Hiring the right COO for each stage of company growth

Executive overview

The right COO at one stage of growth is often the wrong COO at the next. Matching the COO to the company's current needs — and the CEO's energy gaps — matters more than hiring the best operator on paper.

The best COO isn't the most impressive candidate; it's the one matched to your current stage and what you personally need.

Stage-matching in practice

• Cameron Herold took 1-800-GOT-JUNK from $2M to $106M — then was asked to step aside.
• The next hire (a former Starbucks president) failed; revenue dropped to $70M.
• A third COO — inward-facing, operational, analytical — grew the company from $70M to $450M.
• He would have failed in the early stages: no franchising knowledge, not entrepreneurial, not externally facing.

How to find the right fit

• Map your own strengths, weaknesses, and what drains vs. energises you.
• Divide those roles: the COO takes what depletes you; you keep what fuels you.
• Identify your stage of growth first — it determines the COO profile you need.
• Harvard identified seven distinct types of COO in "The Misunderstood Role of the COO."

The two most common early-stage COO types

• Partner — tag-team execution: divide tasks, meet regularly, crank through it together.
• Confidant — trusted outlet for frustrations; someone who keeps you grounded and moving.