Podcasts about Brex

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, executive coach Nathan Tanner reveals the real economics of coaching: transparent revenue breakdowns, pricing strategy, and the path from corporate burnout to independent practice. Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NATHAN, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNathan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathantanner/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__LINKS:For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:41) The breakdown story (crying on floor)(05:49) “Weekend warriors” critique(09:00) Fire your coach every year?(10:03) Sponsor: Metaview(12:47) $240K → $335K revenue reveal(14:20) First full year: $335K breakdown(19:14) “Hire Nathan or do nothing” strategy(22:16) Burning the boats philosophy This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

This week we chat with Paige Finn Doherty!Paige is the Founding Partner of Behind Genius Ventures, an early-stage venture firm managing nearly $14 million in AUM. Behind Genius makes concentrated investments in pre-seed and seed-stage companies led by technical storytellers across applied AI, frontier tech, and what's next.A writer and former engineer, Paige first broke into venture capital in a truly unconventional way by writing a best-selling “children's book for adults” about how venture capital works, Seed to Harvest. At the time, she was working as a Developer Success Engineer at WorkOS, a role she actually landed through Twitter!Paige's impact and storytelling have earned her widespread recognition: she was featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Cover in Venture Capital (2022), named a Rising SDSU Aztec Awardee, and most recently, inducted into the Rancho Bernardo High School Hall of Fame.Originally from San Diego and now based in San Francisco, Paige continues to bring transparency, creativity, and heart to the world of venture through storytelling and curio✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Paige Finn Doherty: @paigedohertyBehind Genius Substack: @behindgenius.substack.com@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Chris Yeh discusses infinite learning, staying relevant through younger generations, Blitzscaling adaptability principles, assessing founders through shared experiences, and negotiating equity by establishing fair processes before debating numbers.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH CHRIS, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINChris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisyeh/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__LINKS:For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Introduction: Infinite Learning & Blitzscaling Adaptability(01:00) The Source of Energy, Public Speaking & Performance Background(02:00) The Power of Unlearning & Staying Relevant(04:08) Blitzscaling: Hiring for Adaptability & Resilience(07:12) Picking Companies: Thinking Like an Investor(09:08) Assessing Founders: The Travel & Summer Camp Effect(10:14) Sponsor: Metaview(11:36) Negotiating Founder Shares & Equity Splits(17:00) Compensation Philosophy & The Numbers Hack(19:13) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

One of our biggest episodes of this past year was with Zapier's CPO Brandon Sammut, ICYMI or as a refresher, in this essetial Heretics 101 feature, he demonstrates AI agents transforming HR workflows: from automating bar raiser interview prep to performance evidence collection, while explaining their four-level AI fluency framework.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__LINKS:For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:26) Why AI Fluency is Required for 100% of New Hires(02:00) The 4-Level AI Fluency Rubric: Capable to Transformational(03:38) Demo 1: Bar Raiser Interview Agent(04:33) 730 Employees, 10 VPs - Job Level Discipline(05:47) Agent Explains WHY It Chose Each Question(06:27) The Spectrum of AI Interview Approaches(08:18) Demo 2: Performance Review Evidence Collection(09:21) The Blob Notes Emoji: Triggering Evidence Collection(10:33) Don't Let Perfect Be the Enemy of Good(11:21) Future Vision: AI Coach Idling in Slack(13:25) “It's Like Steroids” - Not AI Overlords Taking Over(13:51) Sponsor: Metaview(15:41) Live Demo: Blob Notes in Action(18:13) Employee Choice vs Mandates: Marketing Over Requirements(19:27) Leadership Doing Real Work - Few Companies Have Real Use Cases(21:00) Demo 3: One-on-One Meeting Coach (Most Sophisticated Build)(23:20) Calculating Talk-to-Listen Ratios(24:40) Scaling HR Business Partners - Every Company's Manager Problem(26:07) Implementation Choices: On-Demand vs Required(27:35) Transparency: What Data? Where Stored? Who Sees It?(28:44) The Iron Man Suit vs AI Overlords(28:56) Where to Find Brandon - LinkedIn(29:12) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

This week we chat with Claire Hughes Johnson!Claire is the former COO of Stripe, where she played a critical role in scaling the company from 160 employees to more than 7,000 during its period of rapid global expansion. Before Stripe, she spent over a decade at Google, leading large international teams across multiple high-growth products and operations.She now serves on the boards of HubSpot, The Atlantic, Aurora, and several other organizations, is an active angel investor, and is the bestselling author of Scaling People, widely regarded as a modern classic on leadership, management, and organizational design.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Claire Hughes Johnson: @chughesjohnson@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, former Meta HR leader Cynthia Bazlamit (Baz) Shrauner talks about demoting herself twice for fulfillment over title. She also describes Facebook's pandemic hiring frenzy that ballooned teams 10x, the subsequent brutal layoffs, and the effect of DEI resource groups on the company.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH BRYAN, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINBaz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-bazlamit-shrauner-683767/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__LINKS:For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:17) Intro(01:06) The First Demotion Story: Getting Demoted at Facebook(05:17) The Second Demotion: Hiring Christine Ellis & Doing It Again(10:00) “Comparison is the Thief of Joy” - The Ego Struggle(11:00) Sponsor: Metaview(12:59) Meta's Pandemic Hiring Spree: “We Were Sloppy”(15:44) The Layoffs: Three Waves of RIFs, 8,000+ Cuts(19:42) DEI & Resource Groups: From Fun to Corporate Chaos(24:00) Closing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Boeing reports orders and deliveries for the month of November. The numbers, this hour. Then crypto company ‘Twenty One Capital' makes its NYSE debut after completing a SPAC merger. Founder and CEO Jack Mallers joins the show to break down the outlook. Plus, an exclusive with the CEOs of Fifth Third and Brex after announcing a new commercial partnership. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Welcome back to Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital!In this week's solo episode, host Erica Wenger breaks down 7 things she wishes every founder knew before raising their first check. The honest, unfiltered truths that can dramatically change the way you approach fundraising.Drawing from the countless lessons she's learned while raising for her own firm, Erica unpacks the realities behind investor conversations, what actually moves a deal forward, and the common mistakes first-time founders don't even realize they're making.From understanding how investors really make decisions to setting expectations, building genuine momentum, and crafting a narrative that sticks, Erica shares the tactical learning nuggets she had to earn the hard way.If you're preparing for your first raise or simply want a clearer look at how fundraising really works behind the scenes. This episode is your grounded, practical guide to entering the capital-raising arena with confidence.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by Rocketreach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo (formerly OpenPhone): Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Bryan Power, who recently left Nextdoor after seven years, discusses his viral article on quitting properly, why exits define careers, manager failures, and the Growth by Design-Cursor acquisition's implications.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH BRYAN, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINBryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanpower/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__LINKS:For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Introduction & Power Hour Returns(00:55) Bryan's Viral “How to Quit” Article(04:00) Why Your Exit Becomes Your Entire Story(06:00) Why Companies Don't Teach Employees How to Leave(09:00) The Loyalty Expectation Problem(12:27) Sponsor: Metaview(14:38) How Managers Screw Up Exits(21:57) No Long Goodbyes: The Best Timing Advice(24:13) What to Do When Someone Resigns(27:30) Maintaining Relationships After You Leave(29:26) Growth by Design Acquired by Cursor(36:33) The State of the Recruiting Market(40:00) AI Native Skills & The Future of Entry Level Hiring(46:49) Cringey Corporate Lingo Game(50:55) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

#EP322 Today on the Clean Power Hour, we dive into one of the biggest bottlenecks strangling the clean energy transition: the slow, messy world of zoning, permitting, and early-stage development. Our guests are Julia Wu and Anuj Saigal, co-founders of Spark AI, a Y Combinator-backed platform that has ingested and summarized nearly every zoning code, ordinance, and permitting pathway in the United States.Julia Wu is CEO and co-founder of Spark AI. She's a software engineer who cut her teeth at Microsoft, Apple (working on Siri), and Brex before founding Spark. Her background spans AI, natural language processing, and financial technology.Anuj Saigal is the co-founder of Spark AI and a veteran of the energy sector since 2010. He worked at the Department of Energy Loan Programs Office during the Obama administration, then moved through SunEdison, EVgo, and Natto (a video AI telematics company). Anuj has been a developer of utility-scale and distributed generation projects and understands the pain points of permitting and interconnection firsthand.Key Discussion Points:Spark AI uses large language models to aggregate zoning regulations, permitting requirements, local sentiment, and news articles for every jurisdiction in AmericaThree core use cases: early-stage greenfield site selection, monitoring projects in development for regulatory changes, and rapid acquisition due diligenceStandard Solar (Brookfield-owned) reduced acquisition diligence from months to one week, cutting time by 75%Dynamic Energy accelerated site screening while improving community sentiment risk assessmentUGE used Spark to assess a massive portfolio acquisition, determining which parcels had viable zoning pathsThe platform is LLM-neutral, easily swapping between OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepSeek, and other models to optimize for accuracy and speedUnlike off-the-shelf AI tools, Spark delivers consistency, accuracy, and citations developers need for trust-but-verify workflowsConnect with Anuj and Julia Julia Wu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wu-julia/Anuj Saigal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anujsaigal/Spark AI Website: https://www.sparkhq.ai/ Support the showConnect with Tim Clean Power Hour Clean Power Hour on YouTubeTim on TwitterTim on LinkedIn Email tim@cleanpowerhour.com Review Clean Power Hour on Apple PodcastsThe Clean Power Hour is produced by the Clean Power Consulting Group and created by Tim Montague. Contact us by email: CleanPowerHour@gmail.com Corporate sponsors who share our mission to speed the energy transition are invited to check out https://www.cleanpowerhour.com/support/The Clean Power Hour is brought to you by CPS America, maker of North America's number one 3-phase string inverter, with over 6GW shipped in the US. With a focus on commercial and utility-scale solar and energy storage, the company partners with customers to provide unparalleled performance and service. The CPS America product lineup includes 3-phase string inverters from 25kW to 275kW, exceptional data communication and controls, and energy storage solutions designed for seamless integration with CPS America systems. Learn more at www.chintpowersystems.com

This week, we chat with Nikhil Basu Trivedi! Nikhil is Co-Founder & General Partner at Footwork, an early-stage focused venture firm in San Francisco. Footwork leads Seed and Series A rounds in companies with early signs of product-market fit, across both consumer technology and the consumerization of enterprise technology.The firm was founded in 2021 and is investing its second fund, with $400M of AUM. Footwork's portfolio companies include Elicit, Felt, GPTZero, Tracksuit, Watershed, and WindBorne. Nikhil was previously a Managing Director at Shasta Ventures, where he led the firm's investments in Athelas, Canva, ClassDojo, Color, Frame.io, Imperfect Foods, Lattice, and The Farmer's Dog. He started his career on the investing team at Insight Partners and on the founding team at Artsy. Nikhil graduated from Princeton University with a degree in molecular biology and finance.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Nikhil Basu Trivedi: x.com/nbt@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Couchbase CPO Fidelma Butler talks about modern L&D: building contextual leadership frameworks, meeting employees in workflows, activating peer teaching, and addressing career development's promotion fixation.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:16) Intro(01:21) Building L&D from Scratch at Couchbase(02:45) Defining Good Leadership: The Three-Way Framework(05:04) Meeting People Where They Are: Escaping Theoretical Land(06:06) When Survey Results Disagree with CEO Priorities(07:35) Embedding L&D in the Fairway of the Job(08:19) Leaders Teaching Leaders: Why It Works(11:36) Coaching for Senior Leaders: Addressing the Intangibles(13:35) Hiring for Modern L&D: New Skills Required(14:25) The Career Development Problem: Everyone Wants It, Nobody Does It(16:30) Why Career Ladders Become Checkbox Exercises(19:01) The Ladders Dilemma and Being Transparent with Employees(20:10) Treating Employees Like Adults(20:59) Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Especial Trance.es (11º aniversario): Gonzalo Bam b3b Brex b3b CASW!.

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Joe and Heather talk about major updates from Intuit, including its expansion of TurboTax service locations and the introduction of the new Intuit Account Suite. They also explore deeper themes, from how past experiences shape us, to generational perspectives on AI, to how firms can adapt strategically to a changing profession. Current events — Intuit Accounting Suite launch Intuit opening a total of 600 on premises locations throughout the U.S. TV/Movie quote of the week — How to Train Your Dragon IT chapter 2 Excellent things we learned — These 14 colleges offer bachelor's degrees in AI—including one Ivy League school Notion Member spotlight — Auburndale Bookkeeping The Woodard Report article of the week — Setting Up a Business for Spouses: Steps to Take Thank you to our show sponsor, Brex! Brex accounting partners close clients books faster, earn rewards for referrals and attract new customers all on Brex. Brex's integrated platform provides numerous accounting automation benefits, which enable your accountants to focus on premium advisory services, help clients close the books faster and elevate the overall client experience. To become a Brex accounting firm, visit brex.com/partners/accounting to apply. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

This week, we chat with Jeffrey Bussgang! Jeff has spent his career at the intersection of startup experimentation and transformative technology. For over a decade, he has taught one of Harvard Business School's most popular entrepreneurship courses, Launching Tech Ventures, where he's helped thousands of founders build and scale successful companies. As co-founder of Flybridge Capital Partners (a leading seed VC fund with over $1 billion under management), he and his partners were early to recognize AI's potential to transform startups, evolving the firm's investment thesis to focus exclusively on AI-forward companies and founders. Before his time as an educator and investor, Bussgang experienced the startup journey firsthand—joining Open Market's early team and helping lead it through an IPO in 1996, and then co-founding Upromise in 2000, which was successfully acquired. This unique vantage point—as professor, investor, and startup executive—has given him an unmatched perspective on how AI is revolutionizing the startup landscape.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Jeff Bussgang@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, former co-founder and executive coach Adam Weber examines power dynamics and identity transformation following Amplify's acquisition by 15Five, revealing insights on leadership evolution and maintaining authentic culture through organizational integration.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:57) Post-Acquisition Power Dynamics: The Humbling Moment(03:00) HR's Inflection Point: More Responsibility, Same Resources(05:12) Top 5% HR Leaders: Show Courage and Speak the Language of Business(06:59) What ‘Understanding the Business' Really Means(08:15) The Reality Check: HR's Impossible Workload(10:25) Sponsor: Metaview(11:47) The Troubling Trend: AI Up, Leadership Development Down(13:50) The Future of Management: NVIDIA's Model and Investing in ICs(18:18) Ruthless Experimentation and the Death of Best Practices(20:00) Building Credibility: Sharing Both Wins and Losses This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

A tiny Calgary-based exploration company ignites a global market frenzy when it discovers the world's largest gold deposit before collapsing into one of the biggest frauds in mining history. Prelude: The "Bushman of the Shuswap" flees society after uncovering a massive conspiracy. –––-–---------------------------------------- BECOME A VALUEDLISTENER™ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ –––-–---------------------------------------- DONATE: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SwindledPodcast.com/Support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ CONSUME: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SwindledPodcast.com/Shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ –––-–---------------------------------------- MUSIC: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Deformr⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ –––-–---------------------------------------- FOLLOW: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SwindledPodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Thanks for listening. :-) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Rachel Lockett is a sought-after executive coach and former HR leader at Stripe and Pinterest who now works with CEOs, founders, and tech leaders on emotional intelligence, resilience, and leadership skills. In this episode, Rachel shares powerful frameworks for coaching reports, having difficult conversations, avoiding burnout, and strengthening co-founder relationships. She also demonstrates these techniques through a live coaching session with me.We discuss:* When to coach and when to just tell people what to do [09:00]* The GROW technique for helping people figure out a solution for themselves [18:37]* Techniques for making difficult conversations less difficult [01:20:28]* Avoiding burnout and designing a more energizing career [41:55]* Building and sustaining a healthy co-founder relationship [01:06:50]* Creating a one-page plan that aligns your entire company [01:31:47]* Practical ways AI is transforming executive coaching and leadership development [01:36:50]* Why you should ask, “Would I enthusiastically rehire this person?” to clarify talent decisions [23:55]Also on Spotify and Apple PodcastsBrought to you by:Stripe—Helping companies of all sizes grow revenueVanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.Persona—A global leader in digital identity verificationWhere to find Rachel Lockett:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhlockett/• Website: https://www.lockettcoaching.comReferenced:• One-page plan template: https://www.lockettcoaching.com/#resources• Lockett Coaching Leadership Toolkit: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s74a9cn1ka1ebz6pglypf/Leadership-Toolkit_-Coaching-Rachel-Lockett.pdf?rlkey=yg2m9df2ziwy0fa6p0dt4gcfu&st=dgzvnf76&dl=0• Renew Your Co-Founder Vows—and Other Tactics for Strengthening the Most Important Relationship in Your Startup: https://review.firstround.com/five-practices-to-strengthen-your-co-founder-relationship/• First Round Guide to Co-Founder Check-Ins: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yUosmfMuE-8-sAwPrEPDcGqkJLVLWg5dC2_8lcXm7U4/edit?tab=t.0• Coinbase: https://www.coinbase.com• Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey?: https://hbr.org/1999/11/management-time-whos-got-the-monkey• Chuck Palahniuk's quote from Fight Club: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1338270-people-don-t-listen-they-just-wait-for-their-turn-to• Patrick Collison on X: https://x.com/patrickc• Stripe: https://stripe.com• Remind: https://www.remind.com• Zach Abrams on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyabrams• Brex: https://www.brex.com• Bridge: https://www.bridge.xyz• Superhuman's secret to success: Ignoring most customer feedback, manually onboarding every new user, obsessing over every detail, and positioning around a single attribute: speed | Rahul Vohra (CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/superhumans-secret-to-success-rahul-vohra• Zigging vs. zagging: How HubSpot built a $30B company | Dharmesh Shah (co-founder/CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-30-years-of-building• The Enneagram Institute: https://www.enneagraminstitute.com• How to build deeper, more robust relationships | Carole Robin (Stanford GSB professor, “Touchy Feely”): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/build-robust-relationships-carole-robin• How have I been complicit in creating the conditions I say I don't want? | Jerry Colonna (CEO of Reboot, executive coach, former VC): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jerry-colonna• How Netflix builds a culture of excellence | Elizabeth Stone (CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-netflix-builds-a-culture-of-excellence• What Is PeopleFirst?: https://alpineinvestors.com/story/what-is-peoplefirst• How to break out of autopilot and create the life you want | Graham Weaver (Stanford GSB professor, founder of Alpine Investors): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-break-out-of-autopilot-graham-weaver• Granola: https://www.granola.ai• KPop Demon Hunters on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81498621• Loom: https://www.loom.com• Joseph Campbell's quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/21396-if-you-can-see-your-path-laid-out-in-front• Wes Anderson's short films (Roald Dahl) on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/wes-anderson-netflix-short-filmsRecommended books:• Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships: https://www.amazon.com/Nonviolent-Communication-Language-Life-Changing-Relationships/dp/189200528X• The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success: https://www.amazon.com/15-Commitments-Conscious-Leadership-Sustainable/dp/0990976904• Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life: https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Your-Life-Well-Lived-Joyful/dp/1101875321• Roald Dahl books: https://www.amazon.com/Roald-Dahl-Collection-Books-Box/dp/0241377293Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.My biggest takeaways from this conversation: To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

Welcome back to Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital!In this week's solo episode, host Erica Wenger dives into Starting a VC Fund 101, breaking down the real reasons why you might want to start a fund, what it actually takes to launch one, and the lessons she's learned from being in the trenches herself.From structuring your first fund to navigating LP conversations and finding your unique edge, Erica shares insider tips and hard-earned insights that every aspiring fund manager should hear.If you've ever thought about building your own VC fund or just want to understand how the process really works behind closed doors, this episode is your practical and honest guide to getting started in venture capital.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by Rocketreach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo (formerly OpenPhone): Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Disruptive HR founder Lucy Adams dissects HR's fundamental trust problem: why designing policies around your worst employees destroys organizational performance, and how to reimagine the business partner role.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(04:15) HR's Fundamental Trust Problem & Designing for the Minority(08:30) Sponsor: Metaview(09:00) The Opportunity Cost of Distrust(12:00) The HRBP Role: Why It's Broken & How to Fix It(15:30) What HR Leaders Are Talking About: DEI, AI & Merit(19:53) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Ankur is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and the founder of Carry, a modern platform helping business owners build durable wealth through smarter tax strategies and long-term financial systems.He's also the founder of Vibe Capital, a $100M venture fund backing bold founders across the U.S., India, and beyond, and the creator of Silly Money, a fast-growing newsletter and community helping people beat the game of capitalism.Before that, Ankur founded Teachable, the groundbreaking platform that empowered over 100,000 creators to turn their expertise into income—helping them earn over $1 billion and scaling Teachable to $60M in ARR before its nine-figure exit to Hotmart.Ankur is passionate about helping founders and entrepreneurs not just make money, but keep it, through the right systems, strategy, and mindset for long-term freedom.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Ankur Nagpal: @ankurnagpalsillymoney.com@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

On today's Dear Heretics segment, Nolan and Kelli debate equity compensation philosophy: whether companies should extend stock options to all employees or reserve them for senior roles, weighing moral imperatives against investor dilution concerns and implementation complexity.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:07) Question about stock options for all employees(01:48) Carta's philosophy on making everyone an owner(03:32) Moral case for giving equity to everyone(05:07) Story about Carta's employee refresh and Fred Wilson(06:21) Challenge of educating employees on equity(08:28) Pendo's approach to equity education and round tables(09:19) Setting expectations with $0 default value(10:08) Sponsor - Metaview(11:29) Cost of labor adjustments for equity across locations(13:00) Administrative challenges of geo-based equity adjustments(14:16) Employee communication and comparison issues(16:10) Board tension over equity dilution decisions(17:28) Attracting great talent requires competitive compensation(18:06) Moral case and taxes of giving equity(19:00) Importance of working with equity experts(19:46) Closing thoughts on geo strategy and communication(21:34) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Master Your Cashflow (Templates Included): https://startup-ideas-pod.link/money-map On this episode, I share my simple financial operating system that helps me run my business. I share actual workflows that have saved one of my portfolio company from an 11-week runway crisis (when they thought they had 8 months), and the templates behind his 13-week cash tracker, Bear/Base/Bull decision framework, and one-page board report. This is a rare look inside the tactics I use to think about cash flow, dilution strategy, and building companies that don't run out of runway by accident. Bank with Brex: https://startup-ideas-pod.link/brex-sip Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: The whiteboard that saved two companies 02:08 – The Financial Rhythm: Daily, weekly, monthly cadence 03:23 – Rule 1: The 13-Week Cash Flow System 06:10 – Rule 2: Cash vs. Accrual 08:14 – Rule 3: Extend Runway 12:13 – Rule 4: Be Exit Ready 15:06 – Rule 5: Cards and Credit 18:01 – Rule 6: Track 5 Weekly Metrics 20:00 – Rule 7: The Monthly One-Pager 21:12 – Rule 8: Tools and Automation 26:11 – Rule 9: Dilution Mindset 27:59 – How to implement: The weekly rhythm in practice 29:31 – Action plan and closing Key Points Your P&L lies about survival—one portfolio company thought they had 8 months of runway but actually had 11 weeks when mapped to real cash flow The Bear/Base/Bull decision framework prevents emotional spending: if two-plus scenarios say no, wait (a $60K conference booth was rejected in bear case, approved two months later in bull case) Acquisitions happen in 48 hours—keep a 10-file data room updated quarterly so you can respond to Tuesday emails with Wednesday meetings Trust doesn't scale, policy does: weekly corporate card reviews caught an $8K personal ad spend in 7 days instead of 30 The system runs itself once built: 15 minutes Monday + 30 minutes Friday + 4 hours/month replaces heroic monthly scrambles Every dollar raised costs ownership forever—cutting $40K/month burn has the same 12-month runway impact as fundraising but with 0% dilution The #1 tool to find startup ideas/trends - https://www.ideabrowser.com LCA helps Fortune 500s and fast-growing startups build their future - from Warner Music to Fortnite to Dropbox. We turn 'what if' into reality with AI, apps, and next-gen products https://latecheckout.agency/ Boringmarketing - Vibe Marketing for Companies: boringmarketing.com The Vibe Marketer - Join the Community and Learn: thevibemarketer.com Startup Empire - get your free builders toolkit to build cashflowing business - https://startup-ideas-pod.link/startup-empire-toolkit Become a member - https://startup-ideas-pod.link/startup-empire FIND ME ON SOCIAL X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregisenberg Instagram: https://instagram.com/gregisenberg/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisenberg/

On today's Dear Heretics segment, Nolan and Kelli tackle a question on navigating layoffs, revealing hard-won lessons from cutting deep, treating people humanely, and avoiding rookie RIF mistakes.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(03:22) Dear Heretics: What to Know Before Your First RIF(05:10) The Carta Layoff Playbook: Cut Deep, Stay Humane, Do It Once(09:19) Sponsor: Metaview(10:41) Change Management: Why Before and After Matter Most(15:00) Opt-In Severance and Tucking In Top Performers(19:00) Designing for Trust Over Fear(22:04) Leadership Accountability and the Golden Rule(24:11) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

James Reggio (CTO @ Brex) shares the story of "Brex 3.0", an 18-month journey behind their operational evolution. We explore how they rewound their org from a Series E to a Series C mindset, and replaced siloed OKRs with seasonal "marquee initiatives." James deconstructs the “Brex Hacker House”, an AI-focused startup within a startup experiment aimed to disrupt their core business. This conversation is all about evolving operational rhythms, layers of management, product building, and culture change! ABOUT JAMES REGGIOJames Reggio is Brex's Chief Technology Officer. James is a forward thinking technology leader who currently oversees Brex's entire Engineering org. James joined Brex in 2020 as Principal Engineer and has played a vital role in building the company's mobile app and AI capabilities. Prior to Brex, James had an extensive career as a Software Engineer at leading companies such as Microsoft, Salesforce, AirBnB, Stripe and more. Additionally, James founded two companies: Altair Management and Banter, a social discovery platform for podcasts that was later acquired by Convoy in 2018. James received his B.A. of Science from The University of Texas Austin. SHOW NOTES:The birth of Brex 3.0: Using a layoff as a "moment to refound the company" (3:38)Moving from a Series E to a Series C operational mindset (5:28)The problem with a GM model: How siloed OKRs and roadmaps created "deadlock" (6:07)New rituals: Why the CEO became "chief editor of the roadmap" (8:16)The impact on morale: "Folks just knew how their work fit into the bigger picture" (11:16)The challenge of the new model: Who do you hold accountable when you "win and lose as a team"? (13:43)The lesson for reintroducing systems: "Less is more" (15:43)The "Startup within a Startup": Launching an internal team to disrupt Brex (16:49)“What if we were founding Brex again today?” The 4 constraints for the "Hacker House" experiment (17:58)Questions eng leaders should ask when running a similar experiment to Brex (21:02)Aha moment: "With agentic coating, code is so cheap" (22:35)Managing the two narratives: "compounding" the core biz vs. “innovating" with AI (26:01)A surprising dynamic: Why the AI team struggled to see their impact (while the core team didn't) (29:38)Building alongside your customer to iterate / experiment faster (36:06)The turnaround is over: Brex hits 50% YoY growth and cash-flow positive (38:45)Rapid fire questions (42:10) This episode wouldn't have been possible without the help of our incredible production team:Patrick Gallagher - Producer & Co-HostJerry Li - Co-HostNoah Olberding - Associate Producer, Audio & Video Editor https://www.linkedin.com/in/noah-olberding/Dan Overheim - Audio Engineer, Dan's also an avid 3D printer - https://www.bnd3d.com/Ellie Coggins Angus - Copywriter, Check out her other work at https://elliecoggins.com/about/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, we chat with Amber Atherton!Amber is a British entrepreneur and investor based in San Francisco. She's a Partner at Patron, an early-stage venture capital firm shaping the future of gaming and online communities, and the Founder of The Atherton Award, which honors young women pursuing careers in STEM and entrepreneurship.A lifelong builder, Amber began coding as a kid in Hong Kong before founding Zyper, a Y Combinator–backed community software startup that used NLP and computer vision to connect creators and their top fans. Zyper was later acquired by Discord, where Amber led growth, launched new international markets, and spearheaded revenue initiatives.Recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30 and Business Insider's Rising Stars in VC, Amber continues to shape the future of community, technology, and venture.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Amber AthertonThe Rise Of Virtual Community Books@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

On today's HR Heretics, Nolan and Kelli dissect a viral LinkedIn post from an ex-Amazon director, exploring how inflated tech worker expectations clash with today's brutal job market realities.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/__For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:19) What Ex-Amazon Talent Deserves(01:22) A Post Full of Assumptions(02:41) The X Response: Out of Touch and Ego-Driven(03:11) Sponsor: Metaview(03:34) The Remote Work Reality: That Era Is Over(04:39) The ChatGPT Turning Point: When Employment Fell Off a Cliff(06:01) Why This LinkedIn Post Won't Help Her Job Search(06:29) The Coming Social Unrest and Displaced Tech Workers(07:40) The Grinding Mindset(09:09) When the Rules Changed Overnight(10:31) The FAANG Halo Effect Is Dead(11:55) The Quality of Life Fork: Ejecting from Tech(13:00) Re-Underwriting Your Career in the New Reality(14:20) Expectations Minus Reality Equals Happiness(14:39) Hedging Your Bets: Diversify Before It's Too Late(15:52:) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

In this episode of HR Heretics, Kelli and Nolan interview Arnnon Geshuri, Chief People Officer at Snowflake and 8-year Tesla veteran, about building HR's strategic authority through data analytics, his automate-augment-human AI framework, and why he recruits economists and data scientists alongside traditional HR professionals.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH ARNNON, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINArnnon: linkedin.com/in/arnnongeshuriNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—Snowflake: https://www.snowflake.com/en/-For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(0:00) Intro(1:12) Three Key Lessons from Working with Elon Musk at Tesla(3:36) Why Snowflake: Reinventing the People Function(4:33) The Three-Pronged AI Framework: Automate, Augment, Human-Only(12:02) Sponsor: Metaview(19:45) Data Analytics as the Backbone of HR(24:00) Building the Winning HR Team Portfolio(27:08) Speed Through Imperfection: Fast Pilots and Iteration(29:00) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

This week, we chat with Des Traynor! Des is the Co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Intercom, the company behind Fin.ai, and he also sits on Intercom's board of directors. Over the years, Des has led teams across Product, Marketing, Customer Support, and Content, playing a key role in shaping Intercom into one of the most influential customer communication platforms in the world. Today, he oversees Intercom's R&D team, based in Dublin and London.Before founding Intercom, Des was a UX consultant, a university lecturer in computer science, and a Ph.D. researcher focused on improving computer science education. He also previously co-founded Exceptional, a software company acquired by Rackspace.Beyond his work at Intercom, Des is an author, speaker, and angel investor, sharing insights on startups, product strategy, and scaling companies through books, podcasts, and conferences. He's also an investor in some of the most notable startups of our time — including Miro, Stripe, Notion, and Hopin.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Des Traynor: @destraynorFin AI: fin.ai@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan have a candid discussion with Silicon Valley operator Molly Graham on founder depression, imposter syndrome, executive team dynamics, and building business-first people operations at scaling companies.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH MOLLY, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINMolly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mograham/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—Glue Club: https://www.glueclub.com/-For coaching and advising inquire athttps://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:43) Origin of “Giving Away Your Legos”(02:28) Emotions at Work(02:49) Meet Bob the Monster(04:15) Founder Depression Reality(06:27) The Emptiness of Startups(08:00) Life as a Barter Economy(09:14) “I Can't Do Math” - Professional Moron Strategy(12:00) Growth Solves All Problems(13:00) When Leaders Hate Each Other(14:20) 50% Executive Hiring Success Rate(17:00) 18-Month Executive Tenure(18:34) Business First, Not Happiness(21:00) Era of Excess Is Over(21:51) Best Interview Question(22:05) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

On today's Dear Heretics segment, Kelli and Nolan analyze why traditional bonus programs fail at early-stage companies, advocating for flexible sprint incentives and spot bonuses over rigid annual structures that create organizational debt.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—For coaching and advising inquire athttps://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Introduction: The Bonus Program Question(01:04) The Cyclical Wave & Sales Incentives(01:42) Why Early-Stage Companies Struggle(02:46) The Coin-Operating Problem(03:26) The 96% Problem: Legacy & Recruiting Pressure(04:34) You Can't Put the Toothpaste Back(05:30) Equity Over Bonuses(06:09) Inconsistent Application Across Teams(06:43) Walking It Back Is Brutal(08:06) Sponsor: Metaview(09:28) Technical Debt vs People Debt(11:10) Second Order Consequences(12:31) MBOs Are a Fable(12:53) The Solution: Sprint Incentives(14:04) Surprise and Delight: Spot Bonuses(15:08) Discretionary Budgets & Agility(15:54) Final Thoughts: Avoid People Debt(15:59) Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Today on HR Heretics, we're excited to cross post a conversation from Metaview's 10x Recruiting Podcast featuring Viet Nguyen, Head of Global Recuiting Operations of Vercel, on using AI to analyze top interviewers' transcripts, extracting their unconscious patterns and building tools that scale interviewing excellence.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH VIET, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINViet: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vietnguyen6/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—Vercel: https://vercel.com/-For coaching and advising inquire athttps://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:13) Progress Over Perfection(01:00) Why Throwing Messy Data at AI Actually Works(01:37) The Three-Hour Experiment That Changed Everything(02:38) Create Leverage Where Possible(03:30) Do Nothing vs. Do Something: The Real Choice(04:00) Sponsor: Metaview(04:14) Interview Begins: Meet Viet Nguyen(04:51) The Rejection That Led to Friendship(05:26) The Five-Year Tour of Duty in Recruiting Ops(06:37) From Zero Coding Skills to Building AI Tools(08:00) The Gaspar Effect: Decoding Your Best Interviewer(10:30) What Makes a Great Interviewer Great?(13:45) Building the Automated Back-Channel Reference Tool(17:20) The RAG Database That Knows Everyone(20:00) When AI Says “No Connections Found” (And Why That's Okay)(23:15) The Webhook That Keeps Your Database Fresh(26:51) Perfect Is the Enemy of Progress(28:00) “Anybody Can Cook” - The Non-Technical Builder's Manifesto(28:27) Automating Interview Debriefs: The Next Frontier(29:28) Real-Time Debrief Summaries: The Dream State(30:04) Where to Find Viet(30:33) Community Show and Tell: The Vision(31:15) We're All Stupid Together (And That's the Point)(32:05) Friday Night Recruiting Projects (32:18) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

This week, we chat with Amanda Goetz! Amanda Goetz is a 2x Founder, CEO and 4x CMO. She is an inspirational writer and content creator captivating millions of people every month through her social insights and newsletter “Life's a Game”. Amanda graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and went on to lead marketing teams at Ernst & Young, The Knot and still advises as Fractional CMO to multiple startups. She started her last company, House of Wise, during the pandemic in her garage, raised two rounds of venture capital and sold it in 2022 all while homeschooling three young children as a single mom. She found love again and lives with her partner and 3 kiddos in Miami, FL after a decade dodging hustle culture in NYC.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Amanda Goetz: @theamandagoetzhttps://www.amandagoetz.com/@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

 This episode with Jason James from Tezi briefly vanished from Spotify. Don't ask us why. But it's too good to not share again. So here's Jason unpacking the future of recruiting. Please enjoy.Jason James doesn't sugarcoat it: recruiting coordinators and sourcers won't exist in 5 years. In this episode, James (Co-founder and COO of Tezi) sits down with Kelli and Nolan to discuss how to screen 3000 applicants in minutes, why most great resumes just rode the elevator up at hypergrowth companies, and why AI bias audits set a higher standard than humans ever could.Support our Sponsors:Ethena is the compliance training platform built for modern workplaces. Visit goethena.com/heretics and get 10% off your first year.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH JASON, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINJason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasontezi/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—Tezi: https://tezi.ai/-For coaching and advising inquire athttps://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:55) Meet Max: The AI Agent Replacing Recruiting Busywork(03:16) AI Bias vs Human Bias: Which Is Fairer?(06:08) Human-in-the-Loop: AI Recommends, Humans Decide(07:34) AI Interviews at Top of Funnel: What Works, What Doesn't(11:00) Standing Out in a Crowded AI Recruiting Market(14:26) Sponsors: Ethena & Metaview(17:18) “RCs and Sourcers, Find Something Else”(20:30) The New Grad Opportunity: Alpha in a Tough Market(22:23) “Riding the Elevator Up”: The Resume Pedigree Problem(24:26) How to Spot Resume Riders vs Real Contributors(26:00) 100-Hour Weeks and the 9-9-6 Culture Debate(30:00) “The Best Culture Is Growth”(31:00) Tezi's Culture: Committed to Calm, Team of Adults(34:00) What's Next for Tezi?(34:56) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

In this latest installment of AI Corner, Kelli, Nolan and Metaview CEO Siadhal Magos discuss the “Trough of Disillusionment” in enterprise AI adoption, exploring the gap between inflated expectations and practical implementation realities in recruiting workflows. Watch as Siadhal demonstrates Metaview's AI sourcing, showcasing its intuitive, agent-based approach that moves beyond traditional Boolean methods.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH SIADHAL, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINSiadhal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siadhal/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—Metaview: https://www.metaview.ai/-For coaching and advising inquire athttps://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:35) Why Metaview Built AI Sourcing(02:20) The Vision: Humans and AI Working Together(03:09) Technical Breakthrough: Browser Use and Computer Use(04:41) Beta to GA Launch Story(05:01) Promptless Sourcing Feature(06:36) Sponsor: Metaview(07:58) Demo(26:38) Data Sources and LinkedIn Compliance(28:01) Future: ATS Integration and Multi-Database Search(30:13) What's Coming Next for Metaview(31:29) Product Development Philosophy(32:04) How to Try Metaview Sourcing(32:33) Closing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

This week, we chat with Rex Woodbury! Rex is the Founder and Managing Partner of Daybreak, an early-stage venture capital firm based in New York. Daybreak is a first-check firm built on the belief that the companies shaping the future will be those improving the lives of the next generation.Before starting Daybreak, Rex was a Partner at Index Ventures, where he invested in consumer technology and the creators building online communities. Beyond investing, Rex is also the writer behind Digital Native, a widely read weekly publication exploring the intersection of technology, culture, and the internet with over 70,000 readers each week.With his unique perspective as both an investor and a storyteller of the digital age, he brings deep insight into how technology continues to shape how we live, work, and connect.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Rex Woodbury: @rex_woodburyDaybreak: @daybreak_fund@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

On today's Dear Heretics segment, Kelli and Nolan analyze why traditional bonus programs fail at early-stage companies, advocating for flexible sprint incentives and spot bonuses over rigid annual structures that create organizational debt.Support our Sponsor:Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—For coaching and advising inquire athttps://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Introduction: The Bonus Program Question(01:04) The Cyclical Wave & Sales Incentives(01:42) Why Early-Stage Companies Struggle(02:46) The Coin-Operating Problem(03:26) The 96% Problem: Legacy & Recruiting Pressure(04:34) You Can't Put the Toothpaste Back(05:30) Equity Over Bonuses(06:09) Inconsistent Application Across Teams(06:43) Walking It Back Is Brutal(08:06) Sponsor: Metaview(09:28) Technical Debt vs People Debt(11:10) Second Order Consequences(12:31) MBOs Are a Fable(12:53) The Solution: Sprint Incentives(14:04) Surprise and Delight: Spot Bonuses(15:08) Discretionary Budgets & Agility(15:54) Final Thoughts: Avoid People Debt(15:59) Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Welcome back to Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital!In this week's solo episode, host Erica Wenger shares her hot takes on venture capital the unspoken takes that many in the industry quietly know but rarely say out loud.From fundraising dynamics to investor-founder relationships, Erica unpacks the realities that shape how VC really works behind the scenes beyond the headlines and polished pitch decks.If you've ever wondered what people in venture really think (but don't tweet), this episode is your insider look into the honest, unfiltered side of the industry.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by Rocketreach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo (formerly OpenPhone): Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

Jason James doesn't sugarcoat it: recruiting coordinators and sourcers won't exist in 5 years. In this episode, James (Co-founder and COO of Tezi) sits down with Kelli and Nolan to discuss how to screen 3000 applicants in minutes, why most great resumes just rode the elevator up at hypergrowth companies, and why AI bias audits set a higher standard than humans ever could.Support our Sponsors:Ethena is the compliance training platform built for modern workplaces. Visit goethena.com/heretics and get 10% off your first year.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH JASON, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINJason: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasontezi/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—Tezi: https://tezi.ai/-For coaching and advising inquire athttps://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:55) Meet Max - The AI Agent Replacing Recruiting Busywork(03:16) AI Bias vs Human Bias: Which Is Fairer?(06:08) Human-in-the-Loop: AI Recommends, Humans Decide(07:34) What Works, What Doesn't in AI Interviews at Top of Funnel(11:00) Standing Out in a Crowded AI Recruiting Market(14:26) Sponsors: Ethena | Metaview(17:18) “RCs and Sourcers: Find Something Else”(20:30) The New Grad Opportunity(22:23) “Riding the Elevator Up”: The Resume Pedigree Problem(24:26) How to Spot Resume Riders vs Real Contributors(26:00) 100-Hour Weeks and the 9-9-6 Culture Debate(30:00) “The Best Culture Is Growth”(31:00) Tezi's Culture: Committed to Calm, Team of Adults(34:00) What's Next for Tezi (34:56) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

This week, we chat with Avni Barman! Avni is the CEO and Founder of Gen She, a media company and fund empowering a community of over 700,000 women across Instagram, TikTok, a newsletter, a podcast, and a job board. Through Gen She, Avni writes $50K–$100K checks into ventures that directly help their audience rise to the top 1%, driving real impact for the next generation of women leaders.Before launching Gen She, Avni spent over four years in Big Tech as an engineer and product manager — experience that now fuels her mission to unlock the potential of young women in entrepreneurship, tech, venture, and media.Her work bridges empowerment and innovation — creating pathways for women to lead in every corner of tech, venture, and media.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Avni Barman: @avnibarman_Gen She: @gen.she@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

On today's HR Heretics, Kelli and Nolan debate radical workplace transparency: eliminating private Slack messages. They explore tensions between cultural openness, practical communication needs, and effective use of asynchronous tools.Support our Sponsors:Ethena is the compliance training platform built for modern workplaces. Visit goethena.com/heretics and get 10% off your first year.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:13) The “No Private DMs” Rule(01:04) First Reactions: How This Would Actually Work(01:54) The Case for Transparency: Underground Slack Channels Are Toxic(02:35) The Reality Check: Leaders Still Need Private Conversations(03:42) Is Radical Transparency Just Performance Art?(04:20) The Productivity Problem: Slack Surfing vs Getting Work Done(05:11) Creating a “How We Slack” Document with Clear Rules(06:15) Using Public Channels to Develop Holistic Leaders(07:13) The Jensen Huang Model: Why He Doesn't Do One-on-Ones(08:12) Sponsors: Ethena | Metaview(11:34) Hyper-Transparency from the CEO Builds Trust(12:31) It All Comes Down to Judgment(13:11) The Audio Message Revolution: Why Voice Beats Typing(15:20) Good vs Bad Audio Messages: It's About Sender Judgment(16:15) The 10x Pace: Why Traditional Meeting Cadences Don't Work Anymore(17:34) Final Thoughts: Experiment with Your Communication Style(17:46) Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Oura CEO Tom Hale talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about raising $900M at an $11B valuation and the company's AI-driven plans for the future of health tech. We also talk with Brex CEO Pedro Franceschi about the company's "unconstrained ambition" and how they're competing with incumbents. The Information's Stephanie Palazzolo explains the rise of "NeoClouds" and the race to rent out NVIDIA chips. Lastly, we get into AI-powered material science with Radical AI CEO Joseph Krause.Articles discussed on this episode:https://www.theinformation.com/articles/race-rent-nvidia-chips-cloud-intensifiesTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation4080/?sub_confirmation=1- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

In this episode of Planning Aces, host Jack Sweeney and resident thought leader Brett Knowles explore how finance leaders are approaching AI's early returns—balancing efficiency, experimentation, and human judgment. CFO Craig Foster of Pax8 discusses how AI enablement is driving measurable productivity gains. CFO David Obstler of Datadog reflects on finding ROI amid rapid innovation and market demand. And CFO Ben Gammell of Brex shares why forecasting still requires human intuition despite data-driven progress. Together, their insights reveal a spectrum of FP&A strategies defining the modern CFO's mindset toward AI adoption and business transformation.Brett Knowles' Key TakeawaysBrett Knowles observes that finance leaders are positioning themselves along a broad continuum—from bold experimentation to cautious skepticism—when it comes to AI in planning. He notes a shift in tone: CFOs are now openly discussing productivity gains and cost efficiency rather than avoiding them. Knowles cautions against overreliance on ROI metrics, emphasizing instead disciplined cost management, pragmatic experimentation, and the evolving role of finance in navigating technology-driven transformation.

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan talk to Sally Thornton, CEO and Founder of Forshay who offers a candid examination of fractional executive work, exploring trust barriers, adverse selection problems, pricing models, and why consulting acumen matters more than traditional executive experience.Support our Sponsors:Ethena is the compliance training platform built for modern workplaces. Visit goethena.com/heretics and get 10% off your first year.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH SALLY, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINSally: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sallythornton/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:Forshay: https://forshay.com/-For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(01:46) The Trust Barrier: Why Companies Resist Fractional Work(03:34) The TAM Debate and Market Dynamics Post-COVID(05:14) The Dirty Secret: There's No Such Thing as Fractional Work(06:34) Sponsors: Ethena | Metaview(10:01) Who's Buying and Why Finance Gets It(11:06) Let's Talk Money: The 65/35 Structure and Market Rates(12:30) The Honeymoon Phase: Managing Boundaries and Expectations(14:44) How to Assess Fractional Executives: The 75% Rule(16:31) From Interim to Modular: How the Market Evolved(18:04) The Black Hole Question: Why Nobody's Calling You Back(19:36) Network for Yourself: Nobody's Managing Your Career But You(21:36) How to Sustain 15 Years: Running Experiments & Following Curiosity(22:31) Closing Thoughts: Agents for Executives Don't Yet Exist(23:11) Outro This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Welcome back to Trailblazers by Park Rangers Capital!In this week's solo episode, host Erica Wenger dives into why every founder should have a manifesto — a clear, written declaration of what they stand for and where they're headed.Erica breaks down three key benefits of writing one and walks you through five actionable steps to get started. She also makes a compelling case for the power of thoughtful, long-form writing — not just as a branding exercise, but as a way to sharpen conviction, attract alignment, and move your mission forward.If you've been waiting for the “perfect moment” to write your manifesto — this is your sign to just start.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by Rocketreach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo (formerly OpenPhone): Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan talk to Culture Amp CEO Didier Elzinga, revealing data-driven insights on building culture-first companies, balancing psychological safety with accountability, and prioritizing growth as engagement's foundation.Support our Sponsors:Ethena is the compliance training platform built for modern workplaces. Visit goethena.com/heretics and get 10% off your first year.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.KEEP UP WITH DIDIER, NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINDidier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/didierelzinga/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:Culture Amp: https://www.cultureamp.com/For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:01) The Origin Story: Why People and Culture Matter Most(00:02) What Makes a Culture-First Company?(00:03) The Coherency Matrix: Trust vs. Mission Orientation(00:04) Why Top Performance is Unstable (And That's OK)(00:05) The Data That Never Changes: Growth Drives Everything(00:06) Shocking Data: Leaders Matter More Than Managers(00:07) The Heretical Answer: Stop Trying to Convince People(00:08) Gender Gap Data: How Structured Reviews Change Everything(00:09) Sponsors: Ethena | Metaview(00:13) Esther Perel's Challenge: Leaders Don't Know How to Say No(00:14) The Engagement Survey Mistake Most CPOs Make(00:15) “Feedback Is Not a Gift, It's a Workout”(00:16) Running Culture Amp: Vulnerability and Accountability(00:18) Growth Philosophy: Betting on Internal Potential(00:19) You Can't Be Everything for Everyone(00:20) The Most Important Leadership Skill(00:22) The Origin Story Framework That Closes Deals(00:23) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

Josh Liburdi, Principal Engineer of Security Operations at DoorDash, joins Maxime Lamothe-Brassard, LimaCharlie CEO / Founder, to talk about building the Strelka file scanning system.As a security engineer who works in security operations (prevention, detection, and response), Josh has more than a decade of industry experience and has worked at several diverse organizations, including Brex, Target, and CrowdStrike.He also presents at information security conferences (BSides NYC & SF, SANS, fwd:cloudsec), is a published author (Bluenomicon from Splunk, Huntpedia from Sqrrl), and is active in the open source security community with contributions to many projects, including Substation at Brex (creator), Strelka at Target (creator), and the Zeek network analysis framework.Join Defender Fridays, live every Friday, to discuss the dynamic world of information security in a collaborative space with seasoned professionals. Become part of the LimaCharlie Community. Learn more about LimaCharlie at limacharlie.io.

For today's essential Heretics 101 feature, Kelli and Nolan talk to Coinbase Chief People Officer LJ Brock reveals how the company's mission-first philosophy, refusal to negotiate salaries, and rigorous talent density standards challenge conventional HR orthodoxy.Support our Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.Ethena is the compliance training platform built for modern workplaces. Visit goethena.com/heretics and get 10% off your first year.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:46) Banning Politics at Work(02:29) Backlash and Reality: “You'll Never Work Again”(04:32) The Near-Death Moment(05:22) How Coinbase Creates Radical Ideas(06:34) Talent Density: The Future of Hiring Standards(09:04) CEO Approval for Every Hire(09:14) Real-Time Feedback: Eliminating Manager Bias(11:33) Performance Systems That Don't Suck(13:34) Sponsors: Ethena | Planful(16:43) Work Trials(15:37) Sponsor: Metaview(16:43) Work Trials: The 12-Week Internship Strategy(19:49) Single Pay Target(21:00)Executive Alignment on No Negotiation(22:03) Stock Grants: From Four Years to One Year(23:17) Building the Next Generation of CHROs(26:40) Closing This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

This week, we chat with Maya Bakhai! Maya Bakhai is the founder of Spice Capital, a first-yes fund investing at pre-seed and seed. Maya's Fund II is a $25M Fund that will invest in ~40 companies with check sizes ranging from $250k-$750k. Spice Capital has over 50 companies in the portfolio including Beehiiv, MUBI, Prosper Health, Hype, Skej, and more.In the last 8 years, Maya has backed 100+ founders.. Prior to starting Spice Capital in 2021, she ran venture investments for Kevin Durant at Thirty Five Ventures where she invested in multiple now-unicorns including: Hugging Face, Robinhood, Skydio, Mercury, Whoop, Rubrik, and Underdog Fantasy. She has a B.S. in Finance and Data Science from NYU. In 2023, she was recognized for her investing in Forbes 30 under 30's Venture Capital list.Maya is based in NYC. Fun fact: In a past life, she produced a sold out off-broadway musical- “Aliens Coming”, a narrative podcast -“Illuminati Interns” and an award-winning web series called “Freelance”.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Maya Bakhai: @MayaBakhaiSpice Capital: @spice_cap@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

On today's HR Heretics, Kelli and Nolan deliver candid analysis of H1B visa policy disruptions impacting tech hiring, then recap their Confluent People Team offsite with Colleen McCreary, featuring contrarian HR perspectives on compensation equity, organizational beliefs, and fostering intellectual disagreement.Support our Sponsors:Planful empowers teams just like yours to unlock the secrets of successful workforce planning. Use data-driven insights to develop accurate forecasts, close hiring gaps, and adjust talent acquisition plans collaboratively based on costs today and into the future. ✍️ Go to https://planful.com/heretics to see how you can transform your HR strategy.Metaview is the AI platform built for recruiting. Check it out: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics* Our suite of AI agents work across your hiring process to save time, boost decision quality, and elevate the candidate experience.* Learn why team builders at 3,000+ cutting-edge companies like Brex, Deel, and Quora can't live without Metaview.* It only takes minutes to get up and running.Ethena is the compliance training platform built for modern workplaces. Visit goethena.com/heretics and get 10% off your first year.KEEP UP WITH NOLAN + KELLI ON LINKEDINNolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/—LINKS:For coaching and advising inquire at https://kellidragovich.com/—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:40) H1B Visa Impact on Tech(11:48) Sponsors: Ethena | Planful(15:25) Confluent People Team Offsite Recap(20:37) Sponsor: Metaview(22:27) Contrarian HR Beliefs & Organizational Leadership(27:34) Fashion Roast: Is Silicon Valley Dressing Up?(29:08) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com