How Figma taps into taste, simplicity, and storytelling | Yuhki Yamashita (CPO at Figma, ex-Uber, Google, Microsoft)
Yuhki Yamashita is the Chief Product Officer at Figma, leading the product and design teams. Previously, he was a product and design leader at Uber, where he orchestrated the redesign of the rider and driver apps. Yuhki was also a product manager at Google (YouTube iOS app) and Microsoft (Hotmail). Additionally, he has taught introductory computer science at Harvard University.
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Show Notes
Yuhki Yamashita is the Chief Product Officer at Figma, leading the product and design teams. Previously, he was a product and design leader at Uber, where he orchestrated the redesign of the rider and driver apps. Yuhki was also a product manager at Google (YouTube iOS app) and Microsoft (Hotmail). Additionally, he has taught introductory computer science at Harvard University.
In today’s episode, we discuss:
- How Figma approaches new products, prioritization, and storytelling
- Product culture at Uber, Microsoft, Google
- The difference between “good” and “extraordinary” PMs
- Tactical advice for storytelling
- The “un-learning” required in new jobs and industries
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Referenced:
- Figjam: https://www.figma.com/figjam/
- Figma: https://www.figma.com/
- Figma Dev Mode: https://www.figma.com/dev-mode/
- Figma Slides: https://www.figma.com/slides/
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Where to find Yuhki:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuhki/
- Twitter/X: https://x.com/yuhkiyam
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Where to find Brett:
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-berson-9986094/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brettberson
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Where to find First Round Capital:
- Website: https://firstround.com/
- First Round Review: https://review.firstround.com/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/firstround
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstRoundCapital
- This podcast on all platforms: https://review.firstround.com/podcast
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(00:00) Introduction
(02:50) Figma's early days
(09:11) Product culture across companies
(13:42) Knowing when to change things
(17:40) How business goals impact product expansion
(21:00) Advice for going multi-product
(24:30) The skills of a “0 to 1” PM
(27:36) Identifying entrepreneurial talent
(29:06) Why aren't there more designer founders?
(35:22) How Figma launches new products
(41:19) “0 to 1” versus “1 to 10” talent
(46:01) The role of storytelling at Figma
(49:22) How Figma prioritizes product
(55:11) Advice for product storytelling
(59:02) “Good” vs “extraordinary” product managers
(61:21) Why product simplicity matters
(63:52) The importance of taste in product and design
(67:56) The biggest influence on Yuhki’s product thinking