START: Emma Lawler, Product Lead, Rippling "Rippling Automated Compliance"

START: Emma Lawler, Product Lead, Rippling "Rippling Automated Compliance"

Author: Fondo July 17, 2026 Duration: 25:00

As a founder, Emma Lawler felt like SOC 2 was a major distraction from building.

But when she started selling to enterprise logos, it became something that was impossible to ignore.

Now, as Product Lead at Rippling, she channeled her first-hand experience of getting SOC 2 compliant to rethink how all automated compliance frameworks are run. 

It started with a retro. 

Every other SOC 2 vendor works the same way: 

Detect a problem
Alert your team
Fix it...somewhere else

The problem with this checklist is that "somewhere else" requires dozens of additional integrations. Because these vendors are just reporting layers on top of your stack.

Rippling is your stack. 

Which means most of your compliance evidence is collected before you start AND when there's a gap in compliance, Rippling fixes it.

Unencrypted device --> encrypt it.

Wrong app access --> de-provision automatically

Incomplete security training --> gate system access until its done. 

Because compliance really isn't about the report. It's about operating your company securely -- and proving it without a yearly fire drill. 

Emma shares more about how her own founder journey influenced building Rippling's powerful new automated compliance product, available today for SOC 2 Type 1 and 2. 


🎙️ Emma Lawler, Product Lead, Rippling on Fondo START pod

‍

00:57 Introducing Rippling Automated Compliance
02:07 The evolution of compliance software
03:02 AI's role in compliance workflows
03:41 Understanding SOC 2 requirements
04:20 Compliance and enterprise procurement
05:03 Building secure operating practices
05:46 Product development at Rippling
06:28 Building with a lean team
07:15 Lessons from founding startups
08:55 Learning through product pivots
11:01 AI in modern product development
12:41 Planning and research with AI
16:05 Defining product-market fit
17:56 Using first-party data for compliance
21:35 Advice for early-stage founders

‍

Check out www.rippling.com/products/it/automated-compliance


Behind every startup's big idea is the less glamorous, but utterly essential, work of building a real business. The Startup Growth Podcast, from the team at Fondo, digs into that reality. Fondo itself is an all-in-one accounting platform designed for startups, handling everything from closing the books to filing taxes and even helping secure cash back from the IRS. This practical experience informs every conversation. You’ll hear founders and operators talk not just about vision, but about the tangible systems, financial decisions, and marketing pivots that actually fuel growth. Episodes move beyond theory to explore the operational choices that separate promising companies from sustainable ones. It’s a resource for entrepreneurs who understand that strategy is meaningless without execution, and that a healthy bottom line is the truest measure of progress. Tune in for honest discussions that bridge the gap between entrepreneurial ambition and the business fundamentals required to make it last.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

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