Heather Cassar
VP of People
Narmi
Episode 288
HR's New Mandate: Drive P&L, Ditch Perfection in Hypergrowth
Current chapter: Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built By PeopleFebruary 26, 2025 · 10:20
Thesis
“In high-growth environments, HR must strategically operate as a core business driver, balancing rapid scaling with organizational sustainability, and transitioning from informal decisions to transparent, scalable frameworks guided by business P&L.”
Show notes
Unpacking Hyper Growth: HR Insights from Heather Cassar
In this episode of the Built by People podcast sponsored by Previ, host Dave D'Angelo welcomes Heather, a distinguished HR leader, to share her career journey and insights from working with high-growth companies like Uber and Cash App.
Heather discusses her accidental start in HR, managing hyper growth, transitioning to a continuous feedback model, and the evolution of HR leadership in tech. She emphasizes the importance of decision-making with incomplete information, maintaining culture during rapid scaling, and moving away from annual review cycles. Heather’s advice for those considering roles in startups focuses on aligning with a company's values over job titles.
00:00 Introduction to the Built by People Podcast
00:16 Sponsor Message from Previ
00:44 Guest Introduction: Heather's Career Journey
02:40 Challenges and Lessons in Hyper Growth
03:57 Transitioning to Continuous Feedback at Cash App
05:50 HR Strategies in Hyper Growth vs. Startups
07:31 Evolving HR Systems and Processes
08:56 The Changing Role of HR Leadership
09:39 Parting Advice for Aspiring HR Professionals
10:15 Conclusion and Farewell
What you'll take away
- 1In hypergrowth, HR must make decisions with imperfect data (e.g., 10% information) and proactively leverage all available resources to piece together the full picture.
- 2Avoid over-engineering HR programs; instead, build 'just enough structure' to keep pace with rapid scaling without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
- 3Transforming performance management to a continuous feedback model is a multi-year 'marathon, not a sprint,' requiring sustained effort, manager buy-in, and careful integration with compensation.
- 4HR must transition from a support function to a core business driver, understanding the company's P&L and aligning HR strategies with revenue goals to balance speed with sustainability.
- 5As organizations scale, HR processes need to evolve from 'gut feel' decisions to scalable, transparent frameworks that maintain flexibility for truly exceptional circumstances.
What most organizations get wrong
- •Prioritize a startup's culture and values over a flashy job title, as the specific role in a hypergrowth company is likely to change significantly within six months.
- •For HR in hypergrowth, the mantra should shift from 'move fast and break things' to 'move fast, but not so fast that we break everything all at once,' emphasizing sustainability alongside speed.
In Heather's words
“In hypergrowth companies and situations, you just can't wait for perfect data. There's no time for that analysis paralysis. You just have to use all your resources and piece it together to find that other 90%.”
Highlights the necessity of decisive action despite incomplete information in fast-paced environments.
“This was a marathon and not a sprint. It took over 4 years to get to this place.”
Underscores the significant time and dedication required for transformative HR initiatives like continuous feedback.
“When our function is HR, we have to operate like a business function, not just a support team.”
Defines the strategic imperative for modern HR to be an integral part of business strategy.
“The most important data set that I use every day, it's not retention rates. It's not employee engagement. It's the P&L.”
Emphasizes the critical importance of financial acumen for contemporary HR leaders.
“Your actual job at a hypergrowth company is going to change really quickly, but the culture is going to evolve a lot more slowly. So, don't take the role just for the title...the role itself almost doesn't matter. In 6 months, it's going to be a different job anyway.”
Offers unconventional advice on career choices in startups, prioritizing cultural alignment over immediate job descriptions.
The problems this episode addresses
- •Annual review cycles consume excessive time ('no-service months' for engineers) and can be detrimental to product development, causing widespread frustration.
- •The challenge of maintaining startup agility and speed while still adhering to the accountability and structure required by a larger parent organization.
- •Inconsistencies in pay, bonuses, and feedback, common in early-stage companies, become significant pain points and sources of distrust as an organization scales.
- •Balancing the need for rapid hiring and growth with the imperative to maintain culture, prevent leader burnout, and ensure adequate management structures during hypergrowth.
In this episode
Built by People podcast features insights from world's top HR leaders
Built by People
I think like most great HR people, I fell into it completely by accident
How to Get Out of Your HR Hole
Heather has worked at Uber and Cash App during rapid scaling periods
Uber and Cash App: The Challenges of Hypergrowth
Cash App eliminated its annual review cycle in favor of a continuous feedback model
Cash App Eliminates the Annual Review Cycle
How does the HR approach differ from traditional startup scaling
How Hypergrowth HR differs from Startup HR
HR systems need to evolve as companies scale, Heather says
As Companies Scale, HR Systems Need to Evolve
The focus of HR has shifted from talent to efficiency, accountability and retention
How HR Has Evolved in High-growth Tech Companies
Heather shares her advice for people considering roles at a startup
Heather's parting advice for startups
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
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