Coaching to help you figure out what’s next
You’ve played the game well.
Now play your own game.
What would you do if there was no scorecard? Six weeks to create the game you actually want to win, and start playing it.
For senior folks at Big Tech and scale-ups, whether you’re still inside, just out, or a few years on.
Still at Big Tech, and not sure this is still it?
Read the letter →
Just left Big Tech, and not sure what’s next?
Read the letter →
Left Big Tech a while ago, and not sure it’s working out?
Read the letter →
At a scale-up, and thinking of leaving, or just left?
Read the letter →
Sound familiar?
“One more year.”
Then another vest date passes, or another round closes.
“I keep updating my CV for jobs I don’t want.”
You know what you’d love to do, but you can’t see how the maths works out.
“I made the level I was chasing. There’s nothing above it I want.”
So you keep going, and wonder what it’s for.
“It wasn’t my choice to leave. I’m still angry about how it ended.”
And it’s hard to think about what’s next while you are.
“I still like the work. I can’t keep doing it with these people.”
And you can feel it making you more negative, week by week.
“I tell everyone it’s going well.”
A few years after leaving, you’re not sure it is.
What it looks like when it works
You make the call you’ve been putting off, whichever way it goes.
You’ve tested the idea and know what it needs to earn, so you stop applying for jobs you don’t want.
You know what you want next, and it isn’t just the next rung.
You’ve made your peace with how it ended, and your energy goes on what’s next.
You work with people you’d choose, and the work gives you energy again.
Work feels like yours again, and there’s more of you left at the end of the day.
How it works
1
A Clarity Call.
20 minutes, free, and confidential. We’ll figure out if I’m the right person to help, and if now is the right time.
2
A Strategy Session.
90 minutes, a real coaching session, not a sales call. We start with what you want, where you are now, and what is holding you back. You leave with a plan for what to do next, even if it doesn’t involve me.
3
You decide.
If you decide to carry on, the Strategy Session becomes the first of six sessions over about six weeks. Together we’ll figure out what game you want to be playing and you’ll start playing it.
What it costs
It’s always hard to invest in yourself. I want you to experience what you’ll get before you make that decision. Here’s how it works.
€0
If it wasn’t valuable, you pay nothing.
€200
If you got what you came for, pay for that one session only.
€1,000
If you want more, we continue with six sessions, and the Strategy Session becomes the first of them.
Prices include VAT.
If you’re still employed, your learning budget may cover this as a coaching expense. The FAQ explains how.
I don’t normally publish fees. Compared to my normal coaching rates, these prices are low. I’m doing this because I love this work and I want to do a lot of it. When my calendar is full, the fee for new clients goes up.
In exchange for this lower price, I expect two things from you:
Show up 100%. I will too.
If it was valuable, tell me what changed for you, and if it wasn’t, give me honest feedback. I’ll only use your name publicly if you’re happy to do so.
What we work on
People usually start with questions like these:
What do I actually want, and can I trust it enough to act on it?
Who am I without the logo and the title, and who could I be?
Do I stay and change how I work, or go?
Could my idea pay, and how much runway do I need?
How do I stop managing how I come across?
What would a portfolio of work look like for me?
How do I explain this to my family, and to everyone on LinkedIn?
What’s changed for others
Names and details changed. The outcomes aren’t.
From running faster to building the area he cared about
A senior leader at a Big Tech company turned years of career indecision into clarity, and chose to build a new area for the company that he cared about.
Read more
+
From a hard exit to building his own brand
A senior technology leader went from “what’s next? I have no idea” after a hard exit to launching his own product brand, which is gaining real traction.
Read more
+
Turned down the prestigious role, and took the one she wanted
A chief of staff at a PE-backed tech startup chose the role she really wanted, on her own terms, and a month in her CEO called her his best hire.
Read more
+
From seven years at the same level to leading an AI pilot
A senior manager at a Fortune 100 tech company, stuck at the same level for seven years, stopped fighting his ADHD profile and moved into leading a new AI pilot.
Read more
+
From "what's wrong with me?" to a pattern he can plan around
A technology leader who kept getting promoted, then pushed out, saw the pattern behind it, and started a Fortune 500 role that fits how he works.
Read more
+
From "is it me?" to leaving on her own terms
An AI governance lead stopped taking organisational setbacks personally, left the role on her own terms, and found what really drives her.
Read more
+
If one of these sounds like you, let’s talk.
Who you'll be working with
You’ll work with me personally every session.
I spent six years at Google, then two at Amazon, where I led a team of over 100 people, then left to become a consultant. I’ve also been CPO of a 40-person startup. It took me two burnouts and almost ten years to realise that while I was good at executive leadership and consulting, they weren’t the game I loved to play. I’ve coached hundreds of senior leaders to help them work out what they want next and how to get it.
If I’m not the right person to help, I’ll introduce you to someone who could be.
What clients say
“
Realising my own value
Overall very positive experience. Helped me a lot to realise my own value.
Coaching client
Product Leader
Logistics tech
“
A new perspective and much more confidence
I met Richard when I encountered a big (positive) change in my career. … He made me view my situation from a different perspective, which is not always the easiest way but very resourceful! … With his help, I stayed ahead of problems and I got a great deal of confidence!
Hanna Meyer
Director of Marketing
Domaines Vinsmoselle
“
Far beyond what I expected
[Most useful was] your emotional intelligence; the speed at which you were able to analyze what I was saying… Far exceeded what I had expected.
Coaching client
Senior Leader
Tech company
“
A mental mirror that unblocks what's next
Each time when we talk, I have the feeling I am looking into a mental mirror… this is truly valuable, as it gives ideas of what else I can do differently to unblock something, or go around and move on.
Coaching client
Product Leader
Next steps
Start with a free, 20-minute Clarity Call. Confidential, and no preparation needed.
Frequently asked questions
Will this work for me?
+
I'm not in a Big Tech company. Can you help me?
+
Who is this not for?
+
Is this business coaching?
+
Is this confidential?
+
Are you going to tell me what to do?
+
Is this therapy?
+
Can’t I just ask ChatGPT?
+
I’m stepping up into a bigger role, or trying to. Is this for me?
+
What if it doesn't work for me?
+
Can my company pay?
+
Can I pay in pounds, dollars or my own currency?
+
Know someone this would help?
Here’s a line you can send them:
Richard helps people at Big Tech and beyond work out what they really want next. It’s confidential, and the first call is free.
Here’s the page: https://richardrussell.co/coaching/whats-next
Not quite what you’re looking for?
Want the bigger job?
Running a company that’s outgrowing how you run it?
Find the easy stuff strangely hard?
Not sure this is the right one for you?