Steal From The Best

Steal From The Best

Karri Saarinen

Co-founder and CEO of Linear

Ideas

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen on the danger of AI making design too easy

2:21

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen on why Linear does Quality Wednesdays

1:01

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen explains why enterprise conversion is low

0:59

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen on how to hire people who think about problems

1:59

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen explains why he ships unpolished features early

1:08

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen explains how his company uses work trials to hire

2:03

Linear co-founder and CEO Karri Saarinen on how to describe your startup to users vs. investors

0:22

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen: “Bugs are defects in the product”

0:35

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen explains how he gives VCs homework

1:50

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen explains why quality helps the business

2:29

Linear co-founder and CEO Karri Saarinen explains why automating work with AI can hurt learning

0:32

Linear co-founder and CEO Karri Saarinen on why startups care about speed

1:13

Linear co-founder and CEO Karri Saarinen on how designers should broaden their horizons

1:39

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen explains why Linear invited users in cohorts

1:12

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen on how to train your intuition

1:51

Linear co-founder and CEO Karri Saarinen on raising about $30M and keeping dilution low

2:10

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen: “Half of the work is actually just about the organization”

0:49

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen: “Most people write their own issues”

0:30

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen explains why quality matters

3:34

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen explains why quality problems start with culture

0:38

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen on what intuition really is

0:28

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen on why Linear is opinionated

0:51

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen on why components should be functional units

0:38

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen explains why he favors purpose-built products

1:05

Linear co-founder and CEO Karri Saarinen on how they audit and maintain component libraries

0:50

Linear CEO Karri Saarinen explains why technology can make it harder to care

0:34

Intro

▶️Config 2025: Crafting quality that endures (Karri Saarinen, Co-founder & CEO, Linear) | Figma20:03 · 12 May 2025

▶️Brand Design Tips From Linear Founder Karri Saarinen | Y Combinator Design Review43:42 · 25 Jul 2025

▶️Karri Saarinen (Linear) – Conversations on Quality (Episode 02)15:24 · 13 Oct 2024

Deep

▶️Inside Linear: Building with taste, craft, and focus | Karri Saarinen (co-founder, designer, CEO) | Lenny's Podcast1:39:49 · 8 Oct 2023

📄Inside Linear: Building with taste, craft, and focus | Karri Saarinen | Lenny's Newsletter100 min · 8 Oct 2023

📄How Linear builds product | Lenny's Newsletter26 Sep 2023

📝Full transcript of Lenny's Podcast episode with Karri Saarinen100 min · 8 Oct 2023

▶️Inside Linear: Why craft and focus still win in product building | First Round Review1:33:03 · 5 Jun 2025

▶️From Airbnb to Linear: How Karri Saarinen Redefined Product Design | Kleiner Perkins Grit1:17:18 · 20 Apr 2026

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