Succeeding as an introvert, building zero-to-one, and why you should PM your career like you PM your product | Deb Liu (CEO of Ancestry, ex-Facebook, PayPal, eBay)

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Deb Liu is the CEO of Ancestry and former longtime VP of Product at Facebook. At Facebook, Deb led the creation of Facebook Marketplace, developed the first mobile ad product for apps, built the company’s games business, and launched Facebook Pay. She’s also held leadership roles at PayPal and eBay, serves on the board of Intuit, and is the author of Take Back Your Power. In our conversation, we discuss:

• Why you should PM your career like you PM your product

• Strategies for incubating new products within large companies

• Creating a successful 30-60-90-day plan when starting a new job

• The pitfalls of perfectionism

• The challenges introverts face in the workplace and how to overcome them

• The value of resilience and turning failures into stepping stones

• How to leverage coaching in your career development

Some takeaways:

1. Treat your career like a product roadmap. Start by defining your long-term career goals and envision where you want to be in 5 or 10 years. Break these goals down into smaller, actionable milestones, similar to setting quarterly objectives for a product. Develop a career plan that includes key skills to acquire, roles to target, and metrics for success. Regularly review and adjust this plan based on your progress and any new opportunities or changes in your industry. Someone who is continuously learning will surpass those who are currently experts. To balance learning and impact in your career, alternate between roles where you’re the expert and roles where you’re acquiring new skills.

2. Introverts need to learn to speak up. Whether you like it or not, the business world favors extraversion. So if you don’t share your opinions and market your wins, you’ll limit your career progression. If you’re a leader, focus on creating an inclusive environment where your entire team has an opportunity to speak up, not just those who are naturally confident in group settings.

3. If the idea of self-promotion makes you feel uncomfortable, consider changing your perspective on what this process achieves. Think about it as a way of advocating for your team’s needs and resources, or sharing important metrics you’ve all achieved. When we shift the focus from “This is about me” to “This helps everyone,” the value of self-promotion becomes far clearer—and much more palatable.

4. When starting a new role, create a structured 30-60-90-day plan:

   1. 30 days (listening and learning): Meet with as many team members and stakeholders as possible (aim for 50 to 60 people) to understand their perspectives, challenges, and wish lists.

   2. 60 days (aligning and planning): Based on your learnings, identify one or two areas where you can make a tangible impact in the short term. Develop a plan to address these areas and present it to your team.

   3. 90 days (execution and impact): Begin implementing the plans and changes that have been agreed upon. Focus on delivering quick wins to build credibility and demonstrate value. At the end of the 90 days, review your achievements and the feedback received.

Where to find Deb Liu:

• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@debliu

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

• Substack: https://debliu.substack.com/

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Introduction to Deb Liu 

(02:18) Deb’s career journey and key advice 

(09:45) Navigating new roles and challenges 

(11:27) Overcoming adversity and failure 

(15:07) Building billion-dollar businesses at Facebook 

(19:33) Strategies for zero-to-one innovation 

(23:40) PM your career like a product 

(33:53) Challenges and strategies for introverts in business 

(39:19) Reframing self-promotion 

(42:25) The power of accountability 

(46:15) Growth: a game of inches 

(50:52) The 30-60-90-day plan 

(56:52) Contrarian corner: career and marriage 

(58:57) Final nuggets of wisdom 

(01:03:09) How to find a coach

(01:04:47) Lightning round

Referenced:

• Katherine Woo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherinewoo/

• Tim Wenzel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timwenzel/

• The Paypal Mafia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PayPal_Mafia

• Amy Klement on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyklement/

• Lessons from a two-time unicorn builder, 50-time startup advisor, and 20-time company board member | Uri Levine (co-founder of Waze): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-uri-levine

• Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs: https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Love-Problem-Solution-Entrepreneurs/dp/1637741987

• PM Your Career Like You PM Your Product: https://debliu.substack.com/p/pm-your-career-like-you-pm-your-product

• David Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/telebears/

• Mike Wu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikewu1/

• Stephanie Tilenius on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanietilenius/

• The Bias No One Talks About: https://debliu.substack.com/p/the-bias-no-one-talks-about

• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking: https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Power-Introverts-World-Talking/dp/0307352153

• Greg Packer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregpacker/

• Boz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bosworth-8247a01/

• Making Meta | Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth (CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/making-meta-andrew-boz-bosworth-cto

• Ami Vora’s newsletter: https://amivora.substack.com/

• Making an impact through authenticity and curiosity | Ami Vora (CPO at Faire, ex-WhatsApp, FB, IG): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/authenticity-and-curiosity-ami-vora

• Make the First 90 Days Count: A Simple 30-60-90 Day Plan: https://debliu.substack.com/p/make-the-first-90-days-count

• Charles Swindoll quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/charles_r_swindoll_388332

• Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges: https://www.amazon.com/Listen-Simple-Everyday-Parenting-Challenges/dp/0997459301

• Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don’t: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Some-People-Have-Others/dp/0061789089/

• 7 Rules of Power: Surprising—but True—Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career: https://www.amazon.com/Rules-Power-Surprising-but-True-Advice-Advance/dp/1637741227/

• The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (author of 7 Rules of Power, professor at Stanford GSB): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-paths-to-power-jeffrey-pfeffer

• The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations: https://www.amazon.com/Conversation-Radically-Transform-Individuals-Organizations/dp/0593238567

• Fallout on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN4HV16N

• Fallout 4: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_4

• Threads: https://www.threads.net/

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.