Ep 6. Sophia Witherington on scaling the Startmate fellowship through push back, Product management at Canva (and cleaning the fryer at KFC)

Calling Operator with Laura Nicol

Resources mentioned:

Angela Duckworth - Grit
Lenny's Newsletter

EPISODE TIMESTAMPS

1:39 - Sophia, from Scotland to Sydney
2:45 - Cleaning deep fryers at KFC
4:50 - Swapped my non-slip shoes for high heels
7:40 - A rant about typecasting
10:43 - An accidental share house with a founder
12:59 - One small step into Start-ups (part-time)
16:24 - One big step for the ecosystem (Startmate interview)
20:11 - 'It's a paid program, and now it's fully remote'
21:35 - How to scale and keep the magic
33:07 - Enter Lauren Caplin (and the glory days)
34:30 - Making it mainstream
39:07 - How Sophia operates
41:33 - Product management at Canva
54:43 - Biggest learnings and advice
48:23 - Who's an incredible Aussie operator
51:23 - Read broadly
52:33 - Sophia's vision for the future

A note from your host, Laura:

My goal for Calling Operator is to open-source stories from startup operators across various functional areas and learn how they excel at building and scaling companies. As a Chief of Staff, I often find myself in (virtual) rooms with people facing similar challenges and reinventing the wheel. I want this podcast to open a line for operators across Australia and New Zealand to learn from fellow operators. Each episode shares personal stories, the execution behind big ideas, career-defining moments, successes, failures, and lessons.

Guest ideas?

Do you have an operator on speed dial who could be perfect for the show? Please share your suggestions with me via LinkedIn.

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