Welcome back to the FNDN Series, where we continue our exploration of startup compensation with Melissa Theiss, Head of People at Kit and founder of Fledge. In this fourth episode of our conversation, we dive deep into one of the most operationally critical yet often overlooked responsibilities for people leaders—budgeting for the annual compensation cycle. We break down the five essential compensation buckets every startup should consider, discuss how to build a strong partnership with your finance team, and explore practical strategies for allocating your compensation budget effectively. If you've enjoyed our previous episodes with Melissa on cookie-cutter compensation, job structures, and rethinking bonuses, this final instalment offers equally valuable insights for getting your comp cycle right.

Chapters:

[01:41] Introduction to Melissa Theiss and her background

[02:29] Building a partnership with your head of finance

[03:27] The five essential compensation buckets explained

[05:52] Avoiding common budget allocation mistakes

[07:40] Becoming finance's best friend through collaboration

[08:44] Building goodwill with finance throughout the year

[10:18] Episode wrap-up and key takeaways

Connect with Melissa Theiss

Visit https://kit.com/

Linkedin: @melissatheiss

Other resources mentioned:

Matt Schulman:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-schulman-15911861/

https://www.pave.com/

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