Back to Podcast
Podcast

Ep.15: How Do You Scale Culture While Building a $10B Company?

Episode 15•48 min

Featured Guest

CO

Ciara O'Sullivan

Senior Director of People

Bilt

Episode Chapters

00:00Welcome to Have a Better Day00:47Meet Ciara O'Sullivan03:25How to scale culture without losing people07:35Why the first 90 days matter12:43The story behind Bilts famous jackets14:06Hiring smart: culture screens and problem-solving17:27Why they never equated funding with headcount18:27How Bilt embraced AI from the start21:59Why in-person work is their secret weapon26:05Remote or hybrid work29:38AI experiments, wins and fails34:16From AI hype to shared company language36:18What HR leaders really need to focus on40:23Creating a safe space to try new things41:15Companies blocking AI are falling behind43:47Getting leadership buy-in for big changes45:44Human skills that matter more than ever47:00Final hot takes on trust, change and AI

Listen & Subscribe

Available on your favorite podcast platforms

YouTubeSpotifyApple Podcasts

Key Takeaways

1

Culture is foundational to business strategy

Bilt treated culture as a business imperative from day one, ensuring every employee received benefits and clear communication.

2

Intentional onboarding makes an impact

A custom 90-day program ensures every hire makes tangible contributions, culminating in the iconic Bilt Letterman jacket.

3

Scale with purpose, not headcount

Every hire must be justified with clear impact—funding does not equal rapid hiring.

4

The human POV is an AI-age advantage

While embracing AI through hackathons, Bilt recognizes human connection is more valuable than ever.

5

In-person work drives innovation

Trust and collaboration from in-office work have become competitive advantages for complex, cross-functional teams.

6

Safe spaces for experimentation pay off

Failure is reframed as learning—employees are encouraged to teach us about your failing.

7

People leaders are translators

The modern HR role is helping humans adapt and thrive, bridging executive vision with day-to-day reality.

About This Episode

What does it really take to scale a $10B company without losing its soul?

In this episode, Alex Simmons sits down with Ciara O'Sullivan, Senior Director of People at Bilt, to unpack how one of the fastest-growing fintechs is redefining company culture in the AI era. Ciara shares how Bilt kept its culture strong while growing fast, why working in person gives them an edge, and how AI hackathons fuel new ideas.

If you care about building strong teams in a changing world, hit play and discover how it's really done.

A Call to Action for HR Leaders

Her final message was blunt but energizing: companies that block AI experimentation are holding their people back. Just as email or Google once transformed work, AI literacy is now essential for staying relevant.

"If your company isn't letting you use AI, you have a decision to make. You're going to get left behind."

Explore Boon's Solutions

Scalable coaching programs designed to develop leaders at every level

Scale

Executive coaching for senior leaders driving organizational change

Grow

Manager development program combining coaching with structured learning

Exec

Premium 1:1 coaching for C-suite and executive leadership

Together

Team coaching to build alignment, trust, and high performance

Want to develop leaders who drive results?

Let's talk about how Boon can help your organization build leadership capacity at scale.

Book a Strategy CallMore Episodes