Dino Crnalic Discusses From Startup to 100 Employees: Leadership Lessons That Matter

In the lifecycle of a startup, leadership plays a dynamic role that evolves at each stage of growth. From setting the initial vision to managing a growing team, founders are constantly required to adapt their style and priorities. As defined by Dino Crnalic, building a strong foundation through early hires, clear communication, and a resilient culture can make all the difference when scaling. As the organization matures, responsibilities shift, and new leaders must emerge, equipped to carry the company’s mission forward. Culture must be intentionally nurtured, or it risks dilution. Most importantly, founders must embrace their own evolution—learning to delegate, trust, and develop others. The following sections dive into key areas that shape a startup’s leadership journey, offering insights into how successful companies maintain momentum while preserving what made them unique in the first place.

Leading Through Early Growth: Setting Vision and Building Trust

In the earliest stages of a startup, leadership is closely tied to the founder’s ability to communicate a clear vision. That vision doesn’t need to be fully formed, but it should offer direction and purpose. Small teams naturally look to the founder or early leaders for cues on how to act, solve problems, and make decisions.

Being hands-on is often necessary. When the team is fewer than a dozen people, leaders are usually involved in everything from product development to customer support. This presence builds credibility and shows commitment. As trust forms, the team becomes more cohesive, which makes it easier to adapt when things inevitably shift. These early bonds often become the glue that holds the team together during turbulent moments.

Consider a founder who personally handles onboarding during the company’s first year. That direct involvement not only ensures consistency but also helps embed company values early. As the team grows, those early hires carry forward those expectations, setting the tone for future employees. This ripple effect can shape team behavior long after the founder steps back from day-to-day operations.

Hiring for Long-Term Success: People and Culture

Early hiring decisions are some of the most influential in a company’s life. Each person brought in during the first phase not only fills a functional gap but also helps define the culture. When the team is small, one hire can shift dynamics significantly, so it’s critical to prioritize alignment with values as much as skill. These hires often become cultural cornerstones, influencing how teams collaborate and resolve conflict.

Startups that focus solely on experience often miss out on candidates who have the curiosity, grit, and adaptability needed to thrive in unstructured environments. Hiring someone who’s eager to grow with the company can often yield more lasting value than chasing a perfect résumé. The right mindset can outperform a polished background in environments that demand flexibility.

One growing SaaS company made it a point to include a “culture conversation” in every early interview. This wasn’t about checking boxes—it was about understanding how a candidate thinks, communicates, and collaborates under pressure. Over time, that approach helped shape a team that scaled smoothly without losing its original energy. The consistency of this approach helped preserve morale and cohesion through successive hiring rounds.

Scaling Communication: Staying Transparent and Connected

As the team expands, communication naturally becomes more complex. What once flowed casually across desks now needs structure. Informal updates no longer reach everyone, and alignment starts to slip unless leaders are intentional about how they share priorities and decisions. A lack of clarity at this stage can lead to duplicated efforts or missed opportunities.

Some companies set the tone by holding weekly team-wide standups or monthly all-hands meetings. These aren’t just about updates—they’re moments to reinforce goals, highlight wins, and address concerns openly. Leaders who consistently make space for honest dialogue tend to foster stronger engagement. Regular communication also reduces anxiety during times of rapid change or uncertainty.

When a startup grew past 40 people, the founder began hosting a biweekly “Ask Me Anything” session. It started informally but quickly became a staple, helping leadership stay grounded and employees feel heard. That open line of communication made it easier to navigate growing pains without losing trust. These sessions eventually became a pulse check on team morale and alignment.

Empowering New Leaders: Building a Management Layer

As a company moves beyond its initial team, leadership can no longer be centralized in one person. There comes a point when founders must shift from managing tasks to guiding people who manage others. This transition is pivotal, not just for efficiency, but for sustainability. Without distributed leadership, decision-making slows and bottlenecks emerge.

One tech startup realized this at 25 employees, when the founder could no longer be involved in every decision. Rather than micromanage, they invested in developing team leads—people who understood the culture and could translate vision into action across departments. This layer of leadership allowed the company to scale without diluting its identity. The move also gave rising team members a clear path for career growth.

Supporting new managers means giving them the tools and authority to lead effectively. It’s not just about assigning titles; it’s about creating clarity, offering mentorship, and reinforcing accountability throughout the organization. Leaders who feel supported are more likely to build strong teams and foster resilience during transitions.

Sustaining Culture: Keeping Core Values Intact

Culture doesn’t scale on autopilot. As more people join, the original values that shaped the company can easily fade unless they’re reinforced deliberately. Codifying those principles—through actions, rituals, and decision-making—helps ensure they remain present as the team grows.

A founder once described how their weekly team meetings always opened with a story highlighting one of the company’s values in action. Over time, those moments created a shared language and a sense of continuity, even as new faces filled the room. It wasn’t about slogans on walls but about making values visible and lived. These stories became part of the company’s lore and were often retold by newer employees, further embedding the values.

When culture is treated as a strategic asset, it becomes a compass during periods of rapid change or uncertainty. It guides hiring, shapes leadership, and influences how challenges are approached across the organization. A strong culture can also help retain talent, even when external conditions are volatile.

Evolving as a Leader: Adapting to Growth

Leadership at ten employees looks very different from what it does at fifty or a hundred. What worked in the beginning—being involved in everything, making quick calls on instinct—can become a bottleneck. Growth demands evolution, not just from the team but from those at the top.

Some of the most effective founders are those who recognize when to let go. Delegating isn’t about losing control; it’s about trusting others to lead and making space for more strategic thinking. That shift often comes with discomfort, but resisting it can stall progress. Letting go also signals trust, which empowers others to step up confidently.

Continuous learning becomes essential. Whether it’s through executive coaching, peer groups, or simply setting aside time for reflection, leaders who invest in their own development tend to build more resilient companies. They grow alongside their teams, adjusting their approach without losing sight of the mission. Adaptability, paired with self-awareness, becomes a defining trait of enduring leadership.