Finding the right founding CEO is one of the most critical decisions in building a successful venture. At Stackpoint, we've developed a systematic approach to evaluate potential co-founder/CEOs based on two key dimensions: what they've accomplished and who they are as leaders.

The Art and Science of Founder Selection

No single individual perfectly aligns with every criterion we evaluate. Founder selection, like many aspects of venture building, involves calculated trade-offs and informed risk-taking. We invest significant time in our founder recruiting process to ensure we fully understand these trade-offs when deciding to partner with someone.

Our evaluation framework centers on specific experiences and personal qualities that correlate with success in building companies from the ground up.

Experience: What They've Done

We evaluate founders across six core experience areas, rating each on a scale where 5 represents our highest standard.

Founded or Co-Founded a Company 

We look for founders who have built and scaled VC-backed companies that achieved significant commercial success - companies generating millions in revenue, completing multiple marked-up funding rounds, or achieving successful exits. 

While we consider factors like company outcomes and whether someone was an early employee versus founder, having multiple founding experiences strengthens a candidate's profile.

Raised Venture Capital 

The ideal candidate has played a hands-on role raising significant priced equity from top-tier VCs. This experience demonstrates their ability to communicate vision, build investor relationships, and navigate the funding process that will be crucial for scaling their venture.

Built from Scratch 

We prioritize founders who have meaningfully scaled a business, business unit, or program from the ground up within an existing company. This experience shows they understand the challenges of creating something new and can execute when starting with limited resources.

Built and Led Teams 

Strong founders have recruited and led high-results, high-trust, multidisciplinary teams across various operating conditions. We examine the size and impact of teams they've built, their personal role in recruiting talent, and their track record across multiple leadership situations.

Strong Industry Networks 

The best candidates possess deep, loyal networks that can directly benefit their venture, including relationships with VCs, talent, and industry partners. This network becomes a competitive advantage in customer acquisition, fundraising, and talent recruitment.

Relevant Industry Expertise 

We seek founders with deep experience in their venture's target market or mission-critical functional expertise in areas like technology, sales, or business development. This domain knowledge accelerates product-market fit and go-to-market execution.

Beyond Experience: Character and Mindset

Beyond experience, we evaluate six personal qualities that determine how effectively someone can lead a venture through the inevitable challenges of company building.

Resourcefulness 

The ability to creatively use available resources to solve problems and deliver results. Resourceful founders find clever ways to overcome challenges, adapt to changing situations, and maximize limited resources. All these are essential skills in the early stages of company building.

Grit 

Persistent drive and determination to achieve long-term goals despite challenges and failures. Founders with grit operate with passion, resilience, and strong work ethic to overcome obstacles and persevere toward success.

Drive 

A strong desire to achieve significant success through innovation and business scaling. This manifests as relentless intrinsic motivation and energy to pursue ambitious visions and turn them into reality.

Persuasiveness 

The ability to compellingly convey vision, mission, and strategy while convincing customers, investors, and talent to support the venture. Strong founders are clear communicators who build trust and enthusiasm around ambitious goals.

Self-Awareness 

Accurately recognizing personal strengths and weaknesses while remaining genuinely open to feedback and committed to continuous improvement. Self-aware founders can build around their limitations and leverage their strengths effectively.

All-In on the Founder Path 

Understanding what the founder journey entails (accountability, stress, long commitment horizons, and delayed liquidity) while genuinely desiring that path for deeper purpose beyond financial gain.

Exceptional Founders as the Foundation 

Our systematic approach to founder selection reflects our broader philosophy: building successful companies requires the right combination of experience, personal qualities, and systematic support. We don't expect founders to excel in every area - that's where our full-stack team, proven processes, and extensive network provide crucial support.

When we partner with a founder, we're committing to a shared journey of building something significant. Our thorough evaluation process ensures we understand exactly what each founder brings to that partnership and how we can best support their success.