Scaleup Leaders: Stories from Experience S2E03: Lidia Oshlyansky on Managing Without Artifacts, Creative Chaos, and When to Walk Away
May 28, 2025
In a lively discussion, Lidia Oshlyansky, Chief Product Officer at Gillion and former leader at Google and Spotify, shares her unconventional journey from social work to tech. She dives into the complexities of managing large teams, revealing her struggles with existential doubts and the importance of empowering others. Lidia also discusses the chaos of innovation in startups versus the resistance in corporate settings and reflects on fostering collaboration and confronting toxic workplace dynamics. Her insights on balancing pragmatism with ambition are both candid and inspiring.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
When User Impact Meets Tech Limits
- Lidia pushed to fix a user-impacting hard-coded issue in AdSense, but the complexity made it infeasible.
- This revealed the importance of balancing user needs with technical constraints and business realities.
Existential Doubt as a Leader
- Lidia Oshlyansky shared feeling she was not doing anything tangible after managing large teams.
- She struggled with the lack of physical artifacts from her leadership work.
Ask Experts to Simplify
- Don’t hesitate to ask domain experts to explain complex topics simply.
- This openness enhances understanding and builds effective leadership across disciplines.