People

Self-employed / Freelance

Across 2-3 concurrent projects, ideally. Days split between deep work (designing workflows, mapping systems, solving structural problems) and collaboration time with teams to troubleshoot, iterate, and make sure they actually want to use what we're building. I've learned that the system itself is only half the battle; the other half is bringing people along so they see how it makes their work easier, not harder. I'd want flexibility to go deeper on one project when it needs it, then shift focus when another needs the implementation push. That rhythm keeps me sharp and prevents the consultant trap of designing things nobody actually adopts.

My trilogy of assistants: ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. A year ago I would've said Notion or Asana, but honestly? I couldn't do my work now without AI. They're how I think through problems faster, design better systems, automate repetitive work, and help teams do more with less. Which, let's be real, is what operations is actually about: eliminating waste and creating space for humans to do the work that matters. I'm experimenting with building AI into nonprofit operations workflows, which is where I think the real opportunity is for mission-driven teams.

Notion is overrated. It's brilliant for some teams and workflows, but I see so many nonprofits buy into the hype and then spend months building a beautiful Notion workspace that nobody actually uses because it doesn't solve their actual problem. The best system isn't the most flexible one—it's the one that fits your specific workflow. Sometimes that's Notion. Sometimes it's a CRM. Sometimes it's a combination of three tools working together. I'd rather help a team pick the right tool for their actual need than convince them to force-fit everything into Notion because it's trendy.

Connecting the dots between tools, people, and processes—and knowing exactly where to leverage AI to design systems that actually work for how teams operate, not against it.

The career pivot itself. Taking 15 years of commercial ops expertise, recognising it wasn't aligned with what mattered to me, and deliberately building a new model that lets me do the work I'm actually good at—systems design, process clarity, workflow optimisation—but for organisations I believe in. It would've been easier to stay comfortable in the old model. But making the intentional choice to align my work with my values, to test a freelance approach, to be honest about experimenting rather than pretending I had it all figured out—that took more courage than any single project. And it's working. That's what I'm most proud of.

Breaking the big mess into smaller, solvable pieces. But I also know when I need to stop and ask for help instead of trying to be heroic: no ego about it, if someone else has the answer or a better way, that's a win, not a loss. And I'm not too proud to step away when my brain needs to reset. I learned early on that pushing through doesn't solve anything; clarity comes from pausing, then coming back with fresh eyes.

Before you implement anything, understand the people using it. Sit with them. Ask why they're doing things the way they're doing them, there's usually a reason, even if it looks inefficient from the outside. Be genuinely curious before you change anything. And know that ops will evolve as you grow: the systems you build at a 2-person team won't work at 10 people, and that's okay. Stay flexible enough to learn, to adapt, to admit when something isn't working and try a different approach. The ops role itself is changing too, especially with AI coming in. The best operators I know aren't the ones with all the answers, they're the ones who stay humble, keep learning, and actually care about making teams' lives easier. That matters more than knowing every tool.

emc3

My perfect week would look like the start and end of a fully planned, incorporated, and smoothly running process but that's far from reality! Truthfully, I'm having a great week if I'm able to dive into some problems and at the very least have an action plan built out for the coming days, weeks, months ahead to start trialling solutions and getting my team closer to a more sustainable and supportive way of working.

Asana - I am very process and list-oriented so having a project management system means everything to me!

Operations is the most important department within a business. That may sound like a biased opinion but I stand by it - Ops is always overlooked but without it, a business would likely die quite quickly.

I'm good at asking questions! I never pretend to know everything but if I can ask the right sort of questions, I can usually get to the crux of a situation and help my team think differently about the approach.

Having built a program that is now Globally known without having had previous experience in the industry nor known anyone to start with.

Asana (of course) but also my team, it's great to have people who you can lean on or help remind you of things as plates are spinning in the air and could come toppling down at any moment.

First of all - WOOHOO, welcome! Second, you are integral to whatever you are a part of so give it your all and always ask questions! You cannot go wrong so long as you try.

Fractional Ops

Quick check-in with the team to start the day and remove any blockages. Focused work in the mornings (when my brain functions best), meetings and collaborative work in the afternoons.

I love doing my weekly planning at the end of the day on Friday, that way I don't have to think about loose ends and pending items over the weekend and can go into my Mondays feeling prepared and ready to go. In terms of tools, I'm not very loyal. I like to keep myself up to date with what's out there. Lately, I'm enjoying using AI LLMs, Zapier and Lovable to streamline processes, but the one I still cannot manage to live without is Excel/Google Sheets.

Ops shouldn't solve every single problem in the company. I've found that turning the problem around and encouraging solutions to come from the rest of the team (with a bit of ops guidance - how feasible is this? how scalable is this? how does it interact with other processes?) can bring out some of the best and most creative solutions.

Simplicity. I like to turn complex problems into simple solutions.

I'm very proud of having built a values-aligned system at inne. I joined the company very early on, which meant having to design processes and grow a team from scratch, while meeting very strict regulatory requirements, counting on very limited resources, a lean team, and managing endless curveballs. Some of my highlights were: - Obtaining ISO 13485 and IVDD CE mark certifications in one year, fully in-house and from 0, with a team of 5 people. Six years, with a team x5 bigger, led the process to get successfully certified under IVDR. - Setting up people and org processes that consistently led to an eNPS score of 9/10. - Setting up a customer-facing process that was, since the beginning, very highly (>90% satisfaction with the customer success team, and an NPS score that reached >70).

Air, pen and paper. When everything feels like it's on fire, it helps me immensely to force myself to take a break for a few minutes, breathe (as I go for a walk, a tea, or grab a coffee outside), go back to my desk, write things down and organise them on paper. Old-fashioned, I know, but it helps me clear my head and decide how to resolve things and in which order. With time, I've learned that taking those 15-25 minutes can end up saving me hours.

Despite outside perception, Ops can be a very creative and people-focused career. In fact, the one thing you can always count on is that there will be changes, so it can be a great career path if you enjoy a broad range of tasks and get bored easily. If that's you, then you are in great luck, because you'll also get the chance to work with some of the nicest people out there! Welcome!

pauldavidmather.com

I've learnt that plans are never certain but planning prepares you for uncertainty. If you have a plan A, you should have a plan B... and probably C and D just in case. I find it more useful to have an overarching vision, mission and goals.

Notes on my iPhone/MacBook to track priority tasks – simple and effective.

Ops isn't a function you can put in a box; it's the essence of an organisation that touches every person and process, and without it you're dead in the water.

I'm told I ask good questions, even if people don't always want to answer them.

Bringing my soldiers home from Afghanistan in one piece and not causing any civilian casualties. My boss drilled it into us that doing no harm was more important than any other aspect of the mission – he was absolutely right.

Knowing I'm not actually on fire – things could always be much, much worse.

Have an end in mind, and use tech as a means to reach that end faster, but don't forget the fundamentals: ops is about people and people are what matter.

Fractional

A perfect week for me has space. Space to think, build, and create, not just put out fires. It would probably look like: 1. Two deep-work mornings to design systems or map out processes. 2. One “Ops Lab” day where I get to experiment with tools, automations, and AI workflows (my favourite kind of playtime). 3. A couple of team check-ins that are short, energising, and forward-moving. 4. One big strategy session with a founder where we untangle something messy together. 5. And then at least half a day outdoors — cycling, diving, hiking, or doing something to remind me I’m a human, not a productivity machine.

A single source of truth. I don’t even care what the tool is. Notion, ClickUp, Google Sheets, a well-structured Drive — as long as it’s central, clean, and trusted. So much chaos in Ops doesn’t come from bad people… it comes from scattered information. If everything lives in one place, consistent, visible, and easy to update, half your fires disappear automatically.

Multi-tool tech stacks are not a sign of sophistication — they’re a sign of pain!!! So many teams brag about the 11 different products they use. Nobody is bragging about the time wasted switching between them, or the data lost in the cracks. I believe in fewer tools and better processes.

I turn chaos into clarity, and I do it calmly. People bring me their swirling mess of tasks, ideas, problems, and existential workplace dread… and I can instantly see the structure underneath it. I can map it, prioritise it, and turn it into something that suddenly feels doable.

Building systems from absolute zero. Whether it’s a high-performance sports organisation, a VA agency, or a new retail branch, I love walking into a blank slate and building the operating rhythm, the structure, the culture, and the “way we do things here.” But the real achievement? When the founder looks up months later, realises they’re calmer, more focused, and finally have breathing space… and they say, “I don’t know how we functioned before this.” That feeling never gets old.

I always go back to first principles: What matters most right now? What can wait? What’s just noise? And what is only on fire because someone is anxious? And if all else fails: a cup of tea, a 10-minute walk, and a quiet promise to myself that we’ve survived every “fire” so far.

Ops isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about being curious enough to figure them out, and brave enough to take ownership. So my advice is: Ask “why” at least 5 times. Document everything. (Future you will be grateful.) Build relationships, not just processes. Keep things simpler than you think. And treat everything as a prototype. Ops is iterative by nature. Most importantly: You belong here, even if your path makes no sense on paper. Most of ours didn’t either and that’s exactly what makes this field so powerful!

Pynea

My perfect week mixes big-picture thinking, fast execution, and good energy: the kind of rhythm where everything clicks! I’d kick off with deep strategy time: connecting GTM with monetisation, mapping our P&L logic to reality, pressure-testing assumptions, and making sure product, growth, and ops are moving like one engine. That’s my favourite part: turning chaos into clarity! Then I want real collaboration: working side-by-side with a team of creative thinkers, problem-solvers, and innovators who challenge ideas, push boundaries, and make the work fun. Nothing beats those sessions where we jump between product ideas, storytelling, and experiments that could unlock our next phase. I also need clean blocks of “heads-down, get-it-done” time, taking strategy and turning it into execution, systems, content, workflows, plans. That balance between thinking and doing is where I’m strongest. Layer in team time: the moments that shape culture, build trust, and keep everyone aligned as we run towards launch! And absolutely: a gym session a day or long walk somewhere in there. So my ideal week...? Smart strategy, bold creativity, fast execution, great people (and fun to keep everything flowing!)

The system I can’t live without is my “connect-the-dots” map: the way we link everything we’re building: GTM → monetisation → product → P&L → people → growth loops. Once that map is clear, execution becomes fast, focused, and fun.

Operations isn’t about process... it’s about momentum! If your ops slows the team down, it’s not operations… it’s admin!!

I like to think turn chaos into a game plan and game plans into momentum. It’s for sure my favourite thing!

What I’m proudest of is turning unproven, slightly wild ideas into things that scale, especially in spaces where people weren’t sure they’d work. From 21 Buttons to TikTok to Pynea, I’ve built powerhouses out of uncharted territory by connecting the dots, creating momentum, and making the vision real!

Focus on the three big rocks that deliver the most impact. 80-20-10 also works well!

Ops never looks the same in two companies, so come in with curiosity rather than a pre-written playbook. Spend your first weeks listening, observing how the business really works, and understanding where the true levers are. Your role is to decode what this specific team needs and design an operational backbone that creates clarity, momentum, and space for everyone to do their best work!

The Commercial Edge

Two days on site with teams, one deep work day, one strategy day, and one day just to think. No back-to-back calls, no pointless reporting. Ops is at its best when there’s space for reflection, not just reaction.

A solid weekly rhythm. Whether it’s WBRs, site dashboards, or comms cadence rhythm creates control without chaos. It’s the difference between running a business and chasing one.

Ops isn’t about being the fixer it’s about being the system. Too many leaders build their identity around solving problems rather than preventing them. The real impact comes from structure, rhythm, and clear standards, not heroic rescues.

Spotting the pattern behind the noise. I’m good at cutting through complexity to see what’s really driving performance. It comes from years of listening, asking questions, and learning through experience not from always getting it right the first time.

Leading two businesses through cultural transformation while improving profitability. Seeing engagement, retention, and EBITDA all rise together proved that “people first” isn’t just a value statement it’s a commercial strategy. One of those businesses we achieved 5th, 7th, and 10th place in The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For, which remains one of the proudest moments of my career.

I simplify fast what matters most, what can wait, and who needs clarity. I build structure into chaos and communicate it early. And honestly, training helps lifting heavy things keeps everything else in perspective.

Get curious and stay close to the front line. Learn what drives performance before you try to lead it. Ops rewards people who combine practicality with people skills so build trust, ask questions, and remember that clarity and calm go further than control.

Eggcelerate

A good week would strike a balance between reflection and action. I would start by reviewing priorities and aligning teams, spend the middle of the week solving problems and supporting delivery, and finish by learning, mentoring, and clearing the decks. I would always include time with customers or partners, as an external perspective keeps me grounded.

My calendar. It is the backbone of how I plan, prioritise and protect time for what truly matters. It helps me balance strategic thinking with day-to-day delivery, and it keeps me honest about where my attention really goes.

That efficiency is not always the goal. Sometimes it is better to pause, listen and allow creativity to shape the outcome. The best systems leave space for human judgment and initiative.

Turning complexity into clarity. I can identify the essential elements of a situation and bring structure and focus, enabling others to move forward with confidence.

Redesigning an organisation that achieved both record growth and gender balance in its senior team. It showed that strong performance and inclusion strengthen each other when supported by a clear strategy and trust.

Calm and perspective. I focus on facts, address what can be controlled, and make sure the team has the space to think. How one behaves under pressure defines the culture, so composure matters.

Be curious about how every part of the organisation works. Operations connect everything, so the wider your understanding, the greater your contribution will be. Above all, stay calm and keep learning.

ULAM LABS

Perfect week has all meetings and calls booked in 1-2 days, its a mix of strategy and hands-on.

Notion, Chatgpt, google workspace - i use them everyday

I solve problems :)

Organisational growth from 150 to 300 headcount, after which a larger company acquired the organisation. I oversaw process of aquisition and merge

my second brain in notion

be meticulous

Vin Noir Explorers and Importers

Funny enough I actually have a perfect weekly plan that sits on my desk: - Monday - Orders. Tax , and Compliance review with a review of our planned sales visits - Tuesday - Begin sales visits w/ marketing campaigns planning - Wednesday - Deliveries & Content Marketing Planning - Thursday - Digital Marketing Day (Writing, Social Media, Ads) - Friday - Makeup Day for anything & Business Recap Reporting

Standard MS Office tooling (Excel, PowerPoint) - Core tool for spec sheets and reporintg Buffer & Canva - Content Marketing and Social Media planning ChatGPT - I’m a terrible proofreader 😅 Google Analytics, Aherfs, Wix - Site performance and management

If you’re not constantly researching how to do something or how you can add a new skillset to your tool belt, are you even an Ops person?

“Link-ability” - Finding connections to anything from content, vendors, shippers, and everything in between to make sure if I don’t know the answer I know where to start to find out what it is.

Launching Vin Noir Explorers and Importers - It was the culmination of every single skill, experience, and mentor/mentee conversation I’ve had that gave me the confidence to step into this venture still nervous, but confident that I have the ability to succeed.

My Kanban Board, a To-Do List, a clear unwavering vision, and my Remarkable Notebook 😅

Say yes to new challenges. Even those that make absolutely no sense, because you never know how that experience will shape your future career outlook or trajectory.

Parallax

My ideal week would be a mix of deep focus with high-energy collaboration. I’d start with half-day blocks for the more strategic work and shaping priorities without interruptions. I love collaborative working around a whiteboard generating ideas and solving problems, so would definitely incorporate some of those sessions in to the week, alongside walking 1:1s with my direct reports (I find this helps get the conversation flowing and focussed on each other). I like the feeling of getting an initiative over the line and implemented so moving from planning to delivery throughout a week is a great motivator. Definitely would have a team social and regular exercise to balance out the work and sitting at a desk (although I do have a standing desk and walking pad at home!). I’d wrap up on Friday by reviewing outcomes and planning the next sprint, leaving with a clear head and a sense of progress.

Regular retrospectives, coupled with the ongoing refinement of tasks, initiatives and priorities, keep me (and the business!) adaptable and focused on what really matters. This rhythm means we’re not just delivering value but constantly learning, adjusting and sharpening how we work - so improvements become part of everyday operations rather than an occasional exercise and we’re constantly learning and growing.

Progress over perfection - Perfection is overrated. I’ve had to unlearn perfectionism and embrace an agile mindset... ship improvements quickly, learn and iterate. Waiting for flawless slows growth - small, fast, continuous changes create more impact and resilience.

Turning chaos into clarity - I thrive on bringing order, structure and priorities when everything feels urgent. I quickly cut through noise, define next steps and keep teams focussed so progress continues even in high-pressure, fast-changing situations.

I led a three-month company-wide rollout of a new software, consolidating legacy tools and years of scattered spreadsheets into a single platform. The change touched all 55 employees and was high stakes, as without a smooth transition we risked inaccurate invoices, unclear capacity and disrupted client delivery. I owned the programme end-to-end, shaping the vision, sequencing the rollout to meet contract deadlines, and orchestrating discovery, stakeholder engagement and targeted training. Clear, tailored communication and phased adoption minimised disruption while improving data quality from day one. The result was finally having a single source of truth for project and financial data, sharper forecasting and invoicing, and far less manual effort (freeing up over 15 hours of month of manual data entry!), enabling transparency and cross-team collaboration.

Ops often means constant context-switching and competing urgencies, so ruthless prioritisation is key. Years in project management and fast-moving companies have trained me to stay calm and decisive when things flare up. Writing everything down helps with focus, and quickly deciding what truly needs action now. Clear communication keeps everyone aligned, and I delegate where necessary - it’s important to recognise that I don’t have to solve everything myself as then I become a bottleneck.

Start by building trust everywhere. Spend time with teams across the business to understand their goals, pain points and how you can genuinely help. Get close to the numbers - dig into the P&L and data available to you so you know where the pressure points and opportunities lie. Set up a simple system (e.g. Jira, Trello, Slack lists!) to track initiatives and continually reprioritise, and start each day by reviewing what matters most and clearing blockers. Also the one that people quite often forget - Ops is about people as much as processes: communicate clearly, tailor your message to your audience, and always ask questions rather than assume. Stay aware that others have competing priorities - influence and collaboration often get you further than urgency alone.

FLOX

ZERO admin, all big thinking! I love sinking my teeth into big strategies and churn out pathways for my teams to pursue and get them some wins.

I am a huge fan of process mapping. Wether it's a Miro board or the back of a napkin, it has always brought me and the people involved a lot of clarity and empathy towards the process. It's also a great tool to de-risk and assign ownership. I love to see it come to life into tools and comms plans, and I couldn't live without Notion supporting all of this.

I used to think I'd never be a C-level because I don't have a university degree or big shiny certifications. I have changed that narrative and am living proof that you can achieve a lot without any academic status quo.

I am unshakeable! I might be drowning or firefighting, but I am just such a fan of the ride that I am never fazed by it. My people compass is also very much alive through this so I often feel like Neo in the Matrix - hyper aware of everything around me and seeing it unfold without losing sight of the human element.

Scaling my current company's product deployment. We work in complex on prem situations and I have brought in a huge amount of quality in our processes, while managing huge construction sites (and men, sigh!) - making our on prem operations cheaper, more efficient and smooth like butter. To put it in numbers, that was a 17x growth in 6mo!

The rest of my SLT - we are deeply bonded and aligned and I know I can reach out to them and centre myself again. We care deeply for each other and the business, so I always come out it more grounded and ready to fight the fires!

Don't worry too much about your credentials - observe, learn and sharpen your instincts along the way and you'll do great! Trust yourself and find your ops tribe - they will be your ride or die through all the ups and downs of startup life!

Advisor at Nirvana / freelance COO

Agree a clear plan for the week. Tackle a few key issues to fix/automate/scale/deliver them. Work with teams as much as possible and work with management to plan/think about the strategy (they have to all line up!). Take a step back to see if we're missing anything.. Then later in the week be honest about what worked/ what didn't (and why/whare are the metrics telling us). Meet in person to have a nice end of week celebration with team / end the week on a positive.

It sounds strange, but whatsapp. it's an immensely simple, reliable and convenient (free!) tool that works for sharing ideas / updates / having calls / keeping in contact / doing quick polls / being super agile when travelling. I would be lost without it.

That 'operational excellence' is seen as binary, 'achievable' thing. That's nonsense. operations is all about continuous improvement / optimization and scaling processes ... day in, day out, in the best possible way. In a tough environment when everyone is working hard and there are countless problems, then a single 'win' for the day (technical, product, client, revenue etc) can be a big step forward and that is 'excellence' in itself. Most people who ask what operational excellence is, rarely have been deep in the weeds in operations/ventures/tough delivery projects in my experience.

I listen to and observe what the teams are doing as if my life depended on it. leadership is 90% listening. 10% speaking.

Moving from a corporate 'stable' job in Banking in New York, to a growing scale up FinTech in Berlin. Some people thought I was mad.

Take a step back. People act the way you act, so as a leader you need to be calm, measured and objective. Deal with the situation (client,tech issue, whatever it is) to the best of the ability, then later you can step back and think about what went wrong. Weekly incident review meetings (honest, open and constructive) should be essential in ANY organisation.

know the details within operations. inside out. If you have the details (of processes, data, touch points, workflows, client needs etc etc) it becomes an absolute super power. I didn't always realise that (coming from consulting) .. but if you're an expert on the details and can articulate that within the teams, you'll end up running the show.