Riding Unicorns: Venture Capital | Entrepreneurship | Technology
Riding Unicorns is a podcast featuring the world's best minds from venture and startups. Hosted by VCs James Pringle and Hector Mason, the show explores what it takes to build and back successful tech unicorns. Each episode features conversations with top founders, operators, and investors unpacking the strategies, challenges, and insights behind scaling category-defining companies. From fundraising and product-market fit to hiring, growth, and beyond, no topic is off-limits. Whether you're a founder, VC, angel investor, or just curious about the world of startups, you’ll find valuable takeaways in every episode.
Riding Unicorns: Venture Capital | Entrepreneurship | Technology
Tony Jamous & Hadi Moussa at Oyster HR on leadership transition, CEO succession and unlocking global talent
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Tony Jamous first joined Riding Unicorns in January 2023, just after Oyster became a unicorn. Since then, the company has raised its Series D, Tony has moved into the Executive Chairman role, and Hadi Moussa has stepped in as CEO.
In this episode, James sits down with both Tony and Hadi to unpack what really happens when a founder hands over the CEO role in a high-growth company. They discuss why Tony knew Oyster needed a different kind of leader for its next stage, how the search process unfolded, and what Hadi has focused on in his first months in the role.
They also go deep on scaling leadership, building operational rhythm, giving effective feedback, and how to turn a strong remote culture into a genuinely high-performing organisation. The conversation then shifts to the future of global employment, the impact of AI on hiring, and why Oyster still sees a huge opportunity ahead.
A candid episode on succession, self-awareness, scale, and what it takes to lead a mission-driven company through its next chapter.
Topics covered:
- Why Tony stepped aside as CEO
- How Oyster prepared for a leadership transition
- What Hadi is changing in his first months as CEO
- Founder-led vision vs operator-led execution
- Building a high-performing remote team
- Feedback, vulnerability, and leadership maturity
- AI’s impact on hiring and global talent
- The future of Oyster and global employment
