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Karri Saarinen is the co-founder and CEO of Linear, an issue-tracking tool that has quickly become the fastest-growing and most beloved in the world. Before Linear, Karri was the principal designer and co-creator of design systems at Airbnb and the founding designer at Coinbase. In today\u2019s episode, he shares:

\u2022 How to prioritize craft in product development

\u2022 The Linear method for modern software development

\u2022 How Linear operates with only one PM

\u2022 Why every product needs good design in 2023

\u2022 Strategies for staying focused amid distractions

\u2022 Linear\u2019s unique hiring strategies

\u2022 Sneak peek of a soon-to-be-released Linear feature

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Brought to you by Mercury\u2014the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank | Composer\u2014the AI-powered trading platform | Pendo\u2014The all-in-one platform for product-led companies building breakthrough digital experiences

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-linear-building-with-taste

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Where to find Karri Saarinen:

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

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

\u2022 Website: https://karrisaarinen.com/

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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) Karri\u2019s background

(04:25) Overview of Linear

(06:43) Linear\u2019s design process and its focus on quality

(12:25) Building a craft-oriented company

(16:41) Product management at Linear

(18:37) Strategies for launching a startup without a dedicated PM

(21:16) How Linear assists PMs in their roles

(23:46) Linear\u2019s potential expansion in PM roles

(24:58) The importance of design

(29:08) Utilizing design and brand as distinct competitive advantages

(30:48) The importance of authenticity in branding and messaging

(33:08) How design reviews are conducted at Linear

(38:34) The Linear method for modern software development\xa0

(40:07) Why productivity software should be opinionated

(41:23) Why Linear created \u201ccycles\u201d and how it works

(43:27) Why Linear doesn\u2019t have metric-based goals

(45:07) How a business can thrive without metrics, PMs, and A/B testing

(48:04) A customer-focused approach to building product

(50:02) Adapting strategies for diverse products and domains

(53:05) Three techniques Karri uses to maintain focus

(56:47) Linear\u2019s hiring practices\xa0

(1:02:10) Paid work trials

(1:04:31) How to determine a candidate\u2019s \u201cproduct sense\u201d\xa0

(1:08:21) Linear\u2019s growth journey and milestones

(1:14:18) How pricing strategies were initially introduced at Linear

(1:16:18) Linear\u2019s journey to finding product-market fit

(1:21:44) The importance of online presence and authenticity in business

(1:24:59) Insight into the corporate culture at Linear

(1:28:29) Lessons learned during Karri\u2019s transition from IC to CEO

(1:30:21) Sneak peek into the upcoming \u201casks\u201d feature at Linear

(1:32:04) Lightning round

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Referenced:

\u2022 Linear: https://linear.app/

\u2022 Vercel: https://vercel.com/

\u2022 Nan Yu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenanyu/

\u2022 The Linear method: https://linear.app/method

\u2022 How Ramp builds product: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-ramp-builds-product

\u2022 Lessons from scaling Ramp | Sri Batchu (Ramp, Instacart, Opendoor): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/lessons-from-scaling-ramp-sri-batchu-ramp-instacart-opendoor/

\u2022 Eric Yuan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericsyuan/

\u2022 The Timeless Way of Building: https://www.amazon.com/Timeless-Way-Building-Christopher-Alexander/dp/0195024028

\u2022 Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance:\xa0https://www.amazon.com/Zen-Art-Motorcycle-Maintenance-Inquiry/dp/0060839872/

\u2022 John Wick: Chapter 4: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10366206/

\u2022 Silo on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/silo/umc.cmc.3yksgc857px0k0rqe5zd4jice

\u2022 Philips Hue lights: https://www.philips-hue.com/en-us

\u2022 Finnish salmon soup recipe: https://jernejkitchen.com/recipes/finnish-salmon-soup-lohikeitto

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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.