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Vision, conviction, and hype: How to build 0 to 1 inside a company | Mihika Kapoor (Product at Figma)

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Apr 21, 2024

Guest

Mihika Kapoor

Mihika Kapoor, a design-engineer-PM hybrid at Figma and a former Meta product lead, shares her insights on launching new 0-to-1 products. She discusses crafting a compelling vision and the role of intuition in product management. Emphasizing vulnerability and feedback, she also delves into balancing strong opinions with collaboration. Kapoor highlights the significance of passion in team culture and the impact of AI on product development, encouraging adaptability and grace during pivots. Her experiences reflect a commitment to fostering innovation and a positive work environment.

01:40:40

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ANECDOTE

FigJam's Democratic Vision

FigJam's initial success with brainstorms revealed a user need for more democratic meeting experiences.
This insight led to features like music and voting, transforming traditional one-way meetings into collaborative sessions.

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ADVICE

Building Without Skills

Leverage AI tools and hackathons to develop prototypes and garner support for your vision, even without design or engineering skills.
Don't let skill gaps deter you; seek collaborators within your company to help bring your ideas to life.

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ADVICE

The Power of Conviction

Develop strong conviction in your ideas, even if initially based on intuition, to drive momentum and rally your team.
Be open to pivoting or killing your darlings if user feedback contradicts your initial assumptions.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Navigating the Path to Product Management

04:39 • 14min

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Delivering Vision: Transforming Ideas into Reality with AI and Collaboration

18:26 • 3min

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The Power of Conviction in Product Management

21:26 • 10min

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Inspiring Vision and Team Engagement

31:42 • 19min

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The Importance of Passion and Assumptions in Product Development

50:30 • 4min

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Igniting Passion and Culture in Teams

54:01 • 12min

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Embracing Adaptability in Design Innovation

01:06:26 • 23min

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Cultivating Team Culture and Creativity

01:29:15 • 11min

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Mihika Kapoor is a design-engineer-PM hybrid at Figma, where she was an early PM on FigJam and is now spearheading development on a new product at the company that’s coming out this June. She’s known as the go-to person at Figma for leading new 0-to-1 products, and, as you’ll hear in our conversation, beloved by everyone she works with. Her background includes founding Design Nation, a national nonprofit focused on democratizing design education for undergraduates; spearheading product launches at Meta; and community building within the NYC AI startup scene. In our conversation, we discuss:

• How to effectively take ideas from 0 to 1 at larger companies

• How to craft a compelling vision

• The importance of vulnerability and feedback

• The role of intuition and product sense in making decisions

• How to practically communicate your vision

• How to balance collaboration and strong opinions

• Advice for building a strong team culture

• Pivoting with grace and enthusiasm

• The current AI revolution and its impact on PM

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Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/vision-conviction-hype-mihika-kapoor

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Where to find Mihika Kapoor:

• X: https://twitter.com/mihikapoor

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

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Where to find Lenny:

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

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

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

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Mihika’s background

(04:29) Core attributes of great product managers

(07:34) Crafting a compelling vision

(12:12) The vision behind FigJam

(18:25) Delivering a vision without design or engineering skills

(21:52) Creating momentum

(26:36) The importance of strong conviction

(27:45) Direct communication

(32:48) Building hype

(42:20) Immersing yourself in user insights

(47:16) Operationalizing user insights

(50:33) Caring deeply about what you build

(54:01) Finding passion in your work

(57:00) Building a strong culture

(01:07:07) Pivoting with grace and enthusiasm

(01:11:48) Design Nation

(01:13:15) Mihika’s weaknesses

(01:16:07) Building new products at larger companies

(01:20:50) Coming up with a great idea

(01:22:49) The key to going from 0 to 1

(01:26:47) Spreading the idea across the company

(01:29:15) Closing thoughts

(01:32:11) Lightning round

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Referenced:

• Figma: https://www.figma.com/

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

• The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation: https://www.amazon.com/Medici-Effect-Preface-Discussion-Guide/dp/1633692949

• FigJam: https://www.figma.com/figjam/

• Cognition: https://www.cognition-labs.com/

• Devin: https://www.cognition-labs.com/introducing-devin

• David Hoang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhoang2/

• Replit: https://replit.com/

• The Making of Maker Week at Figma: https://www.figma.com/blog/the-making-of-maker-week/

• Yuhki Yamashita on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuhki/

• Jeff Bezos’ Simple Decision-Making Framework Will Give You Clarity, Conviction, and Courage: https://medium.com/illumination/jeff-bezos-simple-decision-making-framework-will-give-you-clarity-conviction-and-courage-adf8d0183625

• Alice Ching on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceching/

• Karl Jiang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-jiang-4a07424/

• Kris Rasmussen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristopherrasmussen/

• Config: https://config.figma.com/

• Dev Mode: https://www.figma.com/dev-mode/

• Asana: https://asana.com/

• Julie Zhuo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-zhuo/

• StrengthsFinder test: https://www.gyfted.me/personality-quiz/strengthsfinder-test-free

• Dylan Field on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield/

• Vishal Shah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishalnshah/

• Design Disruptors: https://www.invisionapp.com/films/design-disruptors

• Daniel Burka on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dburka/

• Jamie Myrold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemyrold/

• Design Nation: https://dn.businesstoday.org/

• Stuart Weitzman on X: https://twitter.com/StuartWeitzman

• Joe Gebbia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgebbia/

• Building a long and meaningful career | Nikhyl Singhal (Meta, Google): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-a-long-and-meaningful-career-nikhyl-singhal-meta-google/

• Jambot: https://www.figma.com/community/widget/1274481464484630971/jambot

• Hestia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hestia

• Harry Potter series: https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Paperback-Box-Books/dp/0545162076

• Pachinko: https://www.amazon.com/Pachinko-National-Book-Award-Finalist/dp/1455563927/

• Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration: https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Expanded-Overcoming-Inspiration/dp/0593594649

• The Overstory: https://www.amazon.com/Overstory-Novel-Richard-Powers/dp/039335668X

• Severance on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/severance/umc.cmc.1srk2goyh2q2zdxcx605w8vtx

• Dune on Max: https://www.max.com/movies/dune/e7dc7b3a-a494-4ef1-8107-f4308aa6bbf7

• Dune: Part 2: https://www.dunemovie.com/

• Arc browser: https://arc.net/

• Pika: https://pika.art/home

• The power of recognition: Why you should celebrate your employees | Josh Miller: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/the-power-of-recognition-why-you-should-celebrate-your-employees-josh-miller/

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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.

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