Episode

Embracing chaos, inquiry over advocacy, poking the bear, and “impact, impact, impact” | Vlad Loktev

Vlad Loktev, a partner at Index Ventures and former Airbnb GM and VP of Product who managed Lenny for years, shares the mindsets that drove his rise from IC growth PM to running the core homes business under Brian Chesky. He describes an "impact above all else" philosophy, inquiry over advocacy in disagreements, deliberately "poking the bear," letting some fires burn while never letting others (timelines, strategic disagreement, senior hiring) burn, and lessons on building teams, culture, and Airbnb's shift toward top-down product management.