How Much Does an Operating Partner Cost? (2026)
Operating Partner cost in plain numbers: $5,000 90-Day Scorecard, seat from $10,000/month, and how it compares to a full-time COO or fractional COO.
$10,000 a month in the seat
That is the actual price ladder for an Operating Partner engagement in 2026. No hourly trap. No equity ask. No long-term contract.
30 minutes. Bring the bottleneck.
Numbers are market observation across United States engagements at the $5M to $30M revenue band. They are not a quote.
Price the delay, then price the seat
Most owners compare the fee to a salary line. That is the wrong denominator. The right one is what the current queue is costing while nobody clears it.
A renewal you have moved twice with a customer who is 40% of revenue. A regional hire that has been six months late all year. A comp plan that pays your team to do the thing you keep asking them to stop doing.
Put a number on the largest one. If it is smaller than a year of the fee, do not hire anybody.
In public, so you can decide before we talk
The 90-Day Scorecard is $5,000 for two weeks. The Seat starts at $10,000 a month, month to month, with 30 days notice either way. The month I stop being worth what you pay me, I say it first.
The full ladder, including what each step includes, is written out on the pricing page.
See the full pricing page
Worth it or not, you should know
Thirty minutes. Bring the bottleneck. I will tell you what I would do in your seat, whether we work together or not.
How much does an Operating Partner cost?
Two ways to start. The 90-Day Scorecard is $5,000 fixed for two weeks. It produces a written plan you keep either way, and it credits toward month one. The Seat starts at $10,000 a month, month to month, with 30 days notice on either side.
What is included in the $10,000-a-month seat?
I take the operating seat inside the business. I run the weekly cadence, clear the decisions that keep stalling, carry a revenue target, and hire the leader who takes the seat from me. The work is scoped to the bottleneck, not a fixed checklist.
What is the 90-Day Scorecard?
Two weeks, $5,000 fixed. I interview the team, read the numbers, and write a 90-day plan with the three moves that would change the business fastest. You keep the plan whether we work together or not. If you move to the seat, the $5,000 credits toward month one.
Is there a long-term contract?
No. The seat is month to month with 30 days notice on either side. The point is to make the value obvious fast, not to lock you in.
How does this compare to a fractional COO?
A fractional COO typically builds systems and cadence part-time, often $8,000 to $25,000 a month. An Operating Partner takes the seat, carries a number, and is accountable for the result. Same price band at the start. Different scope and risk.
How does it compare to a full-time COO or VP of Operations?
A full-time COO or VP Ops for a $5M to $30M business usually runs $200,000 to $300,000 in base salary before bonus, equity, and benefits. The search takes four to six months, and a bad hire costs a year. The Seat starts faster, carries a target, and can convert to a full-time leader once the bottleneck is clear.
How do I know if it is worth it?
Price the delay first. A renewal slipping with a customer at 40% concentration, a key hire six months late, a comp plan paying the wrong behavior. Put a number on the biggest one. If it is smaller than a year of the fee, do not hire anybody.
Can we start with the Scorecard and then move to the seat?
Yes. Most engagements start that way. The Scorecard is the read. The seat is the execution. The $5,000 credits toward month one if we both decide to continue.
How Much Does an Operating Partner Cost? (2026)
Operating Partner cost in plain numbers: $5,000 90-Day Scorecard, seat from $10,000/month, compared to a full-time COO and fractional COO.
Michael Schuerman is an Operating Partner for founder-led businesses doing $5M to $30M in revenue, based in Atlanta, Georgia. He takes a seat inside the business, runs the revenue moves the owner has been deferring, and leaves a team that runs without them. Book a 30-minute call at michaelschuerman.co.