Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
Thinking like a gardener not a builder, organizing teams like slime mold, the adjacent possible, and other unconventional product advice | Alex Komoroske (Stripe, Google)
Oct 3, 2024
Alex Komoroske, a strategic leader with a rich background at Google and Stripe, shares his insights on product development by advocating a 'gardening' mindset over a 'building' one. He highlights the importance of nurturing innovation and fostering open communication within teams, comparing organizational dynamics to the adaptability of slime molds. Alex also discusses the significance of reflection for personal growth and how AI will reshape product creation, urging teams to embrace the 'adjacent possible' for incremental success.
01:24:38
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Quick takeaways
- Adopting a gardening mindset enables teams to foster organic growth of ideas, leading to serendipitous outcomes rather than rigid structures.
- Embracing large language models allows product managers to rethink software development, leveraging their flexibility for innovative product concepts.
Deep dives
The Builder Mindset vs. Gardening Mindset
A traditional builder mindset focuses on creating value through carefully structured plans and considerable effort. However, this approach has its limits, as the value generated cannot exceed the effort invested. Instead, a gardening mindset encourages fostering ideas and projects that can grow organically with some guidance. This shift allows for more serendipitous outcomes and creative evolution, which can appear almost magical when done effectively.
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