Best Manager Ever: Jared Erondu – Hard Mode Leadership

Best Manager Ever: Jared Erondu – Hard Mode Leadership

From Best Manager Ever by Annie Riley

December 10, 2025 · 52 min · Season 3 · Episode 14

About this episode

Annie Riley interviews Jared Erondu about leadership strategies and the importance of mindset in management.

Jared Erondu is a seasoned design and startup leader, and is currently the Head of Design at early-stage startup Span. Jared spent eight years at Lattice rising from a solo designer pulling all-nighters in the early days, to leading a 50-person design organization and serving as GM across product and GTM as the company scaled. Earlier in his career, he was a design leader at Teespring and Omada Health. Jared is known for his design mentorship and community-building, and is an active advisor and angel investor.  Jared brings a calm, steady presence, especially during challenging times, always seeing the long view and providing unwavering support. His team appreciates his high standards, attention to detail, and commitment to craft, but also noted that he balances intensity with humor and approachability. In this episode, show creator and Fort Light founder Annie Riley sits down with Jared, and they discuss: Why all managers should master selective transparency The right way to communicate destabilizing intel  How to recondition your mindset for “hard mode” leadership How to build a bench of resources to support yourself   The best way to recruit exceptional…

People in this episode

Host: Annie Riley

Guest: Jared Erondu

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • management
  • design
  • communication
  • talent recruitment
  • mindset

Keywords

  • leadership
  • management
  • design mentorship
  • communication
  • recruitment
  • mindset
  • startup

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Span, Lattice, Teespring, Omada Health

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