Linear’s secret to building beloved B2B products

Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Linear’s secret to building beloved B2B products | Nan Yu (Head of Product)

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Linear’s secret to building beloved B2B products | Nan Yu (Head of Product)

Linear’s head of product, Nan Yu, on why you don’t need to choose between speed and quality, Linear’s unique philosophy on deadlines, Nan’s systematic approach to creativity, and more

Jan 30, 2025

Transcript

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• Sinch—Build messaging, email, and calling into your product
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Nan Yu is the head of product at Linear, one of the most beloved and fastest-growing B2B SaaS products out there today, and the gold standard for high-performing tech teams. In our conversation, we discuss:

Why speed and quality aren’t actually at odds
Linear’s unique approach to product development
Nan’s systematic approach to creativity
Linear’s philosophy on deadlines
The “double triangle” framework for product management
Nan’s approach to landing his dream product roles
Much more

Some takeaways:

Speed and quality aren’t actually at odds—they’re often positively correlated. The best practitioners in any field, from chefs to programmers, work quickly because they’re experts. The speed doesn’t come from rushing or cutting corners but from competence. Skilled teams that have mastered their craft move faster because they know what works and can quickly iterate, making decisions and improving the product in real time.
To prevent software bloat, Linear has a strict policy against customization features requested by middle managers that would make IC workflows worse. Instead:
1. Focus on solving core problems extremely well
2. Only build native features that deliver high-quality experiences
3. Push back on customization requests that add complexity
4. Help customers understand why limiting customization benefits them
One of the best ways to break out of a product or feature rut is to ask yourself, “What’s the most extreme version of this idea?” For example, instead of trying to figure out a perfect draft-saving feature, ask, “What’s the fastest version we could do? What’s the safest?” This approach helps you explore different extremes and forces you to break out of the usual boundaries. Build both extremes, test them internally, and then converge toward a balanced solution that works.
When implementing software, you’re not just solving a problem—you’re buying into a new way of working. Whether it’s an ERP system or a product tool, you’re adopting a set of best practices and ways of thinking. When choosing tools for your team, make sure they align with the practices you want to cultivate, and be ready to adjust how your team works to fit those processes.
When interviewing for PM roles:
1. Treat it like a product discovery exercise
2. Understand the hiring manager’s key problems and OKRs
3. Ask specific questions as if you already work there
4. Make yourself the clear solution to their problem
5. Connect with other stakeholders to gather context
Take deadlines extremely seriously, but use them sparingly:
1. When you commit to a deadline, make it the absolute priority
2. Cut scope aggressively to ensure you can ship something
3. Start fast and iterate early to give optionality
4. Recognize that marketing moments are limited and precious
5. Don’t waste time on detailed estimates—focus on shipping