Let's Table That

Borderless AI

Real talk about work, leadership, and the things nobody says out loud. Hosted by Jazmine and Glaze.

Episodes

  1. 4h ago

    From Doing to Designing: Building Talent That Scales w/ Krista Skalde | Let's Table That

    What actually separates companies that scale well from the ones that stall? Krista, Chief Talent Officer and Operating Partner at Inovia Capital, joins Glaze and Jazzy to reframe HR as an architect's job, designing the systems that let good people do great work, rather than layering on programs and perks. Drawing on a career that spans Tokyo, Paris, Abu Dhabi, and the venture world, she unpacks why every early hire reshapes culture, how founders can hire "ahead of complexity" without overpaying, and why the crucial middle-management layer is where retention and change management are won or lost. She also gets candid about AI's impact on how work is designed, the shift toward individual-contributor careers, and the culture-fit bias that still makes her cringe. It's a practical, systems-first playbook for anyone building a high-performance team. -- Key Moments00:03:58 — A career built on systems — From teaching English in Tokyo to consulting in Paris and running HR for a sovereign wealth fund in Abu Dhabi, Krista traces how she came to see talent as system design.00:10:01 — Why the system wins — She argues no one shows up to do a bad job, so leaders must fix the system — decision-making, communication, and clear expectations — before adding HR programs.00:15:49 — Hiring ahead of complexity — Krista explains the most common scaling trap: waiting too long to hire for the next stage and losing time in a fast-moving, AI-enabled world.00:18:46 — From doing to designing — Her signature idea that a growing leader's job is to stop doing the work and start architecting the system and the roles within it.00:26:05 — Redesigning structure without breaking performance — She discusses how AI is already forcing structural change, the risk of burnout, and why speed and clarity matter during disruption.00:37:00 — Culture and performance aren't enemies — Krista lays out the three prongs of a healthy high-performance culture: clarity of vision, rewarding the right things, and mitigating personal risk.00:45:10 — The crucial middle — Why middle managers drive change and retention, how AI coaching could finally make management development stick, and why more of the next generation may skip management altogether.00:59:00 — Under the Table 🌶️: the culture-fit that cringes — Krista calls out hiring managers who mistake "hiring to their own likeness" for culture fit, and makes the case for culture add.-- Keep the conversation going: Follow Borderless AI on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hireborderlessConnect with Krista: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kskalde/Connect with Glaze: linkedin.com/in/glazemartillano Connect with Jazzy: linkedin.com/in/jazmineparrisInterested in diving deeper? Check out our Media Lab: https://www.hireborderless.com/media-lab

  2. Apr 8

    Closing Talent in a Tough Market w/ Tonci Hockmann | Let's Table That

    In this episode of Let’s Table That, Jazzy and Glaze sit down with Tonci, a seasoned recruiter who’s built teams across startups, scale-ups, and enterprise companies like Instacart, RBC, and now, Rootly.They break down what’s really happening in today’s tech talent market, from the rise of AI in hiring to why recruiting at scale is less about heroics and more about building repeatable processes. Tonci shares practical insights on closing candidates, scaling teams, and what actually separates great hiring from average hiring.You’ll hear:-What “recruiting at scale” really means-How AI is changing hiring (and what actually matters)-Culture fit vs. culture add-How to close top engineering talent-What’s shifting in the North American tech marketPlus, stay tuned for the Under the Table segment, where things get a little more honest (and a little more spicy).--Key Moments:0:00 – Intro & Meet TCI1:00 – TCI's Career Journey6:30 – AI Roles & Screening for AI Skills11:00 – What Recruiting at Scale Actually Means16:00 – Building a Recruiting Function from Scratch21:00 – Culture Add vs. Culture Fit27:00 – Shifts in the Tech Market33:00 – Closing Senior Engineering Candidates38:00 – Startup Comp vs. Big Tech48:00 – Rethinking Pedigree in Hiring51:30 – 🌶️ Under the Table-- Keep the conversation going: Follow Borderless AI on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hireborderlessConnect with Tonci: linkedin.com/in/toncihockmannConnect with Glaze: linkedin.com/in/glazemartillano Connect with Jazzy: linkedin.com/in/jazmineparrisInterested in diving deeper? Check out our Media Lab: https://www.hireborderless.com/media-lab

  3. Mar 12

    Startup HR That Doesn’t Kill the Culture w/ Holly Warwick | Let's Table That

    What actually happens when a startup starts to scale?In this episode of Let’s Table That, we sit down with Holly, a veteran of the Kitchener-Waterloo tech ecosystem, to talk about the realities of building teams inside growing companies.People Ops wasn’t always seen as strategic. For a long time, it lived in the background, handling things like payroll, policies, and paperwork.But as startups scale, founders quickly realize something: people decisions are business decisions.Holly has spent years helping companies navigate that shift. From early hiring to building leadership teams, she’s seen how culture, structure, and leadership evolve as organizations grow. And she’s also seen where things go wrong.Because scaling a company doesn’t just mean growing headcount. It’s about building the systems, trust, and leadership needed to support all the new hires, and the existing ones too. In this episode, we talk about:• How People Ops evolved from administrative support to strategic leadership• The right time for startups to invest in their first People Ops hire• Why hiring “big company” talent doesn’t always work in startups• The common scaling mistakes founders make• Why copying corporate playbooks can backfire• The difference between managing people and actually leading them• What founders underestimate about the human side of growthIf you’ve ever:• Joined a startup during a period of rapid growth• Wondered when companies should invest in People Ops• Seen culture start to crack as teams scalePull up a chair.---Key Moments:00:00 Introduction02:30 The Evolution of People Ops05:37 When Should Startups Invest in People Ops?10:24 How High-Growth Teams Scale Performance15:00 Common Scaling Mistakes19:20 Being People-First While Setting Boundaries26:26 Leadership Lessons from Scaling Teams28:30 Logic vs. Intuition in Hiring32:00 Feedback in Startups42:48 Under the Table Segment46:00 Leadership in Startups vs. Corporate48:42 HR Horror Stories--- Keep the conversation going: Follow Borderless AI on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/hireborderlessConnect with Holly: linkedin.com/in/holly-warwick-4233a6171/Connect with Glaze: linkedin.com/in/glazemartillano Connect with Jazzy: linkedin.com/in/jazmineparrisInterested in diving deeper? Check out our Media Lab: https://www.hireborderless.com/media-lab

About

Real talk about work, leadership, and the things nobody says out loud. Hosted by Jazmine and Glaze.