Startup CEO: How to Build a Company to Success

by Matt Blumberg

A definitive book for any CEO--first time or otherwise--of a high-growth companyWhile 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. Back in 1999, he started a company called Return Path, which later became the driving force behind the creation of his blog, OnlyOnce--because "you're only a first time CEO once."Now, more than a decade later, he's written "Startup CEO." 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 over the dozen years he's been a CEO.Offers valuable insights into how the CEO sets the overall vision and strategy of the company and communicates it to all stakeholdersDiscusses how to build a company's human capital by recruiting, hiring, and retaining the very best talentExamines how a CEO must align available resources with the company's strategy in order to ensure successAddresses what it takes to master the "How" of being a CEO--from leading an executive team to managing in any type of marketEngaging and informative, this book is essential reading for any, and every, CEO.

Genres: Business, Startup, Entrepreneurship, Management, Leadership, Nonfiction, Buisness

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Founder/CEO with 25+ years of experience at MovieFone, Return Path, and Bolster. Author of Startup CEO, Startup CXO, Startup Boards, and the StartupCEO.com blog. Husband, father of 3 awesome kids, baseball coach.

Reviews

[Michał · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am rating books in a manner that should help others to decide wheather to read one or not. I give this one a 5, since I believe that everyone even remotely engaged into running a startup/business will find this book helpful and worth reading. You could basically print most of it, and put in on the wall as a TODO list for yourself.

[Rich Maloy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really want to be able to strongly recommend this to most of the startups I work with on a daily basis, but it's not for early stage startups. I have to keep in mind that this series of startup books originated with Brad Feld from Foundry Group, a venture firm that invests in Series A & B rounds. The vast majority of the startups I see and work with are at the angel and seed level of capital and growth. As such, advice such as annual 360 reviews is not the most critical advice I would offer early stage startups.

The title may have been better as "Scale-up CEO" and targeting companies that have found a scalable, repeatable business model. 

With the idea in mind that this is for "scale-up" executives, then I heartily recommend it. But for me and my audience, it's something to aspire towards. 

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this on my Kindle and it's the ideal format, as I made a ton of highlights for practical info (board meeting agendas, executive assistant job descriptions, etc.) I'll refer to later. Strongly recommend reading this in Kindle/digital format so you can highlight, and NOT as an audio book, due to the reference material contained within.

[Sven Kirsimäe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of the book is a bit misleading. I think this book should be read by anyone including and above C-level and any other person who wants to get their daily business checked and in order. 4 start as the book is a bit too long and thus broad, which as mentioned, covers more general leadership and management practices applicable not only to CEOs.

[Bett Correa-Bollhoefer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's got everything you need to know to be a ceo. It also lets you know how hard it is to be a ceo. Good to read for any leader in a company to understand more about how a company should be run.

[Sousa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book. Before reading this book I never thought being possible to know exactly which are the Startup CEO challenges and duties. Matt describes excellently the job of CEO and it helps all newbies on the role to be aware of which are the CEO responsibilities. This is a worthwhile reading.

[Omar El-Mohri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, while you can find the content in some other places, blog and books, but getting it in one book in great with many testimonials from others CEOs makes it a good guide and reference for a Startup CEO.
I didn’t take notes but I will make sure to keep the book nearby for references.

[Tim Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing this review as a startup CEO, I would certainly suggest other CEOs read this book as well.

While many of the concepts discussed could be placed in the “I know that” bin, it’s good to cover these subjects as not all of us have the same background experience. It’s always good to have a general understanding of all subjects. I also see that one review on Amazon states that "I know this already" .... yes sure you do, but some people don't.

"Startup CEO" certainly covers pretty much all angles that a CEO might need to know. As a UK citizen many of the ways of doing business are only relevant in the US and not in the UK. The chapters on the Board structure and execution are US centric, but that isn’t a bad thing. We shouldn’t shy away from suggestions. Being a CEO does not mean that you have all the good ideas. Which is why I recommend you certainly check this book out if you are a CEO or an aspiring CEO.

[Dan Fried · Rating 5 out of 5]

Blumberg founded his startup Return Path in 1999 and has been a magnificent CEO, managing staff, culture, pivots, product, investors, financing, etc. He shares his experience generously and with a warmth and depth of knowledge that is inspiring and of value to anybody starting up their own technology-based business. It's no surprise he put together an impressive board including Fred Smith and Brad Feld, and that he sold Return Path after having grown it to probably over 500 employees, multinational markets and as a main player in the email-marketing field, in 2019. Of note, while few startups will achieve the success and scope of Return Path, the details of how he managed the company can serve as visualizable goals to aim for and his personality on the page is worth experiencing for anybody aiming to be a good startup CEO.

[Yates Buckley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a fairly exhaustive guide on being a CEO in a startup. The areas of emphasis are well thought and contain useful advice. Also referenced texts are high quality further research.

The language is not always relatable and contains many fluff terms that I could see interpreting in different ways with varying outcomes. Most of the examples come from the author’s business and avoid controversies and sprinkle everything with a kind of marketing magic sense. The author’s and other businesses described are in a very particular area and structure which does not replicate to many others or at least many of the areas that would are left uncovered presumably because they are controversial. Rarely did the book convey some information that would surprise me, i felt i could have written the book with no knowledge of the job in most cases.

[Scott Wozniak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strong and specific discuss of being CEO of a startup. He gives you enough info to be practical and then points you to books and people who can help you go deeper in area, if you want. I loved all his points.

My only note is that it’s very much for a startup that has major investors. A large portion of the book is focused on things like investor board and stock options. So if that’s not your approach, then you’ll have to skip a good chunk of the book.

Otherwise, very well done.

[Javier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably one of the most informative and well written books I've read in the subject. I love how manageable the chapters were and there was absolutely zero rambling. The book was very straight to the point and yet able to tell the story. The author also seemed to be quite humble, making this book devoid of the whole icky "guru" vibe that some of these books tend to have. I enjoyed reading it very much

[Rui Varela Morte · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book for one who's starting a business, startup or not.
Inside you will find many starting points to be a better CEO. More than taht I felt more conscious about the complexity of being a CEO.

[Kumar Raghavendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very insightful book on the ins and outs of starting and managing a company. But more broadly, this has great leadership lessons in terms of how a leader should operate in practice on a day-to-day basis. A good read to incorporate some of these into our own work lives.

[Vlad Calus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vague.

[Gary Spagnoli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of noise, little value. Solid advice but much of this content is found in blogs, Twitter and HBR. Nothing feels new or innovative here, and the frameworks already feel outdated.

[Miquel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is a nice guide for a CEO, new or with a few years in business. Necessarily in startup or scale up phase. I can’t see it useful for an 8 Y CEO. Nevertheless it os always interesting to see that of very basic guidances, even seasoned CEO’s do not seem to be able to square more than 60% of them.
The last 25% of the book is pretty avoidable, the first 75% is entertaining and gives some good insights.
Easy to read, not repetitive, makes for a good guide in several aspects.

[Stijn Volders · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for anyone in a leadership position. There are heaps of great idea's in this book covering all important aspects of running a business.

Stop what you're doing and start reading!

[Ali Yildiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book for the ones who has a dream of being a business owner

[Josephine Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helpful even for a mot for profit CEO.

[Noer · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this sneak-peak into the life of startups, seasoned startup CEO Matt Blumberg shares his personal experience building a technology company from scratch.

**TBC**

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting times ahead! 😱💪🤓

[Z · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, basically a how-to manual that covers all the points of a venture backed startup. A lot to mull over.

[Vitaly Kirkpatrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read "Startup CEO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Business" by Matt Blumberg, and as the CEO of my startup, I found this book to be precious. Matt Blumberg is an experienced startup CEO, and in this book, he shares his wealth of knowledge and experience on the topic. He covers various topics, from fundraising and managing teams to product development and scaling operations.

The book is well-written and easy to understand, making it accessible to anyone involved in the startup world. I appreciated the author's focus on the practical aspects of being a CEO, and the concrete examples and case studies he provides help illustrate the concepts he covers.

One of the most important things I took away from this book is the importance of having a clear vision for your company and the steps you need to take to make that vision a reality. It also gave me new insights into the challenges that startups face and how to overcome them.

Overall, "Startup CEO: A Field Guide to Scaling Up Your Business" is a must-read for any startup CEO. It provides valuable insights and practical advice to help you take your startup to the next level. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to build a successful startup.

[Toan Ho · Rating 5 out of 5]

LÀM SAO ĐỂ TRỞ THÀNH CEO KHỞI NGHIỆP THÀNH CÔNG?

Startup – Khởi nghiệp, có lẽ là từ khóa đang HOT với người trẻ, đặc biệt là các bạn sinh viên vừa ra trường. Phong trào Startup tại Việt Nam những năm gần đây khá rầm rộ và được nhiều người hưởng ứng. Tuy nhiên, khởi nghiệp sẽ là “con dao hai lưỡi” làm “bạn đứt tay” nếu chưa chuẩn bị nguồn lực tốt.

Muốn dấn thân vào đời, muốn khởi nghiệp, muốn thử thách bản thân nhưng không biết bắt đầu từ đâu? Làm sao để Startup thành công và trở thành một CEO khởi nghiệp xuất sắc? Hẳn nhiều bạn đang băn khoăn và đợi chờ câu trả lời cho những câu trả hỏi này.

“Cẩm nang CEO khởi nghiệp” của Matt Blumberg với những bài học thiết thực được đúc kết trong suốt 14 năm kinh nghiệm làm CEO khởi nghiệp của tác giả sẽ là chìa khóa giúp bạn giải đáp mọi thắc mắc trên. Bằng những hướng dẫn, cảnh báo, động viên, tư vấn một cách chi tiết, tỉ mỉ cho từng vấn đề nêu ra, tin rằng đọc xong quyển sách bạn sẽ có thêm cho mình những bí quyết “vàng” để trở thành một CEO tài năng và đầy bản lĩnh.

[Bryan Doughty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I generally listen to books while at the gym and this audio books is divided into two sections which are each a little of 6 hours long or a lot of treadmill time.

The book had its moments, but far too often felt like as advertisement for ReturnPath or Brad Feld. I guess this makes since to prop both up, but it got old and fast. I much prefer more info and I just did not feel like I got enough.

The first half just never grabbed me at all, but the second half had lots of thoughtful info and suggestions. The second half also seemed to get away from the pitch for ReturnPath and Brad Feld a bit with more of a focus what the title of the book suggests.

It is a decent read, but I feel there are many other books that hit the mark much better for those looking to start a company.

[Eliot Peper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Matt's a veteran entrepreneur and his book is a gift to CEO's everywhere. Many management books only focus on big company leadership issues. Many entrepreneurship books focus only on very early stage businesses. Startup CEO walks you through the entire growth lifecycle of running a business. Plus, it's organized in easily digestible, standalone chapters that contain concise and actionable perspective and recommendations. If you're leading a company, this is a book worth making time for.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike other books of its kind, there are many practical applications that one can take away from this book. These range from communicating company goals (and key questions and templates one can use), setting and maintaining a positive culture, engaging with staff at all levels including promotions, all the way to ensuring the self is being taken care of (sleep, exercise, family time, etc.). Recommend this book and the great resource links within.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good, solid book about leading a start-up. I think it serves better as a reference manual than as a business text that you would want to consume in one sitting. He gives good advice about a large number of issues that CEO's (and other execs) face at one point or another. I could see myself returning to this when, say, I'm beginning to plan our next executive offsite, or if we're having problems with a member of the BOD, etc.

[Trevor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic "view from the trenches" by a successful startup CEO. I appreciated the practicality of the advice and the way Blumberg pulled in different perspectives by including short passages from friends and co-workers. A must-read book if you're thinking of starting up your own company and even more important for early-stage founders.