In today’s AI-infused environment, technical teams are being pushed harder and faster than ever—and it’s team leads and mid-level managers who bear the brunt. This hands-on workshop equips participants with practical tools to boost team performance without burning people out. Using a diagnostic framework developed with over a decade of coaching tech leaders, we'll cover techniques for improving team clarity, psychological safety, and accountability—especially in times of rapid change. You’ll walk away with actionable leadership tools you can use immediately to reduce friction, improve execution, and keep your team aligned and energized.
Speaker
Sam McAfee
Founder & Managing Director @Startup Patterns
Sam helps technology leaders transform their companies by building stronger leadership, better product teams, and more sustainable organizations.
With over 25 years in Silicon Valley, he's helped startups and enterprises alike find product-market fit, scale with integrity, and grow without burning out. His current focus is Humanize.us—a next-generation diagnostic tool that combines AI and expert insight to help leaders reflect, recalibrate, and act with clarity. Built on the Startup Patterns framework, it’s the result of years of work coaching executives, advising teams, and refining the patterns that actually work in high-growth environments.
He's had the privilege of working with leaders at Adobe, Unilever, GE, Credit Karma, Blackstone, Sharethrough, PG&E, Teach for America, and many others. His work blends modern product practices with mindfulness, autonomy, and social impact. He's also the author of Startup Patterns and the forthcoming The Mindful Product Company—books that bring together the lessons of two decades of product leadership.
At Startup Patterns, their mission is simple: help product organizations grow with purpose. They're not interested in quick hacks or generic playbooks. They partner with companies that want to build real capability—from culture to execution to strategy—and they meet them with the tools, insight, and coaching to make it stick.
When he's not working, he's usually writing, cooking, or hiking the Northern California coast. And yes, he still code now and then—mostly for fun.
