Samoual Hassan’s Post

Evolve Your Mindset In The Transition From Founder To CEO Transitioning from a founder to a CEO involves critical mental shifts that pave the way for building an enduring, sustainable company. Once a company achieves product-market fit and reaches scale, founders have to go through an important transition - from functioning as a Founder to becoming a professional CEO. Becoming a CEO means getting out of the weeds and removing yourself from the day-to-day. You have to see the bigger picture, look beyond just the next quarter, and see potential challenges and opportunities on the horizon. The culture is no longer an extension of you with a family feel but you have to earn people’s trust and convince them with your mission to direct their energy. 👍 Give this post a thumbs up ➕ Follow me at David Sym-Smith for more Startup Tips Credit VC Talent Lab; Rachel Turner #founder #ceomindset #ceoleadership #governance

The evolution of a leader. Organizational and personal growth are needed to achieve commercial success.

From Founder to CEO Mentality Transition Once a company achieves product-market fit and reaches scale, founders have to go through an important transition - from functioning as a Founder to becoming a professional CEO. Becoming a CEO means getting out of the weeds and removing yourself from the day-to-day. You have to see the bigger picture, look beyond just the next quarter, and see potential challenges and opportunities on the horizon. The culture is no longer an extension of you with a family feel but you have to earn people’s trust and convince them with your mission to direct their energy. 👍 Give this post a thumbs up ➕ Follow me at David Sym-Smith for more Startup Tips Credit VC Talent Lab; Rachel Turner #founder #ceomindset #ceoleadership #governance

Founders- you don't have to run your company forever Sure, it's your baby Sure, you're passionate about it But if you're being honest with yourself, are you the best, most appropriate person to be at the helm? There's no shame in answering no There's actually freedom in realizing where you're most valuable And endless stress in trying to hold it together in a role that doesn't suit you Your ego will tell you that you should always be CEO, that's nonsense You'll always be the #founder, no matter what your day to day job is Businesses have stages- startup, growth, maturity, and decline It's rare that one person is well suited to run the business through all those phases So, as you look at 2024, if you're struggling in your role Or the energy you had during the startup days has been sapped by systems, spreadsheets, and the day to day grind of the #cannabisindustry Perhaps consider that it might be time to find some professional #leadership I recently offloaded a big chunk of my responsibilities onto a couple amazing executives I can't tell you how freeing that has been Don't let your ego keep you from being happy

An excerpt from "The Anatomy of Determination" by Paul Graham (2009) We learned quickly that the most important predictor of success is determination. At first we thought it might be intelligence. Everyone likes to believe that's what makes startups succeed. It makes a better story that a company won because its founders were so smart. The PR people and reporters who spread such stories probably believe them themselves. But while it certainly helps to be smart, it's not the deciding factor. There are plenty of people as smart as Bill Gates who achieve nothing. In most domains, talent is overrated compared to determination—partly because it makes a better story, partly because it gives onlookers an excuse for being lazy, and partly because after a while determination starts to look like talent.

𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐞 – 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦! I recently grabbed a coffee with the incredible Jeremy Yap, an angel investor of omni:us. Jeremy generously shared his experience from his more than 130 angel investments and this was the primary takeaway: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫. This was a game-changer for him and changed the way he invested his evaluation time. Jeremy's approach now prioritizes: 1️⃣ 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞: Understanding the size of the market and identifying the unique proposition that sets you apart. 2️⃣ 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭: He analyzes what the company does well and what it could do better. 3️⃣ 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫: Jeremy makes it a point to meet founders - whenever possible - in person. During these meetings, he delves into their resilience, commitment to their #vision, ability to adapt, and dedication to growing as personalities and leaders. This approach has led to fewer meetings, but each one is more meaningful and productive. The reason for his new approach? Jeremy has been able to prepare more thoroughly, devoting time and energy to getting to know each new company in depth and really getting to know the #founder as the key driver behind the numbers. As Jeremy really wants to contribute to the #success of the startups, a strong relationship with the founder is absolutely key for him. 𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲: Shifting focus from the number of interactions to the quality of those interactions is tough but ultimately fulfilling. It's a concept that's easier to talk about than to put into practice. I wanted to share this because real-life examples can inspire us to make similar changes. Is there anything that comes to mind where you see the potential to replace quantity with quality?

The most obvious but often underestimated quality in founders is positive energy and vibe 😇 It was so easy and natural to pick buddies and friends based on their energy and vibe when we were kids - there was just no other way around since everyone was pretty much equal back then. And that's why it's very sad to see that very often when people grow up, they start spending time and even start companies with folks that they don't really like, or in simple words, who would never pass a "hug test" - meaning you don't even want to hug this person 🙈 That's why I like such things as Burning Man and different esoteric and mental practices because they bring me back to the basics and help me recall what types of relationships to prioritize, and who I really want to spend more or less time with. As for founding teams, I see that the most resilient and sustainable founding teams consist of people who share the same energy levels and are inherently positive. If you look at everything through a "glass half empty" prism, startups are just not for you 🤷♀️

Being smart isn't enough. Just being analytically intelligent isn't enough to guarantee success as a founder. Emotional intelligence and sociability are absolutely critical to becoming a successful founder. You need to be able to connect with people and understand them in order to get them on board with your vision and aligned with the organization. Your emotional intelligence is also crucial in recruiting high-quality team member, selling to customers, bringing on investors, and more. As a founder, you need to think about how you relate to all your stakeholders in order to scale into a successful company. If you're interested in this topic, it's worth checking out Michael Patrick Gibson's book, "Paper Belt on Fire". (He's also the co-founder and general partner at the 1517 Fund). Do you think EQ makes a difference for startup founders?

Continuity 🔄, That's what matters at the end & that's ✅ 100% true - How did I increase my post impression to 100X over LinkedIn ? The cornerstone of lasting success is "continuity" 💡 As I reflect on the past year, I've come to appreciate the profound truth in this simple yet powerful principle. Regardless of the noise around us, it's the consistent dedication to maintaining quality that truly matters. In a world often driven by metrics and reach, it's easy to lose sight of what truly counts. But let me tell you, through my journey, I've realized that the sustained commitment to excellence pays off in ways beyond measure. It's not about the flashy numbers or fleeting impressions; it's about the enduring impact of consistently delivering value. So here's to a year of growth, learning, and above all, continuity. Let's continue to raise the bar, one quality post at a time. Because in the end, it's the steadfast dedication to excellence that sets us apart and propels us toward success. #remote #startup #business

🎧 Catch Will Klippgen 威廉 and Rahul Thayyalamkandy in the latest Understanding VC episode, where they tackle the pivotal issue of founder conflicts in startups 💥 They delve into founder conflicts, highlighting the importance of choosing the right co-founder and strategies for maintaining a healthy team dynamic. Learn about risk management, investor perspectives and practical conflict resolution tips! 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡/𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 - Give it a listen and let us know what you think! #DaretoChange #CocoonCapital #UnderstandingVC #VCpodcast #StartupFounders