Laura Nicol dials into Savannah Black.

For Savannah, being a startup operator is about making the company work in the real world. All the forward planning, mission, and vision stuff is important. That’s the on-paper part. But being an operator is about making it actually work. You can see it in action at Crypto Tax Calculator: four roles, three promotions, each adding new layers of context. Today, she’s Chief of Staff to CEO Shane Brunette at Crypto Tax Calculator.

We get into:

Savannah's late ADHD diagnosis
Working with energy management cycles, hyperfocus windows and stimulation requirements
What broke (and what didn’t) during Crypto Tax Calculator's hypergrowth from 20 to 60 people
The Maker vs Manager schedule that protects deep work (remote-first culture)
Why chaos isn't something we need to fix: "It's where innovation comes from"
"Narrate everything": Learning how to avoid communication breakdowns at scale
Her prioritisation stack: "[Eisenhower Matrix] I will ignore what's urgent till the cows come home"

Also mentioned:

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

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