I fully acknowledge that I am a few years behind on this challenge! So it was really interesting to hear how AirBnB had to pivot during Covid. As someone who was expecting her first baby in May of 2020 so already in a place of pivot, I had already reduce my travel plans drastically. I often thought and wondered about businesses affected by the pandemic but for some reason AirBnB was not one of the ones I thought about often. I clearly was living under a rock as 1900 employees were laid off equally 25% of the workforce.
We talk a lot about strategy in product management. We talk a lot about human behaviors and habits. We talk a lot about revenue go gets and generating results. This podcast by Sanchan led me to learn more about how a true leader — and in this case one I consider not only a founder and CEO but a product leader — handles a massive layoff and that is something we do not talk about enough.
I highly recommend you read this statement by Brian Chesky the Co-founder and CEO of AirBnB. I have been through a layoff and if it was handled with nearly as much grit, transparency and respect that this was handled with I would be in a different mental state.
He calls out the process (we talk a lot about that as well) for the reduction, severance, equity and healthcare in FULL transparency. Nothing behind closed doors. No side conversations. Right one out here for everyone to read. Blown away and amazed at not only the strength that must have took but also the level of grace at which it was executed at.
Sanchan has some amazing product topics on this podcast but in true Carly fashion this inspired me to learn more and therefore challenged me to promise that if I ever am in a position where a layoff is happening (pray that never happens again) that I am able to model this beautiful example of how to do it the right way.
Where to Listen: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sanchan-saxena-vp-of-product-at-coinbase
Where to find Sanchan:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanchans/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/sanchans
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