Pragnya Challapalli has climbed from Senior People Partner to Head of People & Culture at Parity Technologies, the core development house behind Polkadot. Along the way she’s discovered that autonomy and decentralisation - Web3’s favourite buzzwords - only work when paired with ruthless clarity on purpose, priorities and decision‑making. In this edition of People Protocol she explains why “co‑creating” policies beats rolling them out, how to balance structure with flexibility without triggering collective eye‑rolls, and what traits separate Web3 high‑performers from everyone else.
You’ve held multiple roles within Parity. From Senior People Partner to now Head of People & Culture. How has your understanding of what teams need in Web3 evolved during your time there?
It's been a journey of growing with the organization; not just in title, but in mindset and approach. Early on, my focus was embedded in partnering with tech team leads, understanding their challenges and helping shape solutions. As my role evolved, so did our culture and complexity of the problems we were trying to solve; from solving people related challenges to supporting leadership through change. What’s remained constant is the values, and core elements of the culture of Parity and also within the People team: autonomy, accountability and innovation alongside the inevitable chaos that comes with the space.
When I first joined, I assumed that autonomy and decentralization were the most important ingredients for teams in Web3; and while they still are, I’ve learned they’re only part of the equation. What teams truly need is clarity: around purpose, priorities, expectations and explanation on how decisions get made. So while flexibility and ownership are core, they must be paired with intentional structure, strategic direction and alignment. That said, we are still very much in the thick of it. We are figuring out what still serves us and what needs to evolve. I’ve learnt that work is never really ‘’done’’.
What’s been the most difficult challenge you’ve faced building or evolving people strategies at Parity and what did you learn from it?
Finding the balance between structure and flexibility has been one of the trickiest things. In Web3, the moment something feels top-down or overly formal, you can feel the collective eye-roll. But at the same time, if you lean too far into flexibility, it can become chaotic, ambiguous, and unfair. (It’s also useful to accept the eye roll and move forward anyway!)
What I’ve learned is that the goal isn’t to eliminate structure, it’s to co-create it. Involve teams in shaping processes, explain the “why” behind systems, and treat everything as something that can (and should) evolve. When you give people ownership and insights over how things work, they’re far more likely to actually engage with it.
It’s also taught me that people strategies in Web3 can’t be “rolled out”, they need to be co-created with the people they’re for. Which sometimes means releasing a half-baked idea, gathering messy feedback, and iterating until it works. Uncomfortable? Yes. But also way more effective than trying to ship a perfect solution no one asked for.
What have been some surprising things that haven’t worked when trying to apply traditional HR/talent practices in a Web3 setting?
Onboarding is one area where traditional playbooks haven’t landed. In Web3, the level of technical complexity and unfamiliar terminology can make it difficult for new joiners to know how to start, especially if they’re not coming from a crypto-native background. Additionally, being a part of the Polkadot ecosystem adds another layer of complexity for new joiners as a lot of them now have to get up to speed with understanding the wider DAO structures, direction and culture. We are learning that our onboarding practices need to go a step beyond an internal outlook and help people understand how they can navigate this ecosystem.
Another learning has been around communication and culture. People in Web3 are often deeply technical and don’t like anything that in their words ‘’sounds corporate’’. Anything too polished, vague or without actionable insights can easily be ignored.
And finally, getting feedback takes patience, especially in a remote environment when everyone is working in multiple timezones. You might send out a survey and hear nothing... then two weeks later, someone casually mentions it in a meeting with three suggestions. We've had to learn not to take the silence personally - people are genuinely busy and working hard to meet their deadline. We instead keep trying to ask for feedback in multiple formats – async, live, anonymous, experimental, until we get the answers we are looking for.
In your opinion, what qualities or traits make someone thrive in a Web3 team environment?
People who thrive in Web3 tend to be self-driven, proactive, adaptable, and most importantly, comfortable with ambiguity. They don’t wait for permission - they proactively seek context, ask questions; lots of them, make decisions, and communicate openly. Adaptability is huge, because priorities shift fast and roles often stretch. So is resilience, especially when the answer to “what are we doing next?” is often “we’re still figuring it out.” But perhaps most importantly, people who thrive tend to be collaborative. They want to build with others, challenge ideas, and keep communication open.
What advice would you give to early-stage Web3 orgs who want to “get people and culture right” from the start?
Start with the basics. Focus on understanding what great performance looks like for your context, reward people fairly and within the budget you can afford, and then build systems to recognize, develop, and motivate those people. That means being intentional about feedback, support, and creating psychological safety from day one. Avoid getting distracted by what's “hot” in the market. Culture should be shaped around your goals, your product, and your team’s values - not generic trends. The best systems are those that are simple, scalable, and deeply aligned with the way your team works.
Most importantly, get your leads on board and create space for them to be vulnerable, grow and become inspiring leaders. Their behavior shapes the culture more than any policy. Co-create solutions with them - it’s better to have an imperfect system most people believe in than a perfect one no one uses.
