Today we're thrilled to welcome Abby Gates, founder and CEO of SproutWise, a people and culture consultancy that helps early-stage startups build durable, human-centered companies that can actually scale. With 20 years of experience across talent acquisition, people operations, and HR leadership in tech—and having survived four company exits—Abby reveals why the most "viable" startups often have the worst people systems, and how stage-appropriate structure can prevent invisible organizational risk from compounding before it's too late.

Key Topics Covered:
• How AI-native organizations should build teams differently (possibility vs probability mindsets)
• Why entry-level workers need adaptability more than technical skills in the AI era
• The viability paradox: how startup success masks critical people problems
• Three non-negotiable people systems every 5-20 person startup needs
• The real cost of keeping "brilliant but corrosive" team members
• Why every company exit involves grief (not just champagne)
• Michigan's ecosystem challenges: talent, infrastructure, and burnout
• How to diagnose people problems before they become existential crises

Links:
• SproutWise: https://www.sproutwise.com
• Connect with Abby Gates: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbygates/