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October 27, 2024 • 1hr 38min
Meta’s Head of Product (and 29th employee) on working with Mark Zuckerberg, early growth tactics, why PMs are like conductors, and more | Naomi Gleit
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
Naomi Gleit is Meta's longest-serving executive after Mark Zuckerberg, having joined as employee #29. She has been instrumental in many of Meta's key products and initiatives, particularly the early growth team. Her approach to product management and leadership has helped shape Meta's culture and success over nearly 20 years.
Meta’s Head of Product (and 29th employee) on working with Mark Zuckerberg, early growth tactics, why PMs are like conductors, and more | Naomi Gleit
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Key Takeaways
- Product Management Philosophy: PMs are like conductors of an orchestra - they ensure different functions work together harmoniously while staying out of the spotlight
- Extreme Clarity is critical for effective product management - everyone should have the same understanding of facts, options, and tradeoffs even if they disagree
- Canonical Documentation is essential - having one source of truth for project information, terminology, and processes
- Meeting Effectiveness comes from proper preparation, clear agendas, real-time documentation of decisions, and thorough follow-up
- Growth Strategy should be product and data-driven rather than purely marketing-focused
- Leadership Style should balance elevating team members while providing clear direction when needed
Introduction
Naomi Gleit is Meta's longest-serving executive after Mark Zuckerberg, having joined as employee #29. She has been instrumental in many of Meta's key products and initiatives, particularly the early growth team. Her approach to product management and leadership has helped shape Meta's culture and success over nearly 20 years.
Topics Discussed
Early Days at Facebook (06:18)
Naomi landed at Facebook through persistence and determination, making multiple attempts to get hired:
- Initially wrote her Stanford thesis about why Facebook would beat competitors
- Made 5-10 cold visits to Facebook's early office
- First interviewed for Sean Parker's assistant role (didn't get it)
- Eventually landed a marketing role
- Chose Facebook over LinkedIn due to seeing strong product-market fit
Transition to Product Management (10:40)
Her journey to becoming a PM showcases the importance of initiative:
- Volunteered for PM work after hours while in marketing
- Went to the engineering floor regularly to help with projects
- Built informal PM experience before formally applying
- Received standing ovation from engineering team when officially becoming PM
Working with Mark Zuckerberg (14:55)
Insights on Zuckerberg's leadership and personal growth:
- Learning Mindset: Described as a "learn it all, not know it all"
- Personal Development: Consistently improves skills from Chinese language to public speaking
- Authentic Leadership: "There is the biggest gap of anybody I know between what people think of Mark and who Mark really is"
- Mentorship: Taught classes with Naomi to students in East Palo Alto
The Growth Team Legacy (24:28)
Facebook's pioneering growth team established key principles:
- Data-Driven Approach: Focused on understanding metrics before taking action
- Activation Metric: "7 friends in 10 days" or "10 friends in 14 days" as key retention predictors
- Product-Led Growth: Shifted from marketing-driven to product-driven growth strategies
- Barrier Removal: Focused on eliminating both macro and micro barriers to growth
Product Management Philosophy (43:44)
Naomi's approach to product management centers on several key principles:
- The Conductor Model: PM as orchestra conductor ensuring different functions work harmoniously
- Extreme Clarity: Ensuring shared understanding of facts, options, and decisions
- Canonical Documentation: Single source of truth for project information
- Simplification: Breaking complex problems into basic building blocks
Running Effective Meetings (1:06:37)
Detailed framework for meeting management:
- Pre-meeting:
- Send agenda 24 hours in advance
- Include pre-read materials
- Allow for pre-meeting discussion
- During meeting:
- Use visual aids for alignment
- Real-time edit decisions and next steps
- Present three options with recommendation
- Post-meeting:
- Send notes within 24 hours
- Document decisions and action items
- Use calendar invite thread for communication
Personal Effectiveness (1:12:10)
Four key elements for personal performance:
- Exercise: Non-negotiable morning workout
- Sleep: Prioritizing good sleep hygiene
- Alone Time: Essential for introverts to recharge
- Nutrition: Focus on protein intake and healthy eating
Leadership Development (1:16:36)
Key insights on leadership growth:
- First-Party Perspective: Developing and communicating clear personal viewpoints
- Time Management: Blocking time for strategic thinking
- Thought Partnership: Using trusted colleagues as sounding boards
- Balance: Leading from behind while knowing when to step forward
Conclusion
Naomi Gleit's experience at Meta offers valuable insights for product managers and leaders. Her frameworks for achieving extreme clarity, running effective meetings, and simplifying complex problems provide practical tools for product management. The emphasis on data-driven decision making, proper documentation, and thoughtful leadership style demonstrates how to scale products and teams effectively. Her personal approach to maintaining performance through exercise, sleep, and focused work time offers a model for sustainable leadership.
