Hiring a COO isn’t easy at the early-stage and is wrought with more danger than potential success. Make sure you take the time to understand if you are ready for this hire. When it is done right, the impact on you and the company is tremendous.
Have become a huge fan of @mattmochary 's idea of checking your energy level before and after chatting with someone, when deciding whether to work with them.
It seems a bit silly when you first hear about it, but over time it's become my #1 most important hiring heuristic.
regardless of what you think of this (hustle porn or roadmap to get ahead at work), I think more employers should adapt the practice of setting clear, non-negotiable expectations as part of the hiring process.