Growth Hurts

So what’s a ‘high-growth startup’ anyway?

Aside from being used to describe itself in every startup job description ever, what defines high-growth?

It’s relative, but that doesn’t make the “high-growth” phase any less difficult for most startups. It’s basically shorthand for: “We need 3x results and vibes alone won’t cut it anymore.”

In this edition of Human Scale, we’re diving deep with Jason Touray, a VP of People & Talent who’s done time at some of the highest-growth startups of the last 10 years (think WeWork, Casper, and others of that ilk), and the founder of Black Unicorn, a platform built by and for consumer startup founders and operators. We talk about the cultural impact of growth and how to get honest about what you and your team need in these moments of big transition.

Growth is relative, but can be seismic nonetheless 

High growth isn’t just a phase on a pitch deck; it’s a psychological state, too. It’s what happens when the ambition outpaces the infrastructure.

 And as Jason put it, “Going from 10 to 25 is more than doubling your team. That’s high growth too.” 

And if we’re being honest, even going from a solopreneur to 5 employees is a massive shift.

Publicly doubling your team or announcing a big-titled hire has become a signaling move. It attracts attention—and investors. But optics aren’t the same as operations. And when the image of growth gets prioritized over the reality of what the business actually needs, you end up with team bloat, morale issues, and shaky execution.

Key things to remember in the growth zone:

• High growth is not one-size-fits-all. If things feel chaotic, it doesn’t mean you’re failing—it may mean you’re growing. Rapid change is inherently destabilizing.

• Every headcount increase is a cultural decision. Are you hiring for credibility? Capability? A pitch deck? Each motive carries a different downstream impact.

• The jump from doing to managing is real, and the people who ‘got you here’ may not be the ones who are excited (or equipped) to grow with you.

• Growth requires re-contracting constantly. With your team. With yourself. With your investors. Otherwise, you’re running yesterday’s company with today’s problems.

Founders need mirrors, not cheerleaders.

“Every founder thinks they’re being objective. They’re not. And that’s fine—as long as someone’s around to call it what it is.” Jason Touray

In high-growth phases, founders are under immense pressure to perform, lead, pitch, hire, and scale—often simultaneously. But all of that pressure can distort perspective. Even the most well-intentioned, transparent founders aren’t as objective as they think—and that’s not a flaw. It’s human.

That’s why, especially in these moments of velocity, you don’t need more hype. You need someone who will reflect reality back to you—gently, but clearly. Someone who can say: You’re not wrong, but you’re not seeing the whole picture.

Sometimes that mirror is a people ops lead. Sometimes it’s a consultant. Sometimes it’s a friend who says, “Hey... you okay? Because hiring a VP of Growth and a Head of Brand in the same week screams ‘chaotic hopeful energy.’”

What a “mirror” does in practice:

1. Interrogates the “why” behind every hire. “Are you hiring a VP of Retail to execute—or to impress your investors with a shiny name for your pitch deck?” Jason Touray
   

2. Names the emotional blockers others are afraid to. Founders are often scared, reactive, or chasing something unresolved (“I want to be a VP so my mom knows not becoming a doctor was okay”).
   

3. Separates intent from impact. You might think you’re being transparent. But to the team, it can feel abrupt, chaotic, even careless. A mirror helps you breadcrumb and signal, rather than dropping change like a bomb.
   

4. Advocates for the future of the org, not your ego.  “Leadership is about protecting the fleet. Not protecting your feelings.” Jason Touray

For founders navigating high-growth right now:

• Build relationships with people who will say the quiet part out loud—not with cruelty, but with clarity.

• Don’t mistake disagreement for disloyalty. A great partner can disagree with you and still be fully committed to your success.

• Make room for emotional truth. Fear, ambition, ego—these are part of the process. Bringing them into the open makes you more effective, not less.

Speaking of which, internal morale is a real business metric: 

“Sally’s gonna be pissed.”

“You may think it’s just ‘Sally being dramatic,’ but what you’re setting in motion is a cultural grenade you’ll have to clean up later.” Jason Touray

Every early-stage team has a Sally. She was in the living room with you when this whole thing started. She helped pick the name. She set up your payroll. She made the Notion workspace color-coded. She is the culture.

She believed. She stayed late. She did five jobs at once. And now you’re hiring a VP from Amazon to “lead the function.”

You think you’re making a smart business decision. And maybe you are. But Sally is gonna be pissed—and not because she doesn’t want the company to grow, but because she thought she was growing with it.

“That person who expected to be a director at 15 people might not be excited about what ‘director’ means now at 50.” Jason Touray

Ignoring that emotional fallout doesn’t make it go away. It just delays the blowback, usually until you’re least equipped to handle it.

What You Can Do About It:

• Communicate the shift before it happens.  “Fly the kite. Plant the seed. Send the Bat Signal.” Jason Touray

• Acknowledge the emotional cost of growth. Just name it: “I know this may be hard to hear, and I want to talk through what this means for your path.”

• Help people re-contract, not just react. Maybe Sally doesn’t want to lead a 30-person org. Maybe she wants to go deeper, not broader.

• Avoid false promotions. Giving someone a VP title without the infrastructure or authority is a setup for attrition. Title with intention—even if it’s not flashy.

The limits of “squishiness”

Startups love to talk about culture. About “bringing your whole self to work,” team vibes, and making space for everyone to thrive.

Somewhere between kombucha-on-tap and Slack channels for “manifestation memes,” things got a little too squishy. And even worse, sometimes these performances simply cover up bad workplace practices. The vibe becomes a distraction from the reality—missed deadlines, unclear expectations, quiet toxicity, or a total lack of accountability.

As Jason pointed out: You’re not here to run a clubhouse—you’re here to perform.
The best cultures know how to hold both: care and clarity, flexibility and focus.

Here’s where to focus:

• Set behavioral expectations early. Don’t just vibe—be explicit about what great performance looks like.

• Acknowledge real-life tradeoffs. Some people won’t want to scale with you. That doesn’t mean they failed. It means they made a choice.

• Stay emotionally honest—but outcome-oriented. Transparency without intention is chaos. Lead with care and a plan.

Conclusion & Takeaways

 📈 Scaling isn’t just about the right strategy—it’s about how you show up for people while the ground is shifting.

✅ You can’t control every reaction, but you can choose to lead with honesty, context, and conviction—even when it’s hard.

 😅 What’s one leadership habit or team dynamic you’re rethinking as you grow?  

📨 Hit reply and tell me, I’d love to hear.

BONUS: I tried to pick one perfect meme or nostalgic reference to sum up the emotional chaos of high-growth teams, but like a founder in a hiring spree, I grabbed all three. Pick your fighter. You’re welcome.