Hello friends,

The past month shaped up as one of the busiest of the year for me, attending my first conference of the year (SXSW Sydney) and launching a local in-person networking event as part of the Transform Global Ambassador program.

And the coming month is showing no signs of that changing, with a speaker slot for my friends at HiBob on all things pay transparency, and some events with my other friends at Humaneer to round things out — oh, and I’m about to move house…

To say I’m excited for the year end break is an understatement. It’s fair to say my first year in business has been a whirlwind 🌪️ But I wouldn’t change it for the world.

For those who like to listen to these series on Spotify or YouTube, you’ll notice this month's edition features some refinement. Namely, the addition of a fancier intro and outro, complete with b-roll and soundtracking (yes, I had to look those words up). Let me know what you think.

Ok, onto this month's edition, one I was so excited to record for you. But if you think the series is peaking after this one, boy oh boy do I have some goodies in store for you with the coming episodes.

In the meantime, enjoy.

Matt

Future Proofed Equity

with Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta

I sat down with Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, to discuss the evolving landscape of startup compensation, focusing on equity programs and the vital role of People Operations in advancing pay transparency and equity education. Peter brings extensive experience in guiding startups through compensation data trends and navigating complex challenges like global equity distribution and managing expectations in a shifting economy. Here’s a look at some of the key areas we covered.

We covered

• Building an equity program.

• Challenges of global equity programs.

• Impact of economic downturns on equity value.

• The role of Heads of People in equity management and education.

• Peter’s predictions on the future of hiring and compensation in startups.

Some takeaways

• Defining and communicating equity fosters trust and transparency. Be clear on who receives equity and why, and ensure that your employees understand the reasoning behind equity decisions for it to be most effective.

• Peter emphasised the importance of prioritising equity education. Equip your employees with foundational knowledge on equity and options, and involve founders in the process to create a sense of ownership and alignment with company goals.

• Adapt to regional differences by tailoring equity offerings to align with local regulations and cultural expectations, especially when expanding globally or hiring remote employees in new regions. No two countries are the same.

• Maintain transparency through economic shifts, the bad and the good. Use open communication to manage employee expectations around valuation changes, cash versus equity compensation, and liquidity timelines. Otherwise you risk a trust deficit.

• Peter highlighted anticipating shifts in hiring needs. Prepare for a growing emphasis on fractional roles, technical hires, and automated roles, which may require rethinking compensation structures and benefit offerings.

Listen, watch or read the full interview here.

If you ever want me to cover a specific topic or would like to nominate a guest, hit reply to this email.

TOOLS & RESOURCES

The Complete Playbook: Embedding Pay Transparency in Your Company

Transform your startup's compensation strategy with our comprehensive Pay Transparency Playbook, designed with the Head of People in mind. This guide empowers you to build a culture of trust, equity, and openness, ensuring your organisation is both compliant and stands out in a competitive talent market.

Here’s some of the stuff we found interesting this month.

That’s all for this week.

Sure, this is technically the end of the newsletter, but we don’t have to end here! I’d love this to be a two-way chat, so let me know what you found helpful, any successes you’re seeing, or any questions you have for me.

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