I went from a nameless, entry-level associate, stapling papers in a windowless room, to a CFO at a Series C startup - in exactly nine years. Looking back at it, I don’t think I got everything right, and I probably pissed off a handful of people along the way. But right, wrong, or indifferent, if you’re going for speed, here’s the playbook on how to get promoted at a startup.

TL;DR:

  1. Craft your own SKU

  2. Know your customer

  3. Define the field you compete on

  4. Set your SLAs

  5. Compete on pricing, and value

  6. Spend time on your packaging

  7. Know the moment

  8. Plug the gap

  9. Be interested

  10. Be interesting

  11. Swim in the right pond

  12. Ask for it

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