Startup Boards: Getting the Most Out of Your Board of Direct
Required reading for your first BOD meeting
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Mahendra R

Startup Boards - Brad Feld and Mahendra LIVE AMA NOW

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Erik Torenberg
slightly off-topic but Brad can you talk a little bit about what you were trying to achieve when you launched your own publishing imprint?
Brad Feld
@eriktorenberg We wrote a post about it at http://feld.com/archives/2014/02.... While we've published several books, the project wasn't a success so we aren't doing any more going forward. But we learned a lot.
Melissa Joy Kong
@mahendra_gr @bfeld (good to see you here!): (1) Do you ever look at a founder's board selection as a signal of his/her strength and potential success as a leader? (2) There are a number of factors that play into board selection. Given all of the psychological, political, financial, and relational dynamics often at play, any major board selection do's and don'ts you'd encourage for/against?
Nathan Guo
What are the key things someone new to being on boards should pay attention to to make sure they are adding value?
Mahendra R
Hunter
@nathan_yg I would build deep trust with the CEO and find out what keeps them up at night - is it sales? Then help them get some customers? Is it talent - hunt down some people and bring them to their door? In some situations, you may not be able to solve their problems so be mindful of that. My first board meeting (as an investor) was an utter disaster. I was over reaching, talking too much, had an opinion on everything and generally was a royal PITA to the CEO. In hindsight, I feel I should have just "listened more" to the CEO.
Nathan Guo
Mahendra R
Hunter
@nathan_yg And give a hug to Zavain for me.
Nathan Guo
Danny Bin
@mahendra_gr @bfeld, Huge Fan! :) In your opinion, what's the ideal size for a high functioning board? and why?
Russ Frushtick
What are the 3 biggest things investors can add value on the board? How can startups best use the board?
Ekaterina Klink
My question is: how to cultivate a board meeting culture in an environment, where this practice is considered to be more an unnecessary formality?
Brad Feld
@ekaterinaklink The CEO and founders cultivate the environment. If they don't believe in it, or think it's a formality, then it will be. If investors view it as a formality, it's up to the CEO/founders to change the view by being deliberate about what they want to accomplish.
Melissa Joy Kong
@mahendra_gr @bfeld Who is the person you think of when you think "X person sets the ideal board member example"?
Mahendra R
Hunter
@melissajoykong For me, the best role model is Tom Porter (a VC based in Michigan where I lived). I have also seen Brad do his thing with one group in Florida - it was pretty cool. And my wish list = I would love to be in the room with people like Reid Hoffman, Marc Andreessen and Peter Thiel to see how they engage with CEOs as board members.
Mohsen Khalkhali
@bfeld @mahendra_gr thank you both for the AMA. I had a transition as an "intrapreneur" to a spin out founder. I was stuck with the same BoD which seriously hindered our growth and lots of energy was wasted in this process. Have you got any advice on how I could have handled the situation better?
Mahendra R
Hunter
@mossibat In this case, it sounds like you had a board that didnt know how to support you. There is no easy path when you are "handed" a board. I'd imagine you tried sitting down 1-on-1 with some board members to hear them out/ get them to support your philosophy. Such boards are not the easiest.
Martin Skakala
@bfeld what would be your generic advice for European App & SaaS startups if they want to break into US market and / or to get US partners or investors? Thanks Brad for what you have done & doing for SX community!
Eric Cozart
Q: How relevant are Boards? I'm curious what your take is on the future of organizational structure, and if you see these structures fading away? I don't have an opinion either way, but as all things change, would this construct as well?
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