How the CoS Role Varies

One of the reasons the CoS role can be hard to pin down is that it looks very different in a 10-person startup versus a 50,000-person corporation.

The scope and focus of a Chief of Staff evolve with company maturity. Let’s break down how the CoS role tends to change at different stages of a company’s growth:

The evolving focus of a Chief of Staff as a company grows.
(In early-stage startups, CoS act as generalist “utility players.” In mid-stage scale-ups, they become coordinators and project drivers. In late-stage or large companies, they serve as high-level advisors and proxies for the CEO.)

• Early-Stage Startup (Seed to Series A): At this stage, resources are lean and teams are not fully built out. A CoS in a young startup is often a catch-all generalist, plugging whatever holes exist. They might be negotiating a partnership one day (because there’s no BD team yet), recruiting engineers the next (no full HR team yet), and setting up basic operating cadences. This CoS is essentially an extension of the founder, willing to do a bit of everything to keep the startup moving. They free up the founder by taking over internal tasks and execution grunt-work so the founder can focus on product vision or fundraising. Importantly, at this stage the CoS needs to be very hands-on and not above any task – in the words of one CoS, “energized by early-stage ambiguity and not above grunt work”. (Many early-stage CoS are relatively early in their careers as well – think ex-consultant or ex-banking analysts with a few years of experience and a lot of energy.)

• Growth-Stage Company (Series B/C to Pre-IPO): Once a startup has found product-market fit and is scaling, the CoS role shifts more toward coordination and execution at scale. The company now has functional leaders, so the CoS may become a “conductor”, orchestrating complex cross-functional projects and ensuring all departments march in sync. For example, rolling out an OKR system, driving a market expansion project that involves Product, Marketing, and Sales, or preparing board meeting materials are typical CoS projects in this phase. A growth-stage CoS spends a lot of time building processes and communication channels – establishing regular planning cycles, leadership meeting rhythms, and smoothing out inter-team frictions. As Julia DeWahl (former CoS at Opendoor) notes, in later-stage startups “larger organizations demand more time on driving alignment,” so the CoS focuses more on internal communications, managing exec staff meetings, and decision-making frameworks. The CoS’s skill set in this stage leans toward strong project management, influence without authority, and an ability to bring structure to chaos.

• Late-Stage / Big Company (Post-IPO or Large Enterprise): In a large, mature company, a CoS operates almost like a senior advisor and proxy for the executive. By now most functional gaps are filled (the company has a full exec team), so the CoS is less likely to be doing individual contributor work in say, finance or marketing. Instead, they are managing the “Office of the CEO” – filtering information flow to and from the CEO, prepping the CEO for key meetings, and often speaking or acting on behalf of the CEO in initial discussions. The CoS becomes a force of leverage: for instance, drafting CEO speeches or investor letters, handling delicate communications the CEO can’t personally attend to, or coordinating strategic initiatives across multiple divisions. In a fast-growing late-stage company (“rocketship”), the CEO’s bandwidth gets severely strained, and a trusted CoS helps concentrate the CEO’s time where it’s most needed externally while keeping internal operations running. At this level, seasoned experience is crucial – it’s not uncommon for a CoS of a Fortune 500 CEO to have 10-15+ years of prior leadership experience. They often have to demonstrate “executive presence” and the ability to discreetly handle sensitive matters at the board or C-suite level. (Many large companies also create Chief of Staff teams or programs, wherein multiple executives each have a CoS and those chiefs form a community of practice.)

To illustrate the evolution: In the earliest days you might see a CoS scheduling meetings and running to the bank – very tactical stuff – whereas in a big company, a CoS might be negotiating a major vendor contract or triaging which issues merit the CEO’s attention. No two CoS roles are identical, but company stage is a big predictor of what the job looks like.

Comparing CoS Across Different Sectors (Tech vs. VC vs. Government)

The Chief of Staff role not only varies by company size, but also by industry and sector. Let’s compare a few contexts:

• Tech Companies (Operating Roles): In tech firms (startups or big tech), a CoS usually supports a business leader like a CEO, CTO, or VP. Their mandate is internal-facing: driving the company’s strategy execution and organizational effectiveness. For example, at Google, many VPs have Chiefs of Staff. One Google CoS described his job as managing the “cadence of all-hands meetings, staff meetings, exec reviews,” handling budgeting and headcount allocation, and monitoring team health via surveys and org planning. In essence, the CoS in a tech company is part project manager, part business analyst, and part consigliere to the exec. They must be adept with the fast-moving nature of tech – pivoting between product discussions, metrics reviews, and culture initiatives. Importantly, tech CoS roles often emphasize complementing the strengths of a technical founder/executive. If a CEO is a visionary product genius but less organized, the CoS will likely be very operations-focused (setting up OKRs, running meetings). If the exec is very operational themselves, they might utilize a CoS more on strategy or special projects. The breadth of the tech CoS role is high: on any given day they might coordinate a recruiting push, troubleshoot a launch go-to-market plan, and then coach a junior manager – all in service of the CEO’s priorities.

• Venture Capital Firms: In venture capital, the CoS role is a bit different because the organization’s “product” is investing and supporting portfolio companies. A Chief of Staff to a General Partner (GP) or VC firm’s leadership will spend more time on externally oriented tasks compared to a corporate CoS. According to one comparison, a Startup CoS versus a VC CoS can be contrasted as follows: The startup CoS drives internal strategic planning and cross-functional execution, whereas the VC CoS focuses on deal flow, investment analysis, and investor relations. In practice, a CoS at a VC firm might help evaluate potential investments (due diligence), prepare investment memos, coordinate meetings with entrepreneurs, and manage the GP’s relationships with limited partners (LPs) and portfolio CEOs. They act as a strategic advisor in the investment process, perhaps organizing market research or helping shape the firm’s theses, while also handling operational duties like marketing (e.g. planning events or content for the firm). The reporting relationship also differs: a startup CoS reports to the CEO and is embedded in the management structure, whereas a VC CoS often reports to one or multiple partners and has to balance priorities across the firm’s leadership. In short, CoS in venture capital wear more “finance/investment” hats, aligning more with the rhythm of fundraising, sourcing deals, and supporting portfolio needs, as opposed to running a company’s internal engine.

• Public Sector / Government: The CoS role in government (e.g. White House Chief of Staff, or Chiefs of Staff to governors, mayors, ministers, military generals, etc.) is well-established and carries significant authority. Government CoS are often gatekeepers and power brokers. For instance, the White House Chief of Staff is responsible for managing the President’s schedule and the West Wing staff, controlling access to the President, mediating disputes among agencies, and advising on policy and politics. This is a role that requires political acumen, policy knowledge, and often the ability to say “no” even to powerful people on the President’s behalf. Corporate CoS roles took inspiration from this model – indeed the term “Chief of Staff” was adopted in business from government usage. However, the dynamics can differ: a corporate CoS works for a CEO who is also the ultimate decision-maker in the company, whereas a government CoS might be navigating power structures (like dealing with cabinet secretaries or legislators) and has to be intensely mindful of public perception and politics. One key commonality is the trust required – whether in government or business, a CoS usually operates with a high level of confidentiality and trust, often without much public credit. A fun fact bridging tech and government: many tech CEOs have hired ex-government CoS; for example, Amazon and SpaceX have in the past brought on former military aides or White House staffers as Chiefs of Staff, valuing their experience in handling complexity and sensitive operations.

• Chiefs of Staff in Other Sectors: You’ll also find CoS roles in non-profits, universities, and even the military. The core idea remains: an adviser/operator who helps a leader run the organization. In non-profits, a CoS might focus on board communications, donor relations, and internal project management. In the military, an aide-de-camp or CoS ensures the commanding officer’s directives are executed efficiently (Chris Fussell’s book One Mission draws parallels between military and corporate CoS roles). The environment dictates some specifics – e.g. a CoS at a hospital might need healthcare domain knowledge, a CoS for a political campaign would be deeply involved in strategy and messaging. But across sectors, the essence of the role is enabling leadership effectiveness by coordinating the moving parts and filling in critical gaps.

Conclusion: The Impact of a Great Chief of Staff

A well-defined and well-filled Chief of Staff role can be a force multiplier for any organization’s leadership. The CoS leverages strategic insight, operational know-how, and interpersonal skills to help a leader and team achieve more than they could alone. It’s often said that hiring a Chief of Staff is like gaining “an extra brain and extra pair of hands” for the executive office. As companies grow in complexity, a CoS can ensure the CEO’s vision gets translated into reality by aligning teams, filtering noise, and pushing execution.

However, success in the CoS role requires clarity of purpose and alignment. Both the leader and the CoS must continuously calibrate on priorities and expectations. It’s a role of no formal authority but immense influence, and that calls for humility and strong relationship-building by the CoS. When it works, a Chief of Staff can transform an organization’s cadence and a CEO’s effectiveness – truly acting as a “fixer, diplomat, and doer all in one.”

In this mini-course, we explored what a CoS does, how to become one, and how the role flexes across different contexts. Whether you’re an aspiring Chief of Staff or a leader considering hiring one, understanding these nuances is key to unlocking the full value of the role. As the role continues to gain popularity (particularly in the tech and startup world), frameworks and success stories are emerging to guide the way – but ultimately, each Chief of Staff position is unique, defined by the needs of the leader and organization.