Following on from last week’s thoughts on nonprofit traits for sustainability and this weekend’s board meeting. Here’s a great a16z podcast episode on corporate boards and directorship. For small or startup nonprofits that are volunteer-led, I think it’s critical for board members to shape strategy. But as the mission gains traction and more of the work is professionalized, that’s when board members should shift:

Diane Greene — who is on the boards of Google and Intuit — has some golden rules when it comes to serving on boards. No 1: “You don’t want to tell them how to do strategy, whether it’s a big company or a small company,” she says. “That’s not your job. Your job as a director is to ask questions.” Lots of questions.