C os are ultimately a partner to the c o. It's been my experience in talking to people about rolls, that the c o is looking for somebody to assist them with a range of functions general and hypergrowth or rapidly scaling business. The role is often defined by the functions that the c O is either disinterested in or less experienced at. And what they are looking for is somebody who has deeper capabilities in those areas to come nan assist them. So the c o o roll is really defined not by a functional scope, but by the needs of the business, and what the needs ofthe business are at the appointed time.
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
Learn more about our sponsor, Cocoon, at meetcocooon.com