Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | 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.

In this engaging discussion, Lulu Cheng Meservey, the Chief Communications Officer at Activision Blizzard and former head of comms at Substack, shares her insights on effective communication strategies. She emphasizes the importance of taking risks and targeting very specific audiences for successful messaging. Lulu introduces several intriguing frameworks, including concentric circles for audience identification and a unique physics-based approach to comms. Through anecdotes and strategies, she highlights how brand storytelling and authenticity can build lasting connections.

Josh Miller, CEO and co-founder of The Browser Company and creator of the innovative Arc web browser, dives into the unique culture at his company. He discusses the emphasis on user emotions over traditional metrics in product development and how fostering a genuine connection can drive engagement. Miller also outlines their hiring practices, focusing on multidisciplinary talent and the importance of storytelling in tech. The conversation reveals how their values and collaborative approach set them apart in the competitive landscape of web browsers.

Christina Wodtke, an author and Stanford professor, shares her expertise on OKRs—Objectives and Key Results. She discusses how to craft effective OKRs, common pitfalls to avoid, and the importance of aligning them with your team's vision. Christina emphasizes the role of personal health in goal management and offers compelling tips on storytelling to enhance communication. She also shares her insights on setting ambitious goals that drive team success, making this a must-listen for anyone looking to boost productivity and engagement.

Sriram Krishnan, a partner at A16Z and former leader at Meta and Twitter, teams up with Aarthi Ramamurthy, founder and product leader with her own impressive tech background. They dive into the nuances of building a personal brand and navigating impostor syndrome with authenticity. Hilarious anecdotes reveal their journeys from fans to influencers in tech. Their hot takes on the 'Jobs to Be Done' framework lead to a critique of oversimplification in product development, while emphasizing the value of genuine community engagement.