Maven

Building & Scaling Startup Culture

Marc Randolph

Co-founder of Netflix

Gagan Biyani

Co-founder of Maven

Dive into lessons learned from building Netflix's culture and what Marc would do differently today.

How to build a startup culture from scratch

Discuss the cultural and operational trade-offs you'll make as your startup grows.

How culture evolves as you scale

Learn what to do when your early high-performers don't quite scale with your company.

How to manage great people who no longer fit

Before you can move up to the next level, you need to be a high impact, low maintenance individual contributor. If you have 5-7 years of work experience, unlocking the 5 key skills will make you an irreplaceable asset to your organization. And if you're in the top 10% of each of these 5 skills, you'll position yourself in the top 1% of all talent. And the top 1% are the ones who get the top rating, make more money, and get promoted. If you are able to take what you learn from this course and get a promotion (let's say, a $8,500 raise), the course's $850 cost represents a 10x ROI. My goal is to help you reach your career goals, faster.- Sometimes, that's in moving to the next level- Sometimes, that's in improving your relationship with your Manager so you can unlock new opportunities- Sometimes, that's in increasing visibility of your work so your Skip, your Manager's peers, and others know about the value you're providing Doing all of this will result in you being better at your job. And when you get better at your job, you get harder problems to solve with high-caliber people. And those harder problems and working with high-caliber people not only tend to get you promoted, but tend to build your brand so future opportunities come your way. ___ You're a high achiever who's used to success. You want to keep doing better and keep getting ahead. But since starting your corporate job, things have been off. Your hard work isn't paying off, and you're not getting the opportunities you deserve. It's frustrating and you're starting to doubt yourself, wondering "where did I go wrong, where did I go off track?" Boy, have I heard that before. You don't know what you don't know, and if this is your first job or you have ~5-7 years of work experience, you're facing topics that school never prepared you for. Such as: → Being "manageable"→ Staying top of mind for your busy Manager→ How to take negative feedback (constantly)→ Picking the right projects with outsized impact→ How to ask for a promotion→ Not knowing where to start HAVE YOU EVER... → Felt stuck because you're working hard but you're not getting the accolades you deserve? → Seen co-workers (less talented than you) get selected for projects that match your skill set? → Prepared hours for a presentation to senior leadership, only for them to zone out? → Struggled with talking about your work in a way that doesn't trigger your imposter syndrome? → Thought you were aligned with your Manager, only turns out you were both on different pages? → Been a top performer in school, only to struggle when you entered the corporate world? → Thought something was wrong with you and wondered if you're cut out for the corporate world? NEWSFLASH: THE CORPORATE JOB IS A GAME. And this course will help you learn the rules so you can play the game to win the game. In this course, I will share everything that I have learned (as well as from others) during my 12+ years in Big Tech,. The result?- Getting promoted to the next level- Building your group of allies (Skip, Manager's peers) so that they can back you up and speak to your work- Maximizing the people who know about your impact and value by working loudly (without the cringe)- Driving value that the corporation cares about- Getting unstuck and knowing what skills are "signals" vs "noise"- Getting better, more impactful projects- Becoming a joy to be around, which unlocks value and time for your Manager and team- Increasing your leverage which ultimately builds your brand What to expect: This is an interactive course with in-depth discussion, Q&amp;A, examples, exercises, and tactics you can apply immediately. There are 6 hours of live instruction, all live on Zoom taught personally by me. We will focus on both the "why" and tactical pieces around the "how." This also includes:• Step-by-step tactics for you to implement• Scripts for tricky work scenarios (so you don't have to reinvent the wheel)• Real-life examples• Hands-on experiences• Live coaching as we walk through key examples• Cohort-style learning where you engage with others, learn from each other, and start building a strong(er) network My goal is to help you get to the next level. I'll do this by explicitly calling out what drives value in a corporate job, what Managers appreciate (and look out for), and how you can position yourself so that when that next high-impact project comes down the line... your name comes up first. What I will teach you are the skills you need to level up and succeed as an L4/L5 in FAANG. Then, you will take it and implement it with continued practice.

Higher rating, bigger salary, and a stronger relationship w/ your Manager

Provide a brief description for each module as a way to sell the value of what students will be learning throughout the course.

First Module

Second Module

Third Module

Course syllabus

It'll be 3 hours each day where I provide live instruction. You'll walk away with specific tactics (e.g. step 1, step 2), resources and templates so we can help you get unstuck and reach the next level.

Sat/Sun on Feb 22/23 

Hour long implementation Q&amp;A. Why? Because as you implement what you learned in the course, I bet you might have some questions. Because nothing is perfect.

Optional - Friday, February 28th 

Course schedule

You want to take the next step in your career Your work doesn't feel valued or recognized, and working hard is no longer a viable solution.

You want to make more money, faster. You know the corporate basics, but you're not sure what it takes to get to the next level.

You want opportunities to come to you ﻿You're tired of pitching yourself and your skills to your Manager, Skip, and co-workers.

This course is for you if:

What you’ll get out of this course

I'll dive into the specific tactics of how to show that you're already operating at the next level, how to build the relationships that are required to support your promotion, and how to drive team &amp; company-wide impact.

Discover what it takes to be "performing at the next level"

There's a supply/demand issue in Big Tech right now - there's a lot of people ready for promotions, but not enough positions available. While you can't control the # of slots, you can control how many people know about your work and the value you provide to the team and company.

Learn how to reach the next level in your career by working loudly (without the cringe) so you stay top of mind for the people who matter

Build a winning promotion pitch that highlights the value you're bringing and the "only" factor that makes you indispensable. Plus, tips and tricks for how to seed this with your Manager, Skip and your Manager's peers.

Walk through a step-by-step plan for how to pitch a promotion to your Manager

Differentiate yourself from your peers and get an edge in the corporate job. We'll dive deep into what is most valued in individual contributors, and how to position yourself as that person. This builds your reputation, signals you're a thought leader, and attracts others.

Stand out as a top performer who the team can't live without by learning how to be an "only" 

No starting from scratch - I'll give you proven templates and resources that you can adapt to hit the ground running.

You'll leave this course with the specific tactics, knowledge, and confidence to get to the next level

Learn the performance standards you'll be judged by, and leverage the power of your most impactful employee asset: The value you provide. 

Sally Ivester

Dec 2024 Cohort 

Cohort 3

In 4 weeks you will learn from years of experience condensed into actionable content, 1:1 advisor sessions and resources we have built (such as our AI-powered growth experimentation tool).

Create a go-to-market strategy, build your AI tech stack, then run experiments 

A weekly live session every Tuesday.

Tuesdays

Ongoing

Schedule items can also be used to convey commitments outside of specific time slots (like weekly projects or daily office hours).

Weekly projects

Startup founders - looking to take their new product to market.

Growth leads - looking to upskill their team in growth marketing and set a structured process.

Growth marketers - looking to learn a new process and use our AI-powered experiment tool.

Who is this course for

By the end of the programme...

Through our weekly content sessions

Define a clear growth marketing strategy

Through our advisory and coaching sessions

Establish a cohesive growth mindset across your team

Through weekly growth sprints within our AI tool

Operate a tried and tested growth experimentation process

Turn your chaotic marketing activities into a structured growth marketing process. Build a growth strategy then execute growth experiments. 

Kick off the new year with a bang and set your team up for success by joining our 4th Growth Cohort.

January 2025

Tom Dewhurst

Founding Partner

Tristan Gillen

Alex Outlaw

November 

March 2025

An advanced-level course for senior and rising design leaders ready to address the most common challenges Design Leaders face. Learn how to build your durable design operating system to withstand scale, restructuring, evolution, and growth. Establish mechanisms and high-leverage activities that maintain quality and effectiveness for your teams and for the business. Course Topics + Content Build and activate high-impact teamsApply effective organizational design, strategic planning, and performance measurement Define and optimize your operating systemEstablish rhythms and rituals, shape a positive design culture, streamline processes and workflows, and build a robust reporting and communication strategy Identify the most effective design team structuresLearn how to choose the right team structures for your organization Activate your team’s strengths through organizational designAnticipate common challenges within and across teams and learn strategies for effectively addressing them Create your organization’s ideal design teamTogether, we’ll design and build your design team and organization 7 Live, Interactive Sessions, with timezone-friendly options for most APAC/EMEA/AMER locales - One Welcome Kickoff Session- Three Live, Interactive Learning Sessions including Q&amp;A sessions with guest experts- Two Office Hours / Q+A sessions with Kristin for personalized guidance- One Reflection/Wrap-up Session

Design Your Organization's Operating System 

If your events are recurring and at the same time, it might be easiest to use a single line item to communicate your course schedule to students

Tuesdays & Thursdays

Feel free to type out dates as your title as a way to communicate information about specific live sessions or other events.

May 7, 2022

Directors+ of Design and Operations leading teams across a portfolio of products and services.

Senior Leaders and Practitioners who are establishing, evolving, and leading a Design Organization or Operations practice.

Operations leaders who want to sharpen skills, learn new approaches and methods, and accelerate their organizations.

You'll learn how to establish mechanisms, routines, and high-leverage activities that maintain and enhance culture, quality, and community as you grow.

Best practices to build infrastructure that scales

<ul><li>Design and structure a high-performing design organization.</li><li>Effectively prioritize and plan work to maximize impact.</li><li>Utilize visual staffing tools to manage resources efficiently.</li><li>Implement accountability measures to maintain high-quality standards.</li></ul>

Build and activate high-impact teams

<ul><li>Establish effective rhythms and rituals that enhance team productivity and alignment.</li><li>Shape a positive design culture that fosters innovation and collaboration.</li><li>Optimize processes and workflows for greater efficiency.</li><li>Develop and implement robust reporting and communications</li></ul>

Define and optimize your operating system

<ul><li>Learn approaches and tactics that address common organizational and team challenges</li><li>Mitigate these challenges via a fixed vs. flexible framework</li><li>Gain new strategies to keep your team focused and thriving</li></ul>

Identify and anticipate the most common team and organizational challenges 

Guest Experience: Experienced leaders will join to share their stories and give examples of how they navigated similar challenges Instructor Experience: You'll learn directly from Kristin's first-hand experience establishing and leading multiple large-scale global design orgs

Access to first-hand experience and guidance customized to your unique situation

Included are multiple, moderated Q&amp;A sessions with Kristin and other industry leaders so that you can get expert advice on your unique challenges and aspirations.

Q&A Sessions with industry experts

Learn best practices to build a durable design organization operating system.

Cohort 03

Kristin Skinner


Cohort 1 – October 2024

Cohort 04

👉 What is good for USER is good for BUSINESS. Growth leaders and teams are expected to bring impactful results at high speed. However, in that high-paced environment, it's easy to get into a trap of constant local optimization. The biggest changes that drove product Growth for companies like Miro, Notion, Figma didn't happen due to local changes. These products combined both components: high-quality user experience and ethical PLG strategies. 📌 Growth teams face many challenges in achieving that, like: — How do we create a diverse roadmap of experiments to fit into resources constraints?— How do we uncover new growth opportunities to impact Activation, Habit-forming, and Upgrades?— What behavioral principles can help create the most user-friendly and ethical solutions?— Finally, how do we receive a buy-in to implement meaningful product changes and drive PLG? I've been facing these challenges myself and collecting knowledge for years to address them. 📌 What prepared me to share this knowledge with you: 1.&nbsp;For 6+ years at Miro, I covered all parts of the Growth funnel holistically&nbsp;(Activation, Engagement, Monetisation, Community-led Growth).2. As a part of Growth Leadership at Miro, scaled from 1 Growth team (5 people) to a stream of 15 teams (170+ people).3. As a founder of Growthmates, collected knowledge directly from 20+ leaders from Notion, Canva, Dropbox, and4. As a Growth advisor, helped 10+ B2B and B2C companies in SaaS, Collaboration, Education, AI, and other sectors. 📌 What to expect on this course: ✦ Create your "Growth Roadmap" with Qucick wins, Meaningful shifts, Buig bets✦ Take an end-to-end look at 3 key Growth flows: Activation, Habit-forming, Upgrades through a user-centric approach✦ Apply Behavioural psychology principles and frameworks for ethical Product Growth 🎯 As a result — You will create a diverse roadmap of Quick Wins, Meaningful shifts, and Big bets to articulate the value of Product-led Growth and get buy-in. 📕 Resources that you'll get as a part of the course:— 30+ product flows for Onboarding, Adoption, and Upgrade experience from Notion, Canva, Dropbox, and more— User Research Pack for Growth initiatives (Survey templates, Interview guides)— Q&amp;A time with Kate Syuma on live sessions to address your questions ——— ❗️ This course is NOT about abstract growth strategies. It's about real product examples, behavioral science knowledge, and PRACTICE that you can combine with your real work project. — Products that use only Sales-led model (course is about Product-led Growth)&nbsp;— Too early-stage products in the development phase (course is about your flows to analyse and improve).&nbsp;&nbsp;— If you want t learn deep Data analytics&nbsp;(course is more about Qualitative user-centric approach)

Create your Product-led growth roadmap — from quick wins to big bets.

📅 Join on Tuesdays for Live sessions

Bring your real growth challenge with Activation, Habit-forming, or Upgrades, and work on it by applying the frameworks shared in the course.

✏️ Work on your work-related projects during the week

Get feedback directly from me on Q&amp;A parts of live sessions, as well as from a small group of peers who are solving similar challenges — let's learn from each other!

🙌  Get feedback on your work

PMs and Product Designers in Growth and Product t﻿eams who want to create high-quality solutions for growth holistically

"Growth team of one" — Founders and Product Leaders who drive several parts of growth simultaneously (Activation, Habit-forming, Upgrades)

Growth Marketers, User Researchers, and other Product members who want to deepen their knowledge of PLG practices and Behavioural psychology

You will create a draft of the roadmap and will apply the "3 types of initiatives" framework to articulate the value of Product-led Growth and get stakeholders' buy-in. Ultimately, we will practice getting team alignment and building a growth team culture.

Create a diverse growth roadmap to get buy-in

You will get feedback from peers on your work, and from me directly on Q&amp;A sessions.

Get direct feedback on Growth flows improvements

User-centricity requires understanding how people behave and make decisions. You'll get access to 30 main behavioral principles and dark patterns.

Practice key Behavioral psychology principles

You'll practice with my 5-step Growth Framework to take a helicopter view at your end-to-end product growth flows like Activation, Habit-forming, and paths to Upgrade.

Take an end-to-end look at your key Growth flows: Activation, Habit forming, Upgrade

For your Project work, you will apply this knowledge on 3-5 critical steps of the flows by combining Growth frameworks and Behavioural science.

Uncover new changes to impact Activation, Habit-forming, Upgrades

To inform your roadmap, you'll get 30+ flows of Onboarding, Habit forming, Upgrade examples from best B2B and B2C SaaS.

🎁 Access to 30+ Growth flows base with best practices

Combine behavioral science and Growth strategies to create a diverse roadmap that will drive impact and delight.

Lightning Lessons

Building & Scaling Startup Culture