ThatNewAE

Account Executive - Mid enterprise

What do you ask a co-founder in the last round of interviews?

I have had 3 rounds of interview with a company, went well - and now I have the final round with a co-founder today. What questions must one ask if he opens the floor for questions ?

Small startup, recently funded.

👠 ThatNewAE

19 comments

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poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Don’t talk about the role unless they are going to manage you.

Discuss strategy, runway, outlook, opportunities, threats to success, culture (not beers, but philosophy of how to build a company).

jefe

Arsonist

🍁

Really solid advice. It's all about the higher-level stuff. And DO NOT forget about runway.

FinanceEngineer

Politicker

Sr Director, sales and partnerships

That’s a great way to look at it. The role/team isn’t something to focus on, they care about the vision of the company and the product in general. Great advise.

ThatNewAE

Big Shot

Account Executive - Mid enterprise

Update: I got through! :) I asked more around the company, the vision and the future of the company for the next year or so.

poweredbycaffeine

WR Lieutenant

☕️

Hellll yes. Good job!

pirate

Big Shot

Account Executive

Nice one

FinanceEngineer

Politicker

Sr Director, sales and partnerships

Ask about strategy - what are thinking about 12-18 months out? Any sectors or products you plan on entering/building?
You can ask about them and their background. You can talk runway and plan for the next funding round. You can also ask about runway.
Just get them talking.

Sunbunny31

Arsonist

Sr Sales Executive 🐰

Heck, if they're chatty, you can ask about the inspiration behind the company. Agreed that you want to get them talking, so after you've done what pbc and finance have suggested (and they are great suggestions), you could continue with some history. Good luck!

ThatNewAE

Big Shot

Account Executive - Mid enterprise

I did and I got through, thank you. :) I also asked about the recent funding, the nxt one, the plan of action, how did the company begin in the first place and what was the ideology behind it. He was very humble and chatty, so was a good call.

FinanceEngineer

Politicker

Sr Director, sales and partnerships

Great to hear! Congrats on getting to the next round. Let me know if I can help with anything else.

Pachacuti

Politicker

They call me Daddy, Sales Daddy

he wants to get a feel for you - do you mess well with him and the company culture they are wanting to create, are you a team player by his definition, and will you help him achieve HIS vision. Focus on those things.

ThatNewAE

Big Shot

Account Executive - Mid enterprise

Got through! :) And yes, he did try to see how I break when pressured into situations. It was fun.

oldcloser

Arsonist

💀

You'll get time for questions if it's really an interview and not soapbox time. Here are a few questions that are 40%-60% guaranteed to work most of the time:
"Why do you like to work here?" As the setup. Then, transition into why the answer resonates with you. Tie it to your experience. Make it matter.
"Every founder has a vision. How much has the company deviated from yours over time?" The answer should reveal any potential for control freak micro madness.
If the founder is a good interviewer, they'll make you speak more than they do. Have your story together. Good luck.. you got dis!

AnchorPoint

Politicker

Business Coach

Vision, vision, Vision.

GDO

Politicker

BDM

Ask them about their future and how they see it. Also what drives then what’s their why?

Beans

Big Shot

Enterprise Account Executive

Long term vision, what you can do outside of your role to get them there.

kneehigh

Politicker

Senior Enterprise AE

It all comes down to their vision and if you believe you think they can go the distance. Yes you are going for a job but also treat this like an investment opportunity - if you take this role you are saying no to someone else and potentially a better opportunity.
So which horse do you want to back! Also if its just been funded how long till they empty the bank account?
What about product/market fit? Have they got there already or is this still unclear... its really all about their vision and belief in the company at the end of the day and if you want to put all your chips behind it.

FranchiseSalesQB

Politicker

Franchise Sales QB

Have them show you the technology in place that is set up for you to be successful

aiko

Politicker

Sr. Account Executive

Ask what they are excited about. This opens up the conversation for them to talk about their projects and any upcoming changes.