when growth was the only priority, are the same ones that throw a wrench in the works later!
But it doesn’t have to be this way. It’s that that becoming a CEO when you used to be a founder is hard. It’s just that being a CEO is hard, period! And even though those old-school corporate CEOs would have you believe they have it all figured out…
…they don’t.
In fact, with the right kind of coaching, you would make a 100x better CEO than they ever will.
And we know just the person to get you there – Todd Uterstaedt!
Formerly a military intelligence officer, Todd is the host of the popular podcast, “From Founder To CEO,” which has listeners in over 100 countries. His sole mission is helping founders make a successful shift to CEO. Todd provides them with the kind of help he wishes he’d had back when he was a startup founder.
On “From Founder to CEO,” Todd has interviewed hundreds of business leaders. He has extracted detailed, field-tested insights and strategies from visionaries in dozens of industries – and made them available to first-time founders who could use some guidance.
Are you one of them?
Don’t worry: being a founder is one of the hardest jobs in the world. As is being a CEO. It’s OK to ask for help as you navigate the shift from one to the other. And Todd can and will help – by sharing his advice on today’s Get Genius!
Please enjoy this week’s interview, and make sure to check out Todd’s excellent podcast in the show notes below.
Click here for the full transcription
Here’s what you will learn:
[00:15] Introducing Todd
[05:22] Why Todd created his show and business
[09:30] Todd tackles the big question: “Can a founder be a CEO?”
[10:45] The organic energy of founders
[13:25] The CEO’s role in a company, how to transition from Founder to CEO
[17:50] Self-awareness as the key to leadership
[21:33] The difficulties of the co-founder relationship and the story of Matt Fischer
[26:08] How to let go of blaming others and focus on overcoming your flaws
[29:19] Finding the right people for your team using the rule of “30, 30, 30, 10”
[35:18] How do you know when to grow your business and start hiring? Todd explains
[39:10] Why giving up roles and responsibilities is critical – even if you love them!
[40:30] Where to find out more about Todd
Resources from Todd:
Todd’s podcast “From Founder to CEO”
