EEC 404: Emotional Intelligence in High-Pressure Leadership, with Jim Delaney

Jim Delaney is the Co-Founder and CEO of Traction AI, a go-to-market partner for founders navigating the early stages of growth.

• What lessons from military leadership carry over into building a high-performing startup team?
• Why do so many founders struggle with go-to-market execution — and how can they fix it?
• What does "RevOps" actually mean for an early-stage company?
• How can a founder align product, marketing, and sales without overhiring or burning cash?
• What advice would you give to leaders who are stepping into the CEO role for the first time?

Jim Delaney

Jim Delaney is the Co-Founder and CEO of Traction AI, a go-to-market partner for founders navigating the early stages of growth. A former U.S. Naval Officer and National Security Agency team lead, Jim spent the first chapter of his career in national defense before transitioning into the private sector, where he worked as a senior executive for JPMorgan Chase and on the executive leadership team at Dun & Bradstreet.

He then worked for various venture capital and private equity firms as a portfolio CEO for various portfolio companies and led two technology companies to successful exits — Marketwired sold to Nasdaq and Sysomos sold to Meltwater.

With over 30 years of experience scaling data and SaaS businesses, Jim brings a rare blend of operational rigor and servant leadership to the startups he supports. He holds a degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from the Wharton School.

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