When building a retail and/or e-commerce business, leadership teams typically consist of key roles responsible for commercial activities, finance, tech, and operations. The CEO role is often assigned to someone from the commercial side of the business, as they drive revenue and external growth.
However, one of the most underestimated roles in scaling a company is that of the operator —the person responsible for ensuring that the business runs smoothly on a daily basis.
The key to sustainable and scalable growth lies in enabling your operator beyond daily execution and helping them to think and act like an entrepreneur. This transformation is what we call Operator Experience (OX) —the systematic process of enabling operators to drive business growth, not just manage tasks.
The three levels of work: Micro, Meta, and Macro
To understand how an operator can transition into a more entrepreneurial role, let’s break down the three levels of work within a company:
1: Micro-Level Work (Execution)
This includes the day-to-day tasks required to run the business —managing inventory, stocking shelves, processing sales, and handling customer interactions. In retail and warehouse settings, this is the frontline work that keeps operations running smoothly. Entrepreneurs often start here, directly involved in these essential tasks.
2: Meta-Level Work (Systems & Optimization)
This is where management begins. Instead of handling individual sales or restocking items yourself, you’re setting up systems for inventory tracking and team workflows. Rather than personally assisting customers, you’re training a team to ensure consistent service. At this level, operators transition from doing the work to managing and optimizing retail and warehouse operations.
3: Macro-Level Work (Strategy & Growth)
At this level, the focus is on market insights, data analysis, setting company-wide goals, budgeting, and investment strategies. This is where executives shape the company’s future direction and make high-level decisions.
Many founders start at the micro level but quickly seek to elevate themselves to the macro level by hiring teams to handle execution. Operators, on the other hand, tend to remain involved in the business for longer. While this can be a weakness (if they stay stuck in micro-level work), it can also be their biggest strength— if they transition into meta-level work and beyond.
Turning operators into entrepreneurs
A great operator has the potential to be an exceptional CEO because they deeply understand the inner workings of the business. However, this transition doesn’t happen automatically. It requires a structured approach to OX.
How to elevate operators to entrepreneurial thinkers:
1: Automate Repetitive Work
The first step in improving OX is automation. Every task an operator handles manually is a distraction from strategic work. Leverage tech, automation tools, and process optimization to free up their time.
2: Shift the focus from tasks to outcomes
Instead of measuring an operator’s success by the number of tasks completed, focus on the business outcomes they drive. Are they improving efficiency? Reducing costs? Enhancing customer satisfaction? Align incentives with these higher-level goals.
3: Empower operators with data
Operators need real-time insights into business performance. Provide dashboards, analytics, and clear reporting structures to help them make informed decisions. The more visibility they have, the better they can optimize operations.
4: Encourage strategic thinking
Operators should spend less time managing workflows and more time designing better systems. Encourage them to question existing processes, explore new tools, and propose innovations that can drive long-term growth.
5: Support hiring & delegation
Operators often get stuck in execution because they don’t have the right team to delegate to. Invest in hiring and training so they can focus on building the machine rather than running the machine.
Why a strong operator is the best investment for growth
Finding a great operator is difficult, but when you do, they become the backbone of your business. Rather than replacing them with external hires as you scale, invest in their Operator Experience and give them the tools to transition from executor to entrepreneur.
The companies that scale the fastest aren’t the ones that outsource all leadership functions. They’re the ones that elevate their internal operators into strategic business leaders.
By focusing on automation, data, strategic thinking, and delegation, you can create entrepreneurs out of your operators —and, ultimately, a stronger, faster-growing company.