I Had To Out-Run the Failure Monster with Shanee Ben-Zur (CMO)
About Shanee Ben-zur
Shanee Ben-Zur, Chief Marketing Officer of Earnest at Avient, has discussed her career experiences and leadership philosophy in several podcast appearances. In a December 2024 interview, Ben-Zur described a period at Crunchbase where she said she hired 15 people quickly while fundraising, and while business metrics were strong, employee satisfaction was low. She stated that she had created "a culture of fear and micromanagement" and that a number of her team members quit after a funding round closed. Ben-Zur said she brought in a coach to address the issue, and credited her CEO's faith in her with motivating her to improve. She also advised that as professionals become more senior, they should become their own problem solvers rather than relying on their boss for emotional or professional needs. In earlier appearances, Ben-Zur offered guidance on hiring and career development, stating that people should hire those who are smarter than themselves and seek managers who are good coaches rather than domain experts. She discussed changes in what venture capitalists look for in startups, noting a shift from year-over-year gross new ARR to metrics like net dollar retention and CAC payback period. Ben-Zur also commented on corporate thought leadership, saying companies are increasingly elevating individual employees as advocates because people trust a person more than a faceless entity.