At big inflection points, I reshape business for new growth
strategy | ops | finance
Hi, I’m Steffen. I help hands-on business owners build a path to intentional growth, even in ambiguity, when nothing is clear.
About
I build credible businesses when nothing is clear
Fractional COO | Consulting | Retainer | Tools
As specialist in building business in ambiguity, I’ve poured 20+ years into chasing a single answer:
How can we intentionally build businesses when we have no good data or precedent to lean on?
Fast-changing businesses that stare down ambiguity need different tools than stable ones fighting complexity:
Less fine-tuning, orchestration, and detail obsession. More simplicity, intentional path to growth, and managing present and future at once.
I’ve refined these tools in:
14+
industries, from media to med-tech
9
functions, from design to finance
9+
years independent practice
For startups, growth companies, and corporate innovators
Pre-scale startups
When missing ops stall growth
Advisory | Fractional COO | Function + practice-building
You were right to minimize time you spent on ops early on. Only product and customers mattered. But now you need the ops you never built and a thought-out path to new growth.
I’m not your average operator. I help you map and travel an intentional business path to your next growth stage.
Example
An industrial startup found demand for its IoT solution and suddenly needed much better ops.
Capabilities ranging from invoicing to accounting and finance, branding and marketing, technical project management and strategic planning was no longer optional.
The CEO had foreseen this and brought me in early. I built these functions and more, always tied to founder vision and roadmap. Before long, ops were routine and ready to hand to subject experts. And the company leaders could finally focus elsewhere.
Corporate innovation
When new growth takes a new business
Full-stack business building
Eventually, business focus must shift from growth to efficiently holding the line. But where to get new growth?
I help innovators build a complete growth business or evolve your current one with intent.
Example
A global consumer goods company had scientists, designers, and labs teams who were among the best for R&D and human-centered design but lacked robust business design capabilities.
Unfortunately, their executives had grown up in the core ranks. They assessed ideas based on classic profitability and corporate strategy tools that didn’t neatly fit adjacent and disruptive opportunities.
I helped the teams build executive-ready business cases, develop financials that would hold up, and carve out winnable strategies. The business launched and expanded internationally.
What about AI?
You did wonder after all
AI readiness | AI-augmented ops strategy | Ops-related AI solutions
As you juggle the flurry of AI possibilities, it’s hard to maintain focus, ensure impact, and achieve ongoing use and improvement.
I help keep teams and leaders sane, with stable direction from first principles and smart assumptions.
The outcome? Clean priorities, business value, activation sequence, optionality, and coordination. Most everything else in strategy and ops follows.
I also push myself to add hands-on value where I truly matter:
- BS-free choices: What’s your right mix of AI, “other” tech, and humans?
- Adoption capability: Could your team use and upkeep it once you have it?
- Workflow capture: Can you get the automation specs right the first time?
Endorsements
Hear from my clients and partners
Director & head of strategy of innovation lab | Global med-tech company“Drove extraordinary impact — equal parts strategist, operator, and thought partner.”
VP of Labs Team | Global media company“A de-facto member of my team and trusted thought partner from the C-Suite to the front lines.”
Head of Marketing, Innovation group | National retailer“The linchpin to success in this kind of work.”
CEO | Ed tech startup“Immensely useful as I developed and launched my first start-up.”
SVP of New Initiatives | National retailer“Engaging and productive and yields concrete ideas that can actually be implemented.”
Sr. Director of Software Engineering | National retailer“As comfortable communicating with the engineers as he is with the business.”
CEO | Fitness tech startup“A caring, smart, open, thoughtful, effective (and fun!) thinker you want to work with.”
Frequently Asked Questions
With what kinds of companies do you work?
Industry: Any. I specialize in the needs of fast-changing companies. 14+ industries and 50+ projects in, I’ve learned to adapt fast.
Geography: U.S. Let’s talk if you’re in the EU.
Company size: Any size where you as leader are still hands-on day-to-day and don’t have the luxury of senior leaders for every function yet. Depending on your industry, that may mean < 30 people or < 150 people. The common factor is your need as a leader to be involved and the business not being ready to hand to subject experts.
Are you a consultant, fractional, interim person, tool provider, or what?
Any and all of them. Let’s do what’s helpful to you.
Are you expensive?
Well, it’s in the same range as other serious professionals you may work with, and less than expensive ones like attorneys. You probably expected that.
It should also be a great value to you, both by creating/ unlocking value and by saving you from hiring several subject experts across, each of whom you need to onboard and offer ongoing work.
That said, I don’t make money weird. We can probably figure it out.
Are you a cultural fit for us?
Every team is unique. And I enjoy adapting to them all, including yours.
I’ve worked with a vast range of formal, informal, technical, creative, regional, global, goofy, serious, and other teams. I enjoy adapting to your culture. Maybe I’m promising what I can’t, but past experience indicates that we’ll be just fine.
Also, I always suggest starting with a limited-time effort before any open-ended engagements. Then you can form your own impression.
What’s the scope edge between what you do and don’t do?
Hold on. I’m working on several ways to spell this out practically. Will update this FAQ section when it’s done. Meanwhile, just contact me to discuss it.
Can I learn more on my own?
Why yes. I share tools and thoughts on my blog, separately for operating companies and business innovation. The innovation section is more robust right now. But I’m catching up on the ops side too. 🙂
You can also check what I have to say on LinkedIn.
Contact
Should we talk?
Email and LI links below
And if you’re a connoisseur of contact forms, feel free to use that too.
Thanks for visiting!