FNDN Series

Hiring 10X People Will Not Give You a 10X Company with Colby Nesbit

Sat, 05 Sep 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world.

In this episode, Matt McFarlane speaks with Colby Nesbitt about the “10X employee” and whether hiring exceptional people is really the key to building high-performance companies. They explore power laws, performance, compensation, AI, skills-based pay, and how changing technology is reshaping the way companies think about talent and work.

They also discuss AI layoffs versus redeployment, team-based rewards, the future of job structures, and why building a great system may matter more than simply hiring great people.

Chapters:

01:09 Guest Introduction: Colby Nesbitt
02:45 The Power Law and the 10X Employee
06:19 Performance, Compensation and 10X Pay
10:54 AI and the Future of Management
14:30 The Problem With Traditional People Analytics
18:45 AI, Skills and Career Progression
22:37 The Shelf Life of Skills
28:36 Why the Spreadsheet Never Tells the Whole Story
32:15 Redeployment vs. AI Layoffs
34:56 Building a High-Performance System
43:16 What Sports Teach Us About Talent
45:32 Team-Based Performance and Rewards
50:29 AI and the Future of Work
55:26 The Future of Jobs and “Tiger Teams”
59:39 Final Thoughts

Follow Colby:
https://linkedin.com/in/colby-kennedy-nesbitt-ph-d-0824b979/

Resources Mentioned:

Colby Nesbitt Article: Variance, Explained: https://varianceexplained.substack.com/p/performance-is-not-a-power-law

Work Rules! by Laszlo Bock
https://hachettebookgroup.com/titles/laszlo-bock/work-rules/

Radical Candor by Kim Scott
https://radicalcandor.com/the-book

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

PowerLaw, 10XEmployees, HighPerformance, StartupCompensation, PeopleAnalytics, PerformanceManagement, FutureOfWork, AIAtWork, AICompensation, TalentStrategy, OrganizationalDesign, CompensationStrategy, TeamBasedRewards, MeritPay, SkillsBasedCompensation, WorkforceAnalytics, EmployeePerformance, TalentManagement, StartupLeadership, PeopleOperations, AIWorkforce, FutureOfCompensation, WorkRedesign, CareerProgression, OrganizationalPsychology

The Modern Approach to Scaling Your People Team with Hallie Condon,

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup people and reward practices, with industry leaders from across the startup world.

In our conversation with Hallie Condon, VP of People at Chili Piper, we unpack what it actually looks like to build AI deep into a people function. We dive into how her small team decides what to automate and what to keep human, the "company brain" she built so institutional knowledge doesn't walk out the door when someone leaves, and the surprising shift in context she's losing now that employees go to AI before they come to the people team. We also get into her sharpest take of all: why the traditional promotion path expects people to do the job for free before anyone will pay them for it. Keep watching to hear how AI is reshaping people operations, performance reviews, and the employer-employee relationship.

Join Startup People Summit, a one-day virtual conference designed for startup People leaders who want practical insight, honest conversations and proven approaches to scaling their People function — get your ticket here: www.startuppeoplesummit.com

Chapters:
00:46 Guest Introduction: Hallie Condon, VP of People at Chili Piper
01:58 Managing a Fully Remote Team Across 36 Countries
04:07 How AI Shows Up in the People Function Day-to-Day
05:19 Automating Separation Letters and Admin Work
06:56 Using AI to Cross-Check Budgets Fairly
08:31 No Clean Strategy: Automating as Problems Come Up
10:29 The Tiered System: What Should and Shouldn't Be Automated
13:53 Introducing "Company Brain": Chili Piper's AI Knowledge Repo
16:03 Skills Library and Role-Based Onboarding
17:56 How Decision Memos Get Documented and Indexed
19:37 Company Brain and Reducing Attrition Risk
21:47 Fewer Conversations: Are People Going to AI Instead of HR?
23:20 Balancing Context-Gathering with Employee Trust
26:14 What the Memory System Deliberately Doesn't Retain
28:14 More Time for Deep Work, Fewer Casual Check-Ins
29:43 What Companies Got Wrong with AI-Driven Layoffs
32:36 The Breaking of the Employee-Employer Bargain
36:07 Gen Z, Boundaries, and the "Do the Job for Free First" Problem
39:01 Rethinking How Companies Assess Impact and Potential
40:04 Chili Piper's Approach: Promoting Early, Pay Range Transparency
42:06 Why People Managers Don't Get Paid More at Chili Piper
45:43 Introducing the "Impact Intelligence" Tool
50:30 Building Performance Principles with AI's Help
51:33 Final Advice: Get Curious About AI and Rethink Reciprocity

Connect with Hallie

Visit: chilipiper.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hallie-condon-0b181325/

Resources Mentioned

Company Mentioned:

Chili Piper - B2B SaaS company where Hallie is VP of People, with ~150 employees across 36 countries
Oyster - Global employment/compliance platform Hallie credits for managing their distributed workforce
Claude - AI assistant used to power Chili Piper's "Company Brain" and impact intelligence tools
Granola - Meeting notes tool Hallie uses to capture context from conversations

More FNDN Episodes:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

Building A Company of AI Super Workers - Tracy St. Dic

Sun, 09 Aug 2026 02:54:30 -0400

Building a Company of AI Super Workers with Tracy St. Dic, Chief People & Talent Officer at Zapier

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup people and reward practices, with industry leaders from across the startup world.

In our conversation with Tracy St. Dic, Head of Talent at Zapier, we explore how one of the world's most AI-forward companies transformed its culture, hiring process, and compensation philosophy around AI fluency. We take a deep dive into Zapier's AI Fluency Framework, how it has reshaped hiring, onboarding, and performance management, and how leadership balances rewarding AI-driven impact without chasing a "flash-in-the-pan" trend.”

Join Startup People Summit, a one-day virtual conference designed for startup People leaders who want practical insight, honest conversations and proven approaches to scaling their People function — get your ticket here: www.startuppeoplesummit.com

Chapters:

00:46 Guest Introduction: Tracy St. Dic, Head of Talent at Zapier
01:56 Day One: Zapier's "Code Red" Moment with AI
04:39 Change Management 101: Getting Buy-In Across the Company
07:16 Why AI Transformation Landed with the People Team
10:27 Retraining Your Brain: Trigger-Action Thinking
10:46 Building the AI Fluency Framework (V1 to V2)
14:39 Measuring ROI: Efficiency, Quality, and Employee Experience
18:11 Token Maxing vs. Value Maxing
19:57 Hiring and Onboarding Overhaul for AI Fluency
25:23 Sticking Points: Candidate Pools and Hiring Manager Buy-In
26:39 Onboarding in an AI-Fluent Workspace
32:09 Should AI-Fluent Talent Be Paid More?
37:28 Interpreting Industry Layoffs Framed Around AI
40:15 Durable Skills vs. Technical Skills in Hiring
42:49 The Future of Manager Roles: Player-Coaches vs. Flatter Orgs
45:23 Advice for Early-Career Professionals
48:09 Closing Advice: Get Hands-On-Keyboard

Connect with Tracy

Visit:
https://zapier.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-stdic/?isSelfProfile=false

Company Mentioned:

Zapier - Automation and AI company where Tracy leads talent strategy and built the AI Fluency Framework

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

The Discipline for Becoming a Great CPO with Adam Weber, Executive Coach to CEOs & C-Suite Leaders

Sat, 25 Jul 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup people and reward practices, with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Adam Weber, Executive Coach to CEOs, Chief People Officers, and other C-suite leaders, we unpack what it truly takes to thrive at the executive level. From the five signals of great executives to navigating dysfunction when the CEO is part of the problem, Adam shares the discipline and intentionality behind senior leadership — and what aspiring CPOs need to start building today.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the FNDN Series
01:05 Guest Introduction: Adam Weber
01:27 The Current Landscape for CPOs on Executive Teams
03:58 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as an Executive
05:09 Preparing for Pushback Before the Meeting
06:34 Tying People Initiatives to Business Priorities
07:14 The Transition from VP of People to CPO
08:03 The Risk of Over-Softening at the Executive Level
10:23 The Five Signals of Great Executives
13:42 Navigating Dysfunctional Executive Teams
15:08 When the CEO Is the Problem
17:38 Coming to the CEO with Solutions, Not Just Problems
22:54 How to Script Difficult Conversations with the CEO
24:00 Leadership Is a Discipline: Don't Bury the Lead
27:26 How to Prepare for the Path to Executive Leadership
30:46 Taking Bold Swings and Standing Behind Them
36:08 The Evolving Remit of the CPO and AI Transformation
41:31 Knowing When to Say No to Expanding Your Function
43:22 The Human Element That AI Can't Replace
49:17 Final Words for Aspiring People Leaders

Connect with Adam Weber

Visit: https://adamweber.co https://linkedin.com/in/meetadam/

Resources Mentioned

People Mentioned: Christine Song — cited as an example of a CPO who says the hard things out loud Sarika — People leader responsible for AI workforce transformation Benjamin Langner — Guest on a previous FNDN episode discussing what not to use AI for

Quote Referenced: Danny Meyer, CEO of Shake Shack — "Business is problems."

Events: Startup People Summit 2026 — Sign up to the waitlist at startupeoplesummit.com

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

CPO, ChiefPeopleOfficer, ExecutiveLeadership, PeopleOperations, StartupLeadership, ExecutiveCoaching, LeadershipDevelopment, FiveSignals, CandorAtWork, ExecutivePresence, StartupCompensation, PeopleAndCulture, AITransformation, WorkplaceLeadership, CPORole, LeadershipDiscipline, HRLeadership, StartupPeople, CareerGrowth, StartupBestPractices

All The Ways You're Building or Breaking Your Credibility

Sun, 12 Jul 2026 01:14:28 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup people and pay practices with industry leaders from across the startup world.

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Join Startup People Summit, a one-day virtual conference designed for startup People leaders who want practical insight, honest conversations and proven approaches to scaling their People function — get your ticket here: www.startuppeoplesummit.com

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In our conversation with Melanie Naranjo ,Chief People Officer at Ethena, we get raw and real about the state of HR in today's employer-driven market. We explore how HR professionals can build credibility with their CEOs, navigate the pressures of AI adoption, manage the loneliness of the HR role, and find the resilience to advocate for themselves — and their function — with confidence.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the FNDN Series
00:44 Welcome & Setting the Stage
01:03 The Current State of the Market
03:07 How HR Teams Should Adapt
03:29 Spicy Take: Mentoring Your CEO Through AI Panic
05:35 Upskilling the Workforce for an AI-Forward World
07:05 Making AI Accessible — Not Just Aspirational
10:02 DEI, Change Management & Getting Company-Wide Adoption Right
11:16 Building Credibility as a Strategic Partner to the C-Suite
12:18 Asking the Right Questions & Holding CEOs Accountable
14:26 Balancing Short-Term Wins with Long-Term Strategy
15:26 Marketing the HR Function Better
16:24 Handling "Department of Plus One" Overload
22:39 Quarterly Leadership Feedback: Three Questions That Build Credibility
25:46 The Power of Vulnerability in Tough Conversations
28:54 Navigating the Fractional vs. In-House Shift
38:53 Long-Term Career Advice for People Professionals
43:03 Finding Joy Outside of Work
44:54 Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks

Connect with Melanie Naranjo

Visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanie-naranjo

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM
Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

HRCredibility, PeopleOps, StartupHR, ChiefPeopleOfficer, HRLeadership, CEORelationship, AIAdoption, HRStrategy, StartupCompensation, ChangeManagement, FractionalHR, HRProfessionals, TalentDensity, WorkplaceWellbeing, HRCareer, PeopleStrategy, StartupCulture, HRBestPractices, EmployeeEngagement, StartupLeadership

The HR Leader That Brings Therapy to Work with Isidora Torres, VP of People at Beehiiv

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 10:18:41 -0400

Description: Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup people and compensation practices with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Isidora Torres, VP of People at Beehiiv, we explore what it truly means to bring a therapist's lens into HR — from embedding wellness into high performance culture, to building radical transparency with your CEO. Isidora shares how Beehiiv has redesigned performance reviews, structured comp cycles, and created a culture where honesty and vulnerability are championed from the top down. Stay tuned to hear how she's redefining what people operations can look like in a remote-first, high-performing startup.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
00:44 Startup People Summit 2026 Announcement
01:03 Guest Introduction: Isidora Torres
01:46 Bringing a Therapist Lens into HR
03:34 Integrating Therapeutic Skills into Leadership Development
05:20 Building a Management Operating System
07:16 Defining Core Values at Beehiiv
08:13 The Role of Wellbeing in High-Performance Culture
09:10 Rest as Part of the Performance System
10:33 Personal Responsibility vs. Organizational Support
12:04 Working Remotely and Maintaining Culture
14:04 Psychological Safety and CEO Transparency
16:55 Building an Honest Relationship with Leadership
19:40 How Isidora Interviewed Her CEO
23:42 Principles for a Strong CEO-HR Relationship
26:17 Wellness Days and Their Impact
27:29 Decoupling Performance Reviews from Comp Reviews
30:23 How Merit-Based Pay Still Works
33:03 Running Four Comp Cycles a Year
35:16 Safeguarding Honesty in Reflections
36:22 The "Sun Shining" Channel
39:13 The Traction Framework and Rocks System
44:47 People Analytics and Meaningful Data
46:35 Remote Work and Talent Philosophy
50:47 Writing a Newsletter and Growing in Public
55:19 Final Advice: Experiment and Ask
56:46 Closing Remarks

Connect with Isidora

Visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/torresisidora/

Resources Mentioned

Books Mentioned: No Rules Rules by Reed Hastings and Erin Meyer — the Netflix culture book referenced for the "sun shining" concept Traction by Gino Wickman — the framework behind Beehiiv's rocks-based goal-setting system

Companies Mentioned: Beehiiv — remote-first startup where Isidora serves as Head of People Operations Shapes — people operating system / AI tool for people data (mentioned in mid-roll) Bridgewater Associates — referenced in discussion of radical transparency culture Morning Brew — where Beehiiv's CEO Tyler learned the Traction/rocks framework Clay — mentioned as an example of companies using coaches for employee wellbeing

Concepts Mentioned: Sun Shining — a Slack channel practice at Beehiiv where leaders publicly acknowledge mistakes and learnings Replays — Beehiiv's version of performance reviews, decoupled from compensation Rocks — goal-setting units from the Traction framework (company, team, and individual levels) Wellness Days — monthly Fridays off at Beehiiv built into company benefits

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

TherapyAtWork, PeopleOps, HRLeadership, StartupCulture, WellbeingAtWork, PsychologicalSafety, RemoteWork, PerformanceReviews, CompensationStrategy, StartupCompensation, HighPerformance, EmployeeWellness, PeopleOperations, MentalHealthAtWork, RadicalTransparency, StartupLeadership, FlatOrganization, EmployeeEngagement, HRNewsletter, StartupBestPractices

How Shapes is Building for the HR Role of the Future with Shani Brisilovsky, AI Product Lead at Shapes

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Description: Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Shani Brisilovsky, AI Product Lead at Shapes and behavioral economics researcher, we explore how AI is fundamentally reshaping the HR function — from automating admin-heavy processes to positioning people teams as the drivers of organization-wide AI transformation. We dig into the shortcomings of legacy HRIS platforms, the rise of agentic AI in people operations, and why the future of HR is less about rigid calendars and more about real-time, human-centered decision-making. Stick around to hear Shani's advice on how people leaders can get ahead of the curve before it's too late.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to the FNDN Series
00:44 Guest Introduction: Shani Brisilovsky
01:37 Keeping Up with AI's Rapid Pace of Change
03:34 How a Behavioral Economics Master's Informs AI Thinking
05:21 The Evolving Role of HR in the Age of AI
06:39 HR as the Driver of AI Transformation: The Atlassian Example
08:22 Challenges of Leading Transformative Organizational Change
09:30 Moving from Rigid HR Cadences to Real-Time Processes
13:35 Preserving the Human Element Amid Automation
14:17 Lessons from Healthcare: Freeing Up Time for What Matters
18:09 The Emergency Room Story: Human Connection Throughout the Process
20:10 Where Current HRIS Systems Are Falling Short
24:50 Agentic AI and How Shapes Is Building for the Future
30:32 Addressing AI Concerns: Privacy, Security, and Hallucinations
32:33 Vibe Feature Demo: Generating Salary Bands with a Single Prompt
33:44 Advice for People Leaders: Start Now, Don't Wait
35:14 Closing Remarks

Connect with Shani

Visit: https://shapes.co/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanibrusi/

Resources Mentioned

Companies & Organisations Mentioned: Shapes — AI-native HRIS platform where Shani serves as AI Product Lead

MIT AHA (Advanced Humans with AI) Research Center — Research hub studying how people interact with AI tools; conferences available online

Atlassian — Notable example of a company placing AI transformation under its HR/People team

Zapier — Another example where the Chief People Officer took ownership of AI transformation

Anthropic — Recommended by Shani as a direct, high-quality source for learning how AI is being built and used

A16z — Published the article Workday's Last Workday, referenced in the discussion on legacy HRIS limitations

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

AIinHR, FutureOfWork, HRTechnology, PeopleOperations, BehavioralEconomics, AgenticAI, HRISPlatforms, StartupCompensation, HRLeadership, AITransformation, PeopleTeams, WorkplaceInnovation, HRAutomation, StartupCulture, CompensationStrategy, RealTimeHR, HumanCenteredAI, EmployeeExperience, TalentManagement, StartupBestPractices

One List Every Head of People Needs Before Their CEO Says to Use AI with Ben Langer, Global HR Executive

Sat, 30 May 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Description: Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Ben Langner, Global HR Executive, we explore the evolving role of AI in HR — where it genuinely accelerates decision-making, where it falls short, and which human moments should never be handed over to automation. Ben shares his practical framework for building a "no-fly list" of irreplaceable human interactions, and how people teams can lead AI adoption inside their organizations with confidence and clarity.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the FNDN Series
00:44 Welcome Ben Langner: AI and HR Today
02:19 Speed to Insight: AI's Most Practical HR Use Cases
04:46 The Risk of Using AI as a Crutch
08:43 Better Prompting: How to Get More Out of AI
10:08 Interactive Prompting vs. Single-Point Prompts
12:24 AI in Practice: Internal vs. Personal Use Cases
13:45 Why Claude Is Changing Lives in the HR Space
15:58 Balancing AI's Pace of Change with Security
16:04 The List: Defining Where Humans Must Stay in the Loop
19:08 How to Start the AI Conversation Inside Your Business
22:52 Performance Management: A Clear Case for Human Judgment
24:45 Personal Moments at Work That Should Never Be Automated
26:59 AI as a Gift for HR Teams, Not a Threat
29:51 How AI Is Elevating the HR Role
30:19 Connecting People Data to Business Outcomes
36:04 AI Adoption: How HR Teams Can Lead the Charge
40:22 Finding and Nurturing AI Champions Internally
43:18 Raising the Ceiling: Adoption Models That Work
44:34 Hackathons and Think Tanks: Structured AI Innovation
47:10 Closing Thoughts and Wrap-Up

Connect with Ben Langner

Visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benlangner/

Resources Mentioned

Tools Mentioned: Claude (Anthropic) — AI tool Ben highlights as a game-changer for HR professionals in the last 30–60 days

Events Mentioned: Join Startup People Summit, a one-day virtual conference designed for startup People leaders who want practical insight, honest conversations and proven approaches to scaling their People function — get your ticket here: www.startuppeoplesummit.com

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

AIinHR, HRLeadership, PeopleOperations, AIAdoption, FutureOfWork, HRTech, StartupCompensation, HumanMoments, AIandHR, PeopleData, PromptingTips, HRStrategy, WorkplaceAutomation, PeopleTeams, StartupCulture, HRInnovation, AIChampions, ChangeManagement, TalentRetention, StartupLeadership

The Wellbeing Strategy for Any Stage of Company with Phil Wolf, Founder at Connects Health

Sat, 16 May 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Phil Wolf, Founder of Connects Health and workplace wellbeing specialist with over 15 years of experience, we unpack the growing mental load crisis facing today's workforces and why traditional wellbeing programs are falling short. We explore Phil's Wayfinder Framework — a practical, scalable approach to embedding genuine wellbeing strategy into companies of any size — and what it actually takes to build a culture where people can perform without burning out.

You don't need a HRIS, you need a PeopleOS. The only platform with native AI is Shapes. Check it out here: https://shapes.co/lp/insights-lp?utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=matt_april

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:08 Meet Phil Wolf: Workplace Wellbeing Specialist
01:59 The State of Wellbeing in Today's Workforce
03:45 The Biggest Challenge: Constant Mental Load
07:04 AI, Efficiency Pressure, and Burnout
08:34 Why Removing Admin Work Can Backfire
09:52 Time Boxing and Energy Pattern Planning
11:17 Job Security Anxiety and the AI Threat
12:40 External Stressors: News, Cost of Living, and Low-Grade Anxiety
15:49 How to Curate Your Information Diet
19:29 LinkedIn Tips for Healthier Consumption
20:54 The Problem with Traditional Wellbeing Programs
22:12 Why EAPs Alone Are Not Enough
23:13 From Initiatives to Strategy: The Industry Shift
25:07 The Safe, Productive, and Prosperous Framework
28:06 Redefining What Wellbeing Really Means
29:20 When Should Companies Start Taking Wellbeing Seriously?
30:59 The Wayfinder Framework Explained
35:26 Making It Work for Small and Growing Businesses
37:21 The Wellbeing Enrichment Program
39:24 Real-World Results: Insurance, Burnout Metrics, and ROI
45:28 Recap and Key Takeaways
46:09 Final Tip: Upskill Your Managers First
47:26 Resources and Where to Find Phil
49:28 Closing Remarks

Connect with Phil Wolf

Visit: connectshealth.com.au linkedin.com/in/philwolf

Resources Mentioned

Programs & Frameworks: Wayfinder Framework — Phil's core model for embedding wellbeing across any size organization: Purpose, Values, Skills, Systems, and Support Wellbeing Enrichment Program — Phil's all-in-one wellbeing solution that replaces traditional EAP models

Newsletter: Connects Health Tuesday Newsletter — Weekly practical breakdowns on wellbeing and performance for HR leaders and business owners

News Source Mentioned: The Squiz — Australian daily news program offering an unbiased 10-minute summary of current events

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

WorkplaceWellbeing, BurnoutPrevention, StartupCulture, EmployeeWellbeing, WellbeingStrategy, MentalHealthAtWork, WayfinderFramework, PeopleOperations, HRLeadership, StartupCompensation, HighPerformance, WorkplaceResilience, EAPAlternative, PeopleAndCulture, ManagerDevelopment, StartupLeadership, FNDNSeries, AIAndWork, WorkLifeBalance, EmployeeEngagement

The HR Infrastructure Gap No One Is Talking About with Jessie Schofer, Founder at Stakkd

Sat, 02 May 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Jesse Schofer, Founder of Stacked and leading voice in HR tech, we explore the critical infrastructure gaps holding HR teams back from becoming truly strategic functions. We unpack why most people ops teams are stuck in a cycle of reactive admin work, how to build a scalable HR tech stack aligned to business outcomes, and what the future of AI-powered HR infrastructure actually looks like.

You don't need a HRIS, you need a PeopleOS. The only platform with native AI is Shapes. Check it out here: https://shapes.co/lp/insights-lp?utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=matt_april

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:44 Guest Introduction: Jesse Schofer

01:05 Why HR Gets Less Budget Than Other Functions

02:43 The "Too Many Tools" Myth Debunked

04:57 Where to Start: Choosing the Right HR Tech

06:07 Strategic Prioritization Over Reactive Decisions

07:57 Contextual Infrastructure: No One-Size-Fits-All

10:59 Defining Success Before Selecting Tech

12:05 Requirements Mapping: Building Backwards from the Outcome

13:50 The Stacked Database: Broadening Your Vendor Search

16:37 All-in-One vs. Point Solutions

19:22 How New Tech Changes Your Day-to-Day Operations

22:09 The Self-Fulfilling Cycle of Poor HR Infrastructure

29:25 How to Get Executive Buy-In for Infrastructure Investment

35:06 Options Papers and Candid Leadership Conversations

41:32 State of the Union: Where HR Tech Is Falling Short

43:00 AI and the Future of People Ops as a Service Function

48:39 Closing Advice: Take Control of Your Own Development

50:36 Where to Find Jesse

Connect with Jesse

Visit: stakkd.tech

https://linkedin.com/in/jessieschofer

Resources Mentioned:

Tools & Communities:

Stacked – HR tech discovery database built by Jesse to help teams find and shortlist vendors

Humans in the Loop – Jesse's Slack community focused on AI and HR tech transformation

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

HRTech, PeopleOps, HRInfrastructure, StartupHR, HRStrategy, AIinHR, HRTechStack, PeopleOperations, HRTransformation, TechStack, PointSolution, AllInOne, HRLeadership, StrategicHR, FutureOfWork, HRData, PeopleAnalytics, HRBuyIn, ChangeManagement, StartupCompensation

This Company’s Compensation Cycle Takes Five Minutes with Rowan Savage

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Rowan Savage, Former CTO & Co-Founder at Runn, we explore how unconventional compensation practices can drive zero turnover and 100% employee net promoter scores. Rowan shares how Runn implemented automatic pay rises, pay transparency with exact salaries (no bands), location-agnostic compensation, and the radical practice of paying every role the same at each level—from engineers to marketers. We dive deep into their four-day work week, recruiting philosophy that attracted top 1% talent, and performance management approach that separated pay from performance discussions. Keep watching to discover how these practices resulted in annual pay reviews taking less than five minutes instead of weeks or months.’

Rowan is a serial entrepreneur and tech founder with a strong belief that the way you win is by attracting the best talent, putting the right team together, retaining them over the long term, aligning them on the mission and then unleashing them to do their thing. Rowan was recently the chief technology officer, and one of 4 co-founders at Runn. A fast-growing startup that’s embedded many of these ideas at the core including transparent pay, aysnc remote, worldwide hiring, flexible working hours and let’s not forget a 4 day work week.

Chapters:

00:44 Guest Introduction: Rowan Savage

01:48 Philosophy: Building High-Performing Teams

03:13 Consulting Top Talent Before Starting

05:37 People Operations Without HR Experts

08:20 Creating an Employee-Centric Culture

10:04 Redesigning Employment Contracts

13:05 Beyond Compensation: Building Your EVP

16:47 The ESOP Reality in New Zealand

19:42 The Contract as a First Impression

22:15 Hiring Process: Identifying Top Performers

24:05 Recruiting Through Community, Not Job Boards

24:48 Writing Job Ads That Attract Attention

27:09 Long Interview Processes Done Right

30:01 Investing Equal Time as Candidates

31:17 Scaling the Hiring Process

32:56 Attraction Strategy: Making a Great Workplace

34:30 Achieving 100% Employee Net Promoter Score

41:25 Automatic Pay Rises Based on Experience

44:24 Location-Agnostic Global Compensation

46:07 Five-Minute Pay Reviews vs Months-Long Cycles

47:27 Why Performance Comparisons Never Came Up

50:57 Eight-Week Cycles and Performance Tracking

52:34 Sandbagging vs High Performance Culture

54:12 Lessons Learned: Leadership Alignment Challenges

57:46 100% Retention in Engineering Team

59:35 Advice: Focus on People from Day One

Connect with Rowan

https://www.linkedin.com/in/savagerowan/

Resources Mentioned

Runn - Resource management platform for B2B SaaS companies

Buffer - Known for pioneering pay transparency practices

Atlassian - Australian software company referenced for compensation benchmarks

Culture Amp - People and culture platform

GitHub - Platform for software development

Canva - Australian design platform

Company Mentioned:

Runn - Resource management platform for B2B SaaS companies

Buffer - Company known for pay transparency practices

Culture Amp - People and culture platform

Atlassian - Australian software company

Canva - Australian design platform

GitHub - Software development platform

Tools Mentioned:

DISC Assessment - Personality and behavior assessment tool used by leadership team

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

__________________________________________________

StartupCompensation, PayTransparency, CompensationStrategy, AutomaticPayRises, LocationAgnosticPay, FourDayWorkWeek, HighPerformanceTeams, ZeroTurnover, EmployeeNetPromoterScore, PayEquity, TalentRetention, StartupCulture, RecruitingStrategy, PerformanceManagement, EmployeeEngagement, CompensationFrameworks, StartupBestPractices, PeopleOperations, RemoteWork, GlobalCompensation

Steal Big Tech's Playbook For The Worlds Best Comp Practices

Tue, 07 Apr 2026 10:04:41 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series. In this episode, we sit down with Arif Ender, Director of Compensation at Palo Alto Networks and former compensation leader at Meta. We unpack the strategic differentiators tech giants use to scale from 5,000 to 50,000+ employees.

We explore why job architecture is the non-negotiable foundation for growth, the looming challenges of the EU Pay Transparency Directive, and how AI tools like Claude Code are democratizing the competitive advantages once reserved for Silicon Valley titans. Arif shares practical strategies for building custom HR tools, managing global expansion, and maintaining pay equity at scale.

About the Guest

Arif Ender is a Total Rewards expert with nearly two decades of experience at Palo Alto Networks, Meta, Mars, and Nestlé. Currently the Director of Compensation for EMEA & LATAM at Palo Alto Networks, he oversees strategy across 65+ countries. Arif is also a faculty member at WorldatWork and holds CCP, GRP, and CSCP certifications. He specializes in navigating market volatility, sales incentives, and regulatory compliance on a global scale.

Chapters

00:44 Guest Introduction: Arif Ender

01:08 EU Pay Transparency Directive: The Year Ahead

02:59 Beyond Data Modeling: Change Management Challenges

04:39 Correcting Past Practices & Preventing Future Issues

06:02 Making the Business Case: Fines, Tenders, and Reputation

09:36 Scaling Compensation: From 500 to 5,000+ Employees

12:55 Job Architecture: The Non-Negotiable Foundation

16:22 The Meta Advantage: Custom-Built HR Tools

18:02 Scaling Crisis: Approving 800 Offers Solo

20:01 Why Most Companies Lack Meta's Tooling Strategy

24:06 AI's Democratization of Competitive Advantages

28:06 Learning Claude Code: The Practical Roadmap

32:08 Building Custom Tools: Family Finance to Market Pricing

36:01 Why People Teams Should Build Their Own Tools

38:00 The "Rest of World" Problem for US-Headquartered Companies

41:09 First Moves: Hiring Global Expertise Early

42:18 The Painful Transition: Structuring for Scale

43:14 "Hire at All Cost" vs. Pay Equity Reality

48:02 Meta's Philosophy: No Counter-Offers Ever

52:28 2026 and Beyond: EU Pay Transparency Predictions

56:04 Cultural Nuances: The Nigeria Allowances Story

Connect with Arif

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/arifender

Resources Mentioned

Companies & Organizations:

Palo Alto Networks – Global cybersecurity leader.

Meta (Facebook) – Where Arif scaled comp during hyper-growth.

WorldatWork – The leading association for Total Rewards professionals.

WGEA – Australia’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency.

Tools & Technologies:

Claude Code – AI tool for building custom applications.

Lovable – AI-driven rapid app development.

Gemini & ChatGPT – Large Language Models for productivity.

Next.js – Framework used for building HR tool frontends.

Concepts & Frameworks:

EU Pay Transparency Directive – New legislation regarding pay equity.

Job Architecture – The framework for organizing roles and levels.

Statistical Regression Modeling – Used for deep pay equity analysis.

More FNDN Episodes

Spotify: Listen Here

Apple Podcast: Listen Here

Tags:

#EUPayTransparency #CompensationAtScale #PayEquity #JobArchitecture #MetaCompensation #StartupCompensation #GlobalCompensation #AITools #ClaudeCode #HRTech #PeopleOps #TalentStrategy #CompFrameworks #GenderPayGap #ScalingStartups

Everything You Know About Paying Fairly is Wrong | With What Pay Costs' Author James Seechurn

Sat, 21 Mar 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with James Seechurn, author of What Pay Costs and Nothing Left to Take Away, we challenge everything you thought you knew about compensation. James dismantles the myths behind pay for performance models, merit cycles, and competency frameworks while exploring why companies fail to pay people fairly. We dive into the tension between chaos and control in startups, examine the future of work in an AI-driven economy, and discuss how participative workforces and employee ownership can transform company culture. Stick around for one of the most eye-opening conversations about compensation you'll ever hear.

James Alexander Seechurn is an author and advisor specializing in sales compensation, incentives, and the design of reward systems. He advises companies on how pay, job architecture, and performance systems shape behavior, culture, and long-term outcomes. James is the author of Nothing Left to Take Away and What Pay Costs, where he challenges conventional pay-for-performance thinking and draws on research, history, and real-world examples to rethink how organizations motivate people.

Chapters:

00:44 Guest Introduction: James Seechurn

02:26 The Balance of Chaos and Control in Startups

07:04 Pay Transparency and the Failure of Fair Compensation

11:35 Why Companies Haven't Paid People Fairly

16:23 Making the Economic Case for Fair Pay

20:43 Innovation Failures: BlackBerry, Google, and Kodak

26:45 Employee Ownership vs VC-Backed Models

31:35 The Problems with Merit Cycles and Pay for Performance

37:11 Why Competency Frameworks Infantilize Employees

43:22 Career Progression as the True Reward

48:37 Pay Tiers and Living Wages: A Better Approach

56:21 Peer-to-Peer Rewards and Participative Workforces

1:03:57 Advice for Startup Leaders: Trust Your People

1:12:39 The Future of Work in a Stagnant Wage Environment

1:21:02 Fractional Work and the Possible Return of Unions

1:27:21 The Executive Pay Problem

1:33:35 The Role of a Great CEO

Connect with James

Visit: LinkedIn profile https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-seechurn/

Guest: James Seechurn

Resources Mentioned

Books:

What Pay Costs by James Seechurn
Nothing Left to Take Away by James Seechurn
The Hidden Brain - Book on inherent bias
The Progress Principle by Teresa Amabile

Companies Mentioned:

Semco (Brazil) - Employee-owned participative workforce model
Valve - Gaming company with employee-decided structure
Morning Star (US) - Participative workforce example
PayPal - Living wage implementation
Whole Foods - Early pay transparency adopter
Carter - No negotiation pay stance
Emco (Brazil) - Employee ownership and salary-setting model

Concepts:

Knowledge work (Peter Drucker, 1959)
Cognitive closure (Ari Lansky)
Self-perception theory and self-determination theory
ESOPs (Employee Share Ownership Programs)
DAOs (Distributed Autonomous Organizations)

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

It's Time to Talk About the Menstrual Cycle with Carmen Amador, Founder at The Cycle Method

Sat, 21 Feb 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Carmen Amador, Founder of The Cycle Method and business psychologist, we unpack the critical connection between the menstrual cycle and workplace performance that most organizations are missing. We explore how the modern work environment, built on industrial revolution principles, fails to account for cyclical rhythms and discuss the untapped potential when we understand and leverage the unique strengths that come with each phase of the menstrual cycle. Keep watching to discover why women are twice as likely to burn out at work and what actionable steps both individuals and organizations can take to create more inclusive, effective workplaces.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Warm-Up Conversation

02:30 Guest Introduction: Carmen from The Cycle Method

04:45 Why the Menstrual Cycle Matters in the Workplace

08:15 The Personal Health Journey That Led to Professional Mission

12:00 How Modern Work Structure Ignores Cyclical Rhythms

15:20 The Burnout Statistics: Why Women Are Twice as Likely to Burn Out

18:10 Myth Busting: Beyond Period Pain and Pregnancy

21:40 The C-Suite Framework: CEO, CIO, CPO, CMO, and COO Energies

27:30 Understanding Your Unique Cyclical Patterns

31:15 The Three Layers: Self-Awareness, Adjustment, and Cycle Mastery

36:20 Practical Applications: Sync, Adjust, and Prepare

40:25 The Business Case: Untapped Potential and Performance

43:50 Using Product and Tech Language: Agile Meets Biology

46:40 The Policy vs. Culture Gap: Spain's Menstrual Leave Example

49:30 Creating All-Gender Inclusive Conversations

51:45 Generational Perspectives on Menstrual Cycle Awareness

53:20 Beyond the Menstrual Cycle: Including All Hormonal Experiences

54:45 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

65:50 Beyond the Menstrual Cycle: Including All Hormonal Experiences

68:00 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Connect with Carmen

Visit: thecyclemethod.com

linkedin.com/in/carmenpsychologist

Resources Mentioned

Oyster - Previous workplace where Matt and Carmen worked together
Culture Amp - People and culture platform
Air Tree - Australian VC company mentioned for menopause-focused initiatives
Canva - Example of inclusive leave policy implementation
Deloitte - Published report on supporting women through hormonal transitions showing 60% higher retention

Research and Studies:

WGEA (Workplace Gender Equality Agency) - Referenced for workplace equity benchmarks
Deloitte Report on Hormonal Transitions - Found 60% higher retention when women feel supported
Spain's Menstrual Leave Policy - First country to offer legal menstrual leave

Concepts and Frameworks:

The Cycle Method - Carmen's educational program and framework
Agile Framework - Compared to menstrual cycle phases
Seasons Analogy - Winter (menstruation), Spring (follicular), Summer (ovulation), Autumn (luteal)
C-Suite Framework - CEO (menstruation), CIO (follicular), CPO/CMO (ovulation), COO (luteal)

Media:

A Good Hang by Amy Poehler - YouTube series mentioned in conversation

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

MenstrualCycleAwareness, WorkplaceWellbeing, WomensHealth, StartupCulture, BurnoutPrevention, HormonalHealth, CyclicalLiving, PeopleOperations, InclusiveWorkplace, WorkplaceEquity, PerformanceOptimization, HRInnovation, DiversityAndInclusion, EmployeeWellbeing, StartupLeadership, WomenInBusiness, CycleTracking, HolisticWorkplace, PsychologicalSafety, StartupBestPractices

What HR teams could learn about Brand and Community with Lachlan Bradford

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Lachlan Bradford, Community Content Manager at Sked Social and Co-Host of the Funny Business Podcast, we explore the powerful intersection of brand, community, and people operations. Lachlan shares his unconventional journey from cricket academy to lift operator in Canada, bar manager, e-commerce founder, and ultimately to building vibrant communities in the startup world. We unpack the critical lessons HR teams can learn from community building, the importance of authentic employer branding, the power of personal connection over automation, and how to create workplaces where people genuinely don't want to leave. Keep watching to discover how treating your people like community members can transform your retention, engagement, and company culture.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

01:45 Guest Introduction: Lachlan Bradford

03:20 Lachlan's Unconventional Journey: From Cricket Academy to Community Building

09:15 The Teachers Who Shaped His Approach to Leadership

13:40 From Bar Manager to E-Commerce: Building OB and Co

16:50 Starting Funny Business Podcast During COVID

32:40 The Founder Mindset: Customer Obsession Applied to HR

36:20 Authentic Employer Branding vs Generic Approaches

40:15 The Power of Niche: Speaking Your Audience's Language

44:30 LinkedIn Strategy: Real Relationships Over Automation

48:45 Surprise and Delight: Creating Memorable Employee Experiences

57:35 Creating Workplaces Where People Don't Want to Leave

58:45 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Connect with Lachlan:

Visit: https://skedsocial.com

LinkedIn https://linkedin.com/in/lachlanbradford

Resources Mentioned:

Sked Social - Social media management and scheduling platform where Lachlan serves as

Community Content ManagerFunny Business Podcast - Podcast for free thinkers and creators hosted by Lachlan Bradford and Robbie

HicksDream Big Social Club - Community initiative founded by Lachlan featuring events, workshops, and networking opportunities

Ways of Working Consultancy - Agile delivery consultancy launched from the Funny Business podcast

People Mentioned:Ben Waterman - CEO of The Resilience Project, former teacher at Cricket Academy

David McKay - Fusion scientist and former Cricket Academy teacher (brother of Australian cricketer Clint McKay)

Mark Worthington - Player Development Manager at Geelong Cats (AFL)Peter Boul - Leadership expert who delivered workshops for the Dream Big Social Club community

Robbie Hicks - Co-host of Funny Business Podcast and business partner

Concepts Discussed:Customer Obsession in People OperationsAuthentic vs Generic Employer Branding

LinkedIn Relationship Building StrategiesCommunity-First Approach to Workplace Culture

Surprise and Delight Employee Experiences

The Power of Niche Positioning in Talent AttractionFounder Mindset for Employee Engagement

More FNDN Episodes: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

Reverse Engineering Burnout with Nav Rao, CTO at Spoony

Sat, 07 Feb 2026 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Nav, Fractional CTO at Spoony, we explore the often-overlooked topic of burnout among startup employees beyond just founders. Nav shares his personal journey through chronic depression, multiple startup experiences, and the harsh realities of burning out across six different organizations. We unpack what burnout actually is versus simple tiredness, examine the catalysts that drive employees to exhaustion (from bureaucracy to toxic positivity), and discuss both personal and organizational responsibilities in preventing burnout. This conversation gets refreshingly honest about failure, mental health, and the human side of working in high-pressure startup environments. Keep watching to hear Nav's candid insights on recognizing burnout symptoms, the importance of checking your own ambitions, and why startup culture needs to give more attention to the people who aren't founders.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and LinkedIn Connection Story

01:45 Guest Introduction: Nav, Fractional CTO at Spoony

03:30 Defining Burnout: What It Is and What It Isn't

06:15 Physical and Emotional Symptoms of Burnout

08:45 Burnout vs Disengagement: Understanding the Difference

12:20 Matt's Personal Burnout Story: The Law Firm Experience

17:30 Catalysts of Burnout: Bureaucracy and Apathy

21:15 The Exponential Product Story: Law Firm Retention Issues

24:40 High Performance Culture Paradox

28:10 The Problem with "Just Ship It" and Chronic Positivity

31:45 Startup Success Narrative and Failure Stigma

35:20 LinkedIn's Role in Toxic Positivity

38:30 Organizational Culture and Psychological Safety

42:10 Engineering Teams and Burnout Dynamics

46:25 The Brilliant Jerk and Team Burnout

48:50 Personal Responsibility in Preventing Burnout

52:15 Checking Your Own Ambition: Nav's Big Company Experience

55:30 Manager Responsibilities and Human Connection

57:45 Beyond Founder Burnout: Supporting All Startup Employees

Connect with Nav:

Visit: https://spoony.app

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nav-rao/

Resources Mentioned:

Culture Amp - Employee experience platform referenced in law firm retention discussion
Office Vibe - Early-stage employee engagement tool
Exponential - Pre-COVID employee engagement product for law firms in New Zealand
Spoony - Neurodiversity and chronic illness social media platform where Nav is Fractional CTO
Psychological Safety - Creating environments where employees can admit mistakes and concerns
Tall Poppy Syndrome - Australian cultural phenomenon of cutting down those who stand out
10x Rockstar Engineers - The brilliant jerk archetype in engineering teams
Quiet Quitting - Referenced indirectly through discussion of doing minimum work

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

Building Leadership from Scratch (for yourself, and for others) with Shelley Johnson, Founder at Boldside

Sat, 24 Jan 2026 21:00:00 -0400

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup

compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Shelley Johnson, Founder of Boldside and former HR leader, we explore how to build effective leadership capabilities from the ground up - both for developing yourself as a leader and creating systems to develop others.

We dive deep into why most HR issues are actually upstream leadership problems, the importance of leadership onboarding processes, and practical frameworks for having difficult conversations including pay discussions.

Shelley shares her three-pillar approach to building influence as an HR professional and reveals why leadership development doesn't need to be overcomplicated. Keep watching to discover actionable strategies for transforming leadership capability in your organization.

Chapters:

00:54 Getting to Know Shelley: From HR Generalist to Leadership Consultant
02:59 Why Leadership? The Connection Between Leadership and HR Issues
06:00 Making Leadership More Approachable: Small Steps and Consistency
08:07 The Upstream Problem: How Poor Leadership Creates People Issues
10:09 Building Self-Awareness Through Consistent Reflection
12:43 Creating Safe Spaces for Leader Vulnerability and Growth
15:09 What Does Good Leadership Look Like? The WAGOLL Framework
19:02 Defining Leadership Behaviors: Care, Courage, and Consistency
21:46 Lightweight Leadership Development: Monthly Manager Conversations
24:42 Why People Don't Want Leadership Roles Anymore
27:11 Stopping the Sink or Swim Strategy
28:20 Creating Leadership Onboarding Processes
30:45 Setting Clear Expectations for New Leaders
32:59 Is Management an Add-On or the Core Role?
37:47 Having Difficult Conversations: The Pay Discussion Challenge
41:38 Preempting Difficult Topics as a Manager 46:51 What Employees Can Do: Starting Pay Conversations
48:12 Building Confidence and Influence as an HR Professional
51:32 The People, Presence, Problems Framework for HR Influence
55:37 Final Thoughts: Start Simple with Leadership Development

Connect with Shelley

Visit: boldside.com.au

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelley-johnson/?originalSubdomain=au

Resources Mentioned:

Leadership Development Concepts:

WAGOLL Framework (What A Good One Looks Like) - Educational approach for showing examples of excellence
The three C's of leadership: Care, Courage, and Consistency
People, Presence, Problems framework for building HR influence
Leadership onboarding processes (similar to new starter onboarding)

Workplace Practices:

Regular one-on-one check-ins (15-30 minutes based on individual needs)
Self-reflection habits for leaders
Proactive pay and career development conversations
Monthly manager learning communities

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

The Tough Pay Conversations (And How to Actually Have Them) with Sarika Lamont, VP of People & Culture at Vidyard

Sat, 20 Dec 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Sarika Lamont, VP of People and Culture at Vidyard, we tackle the most challenging compensation conversations that people leaders face. From delivering "no raise" news to high performers during budget constraints, to navigating pay transparency questions about salary differences between new hires and existing employees, Sarika shares practical frameworks for handling these difficult discussions. We explore how AI can enhance performance feedback, the importance of transparency in building trust, and strategies for managing expectations when business realities clash with employee desires. Keep watching to discover how to turn your toughest pay conversations into opportunities for deeper engagement and trust-building.

Chapters:

00:50 Guest Introduction: Sarika Lamont, VP at Vidyard

02:15 The Toughest Pay Conversation: Telling High Performers "No"

03:21 Framework for Delivering Bad News About Compensation

06:34 The Power of Recognition Beyond Money

08:20 Building Year-Round Recognition and Development

11:57 Using AI to Enhance Performance Feedback and Mentoring

12:31 Practical AI Application for Personalized Development Plans

13:02 Pay Transparency Challenges: New Hire vs. Existing Employee Pay

16:02 Navigating Pay Band Implementation and Market Reality

19:27 The Benefits of Long-Term Employment vs. Job Hopping

21:15 Moving Toward Pay Transparency Despite Executive Concerns

22:52 Treating Employees Like Adults: Trust and Consistency

24:14 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Connect with Sarika

Visit: vidyard.com

https://linkedin.com/in/sarikal/

Resources Mentioned

Tools and Companies:

Vidyard - AI-enabled go-to-market platform for video messaging and hosting
ChatGPT - Used for creating structured performance feedback and development plans
Ontario Pay Transparency Laws - Full transparency requirement starting January 1st, 2026

Concepts Discussed:

Pay band quartile systems for compensation structure
Comp ratios and market positioning strategies
AI-powered performance feedback generation ________________ Pave is a compensation intelligence platform that gives you real-time compensation data from more than 8,300 companies, allowing you to make calls with confidence, not guesswork. Access Information & Resources from Pave: 2026 Budgeting & Trends Report: Get your free copy of the full report discussed in the episode, which includes trends on planned merit budgets, "job hugging," and pay transparency. Report Landing Page (Email) Learn More About Pave: Visit the Pave homepage to explore how you can benchmark pay, price jobs, manage pay ranges, and run your merit cycle all in one place. Pave Homepage ________________

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify | Apple Podcast

Custom Comp: Getting Personal During Downturns with Sarika Lamont, VP of People & Culture at Vidyard

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Sarika Lamont, Vice President of People & Culture at Vidyard, we explore how to customize and personalize compensation in today's challenging economic environment. We dive into the art of persona mapping for compensation design, discuss how five generations in the workforce have vastly different priorities, and examine practical strategies for creating equitable yet personalized reward packages without breaking the budget. Stay tuned as we uncover how to balance transparency, fairness, and personalization in your compensation strategy during economic downturns.

Chapters:

00:50 Guest Introduction: Sarika Lamont from Vidyard

02:15 The Era of Personalization Meets Economic Reality

03:04 Five Generations in the Workforce: Different Values and Priorities

06:32 Building Employee Personas Like Marketing ICPs

08:07 The Importance of Transparency in Equitable Compensation

09:02 External Context: How Downturns Change Employee Priorities

13:08 From Government Consulting to Tech: Scaling Persona Mapping

14:01 The Interview Process: Validating Personas with Real Data

15:01 Country-Specific Compensation: Australia vs America Priorities

15:29 Why Companies Fear Asking Employees What They Want

16:12 The Christmas Wishlist Approach to Employee Feedback

18:10 Building Culture Through Transparent Communication

19:52 Scaling Back: When You Need to Unbuild What You Built

20:23 Budget Transparency and Honest Conversations

22:03 Resources and Templates for Getting Started with Personas

23:44 Using AI Tools to Build Persona Maps

Connect with Sarika

Visit: vidyard.com

https://linkedin.com/in/sarikalamont

Resources Mentioned

Companies Mentioned:

Vidyard - AI-enabled go-to-market tool with video messaging and hosting capabilities
Mercer - HR consulting firm (acquired the persona mapping consultancy mentioned)
Netflix - Referenced as pioneer of personalization algorithms

Tools and Concepts:

Persona mapping templates (to be provided in show notes)
ChatGPT/Claude - AI tools for building persona cards
Engagement survey data analysis
Compa ratio analysis for compensation planning ________________ Pave is a compensation intelligence platform that gives you real-time compensation data from more than 8,300 companies, allowing you to make calls with confidence, not guesswork. Access Information & Resources from Pave: 2026 Budgeting & Trends Report: Get your free copy of the full report discussed in the episode, which includes trends on planned merit budgets, "job hugging," and pay transparency. Report Landing Page (Email) Learn More About Pave: Visit the Pave homepage to explore how you can benchmark pay, price jobs, manage pay ranges, and run your merit cycle all in one place. Pave Homepage ________________

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify | Apple Podcast

AI's Impact on the People Function with Sarika Lamont, VP of People and Culture at Vidyard

Sat, 22 Nov 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, join us as we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Sarika Lamont, VP of People and Culture at Vidyard, we explore how AI is transforming the people function beyond just tools and automation. Sarika shares her unique journey from leading people operations to spearheading AI adoption across her entire organization, revealing practical strategies for reducing administrative burden while enhancing employee experience. We dive deep into the mindset shifts required for successful AI implementation, the importance of critical thinking when leveraging AI tools, and how to start small with automation to create meaningful impact. Keep watching to discover how AI can revolutionize your people's operations and learn actionable steps to begin your own AI transformation journey.

Sarika Lamont is a seasoned People leader with 20+ years in talent strategy, DEI, and organizational transformation. As VP of People and Culture at Vidyard, she leads AI and automation efforts while fostering inclusive, high-performance cultures that enable teams to thrive and deliver meaningful impact through clarity, focus, and execution.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to FNDN Series
01:12 Guest Introduction: Sarika Lamont
02:37 How AI Leadership Role Emerged at Vidyard 03:11 From Organic Interest to Company Priority
05:54 The Cultural Change Management Aspect of AI
07:05 Cross-Functional Collaboration with IT and Security 09:35 AI as a Connector: Seeing Opportunities Across Business
10:26 AI Tools vs Experimentation vs Wellbeing Considerations
11:48 Critical Thinking and AI: Avoiding Over-Reliance
14:56 Reducing Administrative Burden and Burnout
16:53 Re-imagining How We Work with AI
18:47 Biggest Impact: Admin Reduction and Experience Improvement
22:59 Connecting Systems: From Manual to Automated Workflows
24:18 Getting Started: Practical Tips for AI Adoption
27:11 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Connect with Sarika

linkedin.com/in/sarikalamont

Visit: vidyard.com

Resources Mentioned

Companies/Tools Mentioned:

Kinfolk - AI-enabled platform for onboarding and workflow automation
HiBob - HRIS platform integrated with AI workflows
Zapier - Automation platform with HR AI applications
Confluence - Documentation platform for policy information
OpenAI/ChatGPT - Generative AI tool mentioned for getting started

People Mentioned:

Brandon Sammut - Chief People Officer at Zapier (HR and AI webinars)
Bonnie - TA leader at Zapier

____________

Pave is a compensation intelligence platform that gives you real-time compensation data from more than 8,300 companies, allowing you to make calls with confidence, not guesswork.

Access Information & Resources from Pave:

2026 Budgeting & Trends Report: Get your free copy of the full report discussed in the episode, which includes trends on planned merit budgets, "job hugging," and pay transparency.

Report Landing Page (Email)

Learn More About Pave: Visit the Pave homepage to explore how you can benchmark pay, price jobs, manage pay ranges, and run your merit cycle all in one place.

Pave Homepage

_______________

More FNDN Episodes at ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠

Designing Your First Compensation Cycle with Vaso Parisinou

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:27:19 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Vaso Parisinou we tackle one of the most challenging aspects of early-stage people operations: designing and executing your first compensation cycle. We explore the critical steps from data preparation to employee communication, discussing how to build sustainable frameworks that reward performance while maintaining fairness and transparency. Vaso shares practical strategies for creating merit matrices, handling high performers at the top of salary bands, and incorporating non-monetary rewards like sabbaticals. Keep watching to discover the essential roadmap for getting your startup's first compensation cycle right and setting the foundation for future success.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to FNDN Series and Today's Topic

01:12 The Challenge of First Compensation Cycles: Getting Support

01:47 Key Milestones for Compensation Cycle Planning

01:58 Starting with Clean Data and Proper Scaffolding

05:03 Creating Merit Matrices for Pay-for-Performance Philosophy

05:59 Handling Different Performance Levels and Band Positions

06:45 Breaking Salary Bands: When and Why It Makes Sense

07:44 Avoiding Performance Demotivation Through Rigid Limits

08:00 Balancing Egalitarian Values with Performance Rewards

09:07 Non-Monetary Rewards: Spot Bonuses and Sabbaticals

10:15 Offering Choice: Tailoring Rewards to Individual Preferences

11:21 Post-Cycle Retrospectives and Focus Groups

13:21 Testing Employee Understanding of Compensation Philosophy

14:23 Helping Employees Understand Pay Equity and Positioning

16:26 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Connect with Vaso

Visit: ravio.com

https://linkedin.com/in/vaso-parisinou-4368b515/?originalSubdomain=uk

Company Mentioned:

Ravio - Compensation benchmarking platform where Vaso works as an expert in startup compensation cycles

Key Concepts Discussed:

Merit matrices and pay-for-performance frameworks
Compensation ratio management within salary bands
Non-monetary reward strategies including sabbaticals
Focus group methodologies for compensation retrospectives
Pay equity visualization and transparency

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

Why The Best People Teams Think Like Product Teams - Part 2 with Shirley Baumer Co-founder at Dream Team

Sat, 25 Oct 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Shirley Baumer, Co-Founder at Dream Team, we explore how to transform people's team by applying product-led principles in practice.

We discuss practical strategies for starting small with MVPs, implementing agile ceremonies for HR teams, and leveraging AI to free up time for strategic impact. Shirley shares actionable frameworks for running kickoff meetings, sync meetings, and retrospectives that help people teams ship faster, build credibility, and create measurable business impact. Keep watching to discover how to move from theory to practice and become a more commercial, effective people leader.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the FNDN Series

01:56 Starting with Product Thinking: Defining Outcomes Over Solutions

02:40 Running Your First MVP: The Kickoff Meeting Framework

05:58 Formalizing What You're Already Doing: User Interviews in HR

07:32 Fine-Tuning vs. Radical Shifts in People Operations

08:44 Scaling Product Practices: Agile Ceremonies for People Teams

09:26 Three Key Rituals: Kickoff, Sync, and Closing Ceremonies

11:34 Building Credibility Through Sprint Reviews and Visibility

13:49 Normalizing Mistakes: Building Psychological Safety into Your Process

14:58 Taking Pressure Off: Iterative Approaches to Compensation and Performance

17:12 The Power of Owning Your Mistakes as a Leader

18:26 Measuring Success: Qualitative Signals Over Cookie-Cutter KPIs

22:23 Defining Impact-Driven Metrics for Each Initiative

23:10 The Night and Day Difference: Personal Experience with Product-Led HR

25:07 AI's Role in Product-Led People Teams: Automation and Data Insights

28:11 Creating Space for Strategic Work Through Operations and Product Split

29:58 The Future of AI in HR: From Hype to Practical Application

32:29 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Connect with Shirley:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirleyjb/

Visit: dreamteam.io Newsletter: https://agilehr.substack.com/

Company Mentioned:

Dream Team - AI-powered HR platform that automates administrative work and surfaces data-driven insights for people teams

Concepts Discussed:

MVP (Minimum Viable Product) approach for HR initiatives
Agile ceremonies (kickoff meetings, sync meetings, retrospectives)
Sprint reviews for people team deliverables
Product thinking framework: outcomes over solutions
Synthetic audiences for user research

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

ProductLedHR, PeopleOperations, HRTransformation, AgileHR, ProductThinking, StartupHR, PeopleTech, HRInnovation, CompensationStrategy, PerformanceManagement, HRLeadership, StartupOperations, PeopleStrategy, HRTech, AIinHR, DataDrivenHR, HRProductManagement, PeopleAnalytics, StartupCulture, HRBestPractices

Why the Best People Teams Think Like Product Teams - Part 1 with Shirley Baumer Co-founder at Dream Team

Sat, 18 Oct 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Why the Best People Teams Think Like Product Teams - Part 1 with Shirley Baumer Co-founder at Dream Team

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup people topics with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Shirley Baumer, Co-founder at Dream Team and former Product Manager at Monday.com, we explore how people teams can adopt product-led thinking to drive real business impact. Shirley shares insights from her journey at Monday.com, where she was the first product manager and witnessed the company scale from 30 to over 2000 employees. We unpack the parallels between product teams and people teams, and why this mindset shift is critical for HR leaders who want to move beyond administrative work to become trusted strategic partners. Keep watching to discover practical frameworks for transforming your people operations from reactive to impact-driven.Shirley is Co-founder and CPO of DreamTeam, the AI-native people management platform now launching its first-ever AI agents for HR. Before DreamTeam, Shirley led product management at monday.com, joining as the first PM when the company had 30 employees and $6M ARR. She watched it scale to $1B ARR and 2,000 employees globally, experiencing firsthand how critical people management becomes during rapid growth. Shirley also co-founded STEPS&, a platform connecting healthcare providers with patients, and is a recognized speaker on product management and entrepreneurship

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to the FNDN Series

02:21 Guest Introduction: Shirley and Dream Team

04:46 What is Product-Led Thinking for People Teams?

06:04 Moving from Operational to Strategic: The Brand Challenge

07:08 Why This Approach Matters Now More Than Ever

09:01 Signs Your Team Needs a Product-Led Shift

11:04 Having a Seat at the Table: What Success Looks Like

12:22 Case Study: Rethinking Performance Reviews

18:02 The Myth of Best Practice and the Power of Context

19:59 Overcoming the Speed vs Quality Debate

23:28 The Safety of Admin Work and Why We Must Move Beyond It

24:34 Essential Skills for Product-Led People Teams

27:53 Breaking the HR Brand Stereotype

29:01 Starting Small: No Grand Announcements Needed

30:48 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Connect with Shirley:https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirleyjb/

Visit: dreamteam.ai

Newsletter: https://agilehr.substack.com/

Resources and Companies Mentioned:

Monday.com - Work management platform where Shirley served as first Product Manager and led core product with $850M ARR

Dream Team - AI-native people operating system co-founded by Shirley, focused on zero admin work for HR teams

Books and Resources:

The Mom Test - Book on conducting effective user interviews (recommended by Luke Armani)

Jessica Zweig - Thought leader on product-led thinking for HR

Luke Armani - Thought leader on product-led thinking for HR

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

Don't Use Engagement Surveys for Comp with with Andrew Bartlow, HR Expert and PE Operating Partner

Sat, 11 Oct 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Andrew Bartlow, HR Executive and Consultant with 30 years of experience, we tackle the controversial question of whether engagement surveys are effective tools for measuring compensation satisfaction. Andrew shares his candid perspective on why asking compensation questions in engagement surveys creates more problems than solutions, and reveals better methods for assessing whether your comp practices are actually working. We explore strategic approaches to compensation measurement, the importance of grounding HR work in business objectives, and practical alternatives to traditional survey methods that deliver more actionable insights.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome & Introduction to the FNDN Series

01:30 Guest Introduction: Andrew McIlvaine's 30-Year HR Journey

03:17 The Problem with Compensation Questions in Engagement Surveys

06:08 Why Engagement Surveys Create a Pandora's Box for Comp

06:42 Better Ways to Measure Compensation Effectiveness

09:37 Creating Strategic People Plans and Setting Clear Goals

10:21 Exit Interviews vs Exit Surveys: Best Practices for Comp Data

12:13 When to Use Live Conversations vs Surveys for Departing Employees

13:18 Grounding Compensation Work in Business Objectives

15:02 Final Words of Wisdom for People Leaders

Connect with Andrew

Visit: https://linkedin.com/in/bartlow/ The People Leader Accelerator helps HR professionals and their organizations to grow. They exist to support the success of Human Resources leaders.

Resources Mentioned

Survey Platforms:

Gallup - Employee engagement survey provider
Culture Amp - Employee feedback and analytics platform

Concepts Discussed:

Strategic People Plans - Framework for aligning HR initiatives with business goals
Red, Yellow, Green Talent Assessment - Simple performance tracking methodology
50th/60th/75th Percentile Market Positioning - Compensation benchmarking strategies

Key Takeaways:

Compensation questions in engagement surveys often create more problems than solutions
Better to track specific metrics like top performer retention rates
Exit surveys should be simple and structured for actionable data
Ground all compensation work directly in business objectives

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

How to Do More with Less: Comp Edition with Andrew Bartlow, HR Expert and PE Operating Partner

Sat, 27 Sep 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Andrew, an HR veteran with 30 years of experience including CHRO roles at S&P 500 companies, we explore how to maximize compensation impact when resources are constrained. Andrew shares his insights on the power of differentiation in compensation, the importance of realistic performance distributions, and why tough conversations about performance are essential for organizational health. We dive deep into how to move beyond the "everyone gets the same" mentality and create meaningful compensation strategies that actually drive performance and business outcomes.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome and Introduction to FNDN Series

02:41 The Challenge of Overcomplex Compensation Systems

03:30 First Principles: What Are We Really Trying to Achieve?

05:15 The Magic of Differentiation in Compensation

07:45 Why Distribution Matters: The 20-70-10 Model

08:08 Communication and Manager Capability in Compensation

11:00 The Budget Reality: Funding Differentiation

11:49 Compensation Philosophy as Attraction and Repulsion Tool

14:53 Alternatives When Cash Budget Is Constrained

16:16 Budget as Choice: Connecting Compensation to Company Goals

18:15 Market Informed vs Market Led Approach

19:45 Strategic Benefits and Workforce Planning

Connect with Andrew

Visit: https://linkedin.com/in/bartlow/

The People Leader Accelerator helps HR professionals and their organizations to grow. They exist to support the success of Human Resources leaders.

Resources Mentioned:

Companies/Organizations Mentioned:

General Electric - Referenced for their historical 20-70-10 performance distribution model
Pepsi - Andrew's background experience
HR Transform Conference - Event where budget strategy insights were shared
Pave - Mentioned for their performance reward data report showing market differentiation gaps

Concepts Discussed:

Performance differentiation and distribution curves
Merit budget strategic planning
Market informed vs market led compensation philosophy
Benefits renewal strategic approach

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

How Private Equity Uses Ownership to Incentivise with Andrew Bartlow,

Sat, 13 Sep 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Andrew Bartlow, a seasoned HR professional with 30 years of experience and current PE operating partner, we demystify how private equity really works and explore the powerful but lesser-known world of profit interests. Andrew breaks down common PE misconceptions, explains how profit interests differ from traditional stock options and RSUs, and reveals why these flexible ownership structures can create significant value for employees at all levels. Keep watching to discover how PE firms are moving beyond the "cut costs and flip" stereotype to build genuine value through strategic growth and broad-based employee ownership.

Chapters:

00:44 Guest Introduction: Andrew Bartlow's 30-Year HR Journey

03:41 Private Equity 101: How PE Actually Works

05:58 Understanding PE Stakeholders and Their Incentives

08:40 Debunking PE Myths: Growth Over Cost-Cutting

11:31 The Reality of PE Value Creation

12:25 Profit Interests Explained: The PE Ownership Model

15:51 Comparing Profit Interests to Stock Options

19:54 Flexible Program Design for Heads of People

22:28 Broad-Based Employee Ownership and Communication

23:16 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Connect with Andrew

Visit: https://linkedin.com/in/bartlow/

The People Leader Accelerator helps HR professionals and their organizations to grow. They exist to support the success of Human Resources leaders.

Resources Mentioned:

Companies/Organizations Mentioned:

Ownership Works - Nonprofit promoting broad-based employee ownership in PE, spun out from KKR

KKR - Major private equity firm pioneering employee ownership initiatives

People Tech Partners - Community where PE compensation discussions take place

Culture Amp, Pepsi, GE - Companies mentioned as part of Andrew's background

Key Concepts Discussed:

409A Valuations - Startup valuation methodology for stock options

Leverage in PE transactions - How debt financing amplifies returns

Broad-based employee ownership - Extending profit interests to all employees

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

You've got your compensation philosophy. Now what?

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 06:43:19 -0400

Most startups treat their compensation philosophy like a finished product once it’s written. But what happens after the doc is done?

In this episode of the FNDN Series, Matt McFarlane speaks with Vaso, Chief People Officer at Ravio, about the real work of operationalising comp philosophies — turning them into systems employees actually experience and understand.

Drawing from her time scaling Deliveroo and TrueLayer, Vaso shares frameworks for handling exceptions, building manager muscle, correcting legacy inequities, and turning pay practices into culture drivers. If you're a Head of People, founder, or comp leader at a scaling startup, this is the practical guidance you’ve been waiting for.

Links & Resources:

→ Connect with Vaso: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vaso-parisinou-4368b515/

→ Explore Ravio: https://ravio.com/

→ Subscribe to FNDN Series for more: https://fndnseries.fndn.com.au/

→ Grab Ravio’s latest report on how 140 global companies handle pay reviews: https://ravio.com/reports/pay-review-survey

Your Compensation Philosophy Probably Sucks (Here’s Why) with Aubrey Blanche-Serrellano, Founder of The MathPath

Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:30:00 -0400

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In third conversation with Aubrey Blanche-Serellano, Founder of The MathPath and former VP at Culture Amp, we tackle the uncomfortable truth that most companies either lack a compensation philosophy or have one that's completely ineffective. Aubrey breaks down why most comp philosophies fail, how to design one that actually attracts and retains your ideal candidates, and the critical role transparency plays in creating procedural fairness. We explore the balance between employee input and executive accountability, discuss when to implement your first philosophy, and Aubrey shares her provocative question that will help any exec team get serious about their compensation approach. Keep watching to discover how to build a compensation philosophy that doesn't suck and actually serves your business goals.

Chapters:

00:48 The Problem: Most Comp Philosophies Are Useless

01:16 Guest Introduction: Aubrey Blanche-Serellano

02:12 Why Compensation Philosophies Fail

02:31 Know Your ICP: Attracting the Right Talent

03:46 Building Your Talent Strategy Foundation

04:40 The Power of Transparency in Compensation

06:47 The Human Side of Pay Decisions

08:05 Co-Design: Getting Employee Input Right

10:07 When Not to Build by Committee

10:25 Should You Always Have a Comp Philosophy?

11:35 Getting Started: The Executive Question

12:31 What Would Embarrass You About Your Comp?

13:08 Reflection and Implementation

13:26 Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

Connect with Aubrey:https://linkedin.com/in/aubreyblanche Visit: https://themathpath.com/

Resources Mentioned:

Frameworks:

Even Over Framework - Prioritization tool for compensation trade-offs
CP (Ideal Customer Profile) - Applied to talent acquisition strategy
Culture Amp - People and culture platform where Aubrey achieved smallest gender pay gap among peers
The MathPath - Aubrey's company focused on equitable people initiatives and responsible AI

More FNDN Episodes at ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Apple Podcast

Will AI Fix Compensation — or Just Make It Worse, Faster? with Aubrey Blanche-Serellano, Founder at The MathPath

Sat, 16 Aug 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Will AI Fix Compensation — or Just Make It Worse, Faster? with Aubrey Blanche-Serellano, Founder at The MathPath

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Aubrey Blanche-Serellano, Founder of The MathPath and former VP at Culture Amp, we explore the transformative potential of AI in compensation—and its risks. We dive into how AI could revolutionize pay equity analysis, the dangers of embedding human bias into machine decisions, and what the future holds for compensation professionals. From automated pay audits to personalized benefit packages, discover how AI might reshape everything we know about fair pay. Keep watching to learn how to harness AI's power while avoiding its pitfalls in your compensation strategy.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to AI in Compensation

01:16 Guest Introduction: Aubrey Blanche-Serellano

02:37 AI's Role in Compensation: Pattern Matching and Analytics

03:52 The Dark Side: AI as a Supercharged Terrible Recruiter 04:49 Human Bias Becomes Machine Bias

07:11 The Amazon Resume Parser Cautionary Tale

08:54 AI Hallucinations and Critical Thinking

09:35 How AI Changes the Role of People Leaders

11:39 AI Literacy vs. Calculator Panic

12:07 AI-Powered Candidate Experience

14:59 Personalized Compensation Packages

17:26 Ethical Questions in Customizable Pay

18:27 What Will AI Kill in Compensation?

20:10 The Future: Automation vs. Human Expertise

Connect with Aubrey

Visit: https://themathpath.com/

https://linkedin.com/in/aubreyblanche

Resources Mentioned

Companies/Tools Mentioned:

Culture Amp - People and culture platform where Aubrey achieved remarkable pay equity results
Amazon - Example of biased AI resume parsing system
Textio - Kieran Snyder's company focusing on inclusive language
The MathPath - Aubrey's consultancy for equitable people practices and responsible AI

Concepts Discussed:

RAG Models (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
Responsible AI Framework
Pay Equity Analysis Tools
AI Hallucination in Large Language Models
TI-83 Calculator Analogy for AI Literacy

More FNDN Episodes:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4GeBIeZOKrFxG1oiiPxmiM

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fndn-series/id1794263484

The Gender Pay Gap Isn’t What You Think It Is with Aubrey Blanche-Serellano, Founder at The MathPath

Sat, 02 Aug 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Aubrey Blanche- Serellano, Founder of MathPath and former VP at Culture Amp, we unpack the critical misconceptions around the gender pay gap and explore what it actually measures versus what most people think it represents. We dive deep into Culture Amp's achievement of having the smallest gender pay gap among their peers and examine the practical strategies that drive real pay equity outcomes.

Chapters:

00:59 Guest Introduction: Aubrey Blanche

02:47 What the Gender Pay Gap Actually Measures

04:20 Common Misconceptions About Pay Gap vs Pay Equity

05:51 Is Total Pay Equality Achievable?

07:16 Culture Amp's Success Story: Smallest Gender Pay Gap

08:17 The Power of Regular Pay Equity Audits

10:07 Beyond Compensation: Professional Development Impact

11:03 No Out-of-Cycle Adjustments Policy

13:17 Values-Based Compensation Approach

15:57 Training Recruiters on Compensation Philosophy

17:16 Where to Start: The Importance of Auditing

18:24 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Connect with Aubrey Blanche

Visit: https://themathpath.com/

LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/aubreyblanche

Company Mentioned:

Culture Amp - People and culture platform where Aubrey achieved remarkable pay equity results

WGEA (Workplace Gender Equality Agency) - Australian agency defining pay gap benchmarks

More FNDN Episodes at ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Apple Podcast⁠

How to Use Storytelling in Compensation with Naomi Trickey, CPO at Mews

Sat, 19 Jul 2025 21:00:00 -0400

We explore how storytelling transforms compensation strategy in our third conversation with Naomi Trickey, Chief People Officer at Mews. Discover why compensation isn't just spreadsheets and numbers—it's about creating a narrative that builds trust, drives engagement, and makes complex compensation frameworks resonate with employees. Learn how infusing empathy and strategic storytelling into your compensation approach can help navigate difficult conversations and create a more human-centered pay philosophy.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction to FNDN Series

01:04 - Meet Naomi Trickey, CPO at Mews

01:48 - Why storytelling matters in compensation

04:47 - Implementing storytelling in compensation strategy 06:41 - Equipping leaders with storytelling tools for difficult conversations

09:13 - Recommended resources for mastering storytelling in business

11:24 - Episode wrap-up and closing thoughts

Connect with Naomi Trickey

Visit https://mews.com/

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/naomitrickey

FNDN Episodes at Spotify | Apple Podcast

When Compensation Breaks with Naomi Trickey, CPO at Mews

Sat, 05 Jul 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Description:

Join Matt McFarlane in this FNDN Series as he delves into the second conversation with Naomi Trickey, Chief People Officer at Mews. In this informative episode, they discuss the challenges of sustaining effective compensation practices during rapid growth phases, the importance of creating robust compensation frameworks, indicators of when compensation structures need reevaluation, and the strategic relationship between compensation transparency and employee trust. This episode provides valuable insights into maintaining employee retention and engagement through dynamic compensation strategies tailored for fast-growing tech startups.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Startup Compensation

01:11 Meet Naomi Trickey: Chief People Officer at Mews

01:48 Challenges in Fast-Growth Startups

03:30 Building Consistent Compensation Structures

09:30 The Importance of Transparency and Engagement

18:52 Strategies for Scaling Compensation

23:22 Conclusion and Future Insights

Connect with Naomi Trickey

Visit https://mews.com/

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/naomitrickey

More FNDN Episodes at Spotify | Apple Podcast

You Should Be Paying Your Culture Builders with Naomi Trickey, CPO at Mews

Sat, 21 Jun 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Description:

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In our conversation with Naomi Trickey, Chief People Officer at Mews, we explore how ERG (Employee Resource Group) work drives long-term business value, especially as ESGDI initiatives face increasing scrutiny. We examine how compensation structures must align with business objectives and the critical importance of building a solid business case for culture-building investments.

Chapters:

00:59 Guest Introduction: Naomi Trickey

03:42 The Catalyst for Remunerating ERGs

08:45 Structuring ERG Compensation

13:40 Challenges and Considerations1

8:46 Tips for Implementing ERG Compensation

21:41 Conclusion and Wrap-Up

Connect with Naomi Trickey

Visit https://mews.com/

Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/naomitrickey

People Mentioned:

Ella McCann Tomlin - VP of ESG at Mews

Matt Weller - CEO at Mews

Tobias Lütke - CEO of Shopify (referenced from LED's podcast)

More FNDN Episodes at Spotify | Apple Podcast

Budgeting for Comp Cycle with Melissa Theiss, Head of People Ops at Kit & Founder of Fledge

Sat, 07 Jun 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our exploration of startup compensation with Melissa Theiss, Head of People at Kit and founder of Fledge. In this fourth episode of our conversation, we dive deep into one of the most operationally critical yet often overlooked responsibilities for people leaders—budgeting for the annual compensation cycle. We break down the five essential compensation buckets every startup should consider, discuss how to build a strong partnership with your finance team, and explore practical strategies for allocating your compensation budget effectively. If you've enjoyed our previous episodes with Melissa on cookie-cutter compensation, job structures, and rethinking bonuses, this final instalment offers equally valuable insights for getting your comp cycle right.

Chapters:

[01:41] Introduction to Melissa Theiss and her background

[02:29] Building a partnership with your head of finance

[03:27] The five essential compensation buckets explained

[05:52] Avoiding common budget allocation mistakes

[07:40] Becoming finance's best friend through collaboration

[08:44] Building goodwill with finance throughout the year

[10:18] Episode wrap-up and key takeaways

Connect with Melissa Theiss

Visit https://kit.com/

Linkedin: @melissatheiss

Other resources mentioned:

Matt Schulman:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-schulman-15911861/

https://www.pave.com/

More FNDN Episodes at Spotify | Apple Podcast

Bonuses: How and When with Melissa Theiss, Head of People Ops at Kit & Founder of Fledge

Sat, 24 May 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our deep dive into startup compensation with Melissa Theiss, Head of People at Kit and founder of Fledge. In this third episode of our conversation, we unpack a hot topic in the startup world—are personal bonuses worth the trouble they cause? We explore how to transform bonuses from expected entitlements into true motivators, design programs that drive performance without creating resentment, and implement profit-sharing that connects employee success to customer outcomes. If you enjoyed our previous chats with Melissa on cookie-cutter compensation and job structure, you'll find this final instalment equally practical for rethinking your incentive strategy.

Chapters:

[01:45] Introduction to Melissa Theiss and her background

[02:08] Are bonuses necessary for startups?

[03:52] Turning bonuses into incentives, not expectations

[05:24] Making bonuses tangible and meaningful

[07:41] Transparency about bonus attainment rates

[10:03] Designing a bonus program with real accountability

[11:03] Profit-sharing as an alternative approach

[12:18] Episode wrap-up and key takeaways

Connect with Melissa Theiss

Visit ⁠https://kit.com/ ⁠

Linkedin: ⁠@melissatheiss ⁠

More FNDN Episodes at ⁠Spotify⁠ | ⁠Apple Podcast⁠

Building a Job Structure that Scales with Your Company, Melissa Theiss, Head of Peoples Ops at Kit

Sat, 17 May 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our discussions with Melissa Theiss, Head of People at Kit and founder of Fledge. In this second episode, we dig deep into one of the thorniest challenges startups face as they grow—how to build a job structure that scales without killing agility. We explore progression steps, title frameworks, when to introduce levels, and practical strategies for implementing job architecture while managing expectations. If you enjoyed our previous conversation with Melissa on avoiding cookie-cutter compensation, you'll find this follow-up packed with equally valuable insights on navigating the messy middle of startup growth.

Chapters:

[01:45] Introduction to Melissa Theiss and her background

[02:41] Starting with the right levelling approach for small teams

[04:49] Building frameworks from the middle outward

[05:59] Aligning job titles with levels and using progression steps

[07:21] Managing "head of" titles and when to retire them

[09:26] Three approaches to implementing job architecture

[12:40] Handling title inflation and expectation management

[14:17] Strategies for levelling people objectively

[15:53] Setting consistent promotion standards

[16:51] Episode wrap-up and key takeaways

Connect with Melissa TheissVisit https://kit.com/

Linkedin: @melissatheiss

More FNDN Episodes at Spotify | Apple Podcast

Avoiding Cookie-Cutter Comp with Melissa Theiss, Head of People Ops at Kit & Founder of Fledge

Sat, 10 May 2025 22:00:00 -0400

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we dive deep into startup compensation with industry leaders from across the startup world. In this episode, we yarn with Melissa Theiss, Head of People at Kit and founder of Fledge, an HR consultancy helping people leaders think like business leaders. We explore how startups can reject cookie-cutter compensation models, build a comp philosophy that's truly fit for purpose, and implement principle-led decision making.

Melissa brings her sharp commercial lens to people strategy, sharing practical frameworks and real-world examples from bootstrapped, venture-backed, and public companies.

Chapters:

[01:52] Introduction to Melissa Theiss and her role at Kit

[03:03] Starting with compensation philosophy fundamentals

[06:32] The "Even-Over" framework for decision making

[10:07] Why, What, How: The three questions about compensation

[11:53] Why your talent strategy should compel and repel

[15:30] Debunking compensation myths: Pay percentiles and talent quality

[17:52] Case study: Standard-Skewed-Generous philosophy

[20:04] Episode wrap-up and key takeaways

Connect with Melissa Theiss

Visit https://kit.com/

Linkedin: @melissatheiss

More FNDN Episodes at Spotify | Apple Podcast

The Truth About Startup Pay Transparency with Adam Horne, Co-Founder of Open Org

Sat, 12 Apr 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Description

Welcome back to the FNDN Series, join us as we speak with Adam Horne, co-founder of OpenOrg, about how transparency can transform company culture. With 14+ years of experience building startups, Adam shares practical insights on implementing pay transparency, connecting performance to compensation, and building trust through clear communication.

In this episode, we explore why both young and experienced employees value transparency, how to handle pay equity challenges, and simple steps any organisation can take to become more open about compensation practices.

Chapters:

[01:41] Introduction to Adam Horne and OpenOrg

[06:39] The Evolution of Workplace Transparency

[11:10] Transparency Lessons from Building Companies

[16:59] Performance Management Challenges

[24:58] Moving Beyond Annual Performance Reviews

[29:06] Real-Time Performance-Based Compensation

[33:07] Defining Pay Transparency for Your Organisation

[38:30] The "Leaked Tomorrow" Test for Pay Practices

[42:16] Managing Pay Equity When Implementing Bands

[50:36] Building Trust Through Transparent Pay Practices

Connect with Adam Horne

Visit OpenOrg's Website

LinkedIn: Adam Horne

More FNDN Episodes at Spotify

Compensation as a Product: The Startup Approach to Pay, with Jessica Zwaan at COO of Talentful

Sat, 08 Mar 2025 21:00:00 -0400

In this episode of the FNDN Series, we delve into startup compensation strategies with guest Jessica Zwaan, a seasoned COO and author of 'Built for People.'

We examine how applying product management principles can revolutionise People operations. Jesse shares insights from practical experiences, emphasising the importance of a market-informed approach to compensation and the dangers of freezing compensation in times of financial strain.

We discuss ways to build compensation models that foster trust and engagement among employees while maintaining flexibility for growth.

Key topics include performance-based pay, building compensation frameworks in dynamic environments, and the relevance of transparency. This episode offers invaluable lessons for HR leaders and startup founders looking to navigate the complexities of compensating their teams effectively.

00:00 Introduction to Startup Compensation

00:44 Guest Introduction: Jesse's Professional Journey

01:28 Applying Product Management to HR

03:31 Compensation as a Strategic Tool

05:23 Challenges and Solutions in Compensation

08:33 Transparency and Trust in Compensation

22:40 Iterating Compensation Practices Over Time

26:57 Exploring Pay for Performance Models

29:12 Challenges and Risks of Variable Compensation

30:55 Ensuring Agility in Compensation Structures

31:40 Discretion and Flexibility in Pay

39:37 Lessons from Past Compensation Rollouts

45:03 Bad Compensation Advice to Avoid

47:36 Final Tips for Startup Compensation

50:23 Conclusion and Farewell

Know more about Jessica!

Visit Jessica Zwaan’s Website

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicamayzwaan/

Book: Built For People

http://talentful.com/

More FNDN Episodes at Spotify

Blitzscaling and the evolution of startup compensation, with LinkedIn's First CHRO, Steve Cadigan

Sat, 08 Feb 2025 21:00:00 -0400

Learn how Steve Cadigan, LinkedIn's first CHRO, scaled the company from 400 to 4,000 employees in 3.5 years by redefining startup compensation, cultivating a standout culture, and outmaneuvering Silicon Valley's biggest talent competitors.

From Zero to One in the Crypto Industry, with Head of People at Immutable, Ami Patel

Sat, 07 Dec 2024 21:00:00 -0400

Discover how Immutable's Head of People, Ami Patel, tackled startup compensation challenges by blending transparency, data-driven strategies, and a pay-for-talent philosophy to build trust and support a high-performance culture — as well as what to do when your nascent industry has no benchmarking data.

Future Proofed Equity with Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta

Sat, 09 Nov 2024 22:00:00 -0400

In this interview, Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, shares his expert insights on building effective startup equity programs, navigating global compensation challenges, and the evolving role of People Operations in driving transparency and alignment in today’s economic landscape.

Why Your Pay Practices are Failing with Mark Frein, COO at Oyster

Sat, 12 Oct 2024 21:30:00 -0400

Mark Frein, COO of Oyster HR, shares his insights on building transparent, fair, and scalable compensation frameworks for startups, emphasising the importance of clear communication and alignment with company values.

Embedding Founder-led Pay Transparency, with Paul Stovell, Founder of Octopus Deploy

Sun, 08 Sep 2024 06:00:00 -0400

Paul Stovell, Founder and CEO of Octopus Deploy, shares how transparent compensation models can build trust and improve pay equity in tech companies.

Jess Blomfield, Head of People at Airtree

Wed, 17 Jul 2024 08:30:15 -0400

Jess Blomfield, Head of People at Airtree, shares insights on compensation practices in startups and VC-backed companies.

She highlights the importance of fairness, competitive market rates, regular salary reviews, legal compliance, and financial sustainability as critical considerations in startup compensation practices.

Jess also emphasises the need for flexibility, aligning compensation with performance, and adopting a total rewards approach. She talks about the importance for Heads of People to start building and iterating good compensation practices from day one and to consider the trade-offs of flexible compensation models.