Chief Executive Officer - Stealth Startup

Unusual Ventures; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

Unusual Ventures is seeking a strategic, visionary, and execution-driven Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead the overall direction and success of a portfolio company. The CEO will be responsible for driving business performance, building a strong leadership team, and ensuring long-term value creation.

The ideal candidate will have over 15 years of leadership experience, with a proven track record in scaling businesses, strong business acumen, and exceptional communication skills.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of leadership experience, with prior executive-level roles.
• Proven track record of scaling a company or business unit.
• Strong business acumen across product, technology, and go-to-market functions.

Responsibilities

• Define and communicate the company’s vision, mission, and long-term strategy.
• Drive overall business growth, profitability, and market expansion.
• Build, lead, and mentor the executive leadership team.

Skills

Leadership experience

Business acumen

Communication skills

Decision-making

Education

MBA or advanced business/technical degree

Job description

Overview

Unusual Ventures are seeking a strategic, visionary, and execution-driven Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to lead a portfolio company’s overall direction, growth, and success. The CEO will be responsible for setting the vision, driving business performance, building a strong leadership team, and ensuring long‑term value creation.

About Unusual Ventures:

We lead pre‑seed to Series A investments in enterprise software startups, with a focus on supporting founders as they journey from insight to product market fit. Our expert team of operators work alongside our founders on everything from positioning to recruiting to sales, leveraging decades of practical experience to improve your odds of success.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and communicate the company’s vision, mission, and long‑term strategy
• Drive overall business growth, profitability, and market expansion
• Build, lead, and mentor the executive leadership team (CTO, VP Product, VP Sales, etc.)
• Make high‑level strategic decisions on operations, investments, and partnerships
• Represent the company to investors, board members, customers, and external stakeholders
• Lead fundraising efforts, investor relations, and capital allocation
• Ensure organizational alignment across all functions
• Establish company culture, values, and leadership principles
• Monitor performance metrics and ensure execution against goals
• Identify new opportunities for innovation and competitive advantage

Requirements

• 15+ years of leadership experience, with prior executive‑level roles
• Proven track record of scaling a company or business unit
• Strong business acumen across product, technology, and go‑to‑market functions
• Experience with fundraising, investor relations, and board management
• Demonstrated ability to lead high‑performing teams
• Exceptional communication, decision‑making, and leadership skills

Nice to Have

• Prior experience as a CEO or Founder
• Experience in high‑growth or startup environments
• Background in SaaS, AI/ML, or technology‑driven companies
• MBA or advanced business/technical degree