Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Mike Krieger, Chief Product Officer of Anthropic and co-founder of Instagram, discusses the future of AI in product development. He reveals how AI can generate up to 95% of code and the new challenges this raises. Mike shares why embedding product managers with AI researchers significantly boosts productivity. He also reflects on the emotional toll of shutting down Artifact, his news app, and stresses the importance of knowing when to pivot. Additionally, he explores the Model Context Protocol's potential to redefine software and offers insights on maximizing AI's impact in companies.

In this engaging discussion, Sachin Kansal, the Chief Product Officer at Uber with over 25 years in product management, shares his hands-on philosophy of "dogfooding"—personally testing Uber's services to enhance user experience. He delves into the importance of his "ship, ship, ship" mantra, ensuring rapid iterations across teams. Sachin offers valuable insights on balancing data with gut instinct in decision-making, navigating an AI-driven landscape, and provides practical delivery tips to improve customer experiences.

Krithika Shankarraman, an Entrepreneur in Residence at Thrive Capital and the first marketer at OpenAI and Stripe, shares her rich insights into strategic marketing. She discusses why conventional marketing playbooks often fail and introduces a four-step framework for effective growth. Krithika emphasizes the importance of genuine customer understanding over vanity metrics and explains successful strategies for user loyalty in AI. She also highlights the need for transparent collaboration within teams and the challenges of adapting marketing in today's diverse landscape.

Mayur Kamat, Chief Product Officer at N26, shares his extensive product management journey, previously leading at Binance and Google. He emphasizes the need to tackle high-leverage problems and the importance of aligning personal strengths with career paths in fintech. Discussion includes the innovative culture at Binance that thrives on swift decision-making and ownership. Mayur advocates for a hypothesis-driven approach to product strategy, balancing rapid experimentation with incremental wins for long-term success.

Aparna Chennapragada, the Chief Product Officer at Microsoft, brings a wealth of experience from her roles at Robinhood and Google. She discusses the essential shift towards AI prototyping, arguing that 'prompt sets are the new PRDs.' As she delves into the traits of AI agents and the rise of Natural Language Experiences, she emphasizes the evolving role of product managers in the AI landscape. Aparna shares insights on leadership styles between tech giants and the exciting future of human-AI collaboration in product development.

Dmitry Zlokazov, Head of Product at Revolut, shares insights from his role at the $45 billion fintech giant. He discusses the innovative 'local CEO' model, where product owners drive cross-functional teams with true ownership. Dmitry highlights how their flat structure enables rapid product launches while maintaining quality. He argues that raw intellect trumps experience in hiring and explains their unique approach to product development, emphasizing the importance of seeing nearly finished products as still not ready for market.

Nabeel S. Qureshi, an entrepreneur and former Palantir engineer, shares insights on building exceptional product leaders. He reveals why a third of Palantir's PMs go on to start their own companies and discusses their unique hiring practices emphasizing intellectual curiosity. Nabeel explains the impact of forward-deployed engineers, who provide tailored solutions, and how Palantir transitioned to a software powerhouse. He also delves into the moral implications of tech in defense and the evolving value of college education in tech.

Jerry Colonna, a renowned executive coach and CEO of Reboot, emphasizes radical self-inquiry as a tool for transformative leadership. He poses a thought-provoking question about complicit behaviors in creating undesirable conditions. The conversation explores why teams fail beyond mere talent and the personal implications of busyness. Colonna also critiques the concept of a 'growth mindset' and discusses the evolving role of AI in self-discovery. Ultimately, he urges listeners to redefine success by prioritizing authenticity and meaningful legacy.

Scott Wu, co-founder and CEO of Cognition, discusses Devin, the world’s first autonomous AI engineer with the ability to write significant portions of code. He reveals how a team of Devins is already responsible for 25% of pull requests, poised to hit 50% soon. The conversation delves into the transformation of engineering roles from 'bricklayers' to 'architects' and how Devin has evolved dramatically over the past year. Scott also highlights the cultural shifts needed to integrate AI engineers effectively into teams.

Michael Truell, Co-founder and CEO of Anysphere, shares insights on Cursor, the rapidly growing AI code editor with $300M in ARR. He discusses the evolution of coding, highlighting a shift towards 'vibe coding' that prioritizes design and creativity over traditional programming. Truell reveals Cursor's origin, its pivot from CAD automation, and the decision to develop custom AI models. He emphasizes the importance of 'taste' in engineering and explores the competitive AI tool landscape, advising tech teams to prepare for a future where coding and intuition intersect.