Ignite Startups: Founder's Guide to Growth and Scaling Startups with Andrew Bartlow | Ep103

Ignite: Conversations on Startups, Venture Capital, Tech, Future, and Society

In this episode of The Ignite Podcast, host Brian Bell welcomes Andrew Bartlow, an expert in human capital management, private equity, and a seasoned educator and mentor. Andrew shares insights from his extensive career, which started in HR roles at major corporations like Pepsi and General Electric. He dives into his experience during the dot-com boom and bust, where he led HR at a company that went global and then folded, reflecting on the lessons learned from that journey. Andrew also discusses his transition into private equity and advisory roles, his work as an accelerator lead, and the creation of his consulting firm, Series B Consulting. A key focus of the episode is Andrew’s book, Scaling for Success, published by Columbia Business School. The book addresses management practices for growing companies, with an emphasis on simplicity and foundational principles. Andrew stresses the importance of having a clear and simple plan for scaling, advising against overcomplicating things with trendy management fads. He offers his take on the archetypes of founders, such as the "prophet" who can inspire and attract investors but struggles with execution, and the "mule driver," a micromanager who controls all decisions. Andrew emphasizes the importance of founders balancing vision with execution and avoiding extremes in leadership style. The conversation also explores Andrew's executive education program, People Leader Accelerator, which helps HR leaders in venture-backed, founder-led companies navigate the complexities of scaling organizations. Andrew highlights the importance of critical thinking and applying proven practices instead of reinventing processes. He also discusses his thoughts on the effectiveness of remote work versus in-office work, offering a nuanced view that companies should make clear decisions based on the specific needs of their workforce and the business model, rather than following trends. Toward the end of the episode, Andrew shares his experiences as a part-time founder, outlining the challenges of balancing multiple roles while building a new SaaS product aimed at reimagining performance management for small and mid-sized businesses. He calls for technical co-founders to join his venture and reflects on the complexities of building a startup, including finding the right team and co-founders to bring the vision to life. Chapters: Introduction to Andrew Bartlow & Human Capital Management (00:01 – 02:05) Early Career and the Dot-Com Boom (02:05 – 04:10) Scaling Startups: The Prophet vs. The Mule Driver (04:10 – 07:29) Lessons from Scaling for Success (07:29 – 10:45) The Importance of Simple Plans in Scaling (10:45 – 14:45) HR Trends and Founder's Pitfalls (14:45 – 17:15) Series B Consulting & People Leader Accelerator (17:15 – 21:00) Remote Work vs. In-Office Debate (21:00 – 25:35) Practical HR Management: Focus on Fundamentals (25:35 – 28:20) Starting a SaaS Business: Simplifying Performance Management (28:20 – 32:50) Reflections on Being a Part-Time Founder (32:50 – 37:39) Rapid Fire: Video Games, Books, and Personal Advice (37:39 – 41:23) Final Thoughts on Helping High-Growth Companies (41:23 – 42:14) How to Connect with Andrew Bartlow (42:14 – 42:58)