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From YouTube: CEO Shadow takeaways by CBlake
Description
I highlight a few key takeaways from my experience in the GitLab CEO Shadow program.
A
Hi
I'm
Cindy
Blake
I
am
a
recent
CEO
shadow
at
gate
lab
and
by
day.
I
am
the
senior
marketing
manager
for
secure
and
defend
so
I
want
to
take
a
minute
to
to
share
some
of
what
I
learned
in
being
the
CEO
shadow
I've
learned
so
much
I
could
do
a
blog
on
each
one
of
these
topics,
if
only
at
the
time,
but
some
of
my
key
AHA,
Zand
and
takeaways
I
think
are
I'd
like
to
share
so
the
first
one
is
the
week
that
I
was
shadowing.
A
We
did
lots
of
investor
meetings
and
investors
are
a
very
different
persona
and
we
need
to
be
able
to
sell
to
them
as
well.
So
from
a
marketing
standpoint.
You
know
they
need
to
understand
how
we're
transforming
the
industry
and
how
we're
different.
They
also
want
to
understand
what
risks
there
might
be
to
their
investment
of
our
remote
manifesto.
You
know
every
single
investor
asked
about
remote
and
most
were
pre
skeptical.
A
So,
instead
of
just
talking
about
the
obvious
advantages
like
being
able
to
hire
the
right
people
in
the
right
place,
you
know
being
able
to
have
better
work/life
balance.
We
need
to
be
able
to
articulate
how
gitlab
contributes
to
our
working
remote
and
it's
not
just
remote.
Really,
it's
our
methods
enable
concurrent
business
and
that's
what
allows
us,
the
transparency
and
the
agility
and
the
ability
to
iterate
better
than
anyone
else.
You
know
I
think
it's.
A
Secondly,
you
know
I
think
Sid
is
an
amazing
leader
and
he's
gonna.
Do
some
incredible
things
in
his
career
he's
meticulously
detailed
and
with
the
intention
of
using
that
detail
to
continuously
improve
every
metric,
whether
it's
how
well
we
adhere
to
our
values
or
how
will
we
achieve
our
revenues
or
product
improvement?
You
know
the
three
key
things
he
talks
about
with
investors
are
achieving
iacv,
delivering
better
product
and
having
happy
customers.
A
And
while
you
know,
though,
the
way
he
goes
about
doing
things,
the
methods
may
seem
a
little
bit
like
micromanaging
to
some
the
way,
this
way
of
work
that
is
defined
for
you
know,
one-on-ones.
For
group
meetings-
and
you
know
other
meetings
that
get
lab-
that's
really
the
secret
sauce
that
affords
us
the
throughput
that
we
have
it
get
lab
and,
as
he
builds
a
team
that
he
can
rely
on
and
delegate
to,
that,
throughput
is
really
only
going
to
increase
exponentially,
as
everyone
you
know,
continues
to
use
that
same
method
and
methodology
themselves.
A
The
other
piece
of
this
is
the
handbook.
First
rule
it
really.
Even
it
forces
you
to
articulate
exactly
what
you're
proposing
relative
to
the
current
policies
and
methods,
so
the
nuances
really
sometimes
not
understood,
and
it
it.
You
know
it
was
a
nuance
that
I
didn't
fully
get,
but
it's
incredibly
powerful
and
it's
empowering
to
the
individuals,
because
it
means
you
know.
A
The
third
key
takeaway
and
I,
was
able
to
make
some
contributions.
Perhaps
in
some
unexpected
ways
by
attending
investor
meetings.
I
provided
input
on,
you
know
how
to
we
might
clarify
or
tailor
our
marketing
message
for
investors
and
I
also
provided
different
aspect
perspectives
on
how
we
might
market
either
an
IPO
or
direct
listing.
You
know.
Venture
capital
is
certainly
not
an
area
that
I
normally
have
anything
to
do
with,
but
it
was
really
fun
to
apply
my
marketing
skills
to
an
entire
new
topic
and
I.
A
Think
I
provided
a
fresh
perspective
and
some
new
ideas
and
spite
of
the
fact
that
it's
not
really
my
wheelhouse
and
you
know
I
think
not
only
this
experience
has
influenced
me,
but
I
think
the
shadows
can
influence
the
CEO
as
well
by
speaking
up
and
providing
some
alternative
viewpoints
and
I.
Think
Sid
really
appreciates
that.
A
I
discovered
that
she
was
told
there
was
a
the
meeting
would
be
at
a
different
time,
and
so
we
were
able
to
reschedule
the
visit.
It's
easy
to
conclude
one
thing
when
circumstances
might
be
entirely
different,
so
my
greatest
advice
to
subsequent
shadows
is
be
sure
and
speak
up.
If
you
have
a
different
perspective
share
it,
that's
the
value
that
you
bring
to
the
CEO.
You
know,
Sid
is
constantly
learning.
He
views
everything
as
an
opportunity
to
absorb
new
information
and
see
things
differently,
and
that
includes
whether
it's
interviews-
investor
meetings,
board
meetings.
A
You
know
meetings
with
individual
contributors,
everything
he
honestly
appreciates
a
constructive
and
healthy
debate.
So
don't
be
taken
aback,
you
know
I
think
sometimes
he
may
interpret
comments
a
little
bit
more
literally
than
they
were
intended.
So
it's
always
good
to
engage
in
a
two-way
conversation
to
validate
the
understandings
from
both
sides.
You
know
the
other
thing.
I
learned,
Sid,
absolutely
walks
the
talk
with
regard
to
diversity
and
inclusion.
A
He
even
pointed
out
comments
that
I
made
about
job
candidates
that
could
have
been
better
articulated
and
quantified
rather
than
just
my
initial
gut
reaction,
also
like
when,
in
when
greeting
visitors
I
offered
to
go
pick
up
the
visitors
in
the
and
should
actually
question
whether
it
was
a
gender
thing.
You
know
and
in
some
ways
I
think
maybe
it
was,
but
it
wasn't
because
dawn
or
Syd
made
it
that
way.
It
was
because
I
expected
myself
to
be
the
one
to
go
and
fetch
the
visitors
and
graciously.
A
You
know
Syd
suggested
that
John
go
get
them
and
that
I
walked
them
out
later,
so
it
was.
It
was
really
refreshing
to
to
have
that
thoughtfulness.
You
know
my
time.
It's
as
a
get
lab.
Ceo
shadow
has
really
made
me
appreciate
this
company
and
its
leadership
even
more.
If
that's,
if
that's
even
possible,
we
have
such
an
amazing
opportunity
to
not
only
lead
the
DevOps
revolution
and
help
companies
become
more
efficient
and
effective,
as
software
enabled
businesses,
but
also
the
lead,
a
revolution
in
a
way
of
work.
A
And
you
know
the
other
thing
is
Sid's
thoughts
and
plans
go
far
beyond
our
roadmaps,
he's
working
with
entrepreneurs
to
improve
training
and
education
for
software
developers
in
underdeveloped
countries,
improving
not
only
the
software
in
his
industry
diversity,
but
also
improving
the
lives
and
economies
of
those
locations
and
people.
He
truly
is
a
genuinely
good
person
and
a
terrific
role
model.
I
highly
recommend
the
CEO
shadow
program
to
anyone
be
sure
and
sign
up.