“Smart Rats”: Belief Boosts Performance

You don’t become a great manager by regurgitating frameworks. Management is a craft and a skillset that gets built over time. Annie Riley sits down with Maura Church, VP of Product & Engineering at Two Chairs, to talk about how a manager’s mindset impacts team performance. From the “Smart Rats” theory to balancing tough feedback with real belief, Maura breaks down how to coach growth, build confidence, and unlock better results.

TimeStamps:

00:00 — Meet Maura Church

02:54 — Management is a craft, not a side job

04:49 — Why startups can’t afford bad management

07:14 — “No one is coming to save us”

10:09 — The trap of managing by checklist

13:07 — Giving feedback without making it personal

19:06 — “Smart Rats”: belief as a performance levers

25:13 — Turning “non-technical” skills into strengths

38:55 — Clear expectations make feedback easier

41:39 — Psychological safety is built, not assumed