Startup CEO Guides Executives through the Transition from Entrepreneur to Business Leader

While big-company CEOs are usually groomed for the job for years, startup CEOs aren't—and they're often young and relatively inexperienced in business in general. Author Matt Blumberg, a technology and marketing entrepreneur, knows this all too well.

In 1999 he started a company called Return Path, a multi-million dollar global technology company. Early in that endeavor he launched his blog, OnlyOnce—because "you're only a first-time CEO once"—to document his experience and help other startup executives grapple with the many challenges of starting and building a business. Now, more than a decade later, he's written Startup CEO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Business (WILEY; Hardcover & e-book; $29.95; ISBN: 978-1-118-54836-3). As the fifth book in the Startup Revolution series, this reliable resource is based on Blumberg's experience as a startup CEO and covers a number of issues he's faced throughout the dozen years he's been a CEO.

“Whatever industryyou may be involved in—whether it’s architecture, medicine, or technology—scaling up your business can be one of the most difficult endeavors you may ever face. And in most cases, as the company grows, so will your role in it,” says Blumberg. “Being a CEO is an incredibly complex job at any size company, but it can be especially challenging if you're part of a startup. In this case, you really don't have the luxury of making costly mistakes while learning on the job.”

Divided into five comprehensive parts, Startup CEO skillfully puts the essential elements of this endeavor in perspective—from the startup stage, through the revenue stage, and into the growth stage including:

• Part I: Defining your vision of the business and effectively communicating it to all stakeholders
• Part II: Running the people side of your company, from creating a culture and the full cycle of employment—recruiting, hiring, and retaining or firing—to the growing challenge of managing at various stages of growth
• Part III: Key elements of execution, including the specifics of financing the company and budgeting, running great meetings, and setting goals
• Part IV: Managing a board, from recruiting members to working with them on potentially thorny topics like their performance or your compensation
• Part V: Holding yourself accountable so you can manage others, including creating your own operating system; working with an executive assistant, executive coach, and a peer group; and balancing family and work life

Whether you are a current CEO, an aspiring entrepreneur, or someone looking for a new career path, Startup CEO puts emphasis on practical application. To that end, it provides readers with exclusive access to a companion website filled with supplementary materials, allowing you to continue to learn in a hands-on fashion long after closing the book.

“There are two kinds of entrepreneurs: those who start businesses, and those who build businesses. You can be one or the other, or a bit of both. But to succeed through the long haul, you must have a builder in you,” says Blumberg. “Being a startup CEO is one of the hardest jobs you'll ever have. But if you're motivated, creative, and enjoy building things, it's also the best job in the world. Startup CEO will show you what it takes to make it in this position—and while it may not have all the answers, it can help you figure out the questions you should always be asking.”