Ferenc Fekete

Helping non-tech Founders transform Ideas into SaaS products @ VeryCreatives | Product Agency, SaaS & MVP Development | Startups

I've watched many startup founders fail at the same exact point: turning their validated idea into actual software.

They waste months (or even years):
→ Trying to hire the right developers
→ Burning cash on poor planning and execution
→ Second-guessing every technical decision along the way

Meanwhile, competitors move faster, investors demand traction, and the pressure to deliver keeps building more and more.

After watching this pattern destroy countless promising startups, we built VeryCreatives to fix it.

But here's what makes us different:

We don't just build your MVP and disappear. We're product people who think like founders, not just developers who code to spec.

👉 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵: We start by pressure-testing your assumptions before writing a single line of code. If the market doesn't want it, we'll tell you straight.

👉 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲: We build like it's our own startup, obsessing over user experience, scalability, and investor readiness from the first sprint.

👉 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱: Whether you're at napkin sketch or Series B, we've been there. We've helped founders go from zero to acquisition, and we stick around for the entire journey.

For the past 14 years, we've built products for venture-backed startups, fast-growing scale-ups, and globally recognized brands like Red Bull, Nestlé, and Philips.

The startups we work with have:
✅ Launched investor-ready MVPs in under 90 days
✅ Secured funding from top-tier investors and VCs
✅ Scaled from first users to thousands of paying customers
✅ Successfully exited to strategic acquirers

Got a SaaS idea that's been sitting in your head for months? 
Let's map out your 90-day path to launch → https://verycreatives.com/book-a-call

Co-Founder

At VeryCreatives, we are a team of expert developers who create powerful SaaS apps that solve problems and drive growth for founders with initial funding. We believe in empowering our clients with innovative software that helps them achieve their goals and stand out in their industry.

Our audience consists of driven and ambitious founders who have just received initial funding for their startup. They are looking for a software development partner who understands their vision, can help bring their ideas to life, and deliver results that will help them achieve their business goals.

Founders with initial funding have a pressing need to build their product quickly and efficiently to maximize their chances of success. At VeryCreatives, we understand this need and are dedicated to creating high-quality SaaS apps that not only meet their requirements but also exceed their expectations. We are committed to delivering value and results that help our clients succeed.

VeryCreatives stands out in the market for our ability to deliver high-quality, innovative solutions that meet the needs of our clients. Our unique approach to software development, coupled with our expertise and commitment to excellence, is what drives us to provide outstanding results to our clients.

Industries our clients operate in, using the SaaS products we've built: 
- Digital marketing, Event marketing & Influencer marketing SaaS
- Foodtech & Delivery 
- Fintech, Banking & Investments
- 2-sided marketplace platforms
- Agriculture & Livestock management
- Packaging compliance & Waste

Markets we cover: UAE, EU, UK, US.

The UK is shipping world-class SaaS 🇬🇧

Here's 20 UK startups and the core feature that makes each one worth watching:

Attio (Nicolas Sharp) → AI-native CRM that auto-enriches contacts in real time. ARR quadrupling YoY.

Synthesia (Victor Riparbelli) → Text-to-video with 230+ AI avatars in 140+ languages. $180M Series D.

PolyAI (Nikola Mrkšić) → Voice AI that handles live customer calls in 45 languages. Backed by Nvidia.

Xelix (Paul Roiter) → AI agents for Accounts Payable. Processes 115M+ invoices per year.

Granola (Christopher Pedregal) → AI meeting notepad. Auto-generates structured notes and action items from calls.

Vertice (Eldar Tuvey) → SaaS spend platform that auto-negotiates your renewals. 437% growth rate.

Signal AI (David Benigson) → Real-time monitoring across millions of sources for reputation and regulatory risk.

Plain (Simon Rohrbach) → API-first support where AI agents resolve tickets autonomously. Used by Vercel and Cursor.

Griffin (David Jarvis) → UK's first full-stack Banking-as-a-Service with a full banking license.

Primer (@Paul Anthony) → Single API connecting 100+ payment processors with no-code routing.

hyperexponential (​Amrit Santhirasenan) → No-code pricing models for commercial insurers. Backed by a16z.

Raycast (Thomas Paul Mann) → Keyboard-first productivity launcher. 800+ app integrations with built-in AI.

StackOne (Romain Sestier) → One API to connect 200+ enterprise SaaS integrations. Built for AI agents.

Lindus Health (Meri Beckwith) → Runs full clinical trials 3x faster than traditional CROs.

Metaview (Siadhal Magos) → Auto-generates structured interview notes from live conversations. Used by Sony and Brex.

Sylvera (Allister Furey) → Satellite imagery and ML to rate the actual quality of carbon credits.

Robin AI (Richard Robinson) → LLM trained on 2M+ contracts. Reviews and negotiates legal docs for UBS and Pfizer.

BVNK (Jesse Hemson-Struthers) → Stablecoin payment infrastructure for cross-border business transactions.

Shop Circle (Luca Cartechini) → AI-powered suite for Shopify merchants. Inventory, SEO, analytics in one dashboard.

Tessl (Guy Podjarny) → Forces AI coding agents to write specs before generating code. Prevents hallucinations.

Every one of these started with a sharp product decision: solve one problem exceptionally well, then expand.

What UK startup has caught your eye recently?

Launch products customers love, then exit | 5x exits, $100M ARR created for founders

I’ve developed products for 5x exits

Shock: Don't hire a developer in 2026

Every week, a non-technical founder asks me: "Where do I find good developers?"

My answer: "Why do you need one?"

Usually they don't. Not yet.

Before you hire a developer, you need:

1. Validated problem

→ Real people willing to pay. Not just "interested."


2. Clear scope

→ What are you building? What are you NOT building?


3. User journey mapped

→ Every screen. Every interaction. Every edge case.


4. Prioritized features

→ What's V1 vs V2 vs never?

Without these, you'll waste $15-20k per month while you "figure it out."

If you DO need a developer:

Red flags:

→ Promises fast/cheap (you'll pay later)
→ Doesn't ask about your business model
→ Jumps straight to coding
→ Can't explain trade-offs in plain English

Green flags:

→ Asks more questions than you expect
→ Pushes back on features
→ Talks about users, not just tech
→ Shows similar work (not just "we can do that")

The best developers will tell you what NOT to build.

"The project will cost $50k." - Developer
 
3 months later: $120k. Sh*t. What happened?

Every non-technical founder has heard this: "It will take longer than expected."

But you can prevent it (with some high-school math)

Here's how to build an accurate cost forecast:

Step 1: Break it down absurdly small

Not "user authentication: $5k"

But:

→ Login page design: $500
→ Login backend: $1k
→ Password reset flow: $1.5k
→ OAuth integration: $2k
→ Security testing: $500


Step 2: Add complexity multipliers

→ Simple feature: 1x
→ Medium complexity: 1.5x
→ Complex/uncertain: 2x
→ Integration with third parties: 2.5x


Step 3: Add the "unknown unknowns" buffer

→ New team: +30%
→ Existing team, new domain: +20%
→ Experienced team, known domain: +10%


Step 4: Phase the budget

→ Phase 1: Core features (40% of budget)
→ Phase 2: Secondary features (30% of budget)
→ Phase 3: Polish and optimization (20% of budget)
→ Buffer: (10% of budget)


Step 5: Define cut points

If Phase 1 goes over, what do you cut from Phase 2?

Decide BEFORE you're in crisis mode.


The rule:

If you haven't scoped it in detail, you haven't scoped it.

And if you haven't scoped it, any number is a guess.

So…

Maybe pause that developer project.

Mixpanel is the only company I've seen do this 🔥

They’re putting client logos directly on each pricing tier. 

I think this is smart for a few reasons:

1. Trust at the decision point

You're comparing plans. You're about to pick one.

That's exactly when you see the logos. Trust increases right when it matters most.


2. Self-comparison kicks in

When you see "Uber uses the Growth plan" and "CNN uses Enterprise," you start asking yourself:

→ Which companies are like mine?
→ What plan are they on?
→ Should I be on that too?


3. The proof matches the buyer

→ Startups see startup logos on the Starter tier.
→ Enterprises see enterprise logos on the Enterprise tier.
→ Each plan has its own social proof. Not one generic "10,000 companies trust us" claim.

Small detail. Probably moves conversions more than most people realize.

Have you seen other SaaS companies doing this?

I've been part of 5 SaaS acquisitions.

Here's what buyers discuss privately:

When a company gets acquired, founders focus on revenue, growth metrics, and the pitch.

But after the presentation, when the acquirer's technical team goes back to their office, the conversation shifts completely.

I've seen this happen five times now. The questions they ask each other are almost always the same:

→ "Can we maintain this code without them?"

If the answer is no, the price drops or the deal dies. One of our clients got acquired by Adesso ($1.3B IT company) and one of the deciding factors was code quality. Their team reviewed the codebase and actually kept us as the development partner post-acquisition.


→ "How much technical debt are we inheriting?"

Every shortcut the original team took becomes a line item on a spreadsheet. They calculate what it costs to fix and deduct it from the offer. This can knock six figures off valuations.


→ "Can this handle 10x the current load right now?"

Not after a rebuild. Right now, as-is. If the answer requires re-architecting, that's another cost they subtract.


→ "Is the data clean enough to migrate?"

Messy data means months of integration work on their side. They price that in aggressively.


→ "What happens when the founders walk away?"

If all the product knowledge lives in two people's heads with nothing documented, the acquirer just bought a risk.


Most non-technical founders don't think about any of this until they're already in due diligence. By then the damage is done.

Build like someone's reviewing your codebase tomorrow. After 13 years, I've watched acquisition offers show up when founders least expect them.

What would you want to clean up in your tech stack before a buyer looked at it?

I run a 28-person agency. I used to feel guilty about an ‘empty calendar’ on a Monday. Now I try cancel all of my meetings:

And it’s helped us grow revenue 30%+.

Previously I was in every delivery meeting, every project review, every standup at VeryCreatives.

I thought I had to be in the room for things to run.

Now, our fantastic Head of Delivery meets with the PMs directly. 

And an ‘empty calendar’ means brain space to strategise on growth.

Here's what my Monday looks like now:

1. Strategy session with my co-founder Mate
→ Previous week, pipeline, finances, what's planned
→ Keeps us both aligned so neither of us needs to check in again all week

2. Sales sync
→ New leads, who handles what, timing

3. Afternoon: wide open
→ This is the whole point
→ We use that time to plan new internal tools, shape future services, figure out where we're going next

By lunchtime, the operational part of my day is done.

Everything after that is thinking time.

What's one meeting you could delete from your Monday to create space?

I've helped 5 SaaS products exit. 

Here's what acquirers actually looked at:

5 years ago, a product we developed sold to Adesso ($1.3BN/year IT business).

One of the things they noted was that technical build was a factor in acquisition.

Main problem:

Non-technical founders MOSTLY don’t think about how to build the technical foundation for exit from day 1.

Then in the event of acquisition they scramble to make the product "acquirable" and wonder why due diligence takes forever.

Here's what acquirers evaluate:

1. Code quality

Can they maintain it without you?

I've seen acquirers keep the original dev team post-acquisition specifically because the code was clean. 

Red flags they look for:

→ No documentation
→ No tests
→ Spaghetti architecture
→ Single points of failure


2. Technical debt

How much will it cost to fix?

Every shortcut you take today becomes a negotiating chip against you later.


3. Scalability

Can it handle 10x users?

Not "can we rebuild it to handle 10x." Can it handle 10x NOW?


4. Data integrity

Is the data clean? Structured? Portable?

Messy data = massive integration costs = lower valuation.


5. Team dependency

What happens if founders leave? Is knowledge in heads or in docs?

My ‘exit-ready’ lesson;

Build like someone's going to buy your company tomorrow.

Because if you do it right, they might.

Think about this while building the roadmap for your v1.

My 6-year old son tells $100M private equity firms if product ideas are ‘good’ (I’m serious).

If you can't explain your product to a 6-year old, I’ve got $100,000 on the fact that no one else will get it either.

I sit through dozens of product pitches every year.

The pattern is always the same:

Founder: "So basically, we're building a platform that leverages AI to optimize cross-functional workflows while integrating with existing enterprise systems to enable seamless collaboration and data-driven decision making."

Me: "What does it actually do?"

Founder: "...It helps teams share files."

The 6-year old test:

Can someone who has never heard of your product understand:

1. WHO it's for
2. WHAT problem it solves
3. WHY they should care

In 5 seconds?

If not, here's the formula that works:

"We help [specific person] [do specific thing] so they can [achieve specific outcome]."

Examples:

→ "We help freelancers send invoices so they get paid faster." 
→ "We help HR teams track applicants so they hire better candidates."

Trust me… my 6-year old is a great product idea validation filter.

Can you explain your product in one sentence?

Clay is one of the only companies I’ve seen do this 🔥

When you open the dashboard:

→ There's an AI chat text box.
→ It asks: "What do you want to build?"
→ You type your goal. It takes you to a chat screen. 
→ Then their AI (Sculptor) builds the workflow for you.

I think this solves three problems at once:


1. The blank canvas problem

Clay is powerful but notoriously hard to start with (lot’s of features).

Beginner users will open it, see an empty table, and don't know where to begin.

This prompt box removes that moment. 


2. Slow learning curve

A lot of tools teach you their features via an onboarding. 

But then over a few years they launch 10+ other features you have no clue how to use.

This Clay feature speeds up the learning curve:

→ You describe the outcome
→ The product figures out which features to use
→ You learn by watching it build


3. HUGE time and cost savings. 

For a lot of large products such as Clay, there are off shoots of service based agencies that build with the product for you.

Now you literally do not need to hire an agency.

The product builds what you need for you.

Making it more fun to use.

-

Have you seen other tools do this?

Why US innovation labs pay $500K for what Hungarian teams build for $100K (and get better results):

I just watched an enterprise innovation lab spend $500K on a product that never saw a single real user.

Then in same quarter, we shipped a similar concept for a German client. 

It took six weeks, it cost much less…. and in the end was live and taking payments vs the US one (zero payments).

The problem is US labs have been trained to solve every problem with a 20-person team.

Think about what happens when you have a massive budget:

→ You hire a product manager.
→ You hire three designers.
→ You hire a scrum master.
→ You hire eight developers.
→ You hire two QA engineers
→ And a DevOps team.

Everyone needs to justify their role. So they build. And build. And build.

👉 The PM adds features to show progress
👉 Designers polish screens nobody asked for
👉 Developers architect for scale you don't have
👉 QA tests edge cases that won't exist for years

Six months later, you have a beautiful product that solves nothing particularly well.

OR-

With that same $500k budget, you could run 10 separate validation sprints at $50k each. Even if 8 fail completely, you still walk away with 2 validated concepts to scale.

Compare that to putting the budget on one product that takes six months to discover nobody wants.

Agree or disagree?

Fireflies.ai hit a $1B valuation.

How to copy their MVP strategy:

Founders Sam Udotong and Krish Ramineni would dial into calls as "Fred from Fireflies.ai", sit silently, take notes by hand, and send them 10 minutes later.

They did 100+ meetings like this. Completely manual. 🤯

→ Zero development cost to validate
→ Learned exactly what users needed (by doing the job themselves)
→ Proved people would pay $100/month BEFORE investing in code
→ Only automated after hitting $750/month revenue

What I take from this:

Before you scope features, before you wireframe, before you hire anyone:

Can you deliver the core value manually? Without hiring any developers?

If yes, do that first. Talk to those customers. Understand the problem deeply.

Then build.

-

P.s.

We use Fireflies.ai at VeryCreatives.

We switched from Fathom because it felt more complete and could even log our internal calls in Hungarian. 🇭🇺

Could you imagine Fred joining your call to take notes?

What's stopping you from delivering your product's value manually this week?

Most launches fail in the handoffs. Here's the 20-minute test that catches them.

If we work together on a launch, I will ask you to do one thing that feels annoying:

Close Figma.

Forget your test accounts.

Take a brand new signup and do one complete job in one sitting:

👉Invite the teammates you expect them to invite.

👉Import the messy file they will actually import.

👉Hit the permission edges you are secretly hoping they never hit.

What I keep seeing is the same:

Teams test features in isolation because it feels faster.

Users live in journeys.

Journeys fail in the handoffs.

So, pick one job that really matters.

Time yourself doing it end to end on a fresh account.

Write down every time you pause, swear, or ping someone for help.

Fix the three worst moments before you celebrate anything.

It is not glamorous work, but it has saved more launches for us than any marketing campaign.

When's the last time you did a full journey test on a fresh account?

Hiring a developer is the most expensive mistake a non-technical founder can make. Do these 7 things to save $50k+ for your MVP (avoid Upwork/Fiverr):

1. Define your product strategy first

→ Spend 2-3 days defining exactly what you're building and why. 
→ Don’t scroll Upwork/Fiver for a developer.


2. Create detailed user journeys

→ Every screen. Every interaction. Every edge case.
→ If you can't draw it, you can't build it.
→ Otherwise you’ll end up trusting a developer with the entire thing.


3. Prioritize features ruthlessly

→ What's your V1? V2? Never?
→ Cut 50% of what you think you need.


4. Wireframe everything

→ Before design and before code. Do wireframes.
→ It’s cheap to change (trust me on that one). 


5. Weekly demos with the developer

→ See progress. Catch misunderstandings early.
→ Fast feedback loops save thousands.


6. Fixed scope, not fixed time

→ Tell the developer "Build these 10 features" not "work for 3 months."
→ Not "work for 3 months." or "work for 10 hours this week."


7. Kill features that aren't working

→ Sunk cost fallacy kills startups.


The math:

A few days of product strategy work upfront can prevent $50k-$100k in wrong features.

I've seen founders spend $80k building the wrong thing. Then start over.

Don't be that founder.

The fastest way to make $100k MRR with SaaS 

Copy all of your competitors features:

No, seriously.

But only once you take this into account.

Your competitor has 50 features. 
They’re proven over 5+ years.
They’re clearly making revenue.

Just copy them all right?

Here's the problem:

Your competitor built those 50 features over 5 years.

They added most of them because:

→ A big customer asked for it
→ Someone on the team thought it was cool
→ They were trying to justify a price increase

They probably regret half of them.

What to do instead:

1. Identify their core value proposition (usually 2-3 features)
2. Find which features their customers actually use (check G2 reviews, Reddit, support forums)
3. Identify what they do poorly (read 1-star reviews)
4. Build that. Better.

Don't compete on feature count. 

You'll lose.

Compete on solving one problem exceptionally well.

What's the one thing your competitor does that you could do 10x better?

The Inspired Leader

I help high-achieving professionals—especially the ones who feel invisible despite their impact—step into leadership without selling out, burning out, or waiting years for someone to “finally see their potential.”

Using my neuroscience-based THRIVE Methodology, I’ve coached 700+ professionals in tech, product, and engineering to land promotions, elevate executive presence, and reclaim 5–15 hours per week—while getting paid more to do less of what drains them.

This isn’t a course or a mindset pep talk. It’s deep, strategic leadership transformation that helps you be seen as irreplaceable—fast.

Results include:

-$100K+ comp jumps and first-time Director roles at top firms
-Promotions to Director in under 90 days
-Escapes from toxic teams into high-impact, values-aligned leadership roles
-7-figure business growth in under 3 years through referrals and real client wins

Clients cross the chasm of tech from MAANG to startups to B2B Enterprise software.
If you're done being the best-kept secret and ready to play bigger—without burning out—let’s connect.

Founder and Coach

BetterUp

At BetterUp, I serve as a trusted coach to high-performing professionals navigating complex career moments—from preparing for executive promotion to recovering from burnout or rebuilding confidence after a layoff.

My clients are often rockstars on paper—engineering managers, product directors, high-potential VPs—yet they feel stuck, undervalued, or unsure how to take their leadership to the next level. Together, we transform that stuckness into clarity, strategic influence, and career momentum.

One client, a senior product manager at a Fortune 500 company, came to me after being passed over for promotion three times. Within four months of coaching, she redefined her leadership narrative, learned how to influence senior stakeholders, and landed the promotion with a $70K raise.

Another client, a recently laid-off engineering leader, felt completely destabilized after 15 years at the same company. We worked together to rebuild his identity, redesign his value proposition, and land a new role—this time in a VP seat, with more autonomy and better work-life balance.

I specialize in helping high achievers lead without burnout, navigate toxic environments, and claim their space at the executive table—without having to sell out, hustle harder, or become someone they're not. Using research-backed frameworks in neuroscience, positive psychology, and strategic influence, I help clients unlock lasting leadership growth.

Master Leadership Coach

Boston Product Management Association (BPMA)

Board of Directors: President and Vice President

Workhuman

Lead Product Director and Strategist with a proven track record of driving innovation, defining vision, and executing go-to-market strategies for groundbreaking HR technology solutions. Spearheaded the creation and launch of a Crowdsourced Performance Management Solution, addressing a $6 billion market opportunity with a projected revenue potential of $250 million annually.

-Pioneered Industry Adoption: Partnered with global organizations like Merck and Dell, collaborating with their CHROs to pilot the MVP. Achieved a successful rollout to thousands of internal users, driving 20% improvement in employee engagement metrics.

-Established Market Thought Leadership: Presented product vision and strategy to an audience of 900+ CHROs and HR professionals at Workhuman events, positioning Workhuman as a leader in crowdsourced performance management.

-Built Personal Brand: Recognized as a thought leader in performance management and employee feedback, growing LinkedIn following by 8,000+ professionals and earning invitations to speak at prominent HR conferences.

-Defined Pricing Strategy: Developed and implemented a tiered pricing model for both SMBs and enterprise customers, ensuring scalability and alignment with diverse client needs.

-Product Evangelist: Advocated for the concept of crowdsourced performance development through blogging, customer strategy sessions, public publications. Featured in HR Magazine and Organizational Development Magazine.

Director of Product

Kronos Incorporated

-Drove the strategy and roadmap for market leading $X-Billion / year Workforce Central Suite, scaling growth and impact across global markets from South America to Europe to APAC.

-Managed a team of up to 5 direct reports of Senior Product Managers.

-Partnered with up to 4 global engineering teams and 50 cross functional stakeholders for solutions that crossed workforce management, Recruiting, and Talent Management.

-Presented to user groups at large conferences with up to 1000 attendees.

-Provided SME expertise along with customer insights to work alongside sales in Key Accounts to help close over $50M in revenue.

-Pioneered the use of a Customer Advisory Board with clients from Fortune 50 organizations across Healthcare and Financial Services to drive thought leadership, customer satisfaction, and roadmap planning.

Director, Product Management 

Aspect Software

Lead Product Line Manager for Aspect Unified IP, the premier contact center solution generating eight digits in annual new product revenue.  Instrumental in product growth through the building of strategic and tactical product requirements, enabling it to become the Aspect’s flagship product. Customer base grew twenty-fold to a 2010 global market share of 22.3%.

Principal Product Manager

Verizon Communications, Inc.

Senior Product Manager building products for call centers, billing, and telecommunications.

Senior Product Manager and Product Manager

Helping Product Managers Grow Their Careers, Kick Burnout to the Curb, and Claim Their Seat at the Strategy Table| Board Member | Tech Leadership Coach

𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 as a Leader
I help high-achievers break into Director & VP roles—without working more & playing ugly politics.

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗬𝗢𝗨
Being a high performer often feels like carrying the weight of the world, but without the recognition, title, or pay to match.

You’ve sacrificed time, health, and joy waiting for the leadership role you deserve, but let’s be real. Does this sound like you?

❌ Tired of being overlooked while less capable people rise?
❌ Sick of working harder but never getting ahead?
❌ Frustrated with leadership advice that tells you to "speak up more" or "be more visible"—when you already deliver results?


👉 You’re ready for leadership, but on your terms—without burnout, endless hustle, or pretending to be someone you’re not.
👉 You’re done watching others take credit while you stay the behind-the-scenes workhorse.
👉 You want impact, recognition, and the pay you deserve—without sacrificing your well-being.
👉 You believe in leading authentically—not playing politics or putting on a mask.

The truth is, you don’t have to work nonstop, play ugly politics, or wait for permission to lead.

You can shift from overworked, invisible, and exhausted to becoming a strategic, sought-after leader—one who commands respect, influence, and balance.

𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗠𝗘
🔹 25+ years in corporate...always building products
🔹 Learned how to play the game of leadership without burning out
🔹 Executive Leadership Roles Across Multiple Organizations
🔹 Multiple coaching certifications from Top Universities
🔹 I have been exactly where you are, and I figured out how to Lead and Thrive.

𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗦:
👉 Coached 710+ high achievers in tech into leadership roles that align with their values and strengths.
👉 Guided clients to promotions at Director, VP, SVP, and even C-Suite levels—on their terms.
👉 Helped parents & partners reclaim time for their families while advancing their careers to Director and VP.

PROGRAMS
Signature Leadership Accelerator: Unleashing high achievers to Director & VP roles without working 80 hour weeks.
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We have clients from hundreds of organizations, including Amazon, Meta, Google, Salesforce, Paypal, Stripe, Wayfair, and more.

Lynne Levy, MBA, MS.

You can't fix a toxic leader.

HR won't save you.
The skip-level won't fix it.
And they're not going anywhere.

After coaching hundreds of tech leaders through this exact situation, I've learned there are really only three options.

━━━━━

𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟭: 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺

Yes, this is actually doable.

Study their patterns. What triggers them? What makes them feel important? What do they actually care about?

Toxic leaders are predictable once you stop taking their behavior personally.

Manage up strategically:
• Give them wins they can claim
• Communicate in their preferred style
• Build alliances around them, not through them

This isn't selling out. It's survival with intention.

━━━━━

𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟮: 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲

Sounds simple. It's not.

In this market, "just leave" is advice from people who aren't paying your mortgage.

But if you're going to leave, leave strategically:
• Network before you're desperate
• Update your materials while you're still employed
• Target roles, don't spray applications

Leaving from a position of strength is different than fleeing in survival mode.

━━━━━

𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝟯: 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘁

This is the one nobody talks about.

You don't quit tomorrow. You build while you're still employed.

Package your expertise. Test it with one client. Create income that doesn't depend on your toxic VP's mood.

By month 6, you've got leverage. By month 12, you've got options.

When they finally push you too far?
You smile. Stay professional. Walk away on your terms.

━━━━━

The worst option? Waiting for them to change.

They won't.

The question is: which option are you building toward? 💫

🔁 If this resonated, please repost and help spread awareness.
🔔 Follow Lynne Levy, MBA🎙️ for more real talk on leadership and building your exit in the world of tech.

Lynne Levy

Helping Tech Sr. Managers, Directors & VPs win in new roles & transitions | Authority, politics, reorgs, influence | 900+ coached | Forbes Coaches Council

You can't fix a Toxic Leader

I spent 20 years trying to outwork difficult colleagues.

Here is what I learned....It's not about overwork. You need a script to enable you to take control of the conversation.

→ I stayed late to prove myself. Replayed conversations at 2am. 
→ Came home grumpy more nights than I'd like to admit. 
→ Worked through burnout. 
→ Watched my blood pressure climb.

I thought if I worked harder, stayed calmer, proved my value… it would fix it.
It didn’t.

Eventually I learned something uncomfortable:
You don’t outwork bad behavior. 

You out-boundary it.

Here are 8 scripts high performers use in difficult conversations:
𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁-𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴
→ “I want to clarify my contribution here.”
→ Protect your contribution.

𝗙𝗮𝗰𝘁-𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
→ “Let’s check the notes.”
→ Return to documented reality.

𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆-𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
→ “If this is a priority, what shifts?”
→ Enforce tradeoffs calmly.

𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻-𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴
→ “Noted.”
→ Don’t reward theatrics.

𝗚𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗽 & 𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗮
→ “I’m focused on the work.”
→ Stay out of side games.

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗺
→ “Let’s keep this professional.”
→ Hold composure.

𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
→ “I wasn’t finished.”
→ Maintain presence.

𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗱𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴
→ “What should I deprioritize?”
→ Force clarity on capacity.


The part I wish I’d learned earlier:
You don’t need to diagnose them.
You need repeatable responses.

These scripts won’t change their personality.
They change what you tolerate.


Save this for the next time a meeting goes sideways.


If you’ve learned the hard way too, tell me what it cost you.
Comment “SCRIPTS” and I’ll DM you a one-page version.

♻️ Repost for someone who needs this today
🔔 Follow Lynne Levy for practical tools for leading in tech

Gen-X leaders: Bad Bunny just headlined the Super Bowl.
No dilution. No permission slip.

You don’t need permission either.

2016: you were an analyst.
Then promoted. Then senior manager.

You survived layoffs, cuts, recessions, restructures, and career detours most people only read about in retrospect.

You didn't build a career in calm markets.
You built it in reset cycles.

━━━━━

2026: Bad Bunny headlines the Super Bowl halftime show.

Entire set in Spanish.
Biggest stage in American entertainment.
No dilution. No "make it more accessible." No permission slip.

He didn't chase crossover.
He didn't tailor himself to the industry's comfort zone.
He stayed himself long enough for the market to catch up.

━━━━━

That's the same pattern showing up for the leaders I work with now.

A VP gets feedback to "be more approachable."
(Translation: soften your directness.)

A founder is told their brand is "too niche."
(Translation: make it less distinctive.)

An exec hears "that's not how we do things here."
(Translation: conform.)

Often from people who've never carried the weight you have.

The advice is always the same: Blend in.

But markets don't adapt to people who blend in.
They adapt to the ones who refuse to sand themselves down.

━━━━━

Bad Bunny didn't change himself for the Super Bowl.
The stage widened.

And that's the part that hits differently for Gen-X.

Your experience doesn't need permission to be valuable.
Your work doesn't need universal appeal to land.
Your career doesn't need a stamp of approval to matter.

What's the part of yourself you were told to soften, but never did?

━━━━━

If you're Gen-X and tired of being judged by younger expectations, maybe it's time to stop interviewing for roles and start building something the market adapts to.

DM me "EXIT" and I'll share the framework I use to turn experience into advisory, consulting, or fractional income — while you still have a paycheck.

♻️ Repost for a rockstar who's been told to blend in
🔔 Follow Lynne Levy for strategies on building your exit from tech

3.5 years into the new tech "normal." 14-hour days. How's your blood pressure?

This is how long we've been in this crazy tech meltdown.

If you're Gen-X or a Millennial in leadership, you're carrying the weight of the tech meltdown.

The question I hear most from the leaders I work with:

How much longer can I navigate this insanity?

━━━━━

This isn't a rough quarter. It's chronic.

The chaos didn't stabilize. It became the system. The Slack ping at 10pm with "just one question." The Sunday dread that starts Saturday night.

You're exhausted in a way that sleep doesn't fix.

You're not broken. You're depleted.

Broken means something in you is wrong.
Depleted means you've been giving more than you've been getting back — for 3.5 years straight.

One is a shame story. The other is math.

━━━━━

What depletion actually costs:

→ The school play you watched from a parking lot on mute
→ The vacation where you "just checked email for 5 minutes" every morning
→ The health scare you ignored because Q3 couldn't wait
→ The kid who stopped asking you to play because the answer was always "later"

You don't notice the cost until you can't get it back.

━━━━━

I ended up in the ER after a rough meeting with the Head of Sales.

Blood pressure so high they asked if I'd been in an accident.

I sat in that bed thinking about the roadmap review I was missing. Not my kids. Not my health. The roadmap.

My body had been screaming for months. I just kept smiling through standups.

I thought I was being strong. I was just being silent.

That silence almost killed me.

━━━━━

What I learned:

Your worth isn't measured in availability.
Your value isn't proved by exhaustion.
No one is coming to save you from a system designed to extract everything you've got.

You have to protect yourself. No one else will.

━━━━━

The Depletion Filter:

Before I say yes to anything now, I ask three questions:

1. Will this matter in 2 weeks?
2. Is it tied to revenue, retention, or risk?
3. Does it require me — or just someone?

If it's not a yes to at least two, it doesn't get my best energy.

Same chaos. Different relationship with myself. Completely different life.

━━━━━

Tech doesn't reward sustainability. It rewards availability.

That's why depleted people look "high performing" right up until they disappear.

Don't be the one who disappears.

How long have you been running on empty? Drop a number — months or years. No judgment. Just honesty.

Repost for someone who needs permission to stop pretending they're fine.
Follow Lynne Levy for real talk on navigating tech without losing yourself.

We gave everything to tech.

Not because we had to. Because we LOVED it.

We loved building. Solving impossible problems. Being part of something that was actually changing the world.

We put our kids in daycare and didn't feel guilty. We were building the future.

We learned new languages every 18 months because it was exciting. We worked nights and weekends because we believed.

We survived dot-com, 2008, COVID layoffs, AI transformation. And kept shipping.

And now we're 45, 50, 55. Watching it crumble.


Companies we helped build laying off entire teams via Zoom.

Products we spent years shipping deprecated for the next pivot.

Leadership saying "people are our greatest asset" while cutting 20% for quarterly numbers.

We're on blood pressure meds. In therapy. Our marriages strained under 60-hour weeks.

Some of us got the diagnosis. Cancer. The heart attack. The breakdown.

And we finally asked: "What was it all for?"

It's not that we failed. We delivered. We led. We shipped.

It's that the company didn't value it the way we did.


At 45, 50, 55, you're "too expensive" and "not adaptable."

The loyalty you showed? Makes you look "unable to navigate the modern market."

You gave them 20 years. They'll give you 6 months severance if you're lucky.


But we know how to build systems that work.

We know how to lead through chaos. We've survived every kind.

We know how to solve impossible problems. 20 years of them.

I'm helping Gen-X tech leaders quietly exit.

Not rage-quitting. Building advisory practices. Consulting. Fractional work.

They're not learning new skills. They're packaging what they already know.

They're finally building for themselves. And they're loving it again.


You're not alone. You're not broken. You're not "too old."

You're a Gen-X tech leader who gave everything because you loved the work.

And you can love it again. When you're building for yourself.

If this hit you, what do you want your next adventure t💫

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Promotion decisions are made in rooms you're not in.
Often by people who barely know your work.

After coaching 900+ tech leaders into Director and VP roles, here's what actually decides promotions:

Promotions aren't merit decisions.
They're risk decisions.

━━━━━

Leaders promote people who make their lives easier.

I learned this the hard way.

I led a multi-million-dollar launch. Numbers crushed it.

But in the exec review, I interrupted a VP twice and challenged the roadmap in front of the C-suite. Then I sent a 1 a.m. wall-of-text email that raised three new risks with zero solutions.

The project looked good. I didn't.
I made myself feel like a risk.

That's when I realized: the work wasn't the problem. How I showed up was.

━━━━━

If you want to accelerate your promotion, focus on these 7 behaviors:

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿
→ Tight updates. Clear owners. Clean handoffs. No ambiguity.
→ Do today: Send a weekly 3-line update: (1) shipped (2) at-risk (3) decisions needed + by when

𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀
→ "Here's what's happening. Here are two paths. I recommend X because…"
→ Do today: Any time you raise a risk, include 2 options + your recommendation + the trade-off

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲
→ Calm tone. Fewer words. Clear thinking. No emotional spikes.
→ Do today: In your next tense meeting, pause 2 seconds then lead with: "Here's what we know. Here's what we're deciding."

𝗔𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗹𝘆, 𝗱𝗲𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆
→ Push back 1:1. Support the final call in the room.
→ Do today: Say: "I have a concern. Can I grab 10 minutes after to pressure test it?" then support the decision publicly

𝗘𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀
→ Pre-brief early. Flag risks early. No last-minute escalations.
→ Do today: Before any exec review, send a 24–48 hr pre-brief: "What I'm sharing, what might be asked, my recommended answer"

𝗘𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀
→ Credit loudly. Build allies. Leaders notice who creates momentum through people.
→ Do today: In your next update, add one line: "Credit to X for…" or "X unblocked Y" (and tag them)

𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗿
→ Perspective + recommendation, not status updates.
→ "Here's what I'm seeing across teams, and what I'd do next."
→ Do today: Replace one status line with: Pattern → impact → recommendation

━━━━━

High performance gets you noticed.
Making leadership's life easier gets you promoted.

Save this for your next promotion cycle.

Which of these 7 is hardest for you?

♻️ Repost for someone still thinking it's just about performance
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