

Ask a Chief of Staff: Lessons from the Early Days: Supporting Founders in 0-->1 Mode
🗓️ Join us on October 7th for this member-exclusive event!
In early-stage companies, Chiefs of Staff are often asked to bring structure to chaos - but what does that actually look like when nothing is built yet? In this member-exclusive AMA, we’ll dive into the messy realities of 0-->1, including how to support visionary founders, set up just-enough structure, and build financial models that drive both fundraising and focus. Whether you’re full-time or fractional, this is for Chiefs of Staff who want to go earlier and operate smarter.
Themes:
Everything lives in the founder's head
I know the vision, but I don't know how to build the machine
I'm fundraising but I don't know how to talk numbers
✅ You should attend this session if...
you’re supporting a founder or startup in the earliest stages and trying to bring structure without slowing things down;
you’re wondering how to prioritize what to build - and what to ignore - when nothing exists yet;
you’ve mostly worked in structured or later-stage environments and want to understand how 0→1 companies actually operate day-to-day;
you’re curious how operators build models, org structure, and momentum in environments full of ambiguity and constant change.
Please note that this event is not recorded and is open to members of the Ask a Chief of Staff Slack community.
🎙️ More about the Speaker
Zoe Jakubowich has more than a decade of experience working across strategy, operations, customer insights, and product at fast-growing companies. Most notably she was Head of Strategy & Business Operations for TULA Skincare - joining in high-growth mode as employee 28 and being part of the deal team for exit to Procter & Gamble. She now partners with CEOs and Founders as their Fractional Chief of Staff - helping them plan smarter, move faster, and build with intention.
She works best with two types of CEOs:
Early-stage founders who love building brand and product, are less excited about financial models, fundraising structure, team planning
Scaling founders who need another cross-functional business partner to run large projects or new channels - without overhead of a full-time specialized hire
Her portfolio is industry-agnostic but she specializes in beauty, retail tech, and marketplace dynamics. She's also an investment team member with VHS Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on the next generation of Consumer Founders, investing in Seed, Series A and some Pre-Seed rounds.