Operating System for Series B Scale-Up
FinTech company doubling annually needed structured planning and execution system to maintain growth velocity while building operational maturity.
Project Info
Client Context
A high-growth FinTech company in Series B stage, operating in regulated financial infrastructure, was doubling headcount annually. The organization had crossed 100 employees and was expanding into new product verticals.
While revenue growth remained strong, operational fragmentation was increasing. Each department ran independently with inconsistent planning rhythms. Investors were beginning to question scalability and governance readiness. The company needed an operating system that could support aggressive expansion while maintaining regulatory discipline.
The Challenge
A FinTech company was doubling headcount every year—great problem to have, but chaos was the result. With 100 employees across 5 teams, they had:
No consistent planning rhythm—initiatives started and stopped randomly
Scattered priorities across departments with no clear alignment
Reactive decision-making driven by whoever shouted loudest
45-day planning cycles that felt both too long and too rushed
Executives spending 60%+ of time firefighting vs. strategic work
Growth was their superpower and their liability. They could move fast, but in too many directions at once. Teams didn't know what mattered most. Investors were getting concerned about operational maturity.
They needed a planning system that worked in a fast-moving environment—not corporate bureaucracy, but real structure that enabled speed.
My Approach
A FinTech company was doubling headcount every year—great problem to have, but chaos was the result. With 100 employees across 5 teams, they had:
No consistent planning rhythm—initiatives started and stopped randomly
Scattered priorities across departments with no clear alignment
Reactive decision-making driven by whoever shouted loudest
45-day planning cycles that felt both too long and too rushed
Executives spending 60%+ of time firefighting vs. strategic work
Growth was their superpower and their liability. They could move fast, but in too many directions at once. Teams didn't know what mattered most. Investors were getting concerned about operational maturity.
They needed a planning system that worked in a fast-moving environment—not corporate bureaucracy, but real structure that enabled speed.
The Outcome
After 6 months:
Planning Efficiency:
Planning cycles reduced from 45 days to 12 days
95% team alignment on quarterly priorities (measured via survey)
Eliminated 60% of CEO escalations through clear authority
Execution Quality:
On-time delivery improved from 65% to 88%
Cross-team dependencies identified and managed proactively
Strategic work increased from 30% to 55% of executive time
Business Impact:
Company hit 120% of annual revenue target
System scaled seamlessly from 100 to 200+ employees
Planning process still in use 2 years later with minimal changes
Team engagement scores in top quartile for stage/size
CFO's note: "The OKR system gave us a common language for priorities. Everyone knows what we're optimizing for each quarter."
