Startup CEO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Business
After raising our series A funding, the first big question I had was — how to scale the business? I looked at my reading list and saw this book. (FYI, my startup LoginRadius raised $17M series A from Microsoft’s M12 and other investors a few months ago).
First-time entrepreneurs always wonder about how they will build, scale, and operate a 3x or 4x bigger company. And I am not much different.
I do not know the author Matt Blumberg personally, and I’d never heard of him or his company, but I absolutely enjoyed reading this book. I know the struggle that startup CEOs and founders face, and there are few resources available that genuinely speak about the practical experience. But it made me happy to see that Matt had written a book that covered all aspects of being a startup CEO.
The book is very well-structured in five parts:
- Storytelling
- Building the Company’s Human Capital
- Execution
- Building and Leading a Board of Directors
- Managing Yourself So You Can Manage Others
These five parts are made up of 47 chapters spread across 358 pages. It’s not a small book and requires a decent time commitment. Digital as well hard copies are available in various online stores.
My thoughts on Startup CEO
Matt covers pretty much all aspects of building and scaling a technology company from a CEO perspective. It is truly a field guide and he didn’t leave any topic untouched. It is full of valuable tips and advice. I wish I have read this book a few years ago.
He shared his experience and learnings and gave specific examples from his tenure as CEO of Return Path. He also collaborated with many people to present their perspectives, such as VCs, VPs, CFOs, and even an executive assistant.
Who is Startup CEO for?
This book is a must-read for startup founders, CEOs, and senior executives. Now, in my case, I feel like I was a bit late in reading the book. Here’s what I suggest:
- Read this book when you hit your tenth employee. You will get glimpses of the challenges waiting for you.
- Re-read (or go over a summary) when you hit your fiftieth employee.
- Finally, read it a third time when you hit your hundredth employee.
The book covers so many aspects of the business, and not all of them applicable to all the stages of your business. That’s why I recommend people read it a few times.