Not by the Book: How growth really happens
Growth is often framed as speed, scale, or shipping more. But in reality, it looks very different.
Growth is a series of choices, tensions, and compromises. It’s navigating pressure to move fast while trying to move intentionally.…and it rarely works by the book.
Not by the Book: How growth really happens
In this talk, Francesca Cortesi shares real stories from building and growing discovery habits across scale-ups, not as a planned transformation, but as a way to make better decisions and create real business impact.
You’ll hear what happens when discovery meets reality:
How discovery can build credibility and trust — not just insights
Why leading with business impact is often the fastest way to unlock better decisions and bring the organization with you
Counterintuitive lessons from scaling discovery, including why starting “where impact is biggest” can backfire, why process can get in the way, and why standardization isn’t required for scale
The mindset shifts needed to sustain new ways of working when you have to prove yourself again and again
This is not a talk about how discovery should work.
It’s about how growth actually happens, and how discovery, when used intentionally, can become a powerful lever for focus, alignment, and impact.
The stories shared are drawn from a multi-year journey and recently captured in Francesca’s book. (www.francescacortesi.com/book)
About Francesca Cortesi
Impact, innovation, and sustainable growth are the cornerstones of Francesca Cortesi’s career.
With nearly two decades of experience, she has built and scaled technology-driven businesses across industries, working with some of Europe’s fastest-growing companies — from early-stage startups to IPOs — shaping some of the Nordics most beloved products.
Francesca knows what it takes to turn digital product potential into real business impact. Her biggest lesson? Sustainable results are rarely linear, they come from clear focus and from creating environments where diverse perspectives can challenge, build, and move forward together.
A recognized voice in European product leadership, Francesca shares practical insights on the exciting (and messy!) reality of scaling products and organizations through LinkedIn and her blog
Hosted by Hustle Badger
This Product Talk is hosted by Hustle Badger, the best place for PMs and tech founders to accelerate their career:
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