One of the problems with eager startup CEOs is that they could be so focused on being a successful "startup" they forget to grow into a more established business. That's what entrepreneur David Kalt says in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal.
To Kalt, the word "startup" elicits connotations he'd rather avoid. This is because "startup culture" has become so dominant it distracts from what he sees as the temporary nature of this phase of growth.
Instead of focusing so much on the type of business, and the class it falls into, Kalt says companies should always be looking to improve and develop based on their own unique circumstances. Moreso, he feels too many businesses think being a startup is a permanent stage, rather than a transitional one.
"I actually never used the word startup with my first two companies," he says "I saw them as businesses, with working products, actual revenue and well-defined paths to profitability." He goes on to say "When companies go for years calling themselves startups, it implies they're not a real business, that they're still clinging to the potential of tomorrow because they don't have a very promising reality today."
Focusing on the end goal means a CEO is always thinking about future achievements and reaching "professional" status. There's a difference between creating a company and getting it to the right benchmarks of success, and the most effective executives will be those who can keep growth constant as business needs change.
Companies should use an executive recruiter to find a candidate who will take their business through every stage of its development successfully. Conquering the "startup period" is just the beginning, and an experienced CEO will know this instinctively.
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