If you think HR is just policies and paperwork, Lynn Feldman will change your mind. As VP People at Tenderly, she’s scaling a fast-moving Web3 tooling company across three work models (Belgrade office-first, SF hybrid, and fully remote) and building people programs the way product teams ship features - measure, iterate, repeat. In our conversation Lynn explains why trust-building beats quick fixes, how she hunts for mission-driven talent that never touches LinkedIn, and why the future of work is “more human, not less,” even as AI eats the busywork.
You’ve built HR functions from the ground up at several companies. What’s the first thing you prioritise when designing a people strategy at an early-stage startup?
When designing a people strategy at an early-stage startup, I always begin by building trust by listening closely, asking questions, and spending real time with the team to understand how the business works and how culture actually shows up day to day. It’s less about jumping into fixes and more about observing, learning, and becoming a part of the fabric of the company. Culture lives in the space between what we say and what we do, and you can’t design for it without first experiencing it.
That foundation helps position HR not as the “process person,” but as a strategic partner who can design systems, not just band-aid problems. When people feel seen and understood, they’re more open and honest, which helps uncover the real challenges and opportunities. I use data as a lens to guide these conversations, but never as a crutch. Trust comes first, because without it, even the best-designed systems won’t stick.
At Tenderly, you’re helping shape the global people strategy in a fast-moving Web3 environment. What’s uniquely challenging (or exciting) about scaling teams in Web3 compared to Web2?
Scaling teams in Web3 is a whole different challenge. The pace is intense, the culture is unconventional, and the usual playbooks don’t really apply. You’re hiring across time zones, navigating shifting regulations, and looking for people who care more about mission and autonomy than hierarchy or structure.
What makes it even trickier is that a lot of Web3 talent prefers to stay anonymous. They’re not hanging out on LinkedIn, and they’re not applying through job boards. You have to go where they are and use completely different messaging to connect with them. But that’s also what makes it exciting. You’re not constrained by legacy systems or outdated norms. You get to build high-impact people practices from scratch, stay close to the product and the community, and help shape a culture that’s fast, global, and genuinely different.
I’ve noticed Tenderly operates on a hybrid model, something I’ve seen more and more teams adopt over the past 6–12 months. I’d love to hear what led you and the leadership team to choose hybrid as the right approach. What are the biggest benefits?
At Tenderly, we actually support all three models: office-first in Belgrade, fully remote, and hybrid in San Francisco. This wasn’t a one-size-fits-all decision but a deliberate way to access the best talent regardless of location.
What really shaped this was the belief that work environments should enable both collaboration and deep focus — not be defined by where someone sits. In a fast-paced, high-performance culture like ours, sometimes teams need to come together quickly to solve complex problems, and other times they need uninterrupted time to focus. Offering different models gives us flexibility to accommodate time zones and work styles, helping people collaborate effectively without burning out or losing autonomy.
You mention taking a data-driven approach to people strategy. What are the metrics you track most closely, and how do you translate those insights into action?
We’re starting to treat People Experience like a product. We are not just launching programs, but looking at how they’re actually used, what sticks, and how we evolve them. We track metrics like roadmap completion, on-time delivery, and engagement rate to understand what’s working and where we need to iterate. It keeps us honest about what’s creating real value instead of just checking boxes.
As we become more business-focused, we’re leaning into engagement and utilization as key signals of success. We also use time to productivity and retention to help us understand whether we’re building the right environment for people to ramp up quickly and grow with the company. The pace of Web3 makes that mindset easier: you can move fast, test ideas, and shift direction without getting stuck in old ways of working. That flexibility helps us stay aligned with both the needs of the team and the goals of the business.
You’ve introduced OKRs, performance cycles, and feedback systems at various companies. What’s your view on how to balance structure with agility when building out people ops in a startup?
You need just enough structure to create clarity and drive progress, without slowing things down or getting in the way. In startups, agility is the default. So People Ops has to be iterative, lightweight, and responsive to the team’s changing needs. My role is to create clarity, build simple systems, and support others so they can move fast with confidence. That means clear ownership on initiatives, self-serve tools, and coaching managers to lead their own teams. It’s about scaling impact without bottlenecks, so People Ops grows right alongside the company.
What’s one bet you’re making about the future of work that others might disagree with?
One bet I’m making about the future of work is that, even with all the hype around AI and automation, businesses are actually going to want more people connections. As AI takes over more repetitive tasks, the real differentiator will be how well companies build trust, culture, and strong relationships across teams. I think people will want authentic connection and collaboration more than ever, and that means People teams and leadership need to focus on creating environments where those connections can thrive, not just on efficiency or cutting headcount. At least that is what I am hoping for!!
