How I’ve focused my time and energy scaling Bolt from 1 to 400 people:
1/
The job as CEO completely changes every time the company 2X’s.
A CEO for a 5 person company is vastly different from 10 people, 20 people, and so on.
It’s important to recognize this, and lead as appropriate to your stage.
The job as CEO completely changes every time the company 2X’s.
A CEO for a 5 person company is vastly different from 10 people, 20 people, and so on.
It’s important to recognize this, and lead as appropriate to your stage.
2/
Bad leaders want to make themselves irreplaceable.
Good leaders replace themselves with those more capable.
Growing as a CEO means leaning into this.
The CEO job is effectively an anti-job: to continually put oneself out of work to gain compounding leverage.
Bad leaders want to make themselves irreplaceable.
Good leaders replace themselves with those more capable.
Growing as a CEO means leaning into this.
The CEO job is effectively an anti-job: to continually put oneself out of work to gain compounding leverage.
3/
This doesn’t just apply to CEOs.
I’ve seen all the great leaders at Bolt adopt this mentality.
They push for delegated greatness.
They don’t take pride in what they themselves accomplish, they take pride in what their team accomplishes.
This doesn’t just apply to CEOs.
I’ve seen all the great leaders at Bolt adopt this mentality.
They push for delegated greatness.
They don’t take pride in what they themselves accomplish, they take pride in what their team accomplishes.
4/
When companies are tiny, a CEO usually has key areas where they’re tactical.
E.g. When Bolt was tiny, I was its first engineer.
Soon, we hired exceptional engineers who did not need me.
I managed the engineering team until we hit 10 people, and then transitioned to sales.
When companies are tiny, a CEO usually has key areas where they’re tactical.
E.g. When Bolt was tiny, I was its first engineer.
Soon, we hired exceptional engineers who did not need me.
I managed the engineering team until we hit 10 people, and then transitioned to sales.
5/
Scaling from 1 to 50 people followed the following pattern:
1. Get hands-on to solve a company problem
2. Hire great people to take the reins
3. Let them take the reins and go solve the next problem
~50 people is when I stopped this cycle and moved into pure management.
Scaling from 1 to 50 people followed the following pattern:
1. Get hands-on to solve a company problem
2. Hire great people to take the reins
3. Let them take the reins and go solve the next problem
~50 people is when I stopped this cycle and moved into pure management.
6/
Up until 50 people, culture happens more naturally.
The CEO is in the trenches with the team.
After that, it’s hard to keep a pulse on the day-to-day.
Institutionalizing culture becomes paramount.
Up until 50 people, culture happens more naturally.
The CEO is in the trenches with the team.
After that, it’s hard to keep a pulse on the day-to-day.
Institutionalizing culture becomes paramount.
7/
We wrote a culture playbook when we were 10 people.
We kept making incremental changes to the playbook.
However, it really started to break around 50 people.
That’s when it needed a full revamp.
We wrote a culture playbook when we were 10 people.
We kept making incremental changes to the playbook.
However, it really started to break around 50 people.
That’s when it needed a full revamp.
8/
After 50 people, the CEO becomes less of a Doer and more of a Thinker.
It’s at this stage that a CEO can really lean into vision.
The team has enough momentum and resources to accomplish big things.
At this point, you can start dreaming big.
After 50 people, the CEO becomes less of a Doer and more of a Thinker.
It’s at this stage that a CEO can really lean into vision.
The team has enough momentum and resources to accomplish big things.
At this point, you can start dreaming big.
9/
After 100 people, it becomes hard to remember everyone’s name.
Up until then you take pride in knowing everyone intimately.
This is when you need to start thinking deeply about your influence.
What values do you convey? What statements do you make? How do you come across?
After 100 people, it becomes hard to remember everyone’s name.
Up until then you take pride in knowing everyone intimately.
This is when you need to start thinking deeply about your influence.
What values do you convey? What statements do you make? How do you come across?
10/
It’s at this point that a leader's flaws will really start to flare.
It’s easier to cover them up with less people depending on you.
You now have seasoned executives, teammates, and investors who hold you to a high bar.
It becomes clear when you’re disappointing them.
It’s at this point that a leader's flaws will really start to flare.
It’s easier to cover them up with less people depending on you.
You now have seasoned executives, teammates, and investors who hold you to a high bar.
It becomes clear when you’re disappointing them.
11/
As Bolt surpassed 200 people, I started to recognize the need for inner work.
Seasoned executives want to work with someone they can trust.
In my mid-20s at the time, maturing quickly was key.
But doing so without losing my edge and my personality was even more key.
As Bolt surpassed 200 people, I started to recognize the need for inner work.
Seasoned executives want to work with someone they can trust.
In my mid-20s at the time, maturing quickly was key.
But doing so without losing my edge and my personality was even more key.
12/
This inner work has continued to this day.
I spend a good chunk of my time on it.
Yoga, meditation, therapy, writing… all are tools I frequently use.
When I’m not working, this is typically what I spend my time on.
This inner work has continued to this day.
I spend a good chunk of my time on it.
Yoga, meditation, therapy, writing… all are tools I frequently use.
When I’m not working, this is typically what I spend my time on.
13/
When I am working, I spend my time on:
> Setting strategy to make sure there’s crystal clear alignment on what matters
> Doing big deals where CEO influence is necessary
> Recruiting executives who will have 10X impact on the business
> Maintaining a pulse on culture
When I am working, I spend my time on:
> Setting strategy to make sure there’s crystal clear alignment on what matters
> Doing big deals where CEO influence is necessary
> Recruiting executives who will have 10X impact on the business
> Maintaining a pulse on culture
14/
The most important lesson I’ve learned through this all:
Follow your gut.
It has all the answers.
It also has all the problems; if it’s telling you something is wrong somewhere in the business, don’t ignore it.
The most important lesson I’ve learned through this all:
Follow your gut.
It has all the answers.
It also has all the problems; if it’s telling you something is wrong somewhere in the business, don’t ignore it.
15/
The second most important lesson:
Have fun and keep it playful.
If you don’t, things will get really weird.
The second most important lesson:
Have fun and keep it playful.
If you don’t, things will get really weird.
And that’s it!
Your job as a leader isn’t fixed; it’s fluid.
Be the best leader for your company at its current time and place.
And be ready to adapt as things inevitably change.
Your job as a leader isn’t fixed; it’s fluid.
Be the best leader for your company at its current time and place.
And be ready to adapt as things inevitably change.
If you liked this thread, give me a follow at @ryantakesoff.
I am 27 and have built 2 unicorns. My mission is to get the world dancing & fix corporate culture.
Twitter is where I share my learnings.
Let’s take off together! 🚀
I am 27 and have built 2 unicorns. My mission is to get the world dancing & fix corporate culture.
Twitter is where I share my learnings.
Let’s take off together! 🚀
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