_edited.jpg)
Drew Houston, the co-founder and CEO of Dropbox, offers valuable insights into the dynamic nature of the CEO role. According to Houston, being a CEO is a constantly evolving job, changing every six months, a year, or every couple of years. He emphasizes that this shift is not always obvious and can catch many off guard.
One significant point Houston makes is that skills that made you successful in earlier stages of your company can become obstacles as you grow. For instance, Houston wrote most of the first version of Dropbox himself. However, as the company expanded, the workload increased, and he had to stop coding to focus on other responsibilities.
"Nobody's born a CEO. You learn it," Houston explains. The learning curve is steep, and one of the biggest challenges is identifying your blind spots. As a CEO, you quickly realize that the job involves much more than just building a good product. The chessboard expands to include critical decisions about market strategy, business models, competition, team building, and management.
Houston shares a useful question he frequently asks himself:
"One year from now, two years from now, five years from now, when I look back on today, what will I wish I had been learning?"
This forward-thinking approach helps in identifying current learning priorities that will benefit future decision-making.
When asked by Sam Altman whether he figured things out on his own or sought advice, Houston responds that he used a mix of both. However, he highlights reading as one of the most valuable activities he undertook.
Houston recommends a couple of books that have been particularly influential in his journey. "High Output Management" by Andy Grove is his favorite book on management, describing it as a bible for scaling an organization. He also suggests "The Effective Executive" by Peter Drucker, which offers great insights into effective management.
In essence, Houston's journey underscores the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the role of a CEO. It's about gaining wisdom quickly and developing good judgment across various aspects of the business. For aspiring and current CEOs, embracing this mindset can help navigate the complexities of leadership and drive their organizations towards sustained success.
Listen to what he says: