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Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building Hardcover – March 7, 2023
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Selected for "Best Books of 2023" by Bloomberg and The Economist!
“Whether you are a new manager or a CEO, there are going to be moments when you feel alone and need help. Odds are, the advice you need is in Scaling People. You are going to pull this book off your shelf over and over!"
—Kim Scott, New York Times bestselling author of Radical Candor and Just Work
A leader at both Google and Stripe from their early days, Claire Hughes Johnson has worked with founders and company builders to try to replicate their success. The most common questions she’s asked are not about business strategy—they’re about how to scale the operating structures and people systems of a rapidly growing startup.
Scaling People is a practical and empathetic guide to being an effective leader and manager in a high-growth environment. The tactical information it puts forward—including guidance on crafting foundational documents, strategic and financial planning, hiring and team development, and feedback and performance mechanisms—can be applied to companies of any size, in any industry. Scaling People includes dozens of pages of worksheets, templates, exercises, and example documents to help founders, leaders, and company builders create scalable operating systems and lightweight processes that really work.
Implementing effective leadership and management practices takes effort and discipline, but the reward is a sustainable, scalable company that’s set up for long-term success. Scaling People is a detailed roadmap for company builders to put the right operating systems and structures in place to scale the most important resource a company has: its people.
- Print length480 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherStripe Press
- Publication dateMarch 7, 2023
- Dimensions6.2 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches
- ISBN-101953953212
- ISBN-13978-1953953216
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From the Publisher

Praise for Scaling People
Odds are, the advice you need is in Scaling People.
“Claire Johnson gave me some of the best feedback of my career: ‘You don’t ask for help often enough.’ Whether you are a new manager or a CEO, there are going to be moments when you feel alone and need help. Odds are, the advice you need is in Scaling People. You are going to pull this book off your shelf over and over!"
—Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor and Just Work
The practical guide to running a world-class organization.
“The practical guide to running a world-class organization… Claire has demystified how you run a large, high-performance organization, with clear concepts and practical templates that you can start implementing today.”
—Jason Citron, founder and CEO of Discord
To be added to the shelf of any people leader and manager.
“I was excited to learn that Claire Hughes Johnson has taken her many years of operating excellence from Stripe and Google and distilled it into a new book. Scaling People is a key book to be added to the shelf of any people leader and manager.”
—Elad Gil, entrepreneur, investor, and author of High Growth Handbook
Approachable, entertaining, and exceptionally useful.
“Scaling People is approachable, entertaining, and exceptionally useful, with lots of heart and humor. Claire leverages her years of unparalleled experience to provide a deeply helpful resource to read and revisit again and again.”
—Aileen Lee, founder and managing partner of Cowboy Ventures
Scale your business from 10 to 10,000 without losing what makes it special.
“If you want to scale your business from 10 people to 10,000 without losing the things that make it special, Scaling People is the handbook you need.”
—Ravi Gupta, former CFO and COO of Instacart, general partner at Sequoia Capital
Strong frameworks, sound advice, and tried-and-true processes for any company.
“There’s a lot of reinventing the wheel in a startup environment. Scaling People offers strong frameworks, sound advice, and tried-and-true processes that any company can use to build stronger foundations and sustainable success.”
—Reid Hoffman, cofounder of LinkedIn, partner at Greylock, host of Masters of Scale
Two decades of leadership expertise in one accessible volume.
“Claire Hughes Johnson is the ultimate operator. She distills two decades of management and leadership expertise into one accessible volume with real-world examples and actionable guidance.”
—Mallun Yen, founder of Operator Collective
Everything you need to know about building and scaling a company.
“Everything you need to know about building and scaling a company, being an exceptional leader and manager, and getting the best out of your people in one empathetic and enjoyable package—with easy-to-use worksheets and templates to boot.”
—Frances Frei, author of Uncommon Service and Unleashed, professor at Harvard Business School

About the author
Claire Hughes Johnson is a corporate officer and advisor at Stripe. Previously, she was chief operating officer at Stripe from 2014 to 2021, helping the company grow from fewer than 200 employees to more than 7,000. At various times, she led business operations, sales, marketing, customer support, risk, real estate, and all of the people functions, including recruiting and HR. Prior to Stripe, she spent 10 years at Google leading business teams, including overseeing aspects of Gmail, Google Apps, and consumer operations, as well as serving as a vice president for AdWords, Google Offers, and Google’s self-driving car project. She serves on the boards of Ameresco, The Atlantic, Aurora Innovation, and HubSpot, and is a trustee and current board president of Milton Academy. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, two children, and two neurotic dachshunds.

About the publisher
Stripe Press publishes ideas for progress in science, technology, and economics. Our collection includes new ideas from emerging and established thinkers and industry leaders, as well as reimagined editions of enduring works. We curate our titles for a global audience of builders and practitioners who are shaping the future of policy and industry.
Stripe Press is based in South San Francisco, with team members across the US and in London. We are a part of the global payments infrastructure company Stripe.
Related titles by Stripe Press:
- High Growth Handbook by Elad Gil
- An Elegant Puzzle by Will Larson
- Get Together by Bailey Richardson, Kevin Huynh, and Kai Elmer Sotto
Editorial Reviews
Review
—The Economist
“The smartest and most useful book I’ve read on management this year.”
—Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic
“Scaling People reflects Claire’s rich experience and formidable tactical mind. In its substantiveness, rigor, and practicality, it stands out from the bland avalanche of traditional managerial fare. It is a book written by a genuine expert with real, tangible lessons to impart.”
—Mario Gabriele, founder of The Generalist
“Claire Johnson gave me some of the best feedback of my career: ‘You don’t ask for help often enough.’ Whether you are a new manager or a CEO, there are going to be moments when you feel alone and need help. Odds are, the advice you need is in Scaling People. You are going to pull this book off your shelf over and over!"
—Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor and Just Work
“The practical guide to running a world-class organization… Claire has demystified how you run a large, high-performance organization, with clear concepts and practical templates that you can start implementing today.”
—Jason Citron, founder and CEO of Discord
“I was excited to learn that Claire Hughes Johnson has taken her many years of operating excellence from Stripe and Google and distilled it into a new book. Scaling People is a key book to be added to the shelf of any people leader and manager.”
—Elad Gil, entrepreneur, investor, and author of High Growth Handbook
“Scaling People is approachable, entertaining, and exceptionally useful, with lots of heart and humor. Claire leverages her years of unparalleled experience to provide a deeply helpful resource to read and revisit again and again.”
—Aileen Lee, founder and managing partner of Cowboy Ventures
“Through the entire history of startups and entrepreneurship, the world expects founders and young executives to succeed and thrive as their company grows larger and larger. Yet no one takes the time to give them the skills and processes that are necessary to achieve great leadership. Now someone has—hats off to Claire Johnson for writing Scaling People.”
—Bill Gurley, general partner at Benchmark
“If you want to scale your business from 10 people to 10,000 without losing the things that make it special, Scaling People is the handbook you need.”
—Ravi Gupta, former CFO and COO of Instacart, general partner at Sequoia Capital
“There’s a lot of reinventing the wheel in a startup environment. Scaling People offers strong frameworks, sound advice, and tried-and-true processes that any company can use to build stronger foundations and sustainable success.”
—Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn, partner at Greylock, host of Masters of Scale
“Claire Hughes Johnson is the ultimate operator. She distills two decades of management and leadership expertise into one accessible volume with real-world examples and actionable guidance. Scaling People proves that it’s possible to operate in a high-growth environment while simultaneously focusing on and caring about developing people—and that doing so also leads to a fundamentally stronger business.”
—Mallun Yen, founder of Operator Collective
“Everything you need to know about building and scaling a company, being an exceptional leader and manager, and getting the best out of your people in one empathetic and enjoyable package—with easy-to-use worksheets and templates to boot.”
—Frances Frei, author of Uncommon Service and Unleashed, professor at Harvard Business School
“Claire Hughes Johnson has been in the catbird seat at two companies: Google and Stripe. She participated in Google's transformative journey in the decade following its IPO. Since then, she has helped Stripe develop from a two-floor office into a global, multibillion-dollar infrastructure company on which millions of businesses depend. Two eras, two companies—one Claire.”
—Michael Moritz, partner at Sequoia Capital
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Stripe Press (March 7, 2023)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 480 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1953953212
- ISBN-13 : 978-1953953216
- Item Weight : 2.3 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.2 x 1.4 x 9.3 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #14,510 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #64 in Decision-Making & Problem Solving
- #165 in Leadership & Motivation
- #185 in Business Management (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Claire Hughes Johnson currently serves as a corporate officer and advisor for Stripe, a global technology company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet. Claire previously served as Stripe’s Chief Operating Officer from 2014 to 2021, helping the company grow from less than 200 employees to more than 7,000. At various times, she led business operations, sales, marketing, customer support, risk, real estate, and all of the people functions, including recruiting and HR.
Prior to Stripe, Claire spent 10 years at Google leading a number of business teams, including overseeing aspects of Gmail, Google Apps, and Consumer Operations, as well as serving as a Vice President for AdWords online sales and operations, Google Offers, and Google’s self-driving car project.
Claire holds a bachelor’s degree from Brown University and an MBA from Yale University. She currently serves on the boards of the renewable energy company Ameresco, the multi-platform publication The Atlantic, the self-driving technology company Aurora Innovation, and the customer management software company HubSpot. She is also President of the Board of Trustees at Milton Academy. She currently lives outside of Boston, MA, with her husband, two children, and two neurotic dachshunds.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book to be a real-world textbook on general management, with one customer describing it as the most detailed book on organization and team building. They appreciate its incredible content and well-written style.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
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Customers appreciate the book's leadership content, describing it as a real-world textbook on general management and a practical guide to leadership. One customer notes its systematic approach to building operating capabilities, while another highlights its detailed coverage of organization and team building.
"...The book clearly and effectively explains contemporary leadership styles and provides comprehensive, actionable plans...." Read more
"...Hopefully this book becomes the new bible for leaders and a much thumbed over actual day to day used reference after a tough day...." Read more
"Share a lot of strategies and tools to manage a business, teams and myself. A practical book and easy to read." Read more
"...Both of us have been enjoying the important work and insights that the author has shared." Read more
Customers find the book to be a wonderful resource with incredible content, and one customer specifically mentions it as an excellent guide for managers and leaders.
"...I can confidently say that this book is essential reading for any leader in any business environment." Read more
"...The last paragraph of your book is quite the masterpiece. It’s epic. “Here’s to all of you, and all that you will build.”..." Read more
"This is a great resource for when you need it...." Read more
"Book itself is great, lovely quality. But it does look like the Amazon warehouse didn’t handle it gently." Read more
Customers appreciate the writing style of the book.
"...The book clearly and effectively explains contemporary leadership styles and provides comprehensive, actionable plans...." Read more
"Book itself is great, lovely quality. But it does look like the Amazon warehouse didn’t handle it gently." Read more
"This book delivers on the promise of its title. It is well-written and designed...." Read more
"...who likes to start from a good example, I like the style in which the book is written. Also, an inspiring career." Read more
Reviews with images

Comprehensive Guide to Effective Management
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2025As a former employee at Google, I purchased this book due to my great respect for Claire. The book clearly and effectively explains contemporary leadership styles and provides comprehensive, actionable plans. I wish I had read it while studying for my MBA and especially when I first stepped into a leadership role. I can confidently say that this book is essential reading for any leader in any business environment.
- Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2024This amazing book moved me so much I’ve made it required reading for leaders in my company and bought them all copies of it. If there’s only one book you read as you scale up your company, this is it. I was moved so much to write to the author for the first time in my life.
Here is what I said: “ Claire,
The last paragraph of your book is quite the masterpiece. It’s epic.
“Here’s to all of you, and all that you will build.”
You have done a huge service to the tech industry - and hopefully many others - by writing this book. I’d written down chapters myself as a Google doc over the course of my career of so many of the chapters that I used to publish inside of companies I advised and led and as I read your book end to end, (and listened to it on audible) I found myself nodding vigorously and learning from it and forming the conviction that this should be required reading in companies. It’ll certainly be in the companies that I will lead and influence.
It’s clear not only that you are a great manager and a good leader but a superb human being. It comes out in paragraph after paragraph and in a world full of layoffs and profit taking and much else, your clarity and clarion call for people-centric practices and humanity and the need to be foremost, a good human being who cares about the entirety of the lives of their teams and not just their work results.
Hopefully this book becomes the new bible for leaders and a much thumbed over actual day to day used reference after a tough day.
The impact of your book will be way larger than the impact you had as a manager and leader and will be an amazing legacy.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I sincerely hope our paths cross one day so I can thank you in person.
—-
What an amazing book. What an amazing leader. What an amazing human being.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023Share a lot of strategies and tools to manage a business, teams and myself. A practical book and easy to read.
- Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2025I bought this for my husband who is a manager at a growing IT company. Both of us have been enjoying the important work and insights that the author has shared.
- Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2024This is a great resource for when you need it. The value isn't in reading front to back necessarily, but having the ability to consult a world class COO on how she'd run things, and having the starting points on your shelf.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2024"Scaling People" offers actionable strategies for leaders aiming to build and scale successful teams.
Pros:
Practical Insights: Provides step-by-step guidance on crafting foundational documents, strategic planning, hiring, team development, and feedback mechanisms.
Real-World Examples: Draws from the author's experiences at Google and Stripe, offering relatable scenarios.
Supplementary Materials: Includes worksheets, templates, exercises, and example documents to assist in implementing concepts.
Cons:
Niche Focus: Primarily targets leaders in high-growth environments, which may limit its applicability to smaller organizations.
Implementation Effort: Requires effort and discipline to apply the practices effectively.
Final Thoughts: For leaders seeking to enhance their management skills and scale their organizations effectively, "Scaling People" serves as a valuable resource. 5/5
5.0 out of 5 stars"Scaling People" offers actionable strategies for leaders aiming to build and scale successful teams.Comprehensive Guide to Effective Management
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2024
Pros:
Practical Insights: Provides step-by-step guidance on crafting foundational documents, strategic planning, hiring, team development, and feedback mechanisms.
Real-World Examples: Draws from the author's experiences at Google and Stripe, offering relatable scenarios.
Supplementary Materials: Includes worksheets, templates, exercises, and example documents to assist in implementing concepts.
Cons:
Niche Focus: Primarily targets leaders in high-growth environments, which may limit its applicability to smaller organizations.
Implementation Effort: Requires effort and discipline to apply the practices effectively.
Final Thoughts: For leaders seeking to enhance their management skills and scale their organizations effectively, "Scaling People" serves as a valuable resource. 5/5
Images in this review
- Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2024I have this book as an audio book and bout the hard copy for bookmarking, marking up, and utilizing the workbook aspects to it. Great information, insight, and thoughts for improved management.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2023Book itself is great, lovely quality. But it does look like the Amazon warehouse didn’t handle it gently.
4.0 out of 5 starsBook itself is great, lovely quality. But it does look like the Amazon warehouse didn’t handle it gently.Great book, but Amazon shipped a ripped copy
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2023
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
- Luca DellannaReviewed in Italy on July 22, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent book, uniquely useful
Full of concrete advice, it will help you structure great people systems from hiring to internal communication to performance management.
The supplemental materials are great too.
- Edgar MartinezReviewed in Mexico on June 25, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars The right book for learning Management
Claire Hughes Johnson explains with detail and examples, every managerial issue that she has faced while moving on the corporate’s ladder. This is not a recipe or motivation book; but a compendium to create criteria.
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on February 3, 2024
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for new leaders.
This book is packed with great insights and processes on managing and growing effective teams.
- Dhananjay GulwadiReviewed in India on August 30, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars The book has a conversational style and is easy to read
I found the book gave me useful insights in dealing with people within organisations
- SBReviewed in the United Kingdom on November 5, 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected bible
This captures everything you need to be aware of to help grow a business, and more importantly the people in it, as one doesn’t happen without the other. This will now serve as a ‘go to guide’, it’s impossible to implement everything within a short timeframe, each business will place different levels of significance over each part, but it certainly covers everything in such a well thought out, practical way.