It's not clear to me that this is good advice for an early stage rapidly growing startup. As a founder of a small firm , not VC funded, but we're growing very nicely so far (at startup rates of growth). The problem with firing an employee or hiring above them without their consent is that for a team that's 3-10 people, the dynamic is seriously disruptive. It is very possible for the entire team to walk out on you, and your company is then dead. Secondly, the article asks you as a founder to make a disingenuous promise to your team: that you will help them grow. Clearly you cannot help them. Any growth that happens, happens because they rose to the occasion, and not because your company helped them. So if your team figures that they are going to get layered in a year or so, they won't bother with you. It may be different in VC funded superstar rocketship startup with 100+ employees, but does not translate to early stage growth and DEFINITELY NOT to small businesses. In the latter case, you are better off being very, very careful with hiring and then investing in the long term in the hired employee's growth.