Katelin Holloway Thinks More HR People Need a VC Checkbook

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Katelin Holloway Thinks More HR People Need a VC Checkbook

Get them front and center into check writing roles.

HR Heretics

Jan 26, 2024

Transcript

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. Her thesis is that venture needs more people leaders writing checks and supporting founders, not just as talent partners or internal HR roles in venture firms. Katelin shares a ton of practical advice — and tactics — for HR professionals wanting to start investing or break into VC.

Timestamps and the transcript of our episode with Katelin are below. We love feedback! Let us know who else you want on the show or you want us to cover in upcoming segment topics. And thanks for telling your friends and enemies to subscribe to the podcast on Substack, Apple, or Spotify.

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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/

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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

In addition to being a partner at a VC firm, Katelin hosts the excellent podcast All Hands - check it out! https://lattice.com/all-hands-podcast

Discussion about this podcast

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

After a decade+ of “blitz-scaling” companies, HR, talent, and People leaders now face an uncertain economy that has already seen big booms and busts. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact?

Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners – Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors.

This show is for those who are ready to ditch conventional wisdom and figure out from first principles what works for their culture, business model, and industry, with the goal of building a resilient and enduring company. You’ll come away with real guidance for seeing around corners, building enduring companies, and carving out an impactful career – plus a newly-honed bullshit detector.

Topics frequently touched on in this season include: building high performing cultures, compensation negotiation, performance reviews, company design, equity, M&As, recruiting the best talent, and how to manage your own psychology as a people leader.

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