Why Tech Needs a People-First Revolution — Not Just a Rebrand
Too many companies say they’re people-first — but only when speaking to customers. Internally, they remain transactional, reactive, and misaligned. In this GTM NewsDesk episode, Nick Bennett, Mark Kilens, and guest Kate from Opsy unpack what true people-first leadership looks like, why tech is trailing behind industries like insurance and farming, and how VCs might be part of the problem.
People-First Means Internal First: Brands that tout community externally but fail to support employees internally aren’t truly people-first. Sustainable culture starts inside — with psychological safety, clear communication, and leadership that enables, not just manages.
Leadership Is an Operating System: Leadership isn’t charisma or instinct. It’s a system of intentional hiring, onboarding, enablement, and feedback. High-performing companies like HubSpot and Drift invest in repeatable frameworks — not just gut feel.
Tech Has a Management Problem: Despite building the future, tech still lags in cultivating effective people leaders. Industries like agriculture and insurance are often better at developing strong management muscles because they take the craft seriously.
VC Culture May Be the Root Cause: The VC-driven scale-at-all-costs mentality often rewards fast hiring without slow training. The result? Burnout, mismanagement, and poor retention. Until investors value leadership development as much as growth charts, little will change.
People-first leadership isn’t soft — it’s strategic. Building real teams, not just headcount, is the ultimate growth hack. Culture isn’t what you claim. It’s what your employees live.
“The companies that say they’re people-first to their customers but not to their employees are not people-first.” — Kate O'Neil
EXCLUSIVE CONTENT
