Welcome to this episode of the People Leader Accelerator Podcast, where we sit down with industry leaders to uncover the real-life insights, strategies, and challenges that shape world-class organizations. Our guest today is Luke Beseda, Talent Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, returning for a timely discussion about the annual Lightspeed People Trends Report. With nearly 170 venture-backed companies participating, this year’s survey delivers practical insights into how AI, hiring, and workplace productivity are transforming the landscape for people leaders and founders alike. We explore: How the adoption of AI tools is measurably boosting productivity across both technical and non-technical teams The evolving role of AI proficiency in technical hiring, and how only a small percentage of startups currently mandate it The impact of AI on workforce planning, recruiting, and talent acquisition, including the shift toward using AI for candidate sourcing and operational processes Challenges in candidate assessment, from deepfakes to the growing need for in-person interviews at remote organizations Trends in job displacement, especially for junior roles, and what this means for the next generation of talent Changes in attrition patterns—why non-regrettable (managed) departures are outpacing voluntary exits in growth-stage tech companies The latest numbers on merit budgets, how compensation decisions are being made amid a focus on efficiency, and why most companies are standardizing increases across teams Throughout the conversation, Luke Besada shares his team’s practical takeaways, including the importance of hands-on AI experimentation for HR professionals and concrete steps people leaders can take to adapt to these shifts. If you’re curious about how real-world companies are using data and new tools to navigate headcount decisions, drive performance, and future-proof talent strategies, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. For show notes and bonus resources, visit www.PeopleLeaderAccelerator.com/podcast. About The People Leader Accelerator Podcast Our goal with this podcast is simple: to help people leaders navigate the messy, complex, and deeply rewarding work of leading teams and organizations with more clarity, confidence, and community. Whether you’re the first HR hire at a startup or an experienced executive at a company with scale, you’ll find actionable insights you can use right away. We can’t wait to share these conversations with you. Welcome to the journey! Listen, learn, and connect: 🎧 Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts (Apple, Spotify, YouTube). 💡 Find show notes and bonus resources at peopleleaderaccelerator.com/podcast. 📬 Share this episode with a colleague who’s ready to level up as a people leader. 🤝 Connect with your hosts: Jessica Yuen: linkedin.com/in/jessicayuen | jessyuen.com Andrew Bartlow: linkedin.com/in/bartlow | peopleleaderaccelerator.com