An operator’s guide to product strategy | Chandra Janakiraman (CPO at VRChat, ex-Meta, Headspace)

Chandra Janakiraman is the chief product officer, executive vice president, and a board member at VRChat. Previously, he was a product leader at Meta, where he led Facebook’s social experience interfaces and Reality Labs’ growth; served as CPO at Headspace, where he helped relaunch the platform, driving a 4x subscriber boost; and was a GM at Zynga, delivering massive hit games that reached hundreds of millions. In our conversation, Chandra shares:
• His playbook for developing a product strategy
• The difference between “small s” and “big S” strategy
• How to run strategy sprints
• Who should be involved in strategy work
• Common pitfalls in strategy development
• The role of AI in future strategy development
• More

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Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an...

Where to find Chandra Janakiraman:
• LinkedIn:   / chandramohanj  

Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X:   / lennysan  
• LinkedIn:   / lennyrachitsky  

In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Chandra’s background
(04:47) The importance of strategy
(12:40) Defining product strategy
(15:42) Developing a winning strategy: an overview
(18:51) The preparation phase
(30:46) The strategy sprint process
(45:51) The design sprint
(51:19) Document writing
(57:39) Rolling out your strategy
(01:01:28) Resourcing and roadmapping
(01:04:42) Strategy lessons from Zynga
(01:11:34) Strategy lessons from Meta
(01:15:55) Big S strategy
(01:26:58) AI in strategy formulation
(01:38:12) Final thoughts and lightning round

Referenced:
• Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/
• Good Strategy, Bad Strategy | Richard Rumelt: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/go...
• 5 essential questions to craft a winning strategy | Roger Martin (author, advisor, speaker): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/th...
• VRChat: https://hello.vrchat.com/
• Andrew Chen on LinkedIn:   / pmandrewchen  
• Template: Working Backwards PR FAQ: https://www.workingbackwards.com/reso...
• How LinkedIn became interesting: The inside story | Tomer Cohen (CPO at LinkedIn): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/ho...
• Making time for what matters | Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (authors of Sprint and Make Time, co-founders of Character Capital): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/ma...
• Identify your bullseye customer in one day | Michael Margolis (UX Research Partner at Google Ventures): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/fi...
• Chandra’s flow chart: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S...
• Chandra’s strategy template: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i...
• Zynga: https://www.zynga.com/
...References continued at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an...

Recommended books:
• The Art of War: https://www.amazon.com/Art-War-Sun-Tz...
• Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors: https://www.amazon.com/Competitive-St...
• Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-...
• Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works: https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-St...
• Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Time-Focu...
• Sprint: https://www.amazon.com/SPRINT-Jake-Ze...
• Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination: https://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-Tr...
• Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration: https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc...
• The Ten Faces of Innovation: Strategies for Heightening Creativity: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385512074

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.