In this episode, Amir Bormand speaks with Margaret Gabriel, Head of Talent at CoinFund, about the critical yet often delayed decision to hire a people leader in startups and VC firms. They dive into the concept of organizational debt, why talent leadership is undervalued early on, and how VCs and founders can shift their mindset to prioritize people strategy from the start.
🚀 People Leadership in VC & Startups
Many VC firms and startups delay hiring a people leader, which can result in long-term structural and cultural issues. Margaret sheds light on why this happens and how it impacts growth.
⚠️ The Cost of Organizational Debt
Startups and investment firms accumulate “organizational debt” when they delay setting up critical people and leadership infrastructure. This debt can hinder hiring, compensation, retention, and culture.
đź› VCs Can Lead the Change
Investment firms that prioritize internal people operations can better support their founders, setting the tone for healthy leadership and hiring practices in portfolio companies.
📊 Speaking the Founders’ Language
Framing people leadership through familiar concepts like technical debt can help founders understand its long-term impact and drive early investment in talent functions.
🎯 Project Management in People Functions
Bringing structured methodologies like Scrum or Kanban to recruiting and people operations can make talent leaders more effective and integrate better with technical teams.
đź—Ł Creating a Safe Space for Founders
Founders are expected to project confidence, which can make it hard to ask for help. Having a talent leader in their corner provides an outlet for guidance and coaching without fear of judgment.
[00:00:00] Introduction to Margaret Gabriel & CoinFund’s investment focus
[00:02:23] The unique role of a VC Head of Talent vs. a traditional tech company
[00:05:00] Why startups and VCs delay hiring people leaders
[00:09:43] What happens when companies accumulate “organizational debt”
[00:13:20] How to frame people strategy in terms of technical debt
[00:19:47] Why first-time founders struggle to prioritize people leadership
[00:24:10] The role of VC talent teams in advising founders
[00:27:08] How founders can create a culture of learning and ask for help
[00:30:00] How to connect with Margaret
"The debt begins on day one. From the moment a company starts hiring, decisions around compensation, org design, and leadership development start to pile up. Waiting too long to bring in a people leader can cost more than founders realize." – Margaret Gabriel
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