Building One with Tomer Cohen

In this episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Rohan Amin, Chief Product Officer at Chase, to discuss the evolving world of financial products and the challenges of delivering seamless, secure experiences. From his background in cybersecurity to his current role in shaping Chase’s product strategy, Rohan shares valuable insights into building products that balance privacy, security, and user-centric design.Tomer and Rohan discuss: Why security and trust are foundational at Chase—and in financial products overall The importance of designing for both happy and unhappy paths to ensure a smooth customer experience The power of incrementalism in scaling product improvements How Chase balances physical and digital products and services to create a more human-centered banking experience The strategic value of maintaining a personal touch, even in the digital age Follow Rohan Amin on LinkedIn.Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.

Rebuilding a company is one of the hardest challenges any founder can face. But for Justin McLeod, founder and CEO of Hinge, it was the only way forward. In today’s episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Justin to dive into the journey of rebooting Hinge from a Tinder competitor to the fastest-growing dating app in the U.S., focused on helping people build meaningful, long-term relationships. Justin shares the lessons he learned from tearing down Hinge and starting over, emphasizing intentional product design, clear product principles, and how to avoid chasing engagement for engagement's sake.As the dating app designed to be deleted, Hinge is built around one core goal: getting people into relationships and off the app. Justin's approach to onboarding, user interaction, and product design has created a platform that fosters genuine connections while avoiding the pitfalls of shallow dating apps.In this episode, Justin reveals: Why Hinge intentionally loses 20% of new users during onboarding to ensure better quality matches How limiting user actions can improve the overall user experience and lead to more meaningful interactions The importance of finding good proxies for key metrics, especially when your core goal is difficult to measure (like getting people into relationships) The role of AI as a coach - not a replacement - for human-to-human interactions How product principles can help companies make tough decisions and stay true to their mission Follow Justin McLeod on LinkedIn.Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.

WHOOP has made a name for themselves as the go-to wearable for those at the top of their game. You may have spotted elite athletes like LeBron James and Michael Phelps wearing the slim, screenless device. So what has made the device so successful?In this week’s episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of WHOOP, to discuss how focusing on a narrow product vision and owning the entire user experience led to the brand’s success in the saturated fitness tracker market.Before founding WHOOP, Will was a competitive athlete and quickly recognized the need for more precise, actionable health data. WHOOP’s simplicity and dedication to providing pro athletes and everyday users with the most meaningful insights are central to the company’s approach.Tomer and Will discuss: The virtues of building a product with a narrow and deep focus. How avoiding product scope creep helped WHOOP create a best-in-class wearable. Why building original hardware was key to WHOOP’s competitive advantage. The role of restraint in showing users the data that truly matters. How WHOOP’s design for professional athletes translates to better experiences for everyday consumers. Follow Will Ahmed on LinkedIn.Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.

Arvind Jain, CEO and founder of Glean and a former Google Distinguished Engineer, discusses his journey to revolutionize enterprise search. Frustrated by workplace information retrieval, he created Glean to tackle efficiency issues for large organizations. They explore the role of AI in solving real-world enterprise challenges, the importance of a scalable design, and the balance between customization and broader applicability. Arvind shares insights on using both explicit and implicit data to enhance the platform, highlighting the transformative potential of AI in the workplace.

What does it take to build a brand that not only survives but thrives by prioritizing the planet over profit? In this episode of Building One, host Tomer Cohen sits down with Jenna Johnson, the President of Patagonia, to explore how the iconic brand is reshaping the future of business through innovation and sustainability. Together, they unpack how Patagonia anticipates customer needs, drives environmental change, and builds products with purpose—not just for today, but for the planet’s future.Jenna has served as the President of Patagonia for over four years, after spending a decade with the company in other roles. She has held several leadership positions with Patagonia, including Vice President of Technical Outdoor and Senior Global Director for Technical Outdoor. A passionate rock climber and outdoor enthusiast herself, Jenna brings a unique perspective to her role, using her personal experiences as an athlete to inform Patagonia’s product design and testing. In this episode, you’ll hear about: How Patagonia anticipates customer needs and innovates beyond current market expectations The company’s mission-first approach and how they balance sustainability with product releases The challenges and rewards of leading in a circular economy and establishing a secondary-market for products Why changing the internal culture is critical for successful sustainability shifts The high stakes of moving toward a fully sustainable supply chain and the importance of long-term partnerships with producers If you’re building a business or leading a brand that seeks to prioritize sustainability, this conversation will offer actionable lessons on how to drive innovation while remaining committed to a greater purpose.Follow Jenna Johnson on LinkedInFollow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.

In this week’s episode of Building One, Tomer sits down with Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming and Xbox. With decades of experience, Phil is at the helm of one of the largest gaming platforms on the planet, overseeing iconic franchises like Halo, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Candy Crush. As a lifelong gamer, Phil’s passion for gaming runs deep, allowing him to bring a deeply personal approach to leadership. In this conversation, Phil dives into how Xbox has expanded beyond consoles to create an ecosystem where games are accessible across devices, maximizing reach and convenience for players. He also discusses how the emotional connection gamers have with their platform plays a crucial role in Xbox’s success, noting that feedback—no matter how harsh—should always be seen as a gift.Phil highlights the importance of taking risks in game development, explaining how innovation thrives through bold decisions and how Xbox balances established franchises like Call of Duty with new, experimental titles. He also emphasizes that, for Xbox, success isn’t about hardware—it’s about delivering compelling games and creating an environment where developers have the creative freedom to push boundaries while still adhering to the platform’s broader goals. And for anyone looking to break into the gaming industry, Phil offers valuable advice: seek out indie studios, where creativity is abundant and there’s always a need for fresh talent.Listen now to hear more about Phil’s vision for the future of gaming, how Microsoft Gaming is shaping the next generation of interactive entertainment, and what aspiring game developers can do to get started.Follow Phil Spencer on LinkedIn.Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.

This week on Building One, Tomer talks to Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, about building one of the world’s most impactful educational platforms. From tutoring his cousin in 2004 to reaching over 150 million learners globally, Sal shares his approach to creating a “minimal lovable product” (MLP) that goes beyond functionality to foster trust and connection with users.Sal discusses the concept of mastery learning, both in the way Khan Academy teaches and in the way Khan Academy was built. Sal emphasizes how important it is for students to have a strong foundational understanding before moving on to the next lesson. The conversation also dives into scaling educational tools, integrating with school systems, and how AI in education can personalize learning while freeing teachers to focus on emotional support and motivation.Finally, Sal reflects on Khan Academy’s non-profit status and discusses the broader implications of building purpose-driven companies in markets that don’t function as they should.Tune in to hear how Sal built a platform that’s more than just a learning tool—it’s a relationship.Follow Sal Khan on LinkedIn.Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.

Since 1985, when the first pair of Air Jordan’s were released to the public, the Jordan brand has stood at the intersection of culture, design excellence, and self-expression. Today, Jason Mayden, Chief Design Officer of the Jordan brand at Nike, is ushering in the next era. Jason, who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, started as an intern at Nike and worked his way up to lead the design of iconic shoes for the Jordan brand.In this episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Jason to discuss the power of emotional connection in product design. Jason shares his philosophy that great design goes beyond product features—it’s about how a product makes people feel about themselves. He explains why emotional resonance, rather than just performance specs, is the key to building lasting brand loyalty and remaining culturally relevant.Jason also opens up about his neurodivergence, explaining how embracing his unique cognitive strengths has helped him innovate and excel in design. He shares how understanding his brain wiring allowed him to think differently and bring fresh perspectives to Nike’s product creation process.Part of Jason’s approach is fostering creativity by involving non-design functions—like HR and legal—early in the process. He believes that bringing in fresh perspectives from across the company can lead to more innovative products and a stronger sense of ownership across teams.Finally, Jason emphasizes the importance of a growth mindset, a principle he learned from Michael Jordan himself. He shares how continuously learning and evolving is crucial for long-term success, both for individuals and brands.Follow Jason Mayden on LinkedIn.Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn

Get ready for a brand new season of Building One. Tune in Jan 14 as we kick things off with Nike’s own Jason Mayden, the Chief Design Officer of the Jordan brand. But that’s hardly all - we’ve got a great lineup of guests for you this season: Sal Khan of Khan Academy, Jenna Johnson of Patagonia, Arvind Jain of Glean, and Will Ahmed of WHOOP are just a few of the new voices we’ll hear from!And if you can’t wait, it’s never been a better time to catch up on great interviews from our past season, like our interviews with Spotify’s Gustav Söderström, Plaid’s Zach Perret, or even Michelin-starred Chef, Dan Barber.

Last week we welcomed Spotify Co-President and CPO Gustav Söderström to the show to discuss his professional journey and the evolution of Spotify. We’re back this week with a few more questions for Gustav to get to know him better.Follow Gustav Söderström on LinkedIn.Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter Building LinkedIn