Hiring the right person is only half the battle. The bigger question? How do you keep them? Retention isn’t just about perks — it’s about alignment, leadership, and systems that support long-term success.

For growth-stage businesses, the first 20 hires aren’t just team members — they’re culture-setters. Get them right, and you build a foundation for scale. Get them wrong, and you’ll spend years untangling people problems instead of growing.

Every founder or COO knows the sting of a bad hire. It’s not just the salary wasted — it’s the lost time, team frustration, and the opportunity cost of momentum stalled. But what’s often underestimated is just how expensive a mis-hire really is.