Is it better to hire for conformity or friction?

Welcome back to VHTB, your go-to podcast for insights into the talent, culture, and finance shaping the space startup world. In this episode, hosts Brian Mejeur and Matt Gjertsen are joined by Justus Killian of Space Capital for a lively exploration of workplace culture—from the value of hiring for “culture fit” versus “culture add,” to the role of friction in fueling growth and innovation. Together, they dive into the nuances of building teams at different stages of a company, debating whether conformity or diverse perspectives drive better outcomes, and share practical strategies for fostering intentional, inclusive, and high-performing cultures. Whether you’re an early-stage founder, scaling a team, or just fascinated by how space industry leaders tackle the challenge of groupthink, you’ll find plenty of actionable takeaways in this conversation.

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About the Podcast

A VC, a Headhunter, and a Trainer Walk into a Bar

VHTB is your guide to the talent, culture, and finance side of the space start-up ecosystem. Each episode, hosts Matt Gjertsen from Better Every Day Studios, Seyka & Brian Mejeur of AdAstra Talent Advisors, and Justus Kilian of Space Capital will share stories and insights from their experiences working with some of the most innovative companies on the planet.

About your hosts

Brian Mejeur

Founder, CTO/COO, Advisor | Space, Clean Tech & Defense Talent Expert | Ex-SpaceX Engineer | Husband | Dad

Brian is one of the founders of AdAstra Talent Advisors where he functions as CTO and COO while partnering with leading early stage startups in Space, Defense, and Clean Tech.

Having spanned 7 years at SpaceX, a stint at an early stage startup, and holding BS & MS degrees in Aerospace Engineering, Brian’s experience in the trenches as an engineer and in operations allows him to relate first hand to the talent and hiring needs of AdAstra's clients.

Seyka Mejeur

Founder, CEO, Advisor | Space, Clean Tech & Defense Talent Expert | Pilot | Wife | Mom
(titles not in order of importance)

Relentlessly resourceful and unusually optimistic, Seyka is deeply involved with world-changing startups. As a founder and CEO of AdAstra Talent Advisors, she builds thriving teams in NewSpace, Clean Tech, and Defense - empowering innovation that future generations depend on.

With a passion for relationships and a belief in the power of empowered teams, she helps visionary leaders turn bold ideas into reality.

Justus Kilian

Justus is a Partner at Space Capital, a seed-stage venture firm investing in space-based infrastructure and their applications. Portfolio companies include SpaceX, Impulse Space, Varda, and Xona. He is active on multiple portfolio company boards and manages the firm’s recruiting platform, Space Talent. Before his current roles, Justus worked at Acumen, a $250M early-stage venture firm investing across East Africa and South Asia supporting over 50 companies through growth, turnaround, and exit.

Matthew Gjertsen

Matt Gjertsen is the founder of Better Every Day Studios, a leadership development company that focuses on turning great engineers into great managers. Prior to starting his own company, Matt spent five years as the head of Training & Development at SpaceX, and 10 years training future military leaders as an Instructor Pilot in the U.S. Air Force. He and his team are on a mission to help train better managers that build better companies, to create a better world.