Startup Founder

Startup Founder performs the documented duties on this page and it lists 28 real tasks to practice. The focus is on clear, repeatable steps and how tools like Microsoft Word help. Each one shows where we found it, and comes with an AI prompt you can copy and use straight away.

28evidenced tasks
28ready prompts
6tools of the trade
11-1011.00O*NET-SOC code
204,350hold this job (US, BLS 2025)
$213,990median pay/yr (US)
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What it pays

Government survey numbers — not estimates, not ads.

Half of all Chief Executives in the U.S. earn more than $213,990 a year — the middle 80% land between $75,700 and $507,730. About 204,350 people in the U.S. do this work. Figures are for the U.S. occupation group “Chief Executives”. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, published 2025.) In India, Managers earn about ₹50,473 a month on average — around ₹6.1 lakh a year (government PLFS survey via ILOSTAT, occupation-family figure).
$213,990typical pay / year
204,350people in this work
$507,730+top 10% earn
₹6.1 lakha year in India (family avg)
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The work, task by task

These are the real jobs-to-be-done, not a wish list. Each task shows where we found it, and the prompt underneath is written for that exact task.

Analysing2

Develop strategic plans

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Draft a one-page strategic plan for the board that ties product roadmap milestones to three measurable KPIs,…
Draft a one-page strategic plan for the board that ties product roadmap milestones to three measurable KPIs, assigns ownership to department heads, flags legal compliance checkpoints, and requests monthly review meetings starting next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsWikipedia

Determine and formulate policies

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Write a policy package covering hiring, expense approvals and data handling that complies with current…
Write a policy package covering hiring, expense approvals and data handling that complies with current regulations, include owner and review dates, and send to the legal advisor and HR lead for signoff by the end of the month.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordESCOjob descriptionsWikipedia
Get approval1

Represent the organization publicly

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Write a 7-minute keynote script for the regional investor event that presents our mission, three validated…
Write a 7-minute keynote script for the regional investor event that presents our mission, three validated traction metrics, CEO ask for partnership, and three anticipated legal or regulatory risks to acknowledge onstage.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsO*NET
Keeping the record1

Monitor organizational performance

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Build a dashboard tracking monthly MRR, churn, CAC and burn rate, flag any metric outside tolerance, and…
Build a dashboard tracking monthly MRR, churn, CAC and burn rate, flag any metric outside tolerance, and distribute the dashboard with commentary to department heads every Monday morning.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Sending & sharing1

Appoint and oversee department heads

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Compile performance reviews, role descriptions and 90‑day goals for open department head roles, propose two…
Compile performance reviews, role descriptions and 90‑day goals for open department head roles, propose two internal and one external candidate per role, and run the shortlist past the board at Friday's leadership meeting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NETWikipedia
Coordinate1

Direct or coordinate operational activities

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Create a monthly operations playbook that sequences weekly priorities across product, sales and finance,…
Create a monthly operations playbook that sequences weekly priorities across product, sales and finance, assigns owners, and deliver the first edition to managers with a request for status updates by Tuesday close of business.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsO*NET
The daily work22

Review reports and budgets

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Review the latest monthly financial pack, check the cashflow forecast and burn rate against the…
Review the latest monthly financial pack, check the cashflow forecast and burn rate against the board-approved budget, flag any line items off-plan, and prepare a two-slide summary and one action list for Friday's leadership review.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptionsO*NET

Negotiate contracts and agreements

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Take the proposed SaaS reseller agreement, redline clauses on term, liability cap, and data handling, draft…
Take the proposed SaaS reseller agreement, redline clauses on term, liability cap, and data handling, draft one negotiation memo with our target positions and walk-away, and send it to legal and Priya in procurement for comments by Wednesday noon.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Wordjob descriptionsO*NET

Attend and lead meetings

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Run tomorrow's all-hands agenda, confirm managers' updates (sales, product, ops) each has 5 minutes, compile…
Run tomorrow's all-hands agenda, confirm managers' updates (sales, product, ops) each has 5 minutes, compile slides with the three KPIs to display, and circulate the final agenda and slide deck to the exec team by 9pm tonight.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsO*NET

Oversee company strategies and goals

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Review the strategic plan draft, update objectives with measurable targets for Q3 and Q4, map each objective…
Review the strategic plan draft, update objectives with measurable targets for Q3 and Q4, map each objective to an accountable department head, and produce a one-page roadmap to present to the board next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft PowerPointjob descriptionsWikipedia

Allocate resources effectively

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Assess headcount and operating spend scenarios, rerun three funding runway models at current, +10% and -10%…
Assess headcount and operating spend scenarios, rerun three funding runway models at current, +10% and -10% burn, recommend where to cut or invest and send the decision memo to the CFO and investors by end of week.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsWikipedia

Make high-level decisions

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Summarise the options on the product pivot, list expected revenue impact and execution risk for each, state…
Summarise the options on the product pivot, list expected revenue impact and execution risk for each, state my recommended board-level decision, and email the one-page decision brief to the board and Anna, the COO, for the Friday meeting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Outlookjob descriptionsWikipedia

Report to the board of directors

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Send the board packet for this quarter to Priya Patel, Mark Chen, and the independent director with the board…
Send the board packet for this quarter to Priya Patel, Mark Chen, and the independent director with the board deck, audited financials, KPI dashboard and a one-page risks update attached, request comments by next Thursday and note any approvals needed at the meeting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookWikipedia

Maximize the company's value

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Draft and circulate a one-page strategic value plan that lists the three initiatives to increase revenue…
Draft and circulate a one-page strategic value plan that lists the three initiatives to increase revenue multiple, the required investments, expected timeline and measurable KPIs, ask the leadership team for feasibility feedback by Friday and schedule a decision call next Tuesday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft OutlookWikipedia

Lead the organization as the highest-ranking officer

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Prepare the CEO monthly update summarising hires, churn, cash runway, major customer issues and regulatory…
Prepare the CEO monthly update summarising hires, churn, cash runway, major customer issues and regulatory risks, include the org chart changes and action items for each department head, circulate to the executive team and post the final approved version to the leadership shared folder.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft SharePointWikipedia

Ensure that the daily operations of the company run smoothly

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Compile today's operations brief with overnight incidents, customer-support backlog, production metrics…
Compile today's operations brief with overnight incidents, customer-support backlog, production metrics versus targets, cash collections and supplier alerts, send it to the operations manager, head of product and head of finance by 9:00 a.m. with required follow-up actions highlighted.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookESCO

Organize or approve promotional campaigns.

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Approve the Q3 promo campaign brief for the mobile app, confirm the $45,000 budget allocation, ask Maya in…
Approve the Q3 promo campaign brief for the mobile app, confirm the $45,000 budget allocation, ask Maya in marketing to add KPIs for CAC and LTV, and schedule a 30-minute sign-off with the media buyer on Thursday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookO*NET

Nominate citizens to boards or commissions.

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Select and forward nominations for two local advisory boards, include short bios for Priya Shah and Jamal…
Select and forward nominations for two local advisory boards, include short bios for Priya Shah and Jamal Rivera, confirm they meet conflict-of-interest rules, and ask legal to draft submission letters by Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET

Direct or conduct studies or research on issues affecting areas of responsibility.

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Commission a market access study on our API pricing: define scope, ask Rahul to lead analysis, set a…
Commission a market access study on our API pricing: define scope, ask Rahul to lead analysis, set a four-week deadline, allocate $12,000 for research, and request a one-page interim status each Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ProjectMicrosoft ExcelO*NET

Prepare bylaws approved by elected officials, and ensure that bylaws are enforced.

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Draft updated company bylaws to reflect the new board observer role, circulate the draft to Anna in legal and…
Draft updated company bylaws to reflect the new board observer role, circulate the draft to Anna in legal and Tom the COO for comments, incorporate feedback, and finalise for vote at the June 12 board meeting.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET

Refer major policy matters to elected representatives for final decisions.

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Refer the proposed remote-work policy and its projected 8% cost impact to the investor advisory committee,…
Refer the proposed remote-work policy and its projected 8% cost impact to the investor advisory committee, include the HR impact memo, request a decision by next Tuesday, and flag any legal constraints for counsel.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET

Direct non-merchandising departments, such as advertising, purchasing, credit, or accounting.

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Reorganise oversight of non-revenue functions: assign advertising to Maya, purchasing to Jorge, and…
Reorganise oversight of non-revenue functions: assign advertising to Maya, purchasing to Jorge, and accounting to Priya, set 60-day performance targets, and ask each manager to submit a plan and budget by Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft ExcelMicrosoft OutlookO*NET

Participate in public relations

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Draft a short public statement and three talking points addressing our product safety record, upcoming…
Draft a short public statement and three talking points addressing our product safety record, upcoming partnership with Lantern Health, and customer metrics for the press release tomorrow morning, then publish to the company newsroom and circulate to my comms lead, Priya Singh.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft SharePointjob descriptionsWikipedia

Ensure compliance with laws and regulations

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Assemble a compliance briefing memo summarising data privacy, employment, and securities obligations,…
Assemble a compliance briefing memo summarising data privacy, employment, and securities obligations, highlight two gaps and recommended fixes with budget estimates, then send to our counsel Maya Rao and CFO by end of day Friday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft Exceljob descriptionsWikipedia

Make presentations to legislative or other government committees regarding policies, programs, or budgets.

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Prepare a ten-minute presentation for the city council hearing on Wednesday explaining how our workforce…
Prepare a ten-minute presentation for the city council hearing on Wednesday explaining how our workforce training program reduces costs to municipal partners, include one slide of impact metrics and one slide of funding ask, and email the final deck to Councilmember Alvarez and my policy lead Tom Chen.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ExcelO*NET

Implement corrective action plans to solve organizational or departmental problems.

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Create a corrective action plan that fixes declining NPS in support, assigns owners, sets three-week…
Create a corrective action plan that fixes declining NPS in support, assigns owners, sets three-week milestones, and a 60-day KPI target, then share it with Head of Support Lina Morales and Operations Manager James Reed for execution starting Monday.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelO*NET

Appoint department heads or managers and assign or delegate responsibilities to them.

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Announce the appointment of Ravi Patel as Head of Engineering, outline his responsibilities for platform…
Announce the appointment of Ravi Patel as Head of Engineering, outline his responsibilities for platform reliability and hiring, set his 90-day objectives, and send the offer details and role charter to Ravi and HR lead Sofia Kim today.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft WordMicrosoft OutlookO*NET

Preside over, or serve on, boards of directors, management committees, or other governing boards.

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Prepare the board packet for next Tuesday’s meeting including last quarter P&L, three strategic options with…
Prepare the board packet for next Tuesday’s meeting including last quarter P&L, three strategic options with pros and cons, and a proposed agenda; circulate to the board members and governance counsel by Friday COB.
The tools that do the workMicrosoft PowerPointMicrosoft ExcelO*NET

Says who?

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The logs, files & records this job keeps

Shared with other careers — the same record means something different in each.

Related careers

Same family of work — each with its own tasks and prompts.

The LLOS Work Atlas is the world's largest evidenced task library — a map of human work, with a ready prompt behind every task. 1,774 careers · every task named by the sources that witnessed it — O*NET, ESCO, real job descriptions, Wikipedia — and the deepest tasks by several at once. And it is honest about limits: where AI cannot help, the map says so.

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