Operators Only

Andrew Rea

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Operators Only

Conversations with Startup Operators

09/15/2024

Clay co-founder on finding PMF, 10x hyper-growth, commitment in life + career, & more

Click here to watch a video of this episode. In this episode of the Operators Only podcast, we sat down with Varun Anand, co-founder and head of ops at Clay, to discuss: His unconventional journey from political campaigns to tech startupsThe story of how he joined Clay, from advisor to co-founderBuilding and scaling Clay's unique go-to-market strategyCreating tight feedback loops in product development and team structureClay's approach to hiring and building a culture of creativity and focusBalancing a high-stress startup life with personal relationshipsThe importance of commitment and specialization in business and lifeInsights on trust-building and conflict resolution in professional partnershipsVarun shares his experiences working on Hillary Clinton's campaign, his instinct-driven approach to business, and how Clay is redefining B2B SaaS with its innovative product and culture. This episode offers valuable insights for founders, operators, and anyone interested in the inner workings of fast-growing tech startups. CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) Teaser(00:00:54) About the Episode(00:02:23) Introduction and Background(00:03:59) Working for Hillary Clinton(00:05:22) Joining Clay as Advisor(00:06:33) Early Days at Clay(00:08:45) Building Clay's Go-to-Market Strategy(00:15:04) Clay's Growth and Evolution(00:19:17) Becoming Co-Founder at Clay(00:37:07) Balancing Work and Personal Life(00:49:01) Sponsors: Outro SOCIAL LINKS: Website: https://www.operatorsonly.fm/ Twitter (Host): https://twitter.com/andrew__rea Twitter (Co-Host): https://x.com/ramshe1000 LinkedIn (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewrea1996/ LinkedIn (Co-Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/rameel-sheikh-051246a3/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators_Only PRODUCED BY: https://aipodcast.ing

50 min
09/05/2024

VP of Finance @ Spellbook on succeeding as the first startup finance hire

Click here to watch a video of this episode. We talked to Aman Samra about his career as a finance operator at venture-backed startups. He's now been the first finance hire / leader at 4 different companies and learned a lot in the process. We discussed: The journey from traditional accounting to startup finance Being a 4x first finance hire in startups What CEOs look for in their first finance hire The evolving structure of finance teams in startups When to bring finance in-house vs. using fractional CFOs How to evaluate and hire for finance roles in startups The impact of AI on software business models and gross margins Unsexy but crucial finance tasks like data cleansing Aman shared his take on transitioning from traditional accounting firms to early-stage startups, the importance of being a generalist in startup finance roles, and how AI is changing the financial margin profiles for software companies. Great episode for all the finance operators out there or if you're a founder figuring out your first full-time finance leader. For real-time updates on Spellbook and to follow Aman's work more closely, check out the links below: Spellbook: https://www.spellbook.legal/ Aman's Twitter : https://x.com/amansamraaAman's LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/amansamra/Aman's Podcast - Generation Hustle : https://www.generationhustlepod.com/podcast CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) Teaser(00:01:03) About the Episode(00:01:43) Introduction and Background(00:03:41) First Finance Hire Expectations(00:06:39) Finance Background Requirements(00:09:38) Finance Team Structure(00:13:33) Hiring for Finance Roles(00:18:38) Balancing Ambition in Finance Teams(00:38:15) AI Impact on Gross Margins(00:44:27) Unsexy Tasks in Finance(00:45:41) Outro SOCIAL LINKS: Website: https://www.operatorsonly.fm/ Twitter (Host): https://twitter.com/andrew__rea Twitter (Co-Host): https://x.com/ramshe1000 LinkedIn (Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewrea1996/ LinkedIn (Co-Host): https://www.linkedin.com/in/rameel-sheikh-051246a3/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators_Only PRODUCED BY: https://aipodcast.ing

46 min
09/05/2024

Why you should hire overseas talent with Somewhere.com COO Benjamin Surman

Click here to watch a video of this episode. Rameel and I chatted with our friend Benjamin Surman about hiring overseas talent. Ben's the COO at Somewhere.com, one of the leaders in the new wave of overseas talent firms that have popped up in the last few years. We went deep on: His journey from consultant to head of growth to COO The evolution of Somewhere.com, its recent rebranding, and acquisition under Nick Huber.The growing trend of international hiring and building a global workforce How to effectively integrate and manage remote teams across different cultures and time zones The importance of proper legal and compliance considerations when hiring internationally Tips for operators and founders looking to leverage global talent The future of executive hiring on a global scale How to choose the right partner when venturing into international hiring Benjamin shares insights on building trust with founders, proving your worth as an operator, and navigating ownership changes. He also discusses the challenges and opportunities of hiring internationally, including cultural differences, legal implications, and the importance of having proper systems in place. Good episode if you're trying to think through the pros and cons of hiring talent outside the US. For real-time updates on Somewhere and to follow Benjamin’s work more closely, check out the links below: Benjamin's Twitter : https://x.com/chiefcustodianBenjamin's LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminsurman/CHAPTERS: (00:00:00) Teaser(00:00:59) About the Episode(00:02:04) Introduction of Benjamin Thurman(00:02:39) Rise of overseas hiring in tech(00:05:53) Benjamin's journey to COO(00:09:16) Earning trust with founders(00:10:28) Navigating ownership changes(00:12:47) Rebranding to Somewhere.com(00:15:36) International hiring market trends(00:18:24) Global talent vs outsourcing(00:21:34) Somewhere's hiring process(00:24:48) Managing international employees(00:27:04) Challenges in global hiring(00:30:10) Hiring executives internationally(00:33:23) Advice for choosing hiring partners(00:39:01) Key takeaways and conclusion(00:40:32) Outro SOCIAL LINKS: Website: https://www.operatorsonly.fm/ Twitter_Host : https://twitter.com/andrew__reaTwitter_Co-Host : https://x.com/ramshe1000LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewrea1996/LinkedIn_Co-Host : https://www.linkedin.com/in/rameel-sheikh-051246a3/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Operators_Only PRODUCED BY: https://aipodcast.ing

41 min
08/30/2024

Lessons from inside Ramp, Instacart & Remote with Sophia Deng

This episode is special for me. My friend Sophia Deng has had a hell of a run as a startup operator at several of the most iconic tech companies of the last decade. But what I especially love about her is how thoughtful, opinionated, and raw she is about all the things she's learned. She's inspiring and her takes will challenge your thinking. We covered a bunch of stuff in this episode including: Why Sophia chose investment banking before pivoting to techMoving to SF with nothing lined up and fighting for an entry-level job at Instacart.Stories, lessons, and unsung heroes from Instacart.Operating experiences from Instacart, Ramp, Gigster, Remote, and beyond. What makes the Ramp founder's special.Why founders should be intentional about their company's cultural "Sun"Transitioning from startup operator to startup founderAnd much more. Here's the link to "The Sun" Blog Post discussed in the episode: https://sophdeng.github.io/2022/04/30/the-sun.html To follow Sophia’s work more closely, check out the links below: Sophia's Twitter: https://x.com/sophdengSophia's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soph-deng/Sophia's Podcast: Game of Life PodcastSophia's Website: https://sophdeng.github.io/ ---YOUTUBE VIDEO:Click here to watch a video of this episode. ---CHAPTERS:(00:00:00) Teaser(00:01:06) About the Episode(00:02:01) Introduction and Background(00:03:21) Philosophy Major and Career Impact(00:06:29) Transition to Finance and Tech(00:09:03) Journey to Instacart(00:12:13) Early Role at Instacart(00:13:14) Career Transitions and Growth(00:16:22) Gigster Experience and Learnings(00:19:06) Joining Ramp and Company Culture(00:23:11) The 'It Factor' in Founders(00:25:43) Achievements at Ramp(00:29:36) Remote Work and Operational Challenges(00:33:02) Transitioning to Founder(00:35:41) The Idea Maze and Founder Journey(00:40:13) Confidence and Founder Experience(00:46:48) The Sun Theory in Startups(00:58:03) Reflections on Founding a Company(01:03:55) Lessons from Startup Experience(01:13:30) Founder Identity and Motivation(01:25:15) Closing Thoughts and Contact Info(01:34:42) Outro ---SOCIAL LINKS:Website : https://www.operatorsonly.fm/Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrew__reaLinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewrea1996/Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzn92lHHiCAfg5RllEd-FAw-- -PRODUCED BY:https://aipodcast.ing

1h 35m
08/30/2024

Joining Beehiiv as employee #7 and getting promoted to COO

Welcome to the first episode of the operators only podcast. We sat down with Preeya Goenka the COO of Beehive to talk about: Her journey from finance to tech startups. What it's like on the inside of one of the fastest-growing software companies in techWorking with founder / CEOsJoining as employee #7 (Chief of Staff / the first non-technical hire)Becoming COOLessons learned from acqui-hiring other startups into BeehiivScaling an ads networkand moreFor real-time updates on beehiiv and to follow Preeya’s work more closely, check out the links below: beehiiv : https://www.beehiiv.com/beehiiv on Twitter : https://x.com/beehiivbeehiiv on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/beehiiv/ Preeya's Twitter : https://x.com/gopreezyPreeya's LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/preeya-goenka/---YOUTUBE VIDEO:Click here to watch a video of this episode. ---CHAPTERS:(00:00:00) Teaser(00:00:58) About the Episode(00:01:50) Introduction and Background(00:04:16) Career Progression at CM Group(00:06:21) Joining Beehive as Chief of Staff(00:08:29) Chief of Staff to COO Transition(00:11:45) COO Role and Dynamics(00:13:51) Acquiring Companies: Swapstack and TypeDream(00:17:18) Building Beehive's Ad Network(00:24:00) Acquisitions and M&A Strategy(00:30:31) Ad Network Development and Future(00:40:07) Personal Motivation and Career Choices(00:42:59) Private Equity vs Venture Backed Companies(00:45:44) Outro ---SOCIAL LINKS:Website : https://www.operatorsonly.fm/Twitter_Host : https://twitter.com/andrew__reaTwitter_Co-Host : https://x.com/ramshe1000LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewrea1996/LinkedIn_Co-Host : https://www.linkedin.com/in/rameel-sheikh-051246a3/Youtube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzn92lHHiCAfg5RllEd-FAw-- -PRODUCED BY:https://aipodcast.ing

46 min

5 Episodes

5

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Conversations with Startup Operators

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Andrew Rea
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© 2025 Andrew Rea
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Operators Only