Why Startup Founders Should Work With A Coach

When I was an early-stage entrepreneur, I considered—and then quickly dismissed—the idea of hiring an "executive coach." I assumed a coach would be too expensive and completely out of touch with what it takes to launch a new product from a shed in Menlo Park. Two years later, we reached profitability. But I often wondered how much better I could have performed if I had worked with a coach. So, I left ElliptiGO almost three years ago to found my startup-focused coaching practice.

Coaching isn't new to Silicon Valley, but it isn't as commonplace as it could be among startup founders. Mark Suster bluntly highlights the value of coaches to founders: "If you don't work with somebody like that now, it's your loss."

Now, it's one thing to hear this message from an entrepreneur-turned-coach or an entrepreneur-turned-VC, and it's another to hear it from current founders who started working with a coach at seed-stage or even pre-funding. I polled a few of my clients to ask why they find value in coaching and why they'd encourage other startup founders to work with a coach. Here is what they told me:

"Your ability to personally grow faster than you could ever be comfortable with is the single biggest determinant of whether you will survive and succeed."

- Ben Knelman, Founder & CEO of Juntos Finanzas

When I first started coaching Ben, we met on a sidewalk bench because he had no office, no team, and was trying to figure out how to turn a college project into a real company. Two years later, he now leads a team that is about to grow out of their Mountain View office space and expand internationally. Ben would be the first to tell you that the pace at which a student-founder-turned-CEO needs to develop executive skills is intense.

The founders who succeed over time are the ones who learn the fastest—not just about product-market fit—but also about themselves. Working with a coach accelerates your learning and helps you develop leadership skills ahead of when your growing team will need them.

"It's lonely at the top, and it's so nice to not only turn to friends or a spouse."

- Julia Hu, Founder-CEO of lark

Founders often confront emotional challenges they don't share with teammates, investors, advisors or even trusted friends and family. A coach creates a safe space for you to talk through struggles, but a coach will also help you brainstorm your next steps. And they help you feel better so you...

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