Peak Teams: Mastering the Habits of Unstoppable Venture-Backed Companies

by Jeff James Martin

Overview

The challenges and pressures faced by VC-backed CEOs and founders-and their teams-are unlike anything else.

When you're building something that's never been done before, there's no roadmap. You're responsible for meeting the needs of your team, clients, and partners...and of course, your investors and board members. You're juggling growth targets, internal misalignment, and raising capital-often all at once. And the whole time, you're deeply aware of the pressure from all sides. Your drive to push forward-to build, solve, and create-is unstoppable, but it can often feel like everything is on your shoulders, and you're hiking up a steep mountain buried in a fog.

It doesn't have to be that way. Build the right team, and you'll go from facing challenges alone to maximizing opportunities together. Jeff James Martin has spent a two-decade career on the ground with VC-backed teams trying to answer the question: What makes some VC-backed companies succeed, and others fail? This book holds the answer.

Peak Teams is a holistic blueprint for building an unstoppable team and empowering them with the core habits that create winning behaviors. In this book, you'll learn the Peak Teams System, a framework of habits and tools designed specifically for venture-backed teams. With the alignment, focus, accountability, and visibility Peak provides, you'll part the fog surrounding your business and get everyone-investors, partners, clients, and employees-heading up to the mountain's peak together.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781962341134
Publisher:	Collective Genius Media
Publication date:	12/18/2023
Pages:	260
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.59(d)

About the Author

Over the course of a two-decade career, Jeff James Martin has worked with hundreds of venture-backed leadership teams, from seed to exit, and investors across the US and worldwide. Jeff has personally founded, sold, and played multiple roles at venture-backed technology companies. In 2004, Jeff founded Collective Genius to assist CEOs, founders, and investors to build high-performing teams. As a mentor to accelerator programs and a go-to for VC firms' portfolio companies globally, Jeff has become a sought-after speaker worldwide. Jeff lives in Los Angeles with his wife and five kids, where he teaches and competes in Brazilian jiu-jitsu as a black belt and coaches high school athletics.

Editorial Reviews

"Venture-backed startups operate in a league of their own, fraught with distinct hurdles and high stakes. As a serial entrepreneur and having invested in over 100 startups, I've seen the same pattern: brilliant innovators struggling under the weight of leadership. The Peak Teams System provides a guide for any VC-backed CEO to align their team, master the basics, and drive towards success."

-Sam Yagan, Managing Director Corazon Capital, Co-Founder of SparkNotes & OkCupid, Former CEO of MTCH

"I hate book blurbs (see my blog). That said, if Jeff's passion for helping CEO/founders equals the energy he put into this book, it will be a great read."

-Brad Feld, Partner at Foundry, author of Venture Deals and Startup Boards

"As a former operator and someone that's coached countless startups, Jeff Martin's been there. He understands the inflection points that every VC-backed company traverses, and he's come up with an executable OS that caters to them. Being a startup founder will always be hard, but Jeff's methodology makes the journey easier to navigate."

-Janine Davis, Managing Partner and Executive Coach at Evolution

"Techstars has a handful of tried and true criteria for selecting our investments, and the first three are team, team, team! Put simply, we invest in unstoppable founders who are part of unstoppable teams. With Peak Teams, Jeff powerfully explains the habits that drive amazing teams like these."

-David Cohen, Co-Founder and Chairman at Techstars

"Jeff's framework for helping founders succeed is truly unique. He's supported many of the founders that I've backed and have set them up for long-term success."

-Jenny Fielding, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Everywhere Ventures

"Jeff has crafted the definitive playbook for CEOs of high-stakes, venture-backed companies. While I had the privilege of learning directly from the GOAT Coach of Silicon Valley, Bill Campbell, Jeff's work is rooted in a similar ethos. What's timeless is that a TEAM with great fundamentals wins games...Peak Teams shows the way. I strongly recommend that you read this!"

-Michael Moe, Founder Global Silicon Valley

"Peak Teams is a practical guide for CEOs and teams navigating the complex terrain of entrepreneurial businesses and their teams. With a focus on clear communication, regular cadences, and fostering a culture of learning, Martin offers a systematic approach to help organizations achieve their goals effectively. This book provides a roadmap for turning good teams into exceptional ones."

-Matt Hulett, CEO of PedMeds, author of Unlock, former President of Rosetta Stone

"Jeff's extensive history with startups has given him a firsthand look at their highs and lows. Recognizing the unique needs of high-growth ventures, he's crafted a different operating model for them. As both a founder and investor, I value his pragmatic, actionable approach in this book. It's a great read for anyone leading startup teams."

-Carey Ransom, Managing Director at BankTech Ventures, Founder at Operate

From the Publisher