Founder Tip #1: Be a Tribe Leader, Not a CEO
At the pre-seed stage, ditch the formal CEO title. It carries connotations of being built for delegation, not collaboration, and a corporate structure that simply doesn't exist yet. Instead, call yourself the Tribe Leader 🏕️.
Why the Title Matters at Pre-Seed
The shift in title isn't just semantics; it's a reflection of your true role in a Deep Tech startup's early existence.
If you call yourself CEO (Chief Executive Officer), It implies Authority & Control. Managing a structure built for delegation. Answering to a board.
If you call yourself Tribe Leader, It implies Vision, Culture & Survival. Leading the first 5-10 people through the wilderness of product-market fit.
In the early days, your job isn't to execute on a stable business plan; it's to inspire and sustain a small, dedicated group. Your essential responsibilities are to:
- Define the Mission: Give your small team a cause worth fighting for—the singular scientific or engineering problem that defines the company.
- Protect the Culture: You are the first and only HR, ensuring intellectual honesty and belief alignment among the earliest believers.
- Lead from the Front: You're the one selling, coding, cleaning, and raising the flag. You are the chief maker and chief hustler.
CEO is a title you earn when you scale the machine. Tribe Leader is the title of the Visionary who built the original machine and found the first, most loyal users. Embrace the title that reflects the hands-on, mission-driven reality of building a world-changing company from scratch.