Managed Chaos Podcast

This week on the Managed Chaos Podcast, Rachel Anderson and Katrina Purcell dig into the biggest headlines shaping the startup world — from the recent AWS outage to what the Q3 2025 venture capital report reveals about where the money’s really going.

They unpack the growing concentration of funding in AI, what it means for non-AI startups, and how founders can build sustainable growth strategies in an unpredictable market.

Rachel and Katrina also share Q4 predictions and practical advice for navigating shifting investor priorities and market confidence.

💡 Highlights:

✔️ What the AWS outage revealed about business resilience

✔️ Why VC funding is up — but only for a few big players

✔️ How non-AI startups can stay competitive

✔️ The importance of sustainable, customer-driven growth

✔️ Smart moves for founders heading into Q4

🌐 Visit the Managed Chaos website:www.themanagedchaospodcast.com

👥 Connect on LinkedIn:Rachel Anderson — https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-anderson-human-centric-leaderKatrina Purcell — https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/

🎧 As always, we give you the startup business rundown in less time than it takes for you to get to work.

✨ Special Offer from Pobl.io Outsourcing US tech talent shouldn’t be a challenge. With pobl.io You’ll get high-quality teams on demand and enjoy huge cost savings for your business. Try it now at pobl.io. Mention Managed Chaos when you email us and get a free market data report.

📧 Contact: [email protected]

This week on the Managed Chaos Podcast, Katrina Purcell sits down with Daisy Onubogu, a creative operator, community-builder, and systems thinker who has led teams across tech, venture capital, hospitality, and nonprofits.

Daisy shares how she builds lightweight playbooks to bring clarity to chaos, drawing from her experiences leading VIP speaker acquisition at Web Summit, building global community operations at Roam, investing and supporting founders at Backed VC, and leading People Ops at RoomPriceGenie. Today, she’s the architect behind Symphony Collective/TRIBE Festival and host of the Strange Life podcast, where she translates messy human complexity into simple, repeatable practices.

Together, Katrina and Daisy unpack how curiosity, creativity, and stakeholder engagement shape effective playbooks, and why the best ones are experienced, not just documented.

🎧 Listen to Daisy🎙️ Strange Life Podcast Hub: https://strangelifepod.com

🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0L1KyQE3A2T39wY1TfVRkK?si=srKbZ7ySRTenYF0NmWquww&nd=1&dlsi=0c7805c849194b7c

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StrangeLifePodcast📰 Substack Newsletter: https://strangelife.substack.com

💼 Connect with Daisy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daisyonubogu

🎤 Speaking & Media Inquiries: https://msha.ke/daisyveraonubogu

🌐 Visit the Managed Chaos website:www.themanagedchaospodcast.com👥 Connect on LinkedIn:Rachel Anderson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-anderson-human-centric-leaderKatrina Purcell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/

🎧 As always, we give you the startup business rundown in less time than it takes for you to get to work.

✨ Special Offer from Pobl.io Outsourcing US tech talent shouldn’t be a challenge. With pobl.io You’ll get high-quality teams on demand and enjoy huge cost savings for your business. Try it now at pobl.io. Mention the amazing Managed Chaos when you email us and get a free market data report.

📧 Contact: [email protected]

This week on the Managed Chaos Podcast, Rachel Anderson sits down with Jasz Joseph to discuss one of the biggest blind spots in business: pipeline visibility.

From misaligned sales and marketing teams to disconnected data and lost revenue, they unpack how better visibility, automation, and CRM integration can transform the way your business makes decisions. Jasz shares actionable strategies for creating alignment, tracking the right KPIs, and using data to drive growth, not chaos.

If you’re a startup founder, sales leader, or marketer trying to get your teams on the same page and your numbers in line, this episode is packed with practical insights you can use today.

💡 Highlights:

✔️ Why pipeline visibility is the key to sustainable revenue growth

✔️ Breaking down silos between sales and marketing

✔️ How to use KPIs that actually move the needle

✔️ Smart automation tips that save time and money

✔️ Why connecting your CRM tools builds long-term efficiency

Connect With Our Guest:

https://www.jaszrae.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaszjoseph/

Visit the Managed Chaos website:

www.themanagedchaospodcast.com

Connect on LinkedIn:

Rachel Anderson | https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-anderson-human-centric-leader

Katrina Purcell | https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/

🎧 As always, we give you the startup business rundown in less time than it takes for you to get to work.

✨ Special Offer from Pobl.io

Outsourcing US tech talent shouldn’t be a challenge. With pobl.io

You’ll get high-quality teams on demand and enjoy huge cost savings for your business. Try it now at pobl.io. Mention the amazing Managed Chaos when you email us and get a free market data report.

📧 Contact: [email protected]

This week on the Managed Chaos Podcast, Katrina Purcell and Rachel Anderson dive into one of the most misunderstood startup concepts, the difference between a Minimally Viable Product (MVP) and a Minimally Lovable Product (MLP).

They unpack how customer feedback can transform your product from “barely working” to “deeply resonating,” and share practical strategies for collecting, interpreting, and acting on feedback that actually moves your business forward.

If you’re building a product, testing an idea, or iterating your next big launch, this episode is packed with tactical advice on how to focus on core problems, not just features, and how to fall in love with the process of iteration.

💡 Highlights:

✔️ The difference between MVP and MLP

✔️ How to craft actionable customer feedback questions

✔️ Why negative feedback is gold (not a gut punch)

✔️ Focusing on the core problem your product solves

✔️ How iteration leads to true product-market fit

🌐 Visit the Managed Chaos website:

www.themanagedchaospodcast.com

👥 Connect on LinkedIn:

Rachel Anderson — https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-anderson-human-centric-leader

Katrina Purcell — https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/

🎧 As always, we give you the startup business rundown in less time than it takes for you to get to work.

✨ Special Offer from Pobl.io Outsourcing your US tech talent shouldn’t be hard. With pobl.ioYou’ll get high-quality teams on demand and enjoy huge cost savings for your business. Try it now at pobl.io. Mention 'Managed Chaos' when you email us and receive a complimentary market data report.📧 Contact: [email protected]

In this episode of Managed Chaos, host KatrinaPurcell sits down with Carrie Sporer, co-founder of SWAIR, a clean haircare brand built for active individuals. They dive into the parallels between marathons and entrepreneurship, from grueling setbacks to resilience required to keep moving forward.

Carrie shares her startup journey, including launching a brand during the pandemic, overcoming major productdevelopment challenges, and how asking the right questions opened unexpected doors. Together, Katrina and Carrie explore the messy but rewarding path of personalgrowth, resilience, and women in the business world.

✨What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

·       How serious setbacks can create powerful redirections

·       Why asking questions is a superpower in business

·       The role of vulnerability and resilience in growth

·       How personal needs inspire product innovation

·       Why community support and flexibility are key for founders

🔗 Connect with Carrie Sporer:

·       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriesporer/

·       Website: https://www.swairhair.com

🔗 Connect with the Hosts:

·       Katrina Purcell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/

·       Rachel Anderson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-anderson-human-centric-leader

·       Managed Chaos: https://www.themanagedchaospodcast.com

As always, we give you the startup business rundown in less time than it takes for you to get to work.

✨ Special Offer from Pobl.io

 Outsourcing your US tech talent shouldn’t be hard. With pobl.io

 You’ll get high-quality teams on demand and enjoy huge cost savings for your business. Try it now at pobl.io. Mention the amazing Managed Chaos when you email us and get a free market data report.

 📧 Contact: [email protected]

This week on the Managed Chaos Podcast, Katrina Purcell and Rachel Anderson dig into one of the biggest challenges for startups: finding engineering talent. They break down the concept of nearshoring and why it can be a game-changing strategy for scaling teams.

From avoiding time zone headaches to saving on costs and tapping into new tech hubs, this episode unpacks the practical steps founders can take to build nearshore teams that actually work. Plus, they call out the biggest mistakes startups make when hiring globally, and how to avoid them.

💡 Highlights:

✔️ What nearshoring really means (and why it matters)

✔️ How time zones impact collaboration and productivity

✔️ The cost efficiency of nearshore hiring vs. offshore

✔️ Common mistakes startups make when building nearshore teams

✔️ Practical steps to test the process with a small pilot team

✔️ Why communication and cultural alignment are the real keys to success

🌐 Visit the Managed Chaos website: www.themanagedchaospodcast.com

👥 Connect on LinkedIn:

Rachel Anderson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-anderson-human-centric-leader

Katrina Purcell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/

🎧 As always, we give you the startup business rundown in less time than it takes for you to get to work.

✨ Special Offer from Pobl.io

Outsourcing your US tech talent shouldn’t be hard. With Pobl.io

You’ll get high-quality teams on demand and enjoy huge cost savings for your business. Try it now at pobble.io. Mention the amazing Managed Chaos when you email us and receive a free market data report.

📧 Contact: [email protected]

This week on the Managed Chaos Podcast, Katrina Purcell sits down with PR strategist and thought leadership expert Lexie Smith to talk about the power of executive branding. From building a strong personal brand to understanding the ROI of putting yourself out there, Lexie shares practical strategies and case studies that show why storytelling and self-awareness are at the heart of lasting impact.

Whether you’re a founder, leader, or executive, this conversation will help you rethink how branding yourself can open doors, build trust, and drive business growth.

💬 If you’ve ever wondered how to stand out in a crowded market or why personal branding matters as much as your product, this episode is for you.

💡 Highlights:

✔️ Why having a plan is the foundation of personal branding

✔️ The role of self-awareness in building your brand

✔️ Common pitfalls leaders face when branding themselves

✔️ How storytelling makes your brand relatable and engaging

✔️ Case studies showing ROI on executive branding

✔️ Why investors often back the entrepreneur, not just the product

🔗 Connect with Lexi Smith:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lexie-smith-pr/

Website: https://growthmodeon.com/

🌐 Visit the Managed Chaos website: www.themanagedchaospodcast.com

👥 Connect on LinkedIn:

Rachel Anderson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-anderson-human-centric-leader

Katrina Purcell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/

🎧 As always, we give you the startup business rundown in less time than it takes for you to get to work.

This week on the Managed Chaos Podcast, Katrina Purcell and Rachel Anderson dive into the messy, magical world of ideation. From those sparks of inspiration to the all-consuming excitement of new business ideas, they unpack how to thrive in the ideation stage and when it’s time to shift toward execution.

Whether you’re brainstorming your first startup or iterating on your tenth, this episode is packed with practical insights on creativity, collaboration, and validation, the building blocks of turning ideas into reality.

Highlights:

✔️ How regular “boredom walks” fuel creativity

✔️ Signs you’re in the ideation stage (and why that’s powerful)

✔️ Why collaboration makes ideas stronger

✔️ The role of validation in moving toward execution

✔️ Why it’s okay to let go of ideas that don’t stick

🌐 Visit the Managed Chaos website: www.themanagedchaospodcast.com

👥 Connect on LinkedIn:Rachel Anderson:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-anderson-human-centric-leaderKatrina Purcell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/

As always, we give you the startup business rundown in less time than it takes for you to get to work.

This week on the Managed Chaos Podcast, Rachel Anderson and Katrina Purcell unpack a recent MIT report on generative AI that revealed a staggering stat: 95% of AIdeployments deliver no measurable return.

What does this mean for small businesses, startups, and leaders trying to adopt AI into their workflows? Rachel andKatrina explores the challenges, opportunities, and messy realities of integrating AI into business. From treating AI like an intern that needs training, to why pilot projects often fail, to the rise of employee-driven AI usage outside company policies,  this episode is a roadmap for leaders who want to harness AI without getting lost in the hype.

💡 Highlights:
✔️ What small businesses can learn from failed AI pilots
✔️ Why AI isn’t replacing jobs, but can handle mundane tasks
✔️ The growing need for clear AI policies in companies
✔️ How education and leadership must adapt to AI’s rise
✔️ Why AI adoption follows an S curve — and what that means for you

🌐 Visit the ManagedChaos website: www.themanagedchaospodcast.com

👥 Connect on LinkedIn:

Rachel Anderson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-anderson-human-centric-leader
Katrina Purcell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrina-purcell/

🎧 As always, we give you the startup business rundown in less time than it takes for you to get to work.

In this episode of the Managed Chaos podcast, Rachel Anderson sits down with Gina Torres Perryman, a passionate life design coach, to explore the transformative power of coaching. They dive into the differences between coaching, advising, and mentoring, and discuss how coaching can provide clarity, perspective, and support during the highs and lows of startup life.From navigating transitions to redefining success, Gina shares how coaching can help entrepreneurs and leaders uncover their strengths, overcome obstacles, and build a life they’re truly excited to live.Whether you’re leading a startup, navigating burnout, or simply searching for a new direction, this episode will inspire you to see coaching as a tool for growth both personally and professionally.💬 Highlights✔️ The key differences between coaching, consulting, and mentoring✔️ Why outside perspectives matter in startups✔️ How to overcome limiting beliefs and build confidence✔️ Practical strategies for navigating personal and professional transitions✔️ Why everyone deserves a life they love🔗 Connect with Gina:🌐 Website: ginathelifecoach.com💼 LinkedIn: Gina Torres Perryman🌐 Visit the Managed Chaos website: www.themanagedchaospodcast.com👥 Connect on LinkedIn:Rachel Anderson: Rachel AndersonKatrina Purcell: Katrina Purcell🎧 As always, we give you the startup business rundown in less time than it takes for you to get to work.