In this episode, I sit down with Heidy Nasr, Director of Growth at Careem, the Middle East’s leading super app, to unpack how they scaled ride-hailing, expanded into 15+ verticals, and built an obsessive focus on retention, personalization, and growth loops.

Heidi has been at Careem for 7+ years, navigating its evolution from a high-growth startup to a market leader in ride-hailing, food delivery, and fintech

If you’re in growth, product, or marketing, this one’s a must listen for scaling businesses in emerging markets.

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00:44 Defining growth in business

01:41 The art and science of growth

03:23 Collaboration and team dynamics in growth

08:20 Building a growth team

15:05 Early growth strategies at Careem

16:26 Evolving growth tactics and personalization

21:57 Operationalizing the growth team

24:27 Meeting rhythms and collaboration

25:51 Common mistakes in hiring for growth

28:45 Understanding non-linear customer journeys

32:31 Experimentation and a/b testing

35:42 Building a culture of experimentation

44:24 The future of growth and AI

46:39 SEO in the age of AI

48:21 Pass the toolkit

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shebuildspodcast

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Get in touch:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhewerdine/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah_hewerdine

In this episode, I sit down with Ruthie Qadan, Head of Strategy & Operations at Spotify MENA & South Asia, to unpack the hidden strategies behind market expansion, team building, and scaling global businesses.

Ruthie started her career in marketing but transitioned into business strategy and operations, proving that being a generalist is a superpower. If you’ve ever wondered how to break into a leadership role in a tech company, how to structure teams in different markets, or how to balance data with creativity, this episode is packed with takeaways.

Whether you're a startup founder, strategy leader, or marketer, this is a must-listen for understanding Spotify’s playbook on growth, expansion, and execution.

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00:38 Ruthie's career transition to a generalist

01:25 The value of being a generalist

03:42 Skills and leadership as a generalist

04:55 KPI’s and team structure at Spotify

09:20 Building and executing strategy

14:24 Localization and market strategy at Spotify

19:14 Balancing centralization and decentralization

20:28 Key hires for new markets

21:24 Maintaining brand consistency

23:47 Market entry decisions

26:07 Future of marketing: Brand vs. performance

29:54 Measuring marketing effectiveness

33:39 Understanding fandom at Spotify

35:11 Customer feedback and sentiment analysis

35:44 Pass the toolkit

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shebuildspodcast

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Get in touch:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhewerdine/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah_hewerdine

At Amazon, every decision starts with the customer. In this episode, Shweta reveals Amazon’s frameworks—the Working Backwards approach, PRFAQs, input metrics vs. output metrics and the reality of high-stakes decision-making inside one of the world’s most influential companies.

Now a founder herself, she’s applied these principles to building her own business, The Midori Company.

This conversation is packed with insights for product managers, founders, and anyone obsessed with growth.

00:48 Shweta's journey at Amazon
02:52 The Amazon memo culture
03:52 Working backwards: PRFAQ model
09:40 Customer obsession at Amazon
12:59 Operational rhythms and metrics
18:38 Amazon's used business and sustainability
24:53 Hyper-personalization vs. customer obsession
26:04 Understanding your customer
27:33 Building customer personas
28:01 Real-life example: technology adoption
29:09 Targeting the right audience
30:54 Creating effective personas
31:33 Launching a product
37:29 The importance of brand in product management
43:52 Challenges in marketing Alexa in Europe
46:42 Starting a new venture
52:18 Pass the toolkit

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shebuildspodcast

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Get in touch:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahhewerdine/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah_hewerdine