For many years I never thought about my title at CCAW. When people asked, I called myself the president. In truth, I was focused on moving the company forward and didn’t much care about a title. For some reason “CEO” never sat well with me, so I settled on president.

Today I had an enlightening conversation with other founders about titles. Here are a few takeaways:

• External vs. internal – Most internal people know who’s doing what, but others don’t. For this reason, titles (or the impressions they create) matter to outsiders.
• Business partners – Having co-founders adds another element to things. The distinction of an appropriate title is great, but defining in writing who’s responsible for what is the key to accountability, which is essential.
• Title sharing – Some founders share a title with their business partner. Think co-CEO. It’s uncommon, but it can help with transition planning. It gives a rising person the opportunity to learn under the mentorship of a person transitioning out. They can work side-by-side for a while, smoothing the transition.
• Responsibility – Titles are important to some people, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s only a negative when they lose sight of or don’t understand their responsibilities. Understanding your role in the company is step number one in setting yourself up for success. Focus on that.

Today’s conversation was great, and I loved hearing other people’s ideas. I’m still not much of a title person, but it changed how I think about this topic. My key takeaway is that what’s being asked of you is more important than what you’re called.