What working with a fractional COO actually looks like
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A fractional COO runs the operating side of your company part time. You get a senior operator without making a full-time hire. When you work with me, you also get the person who builds the AI systems, automations and software that let the operation scale. I build it myself.
The founders and CEOs I work with have usually outgrown duct-tape ops but aren't ready for a full-time hire yet. Some are early-stage startups. Some are Fortune 500 teams in the middle of a big change.
It starts with a 30-minute call. We talk through where things are stuck, and usually by the end of it we know which shape fits: a fractional operations retainer, a fixed-scope AI or product build, or a short strategy sprint. If the timing doesn't work for your project, I'll tell you straight and point you toward the right next step.
Why part time? Most companies don't need a full-time COO or CTO on day one. They need the outcomes one delivers. Fractional gets you that now, and it can scale up or down as the need changes.
At Conceivable, a fertility startup, I provided operational and strategic leadership to get the operating backbone in shape so the team could scale. Kirsten Karchmer, the CEO, said it more kindly than I would: "Sean is a miracle worker. I couldn't have built Conceivable without him." At Pando Electric I set up the ops backend and the international manufacturing capability. And at ChargePoint I led product operations and strategic manufacturing as we scaled from $5M to $120M in quarterly revenue, startup through IPO.
I've also done it at big-company scale. At Apple I ran a Mac operations team across the MacBook, Mac mini, Mac Studio and accessory lines, and stood up two factories in China to launch them. At Hershey I ran an international co-manufacturing partnership in China, built greenfield factories in West Africa, and later led enterprise transformation across the whole company.
I work remote first, with regular video check-ins, for clients across the United States. If you're feeling the duct tape, book the 30-minute call.