People Magic, Placing Bets & Perfecting the OODA Loop

In this episode of The Cred Podcast, host Mack McKelvey sits down with Gina Bianchini, founder and CEO of Mighty Networks. With an impressive background in the tech world, Gina shares her distinctive approach to decision-making, underscoring the importance of self-care, taking bets, and building a culture that’s safe to fail.

At Mighty Networks, Gina and her team harness the OODA Loop Framework—observe, orient, decide, act—to make decisions, continually cycling back to observation. This iterative process strips away emotional biases from decision-making and is most effective when executed with speed.

For Gina, effective leadership ultimately hinges on managing your own psychology to make better decisions. As she puts it, “If I work so hard that I’m not in a position to make good decisions, I’m gonna’ fail.” Rejecting the hustle culture that is so prevalent in the Silicon Valley, Gina emphasizes the importance of effective delegation, which allows her to prioritize essential elements that fuel sound decision-making: nutrition, exercise, and adequate rest. “I think it’s very difficult to make good decisions on four hours of sleep.”

Gina is passionate about cultivating a culture where it’s safe to fail, encouraging teams to experiment and take strategic bets. She believes that the interplay of these bets often leads to the best discoveries.

In the end, Gina’s approach reminds us that successful decision-making thrives on self-care, a solid framework, and creating a culture where innovation can flourish.