Prepare in advance; use a board deck template<\/h3>\r\n\r\n
There shouldn\u2019t be surprises in a board meeting. This means building and circulating a good deck<\/a> in advance. It should be professional, but it doesn\u2019t have to be perfectly designed.<\/p>\r\n To help companies understand what should go in a deck, we\u2019ve built a template, which you can download here: [marketo-form form_id=”6803″]<\/p>\r\n\r\n For earlier stage companies, it\u2019s common to have decks that are 15-20 pages, and at later stages, they may be 50-60 slides\u2014–far more than can be covered in 4-5 hours, but enough to provide the information directors need<\/a>. Typically, these should be circulated 1-2 days before the meeting so directors can come to the meeting prepared to discuss.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n An important part of the CEO\u2019s job is to make sure the board knows what\u2019s going on, and the deck is one way of accomplishing this.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Finally, Woody suggests dinners before the meeting as a more relaxed way for the board to talk about the business in a more informal, relaxed setting, and get some of the major discussion out of the way.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The makeup of a board varies by stage, but one constant is the importance of diversity. \u201cThis means diversity of thought, experience, gender, opinion, etc.\u201d says Woody. \u201cIt\u2019s important to be able to lean on the board for different things, and diversity helps.\u201d You might have some directors with deep finance backgrounds, others with product or technical backgrounds, and others with deep industry experience, depending on the space you\u2019re in.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n At earlier stages, the board is usually made up of founders and lead investors. These boards help with introductions to potential employees, partners and customers, and provide input on the direction of the company in terms of hiring, product roadmap, go-to-market, and fundraising<\/a>. Earlier stage companies may not have the luxury of recruiting outside directors, but can do so opportunistically.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n As companies grow, executive teams and boards typically start thinking about more complex fundraising, and eventually, IPOs and acquisitions. At that point, experienced directors with expertise on those processes are key. The company may also consider board committees, around Series D or later. Board committees may focus on compensation, audit, and eventually governance, and are comprised of people with deep experience in those areas.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n To get as much value out of the board as possible, it\u2019s important that CEOs make specific asks of board members in areas where they can help. Some examples are introductions to potential executive hires or customers. CEOs can also ask for advice on issues or questions they\u2019re struggling with, such as org structure, product roadmap, executive team, or go-to-market plans.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It\u2019s typically good to make these asks at the end of the board meeting, or over email between meetings if it\u2019s more urgent, since it requires follow-up action items and shouldn\u2019t be the main focus of the board meeting.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Around board meetings, it\u2019s common to feel a palpable buzz around the office. We\u2019re noticing a trend where the best run companies are shedding light on board meetings to their internal teams, and being candid about the board\u2019s feedback. At Extend, Woody provides this level of transparency by hosting an informal afternoon gathering for employees and the board, where he walks through the board deck and answers questions.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n We believe that employees are starting to expect this level of transparency<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The best CEOs provide the right level of transparency and timely information in both directions: to the board, and to their internal teams.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Finally, the best founders are busy running their companies day-to-day, not spending all their time preparing for quarterly meetings. That\u2019s why Carta has built assets to help streamline board workflows, including both our board deck<\/a> and board tools.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
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<\/figure>\r\nDownload the board deck template<\/h3>\r\n
The deck should include an executive update, financials, performance against agreed upon KPIs<\/a>, key hires, highlights, and risks. While these metrics will change as you grow in size or develop new products, it’s important to consistently track the same metrics across board meetings to demonstrate trends.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBring on the right people<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Make specific asks<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Demystify board meetings for your employees<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Get on board<\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n