How to make better decisions and build a joyful career | Ada Chen Rekhi (Notejoy, LinkedIn)

Ada Chen Rekhi is an executive coach and co-founder of Notejoy. She helps founders scale themselves alongside their teams. She has over a decade of experience leading teams through periods of rapid transition, from the chaos of founding early-stage startups to leadership roles in growing SurveyMonkey and LinkedIn. In today’s podcast, we discuss: • How utilizing a “curiosity loop” can aid you in decision-making • A values exercise that can help determine if your life choices align with your personal values • Ada’s “explore and exploit” framework for making the most of your job opportunities • The advantages of seeking an executive coach and useful tips on finding one • Tips for women navigating working in Silicon Valley • Why it’s so important to provide constructive feedback — Brought to you by Sprig—Product insights that drive product success. Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-make-better-decisions-and Where to find Ada Chen Rekhi: • Website: https://www.adachen.com/ • Twitter: https://twitter.com/adachen • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adachen/ Where to find Lenny: • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com • Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/ In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Ada’s background (03:17) What a curiosity loop is and when to use one (11:39) Using curiosity loops in your personal life (14:13) How curiosity loops are like customer advisory councils (16:30) A values exercise (25:30) Ada’s “explore and exploit” framework (31:28) When it’s time to leave your job (35:37) Logo collecting and why you should optimize for your values instead (39:30) What triggered Ada to reevaluate her career path (42:10) Why most people don’t actually need a coach (44:59) When coaching is valuable (47:20) How to find the right coach (51:38) Advice for women in Silicon Valley (1:00:08) Eating your vegetables—why you need to power through things you find challenging (1:05:07) Why you should write to crystallize knowledge, rather than for likes (1:06:54) How to successfully build a company with your spouse (1:11:07) Lightning round Referenced: • SurveyMonkey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/ • Values exercise: https://www.adachen.com/build-your-inner-scorecard-a-10-minute-exercise-for-better-decisions/ • Clay: https://www.clay.com/ • The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick): https://www.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches-Stick/dp/1591841666/ • Research on the coaching industry: https://www.adachen.com/an-in-depth-guide-to-executive-coaching-everything-you-need-to-know-part-1/ • The inner scorecard: https://fs.blog/the-inner-scorecard/ • How to find a coach: https://www.adachen.com/a-practical-guide-how-to-find-an-executive-coach-part-3/ • Radical Candor: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Revised-Kim-Scott/dp/1250258405/ • Kim Malone Scott: https://kimmalonescott.com/ • Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion: https://a.co/d/6JycbJo • Designing Your Life: https://a.co/d/cS2IqG0 • Ted Lasso on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ted-lasso/ • Star Trek: Strange New Worlds on Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/star-trek-strange-new-worlds/ • Notejoy: https://notejoy.com/ • Captio: https://captio.co/ • Note to Self: https://notetoselfapp.com/ • Arc: https://arc.net/ • Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Time-Focus-Matters-Every/dp/0525572422 Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.