"I Had Imposter Syndrome Every 18 Months" – How Amplitude’s Former CPO Survived
He watched his peers get replaced. Each 18-month cycle brought new expectations, and new doubts. Here’s how he learned to survive when imposter syndrome hit hardest.
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This VP of Product looked around the leadership room - and realized every peer he’d started with (his original “class”) had all been leveled or replaced.
In the startup world, there’s an unspoken truth:
Most of the early leadership team eventually gets replaced as the company grows. The builders who thrive going 0-->1 usually get replaced by operators who can scale 1-->100.
It’s extremely rare to be skilled at both stages of growth.
Justin Bauer knew the deal.
“I guess I’m next,” he figured.
He was part of the early Amplitude team - and they were on a rocket-ship trajectory.
They had doubled and tripled. And every few months, he was doing a job he’d never done before, while watching his peers get replaced around him.
“Every 18 months honestly felt like imposter syndrome,” he shared.
was he scaling fast enough?
would the board push to replace him?
was he still the right leader for the next stage?
He could’ve stayed quiet.
Kept his head down. Waited for his number to be called. Or hoped for the best case scenario, that his work product spoke for itself.
But instead of waiting, he took the risk most leaders avoid:
He wrote his own 18-month job description. He proactively brought it to his CEO. And he asked: “Is this what great looks like at the next stage?”
Our full conversation explores his path to Chief Product Officer, and the lessons from three tough moments that shaped his career along the way.
If you've ever worried your company might outgrow you - you'll want to hear how Justin navigated it.
Catch Justin’s full conversation on YouTube:
Or listen on Spotify
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