Karri Saarinen, CEO of Linear and former design lead at Airbnb and Coinbase, shares insights on revolutionizing project management tools. He discusses his design-centric approach that prioritizes user experience over traditional methods. Karri emphasizes the importance of balancing data with intuition in product decisions and reveals why he's cautious about integrating AI features now. He also highlights Linear's rapid growth, focusing on building a community that resonates with users, proving that a different background can yield innovative solutions.
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question_answer ANECDOTE
Early Career Start
At 16, Karri Saarinen convinced a web agency CEO to hire him after being rejected from typical summer jobs.
He leveraged his HTML and Photoshop skills, showcasing initiative and securing three summers of web design experience.
insights INSIGHT
Design-Focused Approach
Karri's design background influences his approach at Linear, prioritizing user experience over specific features.
He emphasizes creating a great experience, especially crucial for collaborative tools where user engagement is key.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Founder's Focus
Karri focuses on non-technical aspects like design, product vision, and brand at Linear.
He prioritizes areas where he can make the biggest impact, rather than being tied to a specific job title.
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In this episode of the Product Podcast we chat with Karri Saarinen, the CEO at Linear. It's the fastest-growing and most beloved project management tool in the world. The company is valued at $400 million, and has raised $52 million in funding from Accel, Sequoia, and some of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs including the founders of Slack.
Before Linear, Karri led product design at Airbnb and Coinbase.
In our conversation, we'll discuss how his design background is helping him a product users love, his strong Product-Led Growth (PLG) approach to reach decision-makers, how to not always rely on data for product decisions, and his stance against incorporating AI-specific features into his product at this time.
Discover how Linear is building the tool that PMs love with a innovative and human approach that allows them to be growing so fast and having the sense of belonging of clients. This episode is packed with lessons on how coming from a different background can be a positive perspective when building a product that turns into the most enjoyable and efficient way to manage development.
(00:00) 🎬 Intro (03:16) 🚀Design Background & Starting Linear (06:41) 👨🏽💻 Role and Focus as a Founder (09:19) 🛒 Competing in a Crowded Market (12:45) 📈 Maintaining Long-Term Success (14:48) 📚 Conclusion
KEY TAKEAWAYS 1. Design-Centric Approach: As a designer, Karri's approach to starting Linear focuses on user experience and brand. He emphasizes the importance of creating a great experience for users, especially in a collaboration tool like Linear. 2. Role as a Founder: Karri handles non-technical aspects of the company, including design and product vision. He believes in focusing on areas where he can make the most impact, like maintaining high standards in design and brand. 3. Unlike competitors who expand to generalize their tools, Linear stays focused on providing an excellent user experience for its target audience. Differentiating in a crowded market by building the best product specifically for software teams.
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