This will be the first of three postings on jobs that are open at FM. I’ve had a lot of great folks contact me for the head of sales and the head of engineering, but I’ve not really spoken much about the head of, well, starting up.

Back when I was starting the Standard I hired Stacey as my assistant. She was employee number two or three, as I recall, and clearly ready to do more than file and handle my schedule. That’s why she left her job at a larger company to join a startup – she knew just about everything would be thrown at her, and over the course of the next four years, that proved true. From the very beginning, Stace not only handled administration, she also handled the front office, getting an office, coordinating new hires, managing our interface to lawyers and investors, overseeing our early rooftop parties, sorting out the phone and IT systems – basically, if it were not for Stace, the company would never have gotten off the ground. She was (and remains) whip smart, incredibly cheerful, always ready to go the extra mile. She was also willing to call a spade a spade, and when I or others were too demanding or simply too full of ourselves, she’d call us on it.

As the Standard grew to 500 folks and beyond, she became one of my most trusted lieutenants, first as my Chief of Staff (managing the Board and key relationships inside and outside the company) and later as a senior manager in the conference division. Now she’s running her own business and thriving at it.

I bring this up as way to describe the ideal office manager for FMP: someone who, like Stacey, knows he or she can do far more than their current job offers, and wants to prove it. Whoever becomes office manager will know FMP inside and out, helping me and other founders with every aspect of the business. And yes, at first there will be a measure of hod-carrying – admin, phone answering, assistant stuff. But the right person can handle that stuff in spare cycles and come back for more. And like Stacey, once this person proves him or herself, there will be plenty of new opportunities to take new positions – that’s the benefit of seeing the company from its starting point. If you know anyone like this, or this sounds like your cup of tea, email me.