Arena Partners

Dear Founder, A board member at one of our first venture-backed CEO gigs told us that until you've had two weeks of cash left and are sitting on your front porch in tears because a hundred people are counting on you for their mortgage, you don't really know what it's like to be a CEO. Whether or not you've experienced that exact situation, odds are you've faced a challenge as CEO that was equally gut-wrenching. Or faced uncertainty while making hundreds of other decisions where there is no clear right answer. Or felt the emotional roller coaster where every single week is some combination of spoke-in-the-wheel setbacks and fist-pumping wins. Unless you've been a CEO – and actually been in the arena – it's hard to describe what this role entails to someone else. It is simultaneously invigorating and stimulating while also pressure-filled and isolating. And one filled with so many questions. Is this the right strategy or should we pivot? What should I look for in this new senior hire? Should I do a bridge round or a down round? What do I do with a co-founder who is not scaling? How do I best engage my board? Am I the right leader for the business? We know. We've been there. Each of us at Arena Partners has spent time in your seat, navigating similar terrain, asking those exact same questions of ourselves, whether it was our first time as CEO or our most recent one. We believe our decades of experience can help you make better decisions, reduce risk, focus on what truly matters, and create more peace of mind and better outcomes for all. We love seeing entrepreneurs succeed. We're here to help you on your journey. To your success, Jonathan, Rob, and John