Eric Johnson – Wild Business Growth Podcast #333: SurveyMonkey CEO, Music Entrepreneur

Focus on your core. That’s the story of this week’s Wild Business Growth podcast guest, Eric Johnson. Eric is the CEO of SurveyMonkey. Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your other favorite podcast platforms, and watch on YouTube.

• Episode Summary & Player
• Full Transcript
• Show Notes
• Wild Business Growth podcast Summary

Episode 333: Eric Johnson – SurveyMonkey CEO, Music Entrepreneur

Eric Johnson, the CEO of SurveyMonkey, joins the show to share his journey from building businesses in the music industry to leading the world’s most popular platform for surveys and forms. Hear how SurveyMonkey has evolved over the years, how to focus on your core product while innovating, how often to test products & features, how to de-stress as an entrepreneur or CEO, and how running helps with productivity. This episode covers everything from startups to the Beastie Boys. Here’s a small sample of what you will hear in this episode:

• What’s it like working in the music industry
• How do you communicate your core principles across your organization
• When do you stop testing products
• Which CEOs inspire Eric
• What’s the biggest adjustment moving from finance to marketing

Connect with Eric at SurveyMonkey.com and on LinkedIn.

Enjoy the shoooooow! Check out the show notes below for much more detail. You can also find the full transcript here.

Show Notes

• Intro & Music Industry
  • [0:30] Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool
  • [0:39] Connect with Eric at SurveyMonkey.com and on LinkedIn
  • [2:19] What is Wolfgang’s Vault
  • [4:16] What’s it like working in the music industry
  • [6:35] What was LaneOne

• The SurveyMonkey Story
  • [9:34] What brought Eric to SurveyMonkey
  • [11:36] What is PLG aka Product-Led Growth
  • [12:20] How has SurveyMonkey evolved over the years
  • [17:17] How do you focus on your core product while innovating
  • [20:18] What aspects of Eric’s career background have helped him most as CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
  • [23:08] What’s a big focus for SurveyMonkey in the coming years
  • [26:00] How do you communicate your core principles across your organization
  • [28:04] When do you stop testing products
  • [29:29] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Eric
  • [29:30] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • [29:32] Such an honor speaking at Podcast Movement ’23 in Denver! Sign up to grab the slides from my session at MaxPodcasting.com/PM23

• Inspiration & Creativity: Managing Stress as a CEO
  • [30:03] How do you de-stress as an entrepreneur or CEO
  • [32:16] What hobbies does Eric have
  • [33:33] What time does he wake up
  • [33:56] How does running help with productivity
  • [35:04] Which CEOs inspire Eric
• Rapid-Fire Q&A
  • [37:40] What’s the difference between working in Eastern Time vs. Pacific Time
  • [38:42] Shoutout, Adam!
  • [39:05] Do you feel behind on Pacific Time
  • [40:30] “Paul Revere” by Beastie Boys
  • [40:54] What’s the biggest adjustment moving from finance to marketing
  • [42:02] Howler Monkey
  • [42:07] “Howlin’ for You” by The Black Keys
  • [42:15] Connect with Eric at SurveyMonkey.com and on LinkedIn
  • [42:44] What are Eric’s Final Thoughts
  • [43:13] Follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about the podcast. And show love (or roast me) by leaving 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and/or Spotify
  • [43:22] The Wild Business Growth podcast is on YouTube! Subscribe @MaxBranstetter to watch full video interviews with Wild entrepreneurs like Eric
  • [43:23] Check out the Wild Business Growth podcast on Goodpods, where you can see what your favorite people are listening to
  • [43:24] Connect with me on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter (aka X), and Threads @MaxBranstetter and TikTok @WildBusinessGrowth
  • [43:30] Save time with your high-quality podcast. Email me at to bring your podcast to life and use it as a business-building tool
  • [43:32] Sign up for the Podcasting to the Max newsletter at MaxPodcasting.com/Newsletter and receive How to Edit Your Podcast in Audacity. It’s where podcasting meets entrepreneurship – and terrible puns
  • Theme music: Freestyle Percussion Magik – “Jungle Tribe” – provided by Jamendo

What is the Wild Business Growth podcast?

Wild ideas. Wild growth. Every Wednesday morning a new entrepreneur joins the Wild Business Growth podcast to share the wildly creative and unusual ways they grew their business – and teaches you how to do it, too. Hear the minds behind WordPress, Stacy’s Pita Chips, Drybar, NFL RedZone, Big Mouth Billy Bass, the voice of Bart Simpson, and more Wild stories. Hosted by Max Branstetter (that’s me), Founder and Podcast Producer at MaxPodcasting.

How do you start a podcast?

Interested in starting a professional-sounding and professional-looking podcast for your brand, but don’t want to deal with the time commitment of all those behind-the-scenes details? I’ve got you covered. Email me at to save time with your high-quality podcast and use it as a business-building tool.

Thanks for listening to Eric Johnson on the Wild Business Growth podcast. To hear more Wild stories like this one every Wednesday morning, follow the Wild Business Growth podcast and tell a friend about it. And send them a SurveyMonkey. Until next time, Let your business Run Wild…and Bring on the Bongos!!