Inside Linear: Building with taste, craft, and focus | Karri Saarinen (co-founder, designer, CEO)

Karri Saarinen is the co-founder and CEO of Linear, an issue-tracking tool that has quickly become the fastest-growing and most beloved in the world. Before Linear, Karri was the principal designer and co-creator of design systems at Airbnb and the founding designer at Coinbase. In today’s episode, he shares:• How to prioritize craft in product development• The Linear method for modern software development• How Linear operates with only one PM• Why every product needs good design in 2023• Strategies for staying focused amid distractions• Linear’s unique hiring strategies• Sneak peek of a soon-to-be-released Linear feature—Brought to you by Mercury—the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank | Composer—the AI-powered trading platform | Pendo—The all-in-one platform for product-led companies building breakthrough digital experiences—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-linear-building-with-taste—Where to find Karri Saarinen:• X: https://twitter.com/karrisaarinen• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karrisaarinen/• Website: https://karrisaarinen.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) Karri’s background(04:25) Overview of Linear(06:43) Linear’s design process and its focus on quality(12:25) Building a craft-oriented company(16:41) Product management at Linear(18:37) Strategies for launching a startup without a dedicated PM(21:16) How Linear assists PMs in their roles(23:46) Linear’s potential expansion in PM roles(24:58) The importance of design(29:08) Utilizing design and brand as distinct competitive advantages(30:48) The importance of authenticity in branding and messaging(33:08) How design reviews are conducted at Linear(38:34) The Linear method for modern software development (40:07) Why productivity software should be opinionated(41:23) Why Linear created “c