The Rise of the Growth-Focused COO in Startups

If you’re a startup or scale-up founder, you likely know the basics of the COO role: traditionally seen as the founder's “right-hand person.” However, today’s market demands more. By not exploring the full capacity of a growth-focused COO, you risk limiting your business’s potential.

As startups evolve, so do their leadership roles. The rise of the growth-focused COO in earlier-stage businesses is reshaping how founders manage global expansion and deliver new growth opportunities.

Traditional vs. Growth-Focused COO: What’s the Difference?

COO roles typically fall into three groups:

1. Traditional COO
   These COOs often emerge from finance backgrounds and oversee operations, HR, compliance, and decision-making processes. While essential in regulated industries like fintech, their scope is limited to internal functions.
2. Operational COO
   This type runs the business through and through, often resembling a CEO role. Founders retain their CEO titles to focus on product, engineering, or vision-related areas while the COO handles day-to-day operations.
3. Growth-Focused COO
   These COOs bring experience in revenue-driving roles, such as strategy, product, sales, or marketing. They are deeply attuned to go-to-market strategies, engineering, and how these elements align to create growth.

How Your Startup Can Benefit from a Growth-Focused COO

Hiring a growth-focused COO relieves founders of operational burdens, allowing them to focus on vision, strategy, and relationships. This role also introduces a data-driven approach, enabling evidence-based decisions that fuel scalability.

Key responsibilities might include:

• Identifying new markets for expansion.
• Evaluating growth opportunities for existing products.
• Driving profitability goals for the year.

Why Startups Are Hiring Growth-Focused COOs Earlier

As the startup ecosystem matures, founders, boards, and investors recognize the value of operationalizing businesses earlier. A growth-focused COO ensures that a company avoids “indigestion” during rapid growth.

With increasing funding round sizes, expectations on founders have risen. A COO with proven experience can help navigate these challenges effectively. Additionally, as other leadership roles like CFOs and Chief People Officers expand their scopes, COOs are increasingly pivoting toward growth-focused responsibilities.

How a Growth-Focused COO Shapes Global Expansion Strategies

When entering a new market, an experienced COO can act as the necessary "scar tissue," performing due diligence, assessing risks, and defining the right go-to-market approach.

Key contributions include:

• Determining which products to release first.
• Identifying critical first hires.
• Building an actionable expansion roadmap.

What Type of COO Does Your Business Need?

Finding the right COO depends on your business’s growth stage and strategic goals. A growth-focused COO can be the catalyst for achieving sustainable growth and global scalability.

For more insights on hiring a COO or any leadership role, reach out book a free consultation, or connect with us on LinkedIn.

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