In Depth Inside Linear: Why craft and focus still win in product building | Karri Saarinen (Co-founder and CEO)
92 snips
Jun 10, 2025 
Karri Saarinen, Co-founder and CEO of Linear, shares fascinating insights from his tech journey. He discusses his early passion for computers, and crucial lessons from his first startup failure. Karri emphasizes the value of small, focused teams and the importance of validating product ideas through genuine user feedback. He also explores the role of Finnish culture in prioritizing quality over rapid growth, and the need for a clear design vision tailored to user needs. This conversation shines a light on the essence of creating impactful software.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Karri's First Startup Journey
- Karri Saarinen shared how his first startup, Kippt, was a bookmarking service that gained traction but struggled to find a scalable business model.
- It was eventually acquired by Coinbase, highlighting lessons about market fit and monetization.
Power of Small Teams
- Small teams drive faster execution and better outcomes than large teams with communication issues.
- Growing team size rapidly can dilute culture and slow down projects despite the extra resources.
Making Jira Bearable at Airbnb
- Karri created a Chrome extension to improve Airbnb's Jira, showing early dissatisfaction with existing tools.
- This personal modification led to the realization that better project management tools were needed for engineers.