Curiosity, Leadership, and a Shared Passion for the Human Side of Business

Build, sell, repeat : From venture capitalist to indie hacker

In just 6 days, Mari transformed from VC to founder by "vibe coding" her first SaaS product, PitchKit - proving that speed and intuition can trump traditional startup methodologies. Key insights from her remarkable journey: 🔹 Embrace the "fast fashion" of software: Build quickly, ship rapidly, monetize, then move on  🔹 Coding isn't about perfection - it's about momentum and learning  🔹 Domain expertise matters, but curiosity matters more  🔹 Build in public, stay authentic, and don't fear negative feedback Her approach challenges traditional startup wisdom: No elaborate plans, just pure execution and rapid iteration. The tech world is changing, and creators like Mari are leading the charge.  If you are a founder, try Pitchkit, it's the only tool built like a VC thinks. https://pitchkit.net/ [https://pitchkit.net/] Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariluukkainen/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariluukkainen/] Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/]

Curiosity, Leadership, and a Shared Passion for the Human Side of Business

Today, I’m joined by Sara McCabe and Catarina Haber, co-founders of Business Casual, a consultancy that help leaders & teams work better together by improving their systems and behaviours We chatted about building a strong co-founder relationship, core values that guide their work, and the transition from employment to entrepreneurship.  Connect with the guests: * Sara’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-mccabe-11381387/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-mccabe-11381387/]  * Cat’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catarinahaber/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/catarinahaber/]  * Website: https://www.businesscasual.ca/ [https://www.businesscasual.ca/] * Substack Newsletter Circle Back (https://thecircleback.substack.com/ [https://thecircleback.substack.com/])  * Business Casual Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dobusinesscasual [https://www.instagram.com/dobusinesscasual]) Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/]

Fearless Growth: Antonia Landi on Self-Belief and Taking Risks

Today, I’m excited to welcome Antonia, a product operations coach and consultant who’s all about leaning into the discomfort of growth. She believes that “either you win or you learn” and has never let self-doubt stop her from sharing her experiences. Antonia approaches her work with both passion and humility, sharing insights that resonate deeply with her clients and the product community. She’s here to talk about her journey, the power of self-reflection, and how she navigates the balance between relentless dedication and maintaining objectivity. Relevant info: * Antonia’s Website: www.antonialandi.com/ [https://www.antonialandi.com/]  * Antonia’s Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/landiantonia/ [http://www.linkedin.com/in/landiantonia/] * Antonia on Henry’s show: How to become a solopreneur through personal branding [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HfKgqhaiYc] * Product Operations Manifesto: www.productopsmanifesto.org/ [http://www.productopsmanifesto.org/]  * Speeches at conferences: - La Product Conf Madrid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dr1KqtTruI [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dr1KqtTruI]  * Leading the Product Sydney (behind paywall) https://www.leadingtheproduct.com/seasonpass/ [https://www.leadingtheproduct.com/seasonpass/]  * Article recommendation: The Arc of the Practical Creator [https://moretothat.com/the-arc-of-the-practical-creator/#:~:text=A%20Practical%20Creator%20doesn't%20view%20a%20boring%20job%20as,about%20you%20and%20your%20employer.] Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/]

Embracing the Messiness: Anamaria’s Journey to Building a Portfolio Career

Anamaria has a passion for people, learning, and community building. Her journey started with a background in psychology and human resources, which later led her to pivot into learning and development in the fast-paced world of startups. Today, she’s a full-time consultant, community builder, and the co-founder of the L&D Shakers community, which has over 5000 members. Anamaria’s path reflects her love for collective experiences and her drive to create spaces where people can learn and grow together. With experience building a product community at Butter and launching her own consulting business, she’s now running experiments, writing a newsletter, co-hosting a podcast, and embracing the freedom that comes with her portfolio career. It was really inspiring to hear about her passion for learning experience design, her take on balancing passion projects with full-time work, and how she’s crafting a career that’s as multi-dimensional as she is! Anamaria on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamariadorgo/ Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/]

Founding, Coaching, and a new Paradigm in Leadership

In this episode, I chat with Bianca about her journey from founder to coach, exploring the importance of emotional mastery in leadership. We dive into: * Recognizing and addressing founder burnout * The need for a new leadership paradigm * The mind-body connection in entrepreneurship * Embracing intuition and gut feelings * Creating safe spaces for emotional exploration * Moving away from fear and embracing vulnerability * The role of coaching in emotional and embodied leadership Books mentioned: * Becoming Supernatural [https://www.amazon.de/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0143127748/ref=asc_df_0143127748/?tag=googshopde-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696256087591&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16260862782602498649&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9043120&hvtargid=pla-434690707169&psc=1&mcid=a1fdb4068f4639be828e4345b39b23ff&th=1&psc=1&gad_source=1] * The Body Keeps the Score [https://www.amazon.de/Becoming-Supernatural-Common-People-Uncommon/dp/1781808317/ref=asc_df_1781808317/?tag=googshopde-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=696222582687&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=18317567229082353868&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9043120&hvtargid=pla-663879074092&psc=1&mcid=71cdcfbab8873c018748dd9b9c623f7b&th=1&psc=1&gad_source=1] More book recommendations on emotional mastery and mental wellbeing: * When the Body Says No : The Cost of Hidden Stress  [https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Gabor-Mat%C3%A9/dp/178504222X] * Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You [https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Ali-Abdaal/dp/184794373X] * Feel to Heal - Breathwork book [https://biodynamicbreath.com/feel-to-heal-breathwork-bbtrs-book/] Connect with Bianca: Bianca on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/biancagfrei/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancagfrei/] Website: biancagfrei.com [https://biancagfrei.com/]  Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/]