Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

An inside look at how Figma builds product | Yuhki Yamashita (CPO of Figma)

Jan 8, 2023

01:08:35

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Quick takeaways

Effective storytelling is crucial for product leaders and managers to convey the 'why' behind a product or idea and inspire action.

Figma prioritizes maintaining a strong connection with customers by actively seeking feedback, engaging with users, and shaping the product based on real user needs.

Figma empowers internal advocates within customer organizations, working closely with sales teams to drive wider adoption by equipping designers with tools, data, and narratives.

Deep dives

Importance of storytelling

One of the key attributes that Figma looks for in product leaders and managers is the ability to tell compelling stories. Effective storytelling helps in conveying the why behind a product or idea and inspires action. It involves the skill of synthesis, distilling complex information into a coherent narrative, as well as creating memorability through powerful and impactful communication. Figma believes that storytelling is crucial for building strong teams and rallying support behind a shared vision.

Figma Product Manager Interview Process

02:10

The Power of Bottoms-Up Energy in Startups

01:26

Making Great Decisions and Scaling at Google

01:24

The Importance of Community For Growth in Figma

01:25

Introduction

5min

How Did You Get Your First Job Out of College?

4min

Design or Product Management?

3min

The Power of Storytelling as a Product Manager

5min

The Power of Storytelling

2min

Product Managers and the Role of PM at Figma

3min

Is the Product Team Really Close to Customers?

4min

Getting the Most Out of Your Customer's Feedback on Twitter

2min

What's It Like to Work With Dylan Field?

4min

10.

Why Figma Isn't Working for You, Is It?

4min

11.

How Do You Build High Quality Software?

2min

12.

Figma - Getting Creative With Personal Accountability

2min

13.

Do You Have a Fun Experience With OKRs at Figma?

3min

14.

The Relationship Between OKRs and Business Goals

4min

15.

OKRs - What Are Your Teams' Biggest Goals?

2min

16.

Figma Product Manager Interview Process

4min

17.

Figma Slack Dot Dot Figma Is a Product-Led Growth Model

3min

18.

Is Figma a Product Led Growth Product?

2min

19.

Is There a Future of Design?

2min

20.

Adobe and Figma - What's Going to Change?

3min

21.

Is Your Product a Work in Progress World?

3min

22.

SaaS Productivity - What's Your Favorite Productivity Tool?

2min

23.

Are You Hiring a Product Manager on Fig Jam?

2min

Yuhki Yamashita is Chief Product Officer at Figma. Prior to Figma, he was Head of Design of Uber’s New Mobility efforts, and before that a product manager at Google and Microsoft. Adding to his impressive resume, Yuhki also taught introductory computer science at Harvard. In today's episode, we talk about operationalizing quality, the case against OKRs, and how Figma isn't just known for product-led growth, but also for building a community of empowered users. Yuhki also shares why he thinks storytelling is key to being a great product manager, owning the "why," and the potential impact of Adobe's acquisition of Figma.

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Find the full transcript here: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-inside-look-at-how-figma-builds

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Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting this podcast:

• Notion—One workspace. Every team: https://www.notion.com/lennyspod

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Where to find Yuhki Yamashita:

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/yuhkiyam

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

• Website: https://www.figma.com/@yuhki