In this episode, Christian Idiodi sits down with SVPG founder Marty Cagan to discuss founder-style leadership. Building on themes from Paul Graham’s essay “Founder Mode,” Christian and Marty break down what effective product leadership looks like. Anyone can learn these skills through enough effort and care, whether they are a founder or not.
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Today’s discussion unpacks:
Misconceptions about founder-style leadership
Why you can’t be a good manager without being a good coach
The line between founder-style leadership and micromanagement
How to scale product sense
Lessons from Apple, Google and Amazon’s leadership principles
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References:
Amazon’s Leadership Principles: https://www.amazon.jobs/content/en/our-workplace/leadership-principles
Apple’s Leadership Principles: https://www.apple.com/jobs/pdf/HBR_How_Apple_Is_Organized_For_Innovation-4.pdf
Bill Campbell (Executive Coach): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Campbell_(business_executive)
Coaching Founder Mode by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/coaching-founder-mode/
Founder Mode by Paul Graham https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html
Founder-Style Leadership by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/founder-style-leadership/
Google’s Leadership Principles: https://www.geeknack.com/2020/07/31/google-leadership-principles-at-a-glance/
Mike Fisher (CEO of MyFitnessPal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-fisher-3317a8/
Pilot Teams by Chris Jones: https://www.svpg.com/pilot-teams/
Product Sense Demystified by Marty Cagan: https://www.svpg.com/product-sense-demystified/
Steve Jobs on Professional Managers (1985): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVKcxK_tVBM&ab_channel=ConsultingComedy
The Coaching Mindset by Chris Jones: https://www.svpg.com/the-coaching-mindset/
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Where to find SVPG:
SVPG’s newest book, TRANSFORMED: https://www.svpg.com/books/transformed-moving-to-the-product-operating-model/
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