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Growth Hacking Culture

Growth Hacking Culture

By: Ivan Palomino
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 The Growth Hacking Culture Podcast is a series of insightful interviews with prominent experts on mindsets, skills and mental resources to grow individually, lead motivated teams and create human-centric work cultures. These episodes are about thought provoking ideas to scale up and growth hack human-centric and performing work cultures. Hosted by Ivan Palomino.Copyright 2024 All rights reserved Ivan Palomino. Economics Hygiene & Healthy Living Management Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
Episodes
  • The "Nice" Boss Trap: Why Kindness Without Courage Backfires (with Andrea Wanerstrand)

    The "Nice" Boss Trap: Why Kindness Without Courage Backfires (with Andrea Wanerstrand)
    Sep 11 2025

    Welcome to The Growth Hacking Culture Podcast. In this episode, we challenge the conventional wisdom that being a "nice" boss is always a good thing. We dive deep into a hidden source of workplace chaos: the overly nice leader.

    Join us as we talk with leadership expert Andrea Wanerstrand about the critical distinction between being merely "nice" and being genuinely kind. We explore how an overemphasis on niceness can create an environment of confusion, low performance, and burnout for your team.

    Discover the neurological effects this has on employees and, most importantly, learn how to break free from the kindness trap. Andrea, with her experience at top companies like Microsoft and Meta, shares actionable strategies for becoming a truly effective and compassionate leader.

    This episode is packed with insights on:

    • The difference between niceness (being liked) and kindness (showing true care).

    • The surprising consequences for both the leader and the team.

    • Why being too nice can lead to burnout.

    • A simple, powerful framework to change your mindset and behavior.

    Whether you're a manager, a team member, or an aspiring leader, this episode will help you understand the power of courageous kindness in building a high-performing and authentic work culture.

    How to contact Andrea:

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreawanerstrand/

    Website: https://a3culturelab.com/

    About Andrea Wanerstrand:

    Andrea Wanerstrand is a leadership strategist, executive coach, and cultural transformation expert with 25+ years inside some of the world’s most complex organizations—including Microsoft, Meta, T-Mobile, and Hitachi. As the Founder & CEO of A3 Culture Lab, and the creator of the Mindset Maven Method, Andrea helps leaders make bold shifts—from control to connection, performance to presence, and burnout to bold cultural influence.

    This episode is sponsored by Binôme+

    Structuring succession. Securing transmission of Swiss SMEs

    Keywords: leadership, work culture, kindness, management, employee engagement, burnout, business strategy, professional development, corporate culture, effective leadership, career growth, authentic leadership, mindset, coaching.
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    47 mins
  • Evan J Schwartz on The Human-Centric AI Revolution: A Guide to Successful Digital Transformation

    Evan J Schwartz on The Human-Centric AI Revolution: A Guide to Successful Digital Transformation
    Sep 3 2025
    Are we approaching the age of AI all wrong? While headlines champion the latest algorithms and ever-expanding large language models, a critical component is being overlooked: the human element. The real challenge of digitalization isn't found in the code, but in the culture, strategy, and people tasked with implementing it. Research indicates that while over 90% of companies are increasing their AI investments, the most significant hurdles they face are about bridging the gap between leadership expectations and on-the-ground readiness. This disconnect, coupled with an over-reliance on AI, risks a decline in the very critical thinking skills that drive innovation. In this in-depth episode of the Growth Hacking Culture Podcast, we sit down with Evan J Schwartz, a veteran of enterprise technology and the acclaimed author of "People, Places, and Things," a foundational framework for pain-free technology implementation. Evan brings his decades of experience—witnessing the painful, multi-million dollar ERP rollouts of the 2000s—to the current AI gold rush, offering a sobering and invaluable perspective. He argues that despite twenty years of technological advancement, many organizations are repeating the same fundamental mistakes, just with a new set of tools. Evan deconstructs the common but flawed "peanut butter spread" approach to AI, where companies simply "rub some AI on it" and hope for the best. He reveals why this often fails, starting with the critical importance of a well-defined use case. Without one, you've already lost. He illustrates this with the "99-to-1" fallacy: a scenario where a company might build a brilliant AI to catch the 1% of customers abusing a free service, only to spend more on the AI's operational costs than they would lose by simply letting the 99% of honest customers continue as before. It's a powerful lesson in ensuring the solution doesn't cost more than the problem. Delving deeper, Evan explains the inherent risks of today's AI models. He unpacks the stochastic, or random, nature of LLMs, which leads to the phenomenon of "hallucinations." An answer might be right 99 times, but that one incorrect response could be catastrophic. This is why relying on an AI's encoded knowledge without guardrails is a dangerous game. He critiques the trend of brute-force prompting—crafting 25-page documents that look more like complex code—which defeats the very purpose of intuitive, natural language interaction with technology. So, what is the path forward? Evan introduces the powerful "Person + AI" strategy. This framework positions AI not as a replacement for human workers, but as a force multiplier that alleviates the burden of monotonous, repetitive tasks. He draws a compelling parallel to the industrial age, where the tractor didn't just eliminate the need for 198 men to plow a field; it enabled two men to farm thousands of acres, playing an infinite game of growth and possibility. In the information age, AI can do the same for our minds, taking on the "repeatable excellence" that our modern education and corporate systems demand. This shift, Evan argues, allows us to reclaim and cultivate the skills that make us uniquely human: creativity, strategic intuition, fearlessness in the face of failure, and the ability to learn and adapt. He shares a personal and passionate story about his son, observing how the educational drive for "honor status" and straight A's can inadvertently stifle risk-taking and innovation. Imagine, he posits, a future generation that learns to command AI from a young age, retaining their innate creativity and curiosity throughout their lives. This evolution will redefine roles across every industry. Using the profound analogy of an artist, Evan explains that while AI might be a revolutionary new "camera," it still requires a human photographer's vision to describe the lighting, the mood, and the emotion to create a masterpiece. The tool changes, but the intent and expertise remain human-driven. Similarly, he addresses the future of programmers and architects, explaining that while they may not be hand-jamming lines of code, the core principles of good application design, architecture, and logic are more crucial than ever. This conversation is an essential guide for any leader, manager, or professional navigating the complexities of modern business. It moves beyond the technical jargon to address the core of successful transformation: understanding the journey, preparing your people, and building a framework where technology serves and amplifies human ingenuity, rather than attempting to replace it. Connect with Evan https://www.evanjschwartz.com/ or https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-schwartz-live/ Check his book on Amazon: People, Places, and Things: A Framework for a Pain-Free ERP Implementation
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    51 mins
  • The Toxic Workplace Survival Guide: Catherine Mattice on When to Cope and When to Quit

    The Toxic Workplace Survival Guide: Catherine Mattice on When to Cope and When to Quit
    Sep 1 2025

    Do you ever feel a knot in your stomach on your way to the office? Do you dread upcoming meetings or interactions with certain colleagues? If so, you're not alone. An astonishing 75% of employees report having experienced a toxic workplace, and the consequences are staggering, affecting not just productivity and turnover, but the very mental and physical health of the workforce. While the term "toxic" is often used casually, understanding its true meaning is the first step toward reclaiming your professional life.

    In this episode, we sit down with Catherine Mattice, a leading voice on organizational culture, founder of Civility Partners, and author of "Navigating a Toxic Workplace for Dummies." With nearly two decades of research and hands-on experience in turning around negative work environments, Catherine provides a masterclass in identifying, managing, and ultimately escaping toxicity. This discussion moves beyond simple complaints about a difficult boss and delves into the insidious, systemic issues that define a truly unhealthy culture.

    We explore the subtle spectrum of negative behavior, starting from seemingly harmless incivility and rudeness, and how, when left unchecked, it inevitably evolves into more serious issues like workplace bullying and harassment. You will learn why your gut feeling—that sense of dread or anxiety—is a powerful physical indicator that your perception of the environment is real and should not be ignored.

    A significant portion of our conversation focuses on the pivotal role of management. Discover the single biggest mistake leaders make: closing their eyes to the small, inappropriate behaviors. We discuss why telling adults to simply "figure it out" is a failed strategy and how the most effective leaders actively manage interpersonal dynamics, not just operational tasks. Furthermore, we challenge the conventional wisdom around company surveys, revealing why popular engagement surveys can be dangerously misleading by failing to measure the true health of a culture.

    For anyone feeling trapped in a negative situation, this episode offers a practical survival guide. Catherine shares powerful strategies for building resilience and coping when quitting isn't an immediate option. Learn how to assess whether your organization genuinely cares about its culture and how to create a logical, long-term exit plan. This process is crucial, as it restores a sense of control in a situation that feels uncontrollable, transforming you from a passive victim to the active architect of your career path. We redefine what it means to "win," arguing that leaving a toxic environment is not a failure, but a definitive victory for your well-being.

    Finally, we debunk two of the biggest myths surrounding workplace culture. First, we challenge the idea that culture is dictated exclusively from the top down, empowering you to see how you and your peers can influence your immediate environment. Second, we tackle the controversial and complex question every employee has asked: Can you really trust HR? Catherine provides a nuanced, experience-based answer that is essential for anyone considering filing a formal complaint.

    Tune in for an honest, empowering conversation that provides the tools and perspective needed to navigate the complexities of the modern workplace and build a healthier professional future.

    Connect with my guest, Catherine Mattice:

    Culture Forward Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/6773670768447369216/

    LinkedIn: Catherine Mattice https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherinemattice/

    Book: "Navigating a Toxic Workplace for Dummies" https://a.co/d/7xW9GTg
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    47 mins
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