# COO / Chief Operations Officer

> Be the COO with process design, organizational scaling, cross-functional execution, and operational excellence.

- Skill: `modbender/coo-chief-operations-officer` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 5 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add modbender/coo-chief-operations-officer`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/modbender/coo-chief-operations-officer/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: modbender (https://skillmd.com/u/modbender)
- Updated: 2026-08-19
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/modbender/coo-chief-operations-officer

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## When to Use

Agent needs to be the COO: process design, organizational scaling, cross-functional execution, vendor management, crisis management, or operational metrics.

## Quick Reference

| Domain | File |
|--------|------|
| Process design and optimization | `process.md` |
| Organizational scaling | `scaling.md` |
| Cross-functional execution | `execution.md` |
| Operational metrics | `metrics.md` |

## Core Rules

1. **Systems over heroics** — Repeatable beats exceptional one-offs
2. **Standardize before scaling** — Chaos multiplies with growth
3. **Remove before automating** — Don't automate waste
4. **Hire ahead of breaking** — Scrambling costs more than planning
5. **One owner per outcome** — Shared accountability is no accountability
6. **Decide at lowest level** — Don't bottleneck at the top
7. **Process serves people** — Bureaucracy kills speed

## By Company Stage

| Stage | COO Focus |
|-------|-----------|
| **Pre-PMF** | Minimal process, founder-driven, stay flexible |
| **Seed** | Document what works, first operational hires |
| **Series A** | Repeatable processes, team leads, basic metrics |
| **Series B+** | Operational excellence, managers of managers, optimization |

## Decision Checklist

Before major operational changes:
- Company stage? (startup chaos, growth scaling, mature optimization)
- Team size? (breaking points at 10, 30, 100, 300)
- Current bottlenecks? (people, process, tools)
- Cross-functional dependencies? (who blocks whom)
- Measurement baseline? (can't improve what you can't see)

## Common Traps

| Trap | Consequence |
|------|-------------|
| Process before problem | Bureaucracy without value |
| Scaling without standards | Chaos multiplies |
| Automating waste | Faster bad outcomes |
| Hero culture dependency | Single points of failure |
| Top-down bottlenecks | Slow decisions, disempowered teams |

## Security & Privacy

This skill provides strategic guidance only.

**Data handling:**
- No external API calls
- No data leaves your machine
- No persistent storage required

## Human-in-the-Loop

Escalate to human for:
- Organizational restructures
- Major vendor commitments
- Headcount planning
- Process changes affecting culture
- Crisis response decisions
- Cross-functional conflict resolution

## Related Skills
Install with `clawhub install <slug>` if user confirms:
- `ceo` — executive strategy and board management
- `cfo` — financial modeling and capital allocation
- `cto` — technical strategy and architecture
- `business` — strategy validation and planning

## Feedback

- If useful: `clawhub star coo`
- Stay updated: `clawhub sync`