How I work
I work as an embedded People & Operations leader for seed and Series A startups. Not a consultant who delivers slide decks and leaves — someone who builds the systems, runs the processes, and hands over something that works.
The hiring assumptions of the hyperscaling era are gone. As you scale further, you don't need to hire at the rate the old playbook suggested. A lot of what used to require headcount can now be orchestrated (AI-powered workflows, knowledge systems, automated processes). I've built these. I also know what they can't replace: the human judgment, the difficult conversations, the leadership moments that define how a team works together. I do both.
What I do
Set up AI-powered HR infrastructure from scratch — compensation, payroll, recruiting pipelines, performance management, and internal communications. This means building the foundations that let a company hire, develop, and part with people without chaos.
Much of this can now be automated or orchestrated. That's the goal: systems that run themselves, with a human in the loop where it counts.
Create AI-agent powered knowledge transfer systems and workflows for critical processes.
When key people leave, institutional knowledge walks out the door with them. I've developed an interview-based framework — 10+ knowledge categories, AI-assisted structuring — that captures that knowledge before it disappears.
Build and scale the teams you actually need. Not the overstaffed functions that made sense when growth covered all sins — lean teams with the right infrastructure around them.
From hiring processes to internal structures that don't collapse under pressure. I've done this across HR, customer support, operations, and marketing.
Facilitate the moments that make a team feel like something worth being part of — all-hands meetings, annual planning, talent conversations, offsites, cross-functional workshops.
These aren't logistics problems. Done well, they give people clarity, shared direction, and the feeling that the leadership actually knows what it's doing. I design and run them so they land.
Identify and close talent gaps.
An honest assessment of who you have, who you need, and what the realistic paths are — whether that's hiring, developing internally, or restructuring roles around the people you've got.
Senior leadership tension is one of the most common and most costly problems in growth-stage startups.
I help founders and execs understand what's actually happening — not just the surface conflict — and find a path forward that doesn't blow up the company in the process.
Outcomes
Done well, this produces clean HR documentation. That's the basis for operational continuity, ongoing process improvement, and smoother due diligence when you raise or exit. Less operational firefighting. Knowledge that survives departures. Institutional memory doesn't walk out the door.
AI-POWERED KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
I build AI agents that capture institutional knowledge, run recurring HR processes, and document operational workflows. The agents are real and in production. They handle handovers, onboarding, and performance management. They're not a product I sell, but built into the engagement and kept current as the toolset evolves.
At Aware, this process produced 13 chapters of structured knowledge in two weeks. A colleague described it as “the best handover they'd ever seen.”
The toolset is changing too fast for static prompts to hold their value. The work happens with the team, not handed over as a product.
Case study
At Aware Health, the People function existed in one person's head. Two weeks later: 13 detailed chapters covering hiring, compensation, payroll, onboarding, performance management. The external HR agency taking over called it the most comprehensive handover they'd seen.
Read the full case study →Ways to work with me
Every engagement is tailored to your situation. These are the three most common structures — let's discuss what makes sense for you.
Ongoing support at a defined number of days per week or month, typically over 3–6 months. Right for companies that need sustained People & Ops leadership without committing to a full-time hire.
A defined scope with a clear deliverable and timeline. Right for companies with a specific problem to solve — building a compensation framework, running a hiring sprint, executing a knowledge transfer.
Full-time coverage during a transition period — while you search for a permanent hire, during a restructure, or through a founder departure. Right when you need someone in the seat, not on the sideline.
Fit
You're a seed or Series A startup with 20–100 employees
You don't yet have a dedicated People or Operations leader — or you have a junior person who needs backing
You're in Germany or across the EU. Berlin, regional hubs, or distributed teams welcome.
You need People & Operations leadership but aren't ready for a full-time senior hire
You're facing a transition — growth, restructuring, a key departure, or a new phase
You want someone who will do the work, not just advise on it
You work in a founder-mode environment and expect high standards
The first conversation is free. 30 minutes to understand your situation and figure out if I can help.