Behind the Craft

By Peter YangTechnology

Behind the Craft episodes

May 03, 2024 The Best Product Designer I Ever Worked With | Alex Cornell (Meta AI)
My guest today is Alex Cornell, Director of Design at Meta AI.

Alex is one of the best product designers I’ve ever worked with. He helped design Facebook, Substack, Linear, and an app for family and friends called Cocoon.

We talked about:
- Lessons from designing at Meta, Substack, and Linear
- How interface design will change with generative AI
- How anyone can start learning design right now

This interview is a must-watch if you’re interested in design at all. If you enjoy our conversation, please like and subscribe to support the podcast.

Timestamps:
(00:00) How to build good design taste
(01:44) The #1 mistake that designers make
(04:09) How to start designing a new product
(15:02) Lessons from designing Substack and Linear’s mobile apps
(23:35) Ideal design environment - big companies or startups?
(26:17) Balancing North Star vs. what’s shipping next
(32:42) How Alex uses AI in his personal life
(39:17) 3 ways for anyone to learn how to design

Where to find Alex:
https://twitter.com/alexcornell
https://www.alexcornell.com/

Get the takeaways:
https://creatoreconomy.so/p/alex-cornell-best-designer-that-i-worked-with

49 min
April 26, 2024 Inside How Figma Builds AI Products | Yuhki Yamashita (CPO Figma)
My guest today is Yuhki Yamashita, Chief Product Officer of Figma.
Yuhki and I talked about how Figma:
- Created a culture where employees love their craft
- Builds AI products to solve real user problems
- Plans to make design accessible to everyone
Yuhki is a great storyteller and shares an inside look at how Figma’s amazing product culture works. If you enjoy our conversation, please like and subscribe to support the podcast.
Get the takeaways: https://creatoreconomy.so/p/yuhki-inside-how-figma-built-figjam-ai

Timestamps :
(00:00) How PMs should collaborate with designers
(04:00) How to hire people who care about craft
(05:20) Balancing craft with moving metrics and optics
(07:43) Tips to get better at storytelling
(10:52) How Figjam evolved from Figma
(12:45) Why fun is a pillar for Figma products
(16:59) Evaluating AI use cases for Figjam
(19:01) Quality is everything with AI products
(24:31) How to balance power user and new user needs
(29:24) Best way for PMs to learn design
(31:45) Embracing AI in work and creativity

Where to find me:
Newsletter: https://creatoreconomy.so/

📌 Subscribe to this channel – more interviews coming soon!

36 min
April 23, 2024 Building the World's Most Wearable AI | Dan Siroker (CEO Limitless)
My guest today is Dan Siroker, CEO of Limitless.

In just 24 hours after launch, Dan and team sold over 10,000 AI pendants to help people augment their memory with what they’ve seen, said, and heard - making Limitless arguably the fastest growing AI wearable in the market.

In this short interview, Dan and I talked about:
- His journey to create the world’s most wearable AI
- How the team ships fast without compromising quality
- How he manages his time with 3 kids

Dan also co-founded Optimizely and is one of my favorite entrepreneurs to follow. If you enjoy our conversation, please like and subscribe to support the podcast.

Timestamps:
(00:00) Why Dan started Limitless
(02:19) Dan’s experience of losing his hearing
(03:12) Exploring the idea maze of personal AI
(04:55) Why the team decided to build an AI wearable
(06:40) How someone’s life could change with Limitless
(11:10) How to ship fast but still keep a high quality bar
(13:34) How to decide what scope to focus on
(15:45) How to attract and hire great talent
(17:47) Why you should hire slow
(19:12) Dan’s thoughts on product management
(20:55) Balancing entrepreneurship and family

Where to find me:
Newsletter: https://creatoreconomy.so/

📌 Subscribe to this channel – more interviews coming soon

23 min
April 19, 2024 Build Your Spiky Point of View to Stand Out | Wes Kao (Co-Founder, Maven)
My guest today is Wes Kao, co-founder of Maven, a very popular online course platform.
Wes and I talked about how to create, market, and teach an online course and make $20,000 or more per cohort. I especially love Wes’ frameworks about how to:
Build a spiky point of view to stand out with real examples
And use the state change method to keep people interested

Timestamps:
00:00 Spiky point of view
01:11 Introducing Wes Cao and the Power of Online Courses
01:42 Wes Cao's Journey: From Marketing to Maven Co-Founder
04:00 The Rise of Cohort-Based Learning with Maven
06:16 Empowering Operators to Share Their Expertise
10:03 Creating Your Course: Market Demand Meets Passion
13:51 The Essence of a Spiky Point of View
18:51 Leveraging Spiky Points of View for Course Creation
21:31 Unlocking Creative Writing: Beyond Traditional Controls
22:00 The Power of Risk in Sharing Bold Ideas
22:07 Content Creation: The Unpredictable Success of Authenticity
22:20 Decoding the Secret Formula of Viral Content
22:26 A Decade of Blogging: The Evolution of a Writer
22:50 Marketing First, Building Later: A New Approach
23:03 Case Study: Shivani Berry's Path to Course Success
24:24 Expanding Reach: Leveraging Other Audiences
27:39 Selling While Teaching: The Subtle Art
29:38 Engaging Cohort Courses: The State Change Method
32:18 Simplifying the Creator's Journey: Focus and Strategy
38:33 Closing Advice and Resources for Aspiring Creators

Where to find me:
Newsletter: https://creatoreconomy.so/

📌 Subscribe to this channel – more interviews coming soon!

39 min
April 12, 2024 How the Best AI Products Grow | Brian Balfour (CEO Reforge)
My guest today is Brian Balfour, CEO of Reforge. Brian and I did a deep dive into how 4 of the best AI products grew so fast.

We spoke about:

Why ChatGPT is investing in custom GPTs
How Midjourney grew to $200M ARR despite an interface that relies on Discord
How Perplexity is competing with Google Search
How LinkedIn collaborative articles combine AI and user growth loops

Brian is one of the best growth leaders out there so I hope you enjoy our conversation. Consider subscribing for more great interviews every week.

Timestamps:
[00:00] The decline of Google Search
[02:13] Why no one should try to copy ChatGPT's growth
[04:33] Many AI products struggle with retention
[07:39] Why OpenAI is investing in custom GPTs
[13:56] How Midjourney grew to $200M ARR off Discord
[21:22] Hardcore AI users vs. casual AI users
[21:49] Perplexity's challenge to Google Search
[25:12] The SEO industry is a mess
[29:22] Growth loops fueling LinkedIn's collaborative articles
[35:08] How AI will impact the growth profession
Where to find me:
Newsletter: https://creatoreconomy.so/

📌 Subscribe to this channel – more interviews coming soon!

40 min
April 05, 2024 How to Crack Your Product Strategy | Jackie Bavaro (PM Author)
My guest today is Jackie Bavaro, author of Cracking the PM Career and Cracking the PM Interview, two of the most popular books on product management out there. Jackie was also head of PM at Asana.

I spoke to Jackie about:

1. How to be more strategic
2. How to define a great vision and strategy for your team
3. How to communicate your strategy to the rest of the company

There are so many misconceptions about strategy, but Jackie makes everything crystal clear. Consider subscribing for more great interviews every week.

Chapter timestamps:
[00:00] Three parts of a great product strategy
[02:56] A personal story on why strategy matters
[07:05] Vision, strategic framework, and roadmap
[10:29] When to start thinking about strategy
[13:35] How to bring your vision to life
[16:47] Breaking down the strategic framework
[17:13] Master the framework for market domination
[22:04] Think of a roadmap like a charcuterie board
[25:09] A checklist is not a strategy
[29:11] How to get exec buy-in for your strategy
[31:54] Communicate principles to guide decisions

Where to find me:
Newsletter: https://creatoreconomy.so/

📌 Subscribe to this channel – more interviews coming soon!

36 min
March 27, 2024How the PM Role is Changing in 2024 | PM Expert Panel
My guests today are Sanchan (ex-general manager at Airbnb), Nickey (Product Director at Duolingo) and John (Senior Director at Toast).

We talked about:
1. How the PM role is changing
2. Our favorite PM use cases for AI
3. How to avoid PM title envy to pick your own path

Over 200 people tuned into this conversation live so I think you’ll love it too.

Chapter Timestamps
[00:00] Less internal shenanigans, more customer focus

[03:30] Why companies are tired of product managers

[07:44] Thoughts on Airbnb merging products with marketing

[10:25] How Airbnb builds products using narratives

[13:09] Designing the right incentives for PMs

[17:03] How Duolingo incentivizes PMs to focus on customer obsession

[18:34] Why more PMs should pursue building vs. manager

[22:01] How the PM and design relationship is evolving

[26:08] Getting hired in today's tough tech jobs market

[29:41] How to ramp up on AI and get your hands dirty

[32:55] Favorite AI use cases for PM

[36:25] How to think about what you want in the PM career ladder

[41:15] How to talk to users to get useful feedback

[42:25] How to be a great product leader in post-ZIRP era

[45:27] Your number one career skill is how to smell out orgs

Where to find me:
Newsletter: https://creatoreconomy.so/

📌 Subscribe to this channel – more interviews coming soon!
52 min
March 22, 2024 The journey from SVP to solopreneur | Elena Verna (Dropbox)
Elena Verna is a solopreneur who has served as head of growth at Dropbox, Amplitude, Miro, and more.
Elena and I talked about:
1. Why she left a full-time role to work for herself
2. The five laws of growth and how they can be applied to careers
3. Her advice for people who want to explore solopreneurship
Elena is incredibly inspiring and I think you’ll love our conversation.
Brought to you by:
• Amplitude – Get the free product-led growth guide: https://bit.ly/498xoLz
Chapter timestamps:
[00:00] Make imposter syndrome your superpower
[01:10] Elena's journey from entry-level to executive
[03:00] Finding exponential growth paths in your career
[07:00] What led Elena to explore solopreneurship
[09:59] The benefits of advisory roles
[12:33] Step by step on how to get started advising
[15:18] Pitching to a company why advising is better than full-time
[18:19] How Elena applies growth loops to her business
[22:18] The five laws of growth and how they apply to your career
[26:48] Learn how to fail to learn how to win
[28:31] Build career optionality to not be at the whim of companies
[31:29] Your business needs clear positioning ("why you?")
Where to find Elena:
X: https://twitter.com/ElenaVerna
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/
Get the interview takeaways:
https://creatoreconomy.so/p/elena-verna-growth-to-solopreneur
37 min
March 14, 2024 How Shopify rages against meetings | Kaz Nejatian (COO)
Kaz Neyatian is the Chief Operating Officer of Shopify.
Kaz and I spoke about about:
1. Why traditional career ladders are broken
2. Why strategy is the least important part of building products
3. Why Shopify canceled all recurring meetings.
I think this interview will feel like therapy if you’ve worked at big tech companies.
Brought to you by:
• Figma–My favorite design suite for creators and teams https://psxid.figma.com/qyj56p0lygjt
Chapter timestamps:
[00:00] Nobody ever dreamed of sitting in meetings
[01:15] The difference between crafters and managers
[02:31] Traditional career ladders just don't work
[04:36] Our job is to rage against being a big company
[05:43] Strategy is the least meaningful aspect of product
[07:15] People misunderstand how great products are built
[09:57] We're not an OKR company
[11:23] Why there are so few good product managers
[12:25] Operation Chaos Monkey to remove meetings
[15:26] Why managers need to value their personal craft time
[16:06] Why there are always no meeting rooms available
[18:22] How to reduce meetings on your calendar
[21:02] Just because someone else does it is a bad reason
[23:33] The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing
Where to find Kaz:
X: https://twitter.com/CanadaKaz
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasranejatian/
Get the interview takeaways:
https://creatoreconomy.so/p/kaz-coo-shopify-craft-and-no-meetings
Try Figma for free: https://psxid.figma.com/qyj56p0lygjt
📌 Subscribe to this channel – more interviews coming soon!
25 min
March 14, 2024 Focus on work that actually matters | Fareed Mosavat (Ex-Slack)
Fareed Mosavat is a growth veteran who has worked at Reforge, Slack, Instacart, Pixar, and other top companies.
We had some real talk about how to:
1. Cross the chasm from product manager to product leader
2. Not confuse the work behind the work with the actual work
3. Look beyond traditional job titles to chart your own career path
Fareed is one of my favorite product leaders and I think you’ll love our conversation.
Brought to you by:
Figma–My favorite design tool for creators and teams:
https://psxid.figma.com/qyj56p0lygjt
Chapter timestamps:
00:00 Focus on the work that actually matters
02:17 The PM to product leader chasm
06:21 The manager death spiral
08:49 Rethinking PM roles
10:44 How small teams can achieve big results
16:17 Why PM performance theater needs to end
19:29 Designing the right incentives for PM orgs
24:34 Why Fareed chose impact over titles
28:33 How to find work that you love
34:19 Why external exec hires often don't work out
39:00 How to be your own customer
Where to find Fareed:
X: https://twitter.com/far33d
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fareed/
Get the interview takeaways:
https://creatoreconomy.so/p/fareed-real-talk-about-the-pm-career
📌 Subscribe to this channel – more interviews coming soon!
42 min