Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

David Placek, founder of Lexicon Branding, shares insights from over 40 years of creating memorable brand names like Sonos and Azure. He discusses a unique three-step process that can give companies an edge beyond marketing budgets. Discover why Microsoft once deemed Azure a “dumb name” and how polarizing opinions signal the right choice. Learn about the psychological vibes of letters, the diamond framework for naming, and why the relevance of domain names is changing in the AI era.

Peter Deng, who has shaped products at OpenAI, Instagram, and Uber, shares insights on building tech used by billions. He discusses a one-sentence test for hiring top talent and the idea that innovative products often don’t require groundbreaking tech. Deng explores the five archetypes of product managers, emphasizing team dynamics in crafting successful products. He also highlights the balance needed between short- and long-term goals, while underscoring the importance of effective communication and data workflows in scaling businesses.

Sander Schulhoff, the pioneer of prompt engineering and partner with OpenAI for HackAPrompt, shares his extensive insights into AI's future. He discusses the five most effective prompting techniques and why traditional methods like role prompting are losing effectiveness. Sander reveals real jailbreak tactics still fooling top models and stresses the importance of defending against prompt injection. He also highlights the rising security threat posed by AI agents and provides guidance on getting started in AI red teaming.

Hilary Gridley, Head of Core Product at WHOOP, discusses building resilient teams in high-stakes environments. She shares actionable tactics for overcoming negative perceptions and fostering a supportive culture. Hilary reveals the underestimated role of AI in growth and how habits shape productivity. She emphasizes the importance of transparency in leadership and the need for empathy within teams. Listeners can expect insights on creating space for creativity and the significance of mental models in navigating organizational challenges.

In this engaging discussion, Bob Baxley, a seasoned design leader who has worked at Apple, Pinterest, and Yahoo, shares his insights on the moral obligation of creators to prioritize user-friendly designs. He explains why smaller teams yield better products, revealing the 'Beatles principle' of effective collaboration. Baxley emphasizes the importance of understanding design tenets versus principles, the counterintuitive approach to prototyping, and his experiences navigating corporate cultures. His stories of innovation and empathy in design are both enlightening and inspiring.

Sebastian Barrios, SVP of Engineering at Roblox and former head of product and engineering at Mercado Libre, shares insights from his journey in tech. He reveals how Mercado Libre deploys 30,000 codes daily with just 5% of the typical project managers, enabling remarkable operational efficiency. Sebastian discusses fostering a culture of radical candor in the workplace, the significance of weekly communication for team alignment, and navigating the challenges of innovation in emerging tech fields like crypto and AI.

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.