The Art of Early-Stage Hiring with Eileen Burbidge, CEO at Fertifa

Welcome back to Scaling at Speed. The days are getting longer, but the months certainly aren't, so it's time again for your dose of startup wisdom.

This month, we spoke to Eileen Burbidge, the CEO of reproductive health startup Fertifa (a Speedinvest portfolio company) and a seasoned investor at Monzo-backer Passion Capital.

Eileen doesn't just talk theory – she's lived it. Her insights on early-stage hiring are packed with actionable advice, including why "hiring fast" often leads to firing faster, the surprising power of generalists in early teams (and when to bring in specialists), how to build a strong foundation for scaling your team and your company, and much more.

Keep scrolling to read the article, find out where to meet our investors this month, and read their latest insights on the European tech ecosystem.

In this month's Founder Insight, we spoke to Eileen Burbidge, CEO at Fertifa.

Read on for an excerpt from Eileen's interview below 👇

So what makes a great early hire? For Eileen, it’s not about deep functional expertise on day one. It’s about potential, adaptability, and ambition.

“I always go for high acumen, strong potential; people who are bright, ambitious, and want to grow. I know words like ‘hustle’ or ‘drive’ can feel loaded now, but you know what I mean. That attitude matters more than being a deep domain expert in the beginning. Of course, you do need that deep expertise later. But early on, generalists who can problem-solve and adapt are more valuable.”

Early-stage teams thrive on momentum, which often comes from tight-knit, like-minded teams. But Eileen is quick to point out the limits of homogeneity.

“In the earliest days, I think homogeneous teams often move faster. Co-founders and early hires who can finish each other’s sentences and who assume the same things — it speeds everything up. But that doesn’t scale. At some point, the best companies are built by diverse teams. It takes longer, but the outcomes are stronger and more relevant to a broader customer base.”

That evolution requires founders to sense when their hiring priorities need to shift.

“It’s about timing. Early on, alignment is oxygen. But you can’t build a lasting business if everyone sees the world the same way forever. Diversity of thought, background, and approach is how you build resilience,” she adds.

Upcoming Events: Let's Meet!

Our team is on the ground across EMEA, hosting, attending, and speaking at events, conferences, and intimate gatherings. We would love to meet you!

• Forbes Money Summit – [April 24, Vienna]: Our CEO, Oliver Holle, will be on stage talking about the future of business with European entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
• Emerging Markets Fintech Lending Summit – [May 14, Dubai]: Investors from across the globe will gather in Dubai in May. Our Enrique Martínez-Hausmann will be attending and on stage, discussing the challenges and trends in VC Funding for Emerging Market fintech companies.
• GITEX Europe – [May 21-23, Berlin]: Leading figures from sectors like AI, deep tech, and fintech combine for GITEX Europe. Our CEO, Oliver Holle, will be in attendance.

👉 Check out future events we'll be attending on our blog.

From the Investors' Desk

From deep sector expertise to our take on the future of tech and venture capital in Europe, here are some of our musings from social media, keeping you informed on the latest in our industry.

Our GP, Andreas Schwarzenbrunner, was in Brussels recently to participate in ongoing policy discussions needed to reduce fragmentation in Europe. On LinkedIn, he details the growing sense of urgency for administrators, governments, and crucially, founders, to build in Europe.

Similarly, GP Marie-Helene Ametsreiter points out that while European VC falls short of the total spending of the US and China from institutional capital, the ecosystem is maturing to a point where growth capital can become more readily available.

Amid the fallout from the trade war with the US, our GP, Markus Lang, shared his thoughts on what impact tariffs might have on startups and offered some wisdom on where this could lead for Europe.

And finally, our newly promoted partner, Sameer Singh, shared our latest Marketplaces and Consumer investment thesis, as the team continues to invest in "weird" ideas.

👉 What else we're reading:

Europe unveils plan to become ‘AI continent’ with simpler rules, more infrastructure - CNBC

AI ‘application’ start-ups become big businesses in new tech race - FT

Covid-Level Fear Grips Silicon Valley After Tariff Turmoil Delays IPOs - Bloomberg

Thanks for reading — see you next month,

Callum

Have feedback, suggestions, or topics you'd like us to dive into? Email us at press@speedinvest.com.