2min snip

How to be more innovative | Sam Schillace (Microsoft deputy CTO, creator of Google Docs)

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

notes

NOTE

Embracing Disruption with First Principles Thinking

The speaker highlights the idea of thinking from first principles, challenging existing assumptions, and exploring new possibilities. They emphasize the importance of questioning why not and what if scenarios to overcome hurdles and envision innovative solutions. By questioning conventional thinking and seeking to understand the core principles underlying challenges, they suggest a shift towards a mindset of embracing disruption for transformative progress, citing examples like Tesla and SpaceX's groundbreaking innovations as outcomes of such thinking.

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Transcript

Episode notes

Sam Schillace is deputy CTO and corporate vice president at Microsoft. Prior to working at Microsoft, Sam started a company called Writely, which was acquired by Google and became the foundation of what today is Google Docs. While at Google, Sam helped lead many of Google’s consumer products, including Gmail, Blogger, PageCreator, Picasa, Reader, Groups, and more recently Maps and Google Automotive Services. Sam was also a principal investor at Google Ventures, has founded six startups, and was the SVP of engineering at Box through their IPO. In this episode, we discuss:

• The journey of building Google Docs

• The importance of taking risks, embracing failure, and finding joy in your work

• The importance of asking “what if” questions vs. “why not”

• Why convenience always wins

• How, and why, Sam stays optimistic

• Inside Microsoft’s culture

• Why you should solve problems without asking for permission

• Early-career advice

• Why “pixels are free” and “bots are docs”

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-be-more-innovative-sam-schillace

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Where to find Sam Schillace:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schillace/

• Newsletter: https://sundaylettersfromsam.substack.com/

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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