Leadership, teams & culture
Building the business
1,707 episodes across 48 shows cover leadership, teams & culture. The shows that cover it most are How I Built This, Manufacturing Happy Hour and Being an Engineer. The most recent, from 13 Oct 2026, is “Let the Experts Be the Experts: Leading Without Every Answer w/ Amy Mercante” from The Manufacturing Executive.
Leading and managing people, company culture, team structure and communication, delegation.
1707 episodes from 48 shows, most relevant and most recent first.
1707 episodes
Let the Experts Be the Experts: Leading Without Every Answer w/ Amy Mercante
Amy Mercante, General Manager of Specialty Products at PPG, discusses her transition from research chemist to business leader and her philosophy of 'letting the experts be the experts.' She explains how she flips the leadership pyramid by…
How Safety Drives Your Bottom Line and Why It Starts With You w/ Brian Fielkow
Brian Fielkow, former CEO of JetCo Delivery and author of 'Making Safety Happen', argues that safety must be a core value rather than a priority or compliance function. He explains that safety failures cost five times more than insurance…
Antonio Valadez & Nate Post | Building Better Engineers Through Better Leadership
Nate Post, Director of New Product Introduction at Edwards Lifesciences and founder of Blue Collar Blades, and Antonio (Tony) Valadez, founder of Nexcellence Engineering Solutions, discuss their mentor-mentee relationship and leadership…
#247 - How to Build a Board with Seth Goldman, JUST ICE Tea
Seth Goldman, co-founder of Honest Tea and CEO of Just Ice Tea, along with his roles as chair of Beyond Meat and Plant Burger, explains the strategic formation and governance of corporate boards for CPG founders. He details how to vet…
293: Manufacturing Leadership That Works with Author and Geislinger CEO Jason Woodard
Jason Woodard, CEO of Geislinger Corporation and author of 'Manufacturing Leadership That Works', discusses his 35-year career in manufacturing leadership. He explains that effective leadership requires leading oneself first through…
7 Steps for Manufacturing Leaders to Take Off the Sales Hat w/ Mike Huey
Mike Huey, owner of Scalable Sales Solutions, outlines a seven-step framework to help manufacturing leaders transition from founder-led sales to a scalable system. He argues that owners often cling to the 'sales hat' because they lack the…
529: The Narwhal Looked Amazing
Chris Svec, Director of Embedded Software Engineering at Insulet, discusses strategies for onboarding and developing new college graduates in engineering teams. He emphasizes that admitting ignorance publicly is a superpower and warns…
S7E14 Brad & Aaron | How To Accelerate The Speed of Engineering (Episode 3 of 3)
Host Aaron Moncur and guest Brad Hirayama discuss organizational and cultural levers to accelerate engineering speed, focusing on vertical integration, psychological safety, and ROI management. They highlight the importance of in-person…
#442: MedTech Leadership: Vulnerability & The CEC Framework with Dr. Jenny Hoffmann
Dr. Jenny Hoffmann, CEO of Sure Footing Consulting and Executive Director at New England Medical Innovation Center (NEMICK), discusses her book 'Open Up' and the CEC framework (Curiosity, Empathy, Connection) for MedTech leadership. She…
#219 - Managing People at Work with Seth Goldman of JUST Ice Tea
Seth Goldman, co-founder of JUST Ice Tea and former co-founder of Honest Tea, discusses his leadership philosophy of balancing effectiveness with empathy, emphasizing transparency, empowerment, and accountability. He details how JUST Ice…
267: How Meaningful Work, Optimism, and Relationships Drive Manufacturing Excellence, An Interview with Kathy Miller, Author of MORE is Better
Kathy Miller, author of 'MORE is Better' and former manufacturing executive, discusses her framework for building excellence in industrial settings through meaning, optimism, and relationships. She explains how lean manufacturing…
S6E50 Brad & Aaron | The Case for Better Professional Communication
Host Aaron Moncur and his partner Brad Hirayama discuss the normalization of professional ghosting in engineering hiring and vendor relationships, citing Brad's recent job search experiences and Aaron's frustrations with unresponsive…
Objectives, Hypotheses, Learnings: Smarter Problem Solving for Complex Manufacturing w/ Radhika Dutt
Radhika Dutt, author of 'Radical Product Thinking' and advisor to the Monetary Authority of Singapore, argues that traditional goal-setting frameworks like OKRs and KPIs often backfire in complex manufacturing environments by encouraging…
#421: Mastering MedTech Influence: The Power of Communication in Quality
Lesley Worthington, an executive coach with a background in psychology, law, and quality/regulatory affairs, discusses how quality professionals can build influence and a culture of quality through better communication. She argues that…
#409: How Iterative Management Transforms MedTech Teams: Faster Execution, Smarter Decisions
Ed Muzio, author of Iterate, explains how iterative management helps MedTech companies scale by replacing backward-looking status reports with forward-looking variance analysis. He argues that traditional siloed execution and democratic…
The Power of a Visible Manufacturing Leader w/ Jim Mayer
Jim Mayer, founder of The Manufacturing Connector, explains his concept of the 'Industrial Brand Death Cycle,' where weak or invisible leadership creates a toxic culture that leads to fake branding, customer distrust, and business failure…
Character Limit with Kate Conger and Ryan Mac
Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, authors of the book Character Limit, discuss Elon Musk's acquisition of Twitter and his subsequent management chaos with hosts Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal. The conversation details how Musk's lack of due…
Achieving greater things with Adam Grant
Organizational psychologist and author Adam Grant joins Guy Raz to discuss his book 'Hidden Potential,' arguing that character skills developed early in life are more predictive of success than innate genius. Grant shares frameworks for…
Ep. 41 - Surviving the Bus Test
Lucy Chaparr and Stephen Hawes of Opulo discuss the 'bus test' (or bus factor) and how they survived Lucy's 10-week absence due to a family emergency. They detail the critical role of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in tools like Ohai…
S7E9 Brad & Aaron | Top 5 Takeaways After Interviewing Over 300 Engineers
Aaron Moncur and Brad Hirayama of Pipeline Design & Engineering distill five key career lessons from over 300 podcast interviews, emphasizing that understanding business context and developing soft skills are more critical for advancement…
Crossover with Mob Mentailty Part 2
Austin Chadwick and Chris Lucian, hosts of the Mob Mentality podcast, explain how mob programming applies to embedded systems by involving firmware and hardware engineers in collaborative coding sessions. They argue that mobbing reduces…
#399: How To Approach Culture Differences
Olga Chashchina, founder of a MedTech startup in Paris with a team of nine nationalities, discusses managing cultural differences in global teams. Drawing on Erin Meyer’s book 'The Culture Map', she explains how high-context (Russian) and…
Crossover with Mob Mentality part 1
Jeff Gable and Luca Johnny of the Agile Embedded Podcast join Chris Lucian and Austin Chadwick of the Mob Mentality Show to discuss bridging hardware-software gaps in embedded systems. They argue that hardware abstraction layers and…
Building Stronger Relationships With Your Manufacturing Reps w/ Chris Atwell
Chris Atwell, founder of Mindset Conquest, explains why manufacturers often mistakenly evaluate their independent rep agencies based on activity metrics like call volume rather than revenue-generating pipeline. He argues that tracking…
S7E6 Bob Hankins | Medical Device Engineering Leadership & Working With the FDA
Bob Hankins, Director of Engineered Component Development at TE Connectivity, discusses leading global engineering teams in the regulated medical device space, focusing on complex components like catheters and structural heart devices. He…
358 - Former NBA President/GM Tommy Sheppard drops some leadership NUGGETS!
Tommy Sheppard, former President and GM of the Washington Wizards, discusses his 32-year career in the NBA, his transition to executive leadership coaching, and the importance of servant leadership. He shares anecdotes from his time with…
Cultivating More Effective Manufacturing Leaders w/ Bill Remy
Bill Remy, CEO of TBM Consulting Group, argues that manufacturing leadership gaps are as critical as front-line labor shortages, driven by the outdated practice of promoting technical experts without providing leadership training. He…
#433: ICYMI (In Case You Missed It!) Climbing the Medtech Ladder - How to Get to the Top
Elena Kyria, CEO of Elemed, discusses career strategies for medtech professionals, outlining three distinct paths: leadership, expert, and generalist. She emphasizes the importance of defining personal success, leveraging strengths through…
Is Coaching the Key to Lights-Out Success? Ep #16
David Vuyk, a Technical Pre-Sales and Customer Success Engineer at CloudNC, explains that successful 'lights out' automation requires coaching shop floor teams to embrace change rather than fearing replacement. He details his journey from…
Growing a Profitable Manufacturing Business Without Outside Investors w/ Kyle Ewing
Kyle Ewing, founder and CEO of TerraSlate, explains how he bootstrapped the waterproof paper company to over $40 million in revenue without outside investors by enforcing strict prepayment policies and mastering cold calling. He details…
S6E21 Ron Higgs | Systems Thinking, People Skills, & Executive Leadership
Ron Higgs, principal of Wolf Management Solutions and former Naval Flight Officer, discusses his journey from aspiring astronaut to executive coach for engineers. He emphasizes that technical proficiency is insufficient for leadership…
180 - MIT Leadership Expert Reveals Management Secrets for Scientists!
Gwen Acton, CEO of Vivo Group and author of 'Leadership for Scientists and Engineers', discusses the transition from individual contributor to management in the life sciences industry. She explains the importance of optimizing group output…
Your Machines Have a Heartbeat: Here's What It's Telling You | Ep #48
Lauren Dunford, co-founder and CEO of Guidewheel, explains how their platform uses current transformers on power cords to monitor machine electrical heartbeats, providing non-invasive visibility into run, idle, and down states without PLC…
Managing the Challenges of Leadership Transitions w/ Jon Summers
Jon Summers, President of Noble-X Companies, discusses the complexities of leadership transitions in manufacturing, drawing from his experience leading a multi-state organization through rapid growth and acquisitions. He outlines specific…
310 - Win at home first! w/ author Cory Carlson
Corey Carlson, author of 'Win at Home First' and 'Rise and Go' and co-founder of the Rise community, joins host Adam Peek to discuss integrating family life with professional success. Carlson shares his journey from corporate sales to…
247 - Why Everyone in Pharma and MedTech Should Work in Quality
Subhi Saadeh, founder of Let’s Combinate, argues that quality roles in MedTech and Biotech provide a broader business understanding than other functions. He explains that quality professionals learn to make defensible, risk-based decisions…
Reflecting on Founder Mode
Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal of Oxide Computer Company reflect on Paul Graham's 'Founder Mode' essay, arguing that the dichotomy between founder and manager modes is a false and dangerous oversimplification. They discuss the…
Springdale Ventures' Dan Graham on Financial Forecasting and Investor Communications
Dan Graham, Co-Founder of Springdale Ventures, explains the firm's seed-to-Series-A investment thesis, focusing on fast-moving consumer goods with strong unit economics and repeat-purchase potential. He details how Springdale evaluates…
Advice Line: "Strategy Sessions"
Guy Raz hosts an Advice Line episode featuring three callers seeking strategic advice from former guests Jeffrey Hollender of Seventh Generation, Sarah LaFleur of MM LaFleur, and Shazi Visram of Happy Family. Tony DeRosa of Hearsay Brewing…
Late Stage Insights For Early Brands to Learn From: Aaron Garcia, Main Post Partners
Aaron Garcia, a partner at Main Post Partners, discusses how later-stage private equity insights can guide early-stage consumer brands toward sustainable growth and successful exits. He emphasizes the importance of profitability, strategic…
Bringing Lean Manufacturing to Life Through Visual Workspaces w/ Steve Riley
Steve Riley, COO of Bespoke Tool Traces, explains why 70% of lean initiatives fail due to a lack of sustaining steps and production pressure, advocating for visual workspaces as a solution. He details how Bespoke uses digital workflows to…
The Abundance Stack
Matt Perrott, founder of construction company W and accelerator WVC, and Scott Wilcox, founder of software company Bill Pass, discuss the convergence of AI, robotics, and physical labor. They propose a 'world model' for business where AI…
Empowering a Self-Directed Workforce w/ Matthew Rassi
Matthew Rassi, lead lean manufacturing consultant at 20 Helping Hands, explains how combining servant leadership with lean practices empowers self-directed workforces in mid-sized manufacturers. He details the '5 Shares' framework…
Ep. 43 - Collaboration in Open Source
Thea Flowers and Lucy from Opulo discuss collaboration models in open source hardware, highlighting projects like the LumenPnP, Arduino, and QMK. They emphasize the importance of documentation, clear expectations, and empowering…
Shopify: Tobias Lütke. How a snowboarder built a $150 billion business (2019)
Tobias Lütke, co-founder and CEO of Shopify, explains how his 2004 attempt to launch a snowboard store called Snowdevil led to the creation of the Shopify e-commerce platform. Lütke details the pivot from selling physical goods to building…
Founder + Funder: Anabel González, Founder of Good Bacteria and Hayden Williams, Partner of BrandProject
Anabel González, founder of Good Bacteria, and Hayden Williams, Partner at BrandProject, discuss the investment journey of Good Bacteria, a rotating probiotic system. González explains how a postpartum health journey led to a pivot from a…
Building a Service Culture w/ Fred Reggie
Business coach Fred Reggie discusses building a 'service culture' in manufacturing and other industries, drawing on his background in restaurants, home building, and fundraising for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. He emphasizes that…
Founder vs. Investor with Liz Zalman and Jerry Neumann
Oxide founders Bryan Cantrill and Steve Tuck join investor Seth Winterroth and authors Liz Zalman and Jerry Neumann to discuss the dynamics of the founder-investor relationship, drawing on insights from their book *Founder vs. Investor*…
Investor Spotlight: Elly Truesdell, New Fare Partners
Elly Truesdel, founder and Managing Partner at New Fare Partners, discusses her transition from Whole Foods to venture investing, highlighting her fund's focus on seed and Series A food and beverage companies. She details the differences…
BONUS: Factory Orchestration: The Next Frontier of Manufacturing Operations with Harmoni Co-Founder David Caputo
David Caputo, Co-Founder of Harmoni, explains how his experience acquiring four aerospace and defense manufacturers revealed critical inefficiencies, such as $18,000 in scrap from wrong work instructions and lost tribal knowledge when a…