⚙️ Ops Playbook #29

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Hi Operators ⚙️

Free roasts alert! Free roast alert! Get your free piping hot design roasts here!

The Bottleneck is partnering with Greg Isenberg’s design agency, Meet Dispatch, for a live workshop on 3/28.

Be sure to reply to this email with your name and URL if you want to revamp your brand (only three lucky folks will be chosen).

The team will review your landing page for potential in copy, UX, and structure.

Here is the event link to sign up now.

While you are getting signed up for the event, let’s talk about today’s playbook.

One of the most common questions I hear is how to become an operations leader in their organization.

This week, I’ll talk about how to make that transition.

Here’s what we have going on:

• Deepen your "technical" know-how → Learn the technical basics so you can build faster

• Building your own startup program → A growth program you can use to flex new skills to leadership

• Be a gap filler → Identify the work that no one is doing and step in

• Hire a gap filler [members only] → The 6 traits to find your own gap filler

Let’s jump in.

(P.S Have questions about scaling your business? Reply to this email or email me at [email protected])

^{Together With Attio}
A CRM for the next era of companies.

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Attio automatically enriches your contacts, syncs your emails and calendar, gives you powerful reports, and lets you quickly build Zapier-style automations.

The next era of companies deserves more than a one-size-fits-all CRM with outdated UX.

Join Modal, Replicate, ElevenLabs and more.

Operators Library

• It was 11 pm on a Tuesday when the founder of Gamma had their "aha" moment. Staring at a blank PowerPoint slide, he dreaded the hours he knew he'd have to spend wrestling with formatting to create a halfway decent presentation. That's when it hit him. (What was the lightbulb moment behind Gamma?)
  
  

• Mercury Bank hiring is on fire! With 90 new team members and a staggering 48,220 applications in 3 months – that's 2 every working minute! While referrals remain steady, applications skyrocketed from 21% to 34.1% in the last year. Also, a new channel has emerged. (What's driving 7% of their new hires?) 
  
  

• This guy designed the perfect engagement ring for his fiancée with AI-generated designs and collaborating with a local jeweler. The result? A stunning, one-of-a-kind ring. The entire process, from the initial design to the final product, took around two months (How did he do this so quickly?)
  
  

• Her tax bill last year exceeded her entire income – a costly oversight on her part. Here is the mistake that she made with her LLC. (Learn how to avoid her mistake)
  
  

• He used to book his ad placements manually. Now, he uses this Calendly feature to automate. I bet you don’t know about this feature. It’s simple but such a time saver (Learn about a smart way to automate)

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

1. Deepen your technical know-how

Insight from Rameel Sheikh

When I started at Uber Freight in 2017, I wasn't a fan of the whole biz-tech divide.

I thrived on being the wildcard in the room, leaving folks puzzled about which side of the fence I was on.

This skill is vital for those non-techie types elbow-deep in product work.

Before we had access to data scientists, our ops team had to beg for resources. Instead of waiting, I took the initiative to learn SQL to delve into data.

I got so good that I became a go-to person for financial performance updates. Uber was all for this cross-functional growth, fostering an environment where anyone could evolve their skill set.

For those first business hires in startups, diving into the techy details is part of the gig. 

It's about shielding your tech colleagues from the grind of deal-making or endless client meetings.

Why not learn the ropes yourself instead of dragging an engineer into yet another meeting?

At Uber, I aimed to ease the technical load, even if it meant stepping into their world.

I would convince an engineer or analyst to have lunch with me and whiteboard their processes. That way I would pick up on the key points that I could use for later meetings.

When you do end up chatting with non-technical folks, be sure to tailor your communication to your audience's expertise.

My tip for the latter? Get into their shoes. Understand what ticks for them in relation to the tech stuff.

For example, when explaining new APIs to a finance pro, I'd zone in on the money flow – that's their language.

And don't shy away from mixing up your explanatory tactics.

Use visuals and tell a story – like tracing a transaction from an Uber ride request to the final card charge – to clarify what an API call means in practical terms, even for those who might not know the first thing about APIs.

Teach yourself a technical skill here

2. Building your own startup program

Insight from Attio*

I've been chatting with the Attio team for an upcoming Sunday deep dive (stay tuned!).

One of the topics we chatted through was what is a startup program, what mistakes to avoid and what to focus on.

Building your company’s startup program can be one of your side projects to help you stand out at your company.

There aren’t too many technical requirements and an obvious connection to top-line revenue.

What leader wouldn’t want more money coming in the pipeline?

So what is a startup program?

Many SaaS products are a great fit for other startups. Startups often become their first beta users and first paying customers.

There's a reason why YC companies prefer to buy other YC company's products.

To tap into this potential, you need to treat startups as a special category of users.

Here's a proven framework from Kyle Poyar on building a startup program that drives growth:

1. Define your vision: Craft a proposal outlining your program's goals, target audience, growth model, success metrics, and required resources.

2. Build an MVP: Create landing pages, enable your offering in the product, set up application forms, and test the journey with friendly startups and partners.

3. Launch with a bang: Enhance discoverability on your website, announce the program in newsletters and events, and educate your internal teams.

4. Forge partnerships: Reach out to accelerators and incubators, refine your partner offering, and establish a mix of high-touch, mid-touch, and low-touch partnerships.

5. Scale strategically: Introduce new program tiers, differentiate credit offerings, build strategic partnerships, participate in industry events, and expand startup-related content.

Attio followed a similar model when they first launched their program. My ears perked up when I heard how they planned to price the program.

Alex Vale, Head of Growth, and Roberto Restrepo, Director of Finance, explained that they've landed on providing up to an 80% discount for the 1st year of use.

Instead of providing the tool for free, they wanted buyers to have “skin in the game.”

Adding this bit of friction has helped conversion tremendously.

Read About Their Startup Program here

3. Be a gap filler

Insight from Elad Gil

A gap filler is the perfect phrase for operation generalist folks like us.

Firstbase.io, the previous startup I worked at, was growing so fast that I at some point owned:

• Growth (Paid marketing, SEO, content)

• Compliance (Legal, state compliance)

• Business Operations (Business processing, customer experience)

• People Ops (Hiring, recruiting, organizational structure)

• Finance (Vendor management, financial modeling)

• Product (Strategy, mapping, launching)

And more!

If you want to stand out, you need to stack experiences. The best way to start stacking is to sign up for “side gigs.”

Side gigs are jobs that aren’t your direct responsibility but that you know will help your leader and business.

Opportunities like this allow you to build a reputation. By getting more exposure to other functions, you’ll be fast-tracked for a promotion.

Promotions often require work with a cross-org impact, which these kinds of projects can help with.

Learn more about Gap Fillers here

4. Hiring a gap filler

Insight from Elad Gil

Let’s say you’re on the other side and need to hire that gap filler.

What do you hire for?

Elad has a list of 6 traits to focus on. They are:

1. Detail and process-oriented → The right person for this job can oversee processes meticulously, identify and rectify errors early.

2. Follow through → This role is crucial for ensuring that there is no overlooked task or left unfinished. The ideal candidate should be capable of taking responsibility from start to finish.

3. Ability to context and mode switch →This person will handle a diverse range of tasks within a week. They are going to need to have the skill of transitioning between different types of work.

4. Fast learner / willing to deal with ambiguity →The nature of this role demands someone who can get new skills and navigate ambiguous situations.

5. Will eventually be happy to focus on one thing → While the role initially requires handling a broad spectrum of tasks, the individual should be prepared to focus on a specific area as the company grows.

6. Founder trust → Successful gap fillers quickly gain the founders' trust through their competence and reliability

If you have someone on your staff already like this, be sure to get them something nice. They are a rarity!

Read More Here from Elad

Something Fun

Feel free to reply with your meme; I might add yours to next week’s edition.

Last Word 👋 
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Hit reply and say hello - I’d love to hear from you!

Cheers,

Rameel

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