Jim Conti, Talent Partner at Hyde Park Venture Partners, joins Rob to unpack what it really means to support startups from the VC side. He shares how his role has evolved from operator to advisor, why he often tells founders not to hire, and what makes a great first head of marketing hire. Jim also explains how talent leaders can earn influence without ownership, translate TA metrics into business outcomes, and become the first call when founders hit a crisis. Plus: the real reason boards don’t care about your hiring speed.
What a talent partner actually does at an early-stage VC
How to support portfolio companies without getting embedded full-time
Why hiring should be a last resort—not a first instinct
The bowling bumper metaphor for talent advisory
How to guide founders through hiring their first execs
How to build trust and become the first phone call when things go sideways
Why talent teams need to shift from “function” to “impact” when reporting to boards
Common TA metrics boards don’t care about—and what they do want instead
Why talent leaders must stay curious about AI, automation, and tooling
The evolution of recruiting from high-volume hiring to strategic headcount planning
A Soundbeam Studios Production
