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The a16z Show

The a16z Show

What Founders Get Wrong About Scaling – With Carta’s CEO

Mar 7, 2025 · 41m

Coming soon to iPhone. Already have it? “Listen in Starcast” takes you straight there.

On this episode

About this episode

Henry Ward, cofounder and CEO of Carta, has spent over a decade scaling his company from an early-stage startup to a 2,000-person industry leader. In this Speedrun conversation with a16z Games partner Josh Lu, Henry shares hard-earned lessons on: -Hiring missionaries vs. mercenaries — and how to keep company culture intact as you scale -The reality of product-market fit and why many founders try to sell too soon -The evolution of a CEO — from building a product to building a system around you -Inputs vs. outputs, and why companies should focus on the right leading indicators -Transparency in leadership, including when (and when not) to share This episode is packed with candid insights and…