81. The Intentional Organization

81. The Intentional Organization

Update: 2025-10-09
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Description

In this episode we discuss: The intentional organization. We are joined by Mathias Meyer, The Startup CTO Coach, and Sara Hicks, Product Leader and Founder.

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We chat about the following: 

  • How should leadership roles evolve as a company shifts from startup to scale-up?
  • What’s the real cost of not shipping products regularly, beyond just revenue impact?
  • How can meeting culture be reshaped to truly drive collaboration and outcomes?
  • Where’s the balance between a CEO’s product vision and a COO’s operational priorities?
  • How do you hire quickly for growth without compromising cultural fit?

References 

  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/themathiasmeyer/
  • https://intentionalorganization.com
  • https://intentionalorganization.com/book
  • https://www.linkedin.com/in/saralouhicks/

Biography 

Mathias Meyer is an executive coach, repeat startup founder, and writer based in Berlin. A former CEO and CTO, he has grown multiple remote teams to successful exits, including Scalarium (Amazon), Travis CI (Idera), and Reaction Commerce (Intuit). Today, through The Intentional Organization, he coaches and advises leaders navigating the challenges of scaling their businesses and themselves. Outside of work, Mathias enjoys nature, cultivating his vegetable garden, and fermenting produce.

Sara Hicks is a seasoned product leader and founder, having held senior roles at Yahoo!, Etsy, and Media Temple before launching her own company, Reaction Commerce, where she served as CEO until its acquisition by Mailchimp (later Intuit). Now based in Los Angeles, she partners with Mathias at The Intentional Organization, supporting founders and executives through coaching, mentoring, and facilitation.

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Summary

00:05:58 – Leadership in growth

00:08:21 – Shipping momentum

00:10:57 – Fixing meeting culture

00:14:47 – Scaling challenges

00:18:12 – Product alignment

00:24:30 – CEO/COO dynamics

00:31:05 – Trust as a leadership asset

00:37:40 – Vision vs. operations

00:41:15 – Hiring for fit

00:44:50 – Final reflections 



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81. The Intentional Organization

81. The Intentional Organization