I am not a Founder, I am a Custodian

It seems that in today's workplace, everyone wants a fancy title. However, these titles can sometimes stroke the ego and contribute to an identity crisis. I recall a comedy sketch in which a person referred to themselves as an "Executive Search Personal," to which the comedian responded, "You mean HR?" This highlights the tendency for people to use grandiose titles to describe their roles.

Another example of this is the overuse of the word "Visionary." I find many people on LinkedIn calling themselves a visionary. I think this word is to be used by media or by someone else describing your attributes. It shouldn’t be self proclaimed.

At a previous startup, I wore many hats and held a variety of responsibilities, from senior management to corporate client relations to operations. Despite the weight of my duties, I preferred to refer to myself as the "janitor" when interacting with guests or employees. This humility not only defused tense situations, but it also allowed me to see the value in every role and contribute to the collective success of the company.

This mindset is what inspired me to choose the title of "Custodian" for my current role at Velera. A custodian is someone who takes care of or maintains and protects something. By choosing this title, I am acknowledging that I do not own Velera, but rather, I am responsible for its well-being. Velera is meant to be a self-governing ecosystem built and owned by the people.

Titles can be important for identifying roles and responsibilities, but it is crucial to remember that no one person is above the team. We should embrace humility in our view of our titles and work towards the success of the collective.