US-based support for teams nationwide (remote/hybrid).

US-based support for teams nationwide (remote/hybrid).

US-based support for teams nationwide (remote/hybrid).

People Ops Foundations for Startups & Scaleups

Put the basics in place—policies, onboarding, and core People processes—so your team can grow without avoidable chaos.

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See How It Works

Policies & Handbook
Employee Lifecycle Clarity
Onboarding Basics
Core HR Processes
Manager Tooling

Built for speed + practicality (not corporate bloat)

Clear documentation + easy adoption for managers

Designed to scale from early-stage to growth-stage

When you need People Ops Foundations:

If any of these are true, foundations should be your first People Ops investment:

Hiring is increasing, but onboarding feels inconsistent

Policies live in Slack threads and “tribal knowledge”

Managers handle situations differently (risk + fairness issues)

You’re expanding across states or moving remote/hybrid

You’re getting recurring questions about PTO, leave, or expectations

You want to be due-diligence-ready without last-minute scrambles

Book Free HR Audit

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What changes when foundations are done right:

You get a People function that feels consistent, fair, and repeatable.

Clear employee lifecycle from offer → onboarding → growth → exits

Faster onboarding with less founder/manager overhead

Reduced risk from missing or inconsistent policies

Fewer “where is this documented?” questions

More consistent manager decisions and communication

A foundation you can build performance + comp on later

What we build:

People Ops Foundation Map

A simple “what exists / what’s missing / what we build next” plan

Ownership + workflows (who does what, when)

Employee Lifecycle Clarity

Lifecycle map: hiring → onboarding → performance → changes → exits

Core rituals and expectations (probation/ramp, 1:1s, feedback rhythms)

Core Policies + Handbook

PTO/holidays, sick time, leaves (high-level, non-legal advice)

Remote/hybrid expectations + working hours norms

Code of conduct + anti-harassment expectations

Confidentiality + data/device basics

Expenses/travel norms (if relevant)

Performance and conduct documentation basics (manager-ready)

Onboarding Basics (that managers actually use)

Onboarding plan template + first-week structure

Role clarity + success expectations

Simple 30/60/90 framework (optional)

Core HR Processes

Request and approval workflows (leave, changes, issues)

Documentation process (simple and consistent)

Offboarding basics (knowledge transfer, access removal checklist)

HRIS / Tooling Alignment

HRIS readiness checklist + workflow design guidance

Folder structure + doc governance (where things live)

How People Ops Foundations work (step-by-step)

We build foundations fast, then help you roll them out so they actually stick.

People Ops Foundation Map

We review what exists today (docs, workflows, HRIS setup, manager practices) and map gaps.

a prioritized foundation roadmap.

Build the foundation package

We draft and tailor policies, handbook content, and core workflows for your stage.

a clean, usable set of foundation docs + templates.

Rollout + manager enablement

We help you communicate changes, train managers on what matters, and reduce friction.

adoption plan + manager-ready guidance.

Stabilize + iterate

We refine based on questions, edge cases, and feedback—so foundations become habits.

fewer fires, more consistency.

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Who this is best for

Startups without a dedicated HR function yet

Teams growing quickly and adding managers

Distributed teams operating across multiple states

Founders/ops leaders who want consistency without corporate overhead

To move quickly, we’ll ask for:

Any existing policies/docs (even messy ones)

Your current org chart + roles you’re hiring for

The tools you use (HRIS, payroll, Slack, etc.)

1–2 stakeholder interviews (founder + ops/manager)

What past clients say

Diana Marcela Arias
Director, Financial Intelligence Unit
“Pooja showed us that the HR title should be a company's soul for every action. Furthermore, she taught us that love and respect should always prevail no matter how difficult the path is. Still, the most important thing I could learn from her is that the true identity of the human being is found in love and respect for both business cultures as human beings culture.”
Samantha Young
Program Assistant, ICDL Dirfloortime
“Pooja coached me through a career pivot from education to HR. She helped clarify my goals, refine my resume, prep for interviews. And I got the job! Her insights were sharp, her support was flexible, and her feedback was always actionable. Highly recommend.”
John Fleming
Derivative Path, President and COO
“Pooja brought consistency and fairness to our team management, helping build a culture where everyone feels valued, heard, and supported. Her approach strengthened trust, boosted morale, and ensured every team member had equal attention and opportunity, no matter their role.”
KURT Boehringer
CFO derivative Path
“Pooja built Derivative Path’s HR from the ground up streamlining key processes and creating a foundation for global, inclusive engagement. She blends empathy with execution, navigating tough conversations while driving results with deep expertise and relentless dedication.”
Stef Schultz
ENTJ-A: Commander | Apple Alum
"Grounding discussions and cutting-edge advice, with fingers on the pulse ofthe market - Pooja is a no-nonsense human, she cuts to the chase, and she is a straight shooter who is beyond fair in all of her dealings. Can't recommend her enough, and looking forward to many future coachings!"
Dilshan Dowlah
Head of US @ Mercuryo
"Pooja single-handedly led HR at a fast-growing crypto startup, scaling the team from 20 to 100+ in under a year. She managed everything from hiring to employee support, all while shaping a strong, positive culture with passion, empathy, and relentless dedication."
Abigail Fleischman
Experienced Payment Operations Manager
"Pooja is a responsive, approachable HR pro who excels at recruiting and getting things done. She built her team from scratch, made fast progress, and always takes time to listen. Her dedication is unmatched to the point we had to remind her to unplug!"

What past clients say

Diana Marcela Arias
Director, Financial Intelligence Unit
“Pooja showed us that the HR title should be a company's soul for every action. Furthermore, she taught us that love and respect should always prevail no matter how difficult the path is. Still, the most important thing I could learn from her is that the true identity of the human being is found in love and respect for both business cultures as human beings culture.”
Samantha Young
Program Assistant, ICDL Dirfloortime
“Pooja coached me through a career pivot from education to HR. She helped clarify my goals, refine my resume, prep for interviews. And I got the job! Her insights were sharp, her support was flexible, and her feedback was always actionable. Highly recommend.”
John Fleming
Derivative Path, President and COO
“Pooja brought consistency and fairness to our team management, helping build a culture where everyone feels valued, heard, and supported. Her approach strengthened trust, boosted morale, and ensured every team member had equal attention and opportunity, no matter their role.”
KURT Boehringer
CFO derivative Path
“Pooja built Derivative Path’s HR from the ground up streamlining key processes and creating a foundation for global, inclusive engagement. She blends empathy with execution, navigating tough conversations while driving results with deep expertise and relentless dedication.”
Stef Schultz
ENTJ-A: Commander | Apple Alum
"Grounding discussions and cutting-edge advice, with fingers on the pulse ofthe market - Pooja is a no-nonsense human, she cuts to the chase, and she is a straight shooter who is beyond fair in all of her dealings. Can't recommend her enough, and looking forward to many future coachings!"
Dilshan Dowlah
Head of US @ Mercuryo
"Pooja single-handedly led HR at a fast-growing crypto startup, scaling the team from 20 to 100+ in under a year. She managed everything from hiring to employee support, all while shaping a strong, positive culture with passion, empathy, and relentless dedication."
Abigail Fleischman
Experienced Payment Operations Manager
"Pooja is a responsive, approachable HR pro who excels at recruiting and getting things done. She built her team from scratch, made fast progress, and always takes time to listen. Her dedication is unmatched to the point we had to remind her to unplug!"

What past clients say

Diana Marcela Arias
Director, Financial Intelligence Unit
“Pooja showed us that the HR title should be a company's soul for every action. Furthermore, she taught us that love and respect should always prevail no matter how difficult the path is. Still, the most important thing I could learn from her is that the true identity of the human being is found in love and respect for both business cultures as human beings culture.”
Samantha Young
Program Assistant, ICDL Dirfloortime
“Pooja coached me through a career pivot from education to HR. She helped clarify my goals, refine my resume, prep for interviews. And I got the job! Her insights were sharp, her support was flexible, and her feedback was always actionable. Highly recommend.”
John Fleming
Derivative Path, President and COO
“Pooja brought consistency and fairness to our team management, helping build a culture where everyone feels valued, heard, and supported. Her approach strengthened trust, boosted morale, and ensured every team member had equal attention and opportunity, no matter their role.”
KURT Boehringer
CFO derivative Path
“Pooja built Derivative Path’s HR from the ground up streamlining key processes and creating a foundation for global, inclusive engagement. She blends empathy with execution, navigating tough conversations while driving results with deep expertise and relentless dedication.”
Stef Schultz
ENTJ-A: Commander | Apple Alum
"Grounding discussions and cutting-edge advice, with fingers on the pulse ofthe market - Pooja is a no-nonsense human, she cuts to the chase, and she is a straight shooter who is beyond fair in all of her dealings. Can't recommend her enough, and looking forward to many future coachings!"
Dilshan Dowlah
Head of US @ Mercuryo
"Pooja single-handedly led HR at a fast-growing crypto startup, scaling the team from 20 to 100+ in under a year. She managed everything from hiring to employee support, all while shaping a strong, positive culture with passion, empathy, and relentless dedication."
Abigail Fleischman
Experienced Payment Operations Manager
"Pooja is a responsive, approachable HR pro who excels at recruiting and getting things done. She built her team from scratch, made fast progress, and always takes time to listen. Her dedication is unmatched to the point we had to remind her to unplug!"

Common next steps after foundations

Recruiting & Onboarding

Performance Management

Employee Relations & Risk

Frequently asked questions

What happens after foundations are built?

Do managers get trained on how to use these foundations?

We already have some policies—can you clean them up?

Is this legal advice?

Will this work for a remote or multi-state team?

How long does it take to build the foundations?

What’s included in “People Ops Foundations”?

Build your People foundation without slowing down growth

Book a free 30-minute HR Audit and we’ll map your top 3 People Ops gaps and the fastest path to fix them.

Book Free 30-Min HR Audit

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