#87: How Daniel Yanisse Scaled Checkr to $700M+ and Overcame the Post-Hypergrowth Crisis

2025-03-11

In this episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, host Alisa Cohn sits down with Daniel Yanisse, co-founder and CEO of Checkr, to discuss the exhilarating rise and the challenges of sustaining a high-growth company. Checkr revolutionized the background check industry, scaling from a $1M revenue run rate in just three months to processing millions of background checks annually. But with hypergrowth came intense operational, cultural, and leadership challenges.Daniel shares how he navigated:Hiring at hyperspeed—and why some employees q...

In this episode of From Start-Up to Grown-Up, host Alisa Cohn sits down with Daniel Yanisse, co-founder and CEO of Checkr, to discuss the exhilarating rise and the challenges of sustaining a high-growth company. Checkr revolutionized the background check industry, scaling from a $1M revenue run rate in just three months to processing millions of background checks annually. But with hypergrowth came intense operational, cultural, and leadership challenges.

Daniel shares how he navigated:

Hiring at hyperspeed—and why some employees quit on day one.
The "hangover" after hypergrowth—losing key executives and investor pressure.
How to hire and retain top executives—and avoid common leadership hiring mistakes.
Revising a company mission to balance fairness and safety while scaling.
The "Fly High, Fly Low" leadership approach—balancing strategy and deep operational insights.

This episode is packed with real-world lessons for founders, CEOs, and startup leaders facing the challenges of rapid growth, leadership transitions, and market shifts.

🎧 Listen now and learn how to build and sustain a high-growth company.

Timestamps & Key Topics

00:00 – Introduction

02:30 – The Early Days of Checkr

06:20 – The Downside of Hypergrowth

08:45 – Facing Leadership Challenges & Executive Turnover

15:30 – Hiring and Managing Executives

21:00 – Redefining Checkr’s Mission: Fairness vs. Safety

28:00 – Leadership Lessons & Overcoming Challenges

39:00 – Confidence, Imposter Syndrome & Founder Loneliness

45:00 – Final Advice for Founders

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