Building One, a podcast hosted by Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn's Chief Product Officer, is a series of engaging one-on-one conversations with accomplished product lead...
Building WHOOP with Will Ahmed: Fitness Wearable Redefined
WHOOP has made a name for themselves as the go-to wearable for those at the top of their game. You may have spotted elite athletes like LeBron James and Michael Phelps wearing the slim, screenless device. So what has made the device so successful?
In this week’s episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Will Ahmed, founder and CEO of WHOOP, to discuss how focusing on a narrow product vision and owning the entire user experience led to the brand’s success in the saturated fitness tracker market.
Before founding WHOOP, Will was a competitive athlete and quickly recognized the need for more precise, actionable health data. WHOOP’s simplicity and dedication to providing pro athletes and everyday users with the most meaningful insights are central to the company’s approach.
Tomer and Will discuss:
The virtues of building a product with a narrow and deep focus.
How avoiding product scope creep helped WHOOP create a best-in-class wearable.
Why building original hardware was key to WHOOP’s competitive advantage.
The role of restraint in showing users the data that truly matters.
How WHOOP’s design for professional athletes translates to better experiences for everyday consumers.
Follow Will Ahmed on LinkedIn.
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47:23
Building Glean with Arvind Jain: Scaling Enterprise Search with AI Innovation
In a world where finding information at work is often more of a headache than it should be, Arvind Jain’s innovative solution is transforming the way enterprises manage and access knowledge. In this week’s episode of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Arvind Jain, CEO and founder of Glean, to discuss how the AI-driven platform is reshaping the future of enterprise search.
Prior to founding Glean, Arvind was a Distinguished Engineer at Google, where he honed his deep technical expertise and understanding of search products. Passionate about building products that solve real-world problems, Arvind has been a key advocate for building with scalability in mind from day one.
Tomer and Arvind discuss:
Why Arvind Jain’s personal frustration with information search in the workplace led to the creation of Glean.
Why Glean’s team designed their product with large enterprises in mind from the very beginning.
How Glean uses both explicit and implicit data to measure success and improve its platform.
The challenges of staying true to your product roadmap while meeting the diverse needs of enterprise customers.
Why AI’s greatest potential lies in solving enterprise-level challenges and how Glean is leveraging this technology to improve workplace efficiency.
Follow Arvind Jain on LinkedIn.
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48:09
Building Patagonia with Jenna Johnson: Redefining Product Development & Sustainability Practices
What does it take to build a brand that not only survives but thrives by prioritizing the planet over profit? In this episode of Building One, host Tomer Cohen sits down with Jenna Johnson, the President of Patagonia, to explore how the iconic brand is reshaping the future of business through innovation and sustainability. Together, they unpack how Patagonia anticipates customer needs, drives environmental change, and builds products with purpose—not just for today, but for the planet’s future.
Jenna has served as the President of Patagonia for over four years, after spending a decade with the company in other roles. She has held several leadership positions with Patagonia, including Vice President of Technical Outdoor and Senior Global Director for Technical Outdoor. A passionate rock climber and outdoor enthusiast herself, Jenna brings a unique perspective to her role, using her personal experiences as an athlete to inform Patagonia’s product design and testing.
In this episode, you’ll hear about:
How Patagonia anticipates customer needs and innovates beyond current market expectations
The company’s mission-first approach and how they balance sustainability with product releases
The challenges and rewards of leading in a circular economy and establishing a secondary-market for products
Why changing the internal culture is critical for successful sustainability shifts
The high stakes of moving toward a fully sustainable supply chain and the importance of long-term partnerships with producers
If you’re building a business or leading a brand that seeks to prioritize sustainability, this conversation will offer actionable lessons on how to drive innovation while remaining committed to a greater purpose.
Follow Jenna Johnson on LinkedIn
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50:06
Building Xbox with Phil Spencer: A Bold Portfolio Today for Breakout Success Tomorrow
In this week’s episode of Building One, Tomer sits down with Phil Spencer, CEO of Microsoft Gaming and Xbox. With decades of experience, Phil is at the helm of one of the largest gaming platforms on the planet, overseeing iconic franchises like Halo, Call of Duty, Minecraft, and Candy Crush. As a lifelong gamer, Phil’s passion for gaming runs deep, allowing him to bring a deeply personal approach to leadership.
In this conversation, Phil dives into how Xbox has expanded beyond consoles to create an ecosystem where games are accessible across devices, maximizing reach and convenience for players. He also discusses how the emotional connection gamers have with their platform plays a crucial role in Xbox’s success, noting that feedback—no matter how harsh—should always be seen as a gift.
Phil highlights the importance of taking risks in game development, explaining how innovation thrives through bold decisions and how Xbox balances established franchises like Call of Duty with new, experimental titles. He also emphasizes that, for Xbox, success isn’t about hardware—it’s about delivering compelling games and creating an environment where developers have the creative freedom to push boundaries while still adhering to the platform’s broader goals. And for anyone looking to break into the gaming industry, Phil offers valuable advice: seek out indie studios, where creativity is abundant and there’s always a need for fresh talent.
Listen now to hear more about Phil’s vision for the future of gaming, how Microsoft Gaming is shaping the next generation of interactive entertainment, and what aspiring game developers can do to get started.
Follow Phil Spencer on LinkedIn.
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55:42
Building Khan Academy with Sal Khan: Mastery Learning, AI, and Education at Scale
This week on Building One, Tomer talks to Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy, about building one of the world’s most impactful educational platforms. From tutoring his cousin in 2004 to reaching over 150 million learners globally, Sal shares his approach to creating a “minimal lovable product” (MLP) that goes beyond functionality to foster trust and connection with users.
Sal discusses the concept of mastery learning, both in the way Khan Academy teaches and in the way Khan Academy was built. Sal emphasizes how important it is for students to have a strong foundational understanding before moving on to the next lesson. The conversation also dives into scaling educational tools, integrating with school systems, and how AI in education can personalize learning while freeing teachers to focus on emotional support and motivation.
Finally, Sal reflects on Khan Academy’s non-profit status and discusses the broader implications of building purpose-driven companies in markets that don’t function as they should.
Tune in to hear how Sal built a platform that’s more than just a learning tool—it’s a relationship.
Follow Sal Khan on LinkedIn.
Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.
Building One, a podcast hosted by Tomer Cohen, LinkedIn's Chief Product Officer, is a series of engaging one-on-one conversations with accomplished product leaders. The series delves into the professional journeys of these diverse leaders, extracts insights into the intricacies of product development, and reveals the stories behind their most impactful products. Building One not only offers valuable insights into the world of product development but also serves as a source of motivation and inspiration for listeners pursuing their own careers in product development.
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