Drift

You have to pick an edge, pick a side. You can't be in the middle. Because the middle is where there's consensus.&nbsp;This week on Seeking Wisdom, DC and Adam talk about why consensus is dangerous for companies – and why you need to avoid it at all costs. Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends. You can connect with DC on Twitter @dcancel @DriftPodcasts or text him to share your feedback at +1-212-380-1036.For more learnings from DC, check out his weekly newsletter, The One Thing. You can subscribe here: <a href="https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/</a>

Adam works on strategy + sales products at Drift. He joined Drift following the acquisition of Siftrock where he was CEO and co-founder. He also hosts the podcast Built in Seattle.

Adam Schoenfeld

VP at Drift

You have to pick an edge, pick a side. You can't be in the middle. Because the middle is where there's consensus. This week on Seeking Wisdom, DC and Adam talk about why consensus is dangerous for companies – and why you need to avoid it at all costs. 


#170: Avoid Consensus (Unless You Want Average Results) 

Want to get better every single day? Tune into Seeking Wisdom, a podcast hosted by Drift's David Cancel. You'll hear about the leadership principles that have changed his personal and professional outlook and the hard-earned lessons he's learned over his 25+ year career as a 5X startup founder.

Seeking Wisdom

You have to pick an edge, pick a side. You can't be in the middle. Because the middle is where there's consensus.&nbsp;This week on Seeking Wisdom, DC and Adam talk about why consensus is dangerous for companies – and why you need to avoid it at all costs. <h3>Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends. You can connect with DC on Twitter @dcancel @DriftPodcasts or text him to share your feedback at +1-212-380-1036.</h3> <h3>For more learnings from DC, check out his weekly newsletter, The One Thing. You can subscribe here: <a href="https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/</a></h3><h3> </h3>

To kick off the first episode of Drift's newest podcast, DC sits down for a special episode with Elias Torres – Drift co-founder, CTO, and now the host of The American Dream. In an unfiltered chat with Dena Upton (Drift's Chief People Officer) Elias and DC open up about their backgrounds and upbringing (Elias in Nicaragua and DC in Queens, NY), what it means to be Latin American in tech, how Drift is addressing systemic racism in the industry, and more. The American Dream is available wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe: <ul><li>Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-american-dream/id1561784909</li><li>Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bIW15aPVT1JFNyhCLLdab?si=q0vYqyvjSBe_PzyHkN9ZLg&amp;nd=1</li></ul> In the meantime, be sure to leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends. You can connect with DC, Elias, and Dena on Twitter @dcancel @eliast @heydenaupton@DriftPodcasts. For more learnings from Elias, check out his quarterly newsletter, The American Dream. You can subscribe at https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/american-dream/

To kick off the first episode of Drift's newest podcast, DC sits down for a special chat with Elias Torres – Drift co-founder, CTO, and now the host of The American Dream. In an unfiltered chat with Dena Upton (Drift's Chief People Officer) Elias and DC open up about their backgrounds and upbringing (Elias in Nicaragua and DC in Queens, NY), what it means to be Latin American in tech, how Drift is addressing systemic racism in the industry, and more.


#169: Introducing The American Dream with Elias Torres

This week on Seeking Wisdom, David and Adam talk about arbitrage opportunities. And we're not talking about paying for clicks on Google or looking for a spread. For DC, arbitrage means finding bigger opportunities. It means being contrarian. It means looking for value where others see none.&nbsp;In other words, invest when others won't, hold back when others are greedy. Tune in to hear more now.Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends. You can connect with DC on Twitter @dcancel @DriftPodcasts or text him to share your feedback at +1-212-380-1036.For more learnings from DC, check out his weekly newsletter, The One Thing. You can subscribe here: <a href="https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/</a>

Adam works on strategy + sales products at Drift. He joined Drift following the acquisition of Siftrock where he was CEO and co-founder. He also hosts the podcast Built in Seattle.


This week on Seeking Wisdom, David and Adam talk about arbitrage opportunities. In other words, invest when others won't, hold back when others are greedy. Tune in to hear more now.


#168: Seek Arbitrage Opportunities

This week on Seeking Wisdom, DC talks about the five aspects of culture at Drift. Who better to join the discussion than our very own Chief People Officer, Dena Upton.&nbsp;The two of them dive right into why these five aspects help the team at Drift thrive. Dena says it perfectly, “We need to be explicit about what we celebrate, and what we don’t tolerate.”Tune in to listen to DC and our superstar guest, Dena!Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends. You can connect with DC on Twitter @dcancel @DriftPodcasts or text him to share your feedback at +1-212-380-1036.For more learnings from DC, check out his weekly newsletter, The One Thing. You can subscribe here: <a href="https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/</a> Key Takeaways01:56 Role Model in Future Diversity03:44 Defining Principles06:22 Challenge Your Thinking11:01 Make Scrappy Classy13:19 Reid Hastings Quote16:29 Careers Aren't Always Linear19:48 Creating a Culture of Autonomy28:12 Creating an Equitable Company

Dena Upton is the Chief People Officer at Drift, where she leads the people operations team, responsible for the company's talent development, operations, recruitment and retention. Prior to Drift, Dena served as VP, People and Talent at LogMeIn.

Under Upton's leadership, her prior companies have been recognized for outstanding culture and talent management, including nine consecutive Best Places to Work accolades for LogMeIn from the BBJ. She strives to find new and innovative ways to approach business opportunities and tends to push the edge. She believes in enabling all people to reach their potential and wakes up every day thinking about what she can do to deliver on this intent.

Dena Upton

Chief People Officer

This week on Seeking Wisdom, DC talks about the five aspects of culture at Drift. Who better to join the discussion than our very own Chief People Officer, Dena Upton. 


#167: The Culture Episode

DC and Adam are back to talk about... the news?! That's right. In a year that's been dominated by the news, DC has figured out how to tune it out. But not in favor of ignorance. Instead, he does it for his own sanity and productivity. In this episode, you'll learn about DC's eight-year-long news fast, how it's helped him focus on what's most important, and why it's the ultimate mood builder. Plus, hear how he tunes it out, but still manages to check in. Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends. You can connect with DC on Twitter @dcancel @DriftPodcasts or text him to share your feedback at +1-212-380-1036. For more learnings from DC, check out his weekly newsletter, The One Thing. You can subscribe here: https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/

In this episode, learn about DC's eight-year-long news fast, how it's helped him focus on what's most important, and why it's the ultimate mood builder. Plus, hear how he tunes it out, but still manages to check in.


#166: Why DC Went on a News Fast and How You Can Too

On this episode of Seeking Wisdom, DC and Adam dive deep into one of DC's favorite topics: storytelling. DC comes from a very analytical, framework-driven way of thinking and for many, including him, storytelling can seem arbitrary. It's a topic that's hard to get your arms around. So until DC founded Drift, he hadn't given it too much thought. But then he had to market to marketers. And that's when he finally began to understand the power of storytelling. On this episode, you'll get practical and tactical advice on how to build a story that sells including lessons from DC himself, Joseph Campbell who popularized the concept of the "hero's journey", and why stand up comedians are great storytellers. Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends. You can connect with DC on Twitter @dcancel @DriftPodcasts For more learnings from DC, check out his weekly newsletter, The One Thing. You can subscribe here: https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/

On this episode of Seeking Wisdom, DC dives deep into the art of storytelling: why it's important, how to do it right, and who to learn from. Listen and subscribe now.


#165: How We Think About Storytelling at Drift

DC is often asked why he started Drift when he started Drift. As his fifth company, a lot went into the decision. But it boils down to a simple question – Why now? – with a simple answer– undeniable shifts.

In this episode, DC explains why “Why now?” is the most important question any entrepreneur can ask themself before starting a new venture. The answer must always be because of an undeniable shift – a massive change in our world, a megatrend that’s forcing people to adopt new behaviors. He also shares insights from three experts: Strategic messaging expert Andy Raskin, Sequoia Capital founder Don Valentine, and Sequoia partner and early Facebook employee Mike Vernal.

Like this episode? Be sure to leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ review and share the pod with your friends. You can connect with DC on Twitter @dcancel @DriftPodcasts

For more learnings from DC, check out his weekly newsletter, The One Thing. You can subscribe here: https://www.drift.com/insider/learn/newsletters/dc/

Resources:
Andy Raskin – Great Pitches Start with Change https://medium.com/the-mission/great-pitches-start-with-change-2c7e696b86ea
Don Valentine – Target Big Markets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKN-abRJMEw

What's the most important question to ask yourself as a founder? DC answers it here. Tune into this episode of Seeking Wisdom to learn more.

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ABOUT THE SHOW

David Cancel

Co-Founder & CEO, Drift