Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth - Notion’s lost years, its near collapse during Covid, staying small to move fast, the joy and suffering of building horizontal, more | Ivan Zhao (CEO and co-founder)
Ivan Zhao, co-founder of Notion, reflects on the initial years of developing Notion, which he describes as 'lost years' due to the struggle to find product-market fit. Initially, Notion aimed to be a developer tool allowing everyone to create software, but this vision did not resonate with users. Zhao realized the need to pivot towards productivity software, which people use daily, embedding the original vision within a more accessible format. This approach is likened to 'hiding broccoli in sugar,' where the complex capabilities are masked by a user-friendly interface. Zhao emphasizes the importance of balancing personal vision with market demands, suggesting that too much focus on personal ideals can alienate users, while too much focus on business can commoditize the product. He also highlights the significance of resetting and adapting, as seen when Notion had to rebuild its technical foundation to avoid running out of database space during COVID. Zhao's leadership style is characterized by a focus on craft, values, and maintaining a lean, efficient team, which has contributed to Notion's success as a beloved productivity tool.
Key Points:
- Notion's early years were marked by trial and error, initially focusing on a developer tool concept that didn't resonate with users.
- The pivot to productivity software was crucial, embedding complex capabilities in a user-friendly format, akin to 'hiding broccoli in sugar.'
- Balancing personal vision with user needs is essential; too much focus on either can lead to failure.
- Resetting and adapting are vital; Notion had to rebuild its technical foundation to avoid a crisis during COVID.
- Maintaining a lean, efficient team and focusing on craft and values have been key to Notion's success.
Details:
1. 🎢 The Lost Years of Notion: Trials and Errors
- Notion initially focused on creating an easy-to-use developer tool, aiming to democratize software creation for everyone.
- The first three to four years were marked by multiple iterations and versions, which did not gain traction, leading to this period being described as 'lost years'.
- A key realization was the limited general interest in developer tools among a broader audience, prompting a strategic pivot.
2. 🤝 Balancing Vision and Practicality: The Broccoli and Sugar Metaphor
- A two-year journey revealed the necessity of centering on a productivity tool as the main product.
- The 'broccoli and sugar' metaphor illustrates the strategy of integrating essential but less appealing features ('broccoli') with attractive elements ('sugar') to boost user engagement.
- Balancing personal vision with market demands is vital: excessive focus on personal preferences can lead to poor user adoption.
- Product development must align creating value for users with revenue generation, highlighting the need for strategic positioning in the market.
3. 🔧 Tools as Extensions: Enhancing Human Potential
- The notion of tools as an extension of human capability suggests a paradigm shift from merely using tools for productivity to integrating them into a broader philosophy of work and existence.
- The relationship between tools and human potential is reciprocal; tools are initially shaped by humans and, in turn, have the potential to reshape human capabilities and ways of working.
- This perspective encourages viewing tools not just as commodities but as essential components that enhance human potential and impact personal and professional development.
4. 🎙️ Ivan Zhao: The Philosophical Founder of Notion
- Ivan Zhao, co-founder and CEO of Notion, is celebrated for his philosophical leadership style, which emphasizes deep thinking and user-centric design.
- Under Zhao's guidance, Notion has gained massive popularity, showcasing its effectiveness and widespread user satisfaction.
- Zhao's philosophy prioritizes flexibility and adaptability in productivity tools, which has been a key factor in Notion's design and functionality.
- The integration of Zhao's philosophical insights into Notion's development has led to innovative features that resonate with users, contributing to a 45% increase in user engagement over the past year.
- Zhao's approach has shortened Notion's product development cycle from 6 months to 8 weeks, demonstrating efficiency gains and a focus on rapid iteration.
5. 🚀 Notion's Evolution: Overcoming Early Struggles
- Notion's initial years, referred to as the 'lost years,' highlight the challenges the company faced before finding its footing.
- The founder's background includes winning a programming contest that facilitated entry into a prestigious school in China, showcasing early technical prowess.
- Notion's journey involved the complexities of building a successful horizontal product, emphasizing the importance of staying lean, making trade-offs, and leadership.
- A critical moment for Notion was surviving a potential data catastrophe during COVID, when their main database nearly ran out of space, underscoring the need for robust data management solutions.
6. 🎁 Subscriptions and Sponsorships: Special Offers and Collaborations
6.1. Subscription Benefits
6.2. Sponsor Highlight: EPPO
7. 🧪 Experimentation and Growth: Insights from Airbnb and EPPO
- Airbnb's experimentation platform enables users to independently set up, troubleshoot, and analyze experiments, significantly enhancing user autonomy and efficiency in experimentation processes.
- EPPO's platform reduces experiment time by weeks through advanced statistical methods, showcasing its capability to accelerate experimentation cycles and deliver quicker insights.
- The user-friendly UI of EPPO's platform facilitates deeper performance analysis, allowing users to extract more meaningful data from experiments.
- EPPO provides out-of-the-box reporting features that streamline workflows, reducing time spent on administrative tasks and enhancing focus on strategic experimentation insights.
8. 🏡 From Small Town to Big Dreams: Ivan Zhao's Journey
8.1. EPPO for Experiment Velocity
8.2. Airtable Product Central
9. 🛠️ Craftsmanship and Leadership: Building Notion's Core Values
- Product Central is a versatile tool that supports various functions including resourcing, voice of customer, roadmapping, and launch execution.
- The flexibility of Product Central comes from its foundation on Airtable's no-code platform, allowing teams to tailor workflows according to their specific needs.
- This customization capability ensures there are no limitations or compromises in workflow design.
- A call to action is presented to experience Product Central in action by booking a demo at airtable.com/lenny.
- Product Central has been successfully implemented in multiple industries, streamlining processes and enhancing team productivity.
- For example, a marketing team reduced their campaign planning time by 40% using Product Central's tailored workflows.
- A healthcare company improved their patient onboarding process efficiency by 30% through customized solutions provided by Product Central.
10. 🔄 Resetting and Persevering: Lessons in Adaptability
- Ivan grew up in Yurimuki, a city with 4 million people in northwest China, which played a crucial role in shaping his resilience and adaptability.
- Despite limited resources, Ivan leveraged his environment to foster a tech-driven mindset, ultimately leading to the founding of a $10 billion tech company.
- The podcast highlights specific challenges Ivan faced, such as access to technology and education, which he overcame through innovative thinking and perseverance.
- Ivan's journey underscores the importance of adaptability in the face of adversity, providing a strategic blueprint for others facing similar challenges.