Hi Reader, Daria’s here. Most of us still see a full-time job as the safe choice. You get a steady salary, a clear title and a plan for the next promotion. But tech companies cut more than 150,000 jobs in 2024. In Gallup’s Q4 2025 survey, only 28% of U.S. workers said it was a good time to find a quality job. In mid-2022, that number was 70%. When you work for one company, you have one client. If a business leader told you their company depended on a single client, you’d say it’s crazy. But...

Hi Reader, You make your first People hire at 40 people. You give them a VP title, because you want a strong candidate to say yes. Eighteen months later you’re at 200 people, opening a second market, and you need a CHRO. Now you have to tell a loyal, hard-working person that the top job is going to someone else. That conversation usually starts at the moment of the first hire, long before anyone thinks about the CHRO. Hire for the Stage In the latest Built by People Leaders episode, I talk...

Hi Reader, Daria’s here. This week I’m handing over to Verena Hoffmann, a somatic coach who helps leaders do the one thing that gets you home earlier: end the workday physically, embodied. And no, just closing your laptop is often not enough. A short introduction I’m Verena. I spent over 16 years in events, startups and people management before I trained as a somatic coach. I know the pleasure and the pressure of that world. Now I help high-functioning people, many of them in leadership...