Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

An operator’s guide to product strategy | Chandra Janakiraman (CPO at VRChat, ex-Meta, Headspace, Zynga)

Jan 26, 2025

Chandra Janakiraman, CPO at VRChat with a rich history at Meta and Headspace, shares his insights into effective product strategy. He breaks down his five-step process for developing a product strategy, emphasizing clarity and collaboration. Discover the significance of team alignment and how to transform problems into opportunities. Chandra also discusses the impact of AI on future product strategies and offers a personal anecdote from his time at Headspace that reshaped his approach to strategy. Tune in for a masterclass in strategic thinking!

01:47:22

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Episode guests

Chandra Janakiraman

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Quick takeaways

Product strategy demystification allows anyone to create effective strategies by focusing on problem-solving and team alignment.

Effective product strategy includes key focus areas or 'strategic pillars' that define priorities and resource allocation.

The strategy development process involves five stages that require collaboration across various team members for informed outcomes.

AI's role in product strategy can streamline analysis and enhance decision-making, potentially transforming how teams plan for the future.

Deep dives

The Perception of Product Strategy

Product strategy is often seen as an intrinsic ability, with some individuals thought to possess a 'strategy gene' while others do not. This perception creates a mystique around product strategy, leading to confusion about how to effectively develop a strategy for a product. The essence of strategy revolves around solving problems and aligning teams on a shared vision. By demystifying strategy, anyone can learn to create effective product strategies regardless of their initial confidence.

Crafting Effective Product Strategies

03:49

Intro

2min

Crafting Effective Product Strategies: A Five-Step Approach

5min

Demystifying Product Strategy

9min

Crafting Product Strategy: A Structured Approach

18min

Transforming Problems into Opportunities

19min

Crafting Effective Product Strategies

4min

Crafting a Cohesive Product Strategy

8min

Strategic Pillars of Success

13min

Envisioning the Future of Product Development

23min

10.

Nurturing Creativity and Enjoying Family Entertainment

2min

11.

Crafting Ideas into Reality

4min

Chandra Janakiraman is the chief product officer, executive vice president, and a board member at VRChat. Previously, he was a product leader at Meta, where he led Facebook’s social experience interfaces and Reality Labs’ growth; served as CPO at Headspace, where he helped relaunch the platform, driving a 4x subscriber boost; and was a GM at Zynga, delivering massive hit games that reached hundreds of millions. In our conversation, Chandra shares:

• His playbook for developing a product strategy

• The difference between “small s” and “big S” strategy

• How to run strategy sprints

• Who should be involved in strategy work

• Common pitfalls in strategy development

• The role of AI in future strategy development

• More

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Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-operators-guide-to-product-strategy-chandra-janakiraman

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Where to find Chandra Janakiraman:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandramohanj/

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chandra’s background

(04:47) The importance of strategy

(12:40) Defining product strategy

(15:42) Developing a winning strategy: an overview

(18:51) The preparation phase

(30:46) The strategy sprint process

(45:51) The design sprint

(51:19) Document writing

(57:39) Rolling out your strategy

(01:01:28) Resourcing and roadmapping

(01:04:42) Strategy lessons from Zynga

(01:11:34) Strategy lessons from Meta

(01:15:55) Big S strategy

(01:26:58) AI in strategy formulation

(01:38:12) Final thoughts and lightning round

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Referenced:

• Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/

• Good Strategy, Bad Strategy | Richard Rumelt: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/good-strategy-bad-strategy-richard

• 5 essential questions to craft a winning strategy | Roger Martin (author, advisor, speaker): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-strategy-roger-martin

• VRChat: https://hello.vrchat.com/

• Andrew Chen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pmandrewchen/

• Template: Working Backwards PR FAQ: https://www.workingbackwards.com/resources/working-backwards-pr-faq

• How LinkedIn became interesting: The inside story | Tomer Cohen (CPO at LinkedIn): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-linkedin-became-interesting-tomer-cohen

• Making time for what matters | Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (authors of Sprint and Make Time, co-founders of Character Capital): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/making-time-for-what-matters-jake

• Identify your bullseye customer in one day | Michael Margolis (UX Research Partner at Google Ventures): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-your-bullseye-customer-michael-margolis

• Chandra’s flow chart: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SLmQ0oRFadzJnNM3MJetnLUvB18U4W4GXU4KtJ2ujEQ/edit?tab=t.0

• Chandra’s strategy template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iNeYUaMnpicvkpVZO-gj9cCxLeHfWN0xtGm_QoxgemE/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.5d3jz6v86yrs

• Zynga: https://www.zynga.com/

• David Foster Wallace’s quote about water: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/97082-there-are-these-two-young-fish-swimming-along-and-they

• Oculus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oculus

• Elon Musk’s quote: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wf8TadbGYok

• Concept car: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concept_car

• Acquired podcast: The Mark Zuckerberg interview: https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/the-mark-zuckerberg-interview

• Armand Ruiz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/armand-ruiz/

• What is a multi-armed bandit? Full explanation: https://amplitude.com/explore/experiment/multi-armed-bandit

• IF on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/IF-John-Krasinski/dp/B0CW19SCVW

• Dune: Part 2 on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/dune-part-two/umc.cmc.363aycnv6vy9qgekvew6fveb9

• Dune Prophecy on Max: https://www.max.com/shows/dune-prophecy-2024/57660b16-a32a-476f-89da-3302ac379e91

• Capybara Go on the App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/capybara-go/id6596787726

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/

• Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Lost-Interview/dp/B01IJD1BES

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Recommended books:

• The Art of War: https://www.amazon.com/Art-War-Sun-Tzu/dp/1599869772

• Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors: https://www.amazon.com/Competitive-Strategy-Techniques-Industries-Competitors/dp/0684841487/

• Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters/dp/0307886239/

• Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works: https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-Strategy-Really-Works/dp/142218739X

• Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Time-Focus-Matters-Every/dp/0525572422

• Sprint: https://www.amazon.com/SPRINT-Jake-Zeratsky-Knapp/dp/0593076117

• Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination: https://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-Triumph-American-Imagination/dp/0679757473

• Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration: https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Expanded-Overcoming-Inspiration/dp/0593594649/

• The Ten Faces of Innovation: Strategies for Heightening Creativity: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385512074

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

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