At April’s Failure Friday, Jane Ruffino shares a tale of her own misstep in a high-stakes startup environment. A battle with a CEO? Check. Profits prioritized over ethics? Check. Pushing for a feature that could have exploited financially vulnerable users? You got it!

Jane will candidly discuss how she underestimated the CEO’s motivations and ignored warning signs, including her ingenious “Dolly Parton Test” for assessing someone’s openness to new ideas. Join us to explore how to recognize when to stand firm, when to walk away, and how to build genuine relationships rather than trying to “manage” stakeholders. It’s a powerful reminder that failure can be a catalyst for growth, and that sometimes, the best lessons come from the toughest fights.