People imagine life inside a unicorn startup as constant excitement—funding announcements, media buzz, product launches that break the internet. From where I sit, just outside the CEO’s office, it looks very different. My role isn’t about the spotlight. It’s about being the calm center in a company that moves at an unreasonable speed.
As an Executive Assistant to a unicorn CEO, my day starts before the day officially begins. Calendars overlap, priorities collide, and something urgent always appears without warning. I’ve learned that time is the most valuable currency in the building. Protecting it—deciding what deserves attention and what can wait—is a responsibility that quietly shapes the company.
I see the human side of leadership most people never do. The CEO who sounds confident on stage also second-guesses decisions in private. The big wins are followed by long pauses, not celebrations. Growth brings pressure, and pressure brings isolation. Part of my job is making sure there’s space to think, not just react.
The work requires a strange mix of precision and intuition. I read tone as much as emails. I know which meetings energize and which drain. I anticipate problems before they reach the top—not by authority, but by awareness. When done well, the role is invisible. Things simply run smoother, and no one notices why.
What surprised me most is how much trust the role demands. I’m privy to sensitive conversations, unfinished ideas, and decisions that will impact thousands of people. Discretion isn’t optional—it’s foundational. So is emotional intelligence. Sometimes the most important thing I do in a day is not schedule a meeting, but delay it.
Being an EA at this level isn’t administrative work in the traditional sense. It’s operational, strategic, and deeply human. I’m not building the product, but I help protect the space in which it’s built. And in a company growing faster than it can explain itself, that quiet support matters more than most people realize.