a16z Podcast

a16z Podcast: Protecting Your Company from Itself — Why You Need HR

Ben Horowitz and Shannon Schiltz

Posted July 8, 2014

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One of the ways to damage a fast-growing startup is to not have an HR person. But when is the right time to bring someone on? What qualities should you look for? How can you preserve the company culture and energy that got you where you are — while still putting in place the processes that HR requires?

Ben Horowitz and a16z’s head of technical talent Shannon Schiltz (Callahan) dive into the world of HR for startups. How does a good HR professional partner with a CEO? When you have to fire someone for the first time … how should it go down?

Musical kicker at end: If you thought you couldn’t rhyme Oculus, think again. For Ben’s debut on the a16z Podcast, we included an original song provided by friend of the firm Divine (and produced by a16z’s own Chris Lyons). For more on Divine and his relationship with Ben, check out Rap Genius.

More About This Podcast

The a16z Podcast discusses the most important ideas within technology with the people building it. Each episode aims to put listeners ahead of the curve, covering topics like AI, energy, genomics, space, and more.

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