For HR Leaders at Tech Startups

Helping People leaders think like business leaders

I help mid-stage to senior HR leaders build business acumen to land and succeed in their next role.

Trusted by 1,300+ startup leaders

Melissa Theiss

About Melissa

Turning HR expertise into business impact

My career has always been at the intersection of people and business. I started at a Fortune 2000 tech company through a rotational program spanning product management, HR, and sales operations — then joined a startup as employee #22, wearing every hat from People Ops to finance to customer success.

Over the past decade, I've led people and revenue functions at companies scaling from 20 to 1,000+ employees across bootstrapped, VC-backed, and post-IPO SaaS environments. My foundation in psychology and education shapes how I think about building teams and developing leaders.

Today I focus on one thing: helping People leaders break through the ceiling that keeps fewer than 4% of HR professionals from reaching VP level — and thrive once they do.

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Trusted by people leaders and executive teams at companies like

"Melissa's deep domain expertise allowed her to hit the ground running. If I had to describe her in sports terms: she's the Michael Jordan of all things People Ops."

Aaron Alter

CEO, Telgorithm

"Melissa provides actionable feedback, practical resources, and incredible strategies that I will be using for the rest of my career. If you're looking for a mentor who meets you where you're at while still challenging you, Melissa is the one."

King

Mentorship Client

"Melissa took Column from just under 15 to over 50 employees practically overnight. She instituted people processes and frameworks I'm confident will scale with us — we'll be grateful for her work for years to come."

Jake Seaton

CEO, Column

"Melissa has a real talent for guiding conversations through thoughtful questions that help you think critically and reach the right conclusions. I've learned so much from her guidance."

Caitlin

Mentorship Client

"I've learned more from Melissa than any other person I've worked with anywhere. She brings both empathy and high standards — proving you don't have to sacrifice operational efficiency to make space for people to be people."

Jess Forrester

CMO, Quorum

"Love 'The Business of People' newsletter. I used one of the templates last week and refer back to content when employees have questions. The content is researched and up-to-the-minute useful!"

Sherri

HR Department of One

"Melissa is the most impressive individual I have ever worked with — defined by extreme focus and an unparalleled ability to organize both people and processes."

Sal Abdulla

CEO, NixSheets

Digital Products

Tools & Templates

Practical, plug-and-play resources built from real experience scaling People functions at tech startups. Buy once, use forever.

Assessment $25

People Operations Organizational Diagnostic

120+ assessment points across 12 sub-domains — talent acquisition, compensation, engagement, investor relations, and more. Evaluate where your People function stands and what to prioritize next.

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Framework $10

Startup Operating Models

Things that work at 20 people break at 50. Get meeting cadences, operating structures, and org frameworks purpose-built for companies at 15–49 and 50–150 employees — before the cracks appear.

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Career Guide $10

How to Build a Personal Brand on LinkedIn as an HR Leader

A 14-page guide to turning your LinkedIn profile into a high-converting career asset — from crafting your About section to using content to build visibility and land the opportunities you want.

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Template $10

Compensation Philosophy Template

A plug-and-play template with built-in prompts, sample language, and executive alignment questions — so you can write a transparent, persuasive compensation philosophy that actually reflects how you pay.

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1-on-1 Mentoring & Coaching

Build a career that keeps pace with your ambition.

For HR leaders at tech startups who want a thought partner and are ready to feel confident about the next step in their career.

Lite Mentorship

$200 / month

  • 2 × 30-min calls per month
  • 3–4 day response time
  • Goal-focused guidance
  • Async Q&A support
Get Started

1-on-1 Sessions

$89 / session

  • 30-minute focused session
  • LinkedIn profile review
  • Resume feedback
  • No commitment required
Book a Session

Get In Touch

Let's work together

Ready to level up your People career? Whether you're interested in mentoring, have a question about the newsletter, or just want to connect — I'd love to hear from you.