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I’m Sara Hicks, a founder, product leader, executive coach, and author. Over more than 20 years in technology, I’ve built products, teams, and companies from zero to one and beyond—from founding and leading venture-backed Reaction Commerce through its acquisition by Mailchimp to later serving as Mailchimp’s Chief Product Officer.
Today I’m building HappyHQ, writing and podcasting about intentional leadership, and coaching startup founders and technology leaders navigating growth, change, and the complicated work of leading. I enjoy art, cycling, cooking, and yoga.
A few things about me:
Read more about my work and background, or explore executive coaching.
I send my newsletter about once a month or whenever I have something worth sharing. It’s often filled with recommendations, stories, photography, and things I’m thinking about.
Our Book
A Leadership and Management Guide
A practical guide to building human-centered organizations, covering meetings, strategy, feedback, delegation, and trust, with real stories and reflection questions along the way. Co-written with Mathias Meyer.
“A practical, down-to-earth handbook grounded in real-world experience — a powerful guide for breaking out of firefighter mode.”
Gina Trapani, former CEO and startup founder
More about the book →“Distills years of experience into a thoughtful, deeply human framework for leadership.”
Camille Fournier, author of The Manager's Path
Our Podcast
Conversations on building human-centered organizations, including topics on leadership, feedback, and the everyday work of running teams with intention.
Listen to the latest episode
More about the podcast →Hiring, feedback, one-on-ones, and what I've learned building and running companies.
#ReadingWatching 20 postsRecommendations and what stuck with me from the books, articles, and movies I've read and watched.
#5Things 19 postsWeekly roundups of five reads worth your time.
#Philosophy 12 postsReflections on purpose, mindfulness, and the bigger questions behind the day-to-day.
#Intentional 11 postsSmall, deliberate habits and choices for living and working with more purpose.
#ExecutiveCoaching 8 postsFrameworks and real, anonymized sessions from my executive coaching practice.
#Random 8 postsTravel notes and everything else that doesn't fit elsewhere.
#Photography 6 postsA few personal photos, taken on trips and at home.
#CookingGardening 3 postsRecipes and notes from the kitchen and the garden.
My journey through product management's evolution, from Web 1.0 producer roles and the mini CEO era to startup capital, the unbundling of product work, and the AI-native builder era.
Read post →A newsletter on product, leadership, and whatever else I'm thinking about. No spam.