01
Uncover
What chains the business to you.
Fractional COO for scale-ups · €3–50M
Build a business that runs without you.
At some point the founder becomes the bottleneck. Not the market, not the product. The founder. I sit alongside you, build the system that lets your team decide independently, and step out once it works.
Sjoerd Maas
Founder · Fractional COO · Integrator · Author
10–80 employees
Founder-led
€3–50M revenue
Scale-ups
The problem
Revenue grows. Your freedom doesn't.
Three things you probably recognise:
- You're still doing work you've been trying to hand off for years.
- Your management team waits for you, even on decisions they could make themselves.
- Your team makes a call. You have doubts. So you end up doing it yourself.
It feels like a time problem. It isn't. The real issue: everything still runs through you.
How it can be
A business that keeps running when you're not there.
Imagine walking into a meeting and the problem is already solved. Not because your team is perfect. Because they no longer wait for your approval. Just your direction.
- Your team reports a decision, doesn't ask for permission
- A red number comes with an action attached, not an explanation
- You come back from holiday and everything just kept going
The approach
Value Acceleration
Five steps, from "everything runs through the founder" to a business that runs itself.
02
Distribute
Who decides what, and when.
03
Transfer
Your team takes over, you keep your hands still.
04
Scale
Growing without it getting heavier.
05
Release
It runs without you.
Work with Sjoerd
One way to start: a day together.
No packages to choose from. We start with The Diagnosis Day. One day together to uncover what chains your business to you. After that you know whether you want me alongside you longer. If not, you still leave with a clear picture of what's holding back your growth.
About Sjoerd
I don't solve your problems. I make sure your team solves them.
I don't come to take over. I build the system underneath: who decides what, in what rhythm, so your people run it themselves. Even when I'm gone.
- 15+ years operational experience
- Scale-ups from €3M to €50M guided
- Former professional basketball player
Clients
Results with clients.
“
Sjoerd combines sharp analysis with direct communication and a strong focus on execution.
Bert Kamper · Founder, Momentum EMEA
“
His analysis is lightning-fast and razor-sharp, always from the big picture to what really matters. He clears the path and places responsibility exactly where it belongs.
Twan Voss · Co-founder, Solar Dew & Bebambu.eu
The book
I wrote a book about exactly this.
The CEO Parent is about the moment a founder stops being the engine and becomes the ceiling. Chapter One is called The Bottleneck at the Top. Nine pages, and most founders recognise themselves in the first two.
Straight to your screen, plus a copy in your inbox.
Get started
Ready to make your business run?
Book a call. 30 minutes, phone or video. No sales pitch. Just finding where the leverage is for you.
Or email directly: sjoerd@thevaluearchitects.nl