1 hr 8 min

Ayman Al-Abdullah - How Companies Scale to $100M and Beyond - Ep.215 Think Like an Owner

    • Investing

Ep.215: Alex (@aebridgeman) is joined by Ayman Al-Abdullah (@aymanalabdul).
My guest today is Ayman Al-Abdullah, former CEO of Appsumo and now executive coach to other ambitious CEOs looking to scale 7 and 8-figure businesses past $100m, Ayman’s specialty. I love learning from CEOs who’ve made that journey and can share key lessons and takeaways, and Ayman fits that to a “T.” He’s also a Durham native, which is where my wife and I will be moving to this summer so we had some fun talking about his move from Austin.
Ayman and I talk about chokepoints in a company’s growth, habits that made him successful at Appsumo, why he stepped down as CEO, and how other ambitious CEOs can be more effective in their leadership roles.

Listen weekly and follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Breaker, and TuneIn. 
Learn more about Alex and Think Like an Owner at https://tlaopodcast.com/

I want to tell you about the audience survey we are currently running. These surveys help us create the best content for listeners and better understand your needs and interests. Thank you in advance for sharing your feedback, we greatly appreciate it. 
Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/3QLBB1N

Links:
Ayman on X
Ayman's website
How to Make a Few Billion Dollars by Brad Jacobs
The Accountant Trailer

Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:04:20) - Leaving AppSumo to pursue coaching
(00:12:28) - What was the most informative experience for you in the CEO role?
(00:14:27) - What gets companies over the $7m hurdle?
(00:18:26) - What culture questions do you enjoy asking?
(00:24:03) - Improving the Sales role
(00:25:50) - Who was the best salesperson you ever hired?
(00:27:38) - Skills you need vs. what can be taught in sales
(00:31:34) - Have you reflected on whether you were born to be a CEO?
(00:34:44) - What have you found that helps CEOs succeed in the role?
(00:37:29) - Weekly journaling and exercise rituals
(00:42:30) - Ayman’s 25-year vision
(00:50:57) - Do you study other CEOs?
(00:53:25) - The hero’s journey
(01:02:41) - What’s something you’re passionate about?

Ep.215: Alex (@aebridgeman) is joined by Ayman Al-Abdullah (@aymanalabdul).
My guest today is Ayman Al-Abdullah, former CEO of Appsumo and now executive coach to other ambitious CEOs looking to scale 7 and 8-figure businesses past $100m, Ayman’s specialty. I love learning from CEOs who’ve made that journey and can share key lessons and takeaways, and Ayman fits that to a “T.” He’s also a Durham native, which is where my wife and I will be moving to this summer so we had some fun talking about his move from Austin.
Ayman and I talk about chokepoints in a company’s growth, habits that made him successful at Appsumo, why he stepped down as CEO, and how other ambitious CEOs can be more effective in their leadership roles.

Listen weekly and follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Breaker, and TuneIn. 
Learn more about Alex and Think Like an Owner at https://tlaopodcast.com/

I want to tell you about the audience survey we are currently running. These surveys help us create the best content for listeners and better understand your needs and interests. Thank you in advance for sharing your feedback, we greatly appreciate it. 
Take the survey here: https://bit.ly/3QLBB1N

Links:
Ayman on X
Ayman's website
How to Make a Few Billion Dollars by Brad Jacobs
The Accountant Trailer

Topics:
(00:00:00) - Intro
(00:04:20) - Leaving AppSumo to pursue coaching
(00:12:28) - What was the most informative experience for you in the CEO role?
(00:14:27) - What gets companies over the $7m hurdle?
(00:18:26) - What culture questions do you enjoy asking?
(00:24:03) - Improving the Sales role
(00:25:50) - Who was the best salesperson you ever hired?
(00:27:38) - Skills you need vs. what can be taught in sales
(00:31:34) - Have you reflected on whether you were born to be a CEO?
(00:34:44) - What have you found that helps CEOs succeed in the role?
(00:37:29) - Weekly journaling and exercise rituals
(00:42:30) - Ayman’s 25-year vision
(00:50:57) - Do you study other CEOs?
(00:53:25) - The hero’s journey
(01:02:41) - What’s something you’re passionate about?

1 hr 8 min