Notion's CEO argues that LLMs democratize raw capability (like writing or coding), making it a commodity. The most important hiring criteria are now "taste" (a strong value system and direction) and "agency" (the will to get things done).
To successfully navigate the AI transition, leaders must engage in hands-on building and tinkering to develop an intuitive "feel" for the technology's potential. This direct experience is non-negotiable for finding new strategic paths for their company.
To prevent stagnation as the company scales, Notion intentionally acquires small, founder-led startups. These 50+ acquired founders act as internal disruptors, injecting entrepreneurial energy, breaking down bureaucracy, and constantly regenerating the company's innovative spirit.
Notion skips mid-level hires, focusing on a "barbell" shape: junior engineers who are highly productive with AI tools and senior engineers who provide architectural direction and "taste," which AI lacks. This maximizes leverage and mentorship.
To keep pace with rapid product changes, Notion dissolved the central CMO organization. It created two focused teams: "Storytelling," which sits close to product, and a "go-to-market" function serving sales. This decentralizes marketing and increases speed.
Classic software development is predictable, like engineering a bridge. AI development is experimental and unpredictable, like brewing beer. This requires a "technology-first" approach where cross-functional teams experiment together, rather than a linear, customer-first process.
Zhao structures Notion to be like a jazz band, where talented individuals can improvise and shine, rather than a rigid marching band with a top-down structure. This model is better suited for the experimental, fast-changing nature of the AI era.
Ivan Zhao distinguishes between types of founder pain. The pre-product-market fit stage is defined by "despair"—a dark, directionless struggle. In contrast, the pain of scaling a successful product is like having "everything on fire," a chaotic but directed challenge.
Having refounded Notion twice, Zhao advises founders of sideways-moving companies to listen to their "inner body." A drastic reset, like shrinking the team to rebuild in a new location, is often a necessary and liberating move when you feel there's no way out.
Notion's CEO admits he wasted two years trying to invent a new "first principles" sales motion. He learned that product-led founders should adopt the classic enterprise sales playbook, as it's rooted in fundamental human psychology, and innovate elsewhere in the business.
In the fast-moving AI era, Notion maintains a conservative financial plan to monitor its "running speed." However, formal product roadmaps are abandoned because technology and market shifts happen week-to-week, requiring a more fluid, improvisational approach to development.