“HR Heretics” | How CPOs, CHROs, Founders, and Boards Build High Performing Companies

Katelin Holloway Thinks More HR People Need a VC Checkbook

Jan 26, 2024

Katelin Holloway, former VP of People at Reddit and founding partner at VC firm 776, shares insights on breaking into venture and developing a founder-focused approach. They discuss the benefits of advising relationships, the need to deliver value, and the challenges faced by HR professionals in the venture capital industry. Holloway also emphasizes the power of genuine help and pivotal career moments in building high-performing companies.

59:32

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Katelin Holloway

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Quick takeaways

Building relationships with founders is crucial for success in the venture industry and being seen as a valuable resource.

Establishing oneself as a founders' investor by going above and beyond and providing meaningful support can lead to a strong reputation and network in the venture community.

Breaking into the venture industry can be achieved by offering expertise and assistance to founders, even without being on their cap table, and building a reputation as someone who truly makes a difference.

Deep dives

Building Relationships with Founders

One key piece of advice for those in the operating seat is to focus on building relationships with founders. By actively being helpful and providing value to founders, you can establish a strong reputation and become a trusted resource. Avoid being a VC who only shows up with empty questions or ghosting founders. By truly making a difference and supporting founders, you will distinguish yourself and become the go-to person for advice and assistance.

Building Early Teams in Company Building

01:23

Power Dynamics in Collaborative Relationships

01:20

Value First Approach in Advisor Relationships

01:18

Introduction

2min

Admiration for Kaitlin and HR Bro

5min

Reflections on Effective HR Practices and Transitioning into Tech

3min

The Changing Perception of HR and Personal Experiences

3min

The Impact of a Former CEO and the Evolution of HR

13min

The Role of HR Professionals in Venture Capital

29min

The Power of Genuine Help and Pivotal Career Moments

5min

In this episode Kelli Dragovich and Nolan Church sit down with Katelin Holloway, founding partner at VC firm 776 which she started with Alexis Ohanian. Holloway, the former VP of People at Reddit, shares insights from her experience both in HR and breaking into venture. Katelin shares a ton of practical advice - and tactics - for HR leaders who want to start investing or break into VC, explaining how to develop a founder-focussed approach, the benefits of advising relationships, and the need to deliver value.We highly recommend subscribing to free newsletter HR Brew: https://bit.ly/hrbrew

–KEEP UP WITH KATELIN, NOLAN, + KELLI ON LINKEDIN

Katelin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelinholloway/

Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/

Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/

–In addition to being a partner at a VC firm, Katelin hosts the excellent podcast All Hands which we recommend: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-hands/id1515795663–TIMESTAMPS:|(00:00) Preview(00:46) Intro(04:24) Waking up one day in the boardroom: Katelin's career journey in HR(11:50) Sponsor - Lattice | Continuum(13:48) On meeting Alexis Ohanian and the evolution of their relationship(19:03) Getting more people leaders in venture(22:33) The fork in the road: how to transition out successfully from an organization(27:45) Why aren't there a lot of HR people working in venture?(37:32) Katelin's gripes with the VC operating system, and how it’s changing(42:20) Building an investor reputation and brand starts with building a good relationship with founders(49:27) Tactics: How to become an investor(56:22) Past experiences that helped Katelin get to where she is now(58:50) Wrap✅ Discover HR software that drives performance with Lattice: https://www.lattice.com/hrheretics High performance and great culture should never be at odds; they’re better together. With Lattice People Management Platform, companies efficiently run people programs that create enviable cultures where employees want to do their best work. Serving 1000s of customers of all sizes. Learn why companies from Slack to the LA Dodgers choose Lattice. https://www.lattice.com/hrheretics✅ Hire Fractional Executives with Continuum using this link: https://bit.ly/40hlRa9 Have you ever had a negative experience hiring executives? Continuum connects executives and senior operators to venture-backed tech companies for fractional and full-time roles. You can post any executive-level role to Continuum’s marketplace and search through our database of world-class, vetted leaders. There is no hidden cost, you only pay the person you hire. And you can cancel at any time. Joincontinuum.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com

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