Ops or Die!
Ops or Die!
Podcast Description
Ops or Die is the no-fluff podcast where ScaleSpark’s Katie Whitcraft and Maria Pienaar get real about the operations chaos that kills startups—and how to fix it. Hear unfiltered takes, practical tips, and interviews with founders, VCs, and ops pros who know what it takes to scale smart and stay alive.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on the complexities of business operations, particularly within startups, addressing challenges like chaotic workflows, tech stack management, and team dynamics. Episodes like 'From Chaos to Clarity: The Punk Rock Guide to Business Ops' explore the critical role of operations in driving success and provide actionable strategies for scaling effectively.
Ops or Die is the no-fluff podcast where ScaleSpark’s Katie Whitcraft and Maria Pienaar get real about the operations chaos that kills startups—and how to fix it. Hear unfiltered takes, practical tips, and interviews with founders, VCs, and ops pros who know what it takes to scale smart and stay alive.
Think ops is just paperwork? Cute. In this episode of Ops or Die, Tomika Anderson-Smith sets the record straight: operations isn’t overhead—it’s the engine that turns chaos into compounding growth. She spills what founders miss when they wait too long to get serious about ops, why nonprofits and startups are basically twins (minus the hype), and how weak systems can quietly wreck your company. If you’ve ever said “we’ll deal with that later,” this one’s your wake-up call.
We talk about:
– Why operations is the real growth engine hiding behind your product wins
– What startups and nonprofits share (it's more than you think)
– How invisible ops keeps your company running – and what happens when it fails
– What founders risk by waiting too long to build business operations infrastructure
– Why early operational investments prevent burnout, fraud and chaos later
– How AI is reshaping Ops – and why it won't replace leaders but boost them
If you're scaling fast (or hoping to), it's not optional listening.
Links:
Tomika Anderson-Smith LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomikaandersonsmith/
ScaleSpark: https://www.scalespark.ai
Maria's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariapienaar/
Katie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiewhitcraft/
ScaleSpark email: info@scalespark.ai
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