What happens when your business values collide with survival? 
In this Oh Frac! episode, host Adir Ron sits down with Steph Thommen, a fractional Head of People and product-minded CPO who turns HR into a growth engine. Steph breaks down culture as “how we do things around here,” not swag or beanbags—and explains why a 5–10% productivity lift can effectively extend a startup’s runway. We trace her path from CX leader to fractional people exec, landing first clients post-redundancy, and the realities of referrals vs. LinkedIn outreach. She unpacks a practical culture workshop (purpose → vision → mission → values → decision framework), tough value-based calls when capital dangles, “power hour” crisis fixes, and the difference between freelance and fractional. If you’re a founder scaling to Series A—or an aspiring fractional—this one’s packed with field-tested plays.
 
Key takeaways:
* Culture = operating system: “how we do things,” not perks.
* Small, compounding productivity gains (5–10%) extend runway meaningfully.
* Fractional ≠ recruiter: hiring may be included, but the value is systems, managers, and a clean people stack.
* First deals: referrals rule; LinkedIn outreach supports—but requires stamina and structure.
* A simple culture blueprint: Purpose → Vision → Mission → Values → Decision-making rules.
* Values should sting: the right ones cost you something—and guide hard investor decisions.
* Define roles early; ambiguity kills speed as headcount grows.
* Crisis “power hours” work: align policy, support people, and act fast (with empathy).
* Freelance vs. fractional: project-to-project vs. embedded, ongoing leadership one day/week.
* Dream clients put people first; nightmare clients manage by hearsay and fire lists.
* Build your brand before going fractional: social proof shortens cycles.
* New fractionals: plan 6–12 months runway and block weekly time for pipeline.
 
Chapters:
00:00 – Cold open: values vs. survival
04:00 – Meet Steph Thommen & the “real” meaning of culture
08:00 – From CX to people: the fractional pivot
12:00 – First fractional client, silence… then referrals
16:00 – Outreach on LinkedIn: love–hate and systems
20:00 – The culture workshop: purpose → decisions
24:00 – Values that cost you: saying no to misaligned money
28:00 – Firefights & “power hours” that de-risk chaos
32:00 – Fractional vs. freelance; dream vs. nightmare clients
36:00 – Tools, future of fractional, and advice to starters
 
Steph's LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/startupsteph/ 
Adir’s LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/adir-ron/
 
Keywords:
fractional leadership, fractional CPO, head of people, startup culture, decision-making framework, purpose vision mission values, skills-first hiring, stronger managers, people ops, HR systems, runway extension, Series A readiness, founder advice, referrals vs outreach, LinkedIn prospecting, crisis management, power hour, freelance vs fractional, SaaS scale-up, VC, executive operating system, productivity, people stack, employer brand

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