Skip to main content
Also known as: Chief Operating Officer, chief ops

COO

ConceptualRolesOperations

Definition

COO: The Chief Operating Officer (COO) oversees a company's day-to-day operations, ensuring business processes run efficiently. COOs often complement CEO weaknesses—if the CEO is visionary but disorganized, the COO brings execution discipline. Responsibilities vary widely but typically include operations, HR, and internal systems.

Example Usage

“We hired a COO at 100 employees. The CEO could finally focus on strategy and fundraising while the COO scaled our operations.”

Common Misconceptions

Every company needs a COO. Many successful companies don't have one; it depends on CEO strengths.
COO is second-in-command. The role varies; some COOs are potential successors, others are operational specialists.
COO means same job everywhere. COO responsibilities are highly company-specific; clarify scope when hiring.

Explore More Resources

Browse Tools

Discover 100+ vetted tools for every stage of your startup journey

Explore all tools

Build Your Stack

Take our personalized quiz to get tool recommendations for your startup

Start the checklist

Recommended Reading

Curated books to help you learn, grow, and succeed as a founder

View book recommendations

Listen & Learn

Top podcasts covering startups, product, growth, and entrepreneurship

Discover podcasts

Help us improve this definition

See something that could be clearer or more accurate? Let us know.

Help us improve this page

Found an error or have a suggestion? We'd love to hear from you.