In this episode, Jacob sits down with Jeff Erickson, a familiar face in the Utah startup community and a veteran of companies like Carta and Forecastr. Jeff’s seen startups from every angle — as a founder, investor, and early team member — and he shares what he’s learned about the real drivers of growth: people, purpose, and alignment.

They dive into:

* Lessons from scaling Carta and now helping Forecastr become a household name

* How to set culture early before it sets itself

* What it looks like when core values actually show up in day-to-day decisions

* Why hiring for alignment is more powerful than hiring for skill

* The snowball effect of “founder energy” and how it attracts the right people

* How remote teams can still feel deeply connected

Jeff’s perspective is equal parts startup wisdom and human insight — a reminder that even in the world of venture capital, valuations, and growth curves, the people are still the point.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hirealigned.substack.com