Embracing chaos, inquiry over advocacy, poking the bear, and “impact, impact, impact” | Vlad Loktev

Vlad’s background (0s)

• Vlad was an early product manager at Airbnb, starting as an ICPM and eventually leading product for the core homes business. (1m16s)
• He later became the GM of the core homes business, reporting directly to Brian Chesky and managing over 1,000 people across design, engineering, and other functions. (1m31s)
• Before Airbnb, Vlad was a founder and a senior PM at Zynga, where he helped grow Words With Friends to over 14 million daily active users. (1m45s)

Reflecting on transformative years at Airbnb (2m54s)

• The speaker expresses gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the podcast and highlights the transformative impact of their time working together, particularly at Airbnb. (2m56s)
• The speaker acknowledges the significant learning and growth experienced during their time at Airbnb, attributing their subsequent success to the lessons learned. (3m15s)
• The speaker expresses appreciation for the directness and honesty received, particularly in addressing challenging situations and providing valuable insights into the realities of a rapidly growing company. (4m24s)

Skills and mindsets for success (4m28s)

• The most important thing is to focus on making an impact and prioritize work that aligns with the company's top priorities. (8m12s)
• To maximize impact, it's crucial to understand the drivers of the business, analyze user behavior, and identify areas where influence can be exerted. (10m0s)
• Projects should not be random; they should be carefully considered and aligned with solving core business problems and driving significant impact. (10m38s)

Impact-driven mindset (11m3s)

• As companies grow, individuals may find themselves less in control and more reliant on others, leading to a focus on dependencies rather than actionable tasks. (11m50s)
• It is crucial to concentrate on the tasks within one's control and adopt a mindset of maximizing impact within those areas. (12m32s)
• Every project should be accompanied by an assessment, even with potential assumptions, to understand the project's potential impact and the necessary steps for its success. (13m2s)

Saying no and inquiry before advocacy (13m16s)

• To effectively communicate and make decisions, it is crucial to prioritize inquiry over advocacy by actively listening, asking questions, and seeking to understand different perspectives before presenting one's own viewpoint. (15m29s)
• Saying no is essential for product managers to avoid distractions, maintain focus on impactful work, and gain long-term respect, even though it can be challenging due to societal conditioning to please others. (13m45s)
• Approaching conversations with curiosity, preparing questions beforehand, and actively listening to the other person's perspective can lead to more effective communication and decision-making. (17m35s)

“Poking the bear” (17m54s)

• "Don't be afraid to poke the bear" means not self-censoring when you have a strong view, even when disagreeing with senior leaders or executives. (18m15s)
• It's important to be able to voice your opinion and share information that will help the group make a decision, even if it means disagreeing with the majority. (21m11s)
• When disagreeing, it's important to present data and ask questions rather than simply advocating for a different point of view. (21m56s)

Psychological tools for leadership (22m46s)

• To be successful as a leader, focus on making an impact by understanding company priorities and identifying levers to drive the business. (22m58s)
• When disagreeing, prioritize inquiry over advocacy by asking questions to understand perspectives and presenting data to support your viewpoint. (23m22s)
• Leading at a rapidly growing company can be mentally challenging, requiring constant adaptation and reinvention as roles and responsibilities evolve. (28m24s)

Building and scaling teams (30m8s)

• When building a team, it is more effective to seek individuals with specialized skills ("spikes") rather than expecting everyone to be proficient in all areas. (31m4s)
• Examples of "spike" skills include domain expertise, sales, process management, and product design. (32m11s)
• To be successful, it is crucial to be mission-driven, prioritize the most important tasks, and avoid distractions. (35m19s)

Letting fires burn (36m12s)

• It is important to be able to prioritize tasks and let go of less important tasks, even if it means those tasks will not be completed successfully. (37m2s)
• While it is important to let some fires burn, there are some fires that should never be left to burn, such as those that involve missed timelines, disagreements on strategic decisions, or senior higher processes. (39m40s)
• It is important for leaders to communicate their priorities and the reasoning behind their decisions to their teams so that their teams can understand the context of their work and make better decisions. (44m31s)

Embracing chaos (47m34s)

• Chaos can be beneficial for organizations, pushing them to think creatively and make significant advancements in product development. (47m45s)
• Introducing artificial time constraints, such as limiting design time to 24 hours, can force teams to rely on intuition, think more creatively, and prioritize building over extensive planning. (49m36s)
• Working with limited timeframes and embracing chaos can foster team connection, create memorable experiences, and lead to innovative solutions by removing organizational dependencies and encouraging a free flow of ideas. (52m54s)

The unsell email strategy (54m40s)

• An individual uses an "unsell email" strategy when recruiting, outlining potential downsides of the job to candidates. (54m41s)
• While this approach may initially lead to fewer hires, it ultimately results in a more suitable and enduring team. (55m4s)
• When building a company, it's crucial to prioritize the mission above specific skills or domain expertise when hiring. (1h0m51s)

Finding your place in an organization (1h2m1s)

• To be successful within a company, individuals should identify areas where they can make the most impact by aligning their strengths with the company's priorities. (1h2m46s)
• It is crucial to prioritize impact above all else, focusing on the most critical tasks and not getting bogged down by less important matters. (1h4m27s)
• Embracing chaos and accepting that not everything needs to be perfect or resolved immediately is a valuable lesson, allowing for greater focus on high-impact activities. (1h5m12s)

The importance of company culture (1h5m38s)

• Company culture is vital, and intentionally building a strong culture can lead to memorable moments and a sense of belonging among employees. (1h7m9s)
• Core values should be integrated into every aspect of the company, including hiring, performance reviews, and promotions, to ensure they are not just words on paper but reflected in daily actions. (1h10m9s)
• Airbnb's unique approach to hiring included a dedicated team of core values interviewers who assessed candidates' alignment with the company's values, highlighting the significance placed on cultural fit. (1h12m29s)

Airbnb’s unique approach to product management (1h13m16s)

• Companies should not copy each other's ways of working because each company's operational structure is unique and dependent on various factors such as founders, leadership, employees, and industry. (1h14m34s)
• It is crucial for companies to establish a clear and explicit way of operating and communicate it effectively to all employees to ensure clarity and a sense of direction. (1h16m10s)
• Leaders should focus on decisions and areas where they have particular expertise and insight, allowing them to make the most impactful contributions while delegating other responsibilities to trusted individuals. (1h22m10s)

Failure corner (1h26m41s)

• A time of intense work and feeling overwhelmed led to a low point, characterized by unhappiness and a sense of not keeping up with the demands of a rapidly scaling company. (1h27m29s)
• This low point brought about a realization that personal identity had become deeply intertwined with work, leading to the neglect of personal relationships, hobbies, and family time. (1h28m32s)
• The path to becoming a better leader involved prioritizing personal well-being by reconnecting with neglected aspects of life, such as relationships, hobbies, and family, ultimately leading to increased effectiveness and impact in the workplace. (1h29m5s)

Lightning round and final thoughts (1h31m32s)

• Two recommended books are Red Rising and The Silo series. (1h31m45s)
• A favorite TV show is Survivor. (1h32m25s)
• A favorite product is Discord. (1h33m3s)