BUILD THE BASE
the team is growing. the systems aren’t.
FRACTIONAL PEOPLE SUPPORT FOR FOUNDERS WITH TEAMS UNDER 20
You've raised funding. Your team is growing. And the informal systems that got you here won't get you there. Build the Base helps early stage founders create the right people structure.
This is light touch fractional support: part strategy, part coaching, part getting things built.
You're building fast, but the people foundations are lagging behind.
You've spent the last year focused on product, fundraising, and your first customers. Your team was small enough that everything just worked - decisions happened organically, everyone knew what to do.
But now? Funding secured. Headcount doubling. You're making progression decisions on gut feel. Your onboarding is "here's your laptop, figure it out." You lost a good candidate last week because you couldn't match their salary expectations.
The people decisions you make in the next six months will compound. Get them right, and you build foundations that scale. Get them wrong, and you're firefighting at 30 people.
Build the Base gives you a trusted partner who understands startups. We help you build compensation frameworks, hiring processes, onboarding, and role clarity, without overengineering it. And because first time founders need more than systems, we blend people strategy with founder coaching.
This is for founders who:
(01)
Are making it up as they go. Every people decision falls on you. You're Googling salaries at 11pm. You're not sure what "good" even looks like at your stage.
(02)
Want structure, not bureaucracy. You need clear roles, fair pay, and thoughtful onboarding - but you're allergic to policies for policies' sake. You want systems that create momentum, not meetings.
(03)
Are figuring out leadership in real time. You didn't train to manage people. Some days you feel confident. Other days you're out of your depth. You need a trusted sounding board.
(04)
Care deeply about culture. You want to build something people are proud to be part of. But you're nervous the magic might get lost as you scale. You need help embedding what matters.
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
how we’ll work together
1.month 1 - we figure out where you are
Founder deep-dive sessions to understand your vision, what's working, and what's keeping you up at night. Team conversations to hear what's actually happening. We build your people roadmap showing what to tackle in months 1-3, 3-6, and 6-12.
2.months 2-3 - we build together
We become part of your team - not a consultant who parachutes in once a month. Bi-weekly syncs to stay aligned and make decisions. Slack support for quick gut-checks in between. We work on what you need now - not systems you won't use for 18 months.
3.founder coaching is baked in
This isn't just about processes. It's about helping you figure out what kind of leader you want to be - and navigating the hard moments with confidence.
4.the scope evolves with you
3-month initial commitment. Most partnerships continue long term as you scale, but you’re never tied in. The work flexes to what you actually need as your team and needs grow.
5.you end up with foundations that hold
Systems your team can run without me. Structure that creates clarity, and trust. And the confidence to make people decisions without second-guessing yourself.
the people foundations that early stage teams need
What we’ll typically work on together:
Compensation philosophy and salary bands backed by market data
Employee handbook that reflects your values and tone (not corporate jargon)
Hiring plans, scorecards, and interview processes that find the right people
Onboarding flows that make new hires feel welcome and set up for success
Role definitions and team structure that create clarity without rigidity
Values integration - embedding them into hiring, rituals, and feedback
Performance frameworks that feel human, not corporate
Team rhythms and rituals that build connection and momentum
Employer brand assets that help you attract talent
Founder coaching through the decisions that keep you up at night
who you’ll work with
I’m Danielle - Business Psychologist, Executive Coach, and Head of People.
I've worked with 15+ founder-led startups from pre-seed to Series C.
I've been in the hot seat as Head of People, so I know what it's like when you're making high-stakes decisions without a playbook. I completed a Master's in Organisational Psychology studying how early founder decisions shape companies as they scale - what I call organisational ghosts.
What that means for you: I've seen these patterns before. I know what works at your stage, what can wait, and what will come back to bite you if you get it wrong.
what you’ll walk away with
A People Roadmap aligned to your business
No generic HR templates. A prioritised plan for what to build now, what can wait, and how to sequence it.
Your team’s trust
When people see you investing in getting this right - fair pay, clear expectations, thoughtful growth, they lean in. They stay. They tell their talented friends.
Clarity on your leadership style
Stop second-guessing yourself. Through coaching, we'll help you figure out what kind of leader you want to be, and give you the confidence to show up that way consistently.
Confidence in your people decisions
Navigate salary negotiations, performance conversations, and hiring trade-offs with frameworks, data, and a trusted sounding board.
People foundations that scale
Systems that grow with you: role clarity, fair compensation, hiring processes, onboarding. Structure that creates momentum, and doesn’t slow you down.
Team rhythms that create momentum
Cadences, feedback loops, and rituals that keep everyone aligned without micromanagement. Structure that creates space, not meetings.
Ready to build foundations that last?
The people decisions you make in the next six months will shape your company for years. You can keep figuring it out alone - or you can bring in a trusted partner who's been here before and can help you build foundations that scale.
Starting from £2,500/month 3-month initial commitment. Pricing varies based on team size and scope.
The people patterns that don't show up on an org chart.
Every startup is haunted (even the brand new ones) - past decisions, habits, founding stories and memories that shape how teams work. Some ghosts hold us back. Some keep us grounded.
Organisational Ghosts is my newsletter on building teams that scale. You’ll get monthly-ish insights on the patterns shaping your startup. Psychology-backed stories, practical tools, and better questions about team dynamics, culture, and leadership.