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Dylan Field is the co-founder and CEO of Figma, the collaborative design platform that has revolutionized how product teams work. In my first-ever live podcast, recorded at Figma Config, Dylan and I dig into:

\u2022 How intuition and product taste drive Dylan\u2019s decision-making

\u2022 The challenge of keeping things simple

\u2022 Dylan\u2019s thoughts on the future of product management

\u2022 Lessons from Figma\u2019s early days

\u2022 How Figma built their initial user base

\u2022 Dylan\u2019s journey from intern to CEO of a 1,000+-person company

\u2022 The future of design tools and AI

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Brought to you by:

\u2022 WorkOS\u2014Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs

\u2022 Anvil\u2014The fastest way to build software for documents

\u2022 User Testing\u2014Human understanding. Human experiences.

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Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/dylan-field-live-at-config

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Where to find Dylan Field:

\u2022 X: https://x.com/zoink?lang=en

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield/

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Where to find Lenny:

\u2022 Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

\u2022 X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:11) Welcoming Dylan Field

(02:36) Highlights and surprises from Config

(06:58) The philosophy of design

(08:01) Raccoon feet and muffin hands

(09:57) Building and refining intuition and product taste

(12:50) How to influence leadership

(16:14) The role of product managers

(21:12) The future of product management

(22:20) The importance of simplicity in design

(26:10) The long road to Figma\u2019s launch

(27:44) Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs

(29:07) Knowing when it\u2019s time to ship

(30:39) Early user acquisition strategies

(35:50) Spotting trends and future innovations

(39:20) Reflections on leadership and growth

(43:16) Lightning round

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Referenced:

\u2022 Mihika Kapoor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihikakapoor/

\u2022 Rick Rubin on the Creative Act\u201460 Minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE1teB5bN-w

\u2022 Figma pages: https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038511293-Create-and-manage-pages

\u2022 Leading through uncertainty: A design-led company\u2014Brian Chesky (Config 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkfijg7s76o

\u2022 An inside look at how Figma builds product | Yuhki Yamashita (CPO of Figma): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-inside-look-at-how-figma-builds

\u2022 Vision, conviction, and hype: How to build 0 to 1 inside a company | Mihika Kapoor (Product at Figma): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/vision-conviction-hype-mihika-kapoor

\u2022 An inside look at Figma\u2019s unique GTM motion | Claire Butler (first GTM hire): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-inside-look-at-figmas-unique-bottom

\u2022 Zigging vs. zagging: How HubSpot built a $30B company | Dharmesh Shah (co-founder/CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-30-years-of-building

\u2022 Nadia Singer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiasinger/

\u2022 Sho Kuwamoto on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/

\u2022 FigJam: https://www.figma.com/figjam/

\u2022 Tim Van Damme on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-van-damme-maxvoltar/

\u2022 Coda: https://coda.io/

\u2022 Shishir Mehrotra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/

\u2022 Websim: https://websim.ai/

\u2022 eToys.com commercial (from Dylan\u2019s childhood acting career): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Y92aCmmbU

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.