What is your Superpower zone? | Elena Verna (Dropbox, Amplitude, Miro, SurveyMonkey)

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.This episode is brought to you by Amplitude — сheck new Guides and Surveys to deliver helpful, well-timed messages: https://amplitude.com/guides-and-surveys —Welcome to Growthmates with Kate Syuma — Growth Advisor, ex-Miro. This season, “In the Company of Women,” is about celebrating women who successfully balance work, family, and creative passions while building meaningful careers.Growthmates is a place to connect with inspiring leaders and help you grow—personally and professionally. Learn how companies like Dropbox, Adobe, Canva, Loom, and more build world-class products and growth cultures.In this episode, Kate Syuma and Elena Verna dive into a conversation about career evolution, growth strategies, and navigating transitions. With experience at SurveyMonkey, Miro, Dropbox, Reforge, and Malwarebytes, Elena shares her journey from leading growth at major companies to building a successful solopreneurship and transitioning back to a full-time role.They explore the non-linear career shifts, defining your "superpower zone," and setting boundaries for sustainable success. Elena also breaks down how companies can move from product-led growth to product-led sales, sharing insights on recognizing early signals and layering strategies for long-term growth.🔗 Find more insights on growthmates.club and follow on your favorite platforms for more episodes.—🚀 User-centric Product-Led Growth Course starts on 24th March!Level up your growth with a 3-week cohort-based course with proven strategies, behavioral science insights, and real-world examples. Use promo code "growthmates" for $100 off and create a growth roadmap with feedback from Kate: https://maven.com/growthmates/user-centric-product-led-growth?promoCode=growthmates—Key highlights from this episode 👇* From full-time to solopreneur: Elena shares her first shift from a full-time role at SurveyMonkey to starting building a solopreneurship career (for 5 years!), highlighting the lessons learned about balancing work, life, and boundaries.* How to define Superpower zone: Elena discusses how identifying her "superpower zone" of deep expertise and passion has been key to making impactful career decisions and maintaining sustainable growth.* Boundary-setting for long-term success: Elena talks about the importance of establishing non-negotiable boundaries — like no work after 6pm and prioritizing fitness — to avoid burnout and stay productive in both personal and professional spheres.* From product-led growth to product-led sales: Elena explains the shift many companies are making from PLG to a hybrid model with product-led sales and offers advice on how to recognize when it’s time for this change.—Follow Growthmates updates on:* Growthmates website with “The Holistic Growth Playbook”: https://growthmates.club* Substack Newsletter (for instant inbox delivery): https://www.growthmates.news/* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/growthmates-podcast/* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/growthmates/* X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/kate_syumaWhere to find Kate Syuma:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ekaterina-syuma/* Newsletter: katesyuma.substack.comWhere to find Elena Verna:* LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/* Newsletter: https://www.elenaverna.com/—What we covered:[00:00] Introduction & Meet Elena Verna[01:11] From Corporate to Solopreneurship[03:12] Why “Try Before You Buy” Works for Jobs[09:45] Setting boundaries in a workspace[12:15] Work-Life Boundaries: Saying No to CEOs[26:55] How to find your superpower zone[46:40] Advice for product leadership[50:00] Future of AI for your career—📕 Useful Resources and other related Podcasts:* “10 growth tactics that never work” on Lenny Rachitsky Podcast: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/10-growth-tactics-that-never-work-elena-verna* “(How to) Growth Solopreneur” on Leah Tharin Podcast: https://www.leahtharin.com/p/s2e17-leah-and-elena-verna-how-to* “What is Product-led Growth?” on Leah Tharin Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RrgQCkl53Q&ab_channel=ProducTeawithLeah* Why product-led growth is the future on Lenny Rachitsky podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTmFuSZfJ9U&ab_channel=Lenny%27sPodcast * “Why I’m Unquitting Full-Time Roles” on Elena Verna Newsletter: https://www.elenaverna.com/p/why-im-unquitting-full-time-roles—Thank you for listening! Subscribe to the show on growthmates.club and get the free playbook with frameworks and insights. If you’re enjoying the show, we’d love for you to leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Your support helps us reach more listeners like you 💜For sponsorship and other inquiries, reach out to [email protected]’s keep growing together! Get full access to Growthmates with Kate Syuma at www.growthmates.news/subscribe