Supra Insider

#34: Scaling Impact Off the Beaten Path | Gibson Biddle (Netflix, Chegg)

Nov 18, 2024

Gibson Biddle, former VP of Product at Netflix and Chief Product Officer at Chegg, shares insights on transitioning from full-time roles to fractional leadership. He discusses redefining success and his innovative approach to balancing impact and flexibility. Biddle highlights the importance of structured feedback and his strategies for engaging audiences effectively. He also dives into building community through workshops and storytelling, emphasizing personal growth and continuous learning in the dynamic landscape of product leadership.

48:59

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Episode guests

Gibson Biddle

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Episode notes

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Quick takeaways

The transition to fractional leadership allows executives to achieve greater flexibility and maintain significant impact in their roles.

Redefining success to include personal well-being and community engagement highlights the importance of life satisfaction in professional fulfillment.

Deep dives

Transition to Fractional Leadership

The speaker discusses his transition from traditional full-time executive roles to fractional leadership, a decision influenced by his desire for greater flexibility in his work-life balance. He established a model where he could work three days a week, negotiating terms that allowed him to share in the compensation of top executives while maintaining a significant impact within the company. This approach proved successful during his time at various startups, demonstrating that fractional roles could be beneficial both for the executive and the organizations seeking his expertise. His experience suggests that these non-traditional roles are increasingly viable and can lead to sustainable career satisfaction.

Intro

2min

Navigating Career Transition: From Executive to Fractional CPO

12min

The Evolution of Mastery and Impact in Product Leadership

2min

The Power of Writing and Connecting

27min

Experimenting with Efficient Learning: A New Workshop Approach

4min

Exploring Startup Potential and Community Impact

3min

Welcome to another episode of Supra Insider. This time, Marc and Ben sat down with Gibson Biddle, former VP of Product at Netflix and Chief Product Officer at Chegg. Gib shares his journey from full-time product leadership to becoming an interim and fractional executive, driven by the desire to live life on his own terms. He discussed his strategies for balancing impact and flexibility, the importance of continuous learning, and his passion for teaching and storytelling.

Gib also talked about building engaging content, like his well-loved product strategy workshops, and organizing the Product Leader Summit. Whether you're a product leader looking for practical insights or someone seeking inspiration to live a more fulfilling life, this episode has something for you.

All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube (video).

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In this episode, we covered the following topics:

* Gib’s transition from traditional product roles to fractional CPO work

* The motivation behind semi-retirement and redefining success personally and professionally

* Strategies for scaling impact as a product leader through content, including talks and courses

* The importance of structured feedback and how Gib uses NPS to improve his presentations

* How Gib engages audiences in both in-person and virtual settings

* Key lessons from organizing the Product Leader Summit and what makes it unique

* Insights from Gib’s first cohort on Maven and his plans for future workshops

* Reflections on balancing life and work through meaningful experiments and adventures

* And more!