Start-ups are like babies. You begin planning for them to be on their own 9 months or more before they are born. I recommend to my clients to use a trusted advisor to be the CEO and the founder to be the Chairman. This has three distinct advantages. First, the Founder has someone to bounce, argue, and "blame" . Second, the Founder is already distancing themselves from day-to-day operations. Third, the Founder is in a position to not have to make a decision immediately. Peter Paul Mendel www.peterpaulmendel.com