Founder Associate

Virio • Full-time • San Francisco, CA, US • $70k - $120k / year • 1m ago

Founder/CEO Associate

Location: San Francisco (in-office)

Compensation: Competitive base ($70K-$120K) + equity + benefits

About The Role

Virio is building the next-generation B2B GTM stack—an AI-powered content engine that turns executive thought leadership into pipeline at scale. We went from $0 to $500K ARR in 90 days while in stealth, and now we’re scaling from $1M to $100M with a small, cracked team of builders.

We’re hiring a Founder/CEO Associate to join the Office of the CEO. This is a high-impact, high-intensity role working directly with Eric Lay (Founder & CEO). You’ll be embedded in the most important projects across the company—driving execution, shaping strategy, and ensuring the CEO’s time and energy are directed to the highest-leverage priorities.

This is not a back-office role—it’s a front-row seat to company building. You’ll be expected to think like a founder, move with urgency, and bring structure to chaos. The right person will be ambitious, organized, and ready to take on responsibility far beyond a traditional “associate” title.

What You’ll Do

This is a founding-seat role in one of the fastest-growing B2B SaaS startups in the world.

You’ll work side by side with Eric and the leadership team on the company’s most critical initiatives.

Be the CEO’s right hand (and shadow): Join every key meeting, strategy session, and client call—learning how decisions are made and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.
Act as a “clone” of the CEO: Learn Eric’s priorities and voice so you can anticipate needs, represent him in conversations, and make calls aligned with his intent.
Drive critical initiatives end-to-end: From GTM experiments to board prep to client partnerships—you’ll own projects and deliver results with discipline and urgency.
Run operational excellence: Build systems to track decisions, set priorities, streamline workflows, and enforce follow-ups across the org.
Manage the CEO’s business rhythm: Oversee calendars, agendas, prep docs, comms, and cadences (weekly, monthly, quarterly) so time is spent only on the highest-leverage work.
Translate strategy into action: Turn decisions into clear next steps for the team and ensure they’re executed on time, at a high standard.
Support client and partner interactions: Prepare briefs, join calls, capture next steps, and follow through until outcomes are achieved.
Shape the external narrative: Partner with the CEO on high-stakes communications—content, pitches, investor updates, and media.
Stay two steps ahead: Anticipate blind spots, surface insights, and proactively address risks before they become problems.
Wear any hat: Operate at founder speed—pivot instantly, thrive in pressure, and treat every challenge as your own.

Who You Are

Ambitious operator – You want to learn how to build a category-defining company from the inside out, and you thrive on taking big goals personally.
Founder mindset – You treat every problem like your own company’s survival depends on solving it.
Organized to the extreme – Precision, systems, and discipline are your edge. Nothing slips through the cracks.
Ready at all times – You move in sync with the CEO’s schedule and thrive in a high-urgency, high-pressure environment.
High ownership – No task is too big or small. You see things through end-to-end and are accountable for outcomes.
Clear communicator – You distill complexity into crisp insights for executives, clients, and investors.
Curious and hungry – You want to accelerate your career, and this role is your training ground for becoming a future founder, CMO, or GTM leader.

Bonus Points