Not Another CEO Podcast

How do you build a high-growth company while staying true to your values? In this episode of Not Another CEO Podcast, David Politis sits down with Jindou Lee, the founder and CEO of HappyCo, a company transforming property management through innovative technology. Jindou shares his journey from graphic designer to entrepreneur, discussing the challenges of hiring and firing, scaling a business, and learning the rules of the fundraising game. He also reflects on his personal experiences, from his childhood in Australia to launching a successful SaaS company, and offers candid insights on what it takes to build a resilient organization. Takeaways:Culture & Core Values: Jindou stresses the importance of defining company values early. He shares how HappyCo identified its core values and evolved them over time to ensure they remain relevant as the company scales.Hiring & Firing with Intention: Building a strong team requires making tough decisions. Jindou reflects on his journey from hesitating to fire underperforming employees to realizing that removing a poor fit benefits both the individual and the organization.Lessons in Rapid Growth & Downsizing: Jindou explains how the company became more efficient while continuing to grow revenue, proving that success isn’t about headcount but about having the right people in the right roles.Building with the Customer in Mind: Jindou explains why deeply understanding the end user’s needs has been critical to HappyCo’s success. He shares how small design tweaks—like increasing button sizes—can make all the difference.Fundraising is a Game: Jindou learned that fundraising is a game with rules that founders must understand. He shares hard-earned lessons about negotiating terms, dealing with investor pressure, and securing critical last-minute funding.Quote of the Show:“Fundraising is a very unfair game for founders… a lot of early stage founders, myself included, we got bullied. We just didn't know we got bullied.” - Jindou LeeLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jindou/Twitter: https://x.com/jindouleeWebsite: https://happy.co/Ways to Tune In:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast #NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #HappyCoChapters:0:00 Intro1:33 What You’d Do Again As CEO6:16 Experiences Shaping Values12:31 Navigating Growth and Downsizing20:49 The Importance of Customer-Centric Design31:26 Fundraising Realities and Challenges35:04 Navigating Term Sheets and Legalities43:09 Biggest Challenges at HappyCo47:20 Visions for the Future49:44 Jindou’s Background and Upbringing53:39 Career Beginnings and Lessons Learned58:57 One Piece Of Advice59:48 Outro

What’s the best career advice CEOs would give their younger selves? In this special compilation episode of Not Another CEO Podcast, David Politis revisits interviews with incredible leaders to share their most impactful advice. From trusting your gut to embracing constraints and building resilience, this episode is packed with wisdom applicable to CEOs, leaders, and professionals at every level. Tune in to hear insights from Tom Buiocchi, Melanie Fellay, Adam Bryant, and many more as they reflect on their journeys and what they wished they knew when starting out. Takeaways:Trust Your Gut (David Politis): Trust your instincts when making decisions, whether hiring, strategizing, or pursuing opportunities. Ignoring your gut often leads to regret.No Need to Be the Hero (Tom Buiocchi): Empower your team rather than trying to carry the entire burden of success yourself. Great leaders build teams that can win together.Dream Big and Build the Right Team (Loren Castle): Give yourself permission to think big from the beginning and prioritize hiring exceptional people to execute your vision.Direction Over Speed (Ryan Westwood): Take the time to ensure your business is heading in the right direction. Rushing ahead without alignment can lead to costly mistakes.Patience and the Long Game (Ryan Simonetti): Success takes time. Commit to the process and trust that steady, consistent effort will yield great results in the long term.Speed to Resiliency (Nick Cromydas): Build the ability to recover quickly from setbacks. What once took weeks to overcome should eventually take only minutes.Enjoy the Journey (Adam Bryant): Be present and savor the process. Career success isn’t just about achievements—it’s also about appreciating the steps along the way.Be Yourself (Melanie Fellay): Speak up, share your opinions, and trust that the right people will align with your authentic self.Follow Up and Follow Through (Dan Michaeli): Persistence and reliability are essential. Always follow up on opportunities and deliver on your commitments.Find Your Rhythm (Howard Ting): Careers, like music, have rhythms. Know when to push hard and when to ease up to enjoy the journey and sustain your energy.Learn and Have Fun (Andrew Lau): Work with people you respect and focus on roles that challenge and excite you. If it’s not fun or meaningful, don’t stick with it.It’s All Going to Be Okay (Kathryn Minshew): Even in moments of failure, remind yourself that things will work out. Resilience and adaptability lead to success.The Value of Constraints (Nathan Rosenstock): Constraints fuel creativity and innovation. Embrace challenges as opportunities to build something better with fewer resources.Lead with Consciousness (Godard Abel): Develop self-awareness and adopt a conscious leadership approach to lead with ease, clarity, and impact.Chapters:(0:00) Intro(3:50) David’s Advice(7:11) Tom Buiocchi(8:58) Loren Castle(12:07) Ryan Westwood(13:48) Ryan Simonetti(16:33) Nick Cromydas(20:26) Adam Bryant(22:14) Melanie Fellay(23:42) Dan Michaeli(26:40) Howard Ting(28:33) Andrew Lau(29:17) Kathryn Minshew(30:49) Nate Rosenstock(33:28) Godard Abel(35:16) OutroWays to Tune In:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast #NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #CEOAdvice

What can two wildly different exits teach us about leadership? In this episode, David Politis talks with Tom Buiocchi, a tech industry veteran with a 40-year career that spans iconic companies like IBM and HP, as well as leadership roles at high-growth startups.Tom reflects on his unique journey as a CEO, including selling ServiceChannel for $1.2 billion and handing another company back to its founder for $1. He shares lessons on building resilient teams, over-communicating during crises, and making transformative hiring decisions. This conversation is packed with insights for leaders at any stage. Takeaways:Executive Coaching as a Catalyst: Tom shares how hiring an executive coach early in his ServiceChannel tenure helped him navigate challenges, think more clearly, and ultimately become a better leader.Uncomfortable Hiring Decisions: At ServiceChannel, Tom prioritized hiring experts who challenged his thinking, leading to innovative strategies and significant growth, even though it was uncomfortable at times.Segment Until It Hurts: Tom emphasizes the importance of narrowing target markets to identify ideal customers. By meticulously defining criteria, ServiceChannel created a focused pipeline of less than 700 target companies, improving conversion rates and customer engagement.The Growth Roadmap: Beyond the product roadmap, Tom implemented a "growth roadmap" focused on pricing strategies, new revenue streams, and bundling options that directly drove business growth.Over-Communication During COVID-19: Navigating the challenges of the pandemic, Tom adopted a strategy of daily updates and regular all-hands meetings to keep his distributed team aligned and motivated.Resilience, Grit, and Luck: Reflecting on his career, Tom credits his success to a combination of skill, resilience, and timing, sharing his belief that luck often comes to those who stay in the game long enough.Chapters00:00 Intro01:33 What You’d Do Again As CEO05:15 Tom’s First CEO Experience09:05 Lessons Learned & Hiring Strategies15:08 Dealing With Competition20:13 The Importance of Target Market Segmentation26:20 Metrics and KPIs31:40 Navigating Investor Relationships34:08 The Growth Roadmap42:16 Tom’s Biggest Challenge48:20 Tom’s Background50:56 Biggest Career Impact?52:13 What Motivates You?54:28 One Piece Of Advice57:53 OutroQuote of the Show:“Fish in a pond where you know the names of all the fish.” - Tom BuiocchiLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombuiocchi/Website: https://servicechannel.com/Ways to Tune In:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast #NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #ServiceChannel

In this episode of Not Another CEO Podcast, David sits down with Phil Fernandez, a SaaS legend with over 40 years of experience. Fernandez is the Co-Founder and Former CEO of Marketo, which has become part of the Adobe product lineup.  Fernandez reflects on his journey leading Marketo to become one of the most successful marketing automation platforms in history. From pioneering brand-building strategies to navigating fierce competition and near-death challenges, Phil shares valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and leaders striving to make an impact in today’s fast-evolving business landscape. Takeaways:Start with the Brand: Fernandez emphasizes the importance of building a strong brand presence and engaging customers early, even before launching a product. Marketo’s success was rooted in creating a community of advocates who believed in the company’s vision from day one.Customer-Centric Leadership: Fernandez shares his philosophy of focusing entirely on solving customer problems rather than fixating on competitors. This approach allowed Marketo to foster trust and loyalty, even during challenging times.Overcoming Challenges: Fernandez recounts a critical moment when Salesforce acquired a competitor and temporarily disrupted Marketo’s integration. By focusing on customer impact, the company was able to regain their Salesforce integration.Navigating Funding Hurdles: Despite a stellar track record, Fernandez faced resistance raising Marketo’s initial funding in 2006. He recalls the perseverance needed to secure their first $1.5 million and how he and his co-founders built momentum from there.Hiring for Culture: Fernandez reflects on the importance of assembling a team that shares the company’s values. He shares the story of recruiting Bill Binch over a year-long process, ultimately creating a sales organization aligned with Marketo’s mission.Quote of the Show:“ All of our communications with the market was about customers, was about what we were seeing, how to be better, how to do better, how to think better.” - Phil FernandezLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-fernandez-6902881/Twitter: https://x.com/philf1217Website: https://business.adobe.com/products/marketo.htmlWays to Tune In:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast #NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #Marketo

Joining the show this week is a journalist turned executive leadership expert. Having interviewed over 1,000 CEOs over the course of his 30 year career, this guest is none other than the Senior Managing Director at The ExCo Group, Adam Bryant. Bryant shares his insights from over 30 years of interviewing leaders and exploring the paradoxes of leadership. From his framework for authenticity to understanding the "optimal band of busyness," Adam discusses what motivates effective leaders to lead and how they navigate the ever-increasing complexity of today’s challenges. Takeaways:Simplifying Complexity: Effective leaders excel at breaking down intricate problems into clear, digestible priorities for their teams. Bryant emphasizes the importance of framing challenges in a way that inspires clarity and action, ensuring everyone knows where they’re going and how to get there.The Authenticity Framework: Authenticity is about aligning how people perceive you with how you intend to show up as a leader. It’s not about oversharing emotions but about communicating your values and the stories behind them to build trust and credibility.Leadership Paradoxes: Bryant explores the delicate balancing acts leaders must navigate, such as being confident yet humble or compassionate while holding people accountable. He highlights the importance of contextual decision-making to manage these complexities effectively.OBOB (Optimal Band of Busyness): Leaders thrive when they find their "optimal band of busyness"—a balance that keeps them engaged without overwhelming or under-stimulating them. Bryant shares how this concept applies to both leadership and post-exit planning.Team Trust Building: Building trust within teams starts with vulnerability and open communication. Bryant describes exercises like leadership user manuals and storytelling to help team members see each other as human beings, fostering deeper connections and collaboration.Why Leaders Lead: Many leaders are driven by transformative early-life experiences, whether adversity, immigrant stories, or the influence of extraordinary parents. Bryant reflects on how these motivations shape leaders’ decisions and their approach to challenges.Quote of the Show:“ I always think about leadership as a series of paradoxes or contradictions or balancing acts. It's never about one thing. And I think to be an effective leader, you have to be comfortable in those paradoxes.” - Adam BryantLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adambryantleadership/Twitter: https://x.com/adambbryantWebsite: https://www.excoleadership.com/Ways to Tune In:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast #NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #TheExCoGroup

In this conversation, Melanie Fellay, Co-founder and CEO of Spekit, shares her journey as a female entrepreneur and AI advocate featured on Forbes 30 Under 30. She discusses the power of early branding and unconventional customer acquisition strategies, like her breakthrough at Dreamforce. Fellay emphasizes the importance of hiring self-aware leaders and reflects on navigating growth challenges faced by Spekit. Her story of resilience and innovation in the tech landscape inspires future generations of entrepreneurs.

In this special year-end episode of Not Another CEO Podcast, host David Politis shares his reflections on 2024 and his plans for the podcast in the year ahead. He opens up about the challenges, milestones, and rewards of launching and growing the show. He also sets ambitious goals for 2025, including diversifying the roster of guests, expanding the podcast's global reach, and finding new ways to share the incredible insights captured in each episode.

Joining the show this week is a veteran of the Boston start-up community and leader in engineering management platforms. Having served as the VP of Engineering to a company that as acquired for $1B, this guest is none other than the Co-Founder & CEO of Jellyfish, Andrew Lau. Lau shares his journey from an engineer in startups to a CEO managing a high-growth company. He provides insights on aligning leadership and culture, fundraising, and work-life balance. Takeaways:Co-Founder Alignment: The Jellyfish team created a detailed vision for Jellyfish before starting the company. They established core values that emphasized culture, people, and building a scalable business. This became their North Star for decision-making.Engineering for Growth: Jellyfish's platform helps engineering leaders align their teams’ work with broader business objectives. The company's vision is inspired by Salesforce’s transformation of sales management.Early Customers through Discovery: The team interviewed over 50 VPEs and CTOs to deeply understand pain points in engineering management. These conversations led to a service-driven approach to validate Jellyfish’s product vision.Startup for Grown-Ups: There was a conscious effort to build a "grown-up" startup that accommodates life responsibilities. They designed their business to work with their life stages, creating a sustainable culture.Leadership Evolution: Andrew reflects on his transition from engineering management to being a CEO. This journey required learning sales, fundraising, and storytelling while balancing the operational and strategic demands of scaling a company.Fundraising with Trust: Andrew describes the importance of aligning with investors who understand the domain and trust the founding team. Jellyfish's seed funding came from building relationships within the Venn diagram of trust and domain expertise.Adapting to Change: As the tech landscape evolves with AI and macroeconomic shifts, Jellyfish focuses on being adaptable. Andrew emphasizes that startups have the agility to tackle new challenges, creating opportunities for growth and innovation.Quote of the Show:“It’s a marathon, it’s not a sprint. And we also live lives as humans here too… We have to make this thing work for us.” - Andrew LauLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amlau/  Twitter: https://x.com/amlau  Website: https://jellyfish.co/  Ways to Tune In:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7c6328f0-9b42-41db-8fe2-d263b4fbb261 Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast #NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #Jellyfish

Howard Ting, CEO of Cyberhaven and former CMO, shares his transformative leadership journey in the cybersecurity industry. He emphasizes the importance of transparent communication through weekly video updates, which boost team engagement. Ting discusses his strategic shift in targeting mid-market companies and fostering a culture of innovation. He highlights the critical qualities he looks for in hires, such as self-awareness and hunger, while navigating the delicate balance between personal life and business growth.

David Rabie, Co-founder and CEO of Tovala, is reshaping the meal prep scene with a smart oven and meal delivery service. He shares insights on navigating tough fundraising moments during the pandemic, emphasizing resilience and adaptability. Rabie discusses his unique hiring philosophy, focusing on potential over experience, and the importance of storytelling in onboarding. He reflects on how Tovala's integrated model ensures high-quality meals and the pivotal role weekly communications play in fostering team cohesion.