Seed to Series B

I do the work of a Chief of Staff for startups that don't have one yet.

That means the operating layer: weekly cadence, board and investor prep, priorities with owners, and follow-through. It can also run while you search for a full-time hire. Using agents, I'm able to provide the support for a lot less than a full-time hire.

Talk for 30 minutes See how it works

From $5,000 a month. I'm in Denver.

Daily BriefTuesdayIllustrative example

3 decisions need you. The rest is handled.

Done for you

14 items handled

Project tracker updated from Monday’s leadership meeting
6 action items logged with owners and dates
KPI pull refreshed for the week
2 signed contracts filed in the data room
10 more like these

Done, FYI

Follow-up sent to Head of Sales on the two late renewals
Board deck draft is ready to read
October investor update draft is ready

Needs you

Approve October investor update

Decide: push Q4 pricing launch two weeks or cut the self-serve tier

Approve offer range for senior engineer

Sample data. Nothing is sent.

A founder alone in a dark office late at night, head in hand beside a wall of sticky notes

BEFORE YOU HIRE, AND AFTER

You can keep this when you hire

I run it now. When you hire a Chief of Staff or a COO, they take it over. You keep the system for $5,000 a month. The agents stay on.

COST

Less than a full-time hire

A full-time Chief of Staff or COO costs $250,000 to $350,000 a year with benefits, plus equity and a recruiting fee. Half Staff starts at $5,000 a month.

BILLING

Monthly fee

Scope can move. You will not get an invoice I have not agreed with you on first.

Before

The work piles up.

A fire drill eats the time you meant to spend on next quarter. Then a board meeting shows up and the pre-read is not done.

A man stands calmly in a room buried in paper, holding a single sticky note

A week in the CEO’s inbox

Handled 9 Waiting 17 Oldest 96d Never got to 3

Still waiting

Update the data roomwaiting 96d

Next quarter’s planwaiting 41d

Q3 hiring planwaiting 33d

Fix the KPI definitionwaiting 19d

and 13 more

How it works

I set it up, then I run it.

2 to 3 weeks

Connect

A setup sprint. I learn how you operate, connect the tools you approve, and write the approval rules with you.

Every day

Run

Agents watch the work. I act on what they find.

A few minutes

Approve

You get one brief. You decide the few things that need you. I handle the rest.

What I can see. Only the tools you agree to in setup. Nothing goes outside the company without your approval.

The core idea

Agents notice when something slips. I fix it.

Software can tell you a priority stalled. It cannot find out why, or get the owner to agree on the next step. That part is me.

AgentWhat the agents catch

Work that doesn’t map to this quarter’s priorities
Commitments from meetings that haven’t moved
Items aging past their deadline, and owners who’ve gone quiet
Metrics moving the wrong way against plan
Decisions waiting on the CEO longer than they should
Calendar time that doesn’t match stated priorities

What I do

Find out why. Capacity, unclear ownership, a disagreement, or a priority that changed
Talk to the owner myself
Reset the plan, cut something, or bring you a recommendation
Get the team to agree on the trade-off
Check that it stuck

Agents do not chase your team. They tell me. I decide whether to follow up, and how. A nudge comes from me, in your company's tone.

How a slipping priority gets fixed

Launch self-serve pricing by Nov 15

Illustrative example

Week 1 On track

Agent

5 tasks open. 2 moved this week. Owner posted an update on Monday. Nothing to flag.

Week 2 Drifting

Agent

3 of 5 tasks unchanged in 9 days. Owner hasn’t posted in the channel.

Agent

Flagged to me. No message sent to the team.

Week 3 Being fixed

My noteSpoke with owner: blocked on finance model. Reassigned model to CFO contractor; new date Nov 22, approved by CEO.

Agent

Plan updated. New date Nov 22. Watching the finance model task.

Week 4 On track

Agent

Finance model delivered. 4 of 5 tasks done. On track for Nov 22.

My noteChecked in with the owner. The new date holds. Closed the loop with the CEO.

Week 1

Your Daily Brief

You get one brief.

Most of the day's operating work is done before you read it. You make the decisions only you can make.

Done for you

Routine work inside your “Just do it” rules. You see a count, not a list.

Done, FYI

Work I finished that you should know about. No action needed.

Needs you

The decisions only you can make, each with what I recommend.

Before · the CEO’s inbox

17 waiting

Oldest 96 days

Update the data room96d
Next quarter’s plan41d
Q3 hiring plan33d

After · the Daily Brief

3 decisions waiting

Oldest 1 day

Approve October investor updatetoday
Decide on Q4 pricing launchtoday
Approve offer range1d

Illustrative example, not client results.

Approval rules

You set the approval rules.

You decide what I do without asking, what I tell you after, and what waits for you. I set the rules with you in the setup sprint. You can change them later.

No approval

Just do it

Logging action items
Tracker updates
Data room upkeep

You’re told after

Do it and tell me

Internal follow-ups
Meeting prep
First drafts

You decide first

Ask me first

Anything external
Anything about people
Anything that spends money

What’s covered

The operating work a Chief of Staff owns.

Priorities and quarterly plan

Agents: Keep one list of this quarter’s priorities and check new work against it.
Me: Run quarterly planning with you and push back when something new does not fit.

Meeting follow-through

Agents: Log every commitment with an owner and a date. Flag the ones that stop moving.
Me: Talk to the owner when one stalls, and keep the leadership meeting on decisions.

CEO inbox and requests

Agents: Sort what’s waiting on you by age and importance. Draft replies.
Me: Decide what really needs you and handle the rest inside your approval rules.

Board meetings and investor updates

Agents: Pull the numbers and draft the update and the pre-read on schedule.
Me: Shape the story, list the decisions the board has to make, and bring it to you to approve.

Data room and diligence

Agents: Keep the data room current. Flag missing and out-of-date documents.
Me: Work diligence requests with your counsel so they do not land on you.

Hiring coordination

Agents: Track every open role, candidate stage, and scorecard.
Me: Keep interviewers aligned and bring you offers to approve.

KPI definitions and reporting

Agents: Refresh the numbers and flag metrics moving against plan.
Me: Settle what each metric means, and question reports that do not add up.

Not covered: running a function

I do not run sales, finance, engineering, or people. If you need someone to do that full time, I will say so and help you hire. The system keeps running under them.

Comparison

How Half Staff compares with a full-time hire.

Compared on	Full-time Chief of Staff or COO	Fractional days	Half Staff
Annual cost	$250K to $350K, plus equity and a recruiting fee	Varies	From $5,000 a month, plus a $5,000 setup sprint
Time to start	Months. A search, then a ramp	Varies	A 2 to 3 week setup sprint
Coverage	Business hours	Scheduled days	Every day. I step in when it matters
Follow-up memory	One person's notes	One person's notes, between scheduled days	Every commitment logged and watched
Scales up or down	No. One salary	Yes, by adding or cutting days	Yes. Scope is set each quarter
Judgment and people work	Yes	Yes	Yes. I do the people work
In the building every day	Yes	On scheduled days	No. I come in when it matters
Can run a function full time	Yes	No	No. Hire for that. The system keeps running under them

When you hire a Chief of Staff or a COO, they can run on the same system for $5,000 a month. The agents keep going. Nothing has to be rebuilt.

Put your own numbers into the cost comparison

Pricing

A fixed monthly fee.

ONE TIME

Setup sprint

$5,000 one time

A fixed fee, two to three weeks.

Map your operating rhythm
Connect your tools
Set your approval rules
Deliver your first Daily Brief

EVERY MONTH

Monthly run

From $5,000 a month

Tiers scale with scope and my time, not days.

Core: $5,000; Agents watch the work. I step in when something slips. You get the Daily Brief.
Plus: $9,000; Core, plus me in the leadership meeting and board prep from start to finish.
Full: $14,000; The most time I offer. Built for a raise or diligence on top of the regular work.

IF A MONTH RUNS LONG

I talk to you before the next month starts

If a month runs long, I tell you before the next one starts. You will not get an invoice I have not agreed with you on first.

SCOPE

Set together each quarter

I set the scope with you each quarter. When you hire a Chief of Staff or a COO, I help with the search and hand them the system. You keep it for $5,000 a month.

Which tier

Estimate your tier.

This is a starting point for the conversation, not a quote.

FAQ

Questions founders ask.

Is this just software I could buy?

No. A tool does not know your plan, your people, or when to push. I set the system up around how you operate, I run it, and I am accountable for the work. You get the tools, the rules, and me.

Will my team feel watched or nagged by bots?

No. Agents tell me when something slips. I decide whether to follow up, and how. A nudge comes from me, in your company's tone.

What do you access, and how is it protected?

I connect only the tools you agree to in setup. Nothing goes outside the company without your approval.

What if an agent gets something wrong?

Anything external, anything about people, and anything that spends money sits in "Ask me first." I review what the agents produced and I change the rules when they miss. You should hear about a mistake from me, not from an investor.

What happens when I hire a full-time Chief of Staff or COO?

You keep the system. Rent it for $5,000 a month and your hire runs it. The agents stay on. Nothing has to be rebuilt.

I will tell you when I think it is time to hire, and I will help you do it.

Who does the work?

I do. I have founded two companies, including Corus. I took one to profitability without outside capital. I spent seven years in strategy consulting, and I was a product manager at Techstars. I live in Denver. More about me

How fast does it start working?

You get your first Daily Brief by the end of the setup sprint.

Start with a call.

Thirty minutes. If you should hire full time instead, I will say so.

Talk for 30 minutes About Jason

A founder holds the doorway with one raised hand, keeping a crowd of interruptions out of the room

About

Jason Abromaitis

I have founded two companies, including Corus. I took one to profitability without outside capital. Before that I spent seven years in strategy consulting. I was a product manager at Techstars. I live in Denver.

I have not been a Chief of Staff. I needed one, so I know what it feels like to hand important work to someone else. You can tell me when you are overwhelmed. It will not leak into the company. I will also tell you to stop complaining and do the thing.

I use too many basketball analogies. I can switch to baseball or golf. Basketball was my first thing. I was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Connecticut, a McDonald's All-American nominee, and I played at Yale. I also ran a refrigerator rental business there. I know the hours your team does not see.

Track record

Where I’ve done this work.

Corus, co-founder and CEO

Denver, 2013 to 2021

Software for agencies and enterprises to collect customer data and turn it into reports executives could use.

I hired the team: engineering, design, marketing, sales, account management, and statistics. Corus hit positive free cash flow in 18 months. We got to $1M in annual revenue in 3 years, with no outside capital.

Launchpad, co-founder and CEO

Denver, 2019 to 2022

Connected fitness hardware for young athletes, built on open-source computer vision. We raised a pre-seed and shipped a prototype on a fraction of the budget comparable products used. The pre-order campaign worked. Then the market left at-home connected fitness.

We moved to an iOS product. I use that more than any other experience in this work. Changing direction, and keeping investors and the team with you, takes telling the truth. I do not hide a failure. Launchpad has lessons I will use on yours.

Techstars, Senior Product Manager

Denver, 2022 to 2023

I worked with dozens of founders at once. I learned what each one needed, took the highest-impact work off their plate, and turned that into a repeatable offer inside Techstars Universe. Staff picked up the work I handed off.

It is the closest thing to Half Staff I have done. It is where I learned how fast you have to move to be useful to a founder.

Investing and advising

2021 to now

I serve as a venture partner running diligence on deals in areas I know, a scout sourcing early-stage sports technology, and an advisor to a number of startups.

How I work

What you get.

An empty gym at night, a figure at the free-throw line with a towel, bottle, notebook and laptop laid out in a row on the floor

No excuses

If something I own does not happen, you hear it from me first, with what I am doing about it. I do not bring you reasons.

I will tell you what I think

In private, and usually before you ask. You are not paying me to agree with you.

Your team can talk to me

The 1:1s I hold with your leads are confidential. I bring you what matters without saying who said it, unless they want it said.

Where the agents fit

Agents catch what I would miss.

I cannot watch every commitment every day. Agents can. They tell me when a priority stalls, a deadline slips, or a decision has sat with you too long. Then I find out why, talk to the owner, and bring you a recommendation.

See an example

I live in Denver. I travel when it matters.

Some problems get smaller in the room. Agents do the watching. I do the conversations and the hard follow-ups. I already know the business.

Talk for 30 minutes Estimate your tier

Before you post the job

A full-time hire costs more than the salary.

You run the search for months. You may pay a recruiting fee. Then it is another quarter before they are useful. My setup sprint takes two to three weeks. When you do hire, they walk into a company that already runs, and they can keep the system for $5,000 a month. Put your numbers in below.

Your numbers

Base salary

Benefits, payroll tax and overhead

Recruiting fee, as a share of base

Months to fill the role

Months to get up to speed

Equity grant

Current valuation leave at 0 to skip

Half Staff monthly fee starts at $5,000

Half Staff setup sprint, one time

The other side

When you should make the hire.

Cost is not the only question. If any of these describe you, I will say so on the first call and I can connect you with recruiters I trust. Hiring does not mean starting over. Your hire can run on the same system.

You need a functional lead

If more than half the job is running sales, finance, or engineering delivery, you need a functional executive. I do not run a function.

You need someone there every day

A physical operation, a turnaround, or a company that works in person all week needs a leader in the building. Agents and a visit from me are not that.

You are past about 100 people

At that scale you need someone inside the company you can hand authority to. I can keep the operating layer running under them.

Nothing is broken

If the way you run already works, I will only take this on if you are about to grow or change the business.

An empty office chair alone under a spotlight, facing one person at the far end of a boardroom table

Call me.

Talk for 30 minutes Estimate your tier

For investors and outside counsel

I help your companies run without adding a hire.

I work with Seed to Series B companies where the operating work still sits with the CEO. Using agents, I can cover that work for a lot less than a full-time Chief of Staff. There is nothing for you to sell. There is no fee to you either way.

Talk for 30 minutes

Where I help

What you are seeing in the portfolio.

Four investors seated in a row, fingers steepled, expressions unreadable

If you’re an investor

These companies are usually doing fine, especially right after a raise. The new money, the growth, and the next milestones still land on the CEO. If the CEO is spending the week on work someone else should own, I can take that.

Your advice lands like a parent telling them to clean their room
The board meetings are a mess
You aren’t getting clear and frequent updates
The data room was a mess and won’t cut it for the next round

If you’re a lawyer or outside counsel

Clients don’t pay you to do operations, but you see the mess and you know the risks are piling up.

Gathering documents takes too long
You don’t get board consents and minutes (on time)
The cap table is not clear
You’re too involved in diligence requests
You are billing hours for what could have taken minutes if the company planned ahead

What changes in the company

The operating work happens every day.

UPDATES

Investor updates on schedule

Agents pull the numbers and draft the update. I shape it. The CEO approves it before anything goes out.

BOARD

Board meetings prepared

The pre-read is drafted ahead of time, with the decisions the board needs to make listed up front.

DILIGENCE

A data room that stays current

Documents are filed as they are signed. Gaps are flagged before the next round, not during it.

One condition

I will not be forced on a founder, including by you.

If you introduce me and the CEO does not want the help, I decline. Someone the founder did not choose ends up reporting to the board instead of helping the company.

I need the founder to trust me. I want them to trust you more, not less.

What that means for you

Your founders can take the call without wondering if you sent me to check on them.
Your advice has a chance of being heard.

No referral fees

Nothing changes hands.

No finder's fee. No revenue share. No rebate. I work for the founder. That helps you when the company does better.

Talk for 30 minutes See how it works