There are lots of ways for professionals to improve their leadership skills, from books to apps to coaches.
Popforms is hoping to combine the best of all those worlds with a new subscription-based product called Pop Star.
The Seattle-based company, founded by former Decide.com and Moz exec Kate Matsudaira, today launched Pop Star as a way for busy people to bolster their interpersonal skills while on the job.
“Pop Star is like having the high-impact content and action of an executive coach, but at the cost of an app that helps you manage your to-do list,” Matsudaira said.
For $35 per month or $336 per year, customers ranging from individuals to enterprise teams will receive bite-sized lessons via email on topics like “Learn to lead: Influence and success at every level,” and “Leverage your current role to make progress on your future goals.”
The first course offering is called “Be Someone Everyone Wants To Work With,” and focuses on how to build great relationships, be a good listener, motivate other people, and be seen as someone who adds huge value to your team.
Matsudaira said that the new product is targeted at both “the next generation of leaders,” and startups who may not have big corporate budgets.
“Work is changing, and the ways that we develop and retain the amazing people on our teams must change too,” she said. “Our target market is people who care about their careers — the overachievers, if you will — and who want to consume their content online, on their own schedule, in a fun and engaging format.
Matsudaira, a former GeekWire Geek of the Week who also worked previously at Amazon and Microsoft, started Popforms to create content and tools that help employees and managers be more productive.
“I founded Popforms because years ago, when I first became a manager, I was really bad at my job,” she said. “Eventually through brute force of studying, reading, writing, and years of experience, I got better at being a leader. And now I want to create the tools I always wished I had when I first started.”
Popforms, which is self-funded, is made up of Matsudiara and her co-founder Kate Stull. Learn more about Pop Stars here.
