Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Carilu Dietrich, a former CMO with a track record at Atlassian and Miro, shares her insights on achieving hypergrowth. She discusses the critical strategies leading successful B2B companies, including the importance of effective leadership and the CEO-CMO dynamic. Carilu offers valuable advice on navigating career growth, selecting the right company, and the habits essential for C-suite success. She also emphasizes the power of community and thought leadership in driving organic growth, alongside innovative approaches to product development.

Elena Verna, a growth expert with over 15 years in tech, discusses the nuances of product-led sales (PLS) versus product-led growth (PLG). She highlights key metrics for recognizing qualified accounts and the essential tools for implementing PLS. Elena delves into strategies for integrating sales with user engagement, emphasizing the importance of understanding buyer demand. Additionally, she shares common pitfalls in PLS and how startups can avoid them, all while ensuring a collaborative approach to drive growth and user satisfaction.

Varun Parmar, the Chief Product Officer of Miro, shares his vast experience from tech giants like Box and Adobe. He dives into Miro's unique and empathetic product culture, emphasizing the need for collaboration and breaking down silos. Varun outlines the innovative 'AMPED' structure for cross-functional teams and explains how to navigate competition while moving quickly. He also highlights strategies behind acquiring Miro's first users and fostering an environment of trust that drives product quality through effective communication and collaboration.

Ada Chen Rekhi, an executive coach and co-founder of Notejoy with a rich background in marketing from LinkedIn and SurveyMonkey, shares valuable insights. She introduces the 'curiosity loop' for informed decision-making and emphasizes aligning personal values with career choices. Ada discusses her 'explore and exploit' framework for maximizing job opportunities and offers tips for women in Silicon Valley. She also highlights the transformative role of executive coaching and the importance of constructive feedback in professional growth.

Laura Modi, CEO and co-founder of Bobbie, shares her unique journey as a leader in the infant formula industry. She reveals pivotal lessons from her time at Airbnb, emphasizing the importance of culture and personal connections. Modi discusses prioritizing existing customers during the formula shortage and the balance between rapid growth and sustainable practices. She highlights the creativity that comes from naivete, innovative hiring strategies, and the vital role of branding in building a successful direct-to-consumer business.

Shweta Shrivastava, Senior Product Leader at Waymo, shares her insights from 15+ years in tech, including stints at Amazon and Cisco. She dives into how Waymo builds trust with riders through effective communication and user comfort. Shweta contrasts product management in autonomous driving with traditional software, discussing the unique challenges of safety and performance metrics. She emphasizes the importance of disruptiveness in large companies and shares underrated skills like listening and empathy for product managers.

Nikita Miller, SVP of Product Management at The Knot Worldwide and former product leader at Trello, discusses her passion for scaling product teams in high-growth environments. She shares insights on adapting Trello for enterprise needs and highlights the evolving landscape of product management. The conversation dives into effective remote team management, driving urgency in work processes, and the challenges of cross-cultural collaboration. Nikita underscores the importance of clear roles, communication, and balancing personal and professional goals for product success.

Hila Qu, an Executive in Residence at Reforge and former Director of Growth at GitLab, sheds light on product-led growth (PLG) strategies. She emphasizes the importance of combining PLG with sales efforts for comprehensive growth. Listeners discover a step-by-step approach to implementing PLG, the common pitfalls to avoid, and effective tactics for user conversion and retention. Hila also discusses structuring growth teams and the significance of understanding user data to optimize engagement and foster long-term success.

Casey Winters, a legendary advisor in the product and growth space with experience at Airbnb and Eventbrite, shares his insights on breaking free from conventional frameworks. He discusses the pitfalls of the 'zero interest rate phenomenon' for product managers and emphasizes the balance of intuition and expertise in startups. Listeners will learn about leveraging network effects and the challenges of consumer subscriptions, along with Casey's contrarian approach to hiring product managers and thoughts on AI's role in the future of product management.

Kevin Aluwi, co-founder and former CEO of Gojek, dives into the rollercoaster journey of transforming a simple motorcycle taxi service into Southeast Asia's leading super app. He candidly discusses battling local taxi mafias, the significance of brand identity, and innovative approaches to driver safety. Aluwi shares insights on leveraging cultural nuances for food delivery and the unique challenges of scaling a tech company outside of Silicon Valley, emphasizing resourcefulness and community engagement in a competitive landscape.