In contemporary organizational landscapes, effective talent management practices are imperative for the success and sustainability of digital startups. Despite this recognition, a concerning trend of startup failures due to premature scaling underscores the need for enhanced talent management strategies. This study addresses the gap literature by investigating the impact of leadership styles, specifically transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire, on talent management practices and digital startup performance. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) with Partial Least Squares (PLS) methodology, both inner and outer model are employed to analyze the relationships among the variables. The study identifies transformational leadership as having a positive but relatively low impact on digital startup performance, even when mediated by talent management. Transactional leadership, while showing a higher direct impact on performance, exhibits a moderate influence when mediated by talent management. Laissez-faire leadership, with a notably high direct impact on performance, contingent upon the startup's maturity level. These findings contribute to the understanding of leadership-talent management-performance dynamics in the context of digital startups, shedding light on the nuanced relationships between these variables. Moreover, the study emphasizes the importance of tailored talent management approaches aligned with the developmental stage of the startup. Practical implications derived from this research offer valuable insights for startup founders, CTOs, and managers, enabling them to optimize talent management strategies to enhance organizational performance and navigate the challenges of the dynamic startup ecosystem effectively.