MSMP 72: Slawek Czajkowski on Building an SEO firm

What Does MSMP 72: Slawek Czajkowski on Building an SEO firm Talk About?

In this episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast, host Mads Singers interviews Slawek Czajkowski, the founder of Surfer SEO. Slawek shares his journey from building a company in a small Polish village to scaling Surfer SEO from a side project into a successful business. The conversation explores the transition from being a subject matter expert to managing experts, emphasizing the need for different skill sets. Slawek and Mads discuss goal-setting strategies, advocating for ambitious goals that force creative thinking rather than small, incremental ones. They also delve into hiring practices, with Slawek preferring referrals while Mads offers cautions about potential pitfalls. The episode highlights the importance of personal development, automation, and effective networking in building a high-performing team.

I considered them opposites: people who are skilled in SEO could be bad with people and introverted, whereas those skills would be disastrous in a manager.Mads Singers

Who Is Featured on MSMP 72: Slawek Czajkowski on Building an SEO firm?

Slawek Czajkowski is the founder of Surfer SEO, a tool that grew from a side project into a leading SEO platform. He started his entrepreneurial journey in 2008 in a small village in Poland, building a company before pivoting to focus on Surfer SEO full-time. Slawek is known for his straightforward work ethic and humility, and he emphasizes the importance of automation and scaling processes. He advocates for hiring through referrals and encourages his team to think in terms of 10X growth rather than small, incremental goals.

What Are the Key Takeaways From MSMP 72: Slawek Czajkowski on Building an SEO firm?

• Automation opportunities exist wherever processes are in place, so identify and leverage them.
• Transitioning from subject matter expert to manager requires developing a completely different skill set focused on people management.
• Setting ambitious, scary goals like 10X growth forces creative thinking and drives significant change.
• Hiring by referral can be effective, but be cautious of requests to hire friends that may not be the best fit for the role.
• Personal development and continuous improvement are essential for both SEO professionals and managers.

When you ask people to do great, big, unreasonable, scary things, they will be forced to change their way of thinking and get creative.Slawek Czajkowski

Is MSMP 72: Slawek Czajkowski on Building an SEO firm Worth Listening To?

This episode is highly recommended for managers and entrepreneurs who are navigating the shift from being a hands-on expert to leading a team. Slawek's insights on goal-setting and hiring are practical and thought-provoking, offering a fresh perspective on how to drive growth. The conversation is engaging and filled with actionable advice, making it a valuable listen for anyone looking to scale their business or improve their management skills.

Who Should Listen to MSMP 72: Slawek Czajkowski on Building an SEO firm?

• Managers transitioning from expert roles
• Entrepreneurs building and scaling teams
• SEO professionals interested in business growth
• Leaders focused on personal development

What Are Listeners Saying About This Episode?

Sometimes the side project you are working on ends up dwarfing your day job and becomes the path you never expected.  That’s what happened to my guest for this episode of Mads Singers Management Podcast, Slawek Czajkowski.  In 2008 he was building a company out of a small village in Poland when his side project, Surfer SEO, offered such possibilities for scale and growth that he knew he had to give it his full attention.  So he did.

Right away Slawek realized that he and his fellow managers had to go from being subject matter experts to managers of experts.  They are entirely different skill sets and the latter requires people who are open-minded to personal development.  When I asked him how management was similar to SEO, he responded that he considered them opposites: people who are skilled in SEO could be bad with people and introverted, whereas those skills would be disastrous in a manager.  While I agreed with that framing, I also noted that if someone in SEO was always looking to just get a little better every day, so could a manager, and that’s an ideal to strive for.

Slawek agreed with this and we also started talking about goal-setting strategies, and how “small” goals are virtually worthless.  Slawek said that he’s consistently thinking “10X” across various KPIs and encourages his team to think in the same tracks.  This is such a great practice because when you let someone set “reasonable” or “small” goals, they will simply end up doing the same things, but maybe with slightly more effort.  But when you ask people to do great, big, unreasonable, scary things, they will be forced to change their way of thinking and get creative.  That’s when exciting things happen.

You won’t get anywhere with goals as a company if you don’t have the right team members, and Slawek and I both love hiring from within, though Slawek also does a lot of hiring by referral.  While I think this is a good practice, there are also a couple dangers to be avoided:

• Sometimes “hire my friend” is more of a plea from someone who would like to work with a friend, not a reference to someone who is the best fit for a role
• When things go south with a referral, they can sometimes take the employee (or employees) who referred them in the first place, making for a double whammy

I still maintain that one of the best ways to find great candidates is to know a lot of people, which you can do by effective and smart networking.

The time with Slawek passed really quickly and I think you’ll find his straightforward work ethic and humility as encouraging as I do.

Key Learning Points:

1. Slawek notes that wherever you have processes, you have opportunities to automate - 2:40

2. Slawek talks about how Surfer SEO grew out of a side project - 3:26

3. Mads warns that being a subject matter expert can sometimes lead to your getting “stuck” instead of growing - 6:20

4. Slawek and Mads discuss how SEO and management are similar...and not similar - 6:55

5. Slawek shares his goal-setting strategy - 10:50

6. Mads talks about the “secret” of becoming good at something - 16:55

7. Slawek explains why he prefers to hire almost exclusively via referrals - 20:00

8. Mads shares a pro-tip when it comes to recruiting - 21:35

9. Mads notes why “hire my friend” isn’t always a good idea - 25:10

10. Slawek shares his “secret” to success - 28:05

Connect with Slawek Czajkowski:

 Surfer SEO