CEO, or Chief Executive Officer, a term often thrown around by new entrepreneurs, sometimes for lack of a better word or in some cases, it just simply sounds good and important.
But what makes you a CEO? Without claiming to have written a CEO 101 book, allow me to express my humble opinion through a few points.
CEO Level 0 - "It sounds cool, I think I am one"
Well, reality check. You have just probably launched a product or simply incorporated without actually having a product or...a company. Yes, not too many options on the form, so you're torn between President and CEO. 9 out of 10 cases, the CEO term simply sounds much cooler and important, so you'll grab it.
So what's next for you? Hopefully you have a product in the pipeline and launching and you quickly start to realize that you're not just the CEO, but most likely CTO, CMO, COO etc...
From this point on, you should be only focused on learning, experiencing things, be fearless and don't be afraid of failure. For entrepreneurs being a CEO is like taking a college class, or multiple ones, only that this time around you might have to grade yourself based on your failures or hopefully, successes.
At this stage, simply focus on growing personally without carrying much for the title.
CEO Level 1 - "I finally feel that I do something important"
Again, for most entrepreneurs, this stage is all about having a product launched and a team, maybe customers and some traction. You already began talking to investors, Google becomes your friend when it comes to creating pitch decks, learning about term sheets and all that fun stuf that a CEO has to do, and that NO ONE told you it was part of the job description.
But you finally feel that you're onto something, you have that feeling that you might make it, yet you still make mistakes. And that is perfectly acceptable at this level. You continue to be on a growing trajectory for many years to come, so again, don't be afraid of failure, CEO is still a self-taught skill.
Best part of this stage, is that you might actually care less about the title and your satisfaction comes from all the things you learned and skills your acquired. Or the product you built and others enjoy it.
Key to success here is to also be surrounded by great advisors.
CEO Level 2 - "People look up to you"
This is where your title really means something. Your responsability doesn't simply reside within your company only, but you also begin to offer advice to others that are...a few levels below or maybe are just starting now to think about becoming a CEO.
Your company becomes an authority and you have matured more than you have previously imagined. Being a role model is more important than ever and leadership skills become an important metric for you and others you report to.
This is where most CEOs would like to be and this where you can finally say "I am a real CEO".
But...wait, is this the highest you can go? Of course not, from this point on, excellence come in play and reaching the next level is for many the ultimate satisfaction. Just take a look at companies like Apple, Amazon, Zappos, Faceboon among others and this statement will make even more sense.
I think most of us strive to get there, but that can only be achieved through hard work, humbleness, open mind and with great advisors around you.
While I'm no near the top, I am slowly starting to understand the process and I focus on matters the most at this stage in our company: vision, building the right team to execute your vision, offering guidance, hard work, empowering others, and having charisma that can help you in difficult situations...and believe me, there are plenty at this stage.
P.S. I am a two-time entrepreneur, yet I still enjoy the learning process.
