109: Larry Robinson - How Instincts Outsmart Data in Product Leadership

Unfiltered Rules for Product Teams Addicted to Analysis Paralysis

Jun 01, 2025

Larry Robinson, CPO of Bright Plan and Salesforce veteran, unpacks how to balance data with gut instinct in product leadership. From hiring dilemmas to prototyping emotional reactions, he reveals why sometimes the "soft" skills of intuition and storytelling outpace spreadsheets. Hot takes on why your next MVP should prioritize passion over precision.

Timestamps & Segments

00:00:00-00:07:00 | Data vs. Gut: The Product Leader’s Tightrope
Larry’s framework for blending analytics with instinct in high-stakes decisions.
00:07:55-00:16:00 | Hiring Hack: Why 5-Minute Gut Checks Beat 9 Interviews
How to spot A-players faster using presentation-based interviews and thin-slicing.
00:22:00-00:30:00 | Prototypes ≠ MVPs: Build to Spark Emotion, Not Just Data
Why showing two excited customers beats a perfect metrics dashboard.
00:35:00-00:44:00 | Innovation Fuel: How to Sell Leadership (Not Features)
Positioning products as category-defining tools instead of incremental updates.
00:44:00-00:54:00 | Budgeting Rebellion: Why Simplicity Trumps Spreadsheets
Larry’s contrarian approach to financial planning that pissed off tinkerers (but worked).

Hot Takes
🔥 “If your prototype doesn’t make someone’s eyes light up in 5 minutes, kill it.”
🔥 “Hiring processes with more than three interviews are just cowardice in spreadsheet form.”