Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Velocity over everything: How Ramp became the fastest-growing SaaS startup of all time | Geoff Charles (VP of Product)

Aug 6, 2023

Geoff Charles, VP of Product at Ramp, shares insights from his experience building one of the fastest-growing SaaS startups. He discusses how a culture of velocity drives Ramp’s success and how effective writing enhances clarity and creativity. Geoff emphasizes empowering product teams through context sharing and encouraging a first-principles approach to problem-solving. He also reveals unique hiring strategies that contribute to Ramp's innovation and offers advice for those looking to break into product management.

01:16:56

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Episode guests

Geoff Charles

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Quick takeaways

Ramp prioritizes velocity and empowers individual team members to move quickly and think from first principles.

Ramp fosters a culture of productivity and efficiency by aligning on goals, empowering teams, and eliminating distractions.

Ramp encourages critical thinking and solving complex problems by challenging existing norms and thinking from first principles.

Deep dives

Ramp's Approach to Product and Velocity

Ramp, the fastest growing SaaS business in history, prioritizes velocity and empowers individual team members. They optimize for moving quickly and thinking from first principles. They focus on hiring talented engineers and designers who can think from first principles and don't rely on past experiences. The company values a culture of empowerment and aligns teams on specific goals and objectives, allowing them to stay focused on what truly matters. They avoid excessive planning and prioritize output and execution. Their unique position in the market enables them to tackle new opportunities and build innovative products.

Lofty Goals

01:57

Meetings should be about decision making, collaboration and ideation

01:00

Impact of Visionary Prototypes in Design

00:34

Qualities of Engineers for Building Successful Products

01:08

Intro

5min

Exploring Ramp's Remarkable Growth in Fintech

2min

Velocity at Ramp: The Key to Success

6min

Empowering Teams in a Fast-Paced Environment

25min

Navigating Chaos: Strategy and Growth in Startups

2min

Strategic Planning Evolution

10min

Empowering Product Management Through Writing and Strategy

21min

Talent Dynamics at Ramp

4min

Enhancing Product Development and Team Engagement through Effective Tools

3min

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Geoff Charles is VP of Product at Ramp—the fastest-growing SaaS startup of all time, Fast Company’s #1 Most Innovative Company in North America, and a company I believe we should all study for how they operate, execute, and hire. At Ramp, Geoff has led the product team from the early days, including the development and release of 60+ products and features in the past year alone. He has been building financial services for over a decade, and his interview in Lenny’s Newsletter quickly became one of the most widely read newsletter issues of all time. In today’s podcast, we will discuss:

• How velocity is at the heart of Ramp’s culture and success

• How writing can unlock clarity, creativity, and rapid problem-solving

• How to empower your product team through context sharing

• How to practically approach problems from first principles

• How Ramp approaches hiring in a unique way

• Suggestions for breaking into the world of product management

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/velocity-over-everything-how-ramp-became-the-fastest-growing-saas-startup-of-all-time-geoff-charl/#transcript

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Where to find Geoff Charles:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/geoffintech

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrey-charles/