Free book for startup COOs, by startup COOs
Operations Nation's book on the startup COO role, written by COOs in the ON community, with stories from former COOs at Monzo and Bloom & Wild. Five chapters so far, from defining the role and landing it to your first 90 days and turning strategy into reality. Free to read.
Accredited leadership programme built for senior ops leaders
Unleashed's flagship leadership programme, run with Operations Nation as a cohort just for ops leaders. Seven virtual 2.5-hour workshops, every two weeks, with a peer group facing the same pressures you do. Accredited by the Institute of Leadership. The first cohort started in October 2026; register interest for the next.
Operations Nation's end-of-year gathering in London
Operations Nation's end-of-year gathering for operations leaders: a full day at Six Pancras Square, London, looking back at what the community learned in 2026 and what comes next. Free to register on Luma.
Weekly conversations with Chiefs of Staff, recorded in New York
A podcast for and with the people making magic happen behind the scenes. Recorded weekly in New York and available on all major platforms, including Substack. Subscribe to watch, listen, and hear about upcoming in-person events.
Search, careers and community for strategic operators
A boutique executive search and career development platform for strategic operators. They've helped 40+ CEOs make their first strategic hire, and their community of 500+ Chiefs of Staff gives members the network and mentorship to thrive. Join with a 30-day free trial.
Candid conversations with COOs about operating at scale
A podcast hosted by veteran COO Michael Koenig, featuring candid conversations with exceptional operators about how they lead, make decisions, navigate challenges, and scale organizations. Each episode goes beyond the playbooks to explore the experiences, lessons, and judgment that shape great operational leaders.
Private community for BizOps leaders at high-growth companies
The private community for business operations leaders at high-growth startups and enterprises. Members get weekly roundtables, peer pods, live development tracks, a knowledge hub of operating frameworks and an advisor network. Sister community to the Chief of Staff Network. Apply to join.
Free global community for startup and scale-up Chiefs of Staff
A free community for Chiefs of Staff in startups and scale-ups, founded by Ben Legg in 2020 and led by Emelie Metscher. 1,000+ members swap advice in a private Slack, meet at London meetups and contribute to an annual CoS salary survey. Join via the website.
One-day London conference for senior Chiefs of Staff
The Chief of Staff Network's flagship conference comes to London on 13 November, at the Hyatt Regency Blackfriars. This year's theme, From Force Multiplier to Builder, is about Chiefs of Staff moving from supporting leaders to building how the company runs. Co-hosted with Operations Nation. Tickets via the website.
Global community, chapters and conferences for Chiefs of Staff
The global community for Chiefs of Staff and the operators who work alongside the CEO. Members get private peer roundtables, local chapters in 20+ cities, the Connect conference series, a weekly newsletter and podcast, expert-led programs and more. Join free or go PRO.
Peer network for COOs and other seconds in command
A global peer network for COOs and other seconds in command, founded by Cameron Herold, former COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. It exists to give the number two the kind of peer support and development CEOs have long had, through peer groups, events and learning. Paid membership; apply via the website.
Confidential peer forums for operations executives since 2004
A peer-based professional development organisation for second-in-command executives, running since 2004. Members meet monthly in small, confidential peer forums, join a monthly presenter series and expert-led workshops, and connect with operations executives across US chapters and virtual meetings. Membership is paid; apply via the website.
Six-week live course on the judgment calls COOs make
A six-week live online course for COOs, Chiefs of Staff and senior operators, run by three-time COO Michael Koenig of Between Two COOs. Through real-life scenarios, from partnering with the CEO to making calls on incomplete information, it builds operating judgment. Small cohort; apply via the website.
Video career stories from world-class COOs
A video series on the careers of world-class COOs from firms such as Voy, Moneybox and Cleo. Each episode covers their career journey and current role, the lessons they've learnt along the way, and their advice for aspiring COOs.
Home for multidisciplinary people who don't fit one box
The community for multidisciplinary and multi-passionate people, with learning programmes, a newsletter, events and IRL meetups. If you've ever felt like too much, or like you don't fit the traditional box, come and find your people here.
The human skills needed to thrive inside a scale-up
Vidya Murali, a business operations leader formerly at Amazon and Deliveroo, on what happens to people inside fast-growing companies. Includes a checklist for whether scale-up life suits you, a first-90-days plan, coaching questions for common toxic patterns and real stories from scale-up leaders. Shortlisted for the Business Book Awards 2026.
Executive search specialising in COO and GM hires
Award-winning London executive search firm specialising in COO and GM hires for seed to Series C startups, scale-ups and VC-backed companies. Founded in 2012 by James Mitra, host of the 40 Minute Mentor podcast, it runs both permanent and fractional C-suite and VP-level searches. Get in touch via the website.
The UK's first community for startup and scale-up COOs
The UK's first community for COOs. Founded by Divinia Knowles, it brings together around 250 C-level executives from London's tech scene to define what it means to be a highly effective startup and scale-up COO, and to help those in post reach their full potential as leaders.
COOs on what it takes to be the number two
The COO Alliance's podcast, hosted by Cameron Herold with co-host Sivana Brewer. Seconds in command from companies like Tesla, Lyft and ZenBusiness share how they partner with their CEO, build teams and run the business. Useful for COOs and for founders hiring one. Listen on all major platforms.
Weekly tactics and case studies for COOs
A newsletter for COOs and business operators, written by serial founder and COO Rameel Sheikh. Each week brings an Ops Playbook of short, opinionated tactics on scaling HR, finance, compliance and operations, plus longer case studies on how specific companies run. Subscribe on the website.
Professional body and certification for Chiefs of Staff
The international professional body for chiefs of staff across corporations, governments, the military and non-profits. Members get a global network, curated forums, a professional journal and education programmes, including executive education with Oxford Saïd and Harvard Business School and the Certified Chief of Staff® credential. Application and interview required.
Practical ops advice for agencies and service businesses
A fortnightly podcast for operations and finance leaders at professional services firms working to close the maturity gap between where their business is and where it should be. Host Harv Nagra, a former Group Operations Director, talks to practitioners who’ve fixed pricing, capacity, margins and systems. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Practical playbooks on strategy, ops and growth for founders
Pay As You Go COO's free library of practical articles on strategy, operations and growth. Written for founders and the operators who support them, it distils decades of hands-on experience into clear guidance on hiring, go-to-market and investment readiness. Subscribe to the newsletter for new pieces.
Weekly podcast for startup and scale-up COOs
A weekly podcast for startup and scale-up COOs, hosted by Bethany Ayers and Brandon Mensinga. They draw on their own operating experience and bring in scale-up experts to tackle both the day-to-day fires and the bigger questions about the role. Listen on all major platforms or subscribe on Substack.
A founder's guide to hiring and working with a COO
Cameron Herold's playbook for the CEO–COO partnership, drawn from his years as COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?. It walks through when to bring in a COO, how to find and hire the right person, and how to onboard them and build a partnership that works. For founders hiring a number two, and the COOs they hire.