Oh Frac! Ep06: Aylin Abdullah - Designing Inclusive Teams That Win

In this Oh Frac! episode, host Adir Ron sits down with Aylin Abdullah - founder of Human Collective and a powerhouse in culture, communications, and operations, to unpack the rise of fractional leadership across Europe, why “fractional ≠ contractor,” and how neurodiversity can supercharge executive teams. Aylin shares her AUDHD journey, the burnout that pushed her to redesign her career after becoming a mum, and how she now plugs fractional leaders into startups through a bench model to drive real, sustainable impact. From the UK vs. US mindset gap to practical inclusion (think: sensory-safe “bat cave” rooms) to AI tools that lighten the load, this convo is packed with field-tested lessons for founders, VCs, and aspiring fractionals. Stick around for her most “frac’d up” moment—and the quickfire round where she names the one tool she swears by.

Key takeaways:
* Fractional ≠ consultant: advisory + sleeves-rolled execution embedded in the business.
* Europe’s catching up: demand is rising, but education is still needed on what “fractional” really is.
* Value prop founders care about: seasoned C-suite impact, cross-pollinated learnings, and lean cost (Aylin cites \~66% base-salary savings).
* Bench model is better than solo act: Human Collective plugs proven fractionals into go-to-market, people, and ops gaps fast.
* Chief-of-Staff angle: Aylin’s “5 Ps” approach (people, planning, performance/process, projects, and profit alignment) turns chaos into clarity.
* Neurodiversity is an edge: many leaders are ND—design for brains, not just roles—and innovation follows.
* Practical inclusion wins: sensory-friendly spaces (e.g., blackout “bat cave”), flexible norms that help everyone.
* AI as copilot: she uses purpose-built bots (via Launch Lemonade) for outreach and research acceleration.
* Pipeline truth: build runway, network early, and consider stepping down hours before going fully fractional.
* Dream vs. nightmare clients: growth mindset vs. closed “I know it all” attitudes.

Chapters:
00:00 Welcome, cold open & setup
03:20 Icebreaker: the KFC-at-Christmas cultural curveball
06:30 Why Aylin went fractional: AUDHD, burnout, motherhood
10:00 From ops leader to fractional Chief of Staff + the “5 Ps”
13:30 First gigs, proposals, and the reality of financial runway
17:00 US vs. UK/EU: maturity gap & educating “fractional ≠ contractor”
20:30 The business case: savings, speed, and cross-industry perspective (+ AI)
24:00 Neurodiversity & inclusive leadership: data points, design, and impact
27:30 “Frac’d Up” moment: the mis-sent holiday email—and lessons learned
31:00 Quickfire: myth-busting, tool of choice, dream/nightmare clients, future & advice

Aylin Abdullah’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aylinabdullah/
Adir’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adir-ron/

Keywords:
fractional leadership, Chief of Staff, Human Collective, culture & ops, employer branding, neurodiversity, AUDHD, dyslexia, inclusive workplaces, UK vs US, Europe startups, AI for fractionals, Launch Lemonade, portfolio careers, gig economy, founders, VCs, SaaS growth, people strategy, process & performance, fractional bench