What does it actually take to go from 25 people to 4,000 without losing the plot? We sit down with Mahesh to unpack the gritty, unvarnished truths behind hypergrowth at Canva, the real timelines for B2B vs B2C, and why customer obsession—not headcount, perks, or flashy decks—decides whether a company wins.

Mahesh walks us through his unconventional path: international recruitment hustle, Tokyo deal-making, an MBA wake-up call during the GFC, a startup built on persistence (and a pack of cookies that landed Uber), and the front-row seat to Canva’s scale. We dig into founder intentionality with concrete stories—like personally resetting every desk before a Monday reorg—and how details like this shape culture, momentum, and trust. From there, we break down leadership debt, the trap of “culture fit” shortcuts, and how real people ops becomes commercial when it drives customer value rather than internal rituals.

We also explore the practical playbook for navigating AI transitions, pivots, and global expansion. You’ll hear why B2B can reach product-market fit faster, why B2C demands longer stamina and better storytelling, and how to keep teams aligned when the path stretches from months to years. We talk incentives with clarity, over-communication as a leadership duty, and the humility required to lead across cultures—translating policies and values with local partners rather than forcing templates from headquarters. Finally, Mahesh shares Phase One’s framework: US-first when possible, customer and problem obsessed, founder clarity on personal “why,” and investor literacy as its own craft.

If you care about building resilient teams, shipping loved products, and scaling beyond your home market, this conversation gives you the tools and the mindset to do it. Listen, share it with your team, and if it hits home, subscribe

Learn how to outperform traditional recruitment agencies at PICWA.io

We trace Chantelle Hilleard's path from HR coordination to international leadership, then drill into what actually drives engagement, retention, and performance in startups, scaleups, and post-acquisition environments. The focus stays on learning cultures, purpose alignment, and commercial fluency that lift both people and results.

• early HR lessons that scale across industries
• hiring at pace and building people systems from scratch
• HR’s shift from admin support to strategic partner
• cross-functional learning frameworks and mentoring
• balancing breadth with core skill development
• defining employee experience through autonomy and voice
• manager one-to-ones, active listening, and EI in practice
• leading across cultures and regional nuances
• handling layoffs with transparency and purpose
• retention via employee voice and moments that matter
• purpose workshops that align roles to mission
• post-acquisition culture audits and integration
• leveling, titles, and clear career architecture
• skills-based, nonlinear careers and internal mobility
• growth vs profit and teaching commercial acumen

Learn how to outperform traditional recruitment agencies at PICWA.io

We trace Amie's journey and unpack how HR becomes a growth engine when it focuses on customer value, capability, and outcomes over process. Pace, alignment, and brave decisions guide hiring, hybrid work, and scaling across markets.

• startup vs corporate pace and purpose
• hiring for mindset and lifecycle ownership
• capability planning vs headcount budgeting
• BAU resourcing vs future strategic investment
• aligning every function to the customer voice
• HR’s role in commercial outcomes and metrics
• globalisation with macro why and local how
• preserving culture while scaling
• office-first with flexibility and space design
• disrupting HR complacency and making tough calls

Check out picwa.io if you're interested in learning how to outperform traditional recruitment methods.

Learn how to outperform traditional recruitment agencies at PICWA.io