“‘The most important lesson in entrepreneurship: Embrace the struggle.” - Ben Horowitz
If you're here, you're thinking about hiring a coach.
As a founder, how do you decide:
- If you need a coach?
- What kind of coach you should work with?
- How to find the right coach?
After interviewing over 1,600 executive coaches and performance psychologists, and matching dozens of Series A to C founders to one of the 48 coaches in our network, we've learned what it takes for founders to find and engage the right coach, and our goal here is to share those insights with you in a step-by-step guide.
This blog is Part 1 of 8 in a series to help you find the right coach.
The Process of Finding a Coach
The 8 Steps are:
- Define what you want
- Determine if you need a coach or something else
- Identify the type of coach you need
- Get introductions
- Vet your options
- Choose the best fit
- Structure a deal
- Start the engagement
This blog covers Step 1.
Step 1: Define What You Want
“The question I ask myself almost every day is, ‘Am I doing the most important thing I could be doing?’” - Mark Zuckerberg
Before you begin looking for a coach, you need to be clear on what you want to achieve. Investing in a coach without clear goals is a recipe for disappointment.
To get clear on your goals for coaching, block off 30 minutes for uninterrupted reflection and journal on the following questions:
1. What specific problems / topics / issues would you want to work on with a coach?
Other variations of this same question include:
- What’s keeping you up at night?
- What is holding you or the company back from the progress you want/need?
- What’s the one domino that, if knocked over, makes all the other dominos easier to knock down (or even unnecessary)?
Common topics founders often engage a Titan coach for include:
- Do I have the right people in the right roles?
- Why am I involved in everything? How do I get more shit off my plate?
- Are my expectations unreasonable? How do I get my team to care more?
- How can I establish a better relationship with my co-founder?
- What should I delegate vs just do it myself?
- How do I become a more confident leader and fully step into my role?
- What frameworks do the best founders use to make better decisions faster?
- How do I avoid burning out and re-find my why?
2. How is your life/work different 6-12 months from now if coaching is wildly successful?
Common differences founders seek through a Titan coach include:
- Avoiding potential burnout by building emotional resilience and discipline around physical health and sleep.
- Establishing a culture of accountability with your team so they take ownership without always being pushed.
- Overcoming avoidance in high-pressure situations like delivering tough messages to board members or the mundane things that just need to be done.
- Finding excitement in work again and celebrating the things you and your team are accomplishing.
3. Who is the most evolved version of you, and what’s blocking you from getting there
Common evolutions founders seek through a Titan coach include:
- Create healthy boundaries with work to disconnect without feeling guilty.
- Gain clarity on personal and professional priorities and commit fully to a direction.
- Lead a high-performance culture with motivated A-players in the right roles.
- Develop an identity outside of work, actively pursuing things (e.g. at least 1 hobby) that brings you happiness and fulfillment.
What’s next
Once you have a clear vision of your goals, the next step is to determine whether coaching is the right solution and identify the type of coach that best suits your needs.
What is holding you and your company back from the next stage of growth?
Apply to become a part of Titan’s next monthly cohort here: https://www.withtitan.com/apply
