Lead Upwards: How Startup Joiners Can Impact New V entures, Build Amazing Careers, and Inspire Great Teams

SARAH E. BROWN is a B2B tech marketing leader, author, startup mentor, and ecosystem builder. She has over a decade of experience scaling SaaS companies through customer-centric marketing. She is a mentor at the Techstars and Backstage Capital accelerators and the founder of Flatirons Tech, a diversity- and inclusion-focused group from Boulder, CO.

Introduction: Why Startup Leadership Matters At Every Level 1 Part I Becoming a Startup Executive 7 Chapter One What It's Really Like To Be An Executive At A Startup--and How It's Different From Being A Director Or Manager 9 Chapter Two Bridging The Transition From Manager To Executive: How Leaders Got Their First Role 27 Chapter Three Understanding and Evaluating Your Fit At Various Startups 39 Chapter Four Landing Your Next Startup Executive Role: Leveling Up Within Your Current Organization Or Seeking A Role Elsewhere 51 Chapter Five Get The Offer and Secure Your Executive Seat 67 Part II Getting Started: Nail Your First 90 Days 87 Chapter Six Define Your Goals and Align With Your Ceo and Board On Success 89 Chapter Seven Build Key Relationships: Ceo, Board, Team 103 Chapter Eight Know Thyself: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Areas To Improve 113 Chapter Nine Learn The Company Culture and Define It With Your Team 131 Part III Building and Managing Your Team and Department 141 Chapter Ten Recruit Smart and Build Belonging 143 Chapter Eleven Alignment: Set The Strategy To Get Your Team Working Toward The Same Vision and Goals 149 Chapter Twelve Attunement: Creating A Culture Where People Contribute Their Best Work 155 Chapter Thirteen Building A High-Performance Team Culture 165 Part IV Managing Yourself and Your Executive Communication 189 Chapter Fourteen Level Up To Scale With Your Startup 191 Chapter Fifteen Leading In A Post-Covid World 197 Chapter Sixteen Managing Up: How To Work With Your Ceo and Board 205 Chapter Seventeen When Things Go Pear-Shaped: Navigating Challenges, Setbacks, Failure, and Departures 213 Part V Proving, Sustaining, and Expanding Your Impact As A Leader 243 Chapter Eighteen Measuring Success: How To Know If Things Are Working 245 Chapter Nineteen Communicating Your Results To Your Cfo, Ceo, Company, and Board 253 Chapter Twenty Mentorship: How To Further Grow Your Career By Networking and Giving Back 267 Afterword 279 Notes 281 Acknowledgments 287 About The Author 289 Index 291