Supra Insider

What happens when you pass every interview, get approved for an offer, and then hear nothing for five months?
In this episode of Supra Insider, Marc Baselga interviews Ben Erez about team matching, the stage at large companies where an approved candidate waits for a hiring manager to claim them. Ben walks through how the process actually works from the inside, drawing on his own path into Facebook and what he has since heard from people going through it now.
They explore why hiring managers exhaust internal candidates first, what a company-wide reshuffle does to everyone waiting outside, the reported changes at Meta that have left candidates in silence, and the moves that are still within a candidate’s control, including how to see the roles that never get posted publicly and what to say when you reach out.
If you’re sitting in team matching wondering whether to keep waiting, preparing for a generalist loop at a big company, or a leader trying to understand why your approved candidate pool keeps growing, this episode is for you.
All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox 👇
Want company-specific interview intel?
If you’re preparing for PM interviews at Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Stripe, DoorDash, Uber, or Figma… we think you’re going to love Insider Loops. You can read about it in Ben’s LI post, Marc’s LI post or check out the site directly below.
Supra Insider listeners get $50 off all interview guides with promo code SUPRAINSIDER50
In this episode, we covered the following topics:
* (00:56) What team matching is, and the difference between specialist and generalist interview loops
* (07:19) Why you don’t get numbers or a written offer until a team claims you
* (12:04) Inside the hiring manager’s head, and why internal candidates always come first
* (15:35) How Meta’s reshuffle left external candidates behind a deep internal bench
* (23:36) Ben’s own path at Facebook: a recruiter sending him roles and matching on the third manager
* (27:33) The reported changes at Meta: capped conversations, limited “bullets,” recruiters pulled out
* (31:55) A tale of two cities: the AI talent war versus the buyer’s market everyone else is in
* (39:42) The controllable controllables, starting with the roles you can’t see from outside
* (42:23) Working recruiters, insiders, and cold DMs to manufacture inbound interest
* (49:49) What to actually say in the outreach message
* (53:53) Be visible, then be legible, and why specificity beats generalist positioning
* (1:01:33) Should this practice exist at all? Marc and Ben take opposite ends
* (1:11:31) How people mess it up, and why staying stuck beats matching badly
* And more!
Links:
* Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbaselga/
* Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/
If you’re a new subscriber, we encourage you to check out some of the recent episodes you might have missed:
To support the podcast, please check out the links below:
* Check out Ben’s AI Practice Copilot and top-rated Maven course: Self-Paced PM Interview Bootcamp: Product Sense & Analytical Thinking (selected by Lenny Rachitsky as a top course 🔥). Get 25% off the course with promo code suprainsider (auto-applied here).
* Supra has teamed up with Maven to bring you something special – courses that our own community members have personally curated. And because you’re part of the Supra family, you can get up to 35% off some of these handpicked selections with code SUPRAxMAVEN.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit suprainsider.substack.com

As building gets easier and almost anyone can ship an app in an afternoon, what actually separates a product leader who creates leverage from one who doesn’t?
In this special live episode of Supra Insider, recorded on stage at the Toronto Product Conference, Marc Baselga sits down with Colin Matthews, Head of Education for Lenny’s Newsletter and a former founder, PM, and longtime hobbyist builder. Marc lays out a thesis that the best way to prepare for the AI era is to build a real side project, one with actual users and ideally revenue, and Colin pressure-tests it with the framework he uses himself: start with distribution, then work backward to the customers and problems you can reach.
They explore the blurring lines between product, engineering, and design, why the code review bar stays the same no matter who writes the code, when to ship a PR versus a prototype versus a spec, why Colin uses AI for comprehension rather than raw velocity, and the two distribution paths he has actually seen work for solo builders.
If you’re a PM wondering which skills matter most next, a product leader trying to get your team building, or anyone who keeps starting side projects that never find users, this episode is for you.
Huge thanks to Balaji Gopalan, Andrew Williams, and the team at The Toronto Product Conference for hosting us.
All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox 👇
Want company-specific interview intel?
If you’re preparing for PM interviews at Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Stripe, DoorDash, Uber, or Figma… we think you’re going to love Insider Loops. You can read about it in Ben’s LI post, Marc’s LI post or check out the site directly below.
Supra Insider listeners get $50 off all interview guides with promo code SUPRAINSIDER50
In this episode, we covered the following topics:
* (01:26) Marc kicks off Supra Insider’s first live podcast and sets up the thesis on side projects and the three judgments
* (04:45) Colin on years of building side projects, a roughly 10% hit rate, and what actually counts as a real one
* (06:27) His first project, a walk-in clinic reservation app, and the distribution lesson that stuck
* (08:12) The distribution-first framework: start with the channel, then find the customers and problems
* (10:25) How to bring distribution thinking into your day job, and the career risk of validating bets that fail
* (14:09) The blurring lines between product, engineering, and design, and PMs shipping to production
* (15:43) Why the code review bar stays the same no matter who submits the PR
* (17:22) Colin’s fourth judgment: deciding whether to ship a PR, a prototype, or a spec
* (18:40) The profile picture and Base64 example of a simple feature hiding real complexity
* (20:26) Using AI for comprehension over velocity, and why he avoids Supabase on a learning project
* (23:31) A beginner-friendly stack and the primitives to layer on one problem at a time
* (24:50) The case for prototyping almost everything before writing a spec
* (26:41) Design systems as leverage, through the Figma MCP or the codebase itself
* (30:26) Where to start: learning versus business, and choosing your intention first
* (34:22) The distribution sprint, the “meaningful rep,” and the two paths that work for solo builders
* And more!
Links:
* Lenny’s Newsletter
* “A guide to AI prototyping for product managers”
* “How to get your entire team prototyping with AI”
* Toronto Product Conference: https://www.tpma.ca/conference/toronto-product-conference
* Toronto Product Con Association: https://www.tpma.ca/
* https://www.tpma.ca/conference/toronto-product-conference
* Colin Matthews: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinmatthews-pm/
* Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbaselga/
* Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/
If you’re a new subscriber, we encourage you to check out some of the recent episodes you might have missed:
To support the podcast, please check out the links below:
* Supra has teamed up with Maven to bring you something special – courses that our own community members have personally curated. And because you’re part of the Supra family, you can get up to 35% off some of these handpicked selections with code SUPRAxMAVEN.
* Check out Ben’s AI Practice Copilot and top-rated Maven course: Self-Paced PM Interview Bootcamp: Product Sense & Analytical Thinking (selected by Lenny Rachitsky as a top course 🔥). Get 25% off the course with promo code suprainsider (auto-applied here).


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit suprainsider.substack.com

What separates the people who get stronger after a rejection from the people who stay stuck on it?
In this episode of Supra Insider, Marc Baselga and Ben Erez drop the guest format for a one-on-one conversation, with Marc interviewing Ben about a piece he started writing on vacation. The trigger was an email from someone who prepared hard, didn’t get the role, and said it was impossible not to take it personally. Ben explains why that reaction revealed the real subject was resilience, what he notices when debriefing candidates who bounce back versus those who don’t, and why he tells people to transcribe their interviews rather than trust their memories.
They explore the four ingredients Ben believes actually cultivate resilience, the one situation where sending a hiring manager more than a thank-you note can swing a decision, and the step-by-step protocol he runs when something falls apart, drawn from three layoffs, a long run of rejections before his Facebook offer, and a torn ACL.
If you’re coming off a rejection and trying to make sense of it, preparing for interviews and looking for a better way to debrief yourself, or just curious how two operators think about setbacks, this episode is for you.
All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox 👇
Want company-specific interview intel?
If you’re preparing for PM interviews at Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Stripe, DoorDash, Uber, or Figma… we think you’re going to love Insider Loops. You can read about it in Ben’s LI post, Marc’s LI post or check out the site directly below.
Supra Insider listeners get $50 off all interview guides with promo code SUPRAINSIDER50
In this episode, we covered the following topics:
* (03:08) The email that sparked the episode: a candidate who couldn’t help taking a rejection personally
* (08:50) Why how someone reacts to rejection tells Ben so much about their resilience
* (10:03) What resilient job seekers do differently: a learning loop and getting better at calling their shots
* (13:20) Ben’s definition: bounce back, recover, and adapt positively when faced with adversity
* (14:58) Marc on the “irrational optimists” who brush off rejection but never actually adapt
* (20:08) Why you shouldn’t trust your memory of an interview, and the case for transcribing
* (22:31) What AI catches in a transcript, from conversational arc to defensive language, and what it misses
* (27:12) Why people are bad at judging their own interviews, and what a light post-interview protocol looks like
* (28:31) The exception: a candidate who sent proof of work after a live working session and swung the decision
* (36:15) Why not to schedule full onsites with two companies in the same week
* (43:48) The four ingredients: abundance, growth, experimentation, and high agency, Marc’s addition to the framework
* (53:52) Ben’s own record: three layoffs, a long run of rejections before Facebook, and a torn ACL
* (56:55) The protocol starts with acceptance, and why rational acceptance comes before emotional acceptance
* (1:07:58) Why you can’t move forward without an honest story, with a detour through therapy and PTSD
* (1:28:32) Trying on decisions before making them, and how this podcast came out of one
* And more!
Links:
* Ben’s post about how he handles rejection:
https://benerez.substack.com/p/how-i-handle-setbacks-and-coach-resilience
* Tim Urban on Life’s Paths: https://x.com/waitbutwhy/status/1367871165319049221
* Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbaselga/
* Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/
If you’re a new subscriber, we encourage you to check out some of the recent episodes you might have missed:
To support the podcast, please check out the links below:
* Check out Ben’s AI Practice Copilot and top-rated Maven course: Self-Paced PM Interview Bootcamp: Product Sense & Analytical Thinking (selected by Lenny Rachitsky as a top course 🔥). Get 25% off the course with promo code suprainsider (auto-applied here).
* Supra has teamed up with Maven to bring you something special – courses that our own community members have personally curated. And because you’re part of the Supra family, you can get up to 35% off some of these handpicked selections with code SUPRAxMAVEN.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit suprainsider.substack.com

After an unexpected layoff, Eric Posen went from day-one outreach to three offers and a director role at Super.com in six weeks.
In this episode, Eric breaks down the search in detail: how he mobilized his network, why he thinks cold applications are dead in this market, what made a referral effective, and the Claude tools he built to track roles and tailor his résumé.
The biggest surprise came across seven interview processes: not one interviewer asked how he used AI. Eric, Marc, and Ben unpack why, along with take-home assignments, taste, negotiating scope and level, and choosing between three offers.
This episode will be useful if you’re searching for a role, preparing for interviews, or rebuilding your hiring process for the AI era.
All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox 👇
Want company-specific interview intel?
If you’re preparing for PM interviews at Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Stripe, DoorDash, Uber, or Figma… we think you’re going to love Insider Loops. You can read about it in Ben’s LI post, Marc’s LI post or check out the site directly below.
Supra Insider listeners get $50 off all interview guides with promo code SUPRAINSIDER50
In this episode, we covered the following topics:
* (02:09) Eric on being laid off and searching for a job while unemployed for the first time
* (07:01) Why he chose a full-time role over founding again, consulting, or fractional work
* (09:30) Day one: casting a wide net across his network and vibe-coding a job tracking funnel
* (14:55) The “trust bank” metaphor he learned from an old boss
* (15:58) Marc breaks down why Eric’s outreach message made him want to help
* (18:44) Why Eric thinks cold applying is dead in this market
* (22:14) What makes the best referral: someone who works directly with the hiring manager
* (25:40) Building a resume builder with Claude to tailor his story to each role
* (34:35) The big surprise: across seven processes, nobody asked how he uses AI
* (40:25) Ben’s theory: hiring managers now assume baseline AI proficiency
* (50:41) Evaluating the work product instead, and the line between taste and slop
* (56:20) Landing at Super.com and getting up-leveled from senior group PM to director
* (1:04:50) Choosing between three offers, and why level beat name brand
* (1:08:29) The Pie to ZeroClick resume problem after Google’s policy reinterpretation
* (1:22:07) Gratitude Corner: Eric thanks the founders of Mucker Labs and his wife Amanda
* And more!
Links:
* Supra Insider Episode with Anneli Scopazzi: https://suprainsider.substack.com/p/90-how-top-pm-candidates-leverage
* Eric Posen Breakfast Burrito Review site: https://labreakfastburrito.com/
* Erik Rannala: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erikr/
* William Hsu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/william-hsu-032273/
* Eric Posen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/goeric/
* Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbaselga/
* Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/
If you’re a new subscriber, we encourage you to check out some of the recent episodes you might have missed:
To support the podcast, please check out the links below:
* Supra has teamed up with Maven to bring you something special – courses that our own community members have personally curated. And because you’re part of the Supra family, you can get up to 35% off some of these handpicked selections with code SUPRAxMAVEN.
* Check out Ben’s AI Practice Copilot and top-rated Maven course: Self-Paced PM Interview Bootcamp: Product Sense & Analytical Thinking (selected by Lenny Rachitsky as a top course 🔥). Get 25% off the course with promo code suprainsider (auto-applied here).


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit suprainsider.substack.com

Tech workers can be rigorous at work and surprisingly loose with their own money. After more than 200 coaching sessions, Vaibhav Goel keeps seeing the same patterns: too much wealth tied up in one company’s stock, excess cash sitting idle, missed tax-advantaged accounts, and generic advice that does not fit high earners.
In this episode, Marc Baselga and Ben Erez sit down with Vaibhav Goel, a former product leader at DoorDash, Google, Lyft, LinkedIn, and Microsoft who now coaches tech professionals on their finances. They unpack what changes at different net-worth levels, how to think about 529s and concentrated equity, why traditional advisor models can miss this group, and what a more practical financial plan can look like.
They explore the most common money mistakes he sees, how priorities shift at different net-worth levels, plain-English breakdowns of things like 529 accounts and long-short investing, why traditional advisor incentives leave a lot of tech workers underserved, and how to think about diversifying a portfolio that has become dangerously concentrated in one stock.
If you’re a tech worker who optimizes everything at work but defaults on your own finances, someone sitting on concentrated company stock and unsure what to do next, or anyone curious how the newly wealthy actually handle sudden money, this episode is for you.This conversation is for education only and is not personal financial, investment, or tax advice.
All episodes of the podcast are also available on Spotify, Apple and YouTube.
New to the pod? Subscribe below to get the next episode in your inbox 👇
Want company-specific interview intel?
If you’re preparing for PM interviews at Meta, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Stripe, DoorDash, Uber, or Figma… we think you’re going to love Insider Loops. You can read about it in Ben’s LI post, Marc’s LI post or check out the site directly below.
Supra Insider listeners get $50 off all interview guides with promo code SUPRAINSIDER50
In this episode, we covered the following topics:
* (01:05) Why VB left a dream PM career at Doordash, Google, Lyft, and LinkedIn to become a money coach
* (03:35) The Shopify side business that gave him his first real taste of fulfillment
* (05:39) A decade as his friends’ informal money guy, and the awkward shift to charging
* (08:34) Ben’s counterpoint: charging can actually free friends to ask for more help
* (11:07) What 200-plus sessions reveal about his clients and how personal money really is
* (13:10) The client who is 100% in Tesla, and why people come to him for a second opinion
* (16:36) His coaching process: a financial one-pager, then action items every two weeks
* (19:05) A plain-English breakdown of 529 accounts
* (29:35) The most common mistakes: too much cash, over-concentration, and skipped tax accounts
* (32:18) What to focus on at each net-worth level, starting under $1M
* (44:18) Why advisor incentives leave the “mass affluent” tier underserved
* (01:00:07) The QQQ game: big single-tech stocks underperforming the index
* (01:06:25) Diversifying concentrated stock with exchange funds and buy-borrow-die
* (01:10:06) Why tech workers optimize everything at work but not their own money
* (01:16:48) Gratitude Corner: VB thanks his grandparents, a teacher, an anonymous donor, and his wife
* And more!
Links:
* Vaibhav Goel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/govaibhav/
* Vaibhav’s Calendar: https://calendly.com/simple-money/intro-call
* Marc: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbaselga/
* Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/
If you’re a new subscriber, we encourage you to check out some of the recent episodes you might have missed:
To support the podcast, please check out the links below:
* Check out Ben’s AI Practice Copilot and top-rated Maven course: Self-Paced PM Interview Bootcamp: Product Sense & Analytical Thinking (selected by Lenny Rachitsky as a top course 🔥). Get 25% off the course with promo code suprainsider (auto-applied here).
* Supra has teamed up with Maven to bring you something special – courses that our own community members have personally curated. And because you’re part of the Supra family, you can get up to 35% off some of these handpicked selections with code SUPRAxMAVEN.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit suprainsider.substack.com