𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Starting early and building relationships ensures investor familiarity and trust. Structured communication and data-backed narratives improve fundraising success.
𝟏. 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ⏳
– Begin fundraising 9–18 months before runway ends.
– Map target investors, refine pitch materials, and clarify messaging.
– Engage early to build familiarity and credibility before active fundraising.
𝟐. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 🚀
– Fundraising stages:
1. Define strategy
2. Identify investors
3. Prepare materials
4. Conduct meetings
5. Close commitments
– Combine storytelling with measurable traction, KPIs, and projections.
𝟑. 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩-𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 🤝
– Maintain consistent follow-ups and transparent updates.
– Prioritize long-term relationships over short-term transactions.
– Provide insights that demonstrate execution ability and strategic vision.
𝟒. 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 & 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 ✅
– Increases fundraising success probability.
– Strengthens investor confidence and positions for future rounds.
– Emphasizes persistence, transparency, and clear data presentation.
Fundraising requires strategy, preparation, and consistent relationship-building. Early engagement and clear metrics enhance investor confidence.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐊𝐏𝐈𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐏 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Transparent, data-driven reporting demonstrates competence and builds LP trust. Clear KPIs allow investors to monitor progress effectively.
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚-𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 📊
– Use clear, measurable KPIs to communicate progress and efficiency.
– Include metrics like CAC payback, burn multiple, revenue efficiency, and capital efficiency.
– Separate assumptions from outputs to maintain credibility and trust.
𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 📈
– Prepare financial models and forecasts for early-stage and growth-stage portfolios.
– Deliver updates through dashboards, one-page briefs, and visual summaries.
– Help LPs understand portfolio-wide insights to deepen engagement.
𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 💡
– Maintain regular and structured updates to investors, even outside fundraising.
– Provide insights that are actionable, relevant, and aligned with LP interests.
– Combine quantitative results with context to convey strategy and execution.
𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 & 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 ✅
– Builds investor confidence and accelerates fundraising.
– Enhances long-term relationships and credibility.
– Ensures that capital efficiency and transparency remain central to investor communications.
Providing actionable metrics and insights strengthens credibility and engagement. Structured reporting accelerates fundraising success.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐏 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
A structured schedule ensures outreach is consistent and measurable, reducing wasted effort. Tailoring communication by LP type increases conversion and trust.
𝐓𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 & 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 ⏰
– Contact approximately 300 LPs to secure ~50 commitments for a mid-sized fund.
– Begin fundraising well in advance, preparing materials, metrics, and messaging.
– Break investor outreach into archetypes: family offices, institutional investors, angels.
𝐃𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰 📅
– Divide daily activities into:
Morning: Pipeline review and prioritization
Midday: Investor meetings and outreach
Afternoon: Relationship maintenance and follow-ups
– Track KPIs: meetings scheduled, follow-ups completed, commitments secured.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 & 𝐌𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦 🔄
– Maintain a structured, disciplined schedule to reduce wasted effort.
– Execute outreach systematically, ensuring LPs are consistently engaged.
– Build predictable fundraising outcomes through routine, cadence, and persistence.
𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 🧩
– Customize materials and messaging per LP type and preferences.
– Focus on relevant metrics and updates to strengthen investor confidence.
– Balance relationship-building, strategic planning, and outreach efficiency.
𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 & 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 ✅
– A disciplined schedule improves conversion rates and investor trust.
– Provides a framework for repeatable, scalable fundraising success.
Disciplined planning and systematic outreach optimize fundraising efficiency. Clear KPIs and routine engagement drive predictable outcomes.
#Fundraising #InvestorRelations #VentureCapital
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐋𝐏 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐈𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
Clear segmentation and personalized communication ensure investor engagement and build trust, which accelerates fundraising outcomes. Strategic, transparent follow-ups increase efficiency and long-term LP loyalty.
𝐋𝐏 𝐒𝐞𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 🧩
– Segment LPs by stage preference, sector focus, geography, and engagement style.
– Recognize that investor motivations vary, and tailor outreach accordingly.
– Create LP archetypes to guide personalized communication and prioritize efforts.
𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ✨
– Deliver updates and materials aligned with each investor’s preferences.
– Highlight KPIs, portfolio milestones, and fund performance, avoiding generic or irrelevant data.
– Maintain clear, concise, and consistent messaging to build credibility.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 📊
– Use CRM systems to track interactions, follow-ups, and investor commitments.
– Log nuances of conversations, previous feedback, and investor interests for long-term strategy.
– Scale communication without losing the personal touch, ensuring LPs feel valued.
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 & 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 💬
– Share both successes and challenges openly to enhance credibility.
– Maintain engagement outside fundraising cycles with insights, portfolio updates, or market commentary.
– Establish a relationship-first approach, ensuring investors feel informed and understood.
𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐔𝐩𝐬 & 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 ⏰
– Plan structured follow-ups at predictable intervals to maintain momentum.
– Engage investors well before active fundraising to foster confidence and familiarity.
– Turn investor relations into a strategic advantage, reducing friction and accelerating commitments.
𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 & 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 ✅
– Strong IR strategy improves fundraising efficiency, LP trust, and long-term partnerships.
– Combines relationship-building, data transparency, and targeted communication for measurable impact.
A structured, relationship-first approach turns investor relations into a key strategic advantage. It ensures LPs feel valued and informed while boosting fundraising efficiency.
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐓𝐨 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫-𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 (𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐭-𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭)
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Regular, structured communication significantly boosts your chances of securing follow-on funding. The data shows that startups that deliver consistent investor updates are three times more likely to succeed.
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞-𝐛𝐲-𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞:
𝟏. 𝐏𝐫𝐞-𝐃𝐮𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 📷
– 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬: Teaser deck (~12 slides), one-page KPI snapshot.
– 𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Weekly momentum updates until a LOI/term sheet is in place.
– 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐬: Intro email → 30-minute call.
– 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫: Broad, untargeted outreach, vanity metrics, responses taking over 48 hours.
𝟐. 𝐃𝐮𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 → 𝐑𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 🔎
– 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬: Full data room including financials, cap tables, legal docs, runway, wiring info.
– 𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Twice-weekly emails with updates and Q&A responses; 48-hour turnaround on legal edits.
– 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐬: Email, DocSend/Carta (for tracking), Slack/Signal/WhatsApp for real-time.
– 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫: Ghosting after hard questions, slow document delivery, last-minute valuation shifts.
𝟑. 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 & 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 🤝
– 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬: Monthly updates + quarterly board packs with KPIs (ARR, burn/runway, margins, hiring, asks, 12-month forecasts).
– 𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Monthly updates; quarterly board meetings scheduled ~10 days post-pack.
– 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐬: Email for updates, Notion or Boardable for packs, video or in-person for meetings.
– 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫: KPI drift, late packs, vague or no actionable asks.
𝟒. 𝐅𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 📑
– 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬: Raise-preview deck, milestone scorecard, list of target investors.
– 𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Bi-weekly metric snapshots for insiders; monthly pipeline status.
– 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐬: Email, dashboards (e.g., Visible or Rundit), Loom walkthroughs.
– 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫: Preferential terms to new investors, raising with low runway, unfocused outreach.
– 𝐓𝐢𝐩: Quickly act on intros—this speeds up fundraising and protects ownership.
𝟓. 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 🚶♀️➡️
– 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬: Buyer data room, waterfall model, employee retention plans, LOI progress.
– 𝐂𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: Weekly board updates + ad-hoc alerts for major changes.
– 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐬: Dedicated board Slack channel and scheduled board calls.
– 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫: Excluding the board, surprise clawbacks, delayed approvals.
Effective founder-investor communication is foundational to building trust and driving results. Anchoring your approach in clarity, consistency, context, candour, and conciseness – and tailoring your approach to each phase of the funding lifecycle sets the stage for mutual value creation.
#fundraising #investor relations
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🚀 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟 🚀
In a recent blog post by Ryan Monk and Gianna Santaniello of Primary Venture Partners, they highlight the best reasons for hiring (incl. where to find them, and when and how to hire) a Chief of Staff in early-stage startups. This piece resonated deeply with me, as I felt like it was written specifically about me, perfectly describing my own professional journey – 2x Chief of Staff, former VC, specializing in operations, strategy, marketing, community, and fundraising – a professional who excels in a wide range of tasks, adding immense value across various functions.
The article is a great and quick read, but I’ve condensed it here for you in a tldr version as I know you’re all busy people.
1. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐟𝐟:
Chiefs of Staff are crucial in startups, acting as the founder’s right hand and managing everything from internal KPIs to investor relations.
2. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐒:
a. Operational Generalists: The Swiss Army knives who tackle diverse tasks, from setting up HR policies to organizing team offsite.
b. Functional Specialists: Experts in a specific area like product development, finance, or marketing, who also manage broader operations.
c. Versatilists: Similar to generalists who are capable in many areas, but also possess deep knowledge in one or more specific domains. (I added this one. For more info on versatilists, check out my Linked post.
Regardless of their type, a CoS spends over 75% of their time working closely with the CEO, building a relationship founded on trust.
3. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐞:
Timing is everything. Hire too early, and the CoS may have little to do; hire too late, and the founder could be too overwhelmed to make the most of the role. Typically, the best time to hire is around the Seed or Series A stage when the founder’s workload starts to hinder key activities like fundraising and product development.
4. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐒:
– Delegatable tasks are piling up.
– Struggling to focus on core responsibilities.
– Increasing administrative complexity requires dedicated attention.
5. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐭:
Look within your network and relevant communities. Strong candidates often transition from consulting or investment banking into startups. Primary’s Chief of Staff Mastermind Network, along with VC and startup communities, are excellent resources.
6. 𝐈𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐞:
– 2-3 years in top-tier consulting, investment banking, or private equity.
– Startup experience for a year or more.
– Proactive, self-starter with intellectual curiosity and strong executive presence.
7. 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐬:
– Comfort with ambiguity and a “get things done” attitude.
– Ability to build from scratch and research solutions to new problems.
– Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
8. 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐂𝐨𝐒:
Once hired, grant them trust and autonomy. Clearly define their responsibilities to maximize their impact, such as:
– Creating decks and financial models.
– Managing hiring processes.
– Setting up company-wide productivity tools.
– Handling contracts and agreements.
A successful CoS will ensure operations run smoothly, allowing the founder to focus on high-impact activities. Typically, they transition into a specialized role within 12 to 24 months, further contributing to the company’s growth.
𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧:
The right Chief of Staff is transformative, enabling founders to focus on what they do best. They are capable of handling diverse challenges and driving results across various functions and acting as a force multiplier for their principal. So if you’re looking for someone like this in your startup, let’s connect!
#Versatilist #ChiefOfStaff #StartupSuccess #Fundraising #Growth #Leadership #VC #PE #HealthcareTech #AI #LLM #ProfessionalDevelopment #LinkedIn
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐨 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬
This post by Gregory Shove and Taylor Malmsheimer highlights the 10 ways to get your CEO to listen during a presentation to them. Their blog is located at https://lnkd.in/d27h2mm5 and is well worth subscribing to.
It’s a great read but if you’re strapped for time, here’s the tl;dr:
CEOs are impatient, strapped for time, and focused on finding leverage for the business.
So if you want to present well to a CEO, follow these 10 tips:
𝟏) 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠
Get to the point quickly and in plain words.
𝟐) 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
It’s not a TED talk. Use them to get feedback, not as a rapt audience.
𝟑) 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝟐 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬 – 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 – 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭
If you skip right to the point without context, they’ll be lost. So you need to anchor them.
𝟒) 𝐈𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝟐 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦/𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫
Why are you here today? What decision is being made? What are you asking for?
𝟓) 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞
And make sure they agree that the problem is worth solving.
𝟔) 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝
Ask if the CEO read it beforehand, and don’t be offended if they didn’t.
𝟕) 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐭
CEOs respect people who give the truth and can cut sharply to how something is doing.
𝟖) 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬
How does what you present matter to the business (is it driving up renewal, referrals, user growth, etc.)?
𝟗) 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐄𝐎 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐭 (𝐬𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦)
Insert questions along the way to spur good conversation, such as “Is this a problem worth working on?” or “Are these the right metrics for us to prioritize?”
𝟏𝟎) 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐛𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬
If they do, two pieces of advice: say “we’ll cover that in a moment” if you are going to cover it in a few slides and don’t overreact or get defensive.
Think of presenting well to the CEO as an opportunity to show that you understand the metrics that matter and to position yourself as a thought partner to the CEO.
For the full post: https://lnkd.in/dDRHp5Re
Also posted on LinkedIn
What makes a strong Chief of Staff?
I’ve sometimes been asked, “What qualities do I need to become a strong Chief of Staff?”
First, why is the Chief of Staff role important?
A strong Chief of Staff plays a pivotal role in facilitating an organization’s success by acting as a bridge between executive leadership, key initiatives, and various functional areas.
Now that we’ve established the importance of the role, here are 14 attributes that are essential to excel as a Chief of Staff:
1. Deep Understanding of Operations and Strategy
A Chief of Staff must understand the company’s operations and strategic objectives fairly deeply. This includes a keen awareness of not only the company’s specific industry/sector, but also the bigger picture (global business landscape, financial markets, and the macro-economy). Having this knowledge allows them to align their efforts with the organization’s vision effectively.
2. Strategic Thinker
Strong Chiefs of Staff have a knack for strategic thinking. They can not only grasp the big picture but also identify specific opportunities and challenges. (My previous CEO would ask each participant for their SWOT analysis after every external meeting with investors, partners, vendors, etc., which helped hone this skill in me.) This skill is vital when working on critical initiatives and projects such as international expansion and program development.
3. Self Awareness
People will perceive you differently in this role. You’re no longer “your name”. You’re “(the CEO name)’s Chief of Staff”. So the words you say and actions you take are going to land differently. Keep this in mind in your approach.
4. Egoless Mindset
Chiefs of Staff must prioritize collaboration, teamwork, and the greater good over personal ego and individual recognition. I’m this way, and I know it’s not easy for most people to be like this, but it is necessary for success in the role.
This is often associated with agile methodology, where teams are encouraged to be self-organizing and focused on delivering value (which is how I prefer to work). It also leads to more effective and efficient teamwork, minimizing conflicts and competition among team members.
5. Superior Communication Skills
Effective communication is key. Chiefs of Staff are responsible for conveying insights, coordinating efforts, and ensuring that information flows seamlessly between executives and teams. They must be adept at summarizing complex ideas and presenting them clearly to leaders. And they must be able to communicate effectively, precisely, and succinctly.
6. Engendering Trust
Trust is defined here as “consistency over time” – meaning consistently deliver and have sensitivity around conversations of confidential topics. The more you can do that, the more trust you will build with the team over time.
7. Organizational and Productivity Skills
Chiefs of Staff must be self-starters who can take ownership of juggling multiple projects, stakeholders, and deliverables, prioritize them all effectively, and manage multiple tasks with competing deadlines. Their ability to bring together various stakeholders and drive decisions is crucial, aligning with the company’s values of excellence.
8. Growth Mindset
The ability to learn from mistakes and not make the same ones again is very important.
9. Adaptability and Resiliency:
In their capacity as strategic thought partners, Chiefs of Staff often need to switch between supporting leadership directly and working on organization-wide projects. This adaptability enables them to seamlessly transition between these roles as needed.
They also need resiliency in the face of adversity when things don’t go well.
10. Track Record of Accomplishment
A successful Chief of Staff usually brings a track record of accomplishments in previous roles. This can include achievements in business development, operations, and other relevant areas. This history of delivering results demonstrates their ability to drive projects forward.
11. Multidisciplinary Background
Given the multifaceted nature of the role, a strong Chief of Staff typically has a multidisciplinary background. Experience in fields, such as management consulting, venture capital, fintech, and corporate development provides a well-rounded perspective that can be invaluable in supporting leadership.
12. Global Perspective
Given the international nature of business today, Chiefs of Staff are sometimes required to travel frequently to engage with partners and stakeholders worldwide. This global perspective can be critical when expanding into new markets.
13. Evaluation and Decision-Making
Chiefs of Staff evaluate proposals and initiatives critically, exercise independent judgment, and make recommendations to senior leaders. Their decisions contribute to the overall strategy and direction of the company.
14. Commitment to Company Values
Finally, a strong Chief of Staff upholds and embodies the core values of the company. Their high integrity, commitment to a multistakeholder approach, mindfulness, and unwavering dedication to excellence reflect and reinforce the company’s culture.
In conclusion, a strong Chief of Staff brings a combination of operational expertise, strategic thinking, excellent communication, and typically, a history of accomplishments. They act as a critical partner to executive leadership and play a key role in driving the organization’s goals and objectives forward.
What is your opinion? Feel free to contribute in the comments below.
Keywords: #chiefofstaff #cos
Please feel free to share/repost/retweet. Also posted on LinkedIn.
Navigating The First 90 Days in a Chief of Staff Role
As a Chief of Staff, I thought I would begin sharing my knowledge in a series of posts on how to be most impactful and best serve the principal (the person to whom the Chief of Staff reports) and the company you work for. (FYI, this is from my experience working in early-stage startups, and not everyone will be best served by this approach as every organization and staff are different.)
This first post will be about how to best approach the first 90 days in the CoS role. This period is important to begin on the right foot, not only with the principal but also with the executive level team (ELT) and the organization as a whole. (Particularly since many who operate alongside a CoS may not know exactly what the role is about.)
These are some of the processes and initiatives you can introduce in your first 90 days as a Chief of Staff. For simplicity’s sake, I’ve broken this down into “the 3 R’s” – Role, Relationships, and Reputation.
Role
1. The first thing to do is articulate your roles and responsibilities and write them down on a single piece of paper. (This should have been laid out in the job description and your interview process).
2. Then work with your principal to rank and prioritize them so you both know the core bullseye of your responsibilities.
3. It should be considered a “living” document and will likely change over time, but at least you both have a basis to point to and work from.
Relationships
1. Make it a point to introduce yourself to the rest of the executive team to form productive relationships with them. While your title may be “Chief of Staff to the _____ (insert principal title here)”, your job is to make the entire executive team more productive and successful.
2. You should also familiarize yourself with the work of the executive team and vice versa (sharing your “one-pager” with them) so they understand your role, your background, and who you are as a person; and you should do the same for them as well, learning about each of them in turn.
3. You should ask them what they think are improvement areas for the company and what is going well, and get their recommendations on who else on their teams you should be talking to and forming relationships with.
4. You should have a 1×1 meeting with your principal’s EA at least once a week to figure out and plan how to best support the principal.
5. Then you should have a 1×1 meeting with your principal at least once a week to get aligned on the projects and key priorities to focus on for that week (I like Monday mornings for at least 30 minutes to make sure we are completely in sync for the week ahead).
Reputation
1. In the first 30 days, all eyes will be on you. So it is crucial to over-communicate and over-deliver.
2. You should generate small, early wins that you and your principal can celebrate. The more you both can point to these, the more others will understand your role and the impact that you can have in the organization.
What is your opinion? Feel free to contribute in the comments below.
Keywords: #chiefofstaff #cos #first90days
Please feel free to share/repost/retweet. Also posted on LinkedIn.
How Blockchain Will Disrupt E-commerce
As blockchain technology grows in popularity and usage, e-commerce businesses are realizing just how revolutionary the technology is, and how it can solve many of the problems the industry is currently facing.
1. Growth
Decentralized transactions allow merchants to expand their reach across borders and simultaneously grow their businesses to levels that were previously constrained by central authorities. Blockchain technology also allows third-world countries to trade online more easily, as consumers and merchants no longer need a payment intermediary thanks to peer-to-peer technology enabled by the blockchain. This will result in massive growth for existing online stores (and new ones coming in), thanks to their increased reach.
2. Security
The pure decentralized nature of the blockchain is also such that it is impossible to alter the data, thus removing the possibility of any fraudulent transactions. Additionally, due to self-executed smart contracts, business partnerships will strengthen and efficiency will increase. Thus, it will create a “trustless” environment where users will not need not know or trust each other to enter into an agreement since any manipulation of the data will be rejected by other members in the network.
3. Counterfeit Products
E-commerce companies are facing a huge problem of counterfeit and substandard products due to difficulty in regulation and selection of vendors, which leads to increased returns and customer dissatisfaction. Blockchain technology solves this problem by enabling the verification of all information and claims associated with a product, allowing consumers to quickly and easily be able to check the purity, quality, or origin of a product, and thereby building more trust and loyalty.
4. Supply Chain Management
For certain products, ethical sourcing and/or sustainability is the key to its ethos and potentially success in the marketplace. But until now, that was always one of the most difficult things to get insight on. However, blockchain technology allows both customers and organizations the insight and ability to track complex variables related to both sustainability and ethical sourcing. This helps procurement organizations in all industries lower their costs and improve performance while driving greater value for their companies.
5. Payment
Paying vendors is not always as easy or straightforward as it may seem. But now with the blockchain, the entire payment process has been simplified and been made more efficient as the payment intermediary or central authorizing body has been eliminated. As a result, transactions can take place in real-time and also lowers operational costs.
6. Exchange Rates
With cryptocurrency, we now truly have universal currencies – which allows consumers and businesses to transact all over the globe without needing to worry about exchange rates.
7. Digital Identity
Passwords and authentication requests have proven to be limited in their effectiveness in protecting data, and stealing a user’s credit card information has become easier for thieves. Blockchain technology helps to prevent this from happening with a digital identity that is safer and easier for users to manage with digital identities that are based on a uniquely random set of numbers assigned to each user on the blockchain network.
8. Customer Experience
In addition to all the issues listed above, there are also problems in the customer experience. For instance, customer loyalty programs are seeing low redemption rates and are badly in need of a more modern upgrade; there are too few incentives for customers to join them; and data breaches happen with regularity compromising customers’ data. However, using blockchain technology, users can receive loyalty tokens that are interoperable across many programs, and they never expire or lose value unlike traditional reward points.
9. Proof of Ownership
Additionally, blockchain technology allows businesses and consumers to prove ownership and save product invoices and warranties. Often times consumers get frustrated when they can’t find their paper receipt to substantiate ownership and therefore, the warranty coverage for their product. (I mean let’s be honest – how many people really save all their product warranties?) But with blockchain technology and NFTs specifically, buyers and sellers will be able to conveniently save receipts and warranty data and authenticate evidence of ownership.
Conclusion
In summary, blockchain technology can and will continue to be used to improve e-commerce and solve the problems that currently face it – including providing added security, fixing the issue of counterfeit products, proof of ownership and digital identity, supply chain management, and improving the customer experience.
What is your opinion? Feel free to contribute in the comments below.
Keywords: #blockchain #blockchaintechnology #emergingtech #emergingtechpredictions #e-commerce #ecommerce #ecommercetechnology #techdisruption #supplychain
Please feel free to share/repost/retweet
Entrepreneurial Minded 