What are Hard People Problems?
Hard People Problems is a deep dive into the toughest people-driven problems in scaling organizations. But where did it come from, and what kind of problems are Hard People Problems?
Hard: A scale-up is an unfolding series of problems that only further multiply with success. The volume of problems is difficult, as can be the mismatch in skills to solve them, but with this series, I mean a particular kind of problem.
People: Rather than just a rebrand for HR, I’m referring to the broader agenda of the organization’s ‘People’ topics. These are as much the people priorities of engineering managers as they are the HR leads. They are equally crucial to CEOs as CHROs, in seeing how people factors drive or undermine Product Development and GTM workflows. These are problems where incentives, structure, culture, and human behavior interact in ways that defeat simple tactics or best practices.
Problems: Here's a running list of relevant Hard People Problems I hear from HR leaders and founders. I’d love to hear what problems you think are most important to solve!
How to create business impact with HR functions?
How to make remote work fast and engaging?
How to include and align diverse personal and political preferences?
How do we build leadership capacity during rapid growth?
How to redesign lean People teams for an AI empowered world?
How to avoid turning our rocketship into a bureaucracy?
Where did it come from?
I spent ten years in Silicon Valley, operating close to the line between success and collapse that defines the place. I was part of several breakout start-ups, went through an acquisition, tried to lead change inside big tech, and eventually found myself in the fire of true hypergrowth executive leadership. In my second Head of People role, I helped Miro capitalize on the distributed collaboration boom, growing the organization more than tenfold in three years as revenue expanded even faster.
Leading the People function in high-growth companies is exceptionally hard. Acquisition dynamics, social change, COVID, and war were headline shocks. But just as demanding was the daily work of building a fast, engaged, and innovative organization inside the highly abnormal conditions of hypergrowth.
Earlier in my career, I took a master’s year to step back, reflect, and plan new experiments. I see Hard People Problems as a similar endeavor: a deep inquiry into what worked and what failed across a decade of growing scale-ups. I want to ensure that when I return to the intensity of the operating seat, I’m carrying my best judgment, shaped in quieter moments. I also hope others can build on these ideas and that they help clarify the path.
You can find me on LinkedIn if you’d like to connect or learn more about my work.
