When Should Founders Invest in HR? A Framework for Scaling People Operations

On-demand

Tuesday, October 7th (11 am ET | 3 pm UTC | 5 pm CET)

Event Details

For many early-stage founders, HR feels like overhead. But delaying investment in the people function can cost more than you think. Attrition, culture debt, and compliance risks can impact an organization’s growth momentum.

In this candid roundtable, we’ll bring together both sides of the conversation: a startup founder who’s navigated rapid scaling, and an HR leader who’s built people operations from the ground up. Together, they’ll share lessons learned, blind spots to avoid, and a clear framework for knowing when HR stops being a nice-to-have and becomes mission-critical.

What's on the agenda?

  • The founder’s perspective: Learn how founders typically balance growth demands with people strategy, and the blind spots to watch for
  • The HR perspective: Discover the early HR systems that unlock scale and help HR leaders earn a strategic voice
  • HR as a business growth enabler: Understand how HR shifts from tactical to strategic as a company scales, and why timing makes all the difference
  • Top tips for founders: Walk away with a founder’s playbook for knowing when to hire HR, aligning people goals with growth, and building a strong founder–HR partnership

You’ll leave with practical takeaways to build a scalable foundation for your team, and a new way to think about HR as an enabler of growth, not a cost center.

Who should attend

  • Startup and scaleup founders (especially pre- and post-Series A)
  • First-time HR hires at startups
  • Operators doubling as interim HR (Ops, Finance, Chiefs of Staff)
  • VCs advising portfolio companies on people strategy

Ready to scale teams that last? Save your spot today.

See why Deel is trusted by 35,000+ companies and ranked as the #1 HCM software by G2.

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Andy Cloyd

Co-founder & CEO, Superfiliate

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Randi Jakubowitz

Head of Talent, 645 Ventures

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Kate Moerel

Global Work Specialist, Deel