Scaling Without Breaking: Operations in African Markets

​Growth exposes every operational gap.

​As startups scale, complexity grows faster than headcount. The challenge isn't hiring more people—it's hiring the right people, at the right time, with the right ownership.

​In this session, two operators who have built operations functions from the ground up will break down the decisions that mattered most: who they hired first, what they got wrong, when they knew it was time to invest in operations, and how the role evolved as their companies grew.

​What you'll learn

• ​A practical framework for sequencing your first operations hires

• ​How to distinguish between roles you need now and roles you can wait to fill

• ​What to look for in your first 2–3 operations hires, including ownership, seniority, and common red flags

• ​When to build a COO function—and what it should actually own

• ​Lessons from hiring mistakes that changed how these leaders built their teams

​If you're building for growth, this session will help you build an operations function that scales with your company—not after it starts breaking.