Recently we hosted a lunch & learn at the Copilot Capital Offices on a topic that doesn’t get enough serious attention in investing: talent, people, and how we actually get better at hiring.
Huge thanks to Daniel Hyde (Executive Chair at Erevena) for a refreshingly practical session that cut through a lot of the usual noise.
A few ideas that really stuck with us 👇
1. Start with the basics- One of the most impactful things a fund can do is surprisingly basic: give CEOs rudimentary management training.- Founders often get companies to a certain scale through force of will. What got them here won’t automatically get them there.
2. Don’t under-diagnose- Before hiring, slow down and really diagnose:- What team do we actually have today?- What does the company really do (GTM now, before, and next)?- Where does the intelligence sit?- Who is the ICP?- What is the true “superpower” the business needs right now?- Sometimes the answer isn’t a CRO, it’s a marketing leader. Titles mislead. Capability matters.
3. Step-up vs step-back hires- Step-back: do we need a “grown-up” general manager?- Step-up: can this person scale themselves, especially as a people leader?The best managers are rarely self-declared – their teams will tell you.
4. Pay attention to the hiring flags- Short tenures. Blaming previous employers. Inability to clearly articulate success and failure.- Lineage matters too: where did someone learn to think, to work hard, to lead?
5. Frameworks don’t save you- Oversimplified frameworks and cookie-cutter hiring processes often fail. Talent teams can help enormously—but they don’t replace judgment.
6. Funds and hiring- Some of the best investors treat hiring as one of the 2–3 decisions where final judgment and accountability must stay internal. Many work closely with trusted executive search partners like Erevena and/or build strong in-house talent teams. Either way, it’s intentional, well-resourced, and taken seriously.
My takeaway- There is far more uncertainty in talent decisions than we like to admit. Founders evolve slower than businesses. And investors who genuinely help on people, not just strategy, create disproportionate value.
Would love to hear from others:👉 Where have you seen investors meaningfully move the needle on talent?
