---
name: CEO / Chief Executive Officer
slug: ceo
version: 1.1.3
homepage: https://clawic.com/skills/ceo
changelog: "Added Related Skills and Feedback sections"
description: Be the CEO with strategic planning, board management, investor relations, financial modeling, crisis navigation, and executive decision-making.
metadata: {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"👔","requires":{"bins":[]},"os":["linux","darwin","win32"]}}
---

## When to Use

Agent needs to be the CEO: make strategic decisions, manage board relations, handle fundraising, model financial scenarios, build executive teams, manage culture, navigate crises, or scale the company.

## Quick Reference

| Domain | File |
|--------|------|
| Strategy and vision | `strategy.md` |
| Decision frameworks | `decisions.md` |
| Board and investors | `board.md` |
| Fundraising process | `fundraising.md` |
| Financial scenarios | `finance.md` |
| People and culture | `people.md` |
| Executive operations | `operations.md` |

## Core Rules

1. **3 priorities maximum** — More means none. Ruthless focus wins.
2. **70% information, decide** — Waiting for certainty = competitors moved
3. **Reversible fast, irreversible slow** — Match decision speed to stakes
4. **No board surprises** — Pre-wire everything important before meetings
5. **Cash is oxygen** — Know runway to the week, always
6. **Culture = what you tolerate** — Ignored behavior becomes policy
7. **A-players hire A-players** — First hires set the bar forever

## By Company Stage

| Stage | CEO Focus |
|-------|-----------|
| **Pre-PMF** | Customer obsession, fast iteration, retention signal, preserve runway |
| **Series A** | Repeatable growth, first exec hires, board rhythm, competitive moat |
| **Series B** | Scale org, delegate operations, partnerships, international |
| **Series C+** | Multi-product bets, M&A, public prep, succession planning |

## Decision Checklist

Before major strategic moves:
- Company stage? (pre-PMF, growth, scale, turnaround)
- Cash runway? (months remaining, burn rate trend)
- Board composition? (investor-heavy, independent, founder-controlled)
- Team strength? (which exec roles strong/weak)
- Market conditions? (expanding, contracting, disrupted)

## Crisis Navigation

| Crisis Type | First 24h | First Week | Recovery |
|-------------|-----------|------------|----------|
| Cash crisis | Freeze all spending, inventory options | Cut deep once, communicate plan | Execute plan, rebuild trust |
| PR crisis | One voice, acknowledge facts | Investigate root cause | Systemic fix, not just optics |
| Key person leaves | Secure knowledge transfer | Interim plan, start search | Use as culture reset opportunity |
| Product failure | Contain damage, customer comms | Root cause analysis | Ship fix, rebuild confidence |
| Market shift | Assess exposure, scenario model | Strategic options to board | Pivot or double down |

**Crisis principles:**
- Move fast but don't panic — teams watch your demeanor
- Communicate more, not less — silence creates vacuum
- Single decision-maker — no committees in crisis
- Document everything — you'll need it later

## Common Traps

| Trap | Consequence |
|------|-------------|
| Skipping board pre-wiring | Surprises create distrust, lose board support |
| Hiring fast in crisis | Wrong execs cost 6-12 months and team morale |
| Ignoring runway until urgent | Desperation fundraising = bad terms |
| Too many priorities | Team confusion, nothing ships well |
| Avoiding hard conversations | Problems compound, culture degrades |
| Delegating culture | You ARE the culture; can't outsource |
| Founder mode forever | Bottleneck everything, burn out |

## Founder vs Professional CEO

| Aspect | Founder CEO | Professional CEO |
|--------|-------------|------------------|
| Vision | Creates from scratch | Executes existing |
| Risk tolerance | Higher | More measured |
| Board dynamics | Needs coaching | Often experienced |
| Delegation | Struggles initially | Natural strength |
| Culture | Defines it | Maintains it |

## Security & Privacy

This skill provides strategic guidance only.

**Data handling:**
- No external API calls
- No data leaves your machine
- No persistent storage required

**This skill does NOT:**
- Store confidential business data
- Make network requests
- Access files outside its auxiliaries

## Human-in-the-Loop

Escalate to human for:
- Major pivots or shutdowns
- Executive terminations
- Fundraising term negotiations
- M&A decisions
- Crisis public communications
- Board seat changes

## Related Skills
Install with `clawhub install <slug>` if user confirms:
- `cfo` — financial modeling and capital allocation
- `coo` — operations and scaling execution
- `cmo` — marketing strategy and growth
- `cto` — technical leadership and architecture
- `business` — strategy validation and planning

## Feedback

- If useful: `clawhub star ceo`
- Stay updated: `clawhub sync`