Unicorn Leaders
The Unicorn Leaders podcast takes a deep dive into the world of building a billion-dollar company (a unicorn) in every episode. Join us while we explore the leadership and environments that create unicorn startups straight from those with first-hand experience (startup founders, VPs of talent, and more). The podcast is hosted by Fahd Alhattab, the CEO of Unicorn Labs and a millennial workplace expert who specializes in providing transformative leadership and team dynamics training for high-growth startups. Fahd has been researching what creates high-performing teams over the last five years. Join him as he asks his guests the hard questions to uncover what it means to be a leader in our fast-paced, information-based world.
Unicorn Leaders
Ep. 24 - Taking on Google: The People Strategy Behind Ecobee’s David vs. Goliath Win with Penny Farinha
In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Penny Farinha, former VP of People at Ecobee, to unpack what it really takes to scale a mission-driven startup through every phase of growth—without losing your soul (or your best people).
Penny shares the behind-the-scenes story of how Ecobee went from 75 employees to a billion-dollar acquisition, all while competing head-to-head with Google Nest. She reveals why values-based hiring (not just skill) helped them build a resilient culture, and how she approached team design at every inflection point—from scrappy startup to post-acquisition scale.
They dive into the messy reality of building people systems that evolve with the business, why staying nine years gave her the deepest leadership lessons, and how founders can avoid the trap of outgrowing their own culture.
Whether you’re navigating hypergrowth, rethinking your org design, or wondering how to lead a team that can outlearn the competition—this episode is packed with honest insights on people, purpose, and playing the long game.
Find Penny Farinha here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennyfarinha/