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.

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

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

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