How do I work?
Style, expectations, and fit can make or break a relationship. I am an operations professional first and a consultant second. I like to get into the trenches, make sure I completely understand your vision and culture, and then help you execute. What I won’t do is ride in on a high-horse, tell you how to do your work, and then leave you with a pile of papers generated from the same template used for a previous client. I am known for my straightforward style; I don’t sugarcoat or BS and would rather take action, get things done, and run small-scale experiments than over-strategize. We can talk while we work!
Who can I help?
Expansion to late stage startups are my “sweet spot”. I know you have earned many “scars”, gotten past the validation stage of your business, nailed down who your customers are, and have a core team of devoted employees. You don’t need advice with “the vision”, but you do need help with the execution, because your team is stretched to the max. I am available as either an interim (part-time) head of operations to help you deal with the daily nuts-and-bolts of your business until the time is right to hire a full-time person. Or, I can work with you on specific projects that allow you to bring more predictability, scalability, and processes/systems that allow you to focus on bringing in more business. As a proper operations “guy”, I have plenty of know-how from working on a wide range of projects.
I also have ample experience with mature small but growing businesses and I am very aware of what differentiates them from startups. You have led your business for 5+ years, gotten through a recession or two, and are still serving loyal customers that help you pay the bills. Your biggest goal is to move your company to the next level. I can help you! It may take a re-thinking of how you look for and serve customers, motivate your team, and make your business operations more agile, scalable, and adaptable. Alternatively, a major technology upgrade may be in order. But most importantly, you may want to bring the startup culture back into the organization. We can get it done!
Feel free to check out my track record on LinkedIn or just shoot me an e-mail (see contact page) to get the dialog started.
Please note: Although I do enjoy advising early stage startups led by first-timers, I do have to heavily limit such work since it is mostly pro bono. If you need help, I highly recommend checking out some local startup incubators and related programs (e.g. Dogpatch Labs and TechStars).
