Don’t work harder. Build better.
Most founders think working harder is the path to growth. Just pull a late nighter again? Just hustle that bit more?
Think system over hustle.
But I know the answer lies in creating the right combination of people, playbooks and tech in your business – creating a system that can work without you.
Don’t be indispensable. Be free.
I help founders transform their hard work into businesses that can run without them, scale beyond them and make them truly free – not just be the person that everything seems to depend on.
Stop being trapped by your success.
Start being freed by it.
I’m Simon Wakeman – The Founder’s COO.
I work exclusively with founders and am obsessed with making businesses that actually work.
I’m a hands-on practitioner who’s spent more than 25 years in the trenches as a founder and COO, not simply a consultant with theory, untested frameworks and a lot of slides.
I help founders go from…
Firefighting through every day → planning ahead for growth.
Being a bottleneck for decisions → their leadership team stepping up.
Feeling that everything depends on them → confidently relying on their teams.
Being trapped by their success → being freed up by people, playbooks and tech.
“I’m scaling my business without scaling my stress.”
Business OS —> Freedom —> Growth
Most founders are stuck in the first stage: trying to build a business operating system that actually works. They know their business could run smoother. They can feel it in their daily frustrations.
But they struggle to build “it” in a way that’s sustainable, reliable and makes their team go “yes, we’ve got this” as well as “we don’t need you for this any more”.
So they compensate with control: more meetings, more oversight, more hands-on management. This means activity but still no functioning business operating system. Worse still, every growth opportunity demands more of their time – this makes the founder treadmill feel like progress when it’s really not.
Here’s what I’ve learnt:
Growth = Business Operating System × Leadership
Most founders optimise for leadership – getting more involved – while ignoring the need to create an enduring business operating system.
That’s why for many founders life feels like a relentless treadmill. But there’s a better way:
Increase your impact, not your hours.
Stop managing tasks and start building your business operating system.
Build your operations on proven, systematic processes that add clarity and power to everything your team does. You can’t “own every outcome” but you can own the operating system that creates them.
How I work with founders like you.
“Simon is a serious company builder. He knows how to take a founder’s vision for their business and make it real step by step. He’s got a collaborative and thoughtful approach to leading teams and getting things done. If you want a trusted partner in scaling your business, work with Simon.”
Tim Deeson, serial exited founder & advisor to early stage start-ups
“Simon brought a level of insight and expertise that profoundly impacted our company’s leadership strategy. His customized approach helped us outline a clear path for our company’s growth in the short and long term and establish personal goals for each founder. Simon’s strategic thinking, coupled with his ability to provoke thoughtful discussions, made the entire process not only effective but also enjoyable. We highly recommend Simon to any company looking to solidify their leadership structure and future plans.”
Matt Linder, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Strand LLC
“As our fractional Transformation Director, Simon designed and implemented several new processes that have significantly improved our operational efficiency. Notably, he introduced our new 1:1s to enhance team engagement and helped create a new ‘lead to sale’ process for our agency. Simon is a collaborative and supportive executive in whom we had trust and confidence from the start. He listens and advises, leveraging his extensive agency and consultancy experience to build trust with the team and deliver results quickly.“
Peter O’Brien, Co-founder & Creative Director, Hidden Creative
“Following a team restructure, Simon played a crucial role in navigating the complexities that can come with big change. His calm demeanour and intuitive approach made everyone at ease, which gave different personalities the opportunity to speak and feel listened to. The team went from being deflated and uncertain, to being a united, high-performing team with clearly defined roles and goals to look forward to. I highly recommend Simon to any team leader looking for direction, support and guidance across a multitude of business needs.”
Louise Ioannou, Marketing Director at National Geographic Kids Magazine
“I’ve been working with Simon as a coach and mentor for just over two years. He’s always great at bringing a different perspective, and through building trust and understanding, he’s also able to challenge me and help me with alternative approaches and viewpoints to broaden my thinking. I continue to really enjoy our sessions, and find them invaluable in bringing additional perspectives, opening my eyes to opportunities and always, always reminding me of the value and experience I have to offer.”
Louise Lai, Chief Client and Transformation Officer at TPXimpact
“I’d known Simon at a distance for over a decade, but only in the last year worked directly with him – and wished I’d brought him in before! He came into the senior team at my ecommerce SaaS platform with a consummate skill at collaborative improvement. He has made a big difference in team re-directing and re-energizing – and really got things done. He combines both a high emotional EQ and systemising skills, which is not so common. 100% recommended.”
Deri Jones, founder & CEO at ThinkTribe
“Simon has an outstanding skill set and extensive experience in technology, business operations and management. He is easy to work with and can effectively draw on his skills and experience to help solve problems with calm authority and creativity. I highly recommend Simon to anyone looking for efficient, energetic and effective support.”
Neil Benson, serial biotech founder at Xenologiq, Quantlmed & Sevenless Therapeutics
Leading a growth business?
My B3 framework® helps you get your scaling journey right and reduce the challenges of successful business growth.
Developed from interviews with more than 50 founders and personal experience, it’s a simple yet powerful framework for company building, giving you everything you need to know build a brilliant business.
