Steven Galanis

Our CMO led Hims and Hers, which was the hottest brand out there at that point. Our COO was the global head of ops at LinkedIn. Our chief people officer was the global head of people at McDonald's. Our CFO was the CFO that everybody thought she was going to be the next great one to take somebody public. So we built this all-star team. But the problem was...

Our CMO led Hims and Hers, which was the hottest brand out there at that point. Our COO was the global head of ops at LinkedIn. Our chief people officer was the global head of people at McDonald's. Our CFO was the CFO that everybody thought she was going to be the next great one to take somebody public. So we built this all-star team. But the problem was...

And I remember at the time, my, one of my board members told me something. She's like, Steven, you've been Michael Jordan this whole time, but now it's time to be Phil Jackson. You know, like the last dance had come out and, and really like what she was asking was like, you need to now be the person that just brings all these people together. And I don't know if it's because it was remote.

And I remember at the time, my, one of my board members told me something. She's like, Steven, you've been Michael Jordan this whole time, but now it's time to be Phil Jackson. You know, like the last dance had come out and, and really like what she was asking was like, you need to now be the person that just brings all these people together. And I don't know if it's because it was remote.

I don't know if it's because I brought in six senior executives, like all at the same time. And everybody's kind of fighting to be number two, but like, The sum of the parts, the whole was worse than the sum of the parts. Like that group of people I could not, and this was my failure and it costs, you know, it costs the company time. It costs the company money.

I don't know if it's because I brought in six senior executives, like all at the same time. And everybody's kind of fighting to be number two, but like, The sum of the parts, the whole was worse than the sum of the parts. Like that group of people I could not, and this was my failure and it costs, you know, it costs the company time. It costs the company money.

It costs a lot of people, their jobs. And this was my failure. I couldn't bring that group together to make that a cohesive, you know, high functioning, high trust management team. And that is the regret that I have from that period of time. So.

It costs a lot of people, their jobs. And this was my failure. I couldn't bring that group together to make that a cohesive, you know, high functioning, high trust management team. And that is the regret that I have from that period of time. So.

And as we've torn the company down, I realized that like the consensus-based management or trying to get everybody on the same page, like that's not, I just had to step up more and be like, this is the direction we're going, like figure it the fuck out, right? So I actually needed to become Michael Jordan again and not be Phil Jackson.

And as we've torn the company down, I realized that like the consensus-based management or trying to get everybody on the same page, like that's not, I just had to step up more and be like, this is the direction we're going, like figure it the fuck out, right? So I actually needed to become Michael Jordan again and not be Phil Jackson.

So I think like a lot of the management books will tell you it's all about being the maestro and creating the culture, but like, you know, as a CEO at the end of the day, like, Hey, I ran the company, you know, we as founders, we control the board.

So I think like a lot of the management books will tell you it's all about being the maestro and creating the culture, but like, you know, as a CEO at the end of the day, like, Hey, I ran the company, you know, we as founders, we control the board.

You can't really look at anybody else on the bad things, you know, at the end of the day, like that, that starts and ends with us, with me and my co-founders. And ultimately I didn't do a good enough job in that period.

You can't really look at anybody else on the bad things, you know, at the end of the day, like that, that starts and ends with us, with me and my co-founders. And ultimately I didn't do a good enough job in that period.

Well, let me, I think that's a really important point. I also think that that period of time was a very weird period, right? You had the great resignation. You had all these startups have, you know, series A companies had more money than series C companies.

Well, let me, I think that's a really important point. I also think that that period of time was a very weird period, right? You had the great resignation. You had all these startups have, you know, series A companies had more money than series C companies.

You had like, just, there was so much craziness going around, quiet quitting, you know, people wanting to, you know, only be remote or only be an office. Like it just, It was just chaos. And then you had, you know, employee activism and woke ism to the point where, like, as a leader, you're trying to foster a culture that's inclusive for everybody.

You had like, just, there was so much craziness going around, quiet quitting, you know, people wanting to, you know, only be remote or only be an office. Like it just, It was just chaos. And then you had, you know, employee activism and woke ism to the point where, like, as a leader, you're trying to foster a culture that's inclusive for everybody.

You know, we're we're trying to build diverse teams. We're trying to build, you know, have different leaders with different perspectives there. But at the end of the day, like, I don't know, the captaining sports teams my whole life and having other businesses.

You know, we're we're trying to build diverse teams. We're trying to build, you know, have different leaders with different perspectives there. But at the end of the day, like, I don't know, the captaining sports teams my whole life and having other businesses.