Chief of Staff 101
What you'll learn
- An understanding of who the Chief of Staff reports to at companies of various sizes and maturity (and what’s typical or more rare)
- The difference between a Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant
- What a typical day looks like in the “Life of a Chief of Staff”
- A step-by-step walkthrough and evaluation of Chief of Staff job descriptions from pre-seed to public companies
- A deep dive into various career paths available to Chiefs of Staff
- Quotes from current and former Chiefs of Staff on what they wish they knew going into the role
- How to determine if the Chief of Staff role is right for you through custom, step-by-step guides
- A deeper appreciation for the nuances of the role based on on-the-job experiences
Requirements
- No prior experience is needed! You'll learn everything you need to know in the course.
Description
Are you a startup founder or CEO looking to hire an all-star Chief of Staff? Or are you an aspiring Chief of Staff, but don’t know where to start to learn more about the role?
The truth is, most people – founders, CEOs, and aspiring candidates alike – are in the dark about what a Chief of Staff really does day-to-day. As a full-fledged member of the senior leadership team, the Chief of Staff is a critical hire to get right, and a great candidate in this role is the key that unlocks a high-functioning leadership team and helps to accelerate the company’s growth.
What if I told you that there was one place where you could learn everything you need to know about the Chief of Staff role? This includes things like a fundamental understanding of the role and day-to-day responsibilities, how much Chiefs of Staff get paid, typical career paths for Chiefs of Staff, real on-the-job case studies…
Well, you’re in luck!
All the information and advice in this course are the products of years of experience on the job from real Chiefs of Staff, as well as Founders and CEOs of tech companies backed by top-tier venture firms like 8VC, Founders Fund, CAVU Venture Partners, Bedrock Capital, Slack Fund, First Round, and Felicis Ventures who have hired or worked with Chiefs of Staff.
This course offers all of the above, AND:
An understanding of who the Chief of Staff reports to at companies of various sizes and maturity
The difference between a Chief of Staff and Executive Assistant
A breakdown of a typical day in the “Life of a Chief of Staff”
A step-by-step walkthrough and evaluation of Chief of Staff job descriptions from seed to public companies
Real examples of career paths after the Chief of Staff role
Real quotes from current and former Chiefs of Staff on what they wish they knew going into the role
Custom, step-by-step guides for aspiring Chiefs of Staff to determine your interests and strengths, how well they align with key traits of a Chief of Staff, and if the Chief of Staff role is right for you (and what you should look for in a candidate if you’re hiring one)
A deeper appreciation for the nuances of the role based on on-the-job experiences
PLUS, SPECIAL EXTRA MATERIAL!
An exclusive interview with Scott Britton, Co-Founder of Troops (acquired by Salesforce) on what he looks for in a great Chief of Staff
Quotes from Founders and CEOs of companies backed by top-tier venture firms on the value of having an all-star Chief of Staff
An opportunity to get your resume in front of companies who are looking to hire a Chief of Staff!
What the course doesn’t offer:
A step-by-step guide to crafting your resume or finding, applying to, and interviewing for a Chief of Staff role
A diagnostic tool for Founders/CEOs to figure out if or when to hire a Chief of Staff
Advice for Founders/CEOs on how to recruit a Chief of Staff
Who the course is for:
Aspiring chiefs of staff
Founders and CEOs who want to learn more about the role from other founders and current Chiefs of Staff
Employees at companies that have a Chief of Staff role who want to transition
I will personally respond to any questions you may have as you go through the material so don’t worry if you're not sure how to take all of the information and apply it to your situation. So sign up now!
Talk soon,
Zaharo
Who this course is for:
- Aspiring Chiefs of Staff
- Founders and C-suite executives who want to learn more about the role from other Founders and current Chiefs of Staff
- Employees at companies that have a Chief of Staff role that is filled or open and want to eventually transition into the role
- College students who want to learn more about startups, the differences between Chiefs of Staff at various stages (Seed - Series D), and what companies they should target
Instructors
Hi, I'm Zaharo!
I'm the Founder of Right Hand Talent, a recruiting firm exclusively focused on Chief of Staff placements. I'm also an Advisor at Artract Medical, a venture-backed medical device startup.
Previously, I was Chief of Staff at Spruce, where I was responsible for managing the rhythm of the business, organizational health, and special projects. A force multiplier, I worked strategically across the leadership team and x-functionally to take projects from 0-1+ and drive communication, collaboration, alignment, and decision-making velocity. Before Spruce, I was Principal at New Age Ventures, a New York-based venture firm with actively managed investments across healthcare, medical devices, digital health, cleantech, consumer tech, and more.
CANDIDATES ➜ If you're interested in getting placed as a Chief of Staff, fill out the form on the Right Hand Talent website
FOUNDERS ➜ If you're hiring a Chief of Staff or want to talk shop, DM me on LinkedIn or submit the form on the Right Hand Talent website.
For more info on all things Chief of Staff, check out the Right Hand Talent Substack.
For more info on all things spirituality and consciousness, check out my personal Substack, Musings on Awareness ✍️
Personality: INFJ | Enneagram: 8
I'm Scott Britton. I'm currently a software entrepreneur at Troops.ai, a venture backed Saas startup that was named one of the top 100 startups in NYC in 2016. Before this I was a business development executive at SinglePlatform, a company acquired by Constant Contact for 100 million dollars. I also maintain a personal site called Life-LongLearner which publishes content to 20k subscribers weekly on sales and marketing.
I'm passionate about personal development, marketing, and travel. I've taught over 50,000 students online and been featured in Lifehacker, The Next Web, and Business Insider as one of the top 25 rising stars in New York Tech Under 25.