Competing with giants: An inside look at how The Browser Company builds product | Josh Miller (CEO)

Mar 19, 2023 1h 28m 12 insights Episode Page ↗
Josh Miller, CEO & co-founder of The Browser Company, discusses their product philosophy of optimizing for feelings over metrics. He shares insights on building a unique culture, shipping quickly, and their vision for Arc as an 'internet computer,' emphasizing trust and human connection.
Actionable Insights

1. Optimize for Feelings, Not Metrics

Focus product development on how you want to make users feel (e.g., joy, fast, organized, focused) rather than solely on quantitative metrics. Use metrics as a tool to stay honest, but let human feelings drive the creation process.

2. Product is the Team

View the company’s product as the team itself, prioritizing the hiring of exceptional individuals and fostering a work environment that aligns with shared values. This approach attracts top talent who are intrinsically motivated and aspire to do their career-defining work.

3. Hire for Heartfelt Intensity

Seek out and hire individuals who show up with ‘heartfelt intensity’ and a clear purpose, rather than just obsessing over craft details. Give these passionate individuals ambitious prompts and empower them to do remarkable work.

4. Assume You Don’t Know

Adopt a ‘beginner’s mind’ by assuming you don’t know how things should work or what will happen, even if you’re an expert. This fosters a bias towards action and encourages continuous experimentation and learning.

5. Start by Asking What Could Be

Push your team to be as aspirational and ambitious as possible when starting new projects or features. This mindset can lead to more innovative solutions and more deeply motivate the people working on the product.

6. Build Radical Trust Publicly

Engage in ‘radical trust building’ by sharing internal processes, meetings, and the human side of your team publicly. This helps users get to know the individuals behind the product, fostering trust in an industry where it’s often eroded.

7. Celebrate Hires & Work Publicly

Publicly celebrate new hires and acknowledge the specific individuals who contributed to shipped features. This earnest recognition creates a reinforcing cycle of pride and appreciation, attracting more amazing talent.

8. Operationalize Membership & Storytelling

Create dedicated ‘Membership’ teams to own the full-stack relationship with users from first touch to long-term engagement, and ‘Storytelling’ teams for holistic external communication (PR, marketing, investor relations). This ensures deep connection and consistent narrative.

9. Use New Names for Concepts

Give new product features or teams made-up names to shed preconceived notions and encourage first-principles thinking. This rhetorical tactic helps people get to the root of what they’re trying to achieve without borrowing too much from past experiences.

10. Decentralize Product Leadership

Experiment with not having a dedicated Product Manager organization, instead assigning ‘PM verbs’ to project leaders based on the project’s needs. For example, an infrastructure engineer could lead a performance project, or a membership person could lead a user-focused feature.

11. Remove Self from Product Dev

As a CEO, gradually remove yourself from much of the day-to-day product development process. This transition can be healthy for the organization, empowering the team and fostering autonomy.

12. Approach New Products with Beginner’s Mind

When trying a new product, especially one aiming to redefine a category (like a web browser), approach it with a ‘beginner’s mind.’ Try not to think of it in traditional terms to fully appreciate its potential and new functionalities.