Delivering Value with Andrew Capland This Chief Product Officer Was Stuck… Until She Learned to Play Corporate Politics (Yue Zhao)
Apr 1, 2025
Yue Zhao, a former PM at Meta and Instagram and founder of The Uncommon Executive, shares her journey from feeling overlooked to mastering corporate politics. She discusses the realization that hard work alone doesn’t guarantee promotions. Instead, she emphasizes the importance of building influence and strategically framing her goals. Yue also addresses challenges in early startup roles and the significance of relationships in career advancement, revealing how understanding workplace dynamics can lead to leadership success.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Early Career Frustrations
- Yue Zhao initially felt frustrated at Thumbtack because she wasn't doing product management work.
- She was tasked with various non-product roles like customer support, branding, and marketing.
Navigating Misaligned Roles
- If you're in a similar situation, quickly determine if your current path aligns with your goals.
- Push for change or gain confidence that your role will evolve within a specific timeframe.
Decoding Corporate Politics
- Corporate politics, often viewed negatively, is about influence and perception.
- It involves building relationships and understanding power dynamics.