“Module 5 on probation checkpoints is the piece we still quote in leadership meetings. Other modules were solid; that one changed our habit.”Erik · Engineering manager · Köln
Flagship course
German Startup Hiring Playbook
Design interviews and offers that match how German startups actually evaluate people—not how corporate templates pretend they do.
This cohort is built for founders, first people hires, and candidates preparing for loops inside German startups. You leave with a scorecard, an offer talk track, and probation checkpoints you can defend to co-founders or future managers.
Informational price: €640 per seat · next remote cohort announced by email after you request a place. See also pricing tiers.
Modules
1. Expectation mapping
Translate company stage, customer geography, and language needs into a one-page role brief.
2. Interview evidence design
Replace vague “culture” questions with prompts that reveal shipping judgment and stakeholder care.
3. Scorecard clinic
Calibrate interviewers so a “strong hire” means the same thing across rounds.
4. Equity Conversation Lab
Practice explaining cliffs, pools, and uncertainty without improvising numbers.
5. Probation checkpoints
Write 30/60/90 markers that survive contact with real calendars.
6. Candidate-side mirror
If you are interviewing, reverse the tools to prepare evidence and questions.
Learning outcomes
- Publish a role brief that candidates and interviewers can both use
- Run a debrief that cites evidence instead of personality adjectives
- Explain cash and equity ranges with documented caveats
- Set probation goals that are observable inside a German employment frame
Instructor
Nora Feldmann facilitates Cloudindex Tools cohorts after a decade advising seed and Series A teams on people operations across Germany. She focuses on documentation that stays useful after the offer call ends.
FAQ
Is this legal advice?
No. We teach hiring practice and communication. For binding employment contracts you still need qualified counsel in Germany.
Do you place candidates?
No recruiting desk is included. That is a real limitation: if your bottleneck is pipeline volume, pair this course with your own sourcing or an agency.
What if my team is fully remote?
Most examples assume Germany as the employing entity. Remote-first teams still work through German startup hiring expectations when contracts, taxes, or customers sit in DE.
I liked the Equity Conversation Lab, though the homework assumed more cap-table literacy than our ops hire had. Nora sent a primer afterward.Client in healthtech