Ed the Serial CEO is looking forward to a brilliant year. At last, he reckons, he's going to make his pile. The company is scheduled to IPO during the year.
A January entry sees Ed starting the year full of confidence: 'This is the year I've been waiting for all my career', writes Ed, 'the year I get my fuck-off money. The year after which I decide where I work, and when I work, and on what terms.'
Clearly Ed sees the multi-millions he's likely to get from the IPO as giving him control over his life for the first time since he started working.
A day or two later the mood is very different. A diary entry for later in the month reads:
'Got a call today from a general partner at one of our VC backers. "Ed", he says " a word in your ear. I'm hearing on the grapevine that Malcolm Bates (the Chairman of our lead VC company who took me for £500 at golf last year) is putting out some bad stuff about you."
'My heart sinks", writes Ed, 'but I keep cheerful. "What's he saying?" I asked. "That you might not be the right man to take the company to IPO", he replied.
"Why not?" I ask. "I don't know any more than that. But for God's sake keep this under your hat and do everything you can to make Bates happy."
'Triple shit', writes Ed, 'only 319 days until we IPO and I should be out of here with a bunch of dough. And now this.'
Leave a comment