39 – How to manage, get the most of your Board and how to be a great board member – 2 of 2 - a podcast by Bertrand Schmitt & Nuno G. Pedro

In this final episode on Boards of Directors, we will share tips for successful board meetings, how to manage them, how to be a value-add board member and insights on advisors and advisory boards.
Navigation:Intro (01:34)
Section 1: Tips for Successful Board meetings (02:11)Section 2: How to manage your Board (18:24)
Section 3: For Board members (25:52)Section 4: Advisory Board / Advisors (33:09)
Conclusion (49:19)Our co-hosts:

Bertrand Schmitt, Entrepreneur in Residence at Red River West, co-founder of App Annie / Data.ai, business angel, advisor to startups and VC funds, @bschmittNuno Goncalves Pedro, Investor, Managing Partner, Founder at Chamaeleon, @ngpedro

Our show: 
Tech DECIPHERED brings you the Entrepreneur and Investor views on Big Tech, VC and Start-up news, opinion pieces and research. We decipher their meaning, and add inside knowledge and context. Being nerds, we also discuss the latest gadgets and pop culture newsSubscribe To Our PodcastIntro (01:34)NunoWelcome to Episode 39 of Tech DECIPHERED, where we continue our discussion aroundhow to best manage your board and get the most out of it, as well as how to be a great and hopefully non-dysfunctional board member. NunoIn this episode, we will talk about tips for successful board meetings, how to manage your board, and we'll go into details on anything from agendas to how to organize the cadence of it, KPIs, et cetera. How to think through advisory board members and advisors and how they're different from consultants and contractors, and also on how to be a fully functional board member and bring value to the company that you're a board member of.Section 1: Tips for Successful Board meetings (02:11)NunoMaybe we go to tips for successful board meetings and door calls. Maybe we go to the first one, which I know is one of your favorites. BertrandI think it's quite key to be prepared for your board meeting, and it works for both sides, the execs, the CEO, and on the other side, investors, people who receive the communication from the company. That part is quite critical. BertrandMyself, not initially, but at some point when I was running my previous business, App Annie, Data.ai now, one thing I did after ending up sending a board deck and board back instead of the usual two days before a board meeting to send it a few hours before. I was not feeling very good about how it worked out. I ended up approaching that to share stuff at least a week in advance. BertrandThat might sound crazy from a lot of perspective, but at the end of the day, it's a question of just organization. There is no reason you cannot do a week in advance. You can do two days in advance, but you would have more time. If it slips, it's no big deal. If it slips by a day. BertrandWhat it also gives you is the opportunity to potentially reach out to different board members between the moment where you send your board materials and the moment where you have your board meetings. It gives you more time to set up some calls, to answer some questions, highlight some points. BertrandIf you have time to do that between sending your board back and having a board meeting, you will have a much more streamlined board meeting itself because if the big questions have been discussed in one-to-one, if some controversies have been addressed in one-to-one, things will go a lot smoother. BertrandSurprisingly enough, some board member might prefer more challenging confrontational type of board discussion. Personally, I don't if it's not needed, but working that way gives you definitely some more efficient board meetings. NunoTo your point, manage this thoughtfully. Again, when you're sending board materials, you send it to observers as well, et cetera. If you have some lead board directors, in particular from investors, that are material to you and you know there's going to be a complex conversation at the board meeting,

Further episodes of Tech Deciphered

Further podcasts by Bertrand Schmitt & Nuno G. Pedro

Website of Bertrand Schmitt & Nuno G. Pedro