Growing Gains - Looks Like Work, Season 1, Ep 20
What does it take to help grow a startup from three people in a kitchen to a global company valued at over a billion dollars? Lisa Zaythik, Chief People Officer and founding team member at AppsFlyer, joins Chedva Ludmir for a conversation that’s as wide-ranging as her impact. Born in Ukraine and raised in Israel, Lisa shares how selling cookies at the market to pay for college set the tone for her entrepreneurial drive—and how saying “yes” to a wild idea led to a decade-long adventure in tech.
Together, Lisa and Chedva explore how you build culture intentionally when you’re also building the product, why feedback is a gift (even when it stings), and how philosophy, parenting, and leadership overlap more than we realize. Lisa opens up about the loss that shaped her commitment to social impact, how she learned to lead with empathy and boundaries, and what it’s like to run a company alongside your life partner.
This is a story of grit, growth, and imagination—from someone who’s done the deep work and isn’t afraid to ask: “What kind of leader do I want to become next?”
Key Topics:
From cookies at the market to CPO of a global tech company
The Ubuntu philosophy and creating human-centric culture
Building AppsFlyer from 3 to 1,500+ employees in 20 countries
Why empathy ≠ agreement, and why conflict matters
Public speaking as a tool for leadership growth
How social impact became part of AppsFlyer’s DNA
Partnering at work and at home—setting boundaries with your co-founder spouse
The power of self-education, feedback, and choosing optimism
Charging your first client when no one asked you to
What parenting, leadership, and culture design have in common
Lisa’s Powerful Question
“What does the Chief People Officer of 2025 need from me—and how do I stretch to become that person?”
A forward-thinking lens for growth-driven leadership.Key Lessons
Fun is foundational—even (especially) at a unicorn
Culture is an organism, not a checklist
Feedback, empathy, and conflict are part of healthy growth
You can build the role you failed in—if you stay curious and committed
Public speaking isn’t just external PR—it can elevate your whole team
Optimism isn’t delusion; it’s leadership
Social responsibility isn’t a side project—it’s part of how you build
Dream big, then get to work—eyes wide open
“Empathy is not about agreeing with people. It’s about understanding where they come from.”
Listen to this episode on Spotify | Apple | Wherever you get your podcasts
Resources & Mentions:
Catch up on previous seasons of Looks Like Work wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify | Apple | Podbean
Subscribe to the newsletter: chedva.substack.com
Check out The Curiosity Lab and CuriosityGPT
