SaaStr · 2020-07-30
· 2134d
CEO Selection Checklist: How to Choose the Right Founder for the CEO Role
Jason Lemkin presents a five-criterion checklist for determining which founder should serve as CEO in early-stage startups. The framework emphasizes fundraising capability, external evangelism, customer engagement, long-term commitment, and recruiting ability as key CEO qualifications, arguing that objective evaluation against these criteria should determine the final decision rather than ego or past experience.
Metrics in this report
CEO Job Allocation to Recruiting
20%+%
minimum
early-stage startup CEO responsibilities
Recommended CEO Tenure
7-10years
minimum commitment
startup founder CEO commitment horizon