How to make better decisions and build a joyful career | Ada Chen Rekhi (Notejoy, LinkedIn, SurveyMonkey)
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Ada Chen Rekhi is an executive coach and co-founder of Notejoy. She helps founders scale themselves alongside their teams. She has over a decade of experience leading teams through periods of rapid transition, from the chaos of founding early-stage startups to leadership roles in growing SurveyMonkey and LinkedIn. In today’s podcast, we discuss:
- How utilizing a “curiosity loop” can aid you in decision-making
- A values exercise that can help determine if your life choices align with your personal values
- Ada’s “explore and exploit” framework for making the most of your job opportunities
- The advantages of seeking an executive coach and useful tips on finding one
- Tips for women navigating working in Silicon Valley
- Why it’s so important to provide constructive feedback
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-make-better-decisions-and
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Where to find Ada Chen Rekhi:
- Website: https://www.adachen.com/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/adachen
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adachen/
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Where to find Lenny:
- Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Ada’s background
(03:17) What a curiosity loop is and when to use one
(11:39) Using curiosity loops in your personal life
(14:13) How curiosity loops are like customer advisory councils
(16:30) A values exercise
(25:30) Ada’s “explore and exploit” framework
(31:28) When it’s time to leave your job
(35:37) Logo collecting and why you should optimize for your values instead
(39:30) What triggered Ada to reevaluate her career path
(42:10) Why most people don’t actually need a coach
(44:59) When coaching is valuable
(47:20) How to find the right coach
(51:38) Advice for women in Silicon Valley
(1:00:08) Eating your vegetables—why you need to power through things you find challenging
(1:05:07) Why you should write to crystallize knowledge, rather than for likes
(1:06:54) How to successfully build a company with your spouse
(1:11:07) Lightning round
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Referenced:
- SurveyMonkey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/
- Values exercise: https://www.adachen.com/build-your-inner-scorecard-a-10-minute-exercise-for-better-decisions/
- Clay: https://www.clay.com/
- The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick): https://www.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches-Stick/dp/1591841666/
- Research on the coaching industry: https://www.adachen.com/an-in-depth-guide-to-executive-coaching-everything-you-need-to-know-part-1/
- The inner scorecard: https://fs.blog/the-inner-scorecard/
- How to find a coach: https://www.adachen.com/a-practical-guide-how-to-find-an-executive-coach-part-3/
- Radical Candor: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Revised-Kim-Scott/dp/1250258405/
- Kim Malone Scott: https://kimmalonescott.com/
- Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion: https://a.co/d/6JycbJo
- Designing Your Life: https://a.co/d/cS2IqG0
- Ted Lasso on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ted-lasso/
- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds/
- Notejoy: https://notejoy.com/
- Captio: https://captio.co/
- Note to Self: https://notetoselfapp.com/
- Arc: https://arc.net/
- Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Time-Focus-Matters-Every/dp/0525572422
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