How LinkedIn became interesting: The inside story | Tomer Cohen (CPO at LinkedIn)

Sep 8, 2024 1h 9m 14 insights Episode Page ↗
Tomer Cohen, Chief Product Officer at LinkedIn, shares insights on transforming the LinkedIn feed, fostering an AI-first mindset, and leveraging his "we might be wrong, but not confused" mantra to drive clarity, execution, and ambitious product leadership.
Actionable Insights

1. Embrace Clarity & Alignment

Adopt the mantra ‘we might be wrong, but we’re not confused’ to ensure everyone is clear on objectives and aligned on execution, which gives a team the best chance of success and fosters learning from decisions.

2. Adopt an AI-First Mindset

As a product leader, take ownership of AI strategy by defining algorithm objectives, identifying features to learn on, and investing in data collection and fine-tuning, recognizing AI as the primary engine of product success.

3. Start with Potential, Work Backwards

Begin by envisioning the ultimate potential of a product or initiative, rather than current limitations, to set ambitious and inspiring goals that drive significant impact and growth.

4. Isolate Experimental Cohorts

When transforming an existing product in a large organization, carve out a small, randomized user cohort to experiment freely and prove new experiences without disrupting overall metrics or internal politics.

5. Define Nuanced Problem Statements

Spend significant time defining the exact, nuanced problem you’re trying to solve, including target audience and unique criteria, to clearly visualize the path forward and ensure focused solutions.

6. Develop Principles with ‘Teeth’

Formulate product principles that include a willingness to sacrifice or trade off certain vectors, as this demonstrates strong opinions and leads to more impactful and focused decisions.

7. Clarify Disagreement vs. Misunderstanding

When encountering resistance or unclear communication, push to determine if someone is genuinely misunderstanding a point or actively disagreeing, to resolve issues more efficiently and avoid wasted time.

8. Align Resources with Priorities

Ensure that stated top priorities are genuinely reflected in resource allocation, including engineering talent, to manifest decisions into effective execution and avoid confusion about what truly matters.

9. Set Ambitious, Inspiring Goals

Visualize and communicate the ‘peak’ or massive impact you aim to achieve, even if the middle path is blurry, to inspire teams and drive significant change, rather than underplaying potential.

10. Pursue Passion and Conviction

Dictate your career path by what you care about, are excited by, have strong conviction in, and where you can make a significant impact, rather than solely by external demand or challenge.

11. Learn from Great People

Actively seek to absorb knowledge and insights from mentors and managers, even informally, to continuously grow and improve your craft throughout your career.

12. Embrace ‘Becoming, Not Being’

Adopt a growth mindset by focusing on continuous learning, evolution, and skill development, recognizing that mastery is an ongoing journey rather than a fixed state or destination.

13. Leverage LinkedIn Video for Creators

Utilize LinkedIn’s immersive video features to share expertise, as the platform’s AI prioritizes getting content to the right professional audience, leading to significant opportunities and influence.

14. Utilize LinkedIn’s AI Job Coach

For job seekers, use the AI-powered coach in the jobs tab to get personalized, private support for fit, application strategies, and career brainstorming, helping to alleviate the loneliness of the job search.