Chief of Staff is a role that never looks the same twice. At one startup you build the operating machine, at another you run fundraising, at a third you draft the CEO's all-hands talks. The common thread: you are a multiplier for the CEO. This template helps you show recruiters the actual decisions you drove and the hours you bought back for the CEO, not the generic 'worked closely with leadership' line.
Copy these as starting points and swap in your own numbers.
2024–2025 estimates. Wide ranges by experience and seniority.
The most common path is an internal promotion from Operations, Strategy, or a Senior PM seat where you already work close to the exec team. To break in externally, target seed and Series A startups where the CEO is hiring their first CoS and weighs potential over title history.
Two main paths: COO at the same company (~50% of cases) or a leadership role somewhere new (Head of Operations, VP Strategy, GM of a new line). Some pivot into venture as an associate. CoS is almost always a launchpad, not a destination.
Every invisible impact can be re-cast as time returned to the CEO or as a decision that would have dragged otherwise. 'Cut decision cycle from 3 weeks to 4 days by introducing a decision-doc format' is concrete even when the process was invisible.
Depends on stage. Early startups pay lower base but heavier equity. At scale-ups and public companies I have seen $250-400k base plus meaningful equity. For the CEO this is a cheap rate for someone who buys back 10+ hours/week.