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Artwork for Best Manager Ever

Best Manager Ever

Annie Riley
Leadership
Management
Communication
Career Development
Startups
Team Management
Feedback
Startup Culture
Leadership Development
Personal Growth
Team Dynamics
Design Management
Workplace Relationships
Startup
Management Skills
Employee Development
Team Development
Team Collaboration
Mentorship
Startup Environment

Best Manager Ever reveals the secrets of successful management and empowers leaders to build winning teams. Join a community dedicated to sharing insights and stories from the most successful and beloved leaders in the startup world. All guests have been nominated as the “best manager ever” by a recent direct report. Before each interview, we go behind the guest’s back to collect feedback and stor... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes59Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BusinessCareersManagement

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Artwork for Best Manager Ever

Latest Episodes

Work is not like school– there are no right answers, and if you’re looking to be “right” then you will always fall behind. Annie Riley sits down with Silvia Oviedo Lopez, Founder & CEO of Blomma AI and former Canva and Pinterest leader, to unpack how... more

Better questions create better teams. Annie Riley sits down with Maayan Roth, Head of Engineering at Crux Climate, to unpack the skill most managers overlook: asking questions that actually move things forward. Maayan shares how to use curiosity to u... more

Leadership is lonely. Most leaders don’t get enough support or positive feedback. And that includes our own boss too. Annie Riley and top executive coach Ed Batista break down why it’s so hard to empathize up— and how simple shifts like checking in o... more

You don’t become a great manager by regurgitating frameworks. Management is a craft and a skillset that gets built over time.  Annie Riley sits down with Maura Church, VP of Product & Engineering at Two Chairs, to talk about how a manager’s mindset i... more

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Recent Guests

Silvia Oviedo Lopez
Founder and CEO of Blomma; former leader at Pinterest and Canva
Blomma
Episode: Ex-Pinterest & Canva Exec: Curiosity As A Muscle
Maayan Roth
Head of Engineering at Crux Climate
Crux Climate
Episode: Unblock Your Team with Powerful Questions
Maura Church
VP of Product and Engineering at Two Chairs
Two Chairs
Episode: “Smart Rats”: Belief Boosts Performance
Whitnie Narcisse
Former partner at First Round Capital; leader known for relationship-building and startup ecosystem impact
First Round Capital
Episode: Be Champagne, Not Flat Soda
Junan Pang
VP of Customer Success at Intercom
Intercom
Episode: Time Kills Follow-Up: Share Context Now
Julia Bernstein
Healthcare powerhouse and self-described commercial COO
Brightside Health (COO)
Episode: Bad Meetings Are Disrespectful
Gautam Prabhu
VP of Engineering at Scribe (former CTO at Opentrons, led at Zendesk and PagerDuty)
Scribe
Episode: A Manager’s Word Has To Mean Something
Karan Singh
Co-founder of Ginger; COO of Headspace
Ginger; Headspace
Episode: COO of Headspace: Why You Should Re-Recruit Yourself
Dana Lawson
CTO at Netlify with a background in military and engineering leadership.
Netlify
Episode: Best Manager Ever: Dana Lawson - Conquering Imposter Syndrome and Fostering Team Resilience

Host

Annie Riley
Host of Best Manager Ever

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 58 ratings
  • Instantly hooked!

    I love this podcast! If you’re looking for a podcast that will allow you to continue to develop as a manager this podcast is for you! Annie is great! So many great takeaways in every episode!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Monette Moneco
    United States4 months ago
  • Great energy and great advice

    Annie is an incredible host: she is warm, smart, curious and insightful. Her guests give great advice because she is so good at drawing it out of them. Her energy is infectious. You will be in a better mood and more informed at the end of each episode.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    AYJ77
    United States8 months ago
  • Love what Annie is doing

    Annie brings together great people and helps them grow. This show is a window into the magical world of Fort Light.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Charlie Co.
    United States9 months ago
  • new fav show

    fantastic guests and helpful, honest leadership advice. can’t wait for new episodes!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    LeeAnnBobka
    United States9 months ago
  • Inspring!

    Fantastic show. It provides so much good advice from startup leaders who have been in the trenches and have unique perspectives on how to show up for their teams. I love how I walk away from every episode with a real, practical tip I can bring immediately to my work. Highly recommend!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    GPL
    United States9 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-quality conversations that feel genuine and insightful.
Host brings out practical leadership tips from real startup leaders.
Guests consistently share actionable takeaways you can apply immediately.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#120
United States/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#8
Spain/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#66
Israel/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#121
Singapore/Business/Careers
Apple Podcasts
#145
Spain/Business

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ex-Pinterest & Canva Exec: Curiosity As A Muscle
Q: How do you manage across a spectrum of performer types when you're growing a team?
Her approach is to set clear expectations, check for understanding regularly, and tailor support to individuals—from self-managed high performers to those who need more direction.
“Smart Rats”: Belief Boosts Performance
Q: If you had to pick one tip around organizational communication that you have learned, what would you share with others?
Focus on focused messaging: have one clear priority at a time, avoid overload, and tailor the message to the audience so teams stay aligned and productive.
A Manager’s Word Has To Mean Something
Q: How do you handle giving commitments you can't immediately back up?
Be slow to commit, and when you say yes, follow through; use a spectrum approach to provide nuanced answers and avoid over-promising, ensuring accountability and credibility across the team.
A Manager’s Word Has To Mean Something
Q: What is your view on balancing speed with structure as a company scales?
Understand the company's context and the next inflection point, then slow down appropriately to assign owners and introduce systems that enable faster growth without relying on heroic efforts.
A Manager’s Word Has To Mean Something
Q: How did you approach the transition from IC to leadership roles in startups?
The shift required accepting accountability for others, developing a clear operating model, and learning to lead with honesty and consistency rather than just technical prowess; credibility comes from listening, delivering results, and making tough calls when necessary.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Best Manager Ever

What is Best Manager Ever about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show curates leadership lessons from top managers who've been vetted by their teams, focusing on practical tactics for running teams, aligning culture with outcomes, and building trust at scale. Episodes center on management playbooks, honest feedback from direct reports, and actionable strategies for growth, communication, and work-life balance. A standout angle is the structured behind-the-scenes feedback before every interview, which often yields deeper insights than standard leadership chats. Listeners are likely aspiring or current managers in tech startups and growth-stage companies seeking tangible tips, practical frameworks, and inspiration to lead with empathy and accountability.

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Which podcasts are similar to Best Manager Ever?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Best Manager Ever:

1. Huberman Lab
2. Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend
3. SmartLess
4. Freakonomics Radio
5. Good Hang with Amy Poehler

How many episodes of Best Manager Ever are there?

Best Manager Ever launched 2 years ago and published 59 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Best Manager Ever?

Recent guests on Best Manager Ever include:

1. Silvia Oviedo Lopez
2. Maayan Roth
3. Maura Church
4. Whitnie Narcisse
5. Junan Pang
6. Julia Bernstein
7. Gautam Prabhu
8. Karan Singh

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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