Friends,

It’s hard not to notice the intense pace at which the market for AI talent is heating up at the moment. Not to mention the stories we’re seeing as a result of it.

Case in point:

1. Meta snapping up (seemingly) anyone who can spell AI, for exorbitant sums.

2. Google acqui-hiring Windsurfer execs and experts away from the business, letting the business essentially fold in on itself? (guess we’ll find out)

I’m no golfer but this reminds me of what we saw when LIV golf came on the scene and started splashing cash.

If you’re not familiar, it was a juicy story.

• LIV came after PGA and started offering huge sums for their players.

• PGA pulled on the loyalty heartstrings and some of it’s pro’s stayed.

• Then, PGA and LIV announced a merger, leaving those that didn’t take up the big offers, stuck with their (comparably) pitiful salaries. Ouch.

I can’t help but wonder if we aren’t about to see a similar but massive level of consolidation across the AI market. Either that or they all have bottomless wallets and this will continue on for a while.

What’s your take?

Matt

Are you:

✅ A people professional?
✅ In the APAC region?
✅ Wishing you knew more about building and scaling people practices?

Then I have news for you.

The Startup People Summit is on the 31st of July, and there’s still a few tickets remaining for you to experience the day in one of two ways:

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It doesn’t get better/cheaper/more accessible than this for expert level content.

Put yourself and your development first.

Mastering Compensation Through Storytelling

with Naomi Trickey, CPO at Mews

Naomi Trickey, Chief People Officer at Mews, brings an empathetic and human-focused approach to compensation, honed through over a decade as a CPO in high-growth tech environments.

With a passion rooted in literature and storytelling, Naomi champions the idea that compensation strategies must go beyond spreadsheets to genuinely resonate with employees.

Her expertise lies in crafting compelling narratives that build trust, communicate complex pay decisions clearly, and ultimately strengthen organisational culture.

What You'll Learn:

• How storytelling can transform compensation conversations for the better

• A simple narrative framework for pay strategy

• Why empathy is crucial in compensation design

• Ways to link pay decisions to broader life contexts

• How to communicate tough pay decisions effectively

• Strategies to equip managers with powerful pay narratives

• Leveraging storytelling to reinforce organisational trust

• Recommended resources to elevate your storytelling skills

My Key Takeaways:

• Compensation is fundamentally human, not analytical. Naomi challenges the conventional spreadsheet-focused view of pay, emphasising the emotional and human dimensions involved. “Pay matters because money helps people live the lives they envision for themselves and their families.” Understanding this deeply personal perspective enhances trust and engagement.

• Storytelling makes complex compensation clear and relatable. By using a structured narrative — starting from macro trends, identifying core insights, proposing solutions, and illustrating the desired future — Naomi ensures compensation decisions are transparent and meaningful. This story-driven approach helps employees contextualise and trust compensation outcomes.

• Managers need narratives, not just spreadsheets. Naomi intentionally equips managers with storytelling techniques rather than isolated spreadsheet data. This ensures they communicate compensation decisions with empathy, clarity, and consistency, making difficult conversations more constructive and less confrontational.

• Connect pay to growth beyond financial rewards. Naomi encourages organisations to frame progression around development opportunities, skill-building, exciting projects, and internal mobility rather than purely financial incentives. “Progression is about more than pay — highlight skills, training, and impactful work as part of the narrative.”

• Empathy-driven narratives increase organisational buy-in. Effective compensation strategies reflect an empathetic understanding of individual employee motivations. Naomi emphasises that when storytelling aligns compensation decisions with broader organisational contexts and employee aspirations, acceptance and satisfaction increase.

• Use empathy to navigate tough conversations effectively. Naomi advises leaning into empathetic storytelling to manage challenging discussions, such as missed promotions or limited budgets. Communicating with genuine understanding transforms these difficult conversations into opportunities to reinforce trust and clarify career pathways.

• Transform compensation strategies through story arcs. The narrative framework Naomi advocates involves identifying the broader macroeconomic context, pinpointing insights, offering clear solutions, and envisioning a positive future state. This structured storytelling approach creates momentum and clarity, guiding employees and managers alike.

More About Naomi:

• LinkedIn Profile

• Mews

• Griffin

Listen, watch or read the full interview here.

Got a specific topic you want me to cover or a guest you’d love to nominate? Hit reply to this email and let me know.

Here’s three things that may also be of interest to you:

1. FNDN: Helping startups build compensation practices that are clear, fair and competitive. We can build your compensation philosophy, job level framework and compensation bands. Speak to us here.

2. Compensation Tools and Resources: Resources and tools for giving you what you need to build your own startup compensation practices.

3. Startup People Summit: A 1-day, virtual event & community giving you everything you need to build and scale your people practices. 31 July - 9am-4pm AEST.