The Minimum Viable Manager: A Practical Leadership Framework for First-Time Managers with Matt Gjertsen

The Minimum Viable Manager: A Practical Leadership Framework for First-Time Managers with Matt Gjertsen

From What’s Possible w. Ilene Schaffer by Silicon Valley Change

April 23, 2026 · 37 min · Season 1 · Episode 134

About this episode

Ilene Schaffer interviews leadership expert Matt Gjertsen about essential strategies for first-time managers.

In this episode of What’s Possible, Ilene Schaffer sits down with leadership expert Matt Gjertsen, founder of Better Every Day Studios and author of the upcoming book Minimum Viable Manager, to explore what new managers actually need in order to lead well. Drawing from his experience in the Air Force, at SpaceX, and now in leadership development, Matt offers a simple but powerful framework for first-time managers and technical leaders: build trust, set expectations, and ask for better feedbac...

People in this episode

Host: Ilene Schaffer

Guest: Matt Gjertsen

Topics covered

  • leadership
  • management
  • first-time managers
  • trust building
  • feedback

Keywords

  • leadership framework
  • first-time managers
  • trust
  • expectations
  • feedback

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Better Every Day Studios, SpaceX, Air Force

Books & works: Minimum Viable Manager

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