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I don’t know if every founder can relate to this but for us - my biz partner and I - in our 4.5 years of building @simplyeloped, there have been 3 distinct phases of being CEO, and each phase requires an insanely different set of skills. 
Phase 1: we’ll call this phase “All-Hats”. It’s the phase where you have no team, no software, no systems. You’re in the phase of discovery, building and bolstering. It’s the phase where you wear all hats. I love this phase. This is the phase we were strongest as founders.
Phase 2: we’ll call this phase “Don’t Hire Your Mom”. In this phase we were not very particular about who we hired. We didn’t know s*** about building culture, hiring for skill-set or the importance of systems and documentation. We learned a lot on this phase and...
...I can say with confidence that we have spent the last two years working out these kinks and have great systems for hiring, training and retaining. The insights that got us here were PAINFUL. [Insert sigh of relief].
Phase 3: we’ll call this phase “Suit & Tie”. It’s the phase where you have a team, have revenue and you’re ready to scale the hail outta your co. It’s where the old systems and frameworks no longer apply because youre outgrowing yourself. This is where we are and it’s been rough.
We feel painfully inadequate as leaders. We are deep-diving on all fronts: strategy, leaders (how to curate, craft and lead good leaders), and process. I feel everything we have learned prior to now was a good foundation but we are finding a lot of cracks in said foundation.
We are experiencing a lot of self-doubt and insecurity about how to overcome this phase, if I’m being honest.
@skonnard of @pluralsight once said In an @indievc talk that no one is better equipped to run your business than you...
@skonnard of @pluralsight once said In an @indievc talk that no one is better equipped to run your business than you...
...that’s the only mantra really getting me through this phase currently.
Let me know if you have any advice or words to share about how to get past this blip of personal insecurity as we fully transition into Phase 3.
Let me know if you have any advice or words to share about how to get past this blip of personal insecurity as we fully transition into Phase 3.
