The CEO Secret Weapon
And how to use it to your advantage.
Sorry, I’m late, fam. I had a weekend of decompression and lost track of time completely. But here I am with another First-Time CEO newsletter issue.
When I first became a CEO of Olympia, I was obsessed with clarity: dashboards, checklists, goals. But the real game wasn’t being played in the OKRs. It was in the unspoken, the invisible, the emotional.
Language.
There’s a secret language that experienced founders speak — not because they’re being cryptic, but because certain ideas are just too layered for traditional business terms. These words carry wisdom. They say in one phrase what it takes paragraphs to explain.
Here are six of my favorites — six terms that help make better decisions, lead more clearly, and stay sane through the chaos:
🧬 1. Vibe Coding (Tech & Leadership)
In tech, vibe coding means building products that feel good — not just functionally sound, but emotionally intuitive. It’s the subtle art of coding flow, elegance, and delight into user experiences. You're not just shipping features — you're shipping a feeling.
But as a first-time CEO, you're also vibe coding your company — consciously or not. Every decision, Slack message, and reaction sets the tone for how people feel at work. It’s cultural UX. Your behavior writes the emotional code your team runs on.
So whether it’s users or teammates: the vibe is the product.
Most culture isn’t written. It’s felt. As a founder, you’re vibe coding even when you say nothing.
🧪 2. Micro-Bets (Strategy)
Instead of trying to “know” the right answer, make a small bet and learn your way forward. Micro-bets protect you from perfectionism while building a muscle for experimentation.
Your job isn’t to be right. It’s to reduce the cost of being wrong.
🧭 3. Founder-Market Fit (Self-Leadership)
Not just “Do you know the space?” but “Is this problem made for your soul to solve?”
When the founder and the market deeply match, customers feel it, investors feel it, and momentum builds faster. When they don’t, it’s just harder — even if the idea is good.
When they match, momentum becomes magnetic.
📡 4. Signal-to-Noise Ratio (Team)
Not all communication is equal. In early-stage teams, clarity is oxygen.
You can’t afford meetings where everyone talks but no one decides.
Optimize for high-signal messages — those that drive alignment, unblock work, or change direction.
Optimize for communication that unblocks, aligns, or changes something important.
🗣 5. Narrative Power (Market)
Product is what people buy. Story is what makes them care.
Your startup’s narrative is a living organism: it adapts, it matures, it persuades. A strong narrative isn’t just for pitch decks — it’s what recruits your team, attracts your early believers, and makes you unforgettable.
Your narrative is what recruits, inspires, and closes gaps when your product is still catching up.
🧯 6. Emotional Burn Rate (Mental Health)
Just like you track your runway, track how fast you’re spending your emotional energy.
Some weeks drain you faster than others. Some decisions cost more emotionally than financially.
Great CEOs don’t just protect their team’s energy — they protect their own first.
Learn to notice what drains or replenishes you — and plan accordingly.
🔧 What You Actually Can Do With These Terms
Weekly “Burn Check” → Every Friday, rate your emotional energy from 1–10. If you’re below 6 two weeks in a row, shift something fast.
Micro-Bet Board → Track small bets in Notion — with a column for results and learnings. It’ll keep your team agile and less afraid to try.
Narrative Reflections → Write your product story every month in one paragraph. If you can’t, you’re drifting.
Async Signals → Train your team to flag “high signal” messages on Slack — decisions, blockers, strategy shifts. It keeps the noise low.
Culture Patterns Journal → Once a month, write what unspoken rules you’ve noticed in the team. That’s your real vibe code. Then decide what to reinforce or break.
What’s With The First-Time CEO Podcast?
With all the moving and adjusting to a new life, location, puppy, and transitions, I am giving myself time to go slower while preparing the book for pre-publication, which will allow you to track my progress. I do not want to rush, I want to respect my timing. I also want to create a podcast studio in my new home and possibly partner with an awesome space. But just know that I am “cooking“ it.
Meanwhile, dive into Season 1; there are many gems to be found from impeccable modern leaders! Or watch/listen here:
YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY | APPLE PODCASTS
✨ #GoldenFindings
A few gems to go deeper on this theme:
What Is Vibe Coding?
A technical dive into how "vibe coding" is reshaping interface design and AI development with emotion-driven logic and user experience in mind.The Importance of Founder-Market Fit — And How to Highlight It While Fundraising
Explains why investors care deeply about founder-market fit and how to position your unique advantage in the market.Signal-to-Noise Ratio in Business – Cutting Through the Clutter
A practical explanation of how leaders can increase clarity, reduce noise, and drive better communication and decisions.The power of narrative: How storytelling drives business success
A thoughtful exploration of how storytelling fuels company strategy, market positioning, and leadership influence.
#CEOCheck
Which of these secret CEO language terms do you need to master next, and what micro-bet will help you get there?
Hit reply and share it with me, I read them all!
With you in the mess,
Victoria
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