Podcast: “Why Admitting ‘I Don’t Know’ Made Me a Better Leader”

Apparently, leadership isn’t about having all the answers.
(Which is great, because sometimes I don’t even have the question.)

Early in my career, I thought being a leader meant knowing everything:
– What the roadmap should be.
– How the architecture works.
– What the hell Kubernetes actually is.

But it turns out: “I don’t know” is not a leadership flaw.
It’s a leadership superpower (as long as it’s followed by “…but let’s figure it out together”).

In this new post, I talk about:
- How I unlearned the “always be right” myth.
- Why transparency builds trust faster than pretending.
- And how a confused look and a whiteboard can still move mountains.

If you’ve ever nodded confidently while furiously Googling under the table, this one’s for you.

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Kindness is often mistaken for a soft, feel-good personality trait. Something nice to have, but optional in the “real world” of business. In reality, kindness is a deliberate and highly effective strategy that shapes culture, builds trust, and drives measurable results. When leaders choose kindness as a guiding principle, they create environments where collaboration thrives, creativity is unlocked, and people are more willing to go the extra mile. It transforms customer relationships from transactional to loyal, fostering advocacy that no marketing budget can buy. Kindness doesn’t mean avoiding tough decisions; it means delivering them with respect, clarity, and empathy, which strengthens rather than erodes relationships. In a competitive landscape where products can be copied but genuine human connection cannot, kindness is a strategic advantage that’s impossible to replicate.

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Slowing down to speed up is the counterintuitive art of hitting pause so you can move forward faster and more effectively. It’s about resisting the urge to charge ahead without a clear plan, knowing that a moment spent in reflection, preparation, or recalibration often saves hours, or even weeks, of wasted effort. In business, it might mean investing extra time in strategy before execution; in life, it could be taking a break to regain focus and energy before tackling a challenge. This approach prevents costly mistakes, fosters better decision-making, and ensures that momentum is built on a solid foundation. Far from being a sign of weakness or hesitation, slowing down is a deliberate move that sets you up for sustained speed and long-term success. When done well, it turns what feels like a delay into a launchpad for accelerated progress.

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Admitting “I don’t know” can feel risky for a leader, especially in environments that prize certainty and decisiveness. Yet, I found that this simple act didn’t weaken my credibility, it strengthened it. It created space for collaboration, inviting others to share their expertise and contribute to solutions in ways I hadn’t anticipated. It also modeled humility and curiosity, showing my team that learning is more important than pretending to have all the answers. Over time, this openness built trust, as people saw I valued truth and progress over ego. In the end, acknowledging what I didn’t know became less about vulnerability and more about unlocking the full potential of those around me.

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Generative AI is transforming product management by streamlining research, ideation, and decision-making in ways that were previously time-consuming or resource-intensive. It enables product managers to quickly generate user stories, wireframes, and market analysis, allowing teams to move from concept to execution faster. Beyond efficiency, it opens up new opportunities for creativity, personalization, and data-driven experimentation. As adoption grows, product leaders who integrate generative AI thoughtfully will gain a competitive edge in delivering innovative, user-centered solutions.

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Generative AI is transforming Product Led Growth by turning products into both sales engines and intelligent advisors. AI enables deeper personalization, smarter onboarding, and proactive engagement, allowing products to guide users toward value faster. It empowers product managers with predictive insights, helping them anticipate customer needs and optimize experiences in real time. This combination shortens the path from trial to adoption while improving retention through continuous, tailored support. In the future, AI-driven PLG will give teams a competitive edge by making their products feel less like tools and more like proactive growth partners.

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In “Agile Rebellion,” we challenge the modern, overly rigid application of agile frameworks, particularly Scrum, and call for a return to the original intent of agility: enabling flow, delivering value, and empowering teams. Drawing from a mix of personal philosophy and real-world conversations with seasoned developers, the piece critiques the performative rituals of story pointing and sprint planning that often hinder rather than help. Instead of clinging to frameworks as gospel, the blog advocates for flexibility, context-driven practices, and a renewed focus on removing blockers and supporting continuous delivery. It reinforces the timeless wisdom of the Agile Manifesto while urging practitioners to evolve their mindset and methods alongside the speed of software development. Ultimately, it is a rallying cry for Agilists to shed dogma, embrace adaptability, and lead with purpose, not process.

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