Ask a founder what they want from their No. 2, and you’ll usually hear “someone to take things off my plate.” That’s a wish, not a job description, and it’s why so many second-in-command hires fall short.
In his latest Forbes Business Council article, Ken Paskins breaks down what the role actually requires: translating the founder’s vision into action, absorbing the operational weight the founder can’t carry, and shifting from individual excellence to results driven through others. He also shares his own experience handing off the operational seat, and the simple test every founder should use to know if the hire is working.
