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Ask HN: How to determine if a board seat is right for me
is there anyone here who can share their experience of serving on an executive board as non-executive advisor? I have held executive roles in the past but have no experience with non-exec roles. I'm not actively searching for this but have been offered a position and am a little bit overwhelmed with doing due-diligence and assessing the expectations and requirements in this. Other than ask my lawyer (which I will) what should I keep in mind before saying yes? thanks
- PragmaticPulp 6y agoCan you include the scale for context? A board seat for a tiny non-profit is very different than a board seat for a company with $100mm revenue. You want to understand the legal liability associated with this position. If the thought of being pulled into legal proceedings by mere association gives you anxiety, think long and hard about this. Also, get to know your future fellow board members as much as possible, including back channel references. Being part of a combative, toxic, or adversarial board is not a good experience.
- DyslexicAtheist 6y ago> If the thought of being pulled into legal proceedings by mere association gives you anxiety, think long and hard about this. hmm. thank you. the company is pre-startup and has no track record I can audit unfortunately other than the LinkedIn profiles of board members. It can best be described as a private equity company that will build its portfolio by acquiring smaller players in the cyber security domain. I have not been asked (at least not yet) to provide equity myself.