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As Summer Launchpad (SLP) entered Week 6, founders shifted their focus to the people-centered side of startup growth — balancing investor expectations, building strong teams, and leading sustainably to avoid burnout.
Week 6 Recap:
Workshop: Talent (Hiring & Firing)
Manya Ellenberg
On July 16, founders joined Manya Ellenberg, senior vice president of people at Thyme Care, for a deep dive into early-stage hiring strategy. Ellenberg, who built and scaled people teams at startups like Hyperscience and Bowery Farming, began with a cautionary tale: hiring without alignment leads to costly mistakes. To avoid this, Ellenberg urged founders to define roles clearly, co-write job descriptions, and gather input from advisers or investors before extending offers.
For compensation and infrastructure, Ellenberg recommended tools like Justworks or Rippling to manage payroll, compliance, and health coverage across states. On equity, she encouraged teams to plan ahead — reserving stock not just for new hires but also for promotions and merit-based grants.
Finally, Ellenberg reminded the cohort that if they’re bogged down with tasks like scheduling, onboarding, or managing receipts, it’s likely time to hire. The right team should free founders to focus on product, fundraising and strategy — the work only they can do.
Manya Ellenberg on Hiring and Firing:
“Hire slowly, fire quickly — nobody regrets firing too fast, but most regret waiting too long to terminate ... I think you have to treat people really right on the way out ... by being generous on severance."
Workshop: Founder Wellness
Ayman Mukerji Househam (Silver '21)
On July 17, founders stepped away from their screens for a wellness workshop led by Ayman Mukerji Househam (Silver ‘21), founder of Jivika. Drawing on her background in neuroimmunology, mindfulness, and AI, Mukerji Househam guided participants through the mental, physical, and emotional challenges of early-stage startup life.
Sleep disruption emerged as a common theme. Mukerji Househam emphasized that good sleep doesn’t start at night — it begins with all-day stress management. She introduced a 30-second daily check-in to assess breath, clarity, emotion and physical tension, encouraging founders to know their baseline before high-stress meetings or decisions.
From there, the conversation turned to habit-building. Mukerji Househam shared that effective habits rely on consistency, timing and the ability to recover after missed days — and that they must offer immediate rewards. From Sunday calendar blocks for movement to Friday check-ins for emotional connection, the focus wasn’t perfection but steady progress.
As Mukerji Househam put it, adjusting to healthier routines is “like training a puppy.” Be patient. Keep practicing.
Ayman Mukerji Househam on Building Habits:
“Good habits cost you now, but pay off later. Bad habits reward you now, but cost you in the future. To build better habits, find ways to make them rewarding in the present.”
Stay tuned for more updates from SLP!
