Kundra

When something is missing on your team, the reflex is to hire for it. It is rarely your only option, and often not the best one.

If you have been listening, you know we keep coming back to how you redesign a team's work in the age of AI, instead of just adding headcount or adding tools. This is the most practical version of that, and it comes at the right moment, just when teams start budget planning for next year.

In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa sits down with Carmen Valtierra, VP of Product at Tremau. She was asked to hire a product marketer, Carmen took the role apart task by task and decided, for each piece, whether to keep it human, grow someone into it, borrow it, or let AI take it. Most of it she did not need to hire for. The one thing she actually did need to hit her business objectives was company wide, strategic product positioning, which she brought in from outside.

In this episode, you will learn:

• the real resourcing question behind every gap: hire, upskill, borrow, freelance, or automate
• the build, borrow, bot framework, applied task by task
• how to spot what AI can take, and the one skill you still need to bring in
• why anything AI does has to be documented so it outlives the person who built it
• how this changes your budget conversation, from a headcount request to a distributed plan

Chapters:

• 00:00 Meet Carmen
• 02:43 The problem: a strong product no one could see
• 19:33 Borrow, and how it evolves
• 22:56 Where AI fits, and why it has to be documented
• 27:50 The map becomes a system

About Kundra

Kundra keeps teams strong at the pivotal moments like budget planning, reorganizations, long leaves, and AI mandates. We help companies redesign how the work gets done, so teams keep performing and come out stronger. This podcast is part of how we learn: conversations with leaders, founders and experts about what really happens when teams change shape, and what the strongest companies do differently. If this resonates and you want to see how Kundra works in practice, email [email protected].

Every leader is under pressure to adopt AI well. But doing it well means deciding what to automate, what to augment, and what to keep human, and you cannot make those calls until you know what your team is actually good at. Almost no leader has taken the time to look.

In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa sits down with Aliénor Dartiguenave, Director of AI Products at Foundever. Aliénor did the thing almost no leader makes time for: she mapped her product team's skills, person by person. That map became her lens for coaching, hiring, and deciding what to automate, augment, or keep human. It turns out to be the foundation real AI adoption is built on, and the step most leaders skip.

In this episode, you will learn:

• why real AI adoption starts with knowing what your team is actually good at
• how to map a team's skills in a way that stays live, not a one-off exercise
• why the same role, like "product manager," needs very different skills on different products
• how the map surfaced the exact hire she was missing
• how to bring AI into a team task by task, champion-led, then scale it
• why this kind of workforce mapping is shifting toward the leader on the ground

Chapters:

• 00:00 Meet Aliénor
• 02:56 Why she mapped her team's skills
• 04:49 Two products, two very different PMs
• 06:55 How she actually built the map
• 09:33 Coaching, performance, and alignment
• 19:29 The hire she was missing
• 23:27 Bringing AI in, one task at a time

About KundraKundra keeps teams strong at the pivotal moments when capacity changes: long leaves, returns, departures, reorganizations, and AI mandates. We help companies structure continuity and redesign how the work gets done, so teams keep performing and come out stronger. This podcast is part of how we learn: conversations with leaders, founders and experts about what really happens when teams change shape, and what the strongest companies do differently. If this resonates and you want to see how Kundra works in practice, email [email protected].

What separates the companies actually winning with AI from the ones that just brought it in?

If you have been listening, you know we recently started digging into what AI really means for how teams work, most recently with Sankar from LinkedIn. This episode goes a level deeper, with someone who has actually run it.

In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa sits down with Sylvain Grande, until recently Chief Product Officer at PayFit, where he was the executive sponsor for AI. Before that he ran product and P&L across SoundCloud, Shutterstock and Yieldstreet. He was already running real AI use cases at PayFit back in 2023, long before most companies had begun. Very few people have actually run an AI transformation inside a real company, over years, in a regulated industry. Sylvain has.

His core idea: AI is not a tool you roll out. It changes how the whole company works, not just what software people use. And the gap is widening between the companies that redesign the work and the ones that just buy the tool.

In this episode, you will learn:

• why treating AI as a license rollout fails
• where to actually start: the smallest unit of work, the task, not a reorg
• why you change how people work first, and let structure follow
• the honest math of AI ROI: why an assistant that handled 80% of support questions still only produced a 30% productivity gain
• the two levers a leader truly controls: rhythm and agenda
• why cost has become the forcing function that makes redesign non-optional
• who should own this, and why "everyone's job" means no one's job

Whether you are a CEO, a product or business leader, or a manager trying to make sense of what AI means for your team, this conversation gives you a concrete way to move from adopting AI to redesigning how your team works.

Chapters

• 00:00 Meet Sylvain
• 05:16 What most companies get wrong about AI
• 07:56 How AI started at PayFit, back in 2023
• 14:06 A real example: redesigning customer support
• 17:49 The honest truth about AI ROI
• 20:33 Where to start, and the two levers a leader controls
• 23:36 Bringing the whole company along
• 26:53 Why cost became the forcing function
• 30:45 Who should own it
• 33:34 The next 12 to 18 months

About Kundra

Kundra keeps teams strong at the pivotal moments when capacity changes: long leaves, returns, departures, reorganizations, and AI mandates. We help companies structure continuity and redesign how the work gets done, so teams keep performing and come out stronger. This podcast is part of how we learn: conversations with leaders, founders and experts about what really happens when teams change shape, and what the strongest companies do differently. If this resonates and you want to see how Kundra works in practice, email [email protected].

What if the biggest AI opportunity in your company isn't a new tool or a top-down transformation, but the next time a team changes shape?

If you follow this podcast, you know we usually talk about parental leave, returns, and how managers hold teams together through long absences. So here is why this one is about AI. Working alongside leaders preparing for a long leave, we kept noticing the same thing: the absence isn't only a gap to cover, it's the rare, calendar-forced moment when the work can actually be redesigned, and redesigned with AI.

In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa explores that with her longtime mentor Sankar Venkatraman, Global Evangelist at LinkedIn, who spends his year in front of CHROs and CEOs across the world, focusing on accelerating product innovation, now with AI.

His core idea: AI isn't a tool you add to a team, it's an operating system that changes how the team is built. The unit of work has moved from the seat to the skill. And while 90% of companies still see no return on AI, the ones who do aren't running company-wide programs, they're redesigning one team at a time, at the moment capacity changes.

That's the opportunity Kundra sits on. Years in and around Silicon Valley and LinkedIn mean Theresa can bring the frameworks the best companies use, applied where they're actually doable: one targeted team, triggered by a real moment, not a 2000-person transformation.

In this episode, you'll learn:• why the biggest AI opportunity is a team-level moment, not a company-wide program• the Build, Borrow, Bot framework for redesigning a team skill by skill• why the unit of work has shifted from roles to tasks• why a leave, a reorg, or a departure is the rare window where redesign actually happens• why 90% of companies see no return on AI, and what the rest do differently• what all of this means for your own career

Whether you're a CEO, a business or product leader, a people leader, or a manager navigating change on your own team, this episode will help you see capacity change not as a gap to fill, but as the most practical place to start winning with AI.

In this episode, we cover:

• 00:00 Meet Sankar (LinkedIn's Global Evangelist)
• 04:11 The two questions, and the third option
• 06:37 The three levels of AI maturity
• 08:22 Why redesign only happens at pivotal moments
• 11:33 A real team: absorbing a 40% capacity gap
• 13:09 From roles to tasks: the Build, Borrow, Bot framework
• 19:55 Why 90% of companies see no return on AI
• 26:07 Who owns this, and what it means for you

About KundraKundra keeps teams strong at the pivotal moments when capacity changes, long leaves, returns, departures, reorganizations, and AI mandates. We help companies structure continuity and redesign how the work gets done, so teams keep performing and come out stronger. This podcast is part of how we learn: conversations with leaders, founders and experts about what really happens when teams change shape, and what the strongest companies do differently. If this resonates and you'd like to see how Kundra works in practice, email [email protected].

Et si un congé maternité dans une équipe commerciale n'était pas un risque à absorber, mais une occasion de rendre l'équipe plus forte ?

Dans cet épisode du Kundra Podcast, Theresa reçoit Pierre Fertout, CSO chez Weglot, directeur commercial qui pilote une équipe de dix personnes, accountable du chiffre d'affaires et donc concerné par les départs en congé long autant que n'importe quel founder.

Quand Héloïse, sa top performeuse Sales, est partie huit mois en congé maternité, Pierre a fait ce que peu de directeurs commerciaux font. Il a recruté une remplaçante, défini les règles de communication avec Héloïse avant son départ, et, surtout, pris son objectif en buffer sur lui-même au moment du retour. Pas de répartition sur le reste de l'équipe. Pas de quota à rattraper. Pas de pression à absorber pour quelqu'un qui revient de huit mois d'absence.

Résultat : le quart battu à 120%. Et un retour utilisé comme audit gratuit du playbook commercial — ce qui a mesurablement amélioré le taux de conversion sur la phase de discovery.

Cet épisode explore une idée forte : la solidarité managériale — cette couche peer-to-peer entre managers, qui fait tenir les équipes pendant les absences longues — est l'une des couches d'organisation les moins nommées et les plus déterminantes pour la performance d'une équipe.

Dans cet épisode, vous découvrirez :

• pourquoi un CSO se sent directement concerné par la gestion des congés maternité dans son équipe
• comment Weglot a structuré l'anticipation et les règles de communication avant le départ
• pourquoi Pierre a choisi de prendre l'objectif d'Héloïse en buffer sur lui-même
• comment le retour d'Héloïse a permis une refonte du playbook discovery
• ce qu'est la "solidarité managériale" et pourquoi la plupart des entreprises ne l'instrumentent pas
• comment voir un congé long comme une bénédiction plutôt qu'une contrainte

Que vous soyez leader commercial, founder, manager, RH ou dirigeant, cet épisode vous aidera à voir le congé long non pas comme une perte de capacité à compenser, mais comme un moment de design d'équipe et un levier de performance.

Dans cet épisode, on parle :

• 00:00 Introduction à Pierre & son rôle de CSO chez Weglot
• 01:48 Pourquoi la parentalité concerne directement un dirigeant commercial
• 05:10 Le retour comme audit : repenser les playbooks avec un regard neuf
• 08:36 Définir les règles du jeu avant le départ
• 12:31 Le buffer : prendre l'objectif de sa salariée sur soi
• 18:49 La solidarité managériale, la couche que personne ne nomme
• 24:47 Voir le congé long comme une bénédiction, pas une contrainte

About Kundra

Kundra is workforce continuity infrastructure. We help companies protect team performance during the moments execution can break, long absences, parental leaves, key-role transitions.

This podcast is part of how we learn: conversations with leaders, founders, and managers about what actually happens when key people are out, and what the strongest companies do differently.

If you're managing a team where every absence is felt and you'd like to see how Kundra works in practice, email [email protected].

Et si le congé maternité n’était pas seulement une absence à couvrir, mais un moment clé pour repenser l’organisation du travail ?

Dans cet épisode du Kundra Podcast, Theresa reçoit Maria Rubio, VP des projets stratégiques chez Indy, une entreprise de la French Tech qui accompagne les indépendants dans la gestion de leur activité.

Avant même de rejoindre Indy, Maria savait qu’elle voulait devenir mère, et la culture de l’entreprise sur l’équilibre vie pro / vie perso faisait déjà partie de ses critères de choix.

Quand elle annonce sa grossesse, elle le fait tôt. Non pas par obligation, mais parce qu’elle se sent dans un environnement de confiance. Avec son manager, elle utilise ce temps pour cartographier son rôle, identifier les zones floues, déléguer, clarifier les priorités et accélérer une réorganisation déjà en discussion.

Mais le retour reste difficile.

Maria raconte le choc très concret de rouvrir Slack après plusieurs mois, de passer des couches, du sommeil et du lait à une complexité de projets, de décisions et de responsabilités. Elle parle aussi du vrai sujet derrière le retour : retrouver sa place, redéfinir ses limites, et comprendre comment continuer à avoir de l’impact quand ses priorités ont changé.

Cet épisode explore une idée forte : bien préparé, un congé maternité peut devenir un moment de recul stratégique, pour la personne, pour son manager, et pour l’entreprise.

Dans cet épisode, vous découvrirez :

• pourquoi Maria a choisi Indy aussi pour sa culture parentale
• comment elle a préparé son départ avec son manager
• comment son congé a accéléré une réorganisation d’équipe
• pourquoi le retour reste difficile, même dans un contexte favorable
• comment elle a transformé son retour en nouveau cycle professionnel
• pourquoi le reboarding devrait être pensé comme un vrai moment de design du travail
• ce que les entreprises peuvent faire pour aider les parents à revenir avec clarté, impact et confiance

Que vous soyez parent, futur parent, RH, manager ou dirigeant, cet épisode vous aidera à voir le congé maternité non pas comme une parenthèse, mais comme une opportunité de mieux structurer le travail, et de mieux retenir les talents.

Dans cet épisode, on parle :

• 00:00 Introduction à Maria & son parcours French Tech
• 02:19 Choisir une entreprise aussi pour sa culture parentale
• 03:25 Annoncer tôt pour mieux préparer le congé
• 05:37 Cartographier le rôle : ownership, délégation & zones fragiles
• 08:13 Le congé comme accélérateur de réorganisation
• 09:59 Le choc du retour : Slack, rythme & nouvelle identité
• 18:27 Revenir avec du recul et construire un nouveau scope

About Kundra

Kundra is building the future of parental leave.

We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.

This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.

We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.

Want more from each episode?

• Subscribe to Kundra Notes for insights, recaps, and HR toolkits

• Follow Kundra on LinkedIn for product updates and thought leadership

• Follow Kundra on Instagram for stories, quotes, and behind-the-scenes

Et si l’égalité professionnelle passait aussi par le temps que les pères prennent, vraiment, à l’arrivée d’un enfant ?

Dans cet épisode du Kundra Podcast, Theresa reçoit Benjamin, manager chez Thales, père de deux enfants, qui a vécu deux expériences très différentes de la parentalité : une première naissance au Canada, où il a pu prendre deux mois et demi, puis une seconde en France, où il a combiné congé paternité et congés pour rester présent pendant deux mois.

À travers ce double regard, Benjamin met en lumière un point souvent sous-estimé : quand les pères prennent peu de temps, la charge s’installe très vite de manière déséquilibrée. Et ce déséquilibre ne s’arrête pas à la maison, il influence aussi les carrières, les perceptions du travail et, au fond, l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes.

Cette conversation va plus loin qu’un simple témoignage. On y parle d’anticipation, de passation, de retour au travail, d’empathie managériale et du rôle très concret de l’employeur dans la normalisation du congé des pères. Benjamin raconte comment il a structuré son absence, préparé l’arrivée d’une alternante, suspendu certains projets sans créer de surcharge excessive, et pourquoi cette expérience l’a rendu plus attentif aux transitions vécues par les parents dans son équipe.

On parle aussi d’un sujet central pour Kundra : tant que les pères ne prennent pas davantage leur place dès les premiers mois, la parentalité continuera d’avoir un coût professionnel disproportionné pour les mères.

Que vous soyez parent, futur parent, manager, RH ou dirigeant, cet épisode vous aidera à comprendre pourquoi soutenir le congé des pères n’est pas un “plus” culturel, mais un levier très concret d’équilibre, de rétention et d’égalité au travail.

Dans cet épisode, on parle :

• 00:00 Introduction & le parcours international de Benjamin
• 04:19 Canada vs France : ce que le congé change vraiment
• 11:30 Ce que le congé change dans le rapport au travail
• 13:09 Devenir père change aussi la manière de manager
• 23:52 Préparer son absence : organisation & passation25:31 Pourquoi les pères ne prennent pas tous leur congé
• 31:42 Le congé des pères comme levier d’égalité

About Kundra

Kundra is building the future of parental leave.

We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.

This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.

We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.

Want more from each episode?

• Subscribe to Kundra Notes for insights, recaps, and HR toolkits

• Follow Kundra on LinkedIn for product updates and thought leadership

• Follow Kundra on Instagram for stories, quotes, and behind-the-scenes

What if the moment you fear will slow your business down… is actually the one that makes it stronger?

In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa speaks with Solène, founder of Process Entrepreneurs, who helps women prepare their businesses for pregnancy and maternity leave.

After a severe and unexpected pregnancy that forced her to drastically reduce her capacity, Solène faced what many entrepreneurs fear most: losing control of her business. But what followed was unexpected.

By cutting non-essential work, delegating more, and simplifying her model, she didn’t just maintain her business, she doubled her revenue after returning.

This conversation challenges one of the most persistent assumptions in the workplace: that parental leave is a disruption to performance. Instead, it reveals how constraint can force better decisions, stronger prioritization, and more resilient business models.

Solène also shares why 72% of women entrepreneurs don’t take full maternity leave, how poor planning can impact up to 12 months of business income, and what both entrepreneurs and companies consistently underestimate about parental leave.

This episode will help you understand:

• Why maternity leave impacts far more than just a few months off
• How constraint can drive better business and operating decisions
• What companies can learn from entrepreneurs about managing parental leave
• Why mindset, not just policy, is the real lever for change

This episode is for entrepreneurs, HR leaders, and managers who want to rethink parental leave, not as a risk to manage, but as an opportunity to redesign work.

In this episode, we discuss:

• 00:00 Introduction & Solène’s background
• 02:57 The structural problem: motherhood as the main driver of inequality
• 05:58 The fear, the planning illusion, and loss of control during pregnancy
• 09:29 Survival mode: forced simplification, delegation, and prioritization
• 18:09 The hidden business impact of maternity leave (9–12 months reality)
• 22:00 The turning point: how constraint led to stronger performance
• 33:31 From risk management to strategic leverage: lessons for companies

About Kundra

Kundra is building the future of parental leave.

We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.

This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.

We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.

Want more from each episode?

• Subscribe to Kundra Notes for insights, recaps, and HR toolkits

• Follow Kundra on LinkedIn for product updates and thought leadership

• Follow Kundra on Instagram for stories, quotes, and behind-the-scenes

How do you manage maternity leave when half your team is stepping away - and performance still needs to hold?

In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa sits down with Valentine, Product Marketing leader and therapist, who shares a rare perspective: how to design high-performing parental leave as a manager who hasn’t experienced it herself.

After witnessing firsthand how poorly managed maternity leave can derail careers and cost companies top talent, Valentine took a radically different approach — turning a high-risk situation into a win for the team, the business, and the individuals involved.

When two of her four team members went on maternity leave simultaneously, she had to make fast, high-stakes decisions: how to structure coverage, justify budget, protect partnerships, and ensure a seamless return.

Inside this conversation, you’ll discover:

• From Failure to Framework: What goes wrong when maternity leave is poorly handled - and how to avoid it
• Continuity Under Pressure: How to design coverage when capacity drops by 50%
• Smart Trade-offs: How to decide between freelancers, hiring, and internal redistribution
• Business Case First: How to secure budget by linking leave coverage to revenue and partnerships
• Reboarding That Works: Why the first weeks back matter more than the handover
• The Human Layer: How a therapist mindset - listening, empathy, and “persona thinking” - transforms outcomes

Whether you’re a manager, HR leader, or future parent, this episode offers a practical and deeply human playbook for turning maternity leave into a moment of growth - not disruption.

In this episode we cover:

• 00:00 Introduction to Valentine
• 02:53 Why This Topic Matters: Even If You’re Not a Parent
• 04:45 The Worst-Case Scenario: When Maternity Leave Goes Wrong
• 08:36 Managing Two Leaves in a Four-Person Team
• 09:06 Coverage Decisions: Freelance, Hire, or Redistribute?
• 15:27 Making the Business Case: Budget, Partners & Performance
• 21:12 Reboarding Done Right: Energy, Identity & Motivation
• 25:56 The Manager Playbook: Listening, Personas & Long-Term Impact

About Kundra

Kundra is building the future of parental leave.

We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.

This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.

We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.

Want more from each episode?

• Subscribe to Kundra Notes for insights, recaps, and HR toolkits

• Follow Kundra on LinkedIn for product updates and thought leadership

• Follow Kundra on Instagram for stories, quotes, and behind-the-scenes

What if taking three months off work after your child is born made you a better father - and a better professional?

In this episode of the Kundra Podcast, Theresa sits down with Gaultier, Product Marketing Manager at Kolecto, who shares a deeply honest story about becoming a father during a moment of professional transition. After closing his startup and questioning his professional identity, Gaultier chose to take three months away from work to fully experience the early days of fatherhood.

What followed reshaped how he thinks about success, work, and the role fathers play in building the foundations of family life.

Inside this conversation, you’ll discover:

• Choosing Presence Over Pressure: Why Gaultier paused his job search after his son’s birth - and how stepping away from work allowed him to truly become a father.
• The Hidden Value of Paternity Leave: How early time with his son built confidence, strengthened their bond, and created the foundation for a lifelong relationship.
• Fatherhood as Leadership Training: The unexpected professional skills developed through parenting - from empathy and prioritization to sharper focus and better energy management.
• The Legitimacy Gap: Why many fathers still hesitate to take longer leave, and how cultural expectations and a lack of role models hold men back.
• Reframing Commitment at Work: Why taking parental leave doesn’t reduce ambition - and how companies can recognize parenthood as a meaningful life experience that builds stronger professionals.

This episode is a powerful reminder that taking time for early parenthood isn’t a career risk - it’s an investment in family, leadership, and long-term wellbeing.

Whether you’re a father-to-be, working parent, manager, or HR leader, this conversation challenges the assumptions around paternity leave and shows what becomes possible when fathers give themselves permission to be fully present.

In this episode we cover:

• 00:00 Introduction & Gaultier’s Story
• 04:19 Choosing to Pause Work and Take Time With His Newborn
• 09:07 What Fatherhood Changed About Work and Leadership
• 15:56 Navigating Career Fears as a New Dad
• 22:23 Why More Fathers Should Take Parental Leave

About Kundra

Kundra is building the future of parental leave.

We believe ambition and parenthood can thrive together - and companies that embed equity into their foundations today will lead tomorrow.

This podcast is part of our journey: speaking with working parents, business leaders, and HR innovators to surface the truths of career and parenting and the tools that make it work.

We’re now opening up pilot programs for companies ready to rethink parental leave. If you’d like to see how Kundra can support your teams, email [email protected] for a demo.

Want more from each episode?

• Subscribe to Kundra Notes for insights, recaps, and HR toolkits

• Follow Kundra on LinkedIn for product updates and thought leadership

• Follow Kundra on Instagram for stories, quotes, and behind-the-scenes