Attributes Of Winning Agtech CEOs

By Global Ag Tech Initiative

Let’s look now at some major attributes of successful CEOs of agtech startups. The insights herein are from an interview conducted by Donald R. Marvin on Forbes.com with two leading McKinsey & Company consultants who advise agtech startups, Lutz Goedde, senior partner, and Daniel Aminetzah, partner.

Donald R. Marvin: Can you isolate some common features of CEO management style that are most associated with their companies becoming sustainable?

Lutz Goedde: To me it often starts with self-awareness. As an entrepreneur and the cofounder or CEO of a startup, it is imperative to understand where one’s strengths and weaknesses lie. Am I a scientist? My core competency may be the technology, which in most cases will mean I’m probably not the best marketing person in the world, and I’m not the best go-to-market leader. A self-aware CEO figures out how to substitute any such skill gap with managers who have these competencies. In the end, the founder sets the vision, and serves as the North Star for the organization. I don’t think anybody else other than the founder or CEO can really do that in a compelling way.