One thing which happens to all CEOs is the number of voices coming at them every day increases.
Their team gives them feedback. So does their board of directors. Other investors weigh in regularly. There are advisors which have opinions as well.
The voices get louder. A connected CEO can fill his/her days with these voices.
To say being a startup CEO is a tough job is quite an understatement.
It happens to VCs as well but at a different level. The voices come at us all the time. Signals and conversations all day long. Every day. Every week.
In addition to these conversations and meetings we read blogs and tweets with suggestions, tips, wrongs and rights. every day. Every week.
One of the most effective things to do in a sea filled with voices is to just stop.
Take some time and get into your own head.
Take comfort in the solitude. In the quiet. It could be an hour. Or two. Or a day. Or two.
In an age of open office collaborative spaces, non stop meetings, hallway discussions, texts, coffee catch ups, we can often miss the creative juices and insights from time alone.