7 Counterintuitive Product Lessons from WhatsApp's Former Head of Product | Ami Vora
Why shipping beats the perfect strategy, how to build simple products that win, and 5 more practical lessons from the former CPO of Faire and Head of Product for WhatsApp
Dear subscribers,
Today, I want to share a new episode with Ami Vora.
Ami is one of my favorite product leaders, period. In my new episode, she breaks down why shipping fast beats the best strategy, how to build simple products that win, how to ask AI for brutally honest feedback, and more. Ami led product at Faire and WhatsApp, but above all she just has great, practical advice for all builders.
Watch now on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify.
Ami and I talked about:
(00:00) Why perfect strategy + poor execution = a waste of time
(03:50) The ChatGPT prompt to get brutally honest feedback
(09:48) Do the simple thing first (build for the most tired person)
(15:20) The one question Ami asks to test every product decision
(24:04) Why your annual plan is probably a waste of time
(31:09) How to short-circuit slow approval processes as a PM
(35:16) Ami’s Monday ritual to protect her calendar for deep work
(40:30) The future of PM: Jack-of-all-trades utility players
(45:05) Parenting in the AI era and how to teach resilience
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Top 10 takeaways I learned from this episode
Build for the most tired person you can imagine. From Ami: “Everyone is more tired than we think. Nobody wants to learn a new thing. What they want is like a sense of relief - a sanctuary where stuff just feels like it’s working for them.” When she was leading WhatsApp, it took Ami a lot of discipline to focus on doing fewer things better and doing the simple thing first.
Use this prompt to get AI to give you brutally honest feedback. Ami asks ChatGPT for feedback constantly, but one prompt finally got AI to be brutally honest. Frame it as “Speak to me like I’m a founder or leader with massive potential but who also has blind spots and weaknesses.” From Ami: “It basically told me I need to get my life together. I was shocked because it was kind of true.” Here’s the full prompt: