11/08/2024
「誠實直接的回饋，是你能為團隊做到的最大善意」 Notion 創辦人從 dschool 到 Notion 的 10 個創業哲學
昨天晚上去聽了 Notion 共同創辦人兼 COO Akshay Kothari 的講座，和 Akshay 同樣是在 Stanford 的 MS 學生，聽他如何在 dschool 開始他創造產品的旅程，很有共鳴。他分享了自己在產品設計、團隊文化、以及如何在 Notion 中建立系統和靈活度。以下分享 10 個 takeaway （我是先在 linkedin 寫英文文章，再用 AI 翻成中文的，可以看下面英文比較自然）：
1. Prototype and Test Ideas Quickly: Akshay強調，作為產品創建者，永遠不要只是擺著想法不動，應該把它轉化成簡單的原型並進行測試，即使是一個30分鐘的簡單原型也能提供寶貴的反饋。他說，「你可以利用30分鐘到四個小時，甚至三天時間來製作原型，這樣就能快速看到想法的可行性」
2. Build Systems, Not Just Features: Notion團隊的擴展並不只是增加新功能，而是建立高效的自我維持系統，這讓Notion能在有限的資源下達到更大的成長效果。
3. 3. Be Honest, Be Direct: 「誠實直接的回饋是最大的善意。」("Giving honest, direct feedback is the kindest thing you can do for your team.") Notion團隊文化鼓勵建設性批評，認為包裝的回饋是浪費彼此時間，誠實直接的回饋才能推動卓越。
4. Leverage Proven Sales Techniques: Akshay坦言Notion早期的銷售策略出現過錯誤，當時他們試圖重塑銷售流程，最終發現傳統銷售方法的價值，這是他們建立有效市場策略的關鍵。他說：「有些系統已經被完善了，我們不用重新發明輪子。」("Some systems have been perfected; we don't need to reinvent the wheel.")。
5. Async Collaboration Empowers Teams: Notion採用非同步的溝通模式，使得團隊可以有效協作，無需頻繁的會議，這也符合Akshay的觀點，即產品經理應讓設計師和工程師專注於自己的專業。「我們的目標是讓設計師專注於設計，工程師專注於工程。」("Our goal is to let designers focus on designing and engineers on engineering.")。
6. Embrace AI’s Messiness: Akshay 描述Notion AI的開發旅程為「為玩耍創造空間」，通過不斷試驗來找到合適的產品市場契合點，而不是一開始就刻板地定義解決方案。「AI的應用並不是一成不變的，必須容忍其中的混亂。」("AI application is not rigid; we must embrace the messiness.")。
7. Keep a Beginner’s Mindset: 即使作為經驗豐富的產品領袖，Akshay承認他仍在不斷學習並透過實踐來精進自己的直覺。他鼓勵PM圍繞有強大產品感的人，吸收養分並持續提升。「周圍有品味高的同伴能大大提升你的產品直覺。」("Having people with high product sense around you can greatly improve your product intuition.")。
8. Prioritize User Experience Over Features: 雖然Notion可以輕鬆增加更多功能，Akshay著重於讓核心體驗變得直觀且令人愉悅。「我們的目標是簡化用戶體驗，而不是一味增加功能。」("Our goal is to simplify user experience, not to add features endlessly.")。
9. Cultivate Conviction, but Stay Flexible: Akshay在Notion創業初期的艱難時期仍堅持信念，但也願意在原始願景未能引起共鳴時調整策略。「信念與靈活的心態必須共存。」("Conviction and flexibility must coexist.")。
10. Build for the Future User, Not Just Today: Akshay意識到Notion當前的核心用戶與未來用戶之間有差異，如何預測和設計這種演變是持續的挑戰。他說：「我們必須為未來的用戶設計，而不僅僅是今天的用戶。」("We must design for future users, not just today's users.")。
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(English Version)
Last night, I attended an insightful talk with Akshay Kothari, co-founder and COO of Notion. As a current MS student at Stanford, I found it especially inspiring to learn about Akshay's startup journey, which began when he was an MS student here.
He shared his experiences in product design, team building, and the importance of cultivating both systems and adaptability within Notion, offering actionable insights for aspiring product leaders. Here are my 10 takeaways:
1. Prototype and Test Ideas Quickly: Akshay emphasized, "Don’t just sit on ideas—turn them into quick prototypes." Even simple prototypes can yield valuable insights.
2. Build Systems, Not Just Features: Notion focuses on creating self-sustaining systems rather than just adding features, allowing the team to "achieve more with less."
3. Be Direct, Be Honest: Akshay shared, “Being direct is the kindest thing you can do to your team.” Honest, constructive criticism is key to continuous improvement at Notion.
4. Leverage Proven Sales Techniques: Initially, Notion tried a unique sales approach but found "traditional methods" essential to their market strategy.
5. Async Collaboration Empowers Teams: Notion’s async model minimizes meetings, letting designers and engineers focus on their craft. Akshay noted, "Our goal is to let designers design and engineers build."
6. Embrace AI’s Messiness: Akshay described their approach as “making space for play,” iterating and experimenting to discover AI's best uses.
7. Keep a Beginner’s Mindset: Despite his experience, Akshay stressed the importance of learning and improving through practice. "Surround yourself with people with strong product sense," he advised.
8. Prioritize User Experience Over Features: While Notion could add many features, Akshay is committed to making the core experience intuitive and enjoyable. "Our goal is to simplify user experience, not to add features endlessly," he shared.
9. Cultivate Conviction, but Stay Flexible: Akshay demonstrated conviction by sticking with Notion during its early struggles. However, he also pivoted the product strategy when the initial vision didn’t resonate. Balancing conviction with flexibility is key, he said.
10. Build for the Future User, Not Just Today: Akshay recognizes that Notion’s power user today differ from the users of tomorrow. Designing for this evolution is an ongoing challenge, but one Notion embraces wholeheartedly. "We must design for future users, not just today’s users," he said.
Akshay's insights offer a fascinating glimpse into the mindset and strategies that have propelled Notion's growth. As a Notion user myself, I'm excited to see how the product continues to evolve and shape the future of work.
