The Growing Pains: Scaling Early-Stage Operations

Every early-stage startup hits the same bottleneck: operations scale faster than the team, and founders simply can’t carry it all. The next hires you make will dictate how sustainably your company grows. The Growing Pains: From Chaos to Structure in Team & Operations brings together operator experience and frontline practice in hiring your right hand. We cut through the buzzwords to decode the tangible differences between a Founders Associate, Chief of Staff, Head of Ops, and COO. Join us for an honest, practical look at how to move from chaos to structured execution. Agenda 18:00 – 18:15 | Doors Open & Welcome Check in, grab a drink, and get settled. 18:15 – 18:55 | The Growing Pains: Presentation & Discussion From chaos to structure: decoding Founders Associate, Chief of Staff, Head of Ops & COO roles through real operator experience. 18:55 – 19:15 | Open Q&A Ask your questions directly to the speakers. 19:15 – 20:00 | Networking Connect with fellow founders, operators, and ecosystem leaders. The Panel Moderator: Marta Zuska — Chief of Staff at StreamMySportKarolina Kukiełka — Partner at VastpointTomasz Syta — Founder of operatortalent.ioTricity Founder Story — Panelist TBA Who is this for? Builders and founders across the Vibers Tribe and the broader Tricity startup ecosystemMakers & solo founders shipping with AI, no-code, and automations, whose projects are reaching the inflection point where they need a team around themEarly-stage operators & leaders, including Founders Associates, Chiefs of Staff, Heads of Ops, and Operations Managers looking to benchmark their rolesAnyone actively scaling a team, navigating growing pains, or eager to avoid costly hiring missteps Get a clear, practical look at what a Founders Associate and Chief of Staff actually bring to the table—and pinpoint the exact moment your startup needs one