Who does what
Startup roles
What a startup CEO, CFO, COO, CTO and other leaders actually do, how the roles differ, when to hire each, and where Nautis takes work off their plate.
Executive roles
What does a startup CEO do, from the first hire to Series A?What a startup CEO owns at each stage, what founder CEOs are paid, and which roles to hire around the seat.What does a startup CFO do? The job, the timing and the costWhat a startup CFO owns, the signals that justify one, and published costs for fractional and full-time CFOs.What does a startup COO do? It depends which COO you hireThe four kinds of startup COO, when one is worth hiring, published pay and fractional rates, and what stays human.What does a startup CTO do, and how does the job change as the team grows?How the startup CTO job changes with team size, published CTO and fractional CTO costs, and the CTO vs VP of engineering split.
Functional leaders
The startup head of marketing, from first hire to CMOWhat a startup's first marketing leader owns at each stage, which profile to hire first, what it costs, and how the job differs from a CMO or growth lead.Head of People at a startup: the job, the timing and the costWhat a startup's first people leader owns from 15 to 150 staff, the signals it's time, what it costs, and how it differs from HR, recruiting and a PEO.The startup head of sales: what they own and when to hire oneWhen founder-led sales is ready for a sales leader, what that leader owns at each stage, how pay is built, and how the job differs from a VP Sales or CRO.
Operating support
The founder's associate: a generalist working next to the CEOWhat a founder's associate works on, how the seat changes with the company, what published postings pay, and how it differs from a chief of staff or EA.What does a startup chief of staff do? Here is a typical weekThe four kinds of work, a day-by-day week at a 45-person startup, and how to tell if the role is working.Chief of staff vs COO: who owns whatAuthority, pay and timing for each role, one test question, and four situations worked through.
Role comparisons
CEO vs COO: how to split the top jobHow the two top jobs split, four kinds of COO, what each costs, and the decision rights to agree first.Fractional CFO vs full-time CFO for a startupPublished fractional and full-time CFO costs, a worked seed-stage example, and the signals for switching.CFO vs controller vs bookkeeper at a startupWhat a bookkeeper, controller and CFO each own, what they cost, and the order to bring them in.AI CFO vs fractional CFO: where the line sitsWhat AI finance tools handle well, where they break, and how to split the work with a part-time CFO.CTO vs VP Engineering at a startupTechnology versus team, the arguments over who comes first, a symptom test and the signs of a wrong hire.Founder's associate vs chief of staff: two kinds of right handSeniority, scope and pay for each right-hand role, the same week done by both, and a one-question test.Head of marketing vs head of growth at a startupWhat each role owns and is measured on, published pay, the first hire by business model, and warning signs.