What is the difference between CEO and founder?

The technical difference between a founder and a CEO is quite simple — a founder is someone who starts or launches a business, and a CEO is someone who takes the company to scale. The CEO role is the highest-ranking executive roles in any organisation. This however does not mean that founders cannot be CEOs.

Can the founder be a CEO?

While every company has a founder, not every founder becomes the CEO. The founder can choose to become CEO, or he can delegate that responsibility to someone else. Although many founders are the first CEOs of their organizations, it takes two completely different skill sets to start a company and run a business.

What is it like to be a founder of a company?

No one epitomizes a company quite like its founder. They have a deep, emotional connection to their business startups and with the position of CEO. Being a founder, you’re focused on achieving the company’s vision while maintaining total control.

Should founders take on new roles in their companies?

Founders who want to be CEO for a longer time in their next venture need to learn new skills. Accordingly, boards can encourage founders to take on new roles in their companies that will enable them to do so. If they do, founders may even become accomplished enough to regain control.

Can a founder learn to be a CEO?

The case of Google is a good example of the founders learning the trade of a CEO from an outside expert and then taking over again. So CEO-ing can be learned. I would not for a second recommend people just quit because they feel more like a founder.

Should startup founders give up more or less equity?

And each choice comes with a trade-off. Startup founders who give up more equity to attract cofounders, key executives, and investors build more valuable companies than those who part with less equity. And the founder ends up with a more valuable slice of the pie.