Draft:BuildOps

BuildOps

BuildOps (short for Build and Operate Systems) is a business framework and emerging operational category that refers to companies structured to build, operate, and scale ventures under one roof. Unlike traditional agencies or consultancies that focus solely on services or strategy, BuildOps firms integrate ideation, infrastructure, execution, and growth into a unified model. These firms often act as the architect, builder, and operator of business ventures in partnership with clients, founders, or brands.

The BuildOps model is characterized by its end-to-end involvement in a venture’s lifecycle, including product development, brand strategy, operational execution, business management, and strategic scaling. The model combines elements of incubators, consulting firms, creative agencies, and private equity firms, but is differentiated by its in-house execution, integration of cultural capital, and long-term operational focus. At its core, BuildOps is about managing what is while building what should be — offering a framework that transforms influence into long-term operational value.

BuildOps (short for Build and Operate Systems) is a business framework and emerging operational category that refers to companies structured to build, operate, and scale ventures under one roof. Unlike traditional agencies or consultancies that focus solely on services or strategy, BuildOps firms integrate ideation, infrastructure, execution, and growth into a unified model often acting as the architect, builder, and operator of business ventures in partnership with clients, founders, or brands.

The BuildOps model is characterized by its end-to-end involvement in a venture’s lifecycle, including product development, brand strategy, operational execution, business management, and strategic scaling. The model combines elements of incubators, consulting firms, creative agencies, and private equity firms, but is differentiated by its in-house execution, cultural capital integration, and long-term operational focus.

History and Conceptual Origins

The term “BuildOps” emerged in the early 2020s as a modern response to increasingly fragmented venture ecosystems. It reflects the need for centralized operating systems to support founders, athletes, creators, and investors in launching and managing ventures in complex cultural and digital environments.

While not formally used by name until recently, the philosophy behind BuildOps can be traced back to firms like Kleiner Perkins, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm known for not just investing capital, but actively building infrastructure, providing operational support, and guiding founders through hyper-growth phases.Kleiner Perkins’ deep involvement in companies like Google, Amazon, and Genentech exemplifies early BuildOps principles embedding talent, strategy, and systems to support scalable growth.

Core Principles

BuildOps organizations operate on a set of shared principles:

- Integration over Isolation: BuildOps firms offer a single operating system for ideation, execution, and scaling eliminating the need to juggle multiple disconnected vendors.

- Execution-Centric: Beyond strategy and advisory, BuildOps teams physically operate key functions such as brand development, product manufacturing, content production, and go- to-market execution.

- Cultural Fluency: BuildOps structures are designed to operate within and leverage cultural capital including influence, community, and network effects as a core growth driver.

- Long-Term Infrastructure: Unlike incubators or agencies that focus on launch or short- term ROI, BuildOps models are built for longevity, with operational infrastructure that grows with the client or venture.

Application in Sports and Entertainment

The first BuildOps firm in sports and entertainment is Ecos Management Group, founded by a coalition of executives and creatives including Daniel Gresham. Ecos applies the BuildOps model to athletes, entertainers, and creator-driven ventures treating them not as clients, but as partners or co-founders in long-term business ecosystems.

Ecos replaces the traditional agency model with an operating platform that provides:

- Business Management: Back-office operations, legal structuring

- PR & Brand Development: Storytelling, media placements, brand alignment

- Endorsement Outreach: Sourcing and executing brand deals, joint ventures, and equity partnerships

- Venture Infrastructure: Building and operating companies in partnership with talent

Through BuildOps, Ecos has helped athletes launch equity-backed ventures, partner with major brands, and scale their influence into infrastructure ranging from physical products (e.g., Sporty Sweets) to tech platforms (e.g., VRR Parking).

BuildOps vs. Traditional Models

Model | Focus | Services | Ownership | Time Horizon

---

|--------|----------|-----------|--------------

Agency | Marketing or Representation | Advisory, deals, campaigns | None | Short-term Incubator | Startup Launch | Ideation, mentoring | Shared Equity | Early-stage

PE Firm | Capital Growth | Capital, restructuring | Controlling Stake | Exit-focused BuildOps | Venture Lifecycle | Build, Operate, Scale | Co-builder or partner | Long-term operational

Notable Examples

- Kleiner Perkins: While not named a BuildOps firm, it embodies early BuildOps behavior in venture capital embedding operational partners, supporting infrastructure, and helping scale companies through hands-on involvement.

- Ecos Management Group: The first known BuildOps firm in the sports and entertainment space offering a modular, full-stack infrastructure to help athletes and entertainers build enduring businesses.

- Andreessen Horowitz (a16z): Though a venture capital firm, a16z has integrated media, recruitment, and operating teams aligning with BuildOps principles in Web3 and consumer tech.

Ecosystem and Future Outlook

The BuildOps model is gaining momentum as venture builders, athletes, and creators seek partners that can execute at scale, not just advise. The model is especially attractive in sectors where trust, influence, and access are currency such as sports, music, fashion, and media.

With the rise of AI, BuildOps firms are integrating automation to power concierge services, content creation, and business workflows positioning themselves as modern infrastructure engines behind personal brands, cultural capital, and high-growth ventures.

As of 2025, Ecos Management Group is developing proprietary technology platforms, onboarding professional athletes across the NFL and NBA, and planning to license its BuildOps infrastructure to other cultural influencers and investment groups.

See Also

- Venture Builder

- Talent Management

- Family Office

- Cultural Capital

- Private Equity

- Business Management Firm