At M Accelerator, we know that the most critical growth curve in any startup isn’t just in revenue or users — it’s in leadership. That’s why our latest Mentor Series session, “From Founder to CEO — The Human Side of Scaling a Business,” focused not on technology, traction, or fundraising, but on the most complex asset in any organization: its people.
Hosted by M Accelerator in partnership with Insperity, this interactive session featured Kristin Wantland, Business Performance Advisor at Insperity, who brought decades of experience advising startups, leadership teams, and private equity-backed companies through growth and transformation. Kristin has worked with over 100 businesses to build operational efficiency and align people strategies with scale — making her the ideal voice for founders navigating the transition from building a product to leading a company.
Why This Conversation Mattered
As Alessandro Marianantoni, Director of M Accelerator, opened the session, he reminded attendees of a simple truth: founders are constantly pulled between doing and leading — between execution and growth. But as companies scale, founders need to evolve beyond day-to-day problem-solving and become architects of teams, culture, and systems.
“You’re not just solving problems anymore — you’re building the environment in which others solve them.”
Kristin drove this point home with a powerful question that framed the session:
“How do I grow and scale my business through my people, as their leader?”
Highlights and Key Themes
This wasn’t just another webinar. It was a practical, reflective, and interactive session where founders across industries and stages explored what it really takes to grow a company without losing themselves — or their teams — in the process.
Mission, Vision, and Values: More Than Buzzwords
Kristin began with the basics: defining your mission, vision, and values. While these often feel like branding or investor deck exercises, she reframed them as strategic anchors that guide every business decision — from hiring to culture to partnerships.
“If you don’t define your values early, your company will adopt a culture by default — and you might not like what you end up with.”
Culture by Design
As companies grow, maintaining a strong internal culture becomes increasingly difficult. Kristin encouraged founders to design their culture intentionally, rather than letting it emerge haphazardly. This includes hiring for alignment, being transparent about expectations, and reinforcing values through day-to-day actions.
Attendees discussed real-world challenges, including how toxic hires can affect morale and how high-growth hiring can unintentionally dilute startup culture.
From Operator to Leader
Founders often struggle to transition from “doer” to “leader.” Kristin emphasized that delegation is not just a relief — it’s a requirement for scale.
“As you scale, you can’t wear every hat. Your job becomes enabling others to do their jobs.”
Leadership alignment also came up — how essential it is for leaders to model behaviors, create psychological safety, and stay accountable. Without this, trust breaks down and performance suffers.
Talent, Retention, and Engagement
Kristin walked through how to build people-first strategies that lead to real outcomes:
- Hiring for both skills and values
- Investing in onboarding and development
- Using personality assessments (like DISC) to tailor leadership and coaching styles
- Designing career paths that support both individual and organizational goals
“Turnover is expensive. Keeping great people engaged is one of your most valuable growth strategies.”
Diversity and Inclusion
Rather than treating D&I as a checkbox, Kristin framed it as a performance driver. Diverse teams outperform homogeneous ones when companies cultivate trust, inclusion, and open dialogue.
“Diversity of thought leads to better ideas, more innovation, and deeper engagement. Your culture and your board should reflect that.”
Compensation, Burnout, and Benefits Strategy
The session also covered how early-stage companies can structure competitive compensation and benefits without burning through their runway. Kristin noted that rewarding performance, recognizing contributions, and protecting team wellbeing are key to long-term success — especially when burnout is a growing risk.
“Preventing burnout is not just about self-care. It’s about building systems that don’t rely on unsustainable effort.”
Risk, Compliance, and HR Infrastructure
Though less glamorous, Kristin warned against ignoring HR compliance, risk management, and legal protections — especially as the team grows. Founders need to understand what’s required (at both the state and federal level) to protect their businesses and avoid costly mistakes.
Community Dialogue: Real Founders, Real Questions
What made this session especially valuable was the founder-driven Q&A, which surfaced real-world challenges faced during early-stage growth. Key topics included:
- Cultural dilution during periods of rapid hiring, with reflections drawn from experiences in high-growth, post-merger environments.
- Hiring technical leadership without a tech background, particularly when seeking a strong VP of Engineering.
- Transitioning from task execution to building scalable systems and repeatable processes from the start.
Kristin responded with actionable insights, offering strategies such as cross-training programs, intentional onboarding rituals, and employee recognition frameworks that reinforce company values.
A Human-Centered Framework for Growth
The title of the session wasn’t accidental: “From Founder to CEO — The Human Side of Scaling a Business.”
It reminded us that growth isn’t just about strategy, product, or market — it’s about people. The founder’s journey is deeply human: filled with uncertainty, reinvention, and learning. And the ability to lead through those phases is what separates builders from real CEOs.
“Leadership development shouldn’t be item #50 on your to-do list. Even just one podcast or article a week can build the muscle before you need to flex it.”
What’s Next
We’re deeply grateful to Kristin Wantland for sharing her time, expertise, and genuine care for the founder journey — and to Insperity, our partner in creating this session and supporting startups on the path to sustainable growth.
As always, thank you to our M Accelerator community of founders for showing up, asking smart questions, and committing to the long game of leadership.
Stay tuned for more powerful sessions in our Mentor Series, including:
- Learning as a Go-to-Market Lever – Using community education to drive adoption
- Scaling with JP Morgan – Insights from enterprise leaders on growing with discipline
Session recordings and slides will be available to all participants shortly.
Join the Founders Network at M Accelerator
At M Accelerator, we equip entrepreneurs not only with the tools to build innovative companies — but with the guidance, support, and community needed to grow into high-impact leaders.
If you’re a founder ready to scale your business — and yourself — we invite you to join our Founders Network.
Gain access to exclusive events, mentoring sessions, partner perks, and a vibrant community of startup builders from around the world.
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Let’s build the future — together.
