Introduction
Building high-performing startup teams that actually scale is one of the biggest challenges founders and leaders face today. In this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Andrew Romeosits down with Claudia Barriga-Larriviere, Head of People at EatClub and Coach at Startmate, to unpack what it really takes to design, hire, and grow effective teams in fast-moving startup environments. Drawing on her experience across incubators, scaleups, and high-growth companies, Claudia shares practical strategies on leadership, hiring, team dynamics, and systems thinking that help startups move faster without breaking their culture or people.
Guest Spotlight: Claudia Barriga-Larriviere
Claudia Barriga-Larriviere is the Head of People at EatClub and a Coach at Startmate, specialising in people and culture strategy for high-growth startups. She has worked closely with founders and leadership teams to navigate scaling challenges, organisational change, and team performance.
Her experience spans incubators such as Pollenizer, where she helped shape early-stage startup teams, through to scaleups managing rapid growth and restructuring. Claudia is known for her full stackA full stack developer is a developer who is able to work on the frontend of an application as well... approach to People and Culture, combining strategy, operations, and leadership coaching to build teams that are both effective and sustainable.
She is also a strong advocate for inclusive and human-centred workplaces, bringing a unique perspective shaped by her lived experience and career across multiple industries and countries.
From Corporate to Startups: Why the Shift Matters
Claudia’s journey into startups began during a period of disruption, moving from corporate environments into incubators and early-stage ventures. This transition exposed her to a completely different way of working, where speed, ownership, and adaptability replaced rigid structures and long decision cycles.
In startups, individuals are closer to outcomes. Decisions are made quickly, and accountability is visible across the entire team. This environment requires a different mindset, where execution and momentum take priority over perfection.
For many founders and operators, understanding this shift is critical. Building a startup team is not about replicating corporate structures. It is about creating lean, adaptable teams that can respond quickly to change while maintaining clarity of purpose.
What Makes a High-Performing Startup Team
High-performing startup teams are not built by accident. Claudia explains that the most effective teams balance three core functions: building, learning, and organising.
- Builders focus on execution and product delivery
- Learners gather insights, feedback, and market signals
- Organisers create structure, remove blockers, and enable progress
When these roles work together, teams develop healthy friction that drives better outcomes. This dynamic allows startups to move quickly while maintaining direction and alignment.
Claudia also highlights the importance of team chemistry. Strong teams are made up of individuals with complementary strengths, not identical skill sets. Diversity in thinking, experience, and approach leads to better decision making and stronger performance over time.
Startup Team Structure: Why Pods and Cross-Functional Teams Work
One of the most effective ways to structure startup teams is through small, cross-functional groups often referred to as pods or squads. These teams bring together different skill sets such as engineering, product, and design to work towards a shared goal.
This structure enables faster execution by reducing dependencies and improving communication. Teams can make decisions quickly and adapt as new information becomes available.
Pods also improve ownership. Each team is responsible for outcomes, not just tasks. This creates a stronger sense of accountability and encourages proactive problem solving.
For founders, this approach helps avoid silos and ensures that every team is aligned with the broader business objectives.
Scaling Challenges: Why Hiring More People Is Not the Answer
As startups grow, one of the most common mistakes is solving problems by hiring more people. Claudia explains that this often leads to inefficiencies, slower decision making, and unclear ownership.
Instead of adding headcount, leaders should focus on improving systems and processes. This includes refining workflows, clarifying responsibilities, and removing unnecessary complexity.
Smaller, well-structured teams often outperform larger teams with overlapping roles. Clarity and alignment are far more valuable than size when it comes to scaling effectively.
Systems thinking becomes essential at this stage. Leaders need to step back, assess how work is being done, and identify root causes rather than reacting to surface-level issues.
Culture Add vs Culture Fit: Rethinking Startup Hiring
Hiring plays a critical role in building high-performing teams. Claudia challenges the traditional idea of culture fit, which often leads to hiring similar people and limiting diversity.
Instead, she advocates for culture add. This approach focuses on identifying what the team is missing and bringing in people who can fill those gaps.
Effective hiring involves:
- Understanding team strengths and weaknesses
- Identifying missing skills or perspectives
- Prioritising adaptability and communication
- Ensuring alignment with company values
By hiring for culture add, startups can build more resilient and innovative teams that are better equipped to handle change.
Leadership, Feedback, and Psychological Safety
Strong leadership is essential for team performance. Claudia emphasises the importance of self-awareness, clear communication, and the ability to have uncomfortable conversations.
Many teams struggle because feedback is avoided or delayed. Leaders need to create environments where honest conversations are encouraged and supported.
Psychological safety does not mean avoiding discomfort. It means creating a space where people can speak openly, challenge ideas, and contribute without fear.
This requires clear feedback mechanisms, consistent communication, and a willingness to address issues early before they escalate.
Designing Teams Around Real Human Behaviour
One of the most important insights from the episode is the need to design systems around people rather than forcing people into outdated systems.
Claudia highlights that innovation is driven by creativity, and creativity requires energy, balance, and support. Leaders should focus on removing barriers that prevent people from doing their best work.
This includes:
- Setting clear boundaries to avoid burnout
- Creating accessible feedback channels
- Using data to understand team performance
- Designing processes that reflect how people actually work
By focusing on human-centred design, startups can build environments where teams perform consistently and sustainably.
Key Takeaways
- High-performing startup teams rely on balance between execution, learning, and organisation
- Smaller, well-structured teams outperform larger, fragmented teams
- Hiring for culture add leads to stronger, more diverse teams
- Systems thinking is essential for scaling effectively
- Clear feedback and communication drive better team performance
- Creativity and innovation require energy, balance, and supportive environments
Useful Links
Claudia Barriga-Larriviere | LinkedIn
FAQs
What makes a startup team high-performing?
A high-performing startup team combines strong execution, clear communication, and balanced skill sets. Teams that align on goals and adapt quickly tend to perform best.
How do you scale a startup team effectively?
Scaling requires improving systems and processes rather than simply hiring more people. Focus on clarity, ownership, and efficient workflows.
What is the difference between culture fit and culture add?
Culture fit focuses on similarity, while culture add focuses on bringing in diverse perspectives and skills that strengthen the team.
Why do startups struggle with hiring?
Many startups hire reactively without clear systems or understanding of team needs. This often leads to inefficiencies and misalignment.
How important is team structure in startups?
Team structure is critical. Cross-functional teams or pods enable faster decision making, better communication, and stronger ownership.
