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Happy New Year!
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Now let’s talk about CEOs.
Beyond building my own startups and being a CEO, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring and working with over 100 companies and founders.
One day, a friend asked me, “What am I even meant to do as the CEO?” I sent a long, rambling WhatsApp message in response—but I figured it was worth writing down properly before I forget!
So here it is, for tens of thousands of you to see. Even if you’re not a CEO (and might never be), understanding the role can give you valuable insight into how your ultimate boss should operate. Also understanding what their role is will make you all the more impressive to them.
This advice is geared toward teams of up to 100-200 people—once a company grows beyond that, things may shift, and I haven’t yet hit that stage myself.
The Core Responsibilities of a CEO
Capital Allocator & Raiser
One of the CEO’s biggest responsibilities (often shared with the CFO) is ensuring the business has enough money to operate—and that it’s being deployed in the right way.
Think of a career progression like this:
Product Manager → People Manager → Money Manager
At first, your focus is on the product or service itself.
Then, you shift to managing a team to deliver that product or service.
Eventually, your role revolves around managing the company’s money—allocating resources, setting budgets, and making decisions that maximize ROI.
This skill becomes critical as a CEO, alongside the ability to raise capital through debt, equity, or other financial tools to keep the business moving forward.
Growth & Business Development
CEOs often play a hands-on role in driving growth. This can take many forms:
Sales & Marketing: Jumping into revenue-generating activities.
Partnerships: Building relationships to expand the company’s reach.
Mergers & Acquisitions: Spotting opportunities to acquire companies or merge with others to scale faster.
Growth is the lifeblood of any business, and as the CEO, it’s on you to identify and pursue the most strategic opportunities.
Hiring, Managing, Coaching, and Teaching the Team
You can’t do it all yourself—your success as a CEO depends on the people you hire.
Attracting, hiring, and retaining top-tier talent is one of your most important responsibilities. The actual work gets done by your team, so your job is to bring in amazing people and give them the environment they need to succeed.
Once your team grows, you may not be able to coach and manage everyone directly. That’s where leadership through vision, values, and high-level directives comes in. By setting clear expectations and building a strong culture, you can guide the organisation even when you’re not involved in the day-to-day.
Hold the Team Accountable
As the CEO, you’re the ultimate accountability partner.
Your role is to ensure the team stays aligned with the company’s goals, meets its targets, and delivers results. This involves setting measurable objectives, following up consistently, and stepping in when things veer off course.
It’s not just about holding others accountable—it’s about creating an environment where everyone holds themselves accountable to the mission.
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Leadership and Team Operations
A good CEO ensures the organisation runs smoothly. That means thinking through:
Operational efficiency: Are processes streamlined and effective?
Conflict resolution: Are team dynamics healthy?
Decision-making frameworks: Is the company making decisions quickly and confidently?
Leadership is about enabling your team to do their best work while navigating the inevitable challenges that come with growth.
Vision & Strategy
The CEO is the North Star of the company. You’re responsible for defining where the business is going and how it’s going to get there.
This means answering big-picture questions like:
What’s our mission?
What’s our competitive advantage?
Where do we want to be in 1, 5, or 10 years?
A clear vision aligns the team and gives everyone a shared sense of purpose.
Your Special Skill
Every CEO has a unique superpower—something they’re better at than almost anyone else.
It could be sales, product design, fundraising, or even storytelling. Whatever it is, lean into it. While your role is to oversee everything, your special skill will often be the key to driving disproportionate results.
Use it to your advantage, but don’t get so caught up in it that you neglect the other parts of the role.
In Summary
Being a CEO isn’t about doing everything—it’s about doing the right things. From managing money to setting strategy, hiring great people, and driving growth, your role is to steer the ship and keep it moving in the right direction.
Even if you’re not a CEO, understanding these principles can make you more effective in your career—and give you insight into how to work better with the one at the top.
Until next time,
Ajay
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