The Founder to Leader Podcast

For the first time ever, our dilemma comes from a startup employee! A senior hire with a management consulting background is being pushed by her founder to reinvent the company's product roadmap into "something impressive". When she pushes back, her founder tells her everyone should "step up beyond their role". Problem is, she doesn't know the vision and she's starting to suspect her founders don'...

What happens when you go from running the lab to running a company?  In this episode of the Founder to Leader Podcast, we unpack a dilemma from a research-founder who built her company on a decade of research. Since closing her first round, she spends her weeks in investor meetings, board prep and hiring loops - and barely sets foot in the lab. Her CSO's updates look reasonable, but she feels...

What changes between you and your team when your company starts scaling?  In the eight episode of the Founder to Leader Podcast, we zoom in on the roles and culture dilemmas that arise when a scaling company outgrows its early setup.  We unpack three real founder dilemmas:  What happens when my early hire resists a new reporting structure?  Why do my top performers struggle whe...

What happens internally when guilt, blame and responsibility land on you as the leader? In the seventh episode of the Founder to Leader Podcast, we zoom in on leadership communication in moments of crisis. We unpack three real founder dilemmas: How should I respond when journalists start digging into my company? Should I take full responsibility for my senior leader's costly mistake in front of my...

In the sixth episode, we explore what happens when boundaries between founders and their teams aren't set or clearly communicated. We unpack three real founder dilemmas: Whether your expectations around urgency and your team's availability are too high Not knowing if or how to socialize with the people you manage Feeling like the parent of your team and not knowing how to stop Joining the conversa...

We're back*! In the fifth episode, we explore why founders resist structure, when they need it, and what happens when they postpone it . Because as companies grow, structure becomes unavoidable. It isn’t the opposite of freedom, but it often feels that way. We unpack three real dilemmas: Hating structure, but being asked to add it by your team Feeling out of control under a very idea-driven co-fou...

The fourth episode of The Founder to Leader Podcast takes on a reality many founders quietly struggle with: leading others while doubting yourself. We unpack three real dilemmas: The constant worry of being disliked by your employees Doubting whether you’re still the right CEO for your scaling company Deciding how (or if) to share personal challenges related to ADHD with your team In this episode,...

The third episode of The Founder to Leader Podcast digs into one of the toughest parts of scaling your company: hiring new talent while developing the team that got you this far . We unpack three real dilemmas: Hiring beyond your inner circle without losing the “family” feeling Realizing a loyal first hire may no longer fit the company’s needs Choosing between senior experience or junior potential...

The second episode of The Founder to Leader Podcast takes on the part of leadership no one warns you about: the emotional discomfort of learning how to use your authority . We unpack three real dilemmas: Feeling overwhelmed by external advice pulling you in every direction Navigating the disappointment of a first senior hire who isn’t delivering How to lead decisively without feeling like you’re b...

The first episode of The Founder to Leader Podcast dives into a dynamic that can make or break a startup: your co-founder relationship .  We unpack three real dilemmas:  What to do when your co-founder starts acting more like an employee  How to time the conversation when your own motivation shifts  How to navigate rivalry between founders  In this episode, you’ll hear fro...

The Founder to Leader Podcast unpacks what it takes to grow from founder to leader.  Each episode turns real dilemmas into practical insights from three perspectives: a founder who’s been through it, a leadership coach who guides others through it, and a researcher who studies it.  We zoom in on the challenges rarely discussed in the startup world, such as co-founder tensions, hiring mis...