Summary
Ben Legg, the former COO of Google Europe, is looking for a Chief of Staff to support the growth of his consultancy, Digital People International. The role is ideally a full-time one, but 3 or 4 days per week could be an option for the right individual.
The role will require a wide range of tasks including market research, financial modelling, creating presentations, writing articles and hands-on support for a variety of startups, scaleups, investors and research organisations. It is an awesome role to learn how to become a world-class entrepreneur from a leading global technology C-Suite executive with a network of 25,000+ senior executives and startup leaders.
About Digital People International
Digital People International aims to improve society one entrepreneur at a time in three key ways:
- Startup Support. Supporting startups and scaleups – from ideation to Series B – as an investor, mentor, consultant and board member.
- Investor Support. Helping investors understand industries, plus find and screen opportunities for investment.
Thought Leadership. Conducting research, writing articles, appearing in interviews, teaching (@ Oxford University) and making speeches on the future of society and various industries.
Digital People was founded in 2018 by Ben Legg, the former COO of Google Europe. Rohan Sheth joined as part-time Chief of Staff in 2020. This Chief of Staff role is designed to take over from Rohan in a full-time capacity given the expanding scope of the role.
Digital People typically works closely with 5-7 startups and 1-2 investors at any time. As Ben Legg is also the CEO of The Portfolio Collective, there is the opportunity for his Chief of Staff to spend 1-2 days per week on work related to The Portfolio Collective.
Key Tasks
The types of tasks you will be expected to complete – comprehensively and efficiently – will include:
Market Research. Conduct market research for investors and startups regarding potential investors, customers, competitors, business models etc.
Financial Modelling. Build spreadsheets to forecast supply, demand, profitability, cash flows etc.
Presentations. Build presentations (Google Slides) for internal and external use such as investor decks, product roadmaps, event materials etc.
Thought Leadership. Find useful insights and data points on the future of society and various industries. Also write draft articles/ LinkedIn posts for Ben Legg. An example of a recent article is here: https://portfolio-collective.com/insights/the-future-of-careers
Startup Support. Support the portfolio of startup and investor clients in whatever ways they need. This could include recruiting, event support, project management, best practice sharing and more.
- Startup Screening. Screen Seed to Series B startups in the gaming, AR/VR, alternative investment and creator economy sectors on behalf of a San Francisco-based VC of which Ben is the European Board Advisor.
Ben is not expecting perfection on Day 1, rather someone with many of these skills and the ability to learn the rest fast.
About You
Academics. You will have studied a STEM degree or business-related subject at a leading university.
Work Experience. You will have 3-5 years of work experience in a demanding, analytical role that demonstrates a very proactive nature, analytical prowess and strong personal organisation skills.
Motivation. You are fascinated by the startup and investor ecosystem and keen to learn how to succeed in that world. You genuinely want to help our portfolio of entrepreneurs succeed.
Location. Ben is located in London, but the role is predominantly a remote one. Within 2-3 hours’ travel of London would be preferable for occasional in-person meetings.
Teamwork. You need to be highly collaborative with a diverse range of stakeholders.
Sense of Urgency. You are always in a hurry and thrive in a fast paced environment.
Why would you take this job?
This role is ideal for someone keen to learn about all aspects of startup and investor life. You will get to see the inside of several startups at all growth stages, in a variety of industries – currently EdTech, Healthtech, Virtual Reality, Marketplaces and Clean Energy. You will also learn about strategy, fundraising, team building, business models, brand building, thought leadership and much more. Your network in the startup ecosystem will also expand exponentially.
The salary will be £50k per annum for a full-time role, or pro-rated for a part-time role.