Do you need a Chief of Staff, an executive assistant or an operations lead?
By Alice Huang, Chief of Staff and operator
Compare Chief of Staff, executive assistant and operations-lead work before hiring. Start with the problem and give the right work a clear owner.
Start with the work that is stuck. Buying a title before you name the problem makes hiring harder for you and harder for the person who joins.
a16z's hiring guide distinguishes a Chief of Staff from an executive assistant and a functional leader. Peter Brack's hiring playbook makes the same practical point: start with the problem, not the title.
If the founder's time is the problem
If the main work is scheduling, travel, meeting logistics and administrative follow-through, look carefully at executive assistant support. That is valuable work in its own right. Do not rename it Chief of Staff because you think candidates will like the title more.
If one function needs an owner
If you need someone to run operations, finance or another function with a defined team and remit, consider the appropriate functional leader. a16z warns against using a Chief of Staff as a substitute for a different functional hire.
If the work sits between the founder and the team
A Chief of Staff may fit when priorities, decisions, communication and cross-functional follow-through need a trusted owner. The role still needs boundaries. Being a generalist is not permission to become responsible for every unowned task.
A hiring diagnostic
Write down the work you want off your plate. Beside each item, add the outcome, required authority and people involved. Group the items by the actual kind of work. Then ask:
- Is most of this one function?
- Is most of this administrative support?
- Is the problem coordination across leaders and priorities?
- Am I willing to give this person the access and authority the work requires?
This is my suggested diagnostic, not a universal org chart. Titles and scope differ. Use the answers to write a clear role before you start interviewing.
If you are hiring a Chief of Staff, define what success looks like and who evaluates it. If you need a different hire, that is not a lesser choice. It is the right work getting the right owner.