Karren Jensen on building psychologically safe teams that actually perform

In this episode, Gav sits down with Karren Jensen, co-founder and CEO of Conductor Software, to unpack the misunderstood world of psychological safety and why it might be the biggest lever for performance most organisations are missing.Expect a candid, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to launch a B2B SaaS company from scratch - completely bootstrapped.Got questions or topics you want us to cover? Email us at [email protected] you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps us reach more people!In this episode, we cover:What psychological safety really is - and what it isn’tThe biggest misconceptions leaders have about “soft stuff” at workHow fear, stress and silence quietly destroy performanceWhy organisations struggle with values, trust and accountabilityKarren’s career before Conductor and her grounding in neuroscienceThe personal experiences that shaped her obsession with psych safetyThe moment Conductor’s founders validated their hypothesis with a first clientBootstrapping the business and landing early winsHow psychological safety translated into millions in revenue impactLeading through COVID, AI disruption, and constant uncertaintyHow Karren’s definition of success has evolved over timeWhy protecting our humanity matters more than everAdvice for founders standing on the edge of taking the leapWhy community and champions matter, especially for female foundersChapters:00:00 Intro and what The Leap is really about02:00 What Conductor does and why psych safety is misunderstood05:30 Why psychological safety isn’t about being “nice”11:00 What happens when teams don’t feel safe16:00 Leadership pressure, COVID, and decision fatigue18:30 Karren’s career before founding Conductor21:00 Experiencing psychological safety first-hand26:00 Values, boundaries, and accountability at work30:40 Feeling unfulfilled and early signals of change34:00 The moment Conductor took shape37:00 Bootstrapping and early wins39:10 Surprises and challenges in the early days41:10 How founding changed Karren as a leader44:00 Redefining success and protecting humanity47:40 What Karren is most proud of50:10 What keeps her going during tough moments53:00 Habits that keep her grounded56:00 What she wishes she knew before taking the leap58:20 Advice for founders on the edge01:02:30 Pride, resilience, and legacy01:04:00 How to connect with Karren Roman Galikov is a co-founder of Create Financial...they help founders and business owners take control of their money with smart, personalised financial advice. They specialise in wealth strategy, risk protection, and long-term planning - without the jargon. Think of them as the team that helps you build a financial engine strong enough to support your ambitions, not just your expenses.Gavin Tye is a sales strategist and the creator of DealBuddi and co-founder of SixSides. With over 20 years of experience in high-value SaaS sales, Gavin has cracked the code on why businesses struggle to close deals and how they can transform their approach. Sales Market Fit aligns positioning, go-to-market strategies, and sales execution into a repeatable process that wins more clients with less friction. Learn how to stop relying on hope and start winning with a deliberate, proven sales strategy at salesmarketfit.co.Links:Founder Collective: https://founderscollective.com.au/founders-collective FC's Newsletter: https://founderscollectivecommunity.substack.com/Book a call with Gavin: Conductor Software: https://www.conductorsoftware.com/ Connect with us: Karren Jensen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karren-jensen-ceo/ Gavin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavintye/