Category Creation with Doug Winter

What if sticking to your guns—not chasing the buzz—was the boldest, and most successful, strategy of all? In this episode of North Star Leaders, Lindsay talks with Doug Winter, CEO and co-founder of Seismic, the category-defining sales enablement platform. Doug shares what it takes to build something enduring in a world obsessed with fast wins—revealing why commitment, clarity, and consistency are more than just leadership traits; they’re competitive advantages. Whether you're creating a category, scaling a team, or building a brand that customers swear by, this conversation will recalibrate your view on what sustainable success really looks like. You’ll hear them discuss: The uphill battle of category creation — how Doug and the Seismic team turned “enablement” from a fuzzy buzzword into a widely respected discipline Why staying consistent builds trust — and how resisting the urge to rebrand or chase trends can actually create lasting market leadership How leaders serve as emotional counterweights — showing calm through chaos and perspective through celebration to keep teams grounded and resilient Why Seismic chose San Diego over Silicon Valley — and how that decision helped attract the right talent, shape company culture, and signal long-term thinking How customer obsession built Seismic’s brand — from million-dollar multi-year deals to customers who bring Seismic with them to every new job What makes culture stick when you scale — and how Seismic evolved from “unwritten values” to rituals that reinforce what matters most The growth edge Doug’s navigating now — shifting from a startup mindset to running a mature, efficient business without losing the spark Resources: Doug Winter on the Seismic | LinkedIn Lindsay Pedersen - Contact me to tell me who you'd like to hear as a guest! | Connect with me on LinkedIn