I’m the CEO of a self-improvement app, and I hired someone on my board to argue with me

Oleksandr Matsiuk hired outspoken employees and a board member who would challenge him to get honest feedback as a CEO.

Courtesy of RiseGuide Oleksandr Matsiuk found that CEOs can struggle to get honest feedback.

Matsiuk hired outspoken employees and a board member who would challenge him.

Matsiuk found that measuring outputs can be more helpful than measuring outcomes.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Oleksandr "Alex" Matsiuk, cofounder and CEO of RiseGuide, an expert-powered microlearning app.

The company has grown to 110 employees across 12 countries since its founding in 2024.

The essay has been edited for length and clarity.

Becoming the CEO of a fast-growing company created a problem I hadn't anticipated: Nobody was responsible for telling me how to improve.

I decided that if honest feedback wasn't reaching me naturally, I needed to build a system that would deliver it.

That included hiring outspoken employees and bringing someone onto my board specifically to argue with me.

I felt stuck in my progress as a CEO As CEO, I don't have a formal manager , performance reviews, or a personal development plan.

My performance is largely judged by the company's performance, but that isn't always the right approach.

A CEO can be doing something wrong or have plenty of room for improvement.

If the business is growing, few people will say, "This could have been better." At board meetings, I would present an idea and hear, "Everything is clear.