“What could go wrong? What am I missing?” As Snyk's CEO, these are some of the questions that I consistently pose to myself and my team. Opening up these lines of discussion is crucial for all leaders, especially those at the helm of hypergrowth companies, to anticipate plateaus before they happen. The very best time to evolve is when you’re already firing on all cylinders. That’s how the most effective leaders stay ahead. And, in my experience, relying on metrics alone may not reveal the earliest warning signs that stagnation lurks ahead. Many times, plateaus start to emerge because, at some point, hypergrowth outstretches your current talent. The solution isn’t necessarily replacing people, but thinking ahead to strategically add the specialized talent that can help to address any gaps in your current team. As CEO, you’re only as good as your team and the ultimate goal is to build a force where everyone’s unique strengths (and weaknesses) successfully complement each other. I recently spoke with Blake Bartlett over at OpenView about these multifaceted topics. You listen to our full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/etSfP8Mf #leadership #startups #snyk
Favorite quote from the podcast: "As a company, we have to do whatever we can to develop talent in house" Great quote, and aligns perfectly with our newest core value, "learn always."
I had a call with Jesleen Jose this week and she was asking those same questions (“What could go wrong? What am I missing? If nothing is going wrong, I must be doing something wrong by not taking enough risk!”) And Omri Negri is always talking about the different strengths and areas for growth within our team. Two great leaders within the org exhibiting similar priorities and approaches. ✨
John Vigeant
2y
When things are going well, paranoia and questioning should increase!
Peter McKay, listening to your discussion with Blake Bartlett on your OpenView interview was interesting and insightful. I've observed your actions of the years in different roles and see how important it is for you to have the right people on the team, but also to help those who need to adapt to the change trust you to make decision that are in their best interest. A leader who can develop this skill that you are sharing will find themselves benefiting from your conversation and applying the lessons you have learned.
This was a great podcast to listen to Peter McKay and I felt more humbled and proud of our founder Guy Podjarny to have this insights to look ahead and make these tough choices (or rip the bandaid off) time and time again, now look at Snyk in acceleration/hypergrowth mode with you as CEO. Thank you Sejal Korenromp for the recommendation.
Fully agree, Peter. Being an innovator has its perks... I am curious, though, how you juggle the balance between adding talent vs tech to fill gaps? If you're only as good as your team, how do you decide when your team needs tech to level up?
Another podcast episode that resonated with me, Peter McKay! Particularly when you mentioned having that healthy sense of "paranoia" to anticipate the challenges 6-12 months ahead, to ensure that we don't become too complacent. I'm also a huge believer in building teams where people's strengths and weaknesses complement each other. It's what makes diverse teams incredibly valuable. Thank you for your leadership.
Some really interesting points in this podcast, Peter. Have you ever had occasion to change direction because you felt the original approach wasn't working?