SARAH E. BROWN is a B2B tech marketing leader, author, startup mentor, and ecosystem builder. She has over a decade of experience scaling SaaS companies through customer-centric marketing. She is a mentor at the Techstars and Backstage Capital accelerators and the founder of Flatirons Tech, a diversity- and inclusion-focused group from Boulder, CO.

Introduction: Why Startup Leadership Matters At Every Level 1

Part I Becoming a Startup Executive 7

Chapter One What It’s Really Like To Be An Executive At A Startup—and How It’s Different From Being A Director Or Manager 9

Chapter Two Bridging The Transition From Manager To Executive: How Leaders Got Their First Role 27

Chapter Three Understanding and Evaluating Your Fit At Various Startups 39

Chapter Four Landing Your Next Startup Executive Role: Leveling Up Within Your Current Organization Or Seeking A Role Elsewhere 51

Chapter Five Get The Offer and Secure Your Executive Seat 67

Part II Getting Started: Nail Your First 90 Days 87

Chapter Six Define Your Goals and Align With Your Ceo and Board On Success 89

Chapter Seven Build Key Relationships: Ceo, Board, Team 103

Chapter Eight Know Thyself: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Areas To Improve 113

Chapter Nine Learn The Company Culture and Define It With Your Team 131

Part III Building and Managing Your Team and Department 141

Chapter Ten Recruit Smart and Build Belonging 143

Chapter Eleven Alignment: Set The Strategy To Get Your Team Working Toward The Same Vision and Goals 149

Chapter Twelve Attunement: Creating A Culture Where People Contribute Their Best Work 155

Chapter Thirteen Building A High-Performance Team Culture 165

Part IV Managing Yourself and Your Executive Communication 189

Chapter Fourteen Level Up To Scale With Your Startup 191

Chapter Fifteen Leading In A Post-Covid World 197

Chapter Sixteen Managing Up: How To Work With Your Ceo and Board 205

Chapter Seventeen When Things Go Pear-Shaped: Navigating Challenges, Setbacks, Failure, and Departures 213

Part V Proving, Sustaining, and Expanding Your Impact As A Leader 243

Chapter Eighteen Measuring Success: How To Know If Things Are Working 245

Chapter Nineteen Communicating Your Results To Your Cfo, Ceo, Company, and Board 253

Chapter Twenty Mentorship: How To Further Grow Your Career By Networking and Giving Back 267

Afterword 279

Notes 281

Acknowledgments 287

About The Author 289

Index 291

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