Discover how to hire a COO in 8 steps to drive your business forward. Learn key hiring strategies and red flags to avoid to ensure a perfect fit.
John Gauch
Growth-focused fractional COO helping CEOs and founding teams build and scale their companies
I've spent my career building start-ups. Starting out as a tech attorney, in New York City, I held progressive roles in business development, finance, sales, marketing and product, developing capabilities as both a business designer and manager. I bring lean thinking and a systematic approach to propel a business forward. I have helped build one high-impact start-up to nearly $100M in revenue and a second to exceed that benchmark. l've worked with and for top companies--like Axiom, IBM, Microsof…
Work
My Website (for testimonials, recent projects, case studies and more)
https://www.johngauch.com/Hands on 4+ year Fractional COO helps CEOs and founding teams of post-Seed to post-A Series startups and bootstrapped businesses on growth and operations.
- https://www.synervoz.com
Currently serving as fractional COO.
Experience
Somersault Innovation
Sales Performance & Design Thinking Coach
Mar 2023 - Present
- Teach sales teams how to apply Design Thinking—the creative problem-solving methodology used to innovate and grow new businesses—to sales.
High Alpha Innovation
Growth Advisor
Jan 2022 - Present
- Member of diverse community of forward-thinking advisors who passionately support the building and scaling of early-stage BtoB SaaS startups.
Business Designer and Manager | Fractional COO
Chief Operating Officer (fractional)
Nov 2019 - Present
Filling a gap in a fractional role, I use a flexible and structured, hands-on approach to help Chief Executive Officers and founding teams create and grow businesses.
- Collaborate on customer and product and take on all of part of recruiting and HR (people ops), operations, finance and legal management.
- Recommend and put in place the right mix of systems, SaaS applications, and talent to keep operations running smoothly.
Techstars
Mentor
May 2019 - Present
- Advise new ventures via Physical Health - Fort Worth, Toronto, and Melbourne accelerators.
Related Blog Posts
How to Hire a COO That Elevates Your Business (+6 Red Flags) 57 COO Interview Questions (What To Look For + Red Flags) Pick from an extensive list of COO interview questions for the perfect COO hire. Also, discover how you can cut the process short by hiring a fractional COO.
Fractional Focus: Product & Tech Ops with Crystal Bray Dive into the intricate world of Product & Technology Operations with the seasoned expert, Crystal Bray. Learn how to implement operational best practices at scale from her tactical experience at Uber.
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