From Corporate to Solopreneur: A Journey of Self-Discovery

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Welcome to Growthmates with Kate Syuma — Growth Advisor, ex-Miro. This season, “In the Company of Women,” is about celebrating women who successfully balance work, family, and creative passions while building meaningful careers.

Growthmates is a place to connect with inspiring leaders and help you grow—personally and professionally. Learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Canva, Loom, and more build world-class products and growth cultures.

In this episode, Kate Syuma and Elena Verna dive into a conversation about career evolution, growth strategies, and navigating transitions. With experience at SurveyMonkey, Miro, Dropbox, Reforge, and Malwarebytes, Elena shares her journey from leading growth at major companies to building a successful solopreneurship and transitioning back to a full-time role.

They explore the non-linear career shifts, defining your "superpower zone," and setting boundaries for sustainable success. Elena also breaks down how companies can move from product-led growth to product-led sales, sharing insights on recognizing early signals and layering strategies for long-term growth.

🔗 Find more insights on growthmates.club and follow on your favorite platforms for more episodes.

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🚀 User-centric Product-Led Growth Course starts on 24th March!

Level up your growth with a 3-week cohort-based course with proven strategies, behavioral science insights, and real-world examples. Use promo code "growthmates" for $100 off and create a growth roadmap with feedback from Kate: https://maven.com/growthmates/user-centric-product-led-growth?promoCode=growthmates

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Key highlights from this episode 👇

* From full-time to solopreneur: Elena shares her first shift from a full-time role at SurveyMonkey to starting building a solopreneurship career (for 5 years!), highlighting the lessons learned about balancing work, life, and boundaries.

* How to define Superpower zone: Elena discusses how identifying her "superpower zone" of deep expertise and passion has been key to making impactful career decisions and maintaining sustainable growth.

* Boundary-setting for long-term success: Elena talks about the importance of establishing non-negotiable boundaries — like no work after 6pm and prioritizing fitness — to avoid burnout and stay productive in both personal and professional spheres.

* From product-led growth to product-led sales: Elena explains the shift many companies are making from PLG to a hybrid model with product-led sales and offers advice on how to recognize when it’s time for this change.

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Follow Growthmates updates on:

* Growthmates website with “The Holistic Growth Playbook”: https://growthmates.club

* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://www.growthmates.news/

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/

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* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syuma

Where to find Kate Syuma:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/

* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.com

Where to find Elena Verna:

* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/

* Newsletter: https://www.elenaverna.com/

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What we covered:

[00:00] Introduction & Meet Elena Verna[01:11] From Corporate to Solopreneurship[03:12] Why “Try Before You Buy” Works for Jobs[09:45] Setting boundaries in a workspace[12:15] Work-Life Boundaries: Saying No to CEOs[26:55] How to find your superpower zone[46:40] Advice for product leadership[50:00] Future of AI for your career

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📕 Useful Resources and other related Podcasts:

* “10 growth tactics that never work” on Lenny Rachitsky Podcast: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/10-growth-tactics-that-never-work-elena-verna

* “(How to) Growth Solopreneur” on Leah Tharin Podcast: https://www.leahtharin.com/p/s2e17-leah-and-elena-verna-how-to

* “What is Product-led Growth?” on Leah Tharin Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RrgQCkl53Q&ab_channel=ProducTeawithLeah

* Why product-led growth is the future on Lenny Rachitsky podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTmFuSZfJ9U&ab_channel=Lenny%27sPodcast

* “Why I’m Unquitting Full-Time Roles” on Elena Verna Newsletter: https://www.elenaverna.com/p/why-im-unquitting-full-time-roles

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