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Melissa Tan is an advisor, investor, and growth expert. She\u2019s worked with fast-growing startups like Dropbox, Canva, Grammarly, and Miro, and for the past 2.5 years has been the Head of Growth at Webflow. There, she led the company's self-service business across Product, Marketing, and Growth, in addition to leading the charge on pricing and packaging. Prior to Webflow, she was Head of Growth for Dropbox\u2019s B2B product, where she played a pivotal role in propelling their growth. In today\u2019s episode, we discuss:

\u2022 Attributes of high-performing teams

\u2022 Tips for developing talent and seeking a mentor

\u2022 How to create a strong culture of ownership

\u2022 Frameworks for hiring PM and growth talent

\u2022 Common pitfalls companies face when implementing growth strategies

\u2022 Lessons from scaling Dropbox

\u2022 The DACI framework for increasing team velocity

\u2022 How to actually embrace first-principles thinking

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-high-performing-teams-melissa

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Where to find Melissa Tan:

\u2022 Twitter: https://twitter.com/melissamtan

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissamtan/

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Where to find Lenny:

\u2022 Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

\u2022 Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Melissa\u2019s background

(04:12) What\u2019s next for Melissa

(06:45) Lessons learned from Dropbox

(11:49) When to add sales to product-led products and vice versa

(14:28) Managing people with a people-focused and results-oriented approach

(17:14) An example of people-focused leadership

(20:26) The importance of talent development and why Melissa invests in it

(22:26) Tips for finding a mentor

(24:58) Specific questions to ask when you are interviewing for a role

(27:49) Companies Melissa has worked with

(28:33) Attributes of high-performing teams

(31:38) Creating a sense of ownership among team members

(34:36) Building a team-first culture

(36:54) Avoiding burnout by knowing your limits

(39:24) Developing talent and unlocking potential within your organization

(42:45) Melissa\u2019s hiring practices and what she looks for in a product manager

(44:40) The exact interview sequence Melissa utilizes

(49:58) Common pitfalls when creating growth teams

(53:43) \u201cFlying formation\u201d and the DACI framework

(56:48) Who should own revenue

(58:19) When to invest in growth

(1:01:06) What to look for in your first growth hire

(1:04:35) When it\u2019s appropriate to hire an advisor

(1:06:19) First-principles thinking

(1:09:50) Lightning round

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Referenced:

\u2022 Jiaona Zhang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiaona/

\u2022 Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead: https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Women-Work-Will-Lead/dp/0385349947

\u2022 Tim Ferriss: How to Find a Great Mentor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVo1aZCyfO4

\u2022 Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Revised-Kick-Ass-Humanity/dp/1250235375/

\u2022 How to Monetize a Freemium Business: https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/how-to-monetize-a-freemium-business

\u2022 DACI framework: https://www.productplan.com/glossary/daci/

\u2022 Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Eat-Last-Together-Others/dp/1591848016/r

\u2022 The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself: https://www.amazon.com/Untethered-Soul-Journey-Beyond-Yourself/dp/1572245379/

\u2022 The Four Agreements: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319

\u2022 Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/winning-time-the-rise-of-the-lakers-dynasty

\u2022 ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/

\u2022 Webflow: https://webflow.com/

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.