When it comes to leadership, Debbie Madden has the experience. Currently the fearless co-founder and CEO of Stride Consulting, an agile software development consultancy for companies and startups, Stride is her fifth company and the role marks her third time as CEO. The organization’s clients include The Daily Beast, casper and Equinox, and has been named to the 2018 Inc. 500 list, as well as designations for Crain’s Best Places to Work In NYC — twice! In today’s episode of I Want Her Job: The Podcast, we talk to Debbie about her culture-first philosophy, discuss what has fueled Stride’s growth and delve into her top leadership strategies. We also talk about performance review techniques applied at the company, job opportunities that exist in agile software development and why the company is such a magnet for former teachers and those who love to teach in various ways. Debbie also opens up to us about the brave decisions she made after her breast cancer diagnosis. While the phrase “great leader” can be thrown around so often it can feel like a cliche, Debbie truly embodies the definition of leadership. We feel confident that once you hear Debbie’s story of pursuing a dream — despite extreme difficulty — it will inspire you to push yourself further.
