Your first few hires beyond your founder team shape your company’s future. A wrong hire early on costs more than money. It slows you down, hurts morale, and can throw off your entire direction. Most founders don’t come in knowing how to hire or retain talent. This Ugly Talk is a no-fluff look at how to grow beyond your founder team and build a strong foundation—through mistakes, pivots, and the hard lessons that come with it.

🎯 Why You Should Attend

This isn’t your typical “how to hire” panel. We’re getting real about:

• Spotting red flags before they tank your culture
• Knowing when to let someone go—and how to do it right
• What actually matters in a first hire (and what doesn’t)
• Building a team aligned with your mission—not just your skill gaps

You’ll walk away with practical frameworks and gut-check wisdom to help you confidently build the team your startup deserves.

🙋 Who You’ll Meet

• Tech founders building their first teams
• Startup operators looking to grow efficiently
• Business owners hiring beyond their co-founders
• Talent professionals and recruiters who work with startups
• People who’ve made hiring mistakes and are eager to share
• Others figuring out how to retain and scale with the right people