operations

name	operations
description	Run startup operations—hiring with outcome-based job descriptions and bias-reducing scorecards, OKRs following the Liz Wessel/Google framework, and board management with decks that lead with asks. Use when hiring, setting goals, managing teams, or preparing for board meetings.

Operations

Core Principle

Operations is the system that turns strategy into execution. Good ops means the right people doing the right work with the right information at the right time.

Hiring

Job Descriptions — Lead with Outcomes

BAD: "Responsibilities: Manage social media accounts, create content,
     analyze metrics, coordinate with design team..."

GOOD: "In your first 90 days, you will:
  - Launch our content engine and publish 3x/week across 2 channels
  - Grow organic traffic from 5K to 15K monthly visitors
  - Build a repeatable process the team can run without you"

Job Description Template

[Title] at [Company]

THE OPPORTUNITY
  [2-3 sentences: why this role exists and why it matters now]

WHAT YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH
  In 30 days: [First meaningful deliverable]
  In 90 days: [Key milestone that proves success]
  In 12 months: [The transformation you'll drive]

WHAT YOU BRING
  - [Skill/experience that directly maps to outcomes above]
  - [Skill/experience]
  - [Skill/experience]
  (List 4-6 max. Each must connect to an outcome.)

WHAT WE OFFER
  [Comp, equity, benefits — be specific, not vague]

Interview Scorecards — Reduce Bias

Score each candidate 1-5 on predefined criteria BEFORE discussing.

| Criteria | Weight | Candidate A | Candidate B |
|----------|--------|-------------|-------------|
| [Relevant skill 1] | 30% | | |
| [Relevant skill 2] | 25% | | |
| [Culture/values fit] | 20% | | |
| [Growth potential] | 15% | | |
| [Communication] | 10% | | |

Rules:
- Score independently before group debrief
- Criteria set BEFORE interviews, not after
- Same questions for every candidate at each stage
- Assign an interview lead who ensures criteria adherence

OKRs (Liz Wessel / Google Framework)

OKR Structure

OBJECTIVE: Qualitative, inspiring, time-bound
  "Become the go-to solution for mid-market SaaS onboarding"

KEY RESULTS: Quantitative, measurable, verifiable
  KR1: Increase activation rate from 35% to 55%
  KR2: Reduce time-to-first-value from 3 days to 4 hours
  KR3: Achieve NPS of 50+ from customers onboarded this quarter

OKR Rules

1. 3-5 objectives per quarter (company-wide)
2. 2-4 key results per objective
3. Key results are outcomes, not tasks
   BAD KR: "Launch new onboarding flow"
   GOOD KR: "60% of new users complete onboarding in first session"
4. Score 0.0-1.0 at end of quarter
   0.7 = target (stretch goals should be hard)
   1.0 = you set the bar too low
5. OKRs are NOT performance reviews — they're alignment tools

Cascade Pattern

Company OKR: "Win the mid-market"
  ↓
Product OKR: "Make onboarding effortless for teams of 10-50"
  ↓
Engineering OKR: "Ship self-serve onboarding with <2 min setup time"
  ↓
Individual OKR: "Build team invitation flow with SSO integration"

Quarterly OKR Cadence

Week -2:  Leadership drafts company OKRs
Week -1:  Teams propose team OKRs aligned to company goals
Week 0:   Lock OKRs, communicate widely
Week 3:   First check-in — are we on track?
Week 6:   Mid-quarter review — adjust tactics, not goals
Week 12:  Score, reflect, set next quarter

Board Management

Board Deck Template (Lead with Asks)

Slide 1: ASKS (yes, first)
  "We need [decision/resource]. Here's why."
  Put asks first so the board spends time on what matters.

Slide 2: KPI Dashboard
  5-7 metrics with trend arrows. Red/yellow/green.
  Revenue, burn, runway, key product metrics.

Slide 3: Wins & Learnings
  Top 3 wins. Top 3 things that didn't work and what you learned.

Slide 4: Product Update
  What shipped, what's next, key decisions.

Slide 5: Team & Org
  Key hires, departures, org changes.

Slide 6: Financial Summary
  Actual vs. plan. Burn rate. Runway.

Slide 7: Roadmap
  Next quarter priorities.

Investor Update Email (Monthly)

Subject: [Company] — [Month] Update

TL;DR: [One sentence summary: good news + challenge]

ASKS:
  - [Specific ask #1 — intro, advice, resource]
  - [Specific ask #2]

KEY METRICS:
  MRR: $X (+Y% MoM)
  Customers: X (+Y)
  Burn: $X/mo | Runway: X months

WINS:
  - [Win 1]
  - [Win 2]

CHALLENGES:
  - [Challenge + what you're doing about it]

NEXT MONTH:
  - [Priority 1]
  - [Priority 2]

Internal Communications

Clear internal communication is an operations function. Use these templates for recurring updates across your team or company.

3P Updates (Progress, Plans, Problems)

For weekly team updates. Readable in 30-60 seconds. Data-driven, not prose-heavy.

[emoji] [Team Name] (Week of [dates])

Progress: [1-3 sentences — what shipped, milestones hit, metrics moved]
Plans: [1-3 sentences — top priorities for next week]
Problems: [1-3 sentences — blockers, resource gaps, risks]

RULES:
  → Score each on granularity: bigger team = bigger items
  → Include metrics where possible
  → Matter-of-fact tone — save storytelling for newsletters

Company Newsletter

For weekly or monthly company-wide updates. 20-25 bullet points. Sent via Slack and email.

Structure by area (not by team):
  :megaphone: Company Announcements
  :dart: Progress on Priorities
  :pillar: Leadership Updates
  :thread: External & Social

RULES:
  → Each bullet: 1-2 sentences max
  → Use "we" tense — you are part of the company
  → Link to source documents, Slack threads, press mentions
  → Focus on company-wide impact, not team-specific details
  → Highlight wins AND challenges honestly

FAQ Responses

Compile frequently asked questions across the company. Minimize confusion, keep everyone aligned.

Format:
  - *Question*: [1 sentence — the real question people are asking]
  - *Answer*: [1-2 sentences — clear, sourced, actionable]

RULES:
  → Base answers on official communications when possible
  → If uncertain, say so — don't fabricate certainty
  → Link to authoritative sources (docs, announcements)
  → Focus on questions that affect a large portion of the team
  → Cover: corporate events, launches, hiring, vision changes

Status Reports and Project Updates

PROJECT UPDATE: [Project Name] — [Date]

STATUS: [On Track / At Risk / Blocked] [green/yellow/red]

SUMMARY: [2-3 sentences — current state and trajectory]

KEY MILESTONES:
  - [x] [Completed milestone]
  - [ ] [Next milestone — target date]

DECISIONS NEEDED:
  - [Decision — who needs to decide, by when]

RISKS:
  - [Risk — likelihood, impact, mitigation]

Incident Reports

INCIDENT: [Brief title]
SEVERITY: [P0/P1/P2/P3]
DURATION: [Start time — End time / Ongoing]

WHAT HAPPENED: [2-3 sentences — factual description]
IMPACT: [Who was affected, how many, what was broken]
ROOT CAUSE: [What caused it — known or under investigation]
RESOLUTION: [What was done to fix it]
FOLLOW-UPS:
  - [ ] [Action item — owner — due date]

Anti-Patterns

Ops Theater	Real Operations
Job desc listing 15 requirements	4-6 requirements tied to outcomes
"Culture fit" without definition	Scorecard with predefined criteria
OKRs that are task lists	OKRs that are outcome measures
Board deck that buries the ask on slide 10	Ask on slide 1
Monthly updates that hide bad news	Leading with challenges and what you're doing

Power Move

"Help me write an outcome-based job description for [role], design a 4-stage interview process with scorecards, and draft OKRs for their first quarter. Then create a board deck template with my asks front and center."

The agent becomes your COO — building the operating system that makes the company run.