I Became the Second CEO of a Global Startup. Here’s How I Won Over a Room That Didn’t Know My Name

They say you should listen more than you lead in your first month. But by week three at Oyster, I was in a boardroom with investors who barely knew me—and I realized the traditional CEO handbook was wrong.

EXPERT OPINION BY HADI MOUSSA

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They say you should “listen more than you lead” in your first month. But by week three of becoming the second CEO of the global employment platform Oyster, I was in a boardroom discussing potential strategic options for the company with investors who, until very recently, didn’t know my name. It was a trial by fire that laid bare the central challenge of the successor CEO: you have to project the conviction of a founder while navigating the learning curve as an outsider.

In his final column, Tony Jamous wrote about his decision to transition out of the CEO role. He told the founder’s side of the story. Here’s what it looks like from the other side.

Mission alignment isn’t negotiable

I had the resume Oyster wanted. But throughout the process, Tony and the board kept returning to one question: Why do you care about this mission?

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Like Tony, I left Lebanon because I saw firsthand that while talent is universal, opportunity is not. I didn’t just learn about the problem Oyster exists to solve; I lived it. And that has created real mission alignment, which ultimately matters more than credentials. When you’re balancing growth against mission, profitability against principles, your resume won’t tell you what to do. Your “why” and mission will.

For founders seeking their successor: Find someone whose lived experience connects them to the problem you’re solving—not because it makes for a good interview answer, but because it will sustain them when things get hard.

For incoming CEOs: If you can’t articulate why this mission matters to you personally, walk away. You’ll need that connection more than you think.

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