ForwardShare

ForwardShare

Network

Where expert operators take the seat.

The ForwardShare Network is a tightly curated group of Expert Operators (XOs) who have designed, built and shipped solutions. Our XOs are here to collaborate on your venture.

Explore our XOs Apply to Join the XO Network
ForwardShare Expert Operators working with a venture team
An Expert Operator working alongside a venture team

Build your C-Suite without Employees

Hiring a full C-suite too early is one of the most expensive mistakes an early venture can make. High caliber, experienced leaders are expensive and become huge commitments and risks.

ForwardShare XOs bring the expertise those senior roles need, at a fraction of the commitment. Plus, you can access the XOs in short and mid-term windows that align to your needs for the stage of the venture.

ForwardShare XOs have been there before and are ready to step in immediately. They also are laser focused on mutually-defined outcomes that measure impact and success.

Leadership Across the Board

Elite. Accomplished. Entrepreneurial.

ForwardShare XOs have been vetted and proven to deliver results. Every XO has delivered transformative value in their own venture or industry.

In most cases, our XO talent would be unattainable for an early-stage venture. We focus on individuals with verified outcomes, not just well-known logos they have accumulated. With the ForwardShare Network, you have access to the best & brightest without the overhead.

Product
Leadership

Technology
Leadership

Go-To-Market
Leadership

Sales
Leadership

Growth
Leadership

Design
Leadership

The Goldilocks Role

Expert Operators fill roles that are the right size for early-stage ventures. Their role and impact is not too little. Not too much. Just right.

How an Expert Operator compares with a full-time hire and a consultant
Too Big Just Right Too Small
Full-time Hire Expert Operator Consultant
Time to start 3 months + 1-2 weeks 1-2 weeks
Commitment Full time, open-ended 1-2 days / week Project length
Cost shape Salary, equity, benefits Monthly fee, equity Project fee
Owns the outcome Yes Yes Advises on it
Best when The role is permanent You need the judgment,
not the headcount		 The question is bounded

Meet our Expert Operators

Meet our Experts
Patty Zimmerman, ForwardShare Expert Operator

Patty Zimmerman

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David Carlton, ForwardShare Expert Operator

David Carlton

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RJ Holt, ForwardShare Expert Operator

RJ Holt

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Patty Zimmerman, ForwardShare Expert Operator

Patty Zimmerman

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Join our Expert Operator Network

We’re looking for Expert Operators who have already proven their worth and are now looking for new challenges. Our criteria is high. We’re extremely selective. And each person we add to the Network fills a unique role.

Explore our current roster of XOs to get a sense of what we’re looking for. If you believe you have a unique talent and experience that could serve our ventures, apply to join the team.

Apply to Join the XO Network

Types of Engagements

Fractional Expert Operator

Join a ForwardShare Studio venture as a fractional team member, serving in a C-Suite role for a defined monthly commitment and fee.

Advisory Board Member

Become a Board Advisor to a ForwardShare Studio team, providing regular insight and access to your industry knowledge.

Cofounding / Cobuilding Venture Partner

Fill a critical co-founder role for a ForwardShare Studio venture and commit full-time to building and growing the company.

Expert Operator Pay Model

Cash & Equity

All Expert Operator roles are compensated with a combination of cash & equity. We do not ask XOs to work for free or to bill hourly. We define clear roles, responsibilities, and outcome targets and map the pay to these.

Questions we get:

A fractional executive is a senior leader who works part time inside a company, usually one or two days a week, in a defined role with ownership attached. It's how a company gets a CMO's judgment without a CMO's salary line. Engagements typically run three to twelve months. We call these people Expert Operators because what matters is the seat they take and the outcome attached to it rather than the fraction of the week they are there.

Hire full time when the role is permanent and needs someone in the seat every day. Bring in an Expert Operator when you need the judgment rather than the headcount — they start in one to two weeks, commit one to two days a week, and own the outcome.

Every XO has delivered transformative value in their own venture or industry. We focus on individuals with verified outcomes, not just well-known logos they have accumulated. Our criteria is high and we are extremely selective.

Typically one to two weeks. ForwardShare XOs have been there before and are ready to step in immediately.

A marketplace takes a cut when you sign and leaves. Our XOs take a seat with mutually-defined outcomes attached, compensated in cash and equity, and each person we add to the Network fills a unique role.

Engagements are defined around outcomes and reviewed against them, so a mismatch surfaces early. We work with you to re-match from the Network.

Yes. Some XOs fill a critical co-founder role for a ForwardShare Studio venture and commit full-time to building and growing the company.

ForwardShare Expert Operators

Find your XO.

You can book a call with a ForwardShare Studio partner to learn more about how we work. We'd love to hear what you know about your industry and what you'd build to fix it. You don’t need a deck. We just want to hear from you.

Book a Call

The MiindShare Letter

MindShare is our hub for sharing the learnings and insights we uncover as we explore new ventures. The MindShare Letter collects the latest findings and delivers them exclusively to your in-box.