68. First Team Loyalty: The Key to Executive Success

In this episode we discuss: how to implement the first team concept. We are joined by Cassie Young, General Partner at Primary Venture Partners, and seasoned SaaS CRO/CCO.

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We chat about the following with Cassie Young: 

• How can leaders ensure that their "first team" prioritises organisational success over individual functions?
• What steps can teams take to align incentives and build trust to resolve conflicts more effectively?
• How does empathy in communication and transparency enhance team dynamics, especially in structured yet flexible meeting cadences?
• Why is developing P&L fluency and understanding market dynamics essential for senior executives, and how can organisations address these gaps?
• How can leaders strategically network and cascade critical insights to maintain clarity and alignment within teams?

References 

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/cassyoung/
• https://www.primary.vc/

Biography 

Cassie Young is a General Partner at Primary Venture Partners, a $1B AUM early-stage venture capital firm in New York, backing companies like Chief, Alma, and K Health. She leads B2B software investments and oversees the firm's portfolio impact team, the largest of its kind among seed funds globally.

Previously, Cassie was Chief Customer and Commercial Officer at Marigold (formerly CM Group), where she led global operations and strategy across a portfolio of marketing tech brands, following Marigold’s acquisition of Sailthru in 2018. At Sailthru, she held multiple executive roles, ultimately serving as Chief Revenue Officer. Earlier, she led marketing and analytics teams at GLG, Savored (acquired by Groupon), and TheLadders, starting her career as an analyst at Citigroup.

A Duke graduate with an MBA from Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, where she earned the Dero Saunders Award, Cassie is passionate about advancing women in leadership. In 2023, she launched On the Business, a program helping hundreds of senior women in software enhance their P&L fluency and boardroom skills.

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Summary

08:12 Introduction and Context Setting

19:17 Understanding the Concept of First Team

21:00 The Importance of Team Dynamics

21:35 Creating a First Team Mindset

23:00 Fostering Cross-Functional Collaboration

24:13 Aligning Incentives for Team Success

28:25 Overcoming Pushback on Team Engagement

31:12 Communicating with Empathy

34:04 Effective Meeting Cadences

41:03 Navigating Conflict and Accountability

42:23 Essential Skills for Executives

46:06 The Role of Founders and Leadership Styles

48:43 The Importance of Alignment and Communication

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy