Embarc Collective Welcomes Dan Holahan to the Coaching Team

We are excited to share our recent interview with Dan Holahan, our Goal Setting & Accountability Coach. In this conversation, Dan shares strategies for enhancing planning and decision-making, helping entrepreneurs navigate challenges and foster a culture of accountability within their teams.

What sparked your passion for becoming an Embarc Collective Coach?

I spent the last six years as a full-time member of the Embarc Collective team and along the way worked with 200+ startups. I would meet with a dozen or so founders each month to hear about how the business was doing and — most importantly — how they were doing. I learned that I enjoyed creating the space for entrepreneurs to work through their thinking and offer support through a remarkably lonely journey.

What key qualities do startup leaders need?

While there is a wide combination of valuable qualities that can help an entrepreneur succeed, these are three that tend to pay the highest dividends:

1. They exercise flexible conviction: A great founder is all-in on their vision, and they recognize that their plan to get there will likely change along the way. They remain open to new inputs, allowing them to listen and adapt while always moving forward.
2. They are relentlessly curious: Great founders are information-seeking missiles. They understand that their decisions are strongest when informed by their customers, product feedback, and industry insights.
3. They are humble: It’s natural for a founder to wrap their identity into their startup, so when results don’t match expectations it can be a tough truth to accept. An easily bruised ego or immovable pride is a sure-fire way for a founder to stop hearing the feedback they are receiving about the business. Humility keeps a founder grounded and headed in the right direction.

What specific challenges related to goal setting and accountability do startups frequently underestimate, and how can addressing these challenges enhance their performance?

Goal setting is crucial for staying on track, keeping the team energized, and creating a compelling story for stakeholders. Three recommendations to avoid common challenges:

1. Zoom out (or in): Most founders are consumed by the fires in front of them, or they think so big they struggle to break down their vision into action. Regardless of your position, ask yourself where you want to be in 12 months, 6 months, and 3 months. Then waterfall those into your monthly, weekly, and daily rituals. Practicing this regularly will help you avoid getting lost in the “now” and help you get to your future.
2. Find a system that works for you: Founders oftentimes avoid setting goals because they assume an elaborate system of structure and tracking is required to “do it right”. Whether it’s an intricate Jira setup, straightforward spreadsheet, or simple doc, make the system work for you — not the other way around.
3. Be consistent, not perfect: When finding a system that works for you, also decide on an accountability plan. Commit to a check-in format that works for you — a weekly meeting on the calendar with yourself or a monthly call with a trusted advisor (or Embarc Collective coach) is a great place to start. Remember, this is about building a relationship with accountability, so start small and build over time.

What industry trend are you excited about and why?

Difficulty raising capital has forced founders to build more sustainable business models with earlier traction. I’m excited to see this next generation of scrappy founders succeed and the next-gen startup-building strategies they used to get there.