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In this episode of the Tech Trajectory podcast, host Kavita Kerwar speaks with Yann Burden, a growth strategist and startup founder turned Chief AI Officer at Pendula about the leadership lessons that come from navigating complexity and change.

Yann shares what it takes to lead when the path isn’t clear, the market isn’t ready, and the idea hasn’t quite landed yet. He talks about using customer clarity to cut through complexity, building belief when outcomes are uncertain, and why bold experimentation only works when others are willing to follow.

This is a conversation for anyone driving change without a clear roadmap, and looking for ways to move forward with focus and impact.

Key takeaways

1. Customer clarity as compass. Even in moments of high ambiguity, customer needs can provide focus and direction.

• [08:53] Yann reflects on anchoring decisions in what truly matters to customers.
• [12:38] Building customer trust wasn’t just idealistic, it was essential in a low-trust, high-switching-cost industry.
• [16:23] A relentless focus on customer value helps cut through internal debates and competing priorities.

2. Building before the market’s ready. Some of the biggest lessons came from solving problems before the market knew they existed.

• [19:35] Billcap was built to make energy data useful, before most retailers had the tools (or appetite) to use it.
• [21:56] Staying mission-driven gave the team staying power when the pace of market adoption lagged behind their vision.
• [24:43] “If someone’s hair’s on fire, they’ll use a brick to put it out”. True product-market fit means urgency, not perfection.

3. Turning insight into action. Ideas are easy. Driving alignment to bring them to life is the hard part.

• [28:53] At Pendula, using AI for reporting meant aligning product, commercial, and data teams around something still evolving.
• [31:06] Generative AI raised expectations, but success came from scoping carefully and managing belief internally.
• [34:10] No matter how promising the tech, change only sticks when the organisation is truly ready for it.

4. Learning to let go. Leadership evolves, especially when switching from founder roles to executive positions.

• [38:28] How to influence without formal authority, and why trust is the real currency.
• [40:50] Leading change means knowing when to push and when to pivot, there’s no universal playbook.
• [42:55] Every role has called for a different version of himself, adaptability has been the throughline.

5. Wrap-up and reflections

• [45:16] Advice for leaders building in uncertain environments: Don’t wait for clarity, create it.
• [47:05] Ambiguity isn’t the enemy; it’s a signal you’re doing something new.
• [48:28] What keeps him energised: solving meaningful problems, momentum, and good people

Resources

• The “hair on fire” analogy comes from Michael Seibel at Y Combinator. It captures true product–market fit: if someone’s hair is on fire, they’ll use even a brick to put it out. Urgency beats elegance.
• The J Burden Show

Find Yann

• LinkedIn

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