Read the original at Lenny’s Newsletter ↗lennysnewsletter.com · subscriber post
By Lenny Rachitsky · lennysnewsletter.com · @lennysan on X · YouTube · LinkedIn
Lenny Rachitsky profiles how Linear, the project-management tool, builds its product, based on an interview with CEO Karri Saarinen. The post's core argument is that a small, craft-focused setup works well: no dedicated PMs beyond one head of product, project teams that own decisions, taste-driven rather than metrics- or A/B-test-driven choices, and a paid work trial for hiring.
Subscriber post — summary only01Key takeaways
- Distributing product responsibilities across engineers and designers can produce more craft than a PM-led feature factory.
- Strategic, company-level North Star goals may work better than granular metrics goals for B2B products.
- Feature flags and early beta programs let teams ship quickly without requiring a formal beta step for every launch.
- Paid work trials reveal how candidates approach real problems better than traditional interview loops.
- Dedicated polishing periods help teams address accumulated bugs and small quality issues.
“One of the unique aspects to Linear is that we expect the project team to be the PM.”Karri Saarinen · Lenny’s Newsletter
“We don't do A/B tests.”Karri Saarinen · Lenny’s Newsletter
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.