⚙️ Operators Playbook #24

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Good Morning Operators ⚙️

I’m currently on my first road trip with my 1 month old in Dallas.

Not gonna lie, I was more stressed out than a COO finding out he forgot to file their taxes.

(Please don’t forget to file your taxes).

We plan to dive into:

• Upping your Linkedin Game

• How to build your internal communications plan

• How to bring your finance operations in house

Let’s run through todays playbook.

^{Together With Hey Foster}
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Operators Library

• Want to (finally) join a squad of operators like yourself? Check out The Ops Spot (Link)*

• How two college friends turned $12 dollars into a $12 billion dollar business (Link)

• 23 sentences about recurring and subscription income based on 23 years of building (Link)

P.S. To get featured in this section, share the newsletter 10 times (your referral link is below), and I'll include you in a future issue. 

1. Spruce up your Linkedin Game*

Insight from Taplio

I finally launched The Bottleneck on my LinkedIn! I kept the newsletter hidden to get the content just right.

As I've driven traffic to The Bottleneck, I realized I need to update my profile page.

To help update my profile, I checked out Taplio's tips on optimizing the page.

For those who don't know, Taplio is an all-in-one content creation tool, post scheduler, and analytics tool for Linkedin.

Most people use the tool to increase their leads and online visibility on the platform.

Here are 4 tips on how to improve your LinkedIn presence:

1. Make Your Profile Pop: Start with a great photo of yourself smiling and looking friendly. You can use an AI tool if you need to like Photoleap. Use a banner (that big picture at the top of your profile) that shows what you're all about, like your job, your big ideas, or what you love doing. Your headline (the line right under your name) should grab attention by saying what you're good at.

2. Content Strategy: Post things that show you know a lot about your job and can predict what will happen next in your industry. Share stories about your successes, tips that can help others, and fun facts about what you do. This way, people will see you as a leader who knows their stuff.

3. Keep Posting: To make sure people remember you, try to post something interesting at least twice a week. If you're stuck on what to post, take a break and think about new ideas. You can use Taplio to help you create and schedule posts so you're always active.

4. Talk and Interact: Like, share, and comment on other people's posts. When you share your thoughts, you show others what you know and that you're interested in what they say.

By following these steps, you can make your LinkedIn profile really stand out.

It's not just about being there; it's about being active, sharing your ideas, and connecting with others in a meaningful way.

2. How to build your own internal communication plan

Insight from Rameel Sheikh

When I joined Uber in 2017, the company was going through massive turmoil.

A new CEO, All Hand meetings with toxic questions, and mass confusion about the business were ever-present.

Uber was a prime example of how not to handle internal communications.

In the hustle of nailing PR, leaders often drop the ball when communicating with their teams.

Your employees are your first and toughest critics. If they’re not buying what you’re selling, don’t expect the outside world to either.

Here's how to put in place a top-tier internal comms strategy for your team:

1. Make Everyone Feel Part of the Team: Help everyone feel like they're in on the action. When people feel like they belong, they're more likely to talk up your company to friends and online. Their belief in the company's mission can magnify your brand's voice.

2. Keep Everyone in the Loop: Talk to your team often and clearly. Engaged employees are less likely to leave. Plus, they'll do a better job of explaining what your company does to others.

3. Invest in Tools and Resources: Make sure your leaders have what they need to spread the word inside your company. This saves time and keeps everyone on the same page about what's important. Tools like Slido can help keep everyone on the same page.

4. Encourage Active Dialogue: Creating opportunities for two-way communication, such as small group discussions or one-on-one sessions. This allows for a deeper understanding of employee concerns and ideas.

3. Transitioning from outsourced to in-house finance operations?

Insight from Mostly Metrics

Navigating the transition from outsourced to in-house financial operations?

It can feel like the moment before a stage debut. The curtain is about to lift, and there’s no turning back to the comfort of the rehearsal room

That's the vibe when you say goodbye to your fractional CFO and bookkeeping team.

Day one on your own feels like you're navigating without a map.

Here's a game plan that might raise some eyebrows: Splurge during the switch-over. Why? Because smooth transitions are worth their weight in gold.

Split the move into two clear phases:

1. Accounting

2. Finance

Let the outgoing firm know you plan to internalize operations over a few months, aiming for a smooth quarterly transition.

Propose a deal: Keep them on retainer for a fraction of the three-month fee. You'll be surprised how agreeable they are—after all, their goal is to see you fly solo successfully.

Consider poaching talent directly from your fractional firm. It's not uncommon, and it can ensure continuity.

Just ensure you're not stepping on any legal landmines. Sometimes, a finder's fee is involved, like a $10K thank-you note for snagging their FP&A Analyst.

For the accounting shift, pause until your new Controller or Accounting Manager is in the building.

They'll have the insight to ask the questions you haven't even thought of yet.

Finance-wise, dissect the outgoing firm's model like a frog in biology class. Use it to understand the business's financial heartbeat.

Then, craft your model and confirm it with the old firm to ensure alignment.

4. How to find out a candidate is lying

Insight from Rameel Sheikh

I’ve hired over 100 people in my career (so far!).

When I first hired people, I skipped over reference checks. I figured I could always let someone go if they didn't work out.

That was immature of me. Not only does this negatively impact the candidates life, it’ll also impact my teams culture.

At my time at Firstbase.io, this is what I came up with to ask the right questions during a reference check. Of course, you should ALWAYS back channel candidates besides the ones they provide to you.

• Use Neutral Language: The words we pick can really shape what we think, especially when checking someone's work history. If we talk about "weaknesses" or "mistakes," it's like we're already judging those things as bad. It's smarter to use words that don't judge, so we can get the real story about someone's skills and where they can grow.

• Keep Questions Focused: Try to focus on direct questions towards specific aspects to get clear, relevant insights. For instance, instead of asking about multiple traits at once, focus on one trait, like problem-solving ability.

• Allow for Open-Ended Feedback: You should encourage referees to provide detailed feedback beyond simple yes/no answers to gather nuanced insights.

• Avoid Ratings, Offer Choices: Use balanced options rather than numerical ratings to avoid inflated responses.

• Use a Semi-Structured Format: Be sure to standardize questions across candidates to reduce bias, adjusting follow-up questions based on initial responses.

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