The Business Case for Investing in Your Integrator
For years, Megan Long told entrepreneurs that hiring a Second-In-Command wasn't a revenue-generating role, that it was a long game with slow ROI, and not to expect immediate financial benefits to the business. She was wrong.
New data from Second First's quarterly benchmarking reveals that companies investing in their operators and integrators are seeing an average of 28% revenue growth year over year, with a median growth of 10% and 25% reporting significant improvements in strategic alignment with their founder.
While she's not claiming causation, the correlation between investing in Seconds-In-Command and high growth is impossible to ignore. Together you'll break down the four reasons why Megan thinks this is true.
You'll hear all about:
00:29 – Introduction: The exciting data on what high-growth businesses (30%+ YoY) have in common
00:58 – The big reveal: Companies that invest in their second-in-command are growing significantly
01:27 – Important disclaimer: Not claiming causation, but the correlation is hard to ignore
01:33 – The actual numbers from Second First's quarterly benchmarking data
01:43 – Member company results: 28% average revenue growth, 10% median growth year over year
02:24 – Additional finding: 25% reported significant improvement in strategic alignment with their entrepreneur
02:43 – Why investment in operators has real business impact beyond just the programs themselves
02:59 – Megan's confession: “I used to get this so wrong” – the revenue-generating role misconception
03:28 – Why it's important for second-in-commands to know there's data backing up self-investment
03:53 – Reason #1: Leadership Alignment – How peer communities help operators align better with founders
04:38 – Things feel less personal, communication improves, and operators stop guessing what CEOs want
04:59 – The expensive friction that happens when CEO and COO are even slightly misaligned
05:23 – When alignment improves, speed and traction pick up (actual dollar value)
05:28 – Reason #2: Exposure to Better Ways of Doing Things – Why this is Megan's favorite
05:50 – Real hot seat example: Member manually entering data into separate systems
07:04 – Why smart people miss obvious inefficiencies: being “snow blind” to inherited processes
07:57 – The power of eight operators from non-competing industries questioning your normal
08:33 – A great peer group forces you to ask: “Is this actually the best way?”
08:45 – Reason #3: Confirmation – Second-in-command decisions live in gray areas
09:06 – When you operate in a vacuum, self-doubt and second-guessing creep in
09:22 – The incredible value of hearing “Yes, we would approach it the same way”
10:11 – Real example: 200%+ annualized turnover and trusting your gut that something's wrong
11:01 – How confidence creates a ripple effect: faster decisions, better leadership
11:08 – Reason #4: Reducing Risk of Entrepreneur Burnout – The opposite scenario without investment
11:39 – Growth ceiling when entrepreneur becomes the answer to every question
12:05 – Study findings: Weak partnerships lead to early exits; strong partnerships keep founders committed
12:19 – The shift: From “I don't know what to do” to “Here are three solutions from my peer group”
12:57 – When entrepreneurs start saying “Go ask your peer group” – that's a resourced operator
13:30 – Breaking the “selfish” narrative around investing in yourself as an executive
14:00 – Proven ROI on business growth by investing in your second-in-command role
14:22 – Final message: You deserve the same investment your CEO gets, and you deserve people who get it
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