PRODUCTEA with Leah, Growth & Senior Leadership

Tadas Labudis, a serial founder turned product leader with deep expertise in SaaS and AI, shares his insights on the power of founder-led sales. He discusses how embracing vulnerabilities can enhance sales experiences and drive product confidence. Tadas emphasizes the balance between product-led growth and effective sales strategies, highlighting the pitfalls of hiring salespeople too early. He also advocates for authenticity in sales and reveals how founder-led selling can be a game-changer for early-stage startups, making sales enjoyable and impactful.

Maranda Dziekonski, a seasoned expert in customer success with over 20 years of experience, discusses the evolving role of customer success as a revenue-generating function. She emphasizes the idea that 'the sale never ends', highlighting the importance of ongoing customer relationships. Maranda explores how budget constraints affect retention, and the need for seamless transitions between sales and customer success. She also critiques traditional metrics and the significance of aligning sales compensation with customer success goals.

Kyle Poyar, a seasoned expert in high-stakes startups and author of the newsletter Growth Unhinged, discusses the evolving landscape of growth strategies. He critiques the reliance on Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs) as outdated and arbitrary. Poyar emphasizes the shift to product-led growth as a necessity rather than a differentiator. He also highlights the importance of cultivating customer engagement through a unified approach across marketing, sales, and customer success, asserting that sustainable companies prioritize true customer conversion over traditional metrics.

 Vincent Pierri interviews me (Leah Tharin) about my journey into public speaking, particularly within the tech industry. How I found a platform, overcame stage fright, and built confidence. How does it feel to speak to different audience sizes?How do you train this muscle? And where do memes fit into our dry tech industry? Why is building a brand such a painful experience due to the needed consistency,Interview conducted by Vincent Pierri 🙏 (Public Speaking Voice Coach), who offered his time to generously donate his time to turn me into a guest for once about a topic I don’t specifically talk about.TakeawaysDifferent audience sizes require different speaking strategies.Feedback loops are essential for improving public speaking skills.Humor can be a powerful tool in public speaking.Consistency is key in building an online presence.Having a unique point of view is essential for engagement.Rising recognition can lead to a more isolated experience.Sound Bites"Public speaking is not just in the public.""You should not be a senior leader if you cannot speak well."Chapters02:45 The Journey into Public Speaking09:11 The Importance of Content and Delivery12:00 Navigating Different Audience Sizes14:53 The Role of Feedback in Public Speaking18:10 The ROI of Public Speaking for Tech Leaders20:52 Crafting Effective Presentations26:52 Gary: The Memorable Character from Sales29:50 Preparing for Talks and Finding Your Voice38:14 The Value of Podcasting42:02 Navigating LinkedIn for Audience Building47:01 The Pain of Personal Branding51:49 The Journey of a D-List Celebrity Send us a textLeah on Linkedin / Twitter / Youtube

In a riveting conversation, Erin Papworth, CEO and co-founder of Navit, reveals insights from transitioning a product from B2C to B2B in the fintech sector. She discusses the importance of innovative engagement strategies and the need for behavioral changes in financial habits. Erin also tackles challenges in creating sustainable business models while addressing financial stress and mental health. Plus, she shares her firsthand experiences navigating the complexities of selling to HR and financial leaders, emphasizing the significance of human connection in a digital landscape.

Radhika Dutt, author of "Radical Product Thinking," is a seasoned entrepreneur and product expert rooted in engineering. She discusses the critical role of a unified vision in startups, emphasizing that strong visions can not only guide product strategy but also maintain team sanity. Radhika highlights the delicate balance between innovation and optimization, advocating for processes over mere goal-setting. She also touches on the importance of treating pivots as deliberate strategies and shares insights into aligning teams through effective communication and user-centric approaches.

Amanda Daering, an expert in effective team management strategies, dives into the intricacies of change management and the vital role of direct communication. She highlights how workplace dynamics have evolved and the importance of building trust within teams. The conversation explores the difference between strong leaders and poor managers, emphasizing clarity in roles and the challenges of executive hiring in today's landscape. Amanda shares insights on balancing urgency with thoughtful decision-making and notes that advice often comes from unexpected sources like TikTok.

Malte Scholz, an expert in product management with a focus on leadership dynamics, dives into the evolving landscape of the field. He discusses the challenges founders face with control and empowerment, emphasizing the need for low-hierarchy structures. Traditional tools often fall short, making way for innovations like AI that will reshape product management. Unique concepts such as 'unshipping features' and empowering engineers also take center stage, highlighting the importance of balancing customer insights with strategic goals for product evolution.

Branding experts Kevan Lee, known for his focus on brand measurement and strategy, and Shannon Deep, who tackles misconceptions in brand alignment, dive deep into the essence of effective branding. They discuss how many senior leaders confuse brand identity with mere visuals. The conversation highlights the complexities of measuring brand effectiveness and the unique challenges faced by founder-led brands. Additionally, they explore future marketing trends and the critical role of brand strategy in achieving business goals.

Ami Vora, the Chief Product Officer at Faire, shares her wisdom on senior leadership and team dynamics. She emphasizes the importance of balancing authenticity with a sense of urgency in leadership roles. Vora dives into cultivating strong team connections and the significance of feedback loops as organizations grow. She discusses the challenges of managing weak performers and the value of skip-level meetings for career development. Generosity in leadership, focusing on nurturing others’ growth, is highlighted as a key trait for success.