Unicorn Leaders

Unicorn Labs - Fahd Alhattab
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The Unicorn Leaders podcast takes a deep dive into the world of building a billion-dollar company (a unicorn) in every episode. Join us while we explore the leadership and environments that create unicorn startups straight from those with first-hand experience (startup founders, VPs of talent, and more). The podcast is hosted by Fahd Alhattab, the CEO of Unicorn Labs and a millennial workplace expert who specializes in providing transformative leadership and team dynamics training for high-growth startups. Fahd has been researching what creates high-performing teams over the last five years. Join him as he asks his guests the hard questions to uncover what it means to be a leader in our fast-paced, information-based world. 

  1. Ep. 26 - You Don’t Win Alone: Building High-Trust, High-Velocity Teams with Nora Beatty

    10 JUIL.

    Ep. 26 - You Don’t Win Alone: Building High-Trust, High-Velocity Teams with Nora Beatty

    In this episode, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Nora Beatty, VP of People Operations at Cohere, to unpack how small, high-trust teams scale in high-stakes environments. Nora shares her journey from Cohere’s 40-person startup stage to its 500-person rocketship rise—and what she’s learned about leadership, mentorship, and risk along the way.  Together, they break down why the “self-made” leader is a myth, how founders can’t outsource culture, and what it really takes to compete for top talent in an AI-fueled market. Nora explains how Cohere built velocity into its DNA, the invisible costs of hypergrowth, and why the most powerful thing a leader can do is let their team take smart risks—and sometimes fail.  Whether you’re building a team or leading one, this episode is packed with real, practical lessons on trust, growth, and showing up for your people.  Find Nora here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nora-beatty-34b7349/

    38 min
  2. Ep. 25 - Culture, Coaching, and the People Lever: What Founders Get Wrong About HR with Miranda Pokoy

    26 JUIN

    Ep. 25 - Culture, Coaching, and the People Lever: What Founders Get Wrong About HR with Miranda Pokoy

    In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Miranda Pokoy, SVP of People Success at Partnerize, to explore how HR can be a powerful driver of business performance. Miranda shares her journey from administrative assistant to executive leadership, and the strategic mindset shift that took HR from policy enforcer to business partner. They dive into what it really takes to lead through mergers and acquisitions, build culture across global teams, and develop managers into impactful leaders. Miranda breaks down how founders can leverage people strategy—even on lean teams—and why investing in trust, coaching, and cross-functional collaboration is the secret weapon of small, mighty teams. Whether you’re a founder, HR leader, or people-obsessed operator, this episode is packed with practical insights on making the most of your people to scale impact—not just headcount. Episode Mentions Connect with Miranda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwhynot/

    36 min
  3. Ep. 24 - Taking on Google: The People Strategy Behind Ecobee’s David vs. Goliath Win with Penny Farinha

    12 JUIN

    Ep. 24 - Taking on Google: The People Strategy Behind Ecobee’s David vs. Goliath Win with Penny Farinha

    In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Penny Farinha, former VP of People at Ecobee, to unpack what it really takes to scale a mission-driven startup through every phase of growth—without losing your soul (or your best people). Penny shares the behind-the-scenes story of how Ecobee went from 75 employees to a billion-dollar acquisition, all while competing head-to-head with Google Nest. She reveals why values-based hiring (not just skill) helped them build a resilient culture, and how she approached team design at every inflection point—from scrappy startup to post-acquisition scale. They dive into the messy reality of building people systems that evolve with the business, why staying nine years gave her the deepest leadership lessons, and how founders can avoid the trap of outgrowing their own culture. Whether you’re navigating hypergrowth, rethinking your org design, or wondering how to lead a team that can outlearn the competition—this episode is packed with honest insights on people, purpose, and playing the long game. Find Penny Farinha here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pennyfarinha/

    39 min
  4. Ep. 23 - Hiring Fast, Hiring Smart: Rethinking Recruitment in Startups with Adam Gellert

    29 MAI

    Ep. 23 - Hiring Fast, Hiring Smart: Rethinking Recruitment in Startups with Adam Gellert

    In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sits down with Adam Gellert, founder of Linkus Group and Hypo, to talk all things hiring—from building high-performing teams to breaking outdated recruitment myths. Adam shares what it really takes to find top-tier talent in startups, why the "hire slow, fire fast" mantra is broken, and how founders can avoid costly mis-hires by aligning on the real business problem behind every role. He opens up about the grit behind building two companies, what top candidates are actually looking for, and how to avoid culture-breaking overhiring. Whether you're scaling a team, hiring your first exec, or wondering why your dream candidate said no—this one’s packed with practical insights for startup leaders who want to hire fast and hire well. Episode Mentions Check out Adam Gellert: https://www.recruiteradam.com/

    35 min
  5. Ep. 22 - From DNA to Millions: Scaling, Exiting, and Playing the Long Game with Adrian Salamunovic

    15 MAI

    Ep. 22 - From DNA to Millions: Scaling, Exiting, and Playing the Long Game with Adrian Salamunovic

    In this high-energy episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd sits down with serial entrepreneur and author Adrian Salamunovic for a raw, real, and wisdom-packed conversation on what it takes to build—and exit—category-defining companies. Adrian shares the behind-the-scenes journey from selling his first business at 21 to founding DNA11 and CanvasPop, exiting for 30x EBITDA, and now launching The Exit podcast and founder community. Together, they unpack what founders get wrong about scaling, the psychology behind great leadership, and why the smartest move isn’t always about being the smartest person in the room. From hiring to vision, from mental stamina to co-founder breakups, this episode is a tactical masterclass in how to build a business worth buying—without losing yourself along the way. Episode Mentions The Play Bigger Book: https://www.playbigger.com/bookJoin Adrian’s community for exited founders: The Exit Group - https://www.theexit.group/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAack5M_B93ea5JJQkDPVRxjRi--i_RbpbaO00u2Eoq3QD5XL_JlAUQCtStee7Q_aem_OTsbTW-XT_JHFe1HQ40haQWhere to find Adrian: clarity.fm/adrian-salamunovic

    40 min
  6. Ep.21 - Scaling Through Chaos: Why Startups Need Clarity, Not Corporate Playbooks with Ali Farrell

    2 MAI

    Ep.21 - Scaling Through Chaos: Why Startups Need Clarity, Not Corporate Playbooks with Ali Farrell

    In this episode of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, host Fahd Alhattab sits down with three-time Chief People Officer Ali Farrell, currently CPO at Apprentice, to unpack what it really takes to build high-performing teams in fast-growth startups. Ali brings a rare blend of corporate, VC-backed, PE-backed, and bootstrapped startup experience—and she’s not afraid to challenge outdated HR norms. From navigating chaos to ditching performance improvement plans, Ali shares hard-won insights on what works (and what absolutely doesn’t) when leading through scale. You'll learn why clarity is more powerful than complexity, how to bring “just enough” structure to support growth, and why ownership and curiosity matter more than credentials. Whether you're a founder, people leader, or scaling operator, this episode is packed with tactical advice, real talk, and fresh perspectives on how to grow teams that actually thrive in the messy middle.

    42 min
  7. Season Two Kickoff - David vs Goliath: How Small Teams Win Big

    BANDE-ANNONCE SAISON 2

    Season Two Kickoff - David vs Goliath: How Small Teams Win Big

    In this season opener of the Unicorn Leaders podcast, Fahd Alhattab sets the stage for a new narrative—one centered around the underdogs. Drawing inspiration from the classic David vs. Goliath story, Fahd explores why small, scrappy teams often outperform their larger, better-resourced competitors. Using Google's historic win over Overture as a launch point, he teases a season packed with modern business stories—from tech startups to industry disruptors—showcasing how trust, speed, culture, and strategic clarity help small teams punch far above their weight. With upcoming guest interviews and deep dives into companies like Slack, Pixar, Netflix, and Shopify, this season is designed to unpack what really makes high-performing teams succeed. Whether you're a founder, people leader, or just team-curious, this season promises to deliver the tools and insights to help your team win—no matter the odds.

    5 min

  8. 01/11/2023

    Ep. 20 EmpowerED - A Bottom Up Approach to Employee Development with Eva Manole

    In episode 20, Eva shares her use of a product led mindset for developing new strategies of learning and development at Fullscript with about 800 employees. She dives into how the traditional models of learning and development are not always agile or adaptive especially with the rise of AI, remote and hybrid work environments.  Eva dives into a new strategy she used to build community among teams in her current role. She shares the tools, resources, and approach used in developing opportunities that helped individuals blossom in their own way.

    56 min
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À propos

The Unicorn Leaders podcast takes a deep dive into the world of building a billion-dollar company (a unicorn) in every episode. Join us while we explore the leadership and environments that create unicorn startups straight from those with first-hand experience (startup founders, VPs of talent, and more). The podcast is hosted by Fahd Alhattab, the CEO of Unicorn Labs and a millennial workplace expert who specializes in providing transformative leadership and team dynamics training for high-growth startups. Fahd has been researching what creates high-performing teams over the last five years. Join him as he asks his guests the hard questions to uncover what it means to be a leader in our fast-paced, information-based world. 

Informations

  • Création
    Unicorn Labs - Fahd Alhattab
  • Années d’activité
    2022 - 2025
  • Épisodes
    28
  • Classification
    Contenu explicite
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Unicorn Labs
  • Site web de l’émission
    Unicorn Leaders