An operator for a founder-led company is the second-in-command who turns the founder’s vision into execution by running day‑to‑day operations, aligning teams, and building simple systems that scale. In practice, this looks like a Fractional COO / Integrator / operating partner who embeds in the business, owns key initiatives end‑to‑end, and translates strategy into EBITDA, margin, and cash flow improvements without adding a full‑time executive hire too early. For visionary fo