BUILD THE BASE
The People foundations you don't build at 15 become the fires you fight at 50
You know the People stuff needs attention.
You can feel it in the tension when someone asks "whose job is this?" or when your best person leaves and there's no process to replace them. Feedback conversations keep getting postponed. Your co-founder handles People differently than you do and nobody's sure what "right" looks like anymore.
Right now, you're small enough to fix this fast.
At under 20 People, you haven't hardened into bad habits yet. The team still trusts you. Changes can happen in weeks, not months. But wait until you're 40 People and these small cracks become structural problems that take a year to unwind.
This is the moment to build foundations that scale with you - before you need them desperately.
This is for founders who:
(01)
Know the People stuff matters but keep pushing it to "next quarter" because product and revenue feel more urgent.
(02)
Are allergic to corporate HR playbooks - you need someone who gets that "performance management" at 15 People looks nothing like it does at 500.
(03)
Don't have time to figure this out alone - you need someone who can translate "we probably need clearer roles" into actual working systems.
(04)
Want to build it right, not build it twice - you'd rather invest now than clean up the mess later.
How we work together
You get me as your fractional People partner - strategic thinking, coaching, and pattern spotting for the challenges you're facing right now. Plus optional hands on support (via my associate team) to actually run the systems, not just talk about them.
The rhythm:
Bi-weekly syncs (45-60 minutes) to work through live priorities
Async access via Slack + Notion when questions come up
Two week sprints so things actually embed, not just get "documented"
Quarterly reviews to refresh the roadmap and make sure we're focused on what matters
What we focus on:
The foundations that stop small problems becoming big ones. Role clarity and onboarding. Feedback rituals and performance rhythms. Manager support and pay philosophy. Values that actually guide decisions.
What we build depends on where you are and what's breaking. No cookie cutter plans.
What makes this different:
We build systems sized for your stage. Light structure that gives you clarity without slowing you down. Documentation People actually use. And coaching for the moments that don't fit in a template - the difficult conversations, the first time manager struggles, the "oh shit" moments.
Your first 90 days
Month 1: Get clear
Right after Discovery, we align on your top 3 People priorities, set up your Notion workspace and Slack channel, and tackle the quick wins that build momentum.
Months 2-3: Build and embed
We design and roll out the systems you actually need - working in sprints so you see progress, not just activity. I coach you (and your managers) through live situations as they come up. We make sure things are landing, not just documented.
After that:
We settle into a sustainable rhythm - bi-weekly syncs, async support, quarterly roadmap reviews. Most founders stay at this level for 18+ months because it gives them what they need without becoming a bloated retainer.
Investment:
From £2,000 per month
Over the past year, she’s become a trusted advisor and coach, helping me navigate plenty of tricky moments as a first-time founder. She’s made People operations feel clear and manageable, and she brings a warmth and steadiness that genuinely makes my life as a founder better.
“
James Smith, Founder, Human Native
What happens after 3 months
Most founders stay here. It's the right balance - strategic support without overextending your budget or my capacity.
But you have options:
Keep going if the rhythm is working
Add project work when something needs deep focus beyond monthly scope - we scope it separately so it doesn't compete with priorities
Scale to Mini People Team if you've grown and need more bandwidth
Pause and return when life, funding, or priorities shift
You're not locked into an ever-expanding retainer. The goal is building your capability, not dependency.
Ready to build foundations that hold?
Already know this makes sense? Let's talk about your situation and figure out the right structure.
Not sure what you need yet? Discovery gives you a clear read on where to start.
The people patterns that don't show up on an org chart.
Every startup is haunted: past decisions, habits, founding stories and memories that quietly shape how teams work. Some ghosts hold us back. Some keep us grounded.
Organisational Ghosts is where you’ll learn to spot them early, understand the patterns driving your team, and avoid the traps that stall growing startups.