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Hiring & Firing

Essential parts of the hiring and firing processes

First-Time Founders

+2

Background Check Laws: What You Can Actually Check in Colorado, California, New York, Texas, and Florida

Apr 8, 2026

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8 min read

Background Check Laws: What You Can Actually Check in Colorado, California, New York, Texas, and Florida

Background check laws vary wildly by state. California bans criminal questions until conditional offer. Florida doesn't. Know your state's rules.

Kate York
Kate York

Compensation & Benefits

+3

What Benefits Do We Legally Have to Offer From Day One? The State-by-State Breakdown Founders Actually Need

Apr 7, 2026

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10 min read

What Benefits Do We Legally Have to Offer From Day One? The State-by-State Breakdown Founders Actually Need

Mandatory benefits vary wildly by state. Colorado requires paid leave from day one. Texas doesn't. Here's what you legally owe your first hire.

Kate York
Kate York

First-Time Founders

+2

How to Spot Flight Risks Without Asking Illegal Questions: Assessing Commitment in Startup Hiring

Apr 6, 2026

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11 min read

How to Spot Flight Risks Without Asking Illegal Questions: Assessing Commitment in Startup Hiring

You can't predict forever. Focus on 12-24 month fit. Ask about learning goals and past patterns, not family plans. Here's what predicts retention.

Kate York
Kate York

Company Culture

+2

Culture Add vs. Culture Fit: Why Your Next Hire Should Challenge Your Team, Not Clone It

Apr 3, 2026

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11 min read

Culture Add vs. Culture Fit: Why Your Next Hire Should Challenge Your Team, Not Clone It

Culture add hires share values but bring new perspectives. Culture fit hires confirm biases. Diverse teams outperform by 60%. Here's how to hire.

Kate York
Kate York

Company Culture

+3

"Culture Fit" Rejections: When They're Legal and When They're Discrimination Lawsuits Waiting to Happen

Apr 2, 2026

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10 min read

"Culture Fit" Rejections: When They're Legal and When They're Discrimination Lawsuits Waiting to Happen

"Culture fit" rejections risk discrimination claims. Define culture as specific behaviors, document job-related reasons, involve diverse panels.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+3

How to Spot Candidates Who Actually Want to Work at a Startup (Not Just Need a Paycheck)

Apr 1, 2026

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10 min read

How to Spot Candidates Who Actually Want to Work at a Startup (Not Just Need a Paycheck)

Ask about past behavior in ambiguity, not hypotheticals. Be brutally honest about chaos. Let candidates self-select. Here's how to spot fit.

Kate York
Kate York

Compensation & Benefits

+3

Work Samples and Take-Home Projects: When You Have to Pay Candidates (And When You Don't)

Mar 31, 2026

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11 min read

Work Samples and Take-Home Projects: When You Have to Pay Candidates (And When You Don't)

Work samples are legal until they provide economic benefit to your company. Then you must pay minimum wage. IP belongs to candidates. Here's how.

Kate York
Kate York

Company Culture

+3

Remote vs. In-Person Interviews: What Founders Need to Know Before You Schedule That Zoom Call

Mar 30, 2026

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10 min read

Remote vs. In-Person Interviews: What Founders Need to Know Before You Schedule That Zoom Call

Remote interviews expand talent pools but require platform accessibility. In-person improves assessment but limits geography. Here's when to use each.

Kate York
Kate York

Compensation & Benefits

+3

Equity Compensation for Lower Cash Salaries

Mar 27, 2026

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10 min read

Equity Compensation for Lower Cash Salaries

Offer more equity for lower cash with full transparency. CO/CA/NY require salary ranges but not equity in postings. Here's what to disclose.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+4

Resume Workflow: Blind Review, Auto-Rejection, and Retention Rules

Mar 26, 2026

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12 min read

Resume Workflow: Blind Review, Auto-Rejection, and Retention Rules

Blind resume review reduces bias. Auto-rejecting based on degrees risks discrimination claims. You must keep all resumes 1+ years. Here's your resume workflow.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+3

Pay Transparency in Job Postings: What You Must Disclose (And What You Should)

Mar 25, 2026

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13 min read

Pay Transparency in Job Postings: What You Must Disclose (And What You Should)

CO/CA/NY require salary ranges in job posts. Remote hiring triggers compliance regardless of your location. Here's what to disclose in each state.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+3

How to Write Honest Job Descriptions That Attract Ambitious People (When You Can't Pay FAANG Salaries)

Mar 24, 2026

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13 min read

How to Write Honest Job Descriptions That Attract Ambitious People (When You Can't Pay FAANG Salaries)

Stop overselling. Ambitious people want honest job descriptions that respect their intelligence with real challenges, real learning, and real trade-offs.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+3

AI in Hiring Laws 2026: What Every Founder Needs to Know Right Now

Mar 23, 2026

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14 min read

AI in Hiring Laws 2026: What Every Founder Needs to Know Right Now

AI hiring laws are in effect NOW in CA, IL, NY, CO, TX. Candidates can sue in Illinois. Fines up to $20K/violation in Colorado. Here's what you need to know for compliance.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+3

Complete Startup Onboarding Template: Checklists for Managers and New Hires

Mar 17, 2026

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11 min read

Complete Startup Onboarding Template: Checklists for Managers and New Hires

Ready-to-use onboarding template with checklists for hiring managers and new employees: Day 1, Week 1, and 30/60/90 days with state compliance.

Kate York
Kate York

Company Culture

+3

Stop Bragging About 90-Second Onboarding: Why Your First Day Sets the Tone for Everything

Mar 16, 2026

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13 min read

Stop Bragging About 90-Second Onboarding: Why Your First Day Sets the Tone for Everything

90-second onboarding is just paperwork automation. Real onboarding builds connection, clarity, and commitment while determining whether people stay or leave.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+3

Startup Interview 100+ Question Bank

Mar 13, 2026

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13 min read

Startup Interview 100+ Question Bank

100+ interview questions that reveal if someone will thrive at a startup, not just give polished corporate answers. Organized by role and skill.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+2

Don't Ask That!

Mar 12, 2026

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13 min read

Don't Ask That!

What You Can (and Can't) Legally Ask in Interviews

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+3

How to Create an Interview Scorecard

Mar 11, 2026

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14 min read

How to Create an Interview Scorecard

Interview scorecards make hiring faster, fairer, and legally defensible. Here's how to create role-specific scorecards that improve hiring.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+2

Who Should Interview Candidates at Your Startup: Just Founders or the Whole Team?

Mar 10, 2026

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12 min read

Who Should Interview Candidates at Your Startup: Just Founders or the Whole Team?

Should founders interview every candidate or delegate to the team? It depends on size, role, and urgency. Use this interview framework for your next hire.

Kate York
Kate York

Company Culture

+2

Where to Find People Who Actually Want to Work at a Startup

Mar 9, 2026

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13 min read

Where to Find People Who Actually Want to Work at a Startup

Startup-motivated people aren't on Indeed. They're in niche communities, local ecosystems, and networks. Here's where to actually find them.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+2

Generalists vs. Specialists: Which Should You Hire First?

Mar 6, 2026

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12 min read

Generalists vs. Specialists: Which Should You Hire First?

Should your first hire be a generalist or specialist? It's not about company size; it's about what work needs doing. Here's how to decide.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+3

Where Should You Found Your Startup? An HR Perspective on the Top 5 Entrepreneur States

Mar 5, 2026

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12 min read

Where Should You Found Your Startup? An HR Perspective on the Top 5 Entrepreneur States

Where you hire matters more than where you incorporate. Here's what CO, CA, NY, TX, and FL actually cost from an HR perspective and who wins where.

Kate York
Kate York

First-Time Founders

+2

How to Create a Performance Improvement Plan

Mar 4, 2026

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14 min read

How to Create a Performance Improvement Plan

Performance Improvement Plans work when done right: specific metrics, real support, and weekly check-ins. Here's a template and process that works.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+2

Termination Guide: Checklist, Conversation Scripts & Managing Team Morale

Mar 3, 2026

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13 min read

Termination Guide: Checklist, Conversation Scripts & Managing Team Morale

Termination is more than a difficult conversation. Termination is legal prep, team morale, and your own emotions. Here's the termination checklist to do it with integrity.

Kate York
Kate York

Scaling

+2

Your First Hire: How to Decide Which Role to Fill First

Feb 27, 2026

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13 min read

Your First Hire: How to Decide Which Role to Fill First

Your first hire should unlock growth, not just cover your weaknesses. Here's how to evaluate which role to fill first based on real business needs.

Kate York
Kate York
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