Behind the Craft Founder Mode Lessons from Instagram, Airbnb, and Coinbase | Sanchan Saxena
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Oct 13, 2024 Sanchan Saxena, SVP at Atlassian and former collaborator with founders of Instagram, Airbnb, and Coinbase, shares invaluable insights. He discusses the critical traits he seeks in exceptional product managers, emphasizing the importance of individual decision-making over committees. Sanchan reveals how 'unconstrained thinking' fuels Airbnb’s innovation and explains the balance between metrics and craftsmanship. He also highlights key lessons from each founder's journey, showcasing how prioritizing user experiences can lead to extraordinary product development.
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Instagram's Early Days
- Sanchan Saxena joined Instagram early when it had less than 100 employees and generated no revenue.
- He built the ads team and witnessed the company's rapid growth, including the emergence of Instagram Shopping.
Systrom and Krieger's Superpowers
- Kevin Systrom's superpowers were systems thinking and distilling complex ideas into simple terms.
- Mike Krieger's strength was laser focus on execution, making them a powerful founding pair.
Instagram Stories and Simplicity
- Instagram's "do the simplest thing first" principle guided product decisions like the initial launch of Stories.
- Despite data suggesting otherwise, Systrom prioritized real-time content to align with the product vision.