AMA: Zoom GPM: Head of Zoom Apps & Marketplace, Arun Janakiraman on Product and Design Alignment

First, recognize that while speed matters, design is a powerful growth lever. Early in my career at Slideshare, I learned to connect design decisions directly to metrics and business outcomes. Even when moving fast, I’d set design principles that are non negotiables, ensuring we’re not shipping a confusing or clunky experience just to meet deadlines. At Zoom, where product, design, and engineering operate as a triad, we agree upfront on the user/customer problem, then decide on the design details that are non-negotiable—like clear information hierarchy, simplicity, concise copy, and low latency. Keeping a short checklist that includes items such as fewer words in the UI, solid typography, a logical information structure, helps maintain a high bar for design that moves the right user behavior without sacrificing speed. Some practical steps include: • Defining a set of “must-have” design principles that can be quickly validated against user behavior metrics. • Involving designers and engineers in data analysis, so we know which details to obsess over and which to trim for this release. • Speed and low-latency in the UI. Monitoring site performance closely, optimizing for speed and responsiveness, a skill I honed at SlideShare and LinkedIn to ensure better user engagement and retention.

Open, consistent communication and clarity. As the team scales, alignment can drift unless you build a muscle for structured, ongoing communication. At Zoom, our triad of design, product, and engineering stays in sync by focusing first on the root problem before jumping into solutions. Problem definition is a habit I picked up and refined at places like Pinterest and LinkedIn, where we’d align on growth-driving metrics, then figure out how design can move them. We hold regular product–design syncs, use written briefs that tie user pains to key outcomes, and encourage the entire triad to deep dive on metrics together. This keeps everyone on the same page about the “why,” making it easier to craft experiences that drive the user behaviors and growth we want. Some techniques: • Joint roadmap, planning and data deep dive sessions, communicate strategy. • Written design briefs linked to growth metrics and user outcomes. • Involving designers and engineers early in problem-definition so no one is caught off guard by constraints or expectations.

Focus on the user and customer behavior and longer-term growth impact. Even if it doesn’t immediately boost revenue, better navigation or improved accessibility can increase retention and satisfaction down the road. At LinkedIn and Slideshare, I learned to tie even subtle design tweaks to core engagement metrics. For example, how quickly users find what they’re looking for or how often they return. By running small usability tests, monitoring improvements in user task success rates, and paying attention to site speed and clarity of copy, I can show how these changes gradually uplift key growth metrics. It might not spike revenue tomorrow, but over time, these improvements reduce churn and build trust, indirectly benefiting the bottom line. • Quantify user pain via surveys or usability tests. • Track secondary or guardrail metrics, like lower abandonment or improved NPS. • Embedding these improvements into a long-term optimization roadmap, treating them as strategic investments in future growth.

Product should have final say on decisions that directly influence measurable user behavior and business outcomes. For example, if we’re debating the complexity of a signup flow, product might decide based on data how many steps are acceptable to optimize activation rates. Clarity comes from openly defining who’s responsible for what. At Zoom, our triad approach means roles are explicit: design leads on UX quality, engineering leads on feasibility and performance constraints, and product ensures that the final direction serves the overarching growth and business goals. Documenting a RACI framework and repeating it often ensures everyone knows who has the last word, reducing friction. How to bring clarity: • Set explicit roles in a decision-making framework. • Keep a decision log accessible to everyone. • Align these roles early, so each debate is guided by a known process.

Show that you value designers’ craft and input by involving them early and frequently. When I joined LinkedIn, and later worked on products at Zoom, I made it a point to bring designers into the problem stage, well before solutions were decided, and shared user insights, metrics, and growth goals openly. I pay attention to details like typography and the nuances of information hierarchy, and when I defend a particular design investment, I’ll tie it back to a specific user metric or growth outcome. This not only validates the designer’s effort but also shows I’m invested in understanding their perspective. • Invite designers to data deep-dives so they feel connected to the “why.” • Encourage open critique sessions where both product and design can suggest improvements. • Celebrate design wins publicly and highlight the impact on user behavior or growth metrics.

Define the non-negotiables that reflect your product’s core value and brand promise, then cut the rest. At SlideShare and LinkedIn, I learned the importance of site speed, concise UI copy, and clean information design, and these became my baseline for MVPs at Zoom. Even a minimal product should not feel half-baked or confusing. The key is to identify what’s essential to drive the intended user action. For example, a smooth signup or fast load time, and ensure these elements hit a quality bar. Then layer on advanced features later. Over time, these small bets add up, improving experience without slowing down momentum. • Establish a short list of essential design principles for the MVP. • Monitor user behavior metrics post-launch and iterate quickly. • Keep a backlog of design items to release once you validate growth or user satisfaction improvements.

Start by involving engineering in the design process and focus on the problem first. At Zoom, we collaborate as a core triad, product, design, engineering, and review metrics, constraints, and desired outcomes upfront. If the “ideal” experience is out of reach due to technical constraints, we look for creative alternatives. Sometimes we simplify the interaction, other times we break the solution into phases. This collaborative approach ensures we build something that meets user needs, respects feasibility, and still upholds the design’s core principles of clarity, good typography, and speedy performance.

Link the design changes directly to measurable behavior and growth outcomes. At LinkedIn, I learned to test design tweaks and measure their impact on engagement, retention, or user conversion. At Zoom, I continue this practice, involving designers and engineers in metric deep-dives. For example, a new app installation flow might reduce drop-offs and improve first-day retention. This ties directly back to lower churn. Complement the data with user quotes or usability recordings to humanize the numbers. Show that design isn’t just about the visuals. It’s a driver of the behaviors that underpin revenue and long-term growth. • Run A/B tests and highlight measurable improvements in key metrics. • Compare pre and post-design cohorts to show changes in user behavior. • Pair quantitative results with qualitative customer / user feedback so stakeholders see both the numbers and the human impact.