We’re hiring an executive coach for Hendrik (CEO of Sharpist) for the next 12+ months.
This is a high-bar search.
We are looking for the top tier — not “good fit,” but the best operator-coach we can find in the market.
Context
Hendrik is leading Sharpist through a category-defining transformation — from a profitable, stable coaching platform into an AI-driven category bet in professional development. The next 12 months will determine whether Sharpist becomes a generational company or a successful European HR-tech player. Hendrik needs to operate at a fundamentally higher altitude to lead it: setting missions rather than running them, building systems that win without him, stepping out of operational work that has historically defined his contribution.
The coach is one of the most important hires of this transformation. They are the intellectual sparring partner who makes the shift in Hendrik’s leadership actually stick.
Non-negotiables
* C-level operating experience in enterprise SaaS, through the 10M+ ARR scale phase. Founder, CEO, COO, or equivalent. Not earlier-stage, not adjacent industries, not advisor-only careers. They have personally lived the altitude shift we’re hiring them to coach through.
* Expert coach, primary craft. Trained, certified, actively practicing. Coaching is what they do now — not advisory work with coaching on the side, not “operator who coaches.” We want the coaching craft to lead, with operating depth as the foundation.
* Track record at the altitude we’re targeting. Has coached founders or CEOs through similar inflection points. Can name them (under NDA). References from current or recent coachees at this level are required.
What we are not looking for
* Generalist executive coaches without enterprise SaaS context
* Operators-turned-advisors with strong opinions on what Hendrik should do
* Wellness, life, or holistic coaches
* ICF-credential-only coaches without operating depth
* Anyone who would treat this as “another engagement” rather than the work of a transformation
Focus areas
* Moving from leader-of-leads to true CEO altitude — football manager mode, not player
* Building a personal operating system away from task-list-driven work
* Interrupting the default failure mode of leaning into operational work when stress rises
* Designing the team architecture around Hendrik — firefighter roles, accountability anchors, ownership transfer
* Increasing leverage and consequentiality with the leadership team
* Sustainable energy management
* Sparring on strategic questions through coaching, not prescription
Logistics
* Engagement: ongoing, likely 2-4 sessions per month
* Format: strong preference to deliver via the Sharpist platform (Hendrik is the CEO; using our own product is non-negotiable as a signal and as research)
* Geography: irrelevant — we want the best person globally
* Language: English working language
Search posture
This is not a posting. This is an active, high-touch search. We expect to:
* Source from operator and founder networks, not coaching directories
* Vet against the non-negotiables ruthlessly — most candidates will not clear the bar
* Run multiple candidates in parallel rather than evaluating one at a time
* Move fast once we find the right person — top-tier coaches at this level get booked
* The right candidate is rare. We are looking for the AAA+ in the market, not the best of who applies.
A first conversation with Hendrik should answer:
* Did they hold a C-level role in enterprise SaaS through the 10M+ ARR scale-up — verifiable?
* Is coaching their primary craft today, with operating experience as foundation rather than substitute?
* Do they hold space and let Hendrik find answers, or do they advise and prescribe?
* Would Hendrik genuinely want to spend two sessions a month with this person for the next 12 months?
* Are they hungry for this engagement specifically, or treating it as one of many?
The last question matters most. We want someone who, after the first conversation, sees Hendrik and Sharpist as the kind of engagement they would prioritize over others.