Startup Boards: A Field Guide to Building and Leading an Effective Board of Directors

A comprehensive guide on creating, growing, and leveraging a board of directors written for CEOs, board members, and people seeking board roles.
The first time many founders see the inside of a board room is when they step in to lead their board. But how do boards work? How should they be structured, managed, and leveraged so that startups can grow, avoid pitfalls, and get the best out of their boards? Authors Brad Feld, Mahendra Ramsinghani, and Matt Blumberg have collectively served on hundreds of startup and scaleup boards over the past 30 years, attended thousands of board meetings, encountered multiple personalities and situations, and seen the good, bad, and ugly of boards.
In Startup Boards: A Field Guide to Building and Leading an Effective Board of Directors, the authors provide seasoned advice and guidance to CEOs, board members, investors, and anyone aspiring to serve on a board. This comprehensive book covers a wide range of topics with relevant tips, tactics, and best practices, including: Board fundamentals such as the board's purpose, legal characteristics, and roles and functions of board members; Creating a board including size, composition, roles of VCs and independent directors, what to look for in a director, and how to recruit directors; Compensating, onboarding, removing directors, and suggestions on building a diverse board; Preparing for and running board meetings; The board's role in transactions including selling a company, buying a company, going public, and going out of business; Advice for independent and aspiring directors.
Startup Boards draws on the authors' experience and includes stories from board members, startup founders, executives, and investors. Any CEO, board member, investor, or executive interested in creating an active, involved, and engaged board should read this book—and keep it handy for reference.
From the Inside Flap
In the newly revised Second Edition of Startup Boards: A Field Guide to Building and Leading an Effective Board of Directors, the authors, who are accomplished investors and entrepreneurs, deliver an incisive and accessible exploration of boards of directors. While aimed at CEOs and founders, it is equally helpful for investors and board members. In this edition, there is a new section specifically for anyone interested in becoming a board member. Finally, many of the concepts discussed apply to any board of directors, including boards of nonprofits and public companies.
This book is divided into multiple sections covering various topics, from formation to company exit. It examines the board’s role during a company exit, be that in the form of a sale, initial public offering, or bankruptcy. It includes sidebars and text boxes from experienced board members that offer additional ideas and tips. The authors also provide new quantitative measures of boards across company stages to illustrate critical points.
Startup Boards is a must-have resource for anyone involved with boards of directors in any capacity. CEOs will learn how to build and manage boards. Board members will find ways to be more effective. Aspiring board members will learn how to search out and find roles. Investors will discover ways to analyze the composition and strength of a company’s board. And students of entrepreneurship and business will enjoy a plentiful source of insight into the proper role and operation of a well-functioning board.
From the Back Cover
“Startup Boards shines at demystifying the startup boardroom. It provides readers with an insider’s account of board issues, dynamics, and challenges. By breaking down exactly what a board of directors does, what a board member is, what the job entails, and all the scenarios accompanying it, many executives—of all backgrounds—can start to see themselves in this role.”
—From the Foreword by Jocelyn Mangan
A board of directors evolves over the life of a company. Good boards become powerful assets for startup success. Over