Hi {{first_name|there}},
Chief of Staff Connect San Francisco Recap
Last week, we brought together Chiefs of Staff in San Francisco for one of our most substantive Connect events to date.
The day centered on a question that's becoming impossible to ignore: what does it actually mean to go from force multiplier to builder? It's a specific shift in how chiefs of staff think about their time: from managing and improving what already exists to creating something new. Chief of Staff Network President, Tom Guthrie, described it as the feeling of facing a blank canvas. There's real dread in that act of creation. There's also, once you get past it, the most fun you'll have in the role.
More than 90% of Chiefs of Staff use AI every single day. That number sounds impressive until you ask the follow-up question: how many of them are actually building with it?
That was the tension running through Connect SF, the first of seven global Chief of Staff Connect events planned for 2025. Tom Guthrie, who hosted the day, came away with a clear read: adoption is real, but it's uneven in ways that matter. At AI-native companies, the ones founded in the last 18 to 24 months, chiefs of staff are operating in a fundamentally different gear. At everyone else's company, the ceiling isn't motivation. It's organizational infrastructure, and whether the principal and executive team are actually behind a real transformation.
What made Connect SF unusual was the range of people in the room. Alongside leaders from OpenAI, Scribe, LatchBio, and Clarinet, we welcomed Chiefs of Staff from the San Francisco Ballet and Symphony. Both organizations have existed for nearly a century. Both manage 50 to 80 board members and negotiate with six or seven unions simultaneously. The operational complexity rivals anything in tech, and the skills required map almost exactly. The problems just wear different clothes.
The question Tom wants every attendee still sitting with a week later: am I managing what exists, or am I building something new?
Ready to join the conversation?
We have Connect events coming up in Austin, Berlin, New York, London, and Singapore. Find your city and grab your spot.
Stop Surviving the Role. Start Leading It.
Most Chiefs of Staff learn the role by surviving it. There's a better way.
The CoS Launchpad is a 6-week certification program built for people who want to operate at the highest level from day one. You'll learn the frameworks, build the instincts, and get the credentials that signal you're serious about the role.
Whether you're stepping into your first CoS position or looking to sharpen what you've built over years in the seat, Launchpad gives you the structure most CoS never get.
Not ready for a cohort-led program? Try Chief of Staff Fundamentals first!
📆 Upcoming Events
We've got an exciting lineup of events coming up across the globe! Here's what's on the calendar:
This Week
Join us in Copenhagen on Thursday, May 21 for our CoS Meetup.
Late May
On Thursday, May 28, we're hosting Building an AI Champions Program That Actually Works — perfect for those looking to drive AI adoption in their organizations.
Early June
Thursday, June 4 is packed with three simultaneous events:
Chief of Staff Connect - Austin Forum in Austin
Zurich Chief of Staff Chapter Launch — our newest European chapter!
On Wednesday, June 10, we have both the San Francisco Post Connect Meetup and the Melbourne Chief of Staff Network Chapter Launch.
Late June
Our intensive Chief of Staff Launchpad program kicks off on Tuesday, June 23 and runs through July. On Wednesday, June 24, join the Detroit CoS Meet Up, and on Thursday, June 25, dive into Workflow Thinking: The Skill Behind Every Automation.
July
Looking ahead to July, we have the Sydney CoS Networking Event on Thursday, July 9, and wrapping up with the Boston CoS Meetup on Wednesday, July 15.
Browse the full calendar and RSVP to the sessions that fit your schedule and interests. We hope to see you there.
best,
Scott
Founder, Chief of Staff Network & BizOps Network
