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Reese: Gusto COO role changes entirely every six months

Lexi Reese · The Playbook to Scaling High-Performance Teams with Gusto COO Lexi Reese | SaaStr Software Community · Feb 3, 2020 · at 20:40

This episode carries Lexi Reese's own address, with nobody on the show putting questions to them. It still counts as said, and it is kept out of every score on their page.

Lexi Reese, COO of Gusto, explains why rapid startup growth requires continuous organizational feedback to help leaders adapt as their roles expand.

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“My job as title of COO at Gusto has, in title only, remained the same. Every six months, it's an entirely different job. The expectations are higher because we have more customers. The complexity gets bigger. Our product set has expanded.”

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