Andrea Michalek
@thatandream.com
🎯 I am a: serial entrepreneur, mom, leadership coach, indie builder and diy-er.
🔥 passions: product management, women in tech, startups, AI, leadership
🚀 my path: developer → CTO → startup CEO → exit → VP PM → brain injury → consultant/coach
🔥 passions: product management, women in tech, startups, AI, leadership
🚀 my path: developer → CTO → startup CEO → exit → VP PM → brain injury → consultant/coach
My daughter picked only a few pumpkins.
Still, her wagon was almost too heavy to pull.
That moment says everything about leadership.
This week’s newsletter: The Pumpkin Problem.
Why focus isn’t the fix, and what actually is.
leadershipadvantage.xyz/posts/when-...
Still, her wagon was almost too heavy to pull.
That moment says everything about leadership.
This week’s newsletter: The Pumpkin Problem.
Why focus isn’t the fix, and what actually is.
leadershipadvantage.xyz/posts/when-...
October 18, 2025 at 2:46 PM
My daughter picked only a few pumpkins.
Still, her wagon was almost too heavy to pull.
That moment says everything about leadership.
This week’s newsletter: The Pumpkin Problem.
Why focus isn’t the fix, and what actually is.
leadershipadvantage.xyz/posts/when-...
Still, her wagon was almost too heavy to pull.
That moment says everything about leadership.
This week’s newsletter: The Pumpkin Problem.
Why focus isn’t the fix, and what actually is.
leadershipadvantage.xyz/posts/when-...
I learned poker before I was 10.
Sitting next to my dad, uncles around the table, watching them bet, bluff, fold.
It looked like luck. It wasn’t.
Poker is discipline.
It’s knowing when to play small, when to fold fast, and when to raise big on a strong hand.
I learned:
Sitting next to my dad, uncles around the table, watching them bet, bluff, fold.
It looked like luck. It wasn’t.
Poker is discipline.
It’s knowing when to play small, when to fold fast, and when to raise big on a strong hand.
I learned:
September 27, 2025 at 12:00 PM
I learned poker before I was 10.
Sitting next to my dad, uncles around the table, watching them bet, bluff, fold.
It looked like luck. It wasn’t.
Poker is discipline.
It’s knowing when to play small, when to fold fast, and when to raise big on a strong hand.
I learned:
Sitting next to my dad, uncles around the table, watching them bet, bluff, fold.
It looked like luck. It wasn’t.
Poker is discipline.
It’s knowing when to play small, when to fold fast, and when to raise big on a strong hand.
I learned:
(4/4)
What will you experiment with this quarter instead of over-planning?
🎯 If this resonates, follow and DM me to start a conversation.
What will you experiment with this quarter instead of over-planning?
🎯 If this resonates, follow and DM me to start a conversation.
September 26, 2025 at 12:03 PM
(4/4)
What will you experiment with this quarter instead of over-planning?
🎯 If this resonates, follow and DM me to start a conversation.
What will you experiment with this quarter instead of over-planning?
🎯 If this resonates, follow and DM me to start a conversation.
The Execution Trap: When Activity Masquerades as Progress
You lock teams into rigid, long-term plans that collapse the moment the market shifts.
You chase the "perfect launch" instead of shipping small, learning fast, and adapting.
A 🧵 (1/4):
You lock teams into rigid, long-term plans that collapse the moment the market shifts.
You chase the "perfect launch" instead of shipping small, learning fast, and adapting.
A 🧵 (1/4):
September 26, 2025 at 12:03 PM
The Execution Trap: When Activity Masquerades as Progress
You lock teams into rigid, long-term plans that collapse the moment the market shifts.
You chase the "perfect launch" instead of shipping small, learning fast, and adapting.
A 🧵 (1/4):
You lock teams into rigid, long-term plans that collapse the moment the market shifts.
You chase the "perfect launch" instead of shipping small, learning fast, and adapting.
A 🧵 (1/4):
(4/4)
Don't just prove you're busy. Prove you're making a difference.
What's the gap between your metrics and actual customer value?
♻️ Share this with a leader who’s ready for a breakthrough.
Don't just prove you're busy. Prove you're making a difference.
What's the gap between your metrics and actual customer value?
♻️ Share this with a leader who’s ready for a breakthrough.
September 25, 2025 at 12:02 PM
(4/4)
Don't just prove you're busy. Prove you're making a difference.
What's the gap between your metrics and actual customer value?
♻️ Share this with a leader who’s ready for a breakthrough.
Don't just prove you're busy. Prove you're making a difference.
What's the gap between your metrics and actual customer value?
♻️ Share this with a leader who’s ready for a breakthrough.
The Measurement Trap: When Data Lies
You celebrate downloads, signups, and dashboards full of green arrows while ignoring whether customers actually get value.
You spend 6-12 months building, then discover the market doesn't care.
A 🧵 (1/4):
You celebrate downloads, signups, and dashboards full of green arrows while ignoring whether customers actually get value.
You spend 6-12 months building, then discover the market doesn't care.
A 🧵 (1/4):
September 25, 2025 at 12:02 PM
The Measurement Trap: When Data Lies
You celebrate downloads, signups, and dashboards full of green arrows while ignoring whether customers actually get value.
You spend 6-12 months building, then discover the market doesn't care.
A 🧵 (1/4):
You celebrate downloads, signups, and dashboards full of green arrows while ignoring whether customers actually get value.
You spend 6-12 months building, then discover the market doesn't care.
A 🧵 (1/4):
(4/4)
Which feels more familiar: endless requirements gathering or rapid experimentation?
→ Follow me for leadership frameworks that drive breakthrough results.
Which feels more familiar: endless requirements gathering or rapid experimentation?
→ Follow me for leadership frameworks that drive breakthrough results.
September 24, 2025 at 12:28 PM
(4/4)
Which feels more familiar: endless requirements gathering or rapid experimentation?
→ Follow me for leadership frameworks that drive breakthrough results.
Which feels more familiar: endless requirements gathering or rapid experimentation?
→ Follow me for leadership frameworks that drive breakthrough results.
The Analysis Trap: When Perfect Planning Kills Progress
You spend months writing the "perfect" requirements document, only to watch it become obsolete the moment customers touch the product.
A 🧵: (1/4)
You spend months writing the "perfect" requirements document, only to watch it become obsolete the moment customers touch the product.
A 🧵: (1/4)
September 24, 2025 at 12:27 PM
The Analysis Trap: When Perfect Planning Kills Progress
You spend months writing the "perfect" requirements document, only to watch it become obsolete the moment customers touch the product.
A 🧵: (1/4)
You spend months writing the "perfect" requirements document, only to watch it become obsolete the moment customers touch the product.
A 🧵: (1/4)
If you can win Zoom Bingo before lunch, imagine what your team could do with half those hours back.
Most meetings should be an email.
But the real fix is finding the right operating rhythm.
If Zoom Bingo feels too easy, your rhythm needs work. Where would you start fixing it?
Most meetings should be an email.
But the real fix is finding the right operating rhythm.
If Zoom Bingo feels too easy, your rhythm needs work. Where would you start fixing it?
September 17, 2025 at 12:00 PM
If you can win Zoom Bingo before lunch, imagine what your team could do with half those hours back.
Most meetings should be an email.
But the real fix is finding the right operating rhythm.
If Zoom Bingo feels too easy, your rhythm needs work. Where would you start fixing it?
Most meetings should be an email.
But the real fix is finding the right operating rhythm.
If Zoom Bingo feels too easy, your rhythm needs work. Where would you start fixing it?
I built my career on grit and strategy.
But the biggest breakthroughs came when joy was in the room, and my team actually enjoyed the climb.
Early in my leadership journey, I championed 3 principles:
• Improve Effort to Effect Ratio
• Bring Ideas to Reality
• Have Fun
A 🧵
But the biggest breakthroughs came when joy was in the room, and my team actually enjoyed the climb.
Early in my leadership journey, I championed 3 principles:
• Improve Effort to Effect Ratio
• Bring Ideas to Reality
• Have Fun
A 🧵
September 15, 2025 at 8:13 PM
I built my career on grit and strategy.
But the biggest breakthroughs came when joy was in the room, and my team actually enjoyed the climb.
Early in my leadership journey, I championed 3 principles:
• Improve Effort to Effect Ratio
• Bring Ideas to Reality
• Have Fun
A 🧵
But the biggest breakthroughs came when joy was in the room, and my team actually enjoyed the climb.
Early in my leadership journey, I championed 3 principles:
• Improve Effort to Effect Ratio
• Bring Ideas to Reality
• Have Fun
A 🧵
🔥 Hot take: Being the go-to person is overrated.
If you’re indispensable, you’re not promotable.
Leaders don’t get noticed for doing everything.
They get noticed for setting direction.
I had to learn this the hard way.
A 🧵 (1/8)
If you’re indispensable, you’re not promotable.
Leaders don’t get noticed for doing everything.
They get noticed for setting direction.
I had to learn this the hard way.
A 🧵 (1/8)
September 14, 2025 at 12:04 PM
🔥 Hot take: Being the go-to person is overrated.
If you’re indispensable, you’re not promotable.
Leaders don’t get noticed for doing everything.
They get noticed for setting direction.
I had to learn this the hard way.
A 🧵 (1/8)
If you’re indispensable, you’re not promotable.
Leaders don’t get noticed for doing everything.
They get noticed for setting direction.
I had to learn this the hard way.
A 🧵 (1/8)
“What went right?” feels safe. Safe is why most teams never break through.
Feature factories stop there.
Breakthrough teams go deeper.
They ask:
Feature factories stop there.
Breakthrough teams go deeper.
They ask:
September 13, 2025 at 11:57 AM
“What went right?” feels safe. Safe is why most teams never break through.
Feature factories stop there.
Breakthrough teams go deeper.
They ask:
Feature factories stop there.
Breakthrough teams go deeper.
They ask:
40% of AI answers come from Reddit.
You wouldn’t run your strategy off a Reddit thread,
but thousands of leaders do it daily by trusting AI blindly.
AI is powerful. But not an oracle.
Use it. Just don’t outsource your judgment.
You wouldn’t run your strategy off a Reddit thread,
but thousands of leaders do it daily by trusting AI blindly.
AI is powerful. But not an oracle.
Use it. Just don’t outsource your judgment.
August 27, 2025 at 6:27 PM
40% of AI answers come from Reddit.
You wouldn’t run your strategy off a Reddit thread,
but thousands of leaders do it daily by trusting AI blindly.
AI is powerful. But not an oracle.
Use it. Just don’t outsource your judgment.
You wouldn’t run your strategy off a Reddit thread,
but thousands of leaders do it daily by trusting AI blindly.
AI is powerful. But not an oracle.
Use it. Just don’t outsource your judgment.
This is my first take on creating a diagram for my Beyond Incremental framework.
I feel like it might be too overwhelming as a diagram.
What do you think?
#buildinpublic
I feel like it might be too overwhelming as a diagram.
What do you think?
#buildinpublic
August 21, 2025 at 4:39 AM
This is my first take on creating a diagram for my Beyond Incremental framework.
I feel like it might be too overwhelming as a diagram.
What do you think?
#buildinpublic
I feel like it might be too overwhelming as a diagram.
What do you think?
#buildinpublic
The best networking hack isn’t pitching.
It’s caring.
Here’s why ↓
It’s caring.
Here’s why ↓
August 19, 2025 at 12:51 AM
The best networking hack isn’t pitching.
It’s caring.
Here’s why ↓
It’s caring.
Here’s why ↓
The old way:
Chase the metrics. Court the market. Collect the praise.
The new way:
Build the thing you’d drag through mud, over walls, and past every “no” you hear.
Chase the metrics. Court the market. Collect the praise.
The new way:
Build the thing you’d drag through mud, over walls, and past every “no” you hear.
August 14, 2025 at 8:31 PM
The old way:
Chase the metrics. Court the market. Collect the praise.
The new way:
Build the thing you’d drag through mud, over walls, and past every “no” you hear.
Chase the metrics. Court the market. Collect the praise.
The new way:
Build the thing you’d drag through mud, over walls, and past every “no” you hear.
Which is the bigger risk to your career?
A) Burning the candle at both ends
B) Losing the fire inside
A) Burning the candle at both ends
B) Losing the fire inside
August 12, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Which is the bigger risk to your career?
A) Burning the candle at both ends
B) Losing the fire inside
A) Burning the candle at both ends
B) Losing the fire inside
A title is borrowed power. The 3 Cs are the real thing.
August 5, 2025 at 4:41 PM
A title is borrowed power. The 3 Cs are the real thing.
Real growth started when I stopped trying to do everything.
Every task I removed gave me back speed, focus, and sanity.
Subtraction isn’t a weakness.
It’s a strategy.
--------------------------------
♻️ Found this useful? Repost so others can too
📌 Save for the days you forget to subtract
Every task I removed gave me back speed, focus, and sanity.
Subtraction isn’t a weakness.
It’s a strategy.
--------------------------------
♻️ Found this useful? Repost so others can too
📌 Save for the days you forget to subtract
July 28, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Real growth started when I stopped trying to do everything.
Every task I removed gave me back speed, focus, and sanity.
Subtraction isn’t a weakness.
It’s a strategy.
--------------------------------
♻️ Found this useful? Repost so others can too
📌 Save for the days you forget to subtract
Every task I removed gave me back speed, focus, and sanity.
Subtraction isn’t a weakness.
It’s a strategy.
--------------------------------
♻️ Found this useful? Repost so others can too
📌 Save for the days you forget to subtract
This year, I've been working on a new book about Breakthrough Leadership.
I've decided to share more as it progresses to get feedback as I write.
Time to #buildinpublic !!!
I've decided to share more as it progresses to get feedback as I write.
Time to #buildinpublic !!!
July 24, 2025 at 5:31 PM
This year, I've been working on a new book about Breakthrough Leadership.
I've decided to share more as it progresses to get feedback as I write.
Time to #buildinpublic !!!
I've decided to share more as it progresses to get feedback as I write.
Time to #buildinpublic !!!
The brutal truth:
→ Features get forgotten
→ Movements get built
What problem are you so obsessed with, you’d bet your career on it?
👇 Drop it in the comments. Let’s build conviction together.
→ Features get forgotten
→ Movements get built
What problem are you so obsessed with, you’d bet your career on it?
👇 Drop it in the comments. Let’s build conviction together.
July 1, 2025 at 2:59 PM
The brutal truth:
→ Features get forgotten
→ Movements get built
What problem are you so obsessed with, you’d bet your career on it?
👇 Drop it in the comments. Let’s build conviction together.
→ Features get forgotten
→ Movements get built
What problem are you so obsessed with, you’d bet your career on it?
👇 Drop it in the comments. Let’s build conviction together.
2-week sprints aren't just for delivery.
Here's the strategic power most product leaders miss:
- Engineers: identify dependencies before they're blockers
- Product managers: share fresh user feedback
- Designers: reveal insights from recent research
Here's the strategic power most product leaders miss:
- Engineers: identify dependencies before they're blockers
- Product managers: share fresh user feedback
- Designers: reveal insights from recent research
June 11, 2025 at 4:18 PM
2-week sprints aren't just for delivery.
Here's the strategic power most product leaders miss:
- Engineers: identify dependencies before they're blockers
- Product managers: share fresh user feedback
- Designers: reveal insights from recent research
Here's the strategic power most product leaders miss:
- Engineers: identify dependencies before they're blockers
- Product managers: share fresh user feedback
- Designers: reveal insights from recent research
The PACE Framework for team rhythm:
P - Purposeful outcomes
A - Async-first communication
C - Customer connected
E - Escalation boundaries
Transform scattered activity into coordinated momentum.
P - Purposeful outcomes
A - Async-first communication
C - Customer connected
E - Escalation boundaries
Transform scattered activity into coordinated momentum.
June 9, 2025 at 2:30 PM
The PACE Framework for team rhythm:
P - Purposeful outcomes
A - Async-first communication
C - Customer connected
E - Escalation boundaries
Transform scattered activity into coordinated momentum.
P - Purposeful outcomes
A - Async-first communication
C - Customer connected
E - Escalation boundaries
Transform scattered activity into coordinated momentum.
A single photo can transport you back in time.
For me, it’s this waterfall.
It's the day I went from feeling defeated to unstoppable.
The picture brings back the strength, pride, and discovery of that day.
Do you have a photo of your “I can do hard things” moment?
For me, it’s this waterfall.
It's the day I went from feeling defeated to unstoppable.
The picture brings back the strength, pride, and discovery of that day.
Do you have a photo of your “I can do hard things” moment?
January 17, 2025 at 1:00 PM
A single photo can transport you back in time.
For me, it’s this waterfall.
It's the day I went from feeling defeated to unstoppable.
The picture brings back the strength, pride, and discovery of that day.
Do you have a photo of your “I can do hard things” moment?
For me, it’s this waterfall.
It's the day I went from feeling defeated to unstoppable.
The picture brings back the strength, pride, and discovery of that day.
Do you have a photo of your “I can do hard things” moment?
It's a universal truth: Teams want to win.
If your team is struggling, there is never one big change that will fix everything.
Instead, find one improvement.
Maybe it is getting better at communication, or hitting the next target.
Focus on that, and build momentum.
It’s not about huge leaps.
If your team is struggling, there is never one big change that will fix everything.
Instead, find one improvement.
Maybe it is getting better at communication, or hitting the next target.
Focus on that, and build momentum.
It’s not about huge leaps.
January 7, 2025 at 6:15 PM
It's a universal truth: Teams want to win.
If your team is struggling, there is never one big change that will fix everything.
Instead, find one improvement.
Maybe it is getting better at communication, or hitting the next target.
Focus on that, and build momentum.
It’s not about huge leaps.
If your team is struggling, there is never one big change that will fix everything.
Instead, find one improvement.
Maybe it is getting better at communication, or hitting the next target.
Focus on that, and build momentum.
It’s not about huge leaps.