Letter from the Founders

The rules have changed. The startup market has fundamentally shifted. Access to capital is more constrained than it has been for a generation. In today’s environment, startups that can do more with less will not only achieve their business goals, they will be the only ones able to attract investment from an increasingly discerning venture capitalist pool. 

Now, more than ever, founders are expected to be business leaders. How they run their companies and how they execute matters. Simply put, the bar has been raised.

But running a business is hard. It is why management consulting is a $300 billion + industry, and why many startups fail. It is also our passion.

We met as colleagues at a fintech, where Monica was Chief Operating Officer and Hannah was Head of People. Together we created systems and new ways of working to drive execution. We overhauled budgets, hired industry experts, restructured teams, and increased morale to the point where people started showing up to the office on Fridays. Yes, you read that right, voluntary in office on Fridays. We built trust with our team, and in each other.

We saw first hand how much strategy, operations, and people must be fully and completely intertwined. They work as one, or they fail together. Fixing one requires fixing all.  

We started sharing this philosophy with friends in our network, and it resonated. Venture Capitalists saw business pain caused by ambiguous strategies, inefficient operations, and poor teams across their portfolios. Founders spoke about their frustrations trying to turn their visions into actual plans and results. Employees asked if we could work with their companies because they felt the pain of poor business management on a daily basis. 

There is a gaping hole for many startups that would benefit from having experienced people leaders and operators on their teams on the ground. The fact is, though, that budgets are tight and hiring should center around functional team members in the early days. Candidly, many early stage companies are not yet complex enough or large enough to justify a full time operator or people lead. But these roles are mission critical.

So we decided to create a solution that works for startups, their people, and their investors. We joined forces to launch Cowgirl Advisory Group to bring people and business expertise to early stage companies, when they need it, to the degree they need it. Running a successful startup requires running a successful business, and we are excited to help founders and leaders turn the way they run their business into a competitive advantage. 

In today’s market, you cannot afford to navigate your journey alone. Join us as we revolutionize the experience of early stage startups. Let’s make the most of your resources and set you up for scale by optimizing your strategy, operations, and people. Together, let’s build Cultures that Work.

Hannah and Monica, Co-Founders and Partners