Zeitgeist: Entrepreneurship in the AI Age

In just 6 days, Mari transformed from VC to founder by "vibe coding" her first SaaS product, PitchKit - proving that speed and intuition can trump traditional startup methodologies.Key insights from her remarkable journey:🔹 Embrace the "fast fashion" of software: Build quickly, ship rapidly, monetize, then move on 🔹 Coding isn't about perfection - it's about momentum and learning 🔹 Domain expertise matters, but curiosity matters more 🔹 Build in public, stay authentic, and don't fear negative feedbackHer approach challenges traditional startup wisdom: No elaborate plans, just pure execution and rapid iteration.The tech world is changing, and creators like Mari are leading the charge. If you are a founder, try Pitchkit, it's the only tool built like a VC thinks. https://pitchkit.net/Connect with Mari: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariluukkainen/Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/

Today, I’m joined by Sara McCabe and Catarina Haber, co-founders of Business Casual, a consultancy that help leaders & teams work better together by improving their systems and behavioursWe chatted about building a strong co-founder relationship, core values that guide their work, and the transition from employment to entrepreneurship. Connect with the guests:Sara’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-mccabe-11381387/ Cat’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catarinahaber/ Website: ​​https://www.businesscasual.ca/Substack Newsletter Circle Back (https://thecircleback.substack.com/) Business Casual Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/dobusinesscasual)Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/

Today, I’m excited to welcome Antonia, a product operations coach and consultant who’s all about leaning into the discomfort of growth. She believes that “either you win or you learn” and has never let self-doubt stop her from sharing her experiences. Antonia approaches her work with both passion and humility, sharing insights that resonate deeply with her clients and the product community. She’s here to talk about her journey, the power of self-reflection, and how she navigates the balance between relentless dedication and maintaining objectivity. Relevant info:Antonia’s Website: www.antonialandi.com/ Antonia’s Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/landiantonia/Antonia on Henry’s show: How to become a solopreneur through personal brandingProduct Operations Manifesto: www.productopsmanifesto.org/ Speeches at conferences:- La Product Conf Madrid: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Dr1KqtTruI Leading the Product Sydney (behind paywall) https://www.leadingtheproduct.com/seasonpass/ Article recommendation: The Arc of the Practical CreatorConnect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/

Anamaria has a passion for people, learning, and community building. Her journey started with a background in psychology and human resources, which later led her to pivot into learning and development in the fast-paced world of startups. Today, she’s a full-time consultant, community builder, and the co-founder of the L&D Shakers community, which has over 5000 members.Anamaria’s path reflects her love for collective experiences and her drive to create spaces where people can learn and grow together. With experience building a product community at Butter and launching her own consulting business, she’s now running experiments, writing a newsletter, co-hosting a podcast, and embracing the freedom that comes with her portfolio career.It was really inspiring to hear about her passion for learning experience design, her take on balancing passion projects with full-time work, and how she’s crafting a career that’s as multi-dimensional as she is!Anamaria on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anamariadorgo/Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/

In this episode, I chat with Bianca about her journey from founder to coach, exploring the importance of emotional mastery in leadership. We dive into:Recognizing and addressing founder burnoutThe need for a new leadership paradigmThe mind-body connection in entrepreneurshipEmbracing intuition and gut feelingsCreating safe spaces for emotional explorationMoving away from fear and embracing vulnerabilityThe role of coaching in emotional and embodied leadershipBooks mentioned:Becoming SupernaturalThe Body Keeps the ScoreMore book recommendations on emotional mastery and mental wellbeing:When the Body Says No : The Cost of Hidden Stress Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to YouFeel to Heal - Breathwork bookConnect with Bianca: Bianca on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/biancagfrei/Website: biancagfrei.com Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/

Connecting with Phil:Website: https://www.forproductpeople.com/Podcast: https://www.talkingroadmaps.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philhornby/ Phil left the corporate world in 2018 to start his own product coaching business called “For Product People,” focusing on product leadership coaching.Unlike many coaches who sell sessions by the hour, Phil offers a subscription model with three intensity tiers, depending on how much support you need.“If we get to the end of a session and feel like we haven't finished, we might book another one the next week, just to make progress. The core of coaching is being there to help, not counting hours.”I find this approach incredibly inspiring. In our conversation, we also dived into:Building Credibility and ExpertisePassion for Business and CoachingThe Role of Coaching in Product ManagementComplementary Services: Workshops, Consulting, and Self-Paced LearningThe Importance of Building and Nurturing a NetworkFollowing Your Passion and Seizing Opportunities in EntrepreneurshipConnect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/

Büsra is a product coach for senior product leaders. In 2020, she left her role as Lead Product Manager at Doodle to start her own business, Producteer. Her coaching now focuses on product metrics and analytics.This episode is esp. relevant  for anyone exploring the field of product coaching or considering the choice between a leadership role and starting their own business.We delved into: Balancing taking action and overthinkingThe seemingly crowded product coaching space and its futureWhat’s so exciting about coachingSetting a yearly focus - “This year it’s all about X.”Overcoming nervousness in public speakingBuilding a personal brandManaging multiple ideas and projectsConnect with Büsra:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/busra-coskuner/ Website: https://www.busra.co/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@busra_co Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/

This episode is highly tactical with lots of actionable advice on pricing, growth channel and business operation.My guest Daniel Hebert is the founder of SalesMVP Lab and a growth leader in B2B SaaS. He runs his coaching service like a bootstrapped tech startup. We discussed:Focus on metrics like MRRCreate different assets for each stage of the sales funnelDesign product offerings that grow with the customersCharges early and fairlyConnect with Daniel on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielghebert/Check out his coaching at SalesMVP Lab: https://www.salesmvplab.com/Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/

In this conversation, Stef shares his experiences openly. As a lead generation expert, he’s seen the highs of making his client’s first million and the lows of needing to take a break and refund his clients.This episode is the most therapeutic one yet. We delve into MotivationDiscovering true passionIkigaiGetting ego out of the wayBuilding honest relationships with clientsFinding joy in small things like Kazu Don (yummy!)Building a solid support system.Check out Stef's service on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stef-curcio/ Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/

Niko's been on his solopreneur journey for 2.5 years. He's a product coach creating a SaaS tool to help product teams with continuous discovery.In this episode, we discuss:Overcome the fear to start freelancingFrom selling service to selling a productThe revenue fluctuation as a freelancerStay in the game during tough timesPersonal runway counterReach Niko on Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/niko-noll/Check out Juttu: juttu.coConnect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/

Ling Shi is a former VP product turned solopreneur, specializing in burnout prevention and workplace wellbeing. In our conversation, we discuss:Transitioning from an “employee mindset” to an “entrepreneur mindset”Preparing for the solopreneurship journeyThe challenges so farBeing a good boss to yourselfAdvice for aspiring entrepreneursHow to reach Ling:Lin’s website: https://www.lingcoaching.com/Ling’s linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ling-shi/Ling’s Youtube:https://www.youtube.com/@LingWellnessBook recommendation: Million Dollar Weekend by Noah Kagan, https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Noah-Kagan/dp/059353977X Connect with me: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zihan-wang-757247152/