Founder Mode Lessons from Instagram, Airbnb, and Coinbase | Sanchan Saxena

Founder Mode Lessons from Instagram, Airbnb, and Coinbase | Sanchan Saxena

Author: Peter Yang October 13, 2024 Duration: 44:47

My guest today is Sanchan Saxena, SVP at Atlassian. Sanchan worked directly with 4 of the best founders out there — Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger (Instagram), Brian Armstrong (Coinbase), and Brian Chesky (Airbnb). In our chat, he shares what we can learn from each founder’s superpowers and the 4 traits he always looks for when hiring exceptional PMs. (00:00) The secret product approach that sets Airbnb and Apple apart (01:21) Inside Instagram's early days at 100 employees (03:07) Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger's superpowers (04:54) How "do the simple thing first" led to Instagram Stories' success (07:15) The single common trait shared by the greatest founders (08:50) Brian Armstrong's golden rule, "No decision by committee" (13:36) "Unconstrained thinking" with Brian Chesky at Airbnb (18:21) What Brian Chesky learned from Disney movies and storytelling (23:29) Why obsessing over metrics kills product quality (27:43) Shifting focus to prioritize customers and craft in your company (30:55) Climbing the ladder From PM to product director and VP (33:38) Mastering the yin and yang of product management (42:02) How to set yourself up to get lucky in your career Get the takeaways: https://creatoreconomy.so/p/sanchan-instagram-airbnb-coinbase Where to find Sanchan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanchans/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@therealsanchan 📌 Subscribe to this channel – more interviews coming soon!



For anyone building the future, Behind the Craft is a conversation with Peter Yang that moves beyond theory and into the tangible details of creation. This podcast lives in the messy, rewarding space where ideas become real products. Each episode is built on candid interviews with experts who have been in the trenches, dissecting the pivotal decisions, the unexpected hurdles, and the hard-won lessons that rarely make it into a polished case study. You’ll hear the unvarnished stories behind the features and companies shaping our world, focusing on the practical frameworks and mental models that effective product leaders and creators rely on daily. It’s about understanding the craft from the inside out-the strategic shifts, the team dynamics, the user insights that truly move the needle. Tune in for a direct, no-fluff dialogue designed to accelerate your own journey, providing actionable guidance you can apply immediately to level up your own work. This is where the blueprint meets the build.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Behind the Craft
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