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

From Start-Up to Grown-Up

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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