There are definitely some archetypes. The first is a classic operation so somebody who is focused very much on operational excellence of service delivery. The second is what i did at pandora, which was the sort of new business c o o who grows adjunct businesses outside of the corps and leads investments. It's the not product or engineering c o o working alongside a ceo who has deep expertse and experience in product and engineering. And the third is someone who runs all the go to market an corporate functions in the business.
Our guest is Sara Clemens, most recently COO of Twitch and former COO of Pandora.
In this interview, we explore the nuances of the COO role, which can vary drastically across different companies. We cover:
- The three main COO archetypes and which sorts of folks are best suited for those roles.
- The tactical elements of being a COO, including Sara’s advice for what good strategy actually looks like, and how to truly create a no-blame culture.
- Sara’s lessons on keeping pace as a company doubles in size, including her tips on sketching out “decision rights.”
- Guidance for CEOs considering bringing on a COO to the executive suite.
You can follow Sara on Twitter at @ClemensSara
You can email us questions directly at review@firstround.com or follow us on Twitter @ twitter.com/firstround and twitter.com/brettberson
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