How to make better decisions and build a joyful career | Ada Chen Rekhi (Notejoy, LinkedIn, SurveyMonkey)

Brought to you by Sprig—Product insights that drive product success.—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—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-make-better-decisions-and—Where to find Ada Chen Rekhi:• Website: https://www.adachen.com/• Twitter: https://twitter.com/adachen• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adachen/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—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—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—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected]. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe