Are you wasting the power of your own laptop? For years, we've been conditioned to think that serious computing happens in the cloud while our local machines sit idle. But what if that’s outdated thinking? In this episode of the North Star Leadership Podcast, Jordan Tigani, CEO and co-founder of MotherDuck, joins Lindsay Pedersen and challenges conventional wisdom on cloud computing, marketing, and leadership. He shares hard-won lessons from his time at Google, the reality check he got in the startup world, and why scaling a company is as much about people as it is about technology.
You’ll hear them discuss:
The Cloud vs. Your Laptop: Why modern hardware is more powerful than we give it credit for—and how MotherDuck is changing the game. The assumption that computation must happen in the cloud is outdated, and Jordan explains how leveraging local machines can lead to more efficient and cost-effective workflows.
Marketing as War: The hard truth Jordan learned after leaving Google—great tech alone doesn’t win, visibility does. At Google, marketing seemed almost irrelevant, but in the startup world, he realized that fighting for attention is just as important as building great products.
From Executive to Founder: The biggest mindset shifts when moving from a massive company to running your own. Jordan shares how the safety nets of big corporations make you blind to the realities of fundraising, brand-building, and assembling a team from scratch.
The Art of Scaling: How leadership evolves as a company grows from a small, tight-knit team to a structured organization. As MotherDuck has expanded to 55 people, Jordan talks about the need for clear communication, hiring the right leaders, and maintaining company values while growing.
Raising the Stakes: The thrilling (and terrifying) reality of building a company where people truly care about the outcome. Unlike in a large corporation where the stakes feel more abstract, leading a startup means every decision directly impacts the team, the vision, and the future of the business.
Resources:
Jordan Tigani on the MotherDuck Web | LinkedIn
Lindsay Pedersen - Contact me to tell me who you'd like to hear as a guest! | Connect with me on LinkedIn
