Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Twitter’s former Head of Product opens up: being fired, meeting Elon, changing stagnant culture, building consumer product, more | Kayvon Beykpour

Apr 28, 2024

01:35:27

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Former Head of Product at Twitter, Kayvon Beykpour, shares insights on being fired after Elon's acquisition, transforming Twitter's stagnant culture, the limitations of frameworks like Jobs to Be Done, why Periscope failed, advice for building consumer products, and the balance between copying and innovating.

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Quick takeaways

Shift in Twitter's culture towards ambitious innovation was crucial for product team revitalization.

Leadership changes post-Elon Musk's acquisition brought excitement and challenges, influencing Twitter's direction and culture.

Acquiring startups infused fresh perspectives, driving product innovation with projects like spaces and community notes.

Balancing frameworks like 'Jobs to be Done' with nuanced judgment is vital for effective decision-making.

Fluid staffing processes based on alignment and enthusiasm foster innovation and impactful product initiatives.

Deep dives

Cultural Transformation Through Innovation

At Twitter, a shift in culture towards ambitious innovation was key to infusing new life into the product team. Led by Kavan Bakepore, the former head of product, the focus shifted from stagnant to dynamic, shipping features like super follows, communities, newsletters, and live video. By challenging sacred cows and fostering ambition, the team embraced change and increased product momentum.

Vision Storytelling in Product Development

00:30

Practice and Patience Lead to Success

01:23

Balancing Customer Preferences and Business Metrics

01:20

Building Successful Consumer Products through Inspiration and User Experience

03:11

Introduction

2min

Meeting Elon Musk After Twitter's Acquisition: A Tale of Chaos and Curiosity

5min

A Conversation with Elon Musk

14min

Driving Cultural Change at Twitter

25min

Exploring the Impact of the 'Jobs to be Done' Framework at Twitter

2min

Navigating Frameworks and Decision-Making Challenges

32min

Exploring Favorite Books, Sci-Fi Inspiration, and Product Building

13min

Passion for Consumer Products and Engaging with Tools: Insights and Support from a Product Leader

2min

Kayvon Beykpour was the longest-serving head of product at Twitter and was GM of Twitter’s consumer division until the platform was acquired by Elon Musk. He originally joined Twitter in 2015 through the acquisition of his company, Periscope, the largest live video streaming platform at the time. Periscope pioneered technology that inspired Instagram Live, TikTok Live, Facebook Live, and other social networks’ expansion into video streaming. In our conversation, we discuss:

• The story of being let go from Twitter after Elon’s acquisition

• How he turned Twitter’s stagnant culture around

• Kayvon’s thoughts on the limitations of frameworks like Jobs to Be Done

• Why Periscope failed

• Advice for building consumer products

• When to copy, when to innovate

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Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/twitters-former-head-of-product-kayvon-beykpour

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Where to find Kayvon Beykpour:

• X: https://twitter.com/kayvz

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

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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) Kayvon’s background

(04:31) Getting Elon up to speed at Twitter

(11:34) The story of being let go from Twitter after Elon’s acquisition

(21:09) Changing the product culture at Twitter

(29:44) Building the “hide replies” feature

(32:02) Sacred crows, taking bold bets, and reigniting growth

(34:28) Aquihires and their impact

(42:40) Tips for successful acquisitions and staffing

(47:00) The limitations of frameworks like JTBD

(53:20) Signs you’ve gone too far with a framework

(57:44) Lessons from building Periscope

(01:00:41) Reasons why Periscope failed

(01:07:24) The challenges of implementing video at Twitter

(01:12:05) Copying ideas in good taste

(01:17:58) How to get better at building consumer products

(01:19:51) What Kayvon is building

(01:20:31) Lightning round

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Referenced:

• Lessons on building product sense, navigating AI, optimizing the first mile, and making it through the messy middle | Scott Belsky (Adobe, Behance): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/lessons-on-building-product-sense-navigating-ai-optimizing-the-first-mile-and-making-it-through-t/

• What it’s like to sell your startup for ~$120 million before it’s even launched: Meet Twitter’s new prized possession, Periscope: https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-periscope-and-why-twitter-bought-it-2015-3

• Walter Isaacson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walter-isaacson-b8b81520/

• Elon Musk on X: https://twitter.com/elonmusk

• Parag Agrawal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parag-agrawal-5a14742a/

• Jack Dorsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-dorsey-a43b07242/

• Blackboard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackboard_Inc.

• Keith Coleman on X: https://twitter.com/kcoleman

• Esther Crawford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esthercrawford/

• Twitter acquires Chroma Labs: https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/twitter-acquires-chroma-labs-story-aqvcRPAoYXqXJuAbefA6cN.html

• John Barnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarnettt/

• Jobs to Be Done framework: https://jobs-to-be-done.com/jobs-to-be-done-a-framework-for-customer-needs-c883cbf61c90

• Hot takes and techno-optimism from tech’s top power couple: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/hot-takes-and-techno-optimism-from-techs-top-power-couple-sriram-and-aarthi/

• Nike Is Unveiling the Kobe 11 Tomorrow Using Periscope: https://sneakernews.com/2015/12/13/nike-is-unveiling-the-kobe-11-tomorrow-using-periscope/