Welcome to the EVP Talent blog! This fortnightly blog series exists to demystify common startup roles, create clearer pathways into startup roles, and tell the stories of exceptional operators within the EVP Portfolio.
Interested in joining one of Australia's leading B2B SaaS Startups? sign up to Talent_OS now.
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Ivan Vysotskiy is the Chief Operating Officer at Zipline – a platform for aged care and healthcare facilities to manage their visitor experience.
1 // What is a COO, and what does a COO do at Zipline?
As a startup COO, my role is multifaceted, and there is no box around it. Whatever doesn't fit into someone else's job description or any kind of structure normally ends up coming to me. I manage a few functional areas and am accountable for some big projects that we need to execute at Zipline. At various times. I have managed almost every function in the company except for design and product management because we have those covered. Currently, I oversee finance, onboarding, logistics, support, legal, governance, and some smaller functions. I also help Michael with investors and look after some M&A activities happening within Zipline.
To me, the role of a COO changes drastically depending on the need within the business.
There was a great article that classified four types of COOs – one was in the mould of a Chief of Staff, another was effectively a CFO, one a Go-to-Market COO, and the fourth type focused on day-to-day operations.
Right now, I'm more on the CFO side, but I've looked at various Go-to-Market strategies and did my share of Chief of Staff work at different periods.
2 // What does a day in your life look like working at a Series A startup?
Due to the multifaceted nature of the role, my day-to-day work varies, but I spend a lot of time collaborating with different teams to make sure we are executing on our company goals. This includes meetings with engineering, finance, and other teams to make sure everyone is aligned and has what they need to do their job. I also work with our investors and attend board meetings, where we discuss our progress and plan for the future.
I’d rather talk about my week than my typical day, Monday – thinking day when I work on projects, problem-solving, important admin. Tuesday – the day when a lot of functional meetings happen. That’s our execution and accountability rhythm. We go through KPIs and quarterly objectives. It takes me about 6 hours of the day. Wednesday – mostly 1:1s with my team. Thursday – some 1:1s, some project time. Friday – projects and end of the week meetings: STL, reviews, also some project time. Rinse & repeat. Obviously, every day is sprinkled with little fires to be put out, copious emails and Slack messages and ad-hoc requests.
3 // What is your professional background, and how did it lead you to becoming a COO?
My professional background is as a software developer, which I think is atypical for most COOs in Australia. Before joining Zipline, I ran my own consulting business, and I also worked as a principal consultant for a consulting organization. As a principal consultant, I rarely did technical delivery work, I mostly helped with sales and some organisational elements, and I was moving more towards a GM role there. That experience prepared me for coming to Zipline as a COO more on the business side.
4 // Are there specific experiences that you needed to have to be hired for the role?
I don't think there are specific experiences that you need to have to become a COO at a startup. It's more about having the right skills and mindset to be successful in the role. For me, having experience in consulting, sales and running my own business helped me gain the skills I needed to be effective in the COO role.
Clearly, if you’re coming from an artistic background or from somewhere where a lot of details and supporting activities were done for you, it could be difficult to adjust but not impossible.
5 // What are complementing professional backgrounds that could be suitable pathways for getting into the role?
There are many professional backgrounds that could be suitable for getting into the COO role. Experience in consulting, sales, or general management could be helpful. It's also important to have a good understanding of finance, operations, and strategy.
I think most software developers, once they start dealing with architecture and the end-to-end flow of product development, are already preparing themselves to become more of a systems thinker. They also get exposed to operating their products, which is essential for operations.
Developers who become product managers often make great ones because they can see the entire system. There may be some things around organizing the business that they need to learn, such as rhythms and metrics reporting, but otherwise, they're already in operations.
When building a product, developers gain exposure to important skills such as dashboards, SLAs, support processes, and more. These skills are fundamental and can be applied everywhere, not just in software development.
In short, I don't think there's anything else a software developer needs to learn to transition to operations. They already have the skills and experience necessary for the role. The one caveat I would make is that Software developers love to automate things. That's where you have to be cautious from automating too much because the first thing you always need to do is actually understand what's going on and automate only things that require automation. And that usually comes from increasing the need to increase efficiency.
6 // What are the characteristics or skills that would help someone stand out in pursuing this career?
To be successful as a COO, it's important to be organized, strategic, and analytical. You also need to be able to communicate effectively and build strong relationships with your team and stakeholders. Being adaptable and able to work in a fast-paced environment is also crucial. The ability to get someone’s idea and turn it into a functioning system is crucial. Strong sense of ownership, ability to follow-through and see things at different levels would set anyone up for success.
7 // How did you determine which startup to join? What did you look for?
At the time when I was joining Zipline, I was bored out of my mind working for a consulting company, which was all rinse and repeat, nine to five. I basically realized that I needed to go back to startups. I met our founder, Michael Momsen, and although we clicked instantly, it took us three months of dating before I made the decision to join. I wasn’t interested in joining a company as a Head of Engineering but fortunately the COO role at Zipline became vacant and I joined, initially in a hybrid role to help with engineering but to step towards operations. I spent maybe four weeks on engineering, the rest on operations. It consumed me right away.
8 // What are the best resources to read or listen to about becoming a COO?
I am currently spending a lot of time-consuming information on RevOps as it’s a key focus for us so listening to the RevOps Show, The Data Room and the Official SaaStr Podcasts. I also recommend reading “The Goal” by Eliyahu Goldratt which has informed a lot of my decision-making over the years.
Ultimately though, I do think its more about your mindset than a particular skillset that enables you to be successful as both a COO and a startup operator.
The Startup Jobs Podcast by our Founder Michael & Kai Lovel is a good listen to get a sense of whether this world is right for you. I also recommend The Growth Whisperers by Brad Giles & Kevin Lawrence as it exposes you to a bunch of topics you need to think about in any role in a startup.
****
Here are five current active roles in the EVP portfolio:
- Practifi is hiring a Senior Software Development Engineer in Australia
- Bluethumb is hiring a Content Marketer in Melbourne
- Fergus is hiring a Customer Success Specialist in Auckland
- Lumary is hiring a Business Development Representative in Adelaide
- Hnry is hiring Customer Insights Manager in Sydney
Interested in one of the above positions or getting an operation role in a Startup? Reach out to Fred or Charmaine from EVP's Talent Team or sign up to Talent_OS.
Welcome to the EVP Talent blog! This fortnightly blog series exists to demystify common startup roles, create clearer pathways into startup roles, and tell the stories of exceptional operators within the EVP Portfolio.
Interested in joining one of Australia's leading B2B SaaS Startups? sign up to Talent_OS now.
****
Ivan Vysotskiy is the Chief Operating Officer at Zipline – a platform for aged care and healthcare facilities to manage their visitor experience.
1 // What is a COO, and what does a COO do at Zipline?
As a startup COO, my role is multifaceted, and there is no box around it. Whatever doesn't fit into someone else's job description or any kind of structure normally ends up coming to me. I manage a few functional areas and am accountable for some big projects that we need to execute at Zipline. At various times. I have managed almost every function in the company except for design and product management because we have those covered. Currently, I oversee finance, onboarding, logistics, support, legal, governance, and some smaller functions. I also help Michael with investors and look after some M&A activities happening within Zipline.
To me, the role of a COO changes drastically depending on the need within the business.
There was a great article that classified four types of COOs – one was in the mould of a Chief of Staff, another was effectively a CFO, one a Go-to-Market COO, and the fourth type focused on day-to-day operations.
Right now, I'm more on the CFO side, but I've looked at various Go-to-Market strategies and did my share of Chief of Staff work at different periods.
2 // What does a day in your life look like working at a Series A startup?
Due to the multifaceted nature of the role, my day-to-day work varies, but I spend a lot of time collaborating with different teams to make sure we are executing on our company goals. This includes meetings with engineering, finance, and other teams to make sure everyone is aligned and has what they need to do their job. I also work with our investors and attend board meetings, where we discuss our progress and plan for the future.
I’d rather talk about my week than my typical day, Monday – thinking day when I work on projects, problem-solving, important admin. Tuesday – the day when a lot of functional meetings happen. That’s our execution and accountability rhythm. We go through KPIs and quarterly objectives. It takes me about 6 hours of the day. Wednesday – mostly 1:1s with my team. Thursday – some 1:1s, some project time. Friday – projects and end of the week meetings: STL, reviews, also some project time. Rinse & repeat. Obviously, every day is sprinkled with little fires to be put out, copious emails and Slack messages and ad-hoc requests.
3 // What is your professional background, and how did it lead you to becoming a COO?
My professional background is as a software developer, which I think is atypical for most COOs in Australia. Before joining Zipline, I ran my own consulting business, and I also worked as a principal consultant for a consulting organization. As a principal consultant, I rarely did technical delivery work, I mostly helped with sales and some organisational elements, and I was moving more towards a GM role there. That experience prepared me for coming to Zipline as a COO more on the business side.
4 // Are there specific experiences that you needed to have to be hired for the role?
I don't think there are specific experiences that you need to have to become a COO at a startup. It's more about having the right skills and mindset to be successful in the role. For me, having experience in consulting, sales and running my own business helped me gain the skills I needed to be effective in the COO role.
Clearly, if you’re coming from an artistic background or from somewhere where a lot of details and supporting activities were done for you, it could be difficult to adjust but not impossible.
5 // What are complementing professional backgrounds that could be suitable pathways for getting into the role?
There are many professional backgrounds that could be suitable for getting into the COO role. Experience in consulting, sales, or general management could be helpful. It's also important to have a good understanding of finance, operations, and strategy.
I think most software developers, once they start dealing with architecture and the end-to-end flow of product development, are already preparing themselves to become more of a systems thinker. They also get exposed to operating their products, which is essential for operations.
Developers who become product managers often make great ones because they can see the entire system. There may be some things around organizing the business that they need to learn, such as rhythms and metrics reporting, but otherwise, they're already in operations.
When building a product, developers gain exposure to important skills such as dashboards, SLAs, support processes, and more. These skills are fundamental and can be applied everywhere, not just in software development.
In short, I don't think there's anything else a software developer needs to learn to transition to operations. They already have the skills and experience necessary for the role. The one caveat I would make is that Software developers love to automate things. That's where you have to be cautious from automating too much because the first thing you always need to do is actually understand what's going on and automate only things that require automation. And that usually comes from increasing the need to increase efficiency.
6 // What are the characteristics or skills that would help someone stand out in pursuing this career?
To be successful as a COO, it's important to be organized, strategic, and analytical. You also need to be able to communicate effectively and build strong relationships with your team and stakeholders. Being adaptable and able to work in a fast-paced environment is also crucial. The ability to get someone’s idea and turn it into a functioning system is crucial. Strong sense of ownership, ability to follow-through and see things at different levels would set anyone up for success.
7 // How did you determine which startup to join? What did you look for?
At the time when I was joining Zipline, I was bored out of my mind working for a consulting company, which was all rinse and repeat, nine to five. I basically realized that I needed to go back to startups. I met our founder, Michael Momsen, and although we clicked instantly, it took us three months of dating before I made the decision to join. I wasn’t interested in joining a company as a Head of Engineering but fortunately the COO role at Zipline became vacant and I joined, initially in a hybrid role to help with engineering but to step towards operations. I spent maybe four weeks on engineering, the rest on operations. It consumed me right away.
8 // What are the best resources to read or listen to about becoming a COO?
I am currently spending a lot of time-consuming information on RevOps as it’s a key focus for us so listening to the RevOps Show, The Data Room and the Official SaaStr Podcasts. I also recommend reading “The Goal” by Eliyahu Goldratt which has informed a lot of my decision-making over the years.
Ultimately though, I do think its more about your mindset than a particular skillset that enables you to be successful as both a COO and a startup operator.
The Startup Jobs Podcast by our Founder Michael & Kai Lovel is a good listen to get a sense of whether this world is right for you. I also recommend The Growth Whisperers by Brad Giles & Kevin Lawrence as it exposes you to a bunch of topics you need to think about in any role in a startup.
****
Here are five current active roles in the EVP portfolio:
- Practifi is hiring a Senior Software Development Engineer in Australia
- Bluethumb is hiring a Content Marketer in Melbourne
- Fergus is hiring a Customer Success Specialist in Auckland
- Lumary is hiring a Business Development Representative in Adelaide
- Hnry is hiring Customer Insights Manager in Sydney
Interested in one of the above positions or getting an operation role in a Startup? Reach out to Fred or Charmaine from EVP's Talent Team or sign up to Talent_OS.