90 minutes of unfiltered product advice from Snap and Discord’s product chief | Peter Sellis

In this episode, Peter Sellis, a prominent figure in product management from his time at Snap and Discord, discusses his contrarian views on building teams and managing products. He introduces the idea of designing teams akin to terrorist organizations, advocating for autonomy and a clear ideological culture. Sellis emphasizes the necessity of challenging conventional startup wisdom, particularly the typical practices of product managers, whom he believes are often more detrimental than beneficial to a company. He reflects on the importance of focusing on collaboration towards long-term growth while humorously admitting he prefers to ride high achievers to their limits rather than improve average performers. Additionally, they discuss how Snapchat’s struggles to scale its ad business might stem from its younger user demographic and the challenges positioned by the distinctive structure of its app, ultimately highlighting key lessons on growth strategies, team dynamics, and the intricacies of product management.