Startup CEO Reflections

A blog about building high potential businesses

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  • Fundraising,  Management

    Management. Management. Management.

    Jen Baird / April 26, 2025

    In startups, the fundamental principle, “management, management, management,” emphasizes that building value depends most on the skills and experience of the startup founders/leaders, with the leadership team often being more instrumental in success than other factors like the idea, the funding, and the industry.

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    You May Also Like

    VC Intro Call Playbook

    February 10, 2024

    My Prospective VC Is Asking For Personality Tests?

    August 15, 2020

    I Am Not Your Friend

    February 12, 2022
  • CEO Essentials,  Management,  Team Building

    Hire When It Hurts

    Jen Baird / February 1, 2025

    Capital efficiency is critical when relying on investor capital rather than operating income to build your company. In the early stages, hire carefully. In fact, in general, put off expanding your team prematurely by only hiring when it hurts.

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    Pursuing Mythical Creatures

    October 19, 2024

    Resilience

    October 12, 2024

    Authoritative

    September 14, 2024
  • Building,  Management,  Risk & Decision-Making

    In-sourcing and Outsourcing

    Jen Baird / September 28, 2024

    It often seems like it would be possible to grow a startup faster by outsourcing some of the key functions to an expert service provider. Sometimes, this is true, but often, there is less leverage than you might think – and there is undoubtedly a great deal of risk.

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    You May Also Like

    Every Startup is a Custom Job

    July 30, 2022

    You Cannot Learn All You Need to Know on the Internet

    June 17, 2023

    Creating, Refining, and Executing

    August 6, 2022
  • Budgeting & Finance,  Management,  Service Providers

    A Startup’s Chart of Accounts

    Jen Baird / February 17, 2024

    Building a business requires accounting for the funds flowing in and out of it. Honestly, it is one of those necessary evils that few entrepreneurs want to spend time on even though it is essential.

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    You May Also Like

    Stock Option Grant Planning

    May 10, 2025

    Startup Financial Modeling: Things to Know

    May 27, 2023

    Thresholds of Spending

    December 9, 2023
  • Management

    Keep the Red Pen Under Control

    Jen Baird / January 6, 2024

    Building an empowered team is essential for growing a high-potential startup – and achieving empowerment requires a leader to be disciplined in delegating and giving feedback – or else!

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    You May Also Like

    A Startup’s Chart of Accounts

    February 17, 2024

    Building a Fireproof Team

    April 23, 2022

    Pick Your Spending Rate Wisely

    August 7, 2021
  • Leadership,  Management

    The Value of Being Decisive

    Jen Baird / February 11, 2023

    Being able to decide without all of the information you might wish for is a critical startup leadership skill. Often, a clear direction to move drives more value creation than taking time and resources to achieve an incrementally better decision.

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    You May Also Like

    The Most Important Thing

    February 6, 2021

    Critical Success Factor: Decision-Making

    August 24, 2024

    The Power of Professionalism

    March 1, 2025
  • Management

    Beware of Glittering Generalities

    Jen Baird / December 3, 2022

    While "glittering generalities" can serve to cast a vision or set a direction, because they lack a sufficient definition of how you will accomplish the goal, they are not actionable plans for building and operating a business in and of themselves.

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    You May Also Like

    Building a Fireproof Team

    April 23, 2022
    Permission to Innovate

    Permission to Innovate

    July 4, 2020
    Measure

    What You Measure Will Improve

    June 17, 2020
  • Management,  Neurosurgery,  Resting

    Discovering the Meaning of Gradual

    Jen Baird / July 23, 2022

    The neurosurgeon said, “No restrictions anymore. Just add things gradually.” Easier said than done, apparently!

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    You May Also Like

    Play Strengths, Not Weaknesses

    February 20, 2021

    The Value of Being Decisive

    February 11, 2023

    Preparing to be Unavailable for a Time

    May 28, 2022
  • CEO Essentials,  Management

    Striving for Highest Best Use

    Jen Baird / June 25, 2022

    Resources are always limited in a startup. Applying the principle of the highest best use is a way of making more optimal choices to accomplish goals.

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    You May Also Like

    The Dimension You Cannot Change

    January 8, 2022
    Focus

    Focus Means Saying No

    September 19, 2020

    Strategic Startup Scoping

    August 20, 2022
  • Management,  Neurosurgery,  Resting,  Team Building

    Preparing to be Unavailable for a Time

    Jen Baird / May 28, 2022

    What do you do when something comes up, and you must step away for a time? How do you and your team prepare for such a thing?

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    You May Also Like

    A Startup’s Chart of Accounts

    February 17, 2024

    Hire When It Hurts

    February 1, 2025

    Pick Your Spending Rate Wisely

    August 7, 2021
  • Management,  Team Building

    Managing the Wounded

    Jen Baird / May 7, 2022

    When you have someone join your team, one of the key things to keep an eye out for is where they are wounded. Note that I did not say “if” they are wounded, only “where.”

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    You May Also Like

    Play Strengths, Not Weaknesses

    February 20, 2021

    Beware of Glittering Generalities

    December 3, 2022

    Preparing to be Unavailable for a Time

    May 28, 2022
  • CEO Essentials,  Management,  Risk & Decision-Making

    Building a Fireproof Team

    Jen Baird / April 23, 2022

    Building a robust and resilient team requires constant intention every step of the way so that when the going gets tough, or a crisis erupts, the fireproof team can respond. Investing to build a strong startup team that can field a startup’s inevitable curveballs is essential.

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    You May Also Like

    A Startup CEO Essential: Optimism

    May 21, 2022

    The Hidden Value of Board Meeting Preparation

    July 25, 2020

    The Magic of Synthesis

    September 11, 2021
  • Management,  Team Building

    Provide Your Capacity to Your Team

    Jen Baird / January 15, 2022

    As a startup leader and manager, supporting and enabling your team is one of your most important jobs. Yet sometimes, being available feels like you are not doing "enough."

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    You May Also Like

    Beware of Glittering Generalities

    December 3, 2022

    Striving for Highest Best Use

    June 25, 2022

    The Cost of Context Switching

    March 27, 2021
  • Management

    Pick Your Spending Rate Wisely

    Jen Baird / August 7, 2021

    When you have funding, remember that your investors did not invest for you to hold back and be too conservative. They expect you to build value by making bets, taking risks, and owning the consequences. Pick your spending rate wisely.

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    Play Strengths, Not Weaknesses

    February 20, 2021

    The Cost of Context Switching

    March 27, 2021

    Preparing to be Unavailable for a Time

    May 28, 2022
  • CEO Essentials,  Management,  Relationships

    Going Virtual

    Jen Baird / June 26, 2021

    COVID-19 hit like a freight train in the spring of 2020. We went 100% virtual in a day. And began learning and evolving our approaches to work to adapt to a new reality. Here are some initial reflections on our particular case study for the impact of the pandemic on our team.

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    You May Also Like

    Building a Financial Function

    January 13, 2024

    Big Sticks

    July 2, 2022
    Connecting the Why

    Connecting the Why

    December 12, 2020
  • CEO Essentials,  Management

    The Cost of Context Switching

    Jen Baird / March 27, 2021

    Leading a startup that depends on inventing new technology requires mastering the balance of context switching. Too much kills innovation. Too little means losing touch with what is essential

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    You May Also Like

    Jen and Favory Sonata

    Prioritize Exercise While Building Your Startup

    June 20, 2020

    What is that Light?

    August 27, 2022

    Using Lawyers Well

    November 14, 2020
  • Leadership,  Management

    Play Strengths, Not Weaknesses

    Jen Baird / February 20, 2021

    Our impulse is that we should improve upon our weaknesses, whether they are yours or your teammates. Sometimes our impulses are wrong.

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    You May Also Like

    Catch Them Being Good

    February 13, 2021

    The Definition of a Leader

    March 19, 2022
    Focus

    Focus Means Saying No

    September 19, 2020
  • Permission to Innovate
    CEO Essentials,  Management

    Permission to Innovate

    Jen Baird / July 4, 2020

    Realizing the potential for process improvement requires making sure that those who are part of designing the change are empowered to find the best path.

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    You May Also Like

    Legal Matters

    April 8, 2023

    Consider Your BATNA

    December 2, 2023
    Jen and Favory Sonata

    Prioritize Exercise While Building Your Startup

    June 20, 2020
  • Measure
    Management

    What You Measure Will Improve

    Jen Baird / June 17, 2020

    A concrete measure provides the focus and sense of accomplishment needed to improve continuously.

    Read More

    You May Also Like

    Permission to Innovate

    Permission to Innovate

    July 4, 2020

    A Startup’s Chart of Accounts

    February 17, 2024

    In-sourcing and Outsourcing

    September 28, 2024

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Startup CEO Reflections by Jen Baird 2025
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