From MIT to HR Leader: A Conversation with Richard Ni, former CPO of Scale AI

In this episode, Richard Ni joins Nolan and Kelli to discuss diving head first into a leadership role at Scale AI, a Series E AI startup that supplies data for AI models last valued at $7.3B.From software engineer turned Head of People, Richard talks about his experience heading into a role with zero experience but with an aptitude for people where he needed to be honest with himself about his limitations and how this became pivotal in his learning. He also talks about the importance of building trust with the CEO and the value of self-reflection in career decisions. The team also chat about being the bad guy in HR and building thick skin around unpopular company decisions.HR Heretics is a podcast from Turpentine.Share this with your friends, forward to your enemies. Subscribe to hrheretics.substack.com and never miss an episode or segment.--SPONSOR:Attio is the next generation of CRM. It’s powerful, flexible and easily configures to the unique way your startup runs, whatever your go-to-market motion. The next era deserves a better CRM. Join OpenAI, Replicate, ElevenLabs and more at https://bit.ly/AttioHRHeretics--KEEP UP WITH RICHARD, NOLAN, + KELLI ON LINKEDINRichard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-ni/Nolan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nolan-church/Kelli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellidragovich/--]TIMESTAMPS:(00:00) Intro(00:56) From Software Engineer to HR Leader(03:10) The transition from Cruise to Scale AI(04:33) Leveraging Technical Background in HR and Recruiting(06:22) Embracing Leadership Roles Early in Career(11:17) The Power of Authenticity and Self-Awareness in Career Growth(12:36) Sponsor: Attio CRM(16:43) Building Trust and Navigating HR Challenges(20:26) Learning from Mistakes and Valuing External Advice(23:44) Mentoring(24:22) Being the 'Bad Guy' in HR(25:19) Finding Balance: The Importance of Safe Spaces and Ownership(26:34) The Unpopularity of HR Decisions and Its Impact(30:21) Learning from Mistakes and Self Reflection(35:07) Valuing Your Own Happiness(38:18) Creating a Culture of Openness and Trust(43:09) Insights on Early Stage Hiring and CEO Involvement(49:24) Wrap This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hrheretics.substack.com