---
title: Building Better Manager Culture with Claire Lew
description: This week I talk with Claire Lew, Founder of Know Your Team, where they build software and and produce resources to help you become a better manager! In this episode we talk about culture shock of moving a lot as a kid, how painting and art play a part in being a better leader, how an intervention at her first company led to what she’s doing today, how a random meeting with the guys at Basecamp led to her becoming the CEO of Know Your Team and a whole lot more!
---

[Founder Chats - Baremetrics ](https://baremetrics.com/founder-chats)

# [Building Better Manager Culture with Claire Lew](https://baremetrics.com/founder-chats/claire-lew)

 Written by [Josh Pigford](https://baremetrics.com/founder-chats/author/josh-pigford) | February 19, 2019

 

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**Like this episode? A [rating and a review on iTunes](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/founder-chats/id1149886727?mt=2) would go a long way!***

This week I talk with [Claire Lew](https://twitter.com/clairejlew?lang=en), Founder of [Know Your Team](https://knowyourteam.com/), where they build software and and produce resources to help you become a better manager! In this episode we talk about culture shock of moving a lot as a kid, how painting and art play a part in being a better leader, how an intervention at her first company led to what she’s doing today, how a random meeting with the guys at Basecamp led to her becoming the CEO of Know Your Team and a whole lot more!

## **Show Notes**

- 1:00- Painting
- 3:14- Helping people deeply
- 4:57- Hobbies to keep you sane and be a better business owner
- 5:38- Therapeutic outlets vs. an escape
- 9:05- Childhood
- 10:45- Moving, growing up, and making friends
- 13:43- Cultural differences
- 15:27- Learning to relate to others
- 17:21- “Don’t go to college”
- 19:44- Biggest influences in entrepreneurship
- 20:21- Building and starting your own company is a job
- 21:16- Student government and entrepreneurship
- 22:58- Paying attention to what you’re scared of
- 24:40- A desire to please and external validation
- 26:37- “What did you study” vs. “What did you learn”
- 27:58- Shifting to entrepreneurship while in college
- 29:30- Brainstorming all the problems they wanted to solve in the world
- 30:49- Building an in-person software school- The Starter Week
- 33:45- Intervention from co-founders
- 34:55- Most important lesson — self awareness
- 36:02- Self identity and means of motivation
- 37:15- Reflecting about what to do in life
- 37:42- Inspiration for the journey
- 39:40- Learning and organizational change. The science of leadership
- 43:15- Testing a hypothesis on solving the problem
- 44:08- Getting honest insights from people within the company
- 44:45- Intro to Jason Fried (Basecamp)
- 47:29- “Time is ticking and I’m running out of money”
- 49:30- Everything lining up perfectly
- 51:17- Moving into the CEO role and talking to customers
- 52:22- Creating a vision
- 54:00- Having a functioning piece of software
- 56:22- Transitioning and changing the business model for Know Your Team
- 58:18- Switching from speaking to writing
- 59:50- 700 demos
- 1:01:01- Organic traffic
- 1:01:55- Mismatch of audience and product…let’s change the product
- 1:04:13- “We’re not growing”
- 1:07:29- Writing and releasing guides
- 1:08:16- Responses from existing customer base
- 1:09:36- Running out of time
- 1:11:52- How much of this stuff matters?
- 1:13:02- The next year for Know Your Team

**How to reach Claire: **[*Twitter*](https://twitter.com/clairejlew?lang=en)*, *[*Know Your Team*](https://knowyourteam.com/blog/)*, *[*Podcast- The Heartbeat*](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-heartbeat/id1451343917?mt=2)*, Email: *[*claire@knowyourteam.com*](mailto:claire@knowyourteam.com)

**

* <https://baremetrics.com/hs/cta/wi/redirect?encryptedPayload=AVxigLLYNUTQV2gSgIDQiSKF8bTDqlgZqG%2BvaZdYRCm3EA5mi9zGr5zfBQhcScbsWe2LryMXUtF7nZMcuYKTnPtUZO9rer8QTp9NZUXXFXg%2BpLjLY7eArwCv9v0YDu2p%2BmLD%2Ft8IQnduoNb7WrTJSOG7eM0fl1KuJpp5Unov%2BtxUgOd1c3w2%2FHEuMfeKWy4E&webInteractiveContentId=144806756922&portalId=24299515> *

* *

 

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