Adam Axon

Bard of People & Possibility at Give a Damn | Shaping the Human Experience of Work

Adam Axon is a fractional People leader for scaling startups, and the Founder of Give a Damn. Known for his sharp thinking and irreverent tone, Adam brings product discipline and heart to People Ops. He’s spent years helping early-stage companies translate magic into motion—building systems that scale fast without losing soul. At Startup People Summit, he shares the lessons (and the scars) from helping founders sprint wisely, not just fast.

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Maps, missteps, and momentum: Scaling People practices at startup speed

Startups move fast—sometimes faster than sense. Traditional HR practices? They can feel like dragging a parachute while trying to fly. Adam and Megan have weathered the storms of hypergrowth, gathering tales of glory, woe, and wisdom. In this session, they share their maps and missteps on the journey to build people practices that keep up without burning out. Learn how to find the pace that’s right for your team, design good-enough systems that grow with you, and build cultures that move fast without breaking people in the process.