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Kayvon Beykpour was the longest-serving head of product at Twitter and was GM of Twitter\u2019s consumer division until the platform was acquired by Elon Musk. He originally joined Twitter in 2015 through the acquisition of his company, Periscope, the largest live video streaming platform at the time. Periscope pioneered technology that inspired Instagram Live, TikTok Live, Facebook Live, and other social networks\u2019 expansion into video streaming. In our conversation, we discuss:

\u2022 The story of being let go from Twitter after Elon\u2019s acquisition

\u2022 How he turned Twitter\u2019s stagnant culture around

\u2022 Kayvon\u2019s thoughts on the limitations of frameworks like Jobs to Be Done

\u2022 Why Periscope failed

\u2022 Advice for building consumer products

\u2022 When to copy, when to innovate

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Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/twitters-former-head-of-product-kayvon-beykpour

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Where to find Kayvon Beykpour:

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

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

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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) Kayvon\u2019s background

(04:31) Getting Elon up to speed at Twitter

(11:34) The story of being let go from Twitter after Elon\u2019s acquisition

(21:09) Changing the product culture at Twitter

(29:44) Building the \u201chide replies\u201d feature

(32:02) Sacred crows, taking bold bets, and reigniting growth

(34:28) Aquihires and their impact

(42:40) Tips for successful acquisitions and staffing

(47:00) The limitations of frameworks like JTBD

(53:20) Signs you\u2019ve gone too far with a framework

(57:44) Lessons from building Periscope

(01:00:41) Reasons why Periscope failed

(01:07:24) The challenges of implementing video at Twitter

(01:12:05) Copying ideas in good taste

(01:17:58) How to get better at building consumer products

(01:19:51) What Kayvon is building

(01:20:31) Lightning round

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Referenced:

\u2022 Lessons on building product sense, navigating AI, optimizing the first mile, and making it through the messy middle | Scott Belsky (Adobe, Behance): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/lessons-on-building-product-sense-navigating-ai-optimizing-the-first-mile-and-making-it-through-t/

\u2022 What it\u2019s like to sell your startup for ~$120 million before it\u2019s even launched: Meet Twitter\u2019s new prized possession, Periscope: https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-periscope-and-why-twitter-bought-it-2015-3

\u2022 Walter Isaacson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walter-isaacson-b8b81520/

\u2022 Elon Musk on X: https://twitter.com/elonmusk

\u2022 Parag Agrawal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parag-agrawal-5a14742a/

\u2022 Jack Dorsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-dorsey-a43b07242/

\u2022 Blackboard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackboard_Inc.

\u2022 Keith Coleman on X: https://twitter.com/kcoleman

\u2022 Esther Crawford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esthercrawford/

\u2022 Twitter acquires Chroma Labs: https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/twitter-acquires-chroma-labs-story-aqvcRPAoYXqXJuAbefA6cN.html

\u2022 John Barnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarnettt/

\u2022 Jobs to Be Done framework: https://jobs-to-be-done.com/jobs-to-be-done-a-framework-for-customer-needs-c883cbf61c90

\u2022 Hot takes and techno-optimism from tech\u2019s top power couple: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/hot-takes-and-techno-optimism-from-techs-top-power-couple-sriram-and-aarthi/

\u2022 Nike Is Unveiling the Kobe 11 Tomorrow Using Periscope: https://sneakernews.com/2015/12/13/nike-is-unveiling-the-kobe-11-tomorrow-using-periscope/

\u2022 Chris Sacca\u2019s website: https://chrissacca.com/

\u2022 Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/formedia/tools/facebook-live

\u2022 Kevin Hart on X: https://twitter.com/KevinHart4real

\u2022 Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/

\u2022 Vine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_(service)

\u2022 Paul Davison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davison/

\u2022 Rohan Seth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohanseth/

\u2022 Cryptonomicon: https://www.amazon.com/Cryptonomicon-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0380788624

\u2022 Reamde: https://www.amazon.com/Reamde-Novel-Neal-Stephenson-ebook/dp/B004XVN0WW

\u2022 The Name of the Wind: https://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle-Book-ebook/dp/B0010SKUYM

\u2022 Star Trek official site: https://www.startrek.com/

\u2022 Dune: part 2: https://www.dunemovie.com/

\u2022 Oppenheimer on Peacock: https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-movies/oppenheimer

\u2022 Tokyo Vice on Max: https://www.max.com/shows/tokyo-vice/e7d93204-7f98-4e62-ab52-6c1da053f942

\u2022 Devs on Hulu: https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/devs

\u2022 Nick Offerman on X: https://twitter.com/nick_offerman

\u2022 3 Body Problem on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81024821

\u2022 Perplexity AI: https://www.perplexity.ai/

\u2022 Particle: https://www.particle.news/

\u2022 Crokinole board game: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/521/crokinole

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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.