Alex Komoroske is a strategic leader who merges the practice, theory, and mindset necessary to tackle complex problems. He spent 13 years at Google, where he worked on Search and DoubleClick and led Chrome’s Open Web Platform. He also spearheaded Augmented Reality in Google Maps and developed toolkits to align companywide strategy from the ground up. After serving as Head of Corporate Strategy at Stripe, he is now co-founding a startup aimed at reimagining the web for the AI era. Alex created the popular “Slime Molds” deck, which offers fresh insights into organizational dynamics. He is also the author of the widely read “Bits and Bobs,” a collection of thought-provoking reflections.In our conversation, we delve into:

• “Organizational kayfabe”

• “Gardening” vs. “building”

• How AI will soon change how we build product

• How and why to embrace the adjacent possible

• The power of reflection and how to build it into your workflow

• How to create emergent properties in organizations

• How to run effective “strategy salons” or “nerd clubs”

• Much more

—

Brought to you by:

• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments

• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security

• Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace

—

Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/unconventional-product-advice-alex-komoroske

—

Where to find Alex Komoroske:

• X: https://x.com/komorama

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-komoroske-6597336/

• Website: https://www.komoroske.com/

—

Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

—

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Introduction to Alex

(01:53) Alex’s Bits and Bobs document

(06:20) The Compendium and note-taking process

(10:10) The impact of AI and LLMs on product development

(14:24) Skills to lean into as a product manager

(19:02) How AI makes us better as individuals

(23:04) Organizational kayfabe

(31:48) Gardening vs. building

(34:46) Emergence-oriented thinking

(41:55) Slime molds and organizational structure

(45:15) Identifying resonant ideas

(47:05) The power of metaphors

(48:02) Strategy salons and nerd clubs

(52:30) Building and sustaining communities

(55:59) Productivity hacks and self-control

(01:01:04) Life philosophy and personal insights

(01:07:52) The adjacent possible

(01:15:56) Lightning round

—

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

—

Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

Benjamin Lauzier has been building and scaling marketplaces for almost 15 years. He was the VP of product and growth at Thumbtack, where he rebuilt the product team and Thumbtack’s growth levers, re-architected their revenue model, and helped double the company’s growth within three years. Prior to Thumbtack, Ben was at Lyft for six years, where he led the supply side of the product organization to a point where 1% of U.S. workers were driving for Lyft every month. Currently, he advises marketplace teams and founders, teaches a Reforge course on marketplace growth, and has recently launched a health tech company called Nurra, which connects users with care advocates to navigate the health-care system. In our conversation, we cover:

• What defines a marketplace business

• Strategies for growing supply and demand in the early stages

• How to measure liquidity and other marketplace health metrics

• How to evaluate if a marketplace model is right for your idea

• Lessons from Lyft, Thumbtack, and other successful marketplaces

• The differences between product management in the U.S. and Europe

—

Brought to you by:

• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments

• Paragon—Ship every SaaS integration your customers want

• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security

—

Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-marketplaces-win-benjamin-lauzier

—

Where to find Benjamin Lauzier:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminlauzier/

• Ben’s Reforge course: https://www.reforge.com/courses/marketplace-growth/details

—

Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

—

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Ben’s background

(02:24) Defining a marketplace

(07:52) Challenges in building a marketplace

(13:28) Methods for growing supply

(15:57) Understanding marketplace liquidity

(21:36) Identifying product-market fit in marketplaces

(24:10) Evaluating marketplace business models

(27:20) Common pitfalls and failures in marketplaces

(36:23) Managed marketplaces and quality control

(42:26) Lyft’s rental car initiative

(46:35) Mentorship and ambassador programs

(51:21) Driver recruitment strategies

(54:12) Lyft vs. Uber: a strategic analysis

(59:24) Cultural differences in tech: Europe vs. U.S.

(01:10:30) Building a health advocacy platform

(01:16:52) Lightning round and final thoughts

—

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

—

Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

Tamar Yehoshua is the president of product and technology at Glean. Prior to joining Glean, Tamar was chief product officer at Slack, where she led product, design, and research as the company scaled, including a 10x increase in revenue, its public listing, and an acquisition by Salesforce. She also led product and engineering teams at Google, working on search, identity, and privacy, and at A9.com, an Amazon company. Tamar has served on the board of directors for RetailMeNot, ServiceNow, Snyk, and Yext. In our conversation, we discuss:

• Why you don’t need to be a well-run company to win

• The impact of AI on product management and the future of work

• How to build strong cross-functional relationships, especially with engineers

• Lessons learned from working with leaders like Jeff Bezos and Stewart Butterfield

• Strategies for staying ahead in a rapidly evolving tech landscape

• Much more

—

Brought to you by:

• Explo—Embed customer-facing analytics in your product

• Sprig⁠⁠—Build products for people, not data points

• Sidebar—Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers

—

Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/you-dont-need-to-be-a-well-run-company-to-win-tamar-yehoshua

—

Where to find Tamar Yehoshua:

• X: https://x.com/TYehoshua

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamar-yehoshua-886217/

• Newsletter: https://tamaryehoshua.substack.com/

—

Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

—

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Tamar’s background

(02:09) Key advice for career success

(06:54) Understanding people and motivations

(09:33) The importance of impact

(11:20) Navigating company chaos

(18:40) Career planning: a different perspective

(26:22) Lessons from industry leaders

(37:59) Building stronger cross-functional relationships

(42:00) Streamlining OKR reviews with async methods

(45:26) Why you shouldn’t worry so much about making users unhappy

(47:50) The power of listening in leadership

(52:34) How to leverage AI so you don’t fall behind

(01:06:39) Closing thoughts and lightning round

—

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

—

Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.