Laura Nicol dials into Savannah Black.

For Savannah, being a startup operator is about making the company work in the real world. All the forward planning, mission, and vision stuff is important. That’s the on-paper part. But being an operator is about making it actually work. You can see it in action at Crypto Tax Calculator: four roles, three promotions, each adding new layers of context. Today, she’s Chief of Staff to CEO Shane Brunette at Crypto Tax Calculator.

We get into:

• Savannah's late ADHD diagnosis
• Working with energy management cycles, hyperfocus windows and stimulation requirements
• What broke (and what didn’t) during Crypto Tax Calculator's hypergrowth from 20 to 60 people
• The Maker vs Manager schedule that protects deep work (remote-first culture)
• Why chaos isn't something we need to fix: "It's where innovation comes from"
• "Narrate everything": Learning how to avoid communication breakdowns at scale
• Her prioritisation stack: "[Eisenhower Matrix] I will ignore what's urgent till the cows come home"

Also mentioned:

• Michael Stocks
• Shane Brunette
• Beth Mackinnon
• Sophie Gerber
• Crypto Tax Calculator
• Range

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

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