CONCLUSION

I would never claim that writing this book—or even running a company for more than a decade—has given me all the answers. The one thing I hope I can claim is that with these two experiences I've finally figured out what questions I should be asking. There are hundreds of them, on topics ranging from … you've made it this far, so you know how far ranging the topics are! As Return Path continues to grow and enter new phases in its story, a whole new set of questions will arise. (I hope that someone is planning a startup IPOs volume for this series.) I look forward to thinking through the new questions, reconsidering my answers to the old ones, and, above all, practicing the craft of being a startup CEO.

My hope is that this book will inspire other startup CEOs, current or aspiring, to do the same. I wouldn't want anybody to feel that reading this book was an end in itself, any more than reading The South Beach Diet or The 4-Hour Body would be an end in itself. Think of me as your personal trainer and Startup CEO as a workout manual: I can set some guidelines, issue a few warnings and offer words of encouragement and advice. Now it's up to you to get to the gym and practice, practice, practice! The payoff is phenomenal—and unlike the drudgery of treadmills and weight machines, facing the challenges of running a startup day-to-day is a thrilling and intellectually stimulating task that never feels repetitive.

I've already quoted Fred Wilson to the effect that being a startup CEO is “lonely,” a “heavy duty,” and a “thankless task.” The number of topics I've covered in this book—and the number of times I've insisted that I'm just scratching the surface—might also suggest that being a startup CEO is one of the hardest, riskiest and most stressful jobs in the world, too. Well, it is! If you are motivated and creative, enjoy building things and enjoy being around people and creating a sense of purpose for a team, it's also the best job in the world.