Simon La Fosse founded La Fosse Associates, a leading IT talent solutions agency, in 2007. Since then, he has appointed two CEOs, and both CEO transitions have been successful, as evidenced by the growth of the business: almost £200m in revenues and nearly 500 employees.Simon and Evgeny discuss the importance of recognising one's limitations and the complexities involved in transitioning leadership roles within a company. Simon shares his experience of promoting internal talent over external hires, turning La Fosse into an employee-owned company, and maintaining company values during challenging times.00:00 Introduction03:08 Founding La Fosse Associates05:40 Core Values: Co-Ownership and Care10:24 Upholding Values During Hard Times14:34 First CEO Transition20:08 Navigating an Inflection Point23:41 Second CEO Transition27:11 Trusting Founder's Intuition29:52 Developing a People-First Culture31:20 Simon's Next Chapter33:46 An Ecosystem of Support36:21 Balancing Work and Life40:55 Advice for Future Founders47:44 Final Reflections and TakeawaysEvgeny Shadchnev is a founder coach who works with entrepreneurs and CEOs to ensure smooth CEO successions. Find out more about his work at www.evgeny.coach.Startup CEO Succession: a Founder's Guide to Leadership Transition is out now. Find it on Amazon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.evgeny.coach

Gretchen Lennon, founder of Lennon Legal, joins Evgeny Shadchnev to discuss key legal aspects of CEO succession.We explore the importance of obtaining independent legal advice, understanding good and bad leaver provisions, negotiating settlement agreements, the potential tax implications tied to shares and share options, and more.Timestamps00:00 Introduction02:31 Hypothetical CEO Resignation05:06 Unfair Dismissal08:12 Shares,  Options and Taxes16:36 Getting Legal and Tax Advice18:37 Negotiating Settlement Agreements21:59 Post-Termination Restrictions26:42 Staying with the Business as an ex-CEO32:16 Rebalancing the Cap Table37:21 Anti-embarrassment Provisions40:18 Renegotiating the SHA and the Articles42:58 The Reasons to Start Preparing Early47:15 LennonLegal.com48:03 Final Thoughts and Key TakeawaysGet in touch with Gretchen Lennon at [email protected] to get legal advice tailored to your situation.Find our more about Evgeny's work as a CEO coach at www.evgeny.coach.Startup CEO Succession: a Founder's Guide to Leadership Transition is out now. Get your copy on Amazon. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.evgeny.coach

Jonathan Lerner of Smedvig Ventures discusses the critical journey from founder to CEO: the challenges of this transition, the importance of early and open conversations about CEO succession, and how speaking more openly about CEO succession can help founders be happier and help investors enjoy higher returns.“It's a really big transition from founder to CEO. We need to talk about it more as an industry.  It is not a failure to not make it; it is merely, I guess, a statement of what you are great at and what you're not great at.Once we get to that point, we'll have far happier founders and investors;  we'll have more successful businesses as well, so that the returns will ultimately be better.”This podcast is hosted by Evgeny Shadchnev, an ex-CEO, author and founder coach specialising in CEO succession. Find out more about his work at evgeny.coach.Startup CEO Succession: a Founder's Guide to Leadership Transition is out now. Get your copy on Amazon.00:00 Introduction01:35 What got you here won't get you there03:23 CEO transition from VC's point of view  10:11 When to start delegating15:52 Backing founders, not evaluating CEOs18:10 When is a startup ready for a new CEO?21:11 Founders starting a succession conversation27:25 Investors starting a succession conversation29:49 Legal aspects of asking a CEO to leave32:30 Wisdom of discussing it early36:32 Transitioning to a non-CEO role40:59 Rebalancing the cap table43:09 Aligning a fundraise with a CEO succession48:54 Internal vs external candidates50:59 "It always happens too late"52:31 Raising it at the board level53:51 Balancing different responsibilities56:18 The cost of not being close to the business59:06 What helps founders grow into CEOs01:02:18 Shifting the conversation as a community01:04:17 The importance of building trust01:06:38 Summary of the conversation This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.evgeny.coach

Tom Robins shares the story of taking over from Adam Fudakowski, A founder of Switchee, as the CEO.We discuss the process of getting the first job as CEO, the differences between a founder's skill set and an operator's skill set, the dynamics of the relationship between a new CEO and the previous CEO if they stay on the team, and the board's role in the process.00:00 Introduction01:32 Joining Switchee05:15 Founders vs CEOs12:36 Landing the first CEO job20:09 Taking an interim title22:37 A 3-month sabbatical for the CEO29:12 Earning the team's trust32:45 Renegotiating the relationship with the founder39:07 Building bridges with the board42:43 Reshaping the senior team44:38 Advice for aspiring CEOs47:24 What founder CEOs get wrong53:08 Episode summaryEvgeny Shadchnev is a founder coach who works with entrepreneurs and CEOs to ensure smooth CEO successions. Find out more about his work at www.evgeny.coach.Startup CEO Succession: a Founder's Guide to Leadership Transition is out now. Find it on Amazon in hardcover, paperback and Kindle formats. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.evgeny.coach

(This episode mentions suicide.)Evgeny Shadchnev speaks with Adam Fudakowski, founding CEO of Switchee. Adam recounts the journey of founding Switchee in 2015, the tragic loss of his co-founder Ian, and the decision to hire an external CEO, Tom Robins, in 2020.Adam elaborates on the emotional challenges of the CEO transition, and the deep impact on the company's growth. He shares insights on the importance of self-awareness, effective communication, and the sabbatical that paved the way for a successful leadership handover. 00:00 Introduction02:20 Founding story of Switchee03:57 Death of Adam's co-founder Ian10:34 Search for the new CEO15:17 CEO Transition process18:39 Building a relationship between the founder and the CEO20:18 Impact on the senior team22:32 Impact on the business23:39 Founder and CEO skill sets26:46 Conversation with the board29:15 Not stepping on each other's toes32:00 Three month sabbatical34:53 Advice for founders38:33 Advice for investors39:57 Advice for incoming CEOs41:15 Adam's role after stepping down44:47 SummaryYou can watch the episode on YouTube. Find out more about Evgeny's work on Substack.Startup CEO Succession: a Founder's Guide to Leadership Transition is available on Amazon US, Amazon UK and others. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.evgeny.coach

Rory Stirling, a partner at Connect Ventures, joins Evgeny Shadchnev to discuss the complexities of CEO transitions in startups.The conversation delves into why founder-CEO discussions around stepping down are challenging, the importance of building trust between founders and investors, and what considerations both parties should have when navigating these delicate transitions.Rory shares valuable insights from his 15-year career, including the importance of recognizing when a founder is no longer the right CEO and the processes involved in finding a new leader. The discussion highlights the significant role of founders, the critical aspect of handling CEO succession maturely, and the long-term commitment and timeframe required for such transitions.00:00 Introduction01:01 About Rory01:56 Why founders and VCs find it hard to talk about CEO change05:43 How to talk to a VC about stepping down07:25 Discussing CEO succession during fundraising15:20 How CEO role changes as the startup grows16:31 Importance of founders for company success22:56 Investors' reaction to CEO change32:50 Right and wrong reasons to step down38:33 Founder guilt about stepping down42:21 What happens after the decision is taken48:05 Transition timelines50:52 Parting advice to founders and investors54:10 The opportunity costs of not stepping downYou can watch the episode on YouTube.Follow the podcast and connect with Evgeny's work on Substack. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.evgeny.coach

Welcome to the Startup CEO Succession, where we dive deep into the pivotal journey of founder CEOs navigating the critical decision: should you continue leading your business or bring in a new leader? I'm your host, Evgeny Shadchnev, and in each episode, we will examine the challenges, strategies, and success stories of leadership transitions in the startup world. Whether you're a founder considering your next move, a professional CEO ready to take over, or an investor navigating the process, join us as we uncover insights that will help you steer your company towards a successful future!Find out more about my work at substack.evgeny.coach.This podcast is available on YouTube.Startup CEO Succession: a Founder's Guide to Leadership Transition is out now: https://www.evgeny.coach/book This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit substack.evgeny.coach