6 ms·

Becoming a CEO

68 points by dsr12 7y ago

dangus 7y ago
The article forgot to mention the most important skill required for being a CEO - already knowing members of the elite class. There is very little chance of the vast majority of people of going from IC or even middle management to CEO, let alone other “elite” titles like VP or Director. These are folks that live in the social sphere of power, not just being effective enough to be promoted to the top in the mythical meritocracy. An example: Bill Gates didn’t get such a sweet deal with IBM by walking in the door and demonstrating gumption. His mother served on the United Way board with the chair of IBM. Bill Gates came from a wealthy family that already knew the right people. The elites who could possibly give me a chance as CEO or VP don’t talk to me enough to even know whether I’m qualified and/or if I exist. It’s not like we run into each other at the country club or the marina.
- jdsully 7y ago
  Companies have internal "accelerator" programs that they keep quiet about. In Microsoft it's the High Potential bit and the bench program. Others have very similar ones. If you are in one of those programs doors will be opened for you that aren't available to others. Usually its your skip level manager that has the authority to recommend you for one of those. If you aren't in one of the programs you probably won't even know they exist.
  - Infinitesimus 7y ago
    Could you tell us more about which companies have these programs and what its like?
    - jdsully 7y ago
      In the case of Microsoft its a training and mentorship program. Building connections is a goal of the program. Here's probably the most public info you're going to get on it: https://www.bluepointleadership.com/client/microsoft/ https://www.bluepointleadership.com/client/microsoft/ Almost every large company will have a program like this but I'm most familiar with Microsoft's.
    - jtchang 7y ago
      For GE it is one of the leadership programs: https://jobs.gecareers.com/global/en/students https://jobs.gecareers.com/global/en/students
- carimura 7y ago
  Start a company. Then you, as the board of directors, can appoint you, as CEO. Sure, knowing the right people helps with the success of your new company, but certainly isn't a prerequisite. Just head down to the marina.
  - kjs3 7y ago
    Just never take anyone else's money. Or have partners. Possible, but somewhat limiting.
  - pm90 7y ago
    The resources and connections that are required to give you seed capital, to give your first clients, they all require connections.
    - HatchedLake721 7y ago
      1. No, you don’t require connections to get seed/angel/vc money. 2. But it helps to have them, and anyone can have them. It’s called networking, everyone can do it.
- paulddraper 7y ago
  CEO of _____ The _____ matters a lot. You're correct that in most cases extreme success is the accumulation of more than one generation.
- irjustin 7y ago
  This is definitely not required but can be wildly helpful. This is largely true of any climb. The more people you know who are able to pull you up the faster you go. Easier to go from rich => ultra rich than poverty => ultra rich. Realistically you can't control something you don't already have. To make up for it, you have to either put in the work or have a long lead time. Usually both becomes the requirement and don't forget to sprinkle in some luck.
- harryh 7y ago
  The goal isn't to get a magical promotion from IC to VP because some "elite" "gave you a chance." It doesn't work that way. Really you have two options if your goal is to run a large organization: 1) Climb the ladder. IC -> Manager -> Senior Manager -> Director -> VP (precise steps will vary by company). You only have to impress your boss and maybe their boss at each step along the path. You should have plenty of opportunities to do so. 2) Go work for a small company that gets bigger. There are a lot fewer steps to the top at a small company. And then, if it goes well, it will grow under you. The extreme example of this is to found your own company. You'll be the boss from day one. Of course then you'll have to convince other people to come work for you. Which isn't easy. Neither of these paths have much of anything to do with country clubs or marinas.
  - Spooky23 7y ago
    Usually #1 hits a glass ceiling at the Director or VP level. #2 is also risky as the investors often tend to ditch the early leadership, and those folks leave with some equity. There’s a good reason for this — there’s a point when your ability to perform some functions is less important than political savvy. It’s hard to be a political player without friends. The people who survive in scenario 1 and 2 have the savvy or are good at maintaining control. The scenario that you’re missing is the tour at a high end consulting firm, followed by senior level appointment and advancement from there. That world is very much shaped limited social networks and mutual self interest. The jobs don’t get posted on LinkedIn. The political world is very similar, except paying dues in the political machinery substitutes for education, as power is derived a little differently.
    - harryh 7y ago
      #2 is also risky as the investors often tend to ditch the early leadership Significantly less true now than it used to be. And significantly less common in engineering than in other disciplines. A detailed knowledge of the codebase is an incredibly valuable skill for a technical leader. An outsider will take years (if ever they ever do) to build up the knowledge that someone there from the beginning already has.
    - 7y ago
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
- pm90 7y ago
  There doesn't seem to be a good way to remedy that, except for the elites and non-elites to find ways to hang out somehow. I guess the question is also whether you would like to hang out at the country club or the marina.
- pesmhey 7y ago
  The elites who could possibly give me a chance as CEO or VP don’t talk to me enough to even know whether I’m qualified and/or if I exist. They're always looking for fresh blood. One option is to be interesting and not a pushover.
- OldGuyInTheClub 7y ago
  This is well-put although reliance on the word 'elite' may rub the wrong way. My experience of large corporations is that senior execs spot and groom a few early-career candidates to go through a well-laid path. They are placed in various sides of the business for 12-18 month stints, declare successes, and then compete down the line at the subsidiary Director/VP level for equivalent corporate spots. From there they will compete against one another and executive search for the Corporate Policymaker slots and these then are in consideration for the CEO slot. The culled along the way usually leave the firm. There are formal mentorship programs of varying quality that will be advertised to recruits and new hires but these are for people destined to top out at the high end of middle manager. I think it is also true that execs like anyone else in the hiring chain select those that resemble themselves. Addendum: Just read the Gervais Principle referenced elsewhere. Wow. Killin' me softly with its song! (Not so softly, actually.)
- HatchedLake721 7y ago
  Connections and networking. What stops you from networking and surrounding yourself with likeminded people or people related to the goals you want to achieve? We don’t have a cast system in the western world, you can become anything you want, you just need to do the right things to get there.
  - deleted 7y ago
    [deleted]
- j45 7y ago
  I don't disagree with the example of Bill Gates, but is this theory that applicable to folks like Steve Jobs
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
rubidium 7y ago
Public service announcement: Crummy, superficial article. Don’t waste your time. The gervais principle article is far more helpful.
- flipactual 7y ago
  Here’s the link https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-or-the-office-according-to-the-office/ https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-...
- pm90 7y ago
  And yet, a lot of young, very idealistic folks will be totally enamored by it and genuinely believe it... makes me sick. In the absence of anyone to guide them, I am afraid the young will have no way to filter the signal from the noise, to comprehend how the real world works and not get distracted by this sort of nonsense.
irjustin 7y ago
While I love this article for what it stands for, it's like school vs the real world. It quantifies what we... or at least I, personally want in my CEO. Someone who cares, takes responsibility, leads, knows the product, intelligent, listens. They exist for sure, but they far and few between. Reality, it appears, the driving north star/metric of CEOs and aspiring ones is making money for the business. If you can consistently do that, you will move up and have the best shot. Any cost - legal edges blur-able. Sadly, that's not what necessarily makes the best CEOs or even good for the business long term. I think we're seeing this play out with Boeing right now.
- internet_user 7y ago
  You should read that gervais principle from ribbonfarm.
jcims 7y ago
I’m curious what other folks on HN find appealing, if anything, about becoming CEO. Personally it seems like a queen honey bee role, which sounds awesome at first but once you get a closer look you see its more like slavery to production, whithering externalities and merciless judgement.
- tim333 7y ago
  CEOs in general get an unfair share of the money and acclaim. Also you get to be in charge kinda. I mean look at the wework guy as an extreme example - largely trashes the company and walks with $2bn or so.
  - solveit 7y ago
    Starting your argument with "in general" and following up with a self-admittedly extreme example is... not good argumentation. The fact that Softbank threw money away in a rather spectacular fashion doesn't at all speak to whether typical CEO compensation is fair.
  - perl4ever 7y ago
    Look at Carlos Ghosn for another extreme example in a different direction.

68 points by dsr12 7y ago

The article forgot to mention the most important skill required for being a CEO - already knowing members of the elite class. There is very little chance of the vast majority of people of going from IC or even middle management to CEO, let alone other “elite” titles like VP or Director. These are folks that live in the social sphere of power, not just being effective enough to be promoted to the top in the mythical meritocracy. An example: Bill Gates didn’t get such a sweet deal with IBM by walking in the door and demonstrating gumption. His mother served on the United Way board with the chair of IBM. Bill Gates came from a wealthy family that already knew the right people. The elites who could possibly give me a chance as CEO or VP don’t talk to me enough to even know whether I’m qualified and/or if I exist. It’s not like we run into each other at the country club or the marina.

jdsully 7y ago
Companies have internal "accelerator" programs that they keep quiet about. In Microsoft it's the High Potential bit and the bench program. Others have very similar ones. If you are in one of those programs doors will be opened for you that aren't available to others. Usually its your skip level manager that has the authority to recommend you for one of those. If you aren't in one of the programs you probably won't even know they exist.
- Infinitesimus 7y ago
  Could you tell us more about which companies have these programs and what its like?
  - jdsully 7y ago
    In the case of Microsoft its a training and mentorship program. Building connections is a goal of the program. Here's probably the most public info you're going to get on it: https://www.bluepointleadership.com/client/microsoft/ https://www.bluepointleadership.com/client/microsoft/ Almost every large company will have a program like this but I'm most familiar with Microsoft's.
  - jtchang 7y ago
    For GE it is one of the leadership programs: https://jobs.gecareers.com/global/en/students https://jobs.gecareers.com/global/en/students
carimura 7y ago
Start a company. Then you, as the board of directors, can appoint you, as CEO. Sure, knowing the right people helps with the success of your new company, but certainly isn't a prerequisite. Just head down to the marina.
- kjs3 7y ago
  Just never take anyone else's money. Or have partners. Possible, but somewhat limiting.
- pm90 7y ago
  The resources and connections that are required to give you seed capital, to give your first clients, they all require connections.
  - HatchedLake721 7y ago
    1. No, you don’t require connections to get seed/angel/vc money. 2. But it helps to have them, and anyone can have them. It’s called networking, everyone can do it.
paulddraper 7y ago
CEO of _____ The _____ matters a lot. You're correct that in most cases extreme success is the accumulation of more than one generation.
irjustin 7y ago
This is definitely not required but can be wildly helpful. This is largely true of any climb. The more people you know who are able to pull you up the faster you go. Easier to go from rich => ultra rich than poverty => ultra rich. Realistically you can't control something you don't already have. To make up for it, you have to either put in the work or have a long lead time. Usually both becomes the requirement and don't forget to sprinkle in some luck.
harryh 7y ago
The goal isn't to get a magical promotion from IC to VP because some "elite" "gave you a chance." It doesn't work that way. Really you have two options if your goal is to run a large organization: 1) Climb the ladder. IC -> Manager -> Senior Manager -> Director -> VP (precise steps will vary by company). You only have to impress your boss and maybe their boss at each step along the path. You should have plenty of opportunities to do so. 2) Go work for a small company that gets bigger. There are a lot fewer steps to the top at a small company. And then, if it goes well, it will grow under you. The extreme example of this is to found your own company. You'll be the boss from day one. Of course then you'll have to convince other people to come work for you. Which isn't easy. Neither of these paths have much of anything to do with country clubs or marinas.
- Spooky23 7y ago
  Usually #1 hits a glass ceiling at the Director or VP level. #2 is also risky as the investors often tend to ditch the early leadership, and those folks leave with some equity. There’s a good reason for this — there’s a point when your ability to perform some functions is less important than political savvy. It’s hard to be a political player without friends. The people who survive in scenario 1 and 2 have the savvy or are good at maintaining control. The scenario that you’re missing is the tour at a high end consulting firm, followed by senior level appointment and advancement from there. That world is very much shaped limited social networks and mutual self interest. The jobs don’t get posted on LinkedIn. The political world is very similar, except paying dues in the political machinery substitutes for education, as power is derived a little differently.
  - harryh 7y ago
    #2 is also risky as the investors often tend to ditch the early leadership Significantly less true now than it used to be. And significantly less common in engineering than in other disciplines. A detailed knowledge of the codebase is an incredibly valuable skill for a technical leader. An outsider will take years (if ever they ever do) to build up the knowledge that someone there from the beginning already has.
  - 7y ago
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]
pm90 7y ago
There doesn't seem to be a good way to remedy that, except for the elites and non-elites to find ways to hang out somehow. I guess the question is also whether you would like to hang out at the country club or the marina.
pesmhey 7y ago
The elites who could possibly give me a chance as CEO or VP don’t talk to me enough to even know whether I’m qualified and/or if I exist. They're always looking for fresh blood. One option is to be interesting and not a pushover.
OldGuyInTheClub 7y ago
This is well-put although reliance on the word 'elite' may rub the wrong way. My experience of large corporations is that senior execs spot and groom a few early-career candidates to go through a well-laid path. They are placed in various sides of the business for 12-18 month stints, declare successes, and then compete down the line at the subsidiary Director/VP level for equivalent corporate spots. From there they will compete against one another and executive search for the Corporate Policymaker slots and these then are in consideration for the CEO slot. The culled along the way usually leave the firm. There are formal mentorship programs of varying quality that will be advertised to recruits and new hires but these are for people destined to top out at the high end of middle manager. I think it is also true that execs like anyone else in the hiring chain select those that resemble themselves. Addendum: Just read the Gervais Principle referenced elsewhere. Wow. Killin' me softly with its song! (Not so softly, actually.)
HatchedLake721 7y ago
Connections and networking. What stops you from networking and surrounding yourself with likeminded people or people related to the goals you want to achieve? We don’t have a cast system in the western world, you can become anything you want, you just need to do the right things to get there.
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
j45 7y ago
I don't disagree with the example of Bill Gates, but is this theory that applicable to folks like Steve Jobs

deleted 7y ago

[deleted]

rubidium 7y ago

Public service announcement: Crummy, superficial article. Don’t waste your time. The gervais principle article is far more helpful.

flipactual 7y ago
Here’s the link https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-or-the-office-according-to-the-office/ https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/10/07/the-gervais-principle-...
pm90 7y ago
And yet, a lot of young, very idealistic folks will be totally enamored by it and genuinely believe it... makes me sick. In the absence of anyone to guide them, I am afraid the young will have no way to filter the signal from the noise, to comprehend how the real world works and not get distracted by this sort of nonsense.

irjustin 7y ago

While I love this article for what it stands for, it's like school vs the real world. It quantifies what we... or at least I, personally want in my CEO. Someone who cares, takes responsibility, leads, knows the product, intelligent, listens. They exist for sure, but they far and few between. Reality, it appears, the driving north star/metric of CEOs and aspiring ones is making money for the business. If you can consistently do that, you will move up and have the best shot. Any cost - legal edges blur-able. Sadly, that's not what necessarily makes the best CEOs or even good for the business long term. I think we're seeing this play out with Boeing right now.

internet_user 7y ago
You should read that gervais principle from ribbonfarm.

jcims 7y ago

I’m curious what other folks on HN find appealing, if anything, about becoming CEO. Personally it seems like a queen honey bee role, which sounds awesome at first but once you get a closer look you see its more like slavery to production, whithering externalities and merciless judgement.

tim333 7y ago
CEOs in general get an unfair share of the money and acclaim. Also you get to be in charge kinda. I mean look at the wework guy as an extreme example - largely trashes the company and walks with $2bn or so.
- solveit 7y ago
  Starting your argument with "in general" and following up with a self-admittedly extreme example is... not good argumentation. The fact that Softbank threw money away in a rather spectacular fashion doesn't at all speak to whether typical CEO compensation is fair.
- perl4ever 7y ago
  Look at Carlos Ghosn for another extreme example in a different direction.