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How To Design Products That Truly Stand Out

Overview

Shownote

Highlights

Transcript

Chapters

Pins

How To Design Products That Truly Stand Out

Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Oct 13
Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Oct 13
OverviewShownoteHighlightsTranscriptChaptersPins

Shownote

Karri Saarinen is the co-founder and CEO of Linear, the issue tracking tool used by thousands of high-growth companies. Before Linear, he was the first designer at Coinbase and later a lead designer at Airbnb.On Design Review with YC's Aaron Epstein, Karri...

Highlights

In this conversation, Karri Saarinen, co-founder and CEO of Linear, reflects on how his journey through some of tech’s most design-forward companies shaped his approach to building products that prioritize quality, trust, and intentionality. From early-stage startups to scaling global platforms, his insights reveal the quiet power of craftsmanship in a world increasingly driven by speed and automation.
05:42
Brand builds trust and ensures consistency across product and experience
11:01
Brand is every touch-point, including how salespeople engage with customers
18:22
Designers can sense the right approach and visualize outcomes holistically in product building.
28:47
AI will not make designers obsolete; their role will shift to leading and managing AI-generated outputs.

Chapters

How do early design decisions build trust in uncertain markets?
00:00
What happens when small teams own quality from start to finish?
11:01
Who really understands your product—and why should you hire them?
16:05
Can design be a startup’s secret weapon from day one?
23:23
Is AI helping teams build better—or just faster?
34:11

Transcript

Aaron Epstein: Great design can make or break your product. So to learn more about how to prioritize high quality design in the earliest stages of your startup, we're sitting down with Karri Saarinen, the co-founder and CEO of Linear. Kari worked at Coinba...