How to Start a Talent Strategy Without a Talent Team
As a founder, your day-to-day is a whirlwind of sales, product and fundraising. And although you know that 'the team is what matters most', talent management tends to get pushed back to 'when we have the budget for an HR Manager'. Spoiler: if you wait for the budget, it will already be too late. Culture is built from employee #1.
The Practical Handbook for the Conscious Founder
1. Prioritize culture from day 0: Culture is not what you write on the wall; it is what you allow and what you reward. Define 3 non-negotiable values and hire (and fire) based on them.
2. Define roles, not people: Do not create positions for your friends. Design the structure the business needs to scale and look for someone who fits it.
3. Hire slow, fire fast (but humanely): A poor culture fit on a team of 5 people is deadly. If you got it wrong, admit it quickly, but treat the person with dignity and generosity on their way out.
Automate the operational, humanize the strategic
Use software for payroll and vacations from the start. Do not waste time on Excel. Spend that time on quality 1:1s with your team.
Believing in the union of organizational engineering and people management is the superpower of startups that scale.
