podcast – Gérard Métrailler

February 26, 2025February 26, 2025

Are you leading or just reacting? A look at the systems thinking mindset

Most leaders don’t realize they’re stuck in a cycle of reacting to problems instead of solving them at the source. In this episode, we explore Systems Thinking—the mindset that helps leaders break silos, anticipate ripple effects, and make smarter long-term decisions. From the great toilet paper shortage of 2020 🧻 to business strategies that backfire, we’ll dive into why understanding the bigger picture is the key to effective leadership.

📖 Read the written companion to this episode: ccworld.ca/systems

March 9, 2023February 26, 2025

Go beyond PLG and focus on the Customer Journey

In this podcast episode, I look at why it isn’t about Product-Led, OR Sales-Led, OR Marketing-Led Growth. It’s all the above simultaneously. It’s about Customer-Led Growth. It’s about delivering an end-to-end experience at every touchpoint of the customer life cycle that feels like one, delighting the user at every step.

This episode has a related blog post, and includes a graphical representation of the Customer Journey “Game of Life” and the Product “Ferris Wheel”.

July 28, 2022July 28, 2022

Leveraging Lean Startup in established organizations

In this podcast episode, I look at how established organizations can leverage the lean startup methodology to drive velocity through simplicity. I also experiment with the format, providing you with a chance to participate and go through the framework described yourself.

This episode has a related blog post that will provide you with the framework in written form.

May 25, 2022June 17, 2022

V1 innovation within a V+1 organization

In this podcast episode, I look at how mature organization can be successful at disruptive innovation when everything they do if focused around incremental product improvements.

This episode is based on a corresponding blog post I wrote a few weeks ago.

April 4, 2022April 4, 2022

Where in the org is Product Marketing?

In this podcast episode, I look at a question related to the org-chart structure have gotten multiple times over the years: Where in the org is Product Marketing?

This episode is based on a corresponding blog post I wrote a few weeks ago.

January 14, 2022January 14, 2022

Freedom and Responsibility

This podcast episode is by a Guest speaker, Marielle Métrailler and she looks at the relationship between freedom and responsibility.

My wife Marielle is a Leadership and Life-Balance Coach. She founded Clarivia in 2016 with the clear vision of enabling people to achieve their full potential, one conversation at a time. She has worked throughout Europe and North America, applying her skill-set to industries as varied as luxury goods and biotech, as well as to pharmaceutical advocacy organizations. Marielle combines proven methodologies with her strong natural aptitudes: listening, empowering, guiding, facilitating, and change management. With care and precision, she enables individuals and groups to achieve their best and to meet and surpass their personal and professional goals.

This episode is based on the article Marielle published recently on Linkedin.

August 28, 2021August 28, 2021

Passion and care – Business lessons from the top chefs

This podcast episode looks at lessons that businesses can learn from the top chefs and how they can drive true differentiation and customer delight through deep focus and care at every step of the way.

This episode is based on a corresponding blog post I wrote a few years ago.

March 1, 2021April 22, 2021

Business Lessons from the Aviation World

In the aviation world, safety is given a lot of attention—and rightfully so. Redundancy and checklists are everywhere and there is very strict regulation where everything is codified. As importantly, there are aviation-related organizations whose main focus is on learning from past mistakes. The business world could certainly learn a thing or two from the aviation industry.

This episode is based on a corresponding blog post.

January 29, 2021April 22, 2021

Getting the pricing right is harder than it seems

Setting pricing seems easy. You understand the value you provide to your users and how much they are willing to pay. Armed with that information, you set the price. But if you sell in more than one country or through partners, you very quickly add a whole new level of complexity that makes the whole exercise, well, fun.

This podcast episode is based on a corresponding blog post.

December 15, 2020December 16, 2020

Santa, Inc. – The amazing business model of a reindeer pilot

When the success of your organization depends on global delivery within a window of just 24 hours, it’s imperative for your logistics and delivery systems to be flawless. Add to that a strict focus on delighting the customers using processes that rely heavily on outsourcing and you can see just what a challenge it would be. Wait a minute! There’s also that whole “deliver significant shareholder value and growth, year after year” thing. Daunting? Yes. But not for Santa, Inc. How does the company do it?

That’s what I look at in this podcast episode, using one of the great tools available to understand products, businesses, and other opportunities: the Business Model Canvas. A while back, I played around an applied the BMC to a holiday-season centric subject.