As we look ahead to the rest of 2025, we’re sharing a curated list of high-impact resources to help you stay on top of the trends shaping our work. Whether you’re exploring AI, refining comp strategy, or designing more people-centered systems, there’s something here to dig into.
Here are some guiding resources for you!
📌 Does Job Hopping Still Pay Off? – (By Cole Napper from LightCast)
Job hopping isn’t dead—but it’s no longer the sure bet it once was. In 2025, LightCast’s data shows that while switching roles can still lead to higher salaries, success depends on factors like industry, demand, and inflation. Fields such as Healthcare, Construction, and Manufacturing offer both strong salary growth and plentiful opportunities, while IT, Finance, and Administrative roles have seen shrinking openings and slower pay gains.
The takeaway? Job hopping still pays off — but only if done strategically and with the right data in hand. This article is written by Cole Napper, one of our awesome former StartupExperts members! Access the full report above.
📌 The Investor-Backed Guide to Executive Compensation – (By Sequoia)
Executive compensation isn’t just about paychecks — it’s a powerful lever for retention, performance, and long-term growth. Sequoia’s Investor-Backed Executive Compensation Guide breaks down the principles and strategies that shape high-impact leadership rewards, from structuring equity to aligning incentives with company goals.
The guide highlights proven best practices, common pitfalls to avoid, and how to navigate sensitive transitions like severance planning. Whether you’re building at pre-seed or scaling toward IPO, this resource equips you with the tools to design comp packages that inspire leaders, satisfy investors, and create lasting enterprise value. For full report, feel free to access the link above.
This quick-reference HR–Finance dictionary by HiBob helps both teams speak the same language so they can make faster, better decisions. It offers clear definitions, side-by-side HR vs. Finance viewpoints, common confusion points, and alignment tips across core topics like base salary, variable pay, benchmarking, equity/refreshes, fully loaded cost, merit cycles, qualified plans, salary bands, total rewards, plus financial concepts such as budget variance, burn rate, cap tables, and cost centers. By clarifying data sources, timing, inclusion rules, and measurement logic, the guide turns terminology clashes into shared understanding—bridging the gap between “headcount” and “human capital.” Read the full report above.
And people . . .
We’re always looking to spotlight folks in our community who bring energy, depth, and authenticity into their work and relationships. Here are two people who absolutely deserve a spot on your radar:
Michelle is the go-to advisor for high-growth and evolving companies navigating the “messy middle.” Through her firm, Polaris Pathways, she helps executive teams align people strategy with business outcomes—especially when things get complex.
Whether it’s rapid scaling, layoffs, acquisitions, or culture misalignment, Michelle brings clarity, structure, and strategic HR leadership to ensure organizations move forward with confidence.
Clients describe her best: “Michelle is the person you call when things get messy—and you still need to get it right.”
We’re thrilled to welcome Michelle to our team as our new Director of Community Strategy and Growth and can’t wait for you to learn from her insights. Follow along as she helps us build stronger systems, smarter strategies, and a thriving community.
Tim makes the complex simple. With a career spanning sales, finance, and technology, he brings contrarian thinking and practical playbooks to help high-growth companies make smarter decisions, scale into new markets, and unlock value from Human Capital, Data & Analytics, and Employee Benefits.
He’s a creative, generous connector who loves opening doors, sourcing opportunities, and convening leaders through his exclusive roundtable for HR, Finance, and Operations. Beyond work, he’s a dog-loving, soccer-watching, plant-based foodie—and if you DM him about dogs, he’ll make a donation to the ASPCA in your honor.
Follow Tim for sharp, cross-functional insights on people strategy, data, and go-to-market delivered with clarity; candid takes on B2B sales and marketing trends (including why “salespeople are the death of selling”); and community-building at its best. As our NYC Hub Director, Tim curates conversations, connections, and opportunities you won’t want to miss.
