Lessons Learned in Project Management

We grew an email list from 0 to 500K subscribers in just 10 months. If I were starting from scratch today, here's exactly how I'd do it again: 1) Nail the Lead Magnet: The fastest way to grow your email list is by offering something valuable in exchange for an email. Think of it like this: people won't give up their email for nothing. Create something they can't ignore: a discount, exclusive content, or a tool they can’t find elsewhere. For us, offering free travel guides was a game-changer. 2) Optimize for Opt-Ins Everywhere: Your website, blog, and even social media accounts should work like opt-in machines. For example: - Add pop-ups and fly outs on key pages. - Place CTAs above the fold. - Use scroll-triggered modals when visitors are engaged. We tested endlessly, and this attention to detail paid off big. 3) Tap Into Paid Growth Early: Ads get a bad rep, but when done right, they’re a growth accelerant. We launched targeted ads promoting our lead magnet and built a funnel that turned traffic into email signups. Paid campaigns helped us scale fast while testing which offers resonated with our audience. 4) Partner with the Right People: Collaborations can grow your list faster than any single effort. Whether it’s co-branded giveaways, email swaps, or shoutouts, find brands or creators that share your target audience. A well-executed partnership will unlock exponential growth. One really unique thing we did: We bought a bunch of viral social accounts and rebranded them for our business. This was huge in kickstarting massive and sustainable growth. And we fast-tracked the social proof we needed to build trust and scale quickly. 5) Focus on Quality, Not Just Quantity: A big list is meaningless without engagement. From Day 1, we focused on high-value emails to ensure subscribers opened, clicked, and stayed. Here’s a pro tip: Consistency wins. Sending emails weekly or bi-weekly keeps your list warm and engaged. 6) Build a Content Machine: Pair email growth with an organic content strategy that feeds your funnel. Blog posts, social media, and SEO aren’t just good for traffic—they create trust. The more valuable content you share, the more people will want to hear from you. 7) Leverage Cheap Marketing Channels in Ways Others Haven’t: This is going to ruffle some feathers but we absolutely dominated cold email for user acquisition. To the tune of 6 figure subscriber acquisition. No one was doing cold email for B2C the way we did it. This proved to be the most scalable yet cheapest acquisition channel we had. — To recap: - Offer something valuable for free to grow your list. - Use every channel—paid and organic—to drive opt-ins. - Build relationships with partners who already have your audience. The result? A system that scales. Your list is the one asset you fully own—start building it ASAP!

I’ll never forget something a CEO taught me early in my career. He would stop by my desk regularly. No agenda. No formalities. At first, it felt routine. But over time, I began to see the pattern. Just a simple, “How’s it going?” At the time, it seemed insignificant – a polite hello. But now, I see it for what it was: a trust-building moment. His casual approach made it easier for me to open up, share my concerns, and speak honestly. It wasn’t about the words.  It was about the intention behind them. Trust doesn’t just happen. It’s built with consistency, action, and a lot of listening. As a leader today, I do my best to do the same. If your team isn’t approaching you, here’s what may help: - Be present.  ↳ When someone comes to you, put everything else aside and truly listen. - Avoid shutting them down.  ↳ The first “no” can be the last time they trust you with their ideas. - Go to them.  ↳ Don’t wait for trust to walk through your door, go and build it where they are. Here’s something not many will tell you: If your team isn’t coming to you, it’s not on them. It’s on you. So go to them. Because trust isn’t a gift – it’s a responsibility.

CEO running a multi-year, multi-million SAP S/4HANA program? Zimmer Biomet vs Deloitte is your prelude. A $172M lawsuit autopsy. This isn’t gossip. It’s governance. What happened (public record) - Zimmer Biomet sued its SI for $172M (Sept 2025). - After years of assessments, blueprints, and promises, the SAP S/4HANA program went live in July 2024 and collapsed within months. - Outcome: supply chain chaos, finance disruption, -1% revenue, $2B market cap hit. Old leadership out. New CEO and CIO brought in to clean the mess and to bring the lawsuit. The real lessons (systemic, not personal) 1. Phase 0 ≠ Preparation Most SIs run Phase 0 as a sales stage - glossy ROI slides, toolkits, “accelerators.” REAL READINESS is Phase -3 to -1: entitlements, IAM, 5Rs, governance DNA. Skip that, and you’re not building transformation, you’re staging rollout theater. 2. Checklist ≠ Orchestration A “2-day task” becomes 2 months when entitlements, budgets, and IAM aren’t aligned pre-contract. That’s why “minimal customization” always mutates into dozens of change orders. 3. Trust ≠ Governance 25 years of vendor history feels safe. Until it isn’t. Trust without competitive tension is lock-in by another name. That's outsourcing accountability with blind trust. That’s how “strategic partnerships” turn into ransom. In this case, invoices were paid under protest just to prevent AMS and cloud support from being cut off. 4. Clean Core ≠ Clean Architecture Following textbook “stick to standard” misses critical processes in EA design. or worse, shoves them into the wrong platforms (like BTP) just to tick the clean-core box. Without Phase -3 to -1 sequencing or a 5Rs review, you don’t modernize debt, you repackage it. 5. Escalation Always Has Two Decks When a program slips, the SI always brings two decks: one to “recover the project,” one to protect themselves legally. That’s not cynicism. That’s survival mode. The CEO commandments 1. Phase -3 to -1 first. Governance, entitlements, architecture, culture, before signing an SI contract. 2. Clean architecture > clean core. Sequence the fix or you’re redecorating liabilities. 3. KPI-tether every build. If it doesn’t tie to EBIT or risk reduction, don’t build it. This isn’t about one lawsuit. It’s about a system that sets even experienced boards up to fail - selling theater and calling it transformation. ==>> If your program hasn’t seen Phase -3 to -1, it’s not too late, but it’s already behind. #SAP #S4HANA #CEO #CFO #ProgramRescue #EnterpriseArchitecture #Governance #PhaseMinus3 #5Rs

Trust isn’t built through perfection. It’s built through authenticity, vulnerability, and humility. In the best teams, people don’t need to have all the answers. They need to show up honestly, ask good questions, and stay open to learning. That kind of culture only works when leaders model it from the top. When they don’t, it creates distance. People start managing impressions instead of solving problems. Energy gets spent on appearances instead of outcomes. I once worked for a boss who really wanted to be a great leader, but never quite showed up fully. He said all the right things about collaboration, strategy, and innovation, but there was always a filter. Something about him felt slick. I remember inviting him to an offsite about our product roadmap. It was an early-stage, messy kind of conversation: technical debates, half-formed ideas, back-and-forth about what might work. Inviting him was a bit of a risk, given what I’d observed. He sat in, but you could tell he was uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to that level of transparency. He was used to polished slides and confident answers, not the raw process of figuring things out together or dealing with uncertainty. That moment stuck with me. I realized he maintained trust by appearing right and in control. He saw our openness to uncertainty as a weakness, when in reality, it was how we built great products and strong teams. That’s when it clicked: I couldn’t work for someone who equated vulnerability with incompetence. Real trust requires showing up as a human. And if you can’t do that, no amount of talk will prove you are qualified.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗘𝗥𝗣 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹? 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵, not the business transformation it truly is. Listening to my network, there seems to be a rush to complete ERP migrations, as fast as possible, with SAP S/4HANA plans driving most of it. But an ERP system is more than just an IT upgrade. It’s a chance to redesign how your business operates and build a solution architecture that supports agility and innovation. While necessary, these migrations often become redundant without proper alignment to business goals. Something, I've seen happen! Here some get rights to consider: ◉ 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 Ensure that IT and business leaders are on the same page. ERP systems serve broader business objectives, such as innovation, improving procurement strategies, and enhancing supplier relationships. ◉ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀. Instead of getting caught up in the technology itself, be clear about the business benefits you'd like to achieve. New ERP functionality can be of support to achieve goals like efficiency, cost reduction, and agility. ◉ 𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗱-𝘁𝗼-𝗲𝗻𝗱 Don't just migrate complex, outdated processes but streamline them end-to-end. Reevaluate processes for efficiency and desired outcomes. ◉ 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 - 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 ERP migrations often fail due to poor user adoption. Beyond training, invest in communication & ongoing support showing the value and relevance of the system to users. ◉ 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 ERP impacts every area of the business, so cross-team collaboration is essential. Involve stakeholders from finance, procurement, IT, and operations ensures the system meets everyone’s needs. ◉ 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 - 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 An ERP system is only as good as the data it processes. Ensure that data is clean, consistent, and reliable before migration. Dirty or incomplete data is one of the biggest challenges post-go-live. ◉ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗳𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 Choose an architecture which allows for future-proofing and integration of new features, scalability and integration. Business models evolve, and your ERP must evolve with them." ◉ 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 - 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 Don’t rush an implementation. ERP migrations are complex and require time to integrate properly. A phased approach allows for troubleshooting and mitigates a risk for failure. ❓Any other "get rights" i missed and you would add from your experience. #erp #businesstransformation #migration #sap4hana

When Integrity Prevails: Lessons from an Unexpected Twist In leadership, unexpected challenges can test resilience and integrity. Recently, I had a client whose situation highlighted both. Her team was thriving, delivering beyond expectations. Yet, out of the blue, her boss urged her to resign, citing the CEO’s supposed request. Rather than accepting this without question, she decided to seek clarity directly from the CEO, only to uncover a startling reality: the CEO had been told by her boss that she wanted to leave, not the other way around. Once the truth came out, it was her boss who was dismissed, and she was promoted. This experience underscores several powerful lessons for professionals at any level: 1. Transparency is Key: When something seems off, seek clarity with those who matter. In this case, a direct conversation with the CEO revealed the truth. Transparency can quickly dissolve misunderstandings and reveal agendas. 2. Trust but Verify: Even senior leaders can have misaligned motives. When life-altering decisions hinge on someone’s word, it's wise to confirm critical details, especially if they significantly impact your career. 3. Speak Up Early: If something doesn’t feel right, don’t ignore it. Addressing concerns openly—sooner rather than later—can prevent larger issues from unfolding. By speaking up, my client preserved her career and reputation. 4. Maintain Senior Connections: Cultivating relationships with key executives fosters alignment and offers support in challenging situations. This network can be crucial, especially when intermediaries may misrepresent intentions. 5. Integrity Wins: Ultimately, her track record and ethical approach worked in her favor. This situation reinforces that consistent performance and integrity are the best safeguards against misrepresentation. In the corporate world, challenges like these can seem daunting. However, by staying true to our values, prioritizing transparency, and advocating for ourselves, we not only protect our careers but also model resilience for our teams. This story serves as a reminder: in the end, integrity has a way of winning out.

In Southern Africa, climate risk financing is helping build resilience to shocks. These innovative solutions need to be scaled up. When El Niño triggered one of the worst droughts on record, threatening the region’s food security, the World Food Programme and partners stepped in with climate-sensitive financing to activate early response and minimize the impact on lives and livelihoods. Here are some of the key lessons learned: ◾ 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼-𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹: smallholder farmers were supported through financial services such as insurance, savings and loans. For example, in Malawi, more than 52,000 farmers received microinsurance payouts, totalling $1.27 million. ◾ 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼-𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 to support governments and partners through the Arc Replica programme, which triggered disbursements in Zambia and Zimbabwe to fund early response and recovery. These cost-effective solutions allowed a quick response and facilitated a stronger recovery. However, the scale of need far exceeds available resources. As the climate crisis worsens, scaling up and diversifying these mechanisms is essential to protect more lives and livelihoods. Climate risk management can mitigate the worst impacts of climate-related disasters while empowering communities and governments to build resilience. It's time to invest in these solutions and replicate them globally. #ClimateAction #RiskFinancing #ElNiño #ClimateStories 🔗 More on the lessons learned from World Food Programme Southern Africa : https://lnkd.in/dBKaMiqE

Executive relationships aren’t built in boardrooms — they’re built in small, consistent moments of trust. Having worked closely with CXOs from Fortune 500 companies, I’ve seen firsthand how trust can translate into long-term business impact. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on what I call the PVR framework as my north star for building these relationships: 1️⃣Preparation: Do your homework. Know their story and know it well. That could mean reading their latest post, noting a book they’re working on, or simply being aware of what’s top of mind for them when you walk into a call. Executives can tell within minutes if you’ve come prepared — it sets the tone for respect. Before stepping into a conversation, ask yourself: what’s in it for them? 2️⃣Validation: In psychology, they say “to feel seen is to feel valued.” Show them you’re paying attention. If a recent idea, article, or insight of theirs resonated, bring it up in your next conversation. Not in a forced way, but in an honest, “this stayed with me” way — and here’s my take on it. Authenticity matters. For me, the goal has always been to grow relationships, not “nail” them. That’s the outcome, not the strategy. 3️⃣Recognition: Acknowledge what makes them stand out. Sometimes that’s celebrating a milestone, other times it’s reflecting back the unique perspective they bring. What I’ve found especially meaningful is noticing their unseen efforts; the way they back their teams and quietly create space for others to succeed. Even sharing a positive experience you’ve had with one of their team members goes a long way. It tells them you see the human behind the title and the difference they make every day. In my experience, what stays with leaders isn’t the polished deck or the perfect pitch — it’s the feeling of being seen, heard, and valued. That’s the real foundation of trust. I’d love to hear — what’s worked for you when it comes to building genuine executive trust? 🤝 #executiveengagement #csuite #strategicrelationships

Nobody is doing anything? Today, we release our new report "Reality Check: Lessons from 25 Policies Advancing a Low-Carbon Future", reviewing global trends in climate policies and providing deep dives on 25 real-world policies implemented in countries as different as Niger, China, Peru, and Canada, selected among the 4,500 climate policies introduced over the last three decades. Many of these examples are not necessarily first-best policies or even best practice: to achieve successful implementation, governments often had to compromise. They faced institutional capacity constraints and had to manage trade-offs with other policy objectives. Some interventions were just the first step and most countries are adjusting policy design as they draw lessons from real-world implementation. The report offers insights into how policies play out in countries with different income levels and political contexts. It also sheds light on how countries can design and implement climate policies and the compromises required. The analysis reveals the critical importance of political and public buy-in, along with strong public institutions, cross-party support, and ongoing public engagement. The report also highlights an important gap in credible ex post analysis of the impacts of low-carbon policy implementation. To learn from each other, countries need to improve monitoring of implementation and emissions outcomes, but also to monitor and report costs, distributional impacts and other benefits. Many thanks to the large team who produced these case studies, our internal and external peer reviewer, and the core team: Tom Kerr Catrina Laura Godinho Penny Mealy Khyati Rathore Katie Polkinghorne David Groves Jia Li. Many thanks also to the NewClimate Institute and Climate Policy Initiative for their work and contributions! This is part of a broader work program on the political economy of climate action... with more coming soon! https://lnkd.in/e5Q7GNMF

After 20 years building email products, I discovered the shocking truth about technical scale: Perfect code doesn't matter. Your systems do. Here's why: At Acompli (acquired by Microsoft for $200M), we had a radical approach that transformed our development: We shipped code every single Friday. No exceptions. While competitors shipped every 4-6 weeks, we created a natural rhythm that supercharged our growth. From Friday 6PM until Monday, our remote QA team would test everything. This created a powerful dynamic: • Senior engineers could ship big changes minutes before deadline • Junior engineers could test changes for days • Everyone found their optimal workflow The magic? We never had more than 4-5 days of unreleased code. This meant fewer merge conflicts, faster bug detection, and immediate feedback. We built another game-changing system: Every support ticket went directly to engineering - not to a separate team. Our automated system routed feedback straight to the engineers who could fix it. This transformed how we viewed user feedback: • Support tickets became gifts, not burdens • Users weren't complaining - they were invested • Direct feedback accelerated improvements We obsessively tracked every micro-interaction: • Number of taps to reply to an email • Steps to create a calendar event • Actions to forward an attachment Why such detailed tracking? Because systems create clarity. When you measure something, you can improve it. When you improve it systematically, you can scale it. The results? We scaled from 3 million users to several hundred million monthly active users in just 3 years at Microsoft. Not because we wrote perfect code. But because we built perfect systems. The framework is simple but powerful: • Ship every Friday • Route feedback to engineers • Measure everything • Iterate rapidly Your bottleneck isn't your code. It's your lack of systems. Fix that first. Want to master the founder mindset and build better systems? Join Founder Mode for free weekly insights: https://lnkd.in/gSjjvzt9 Think through this step by step.