Become a better Head of People in 5 minutes
The Business of People is your shortcut to success. It's a free newsletter read by 1,500+ Directors, VPs, and Heads of People. We'll send you tips, tricks, tactics, and templates to land and succeed in your next People leadership role.
๐ Executives get paid what?!?
How to structure executive bonus plans October 27, 2026 | Edition #35 Dear People person, Company leadership cast a long shadow. They make decisions that impact the future of the company and tens to thousands of employees', customers', and shareholders' lives. For that reason, it's not only important to hire the right leaders, but also to compensate them in a way that aligns their interests with the company's interests. We've previously talked about setting base compensation using benchmarks...
๐ How in the world do you compensate salespeople?
How in the world do you compensate salespeople? October 20, 2026 | Edition #34 Dear People person, Few types of compensation are as complicated as sales incentive plans. So, let's break it down. A classic Account Executive sales incentive compensation plan has 4 main leversโpay mix (% base, % variable), on-target earnings (OTE), quota, and a commission %. You also usually have an efficiency control (e.g., quota:OTEratio). Start with constraints (e.g., we want our base/variable mix to be...
๐ Demystifying equity incentive plans
How to design and model out an equity incentive plan October 13, 2026 | Edition #33 Dear People person, At startups, stock optionsโor "equity"โis talked about as the Holy Grail. It's why everyone should be excited to build the company and get rich. In reality, it rarely works out that way as 65%+ of startups fail. Even for successful startups, many employees don't get rich from an exit (e.g., IPO) because only 1/3rd purchase their options and become shareholders, eligible to receive cash...
๐ 4 questions to budget for benefits with confidence
4 questions to budget for benefits with confidence October 6, 2026 | Edition #32 Hello People person... Let's talk benefits. When budgeting for benefits, what counts? Your core categories for US employees are health, dental, and vision insurance, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, and paid-time off. Common supplemental benefits include an equipment stipend, L&D stipend, parental leave, EAP, 401k, pension plans, and unique perks. Depending on the stage of your start-up, you're...
๐ How do I know how much we should pay people?
How to model compensation for annual budgeting September 29, 2026 | Edition #31 Hi there, Did you know that in most remote SaaS companies, headcount expenses account for more than 70% of a company's annual revenue? (Source: Bain & Company OpEx Engine 2018) While AI might change things, that number has remained relatively stable for years. (If you're not convinced yet, check out one of my favorite semi-annual reports, The State of Startup Compensation H2 2025.) That means that influencing...
๐ 5 methods to make headcount planning and budgeting feel easy
How to make headcount planning feel easy September 22, 2026 | Edition #30 Hi there, Every year, there comes a time โ and often 2-4x โ where Heads of People have to work with the Executive Team to come up with a headcount plan. This can often feel chaotic, last-minute, and like the most persuasive people get the most headcount. It doesn't have to be that way. Here's how I like to approach headcount planningStart by understanding which of these 5 common budgeting models your organization uses....
๐ When HR and Finance Don't Talk, Everyone Pays
When HR and Finance Don't Talk, Everyone Pays September 15, 2026 | Edition #29 Hi there, One of the most common questions my consulting clients ask me is: "How do I establish a better partnership with our Finance leader?" Actually, it's usually a little bit more visceral than that. Things like: How can I get [Director of Finance] to ever give me access to the budget? - Head of People at Series B cybersecurity company [VP of Finance] is impossible to work with. They want me to plan a RIF, but...
๐ Endgame: How to operate like an AI-native company
Endgame: How to operate like an AI-native company August 14, 2026 | Edition #28 The customer success team at Priya's company had a "best practice" that no one followed: After every call, log the personal details in the CRM. Kid's name, favorite team, the fact that this client loves Cold Stone ice cream cakes. Then, use that information later to create a magical moment. People rarely logged anything. It wasn't because they didn't care. It was because that was the 9th and least urgent action...
๐ The AI Playbook: From Single Player to Multiplayer (Part II)
The AI Playbook (Part II): From Single Player to Multiplayer August 4, 2026 | Edition #27 Since Part I of the Multiplayer AI series, our HR heroine, Priya, has really doubled down and become more fluent with AI for her own use cases. She now has multiple routines running on Claude and gets excited about building automations, like pre-populating all sorts of data for annual compensation reviews to make the process faster and less painful. Now, to fulfill her company's AI mandate, she has to...
๐ The Multiplayer AI Playbook: Player One (Part I)
The Multiplayer AI Playbook: Player One (Part I) July 28, 2026 | Edition 26 Priya was told to "figure out AI" for her 200-person company on a Monday. By Friday she'd shipped a rollout plan: a Claude Team license for every employee, a lunch-and-learn, a Slack channel for tips. Three months later, adoption had flatlined at people asking the tool to summarize meeting notes. Priya herself had used it maybe a dozen times, mostly to punch up an email. When her CEO asked why "the numbers" hadn't...
The Business of People is your shortcut to success. It's a free newsletter read by 1,500+ Directors, VPs, and Heads of People. We'll send you tips, tricks, tactics, and templates to land and succeed in your next People leadership role.