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I’ve led people and revenue functions at bootstrapped, VC-backed, and post-IPO SaaS…
Articles by Melissa
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We're Excited to Launch the Path for Progress Pledge...
We're Excited to Launch the Path for Progress Pledge...
We know that inclusion and diversity are fundamental to organizations’ long-term success. Nevertheless, for years…
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Four Ways to Advance Pay Equity at Your Organization
Four Ways to Advance Pay Equity at Your Organization
Today, April 2nd, 2019, is Equal Pay Day. This date, according to the National Committee on Pay Equity, symbolizes “how…
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Melissa Theiss shared thisThank you to the 1,500 Directors, VPs, and Heads of People who now read my newsletter, The Business of People. When I started writing on LinkedIn back in 2017, I never imagined that so many people would want to follow along. Or that my online musings would one day become a newsletter. It's been such a joy to hear how what I've published has impacted readers. Here are just a few anonymous quotes: "I officially stepped into [the Head of People] role at my startup. 🎉 To giveback to anyone who might be on that journey right now, these were my main takeaways that truly changed my mindset. Learn to speak the language of the business (huge shoutout to Melissa Theiss and JooBee Yeow, PhD -- what you're sharing publicly helped me a TON here!)" "Congrats on the new role! I'd recommend reaching out to Melissa Theiss, her People Ops Organizational Diagnostic has been super helpful. I used it to run an audit of our current state and help prioritise where to focus first. It was really helpful for identifying gaps and creating a clear people roadmap." In honor of this milestone, I've made a 15-email welcome sequence. So, if you subscribe to The Business of People for free, over 15 weeks, you'll get my all-time best performing content. 👉 Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gFkaC7DA I love it when people reply back to me with questions or success stories. Those replies help me get to know you, your circumstances, and what type of help today's HR professionals are looking for to navigate an ever-changing work landscape. One of my favorite things is when I can connect readers or coaching clients like Kaitlyn Tarpey Borea and Olivia Leduc to one another to grow their own HR community. So, if you've ever thought about writing content that could help others, this is officially your nudge to get started. It's sometimes hard, but consistently delightful. P.S. I'm starting to plan my 2027 calendar. What HR conferences should I attend? Speak at?
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Melissa Theiss shared thisKit has hosted 17 team retreats. Our Toronto retreat last week was my favorite for one reason: We brought customers on-site to meet with the team. Our global, distributed team treasures the 2x per year we get to come together to work on the most important projects across the company, and get to bond with one another. But, this time we wanted to add an element where we brought team members into our customers' worlds, helping them see what they care about beyond our software tool. The results were magical. 🪄 We not only got to learn from creators, but we got to create special moments for them. When one of our creators noticed their NY Times best selling book wasn’t on our Kit Studios NY book shelf, we had a team member in NY buy the book, add it to the shelf, and send a photo, while the creator was still with us in Toronto. We got to introduce creators to our MCP, help them see how they could be making tens of thousands more in revenue per year with small changes, and more. And, of course, we had some fun in between. After a team call devolved into a Zoom chat full of jokes about potentially seeing a bear in Toronto (a very unlikely outcome), our COO and I wore bear costumes to our final all-team session. For the first time ever, the Kit house band serenaded us with covers of songs like You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift. (Do you think we like Taylor Swift at this company? We also have all our Kit Studios podcast rooms named after her songs.) Oh, and we broke payroll with our biggest profit sharing checks ever — ACH vs wire thresholds are a doozy — and got to fix it in time for everyone to be able to benefit from their hard work. Good thing because our profit sharing circle where everyone gets a handwritten note from our executive team and a custom-designed (fake) check is one of my favorite traditions. In between, the team dreamed up and brought to life amazing improvements to our product. As the Exec Sponsor for creator monetization, I can wait for you all to see the improvements we're introducing to Kit Commerce — which I use to sell digital products and subscriptions — and Sponsorships. P.S. If you represent a brand, I'd love to introduce you to our sponsorships team so you can advertise in the newsletters of the 65,000+ creators in our ad network.
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Melissa Theiss posted thisYour HR calendar should have blackout periods. No executive wants performance reviews during annual planning. No sales leader wants an engagement survey during the end of the quarter. No finance manager wants a retreat during the monthly close. When you’re planning our HR programs, start with an annual calendar of the key events and business operating cadence (e.g., goal planning, financial milestones, annual user conference). Then, layer in the “people stuff” afterwards. A visual calendar will help you see where there are unfortunate overlaps (ever have performance reviews and a Board meeting and and an offsite at the same time… yeah, this helps avoid that unfortunate circumstance). Next, name clear owners, deliverables (e.g., template, meeting agenda), and communication forums (e.g., what Slack channel, list-serv). The act of filling that in will help you see where there are gaps. If you don’t want to start from scratch, all that and more is included in my Startup Operating Models for companies with 0-49 and 50 to 150 employees. Get the operating models for free here: https://lnkd.in/e6pYZ_tH
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Melissa Theiss shared thisAI-native SaaS companies have 10x the revenue density of traditional SaaS. Here's how: They are rewriting what it looks like to work at a tech company, starting with who does what tasks, then what teams look like, and finally with how they resolve the new bottlenecks that emerge. For example, Lovable's Head of Growth wanted the enterprise pricing page redesigned. She didn't file a ticket. She vibe-coded the new page, opened the pull request, and shipped it. "Head of Growth" and "person who modifies the product" used to be two roles. Two comp bands, two reporting lines, two completely different interview loops. At Lovable they're the same person at least some of the time. That's what people actually mean by "AI-native." It's an org design story more than a tooling one. Most of us don't get a do-over where we build the company AI-native from scratch. But the shape of what they're building tells you exactly where the pressure is going to come from. When engineers can produce far more with agents, the bottleneck stops being production and becomes curation, or how fast anyone can decide what's worth building at all. That's why roles like Product Design Engineer are growing, and why AI-native org charts lean less on management layers and more on highly skilled ICs with taste and an understanding of their customers' world views. Fewer roles, different roles. That's a People problem. I broke it all down in this week's issue of The Business of People: https://lnkd.in/e5f7rQvC It's Part III of the Multiplayer AI Playbook. Subscribe to make sure you get future editions.
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Melissa Theiss reposted thisMelissa Theiss reposted thisOur episode with Melissa Theiss aired a while back, but it's still one of the most useful conversations we've had - real frameworks People teams can use to actually understand the business. Here are a few nuggets from the episode: 1. If you can't answer "how does your business make money," nothing else in your people strategy holds up. That's the first question Melissa asks every HR leader she works with, and she uses the answer to gauge how much they actually understand versus how much they still have to learn. She diagnosed a company she has never worked at by spending ten minutes on its website - pricing page for the revenue model, competitor page for the market. Ten competitor battle cards told her the market was fragmented and nobody clearly owned it. 2. A maturity score is most valuable as a tool for saying no. Her PeopleOps org maturity diagnostic scores 13 domains and gives you a percentage, and she treats 80% as the line where you're no longer the reason the business gets stuck. The score comes in handy. When someone arrives insisting a thing is on fire, she can say no and show why other work ranked higher, or say yes and name exactly what gets traded away. 3. A listening tour is worth almost nothing if you don't close the loop. She did "90 and 90" at Kit: all 92 team members in her first 90 calendar days. Every piece of feedback goes into Productboard, tagged the way a product team tags user requests. When something ships, the tool tells her who asked, so she can go back months later and say we're introducing upward reviews, we're not introducing peer reviews, here's why. People show up better prepared to the next conversation because they've watched their input become a decision. Worth the re-listen. You can find it on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Melissa Theiss shared thisIt's hard to lead internal AI adoption when you don't feel confident using AI. If that problem resonates, check out the latest edition of my newsletter: The Multiplayer AI Playbook: Start with Player One... You. It walks through 9-steps to get excited about using AI at work. These are the same steps I used to go from AI-curious to multiple viral posts on AI-use cases for HR in <6 months. Read it and subscribe here: https://lnkd.in/eVTNB9vp.
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Melissa Theiss posted thisJordan negotiated their salary for a Head of People role and felt great about it. $15k more per year! Four months in, they realized there were other parts of the offer they should have paid attention to. The offer letter had them reporting to the CFO and the role gave them zero visibility into the budget. The CEO had sold a seat on the leadership team with considerable influence. This role... wasn't that. Most People leaders have negotiated comp for other people their entire career and rarely negotiate for themselves. Before you sign, check three things: 1. Where you sit. Reporting line and standing meetings, in writing. At companies with 51–100 employees, 82% of People leaders report to the CEO (Pave Data Lab). Anywhere else isn't disqualifying, but it's a conversation. 2. What you own. The metrics you're expected to move the needle on and the visibility and influence you'll have into the budget and operating model. 3. The comp package. If you're helping build enterprise value, your package should treat you like it. Don't only look at salary, but also things like bonuses, equity, and the terms of each (e.g., guaranteed first quarter payout, refresh grants, what happens in the event of M&A). I broke down all three (plus what to negotiate beyond salary) in this week's issue of The Business of People. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/e9-YHqEE
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Melissa Theiss posted thisMost startups make the same performance review mistakes. They either skip them entirely ("we're too small") or mimic what Big Tech does ("let's do 360s for our 15-person team"). Here's the framework I use to design review cycles that fit for different sizes and stages: Frequency by stage: 0-35 people: Quarterly development reviews 35-200 people: Semi-annual reviews (with optional off-cycle developmental check-ins). Combine compensation and performance reviews at this point. 200+ people: Annual reviews (with optional off-cycle developmental check-ins) Timing matters more than you think. Don't plan promotions and merit increases during low cash flow periods. While January and July are classic review times, if March and September are bad cash flow months for your business model, move your performance review schedule. Review complexity should scale with headcount AND experience: Start with self + manager reviews (180°), even at 1,000 people if you've never run reviews before. Add peer feedback (270°) after 1-2 successful cycles. Full 360s only when you're ready for the complexity. Once you’ve moved to semi-annual reviews with compensation considerations included, it helps to run a tight schedule with clear week-by-week deadlines: Week 1: Self and upward reviews due Weeks 2-3: Downward reviews due — 2 weeks help here for managers with 5+ direct reports and stragglers who were OOO for the whole self and upward review week, although AI-drafting can help increasingly help shorten this Weeks 4-5: Manager calibrations Weeks 6-7: Real-time performance review conversations and compensation decision-making Week 8: Compensation and promotion decisions shared Week 9: Title and compensation changes go into effect Tool threshold: 20 people. Below that, Google Forms works. Above that, invest in something like Lattice (my recommended tool)—the time savings on scheduling and reminders alone pays for itself. Get more tips, tricks, tactics, and templates in my newsletter. __ 👋 I'm Melissa Theiss, 4x Head of People and Business Operations and coach for Heads of/Directors/VPs People who want to level-up in their careers. 🗞️ In my newsletter, “The Business of People,” I share tips and tricks that help People leaders think like business leaders.
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Melissa Theiss posted thisMost people — even People people — negotiate one number: base salary. They skip over multiple other things that determine whether the job is life-changing or a downhill slide. Important things like the reporting structure, the metrics you're expected to impact, and your equity terms, bonus structure, and severance. If you got a Head of People offer at a startup and you... Reported to the COO, not the CEO, would you say "Yes"? Knew you couldn't access the budget, would you say "Yes"? Got an extra $15k in salary, but knew the company had a 9-month exit plan and your offer had a 1-year cliff, would you say "Yes"? Those are the topics I explore as I close out the Land the Role Playbook with a deep dive into what to do once you have a Head of People offer in hand. Subscribe to get it in your inbox tomorrow: https://fledgehq.kit.com/
Melissa Theiss replied to a comment
1w
Amazing, I’ll email you to make sure it’s a good fit, then connect you to the team!
Melissa Theiss replied to a comment
1w
Maybe one day a retreat will be timed around on of her concerts!
Melissa Theiss replied to a comment
1w
Definitely, you’re boosting your own likelihood of success by having a plan on a specific timeline that you and other stakeholders agree on far in advance.
You can also work back from dates to work calmly, not frantically, with external parties who might or might not be able to accommodate your “urgent” needs.
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Melissa Theiss reacted on thisWhen the content team is fighting to make fun, educational videos for new products I launch for our creators Every PMMs dream come true 💁🏻♀️Melissa Theiss reacted on thisWe put Sarina and Shiv in one room to talk Kit MCP. Chaos (and actual useful info) ensued. Have you tried Kit MCP yet? What's your favorite task to delegate to it?
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Melissa Theiss reacted on thisMelissa Theiss reacted on thisKit’s summer retreat in Toronto is officially in the books! We spent the week working on "accelerate projects", focused on moving the business forward, welcoming creators onsite for roundtables with smaller groups of teammates (thanks again Jasmine Williams for joining us!), and celebrating the past six months of work together. And of course there was plenty of fun mixed in! Our very own Kit house band closed out the week with covers of songs like Complicated by Avril Lavigne, You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift, All the Small Things by Blink-182, and more. A group of us spontaneously went to a Hilary Duff concert, which somehow turned into one of the best nights of my life. And we continued one of my favorite Kit traditions: opening our profit-sharing checks together, each with a handwritten card from our exec team. This retreat felt especially meaningful to me because it was my first one in a year. We get together every six months, but I had to miss our January retreat in Mexico. Last December, my mom was diagnosed with cancer, and our family canceled a trip to Korea while we navigated everything that came next. Professionally, this has been one of the best years of my career. Personally, it was the hardest. When I told my manager Melissa Theiss what was happening, there was never a question about where my priorities needed to be. She and the rest of the Kit team checked in constantly, encouraged me to take the time I needed, and never made me feel like I had to choose between being there for my family and doing my job. If I needed to miss a meeting to be at the hospital with my mom, I did. Thankfully, my mom is doing much better now. So being able to make it to Toronto after missing our last retreat meant more to me than I expected. I’m so grateful to work somewhere that cares deeply about strong results, high performance, and delivering for our creators. While caring about the humans doing the work. I always leave Kit retreats feeling more connected to this team, more energized, and excited about what we’re building together for creators. Thank you Nathan Barry for building a company and culture that gives us the chance to come together every six months. It’s something really special!
Experience & Education
Licenses & Certifications
Publications
Honors & Awards
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Startup Experts 24 Leaders to Follow in 2024
Startup Experts
Melissa has actively participated in StartupExperts since 2021, consistently offering valuable contributions to our discussions.
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Total Rewards Innovation of the Year Finalist
Transform
Recognizes the company with the most forward-thinking approach to total rewards that includes a compensation, equity, benefits, and perks package that reflects the true value they place in their people.
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2023 HR Innovators
Pillar
Pillar asked their community to send them the HR leaders in their lives that are taking actionable steps to improve workplace culture and practices. Then, picked 20 who really impressed them: https://www.pillar.hr/blog/2023-hr-innovators-guide.
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Culture Builder of the Year Nominee
Technical.ly DC
Nominated for 2020 Technical.ly Awards Washington DC Culture Builder of the Year as an "empathetic leader making their workplace more inclusive and resilient."
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