Why Your Third COO Just Quit (And Why Recruiting Won't Fix It)

You've cycled through three COOs in four years. Each one looked perfect on paper. Each one left you doing the same strategic work you were desperate to hand off.

Maybe the problem isn't them. Maybe it's how you're finding them.

Here's what's actually happening: You're not looking for a Chief Operating Officer. You're looking for a Second-in-Command. Someone who's energized by the work that drains you. Who sees systems where you see chaos. Who thrives on execution while you focus on vision.

But here's the problem: Recruiters optimize for qualifications. Résumés. Keywords. Experience.

And the #1 factor in whether a CEO/COO relationship actually works? It's not any of those things. It's the relationship itself.

You can't recruit your way into a relationship.

In this session, we'll walk through what Seconds actually are (hint: it's an identity, not a job title), why traditional hiring fails at finding them, and what a matchmaking approach looks like for bringing on the person who can actually propel your vision forward. You'll leave knowing whether you're ready to delegate, what you actually need in a Second, and how to find them without posting another job description that attracts 200 wrong candidates.

• All levels
• Startups
• Careers