95. Puzzle Setting, Not Goal Setting

96. AI Native Ops, How Brex Rebuilt Operations

In this episode we discuss: AI Native Ops, How Brex Rebuilt Operations. We are joined by Camilla Matias, COO at Brex. Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here [http://ratethispodcast.com/operationsroom]. We chat about the following: 1. What actually breaks first when a company scales: people, process, or structure—and how do you know? 2. How do you build operational rigour without killing speed and culture in a fast-growing business? 3. What does “good onboarding” really look like beyond just paperwork and checklists? 4. When tools or systems fail—how do you know if it’s the software or your implementation? 5. What’s the difference between building processes for today vs. building systems that scale for the next 12–24 months? REFERENCES 1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/camilla-matias-06345a105/ BIOGRAPHY Camilla Matias Morais is the Chief Operating Officer at Brex, where she leads global operations and drives the company’s execution and scale. She joined Brex in 2018 as Head of Finance and has since held multiple leadership roles, including VP of Finance and SVP of Global Operations, before becoming COO in 2024. During this time, she has played a key role in building the systems and structures that support Brex’s rapid growth. Before Brex, Camilla worked across finance, investment, and strategy roles at organisations including The Kraft Heinz Company and Victoria Capital Partners. She holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA) and is known for bringing clarity, structure, and operational rigour to high-growth companies. To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here [http://operationsroom.co]. SUMMARY 00:00 – Intro, host banter, and setup of the episode tone. 02:30 – Introduction of Camilla + context around her role and operational scope. 05:30 – Early discussion on scaling challenges and what starts to break as companies grow. 07:20 – Deep dive into onboarding systems → moving from informal to structured 0–6 month processes. 09:30 – Discussion on tools (HiBob → Rippling) and implementation challenges. 12:30 – Balancing structure vs flexibility in operations. 16:00 – Performance reviews, documentation, and accountability systems. 20:00 – Operational maturity: what “good” looks like at different stages of company growth. 24:00 – People vs process tension. 29:00 – Reflections on mistakes, lessons learned, and what they’d do differently. 34:00 – Closing thoughts, key takeaways, and wrap-up This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

95. Puzzle Setting, Not Goal Setting

In this episode we discuss: Puzzle setting, not goal setting. We are joined by Radhika Dutt, Author, Speaker, Consultant. Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here [http://ratethispodcast.com/operationsroom]. We chat about the following with Radhika Dutt: 1. What if traditional goal setting is actually limiting innovation rather than driving it? 2. How might teams think differently if they framed challenges as “puzzles” instead of targets to hit? 3. Are OKRs pushing organisations toward short-term optimisation instead of real problem-solving? 4. How can leaders create space for curiosity and exploration in environments obsessed with metrics? 5. What would change inside your company if teams focused on solving the right problem rather than just hitting the next KPI? REFERENCES 1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/radhika-dutt/ 2. https://www.radicalproduct.com/ 3. https://www.radicalproduct.com/toolkit/#OHLToolkit BIOGRAPHY Radhika Dutt is the author of Radical Product Thinking: The New Mindset for Innovating Smarter which has been translated into Chinese and Japanese. The methodology she introduced in her first book is now used in over 40 countries. She is an entrepreneur, speaker, and product leader who has participated in five acquisitions, two of which were companies that she founded. She is currently Advisor on Product Thinking to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (Singapore’s central bank and financial regulator), and does consulting and training for organizations ranging from high-tech startups to multinationals on building radical products that create a fundamental change. Radhika has built products in a wide range of industries including broadcast, media and entertainment, telecom, advertising technology, government, consumer apps, robotics, and even wine. She graduated from MIT with an SB and M.Eng in Electrical Engineering, and speaks nine languages. Radhika is now working on her second book – it’s about why goals and targets backfire and what actually works. To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here [http://operationsroom.co]. SUMMARY 14:25 — Introducing the concept of “puzzle setting” 24:06 — What puzzle setting actually means 26:46 — Why puzzles embrace uncertainty 27:49 — The Rubik’s Cube analogy 33:22 — The “Three O’s” of puzzle setting 35:17 — Turning growth goals into puzzles 38:08 — Breaking big puzzles into smaller ones 42:46 — The shift from proving to learning 47:25 — Building critical thinking into teams 54:44 — Real business impact of puzzle thinking This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

94. The BizOps Anti-Playbook

In this episode we discuss: The BizzOps Anti-Playbook. We are joined by Vessela Clewley, Strategy & Biz Ops Executive. Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here [http://ratethispodcast.com/operationsroom]. We chat about the following with Vessela Clewley: 1. What does it really take to step into leadership for the first time — and why do so many people underestimate the shift? 2. How do you build confidence as a leader when you don’t yet feel “ready”? 3. What’s the difference between managing tasks and truly leading people? 4. How can organisations better support first-time managers before they burn out? 5. What unspoken pressures do women in leadership roles carry — and how can we address them more openly? REFERENCES 1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/vessclewley/ 2. https://sbohub.substack.com/ 3. https://sbohub.gumroad.com/l/TheSBOAntiPlaybook BIOGRAPHY Vessela is an accomplished fCOO with a Strategy & BizOps background. She brings the power of US-style Strategy & Business Operations to Europe. She has an illustrious career spanning Hopin, WeWork, Uber and other start ups. She has won global awards by the likes of WeWork & McKinsey, relaunched products like UberExec, and negotiated 7-figure deals for Hopin on walks in Regents park. She is known for bringing a strategic, analytical, systems-driven approach to building companies. Her approach brings clarity, breaks down silos, and unlocks revenue growth. She puts company over functions; analytics over ego; and outcomes over optics. Vessela typically partners with Seed–Series B founders who value analytical decision-making and high-velocity execution. To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here [http://operationsroom.co]. SUMMARY 00:00 – Introduction & framing the conversation ~06:20 – The reality of becoming a first-time manager ~13:45 – Imposter syndrome & self-doubt ~20:30 – The responsibility shift ~28:10 – Feedback, difficult conversations & growth ~35:50 – Building confidence through action ~44:15 – The gendered expectations in leadership ~52:00 – Creating supportive environments for new leaders ~59:40 – Advice to aspiring leaders This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

93. Collaborative AI for Revenue Teams

In this episode we discuss: Collaborative AI for revenue teams. We are joined by Mylo Portas, CEO of Choras. Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here [http://ratethispodcast.com/operationsroom]. We chat about the following with Donna McCurley: 1. What actually makes a podcast commercially sustainable — beyond downloads and vanity metrics? 2. How do you build creative systems that scale without killing originality? 3. What does it really take to grow an independent podcast network in today’s crowded market? 4. Where do most founders misunderstand the operational complexity of media businesses? 5. Is podcasting still early… or are we already in the consolidation phase? REFERENCES 1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/myloportas/ BIOGRAPHY Mylo Portas is the co-founder of Chora, an award-winning London-based podcast studio and network. He works with global brands, media organisations and creators to build distinctive, story-driven podcasts that cut through. Passionate about the intersection of creativity and commercial strategy, Mylo focuses on building sustainable podcast brands — not just shows. To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here [http://operationsroom.co]. SUMMARY 21:10 – CREATIVE EXCELLENCE VS COMMERCIAL PRESSURE 27:45 – SCALING SYSTEMS WITHOUT LOSING SOUL 33:20 – WHAT BRANDS GET WRONG ABOUT PODCASTS 38:10 – THE OPERATIONAL BACKBONE OF A STUDIO 43:55 – THE FUTURE OF PODCASTING 48:30 – ADVICE FOR FOUNDERS BUILDING IN MEDIA This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

92. How to Really Use AI in Your GTM Team

In this episode we discuss: How to really use AI in your GTM team. We are joined by Donna McCurley, Creator of the AI Sales Operating System™ (AiSOS). Love The Operations Room? Please support us by rating and reviewing it here [http://ratethispodcast.com/operationsroom]. We chat about the following with Donna McCurley: 1. Who should actually “own” AI inside your GTM function — and what happens if nobody does? 2. What does real AI governance look like in practice — beyond policies and buzzwords? 3. Are AI agents creating hidden shadow systems inside your organisation? 4. Why are most AI rollouts in sales failing to drive measurable revenue impact? 5. How do you move from AI experimentation to a true AI sales operating system? REFERENCES 1. https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnamccurley/ BIOGRAPHY Donna McCurley is the creator of the **AI Sales Operating System™ (AiSOS)** and a go-to advisor for SaaS revenue teams who want to turn AI from “extra noise” into a real growth engine. She leads Global Sales Enablement teams and has helped 100s of sellers cut out busywork, triple their pipeline coverage, and adopt AI workflows that actually stick. With a background that spans classroom teaching, Fortune 500 enablement leadership, and consulting with companies like McAfee and HPe, Donna has built a reputation for stripping away complexity and focusing on what truly drives revenue. Her work blends proven sales methodologies with practical AI deployment—think Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, Gong, and SalesLoft stitched together into one coherent system sellers can actually use. At her core, Donna is obsessed with solving a simple but critical problem: too many sales teams are drowning in admin work, bloated tech stacks, and outdated playbooks. Through AiSOS, she’s building a future where sellers spend less time clicking around and more time closing deals. To learn more about Beth and Brandon or to find out about sponsorship opportunities click here [http://operationsroom.co]. SUMMARY 07:05 – TURNING COPILOT INTO A REVENUE ENGINE 07:15 – AI GOVERNANCE IN PRACTICE 07:18 – AVOIDING “SHADOW AI” SYSTEMS 09:27 – CHANGE MANAGEMENT & BEHAVIOUR SHIFT 13:19 – THE BIGGEST MISTAKES IN AI ROLLOUT 14:16 – ENABLEMENT OVER EXPERIMENTATION 22:00 – THE ROLE OF REVOPS AS AI OVERSEER 38:00 – MOVING FROM AI TOOLS TO AN AI OPERATING SYSTEM This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy