Episode 11: What Building Behance and Adobe Taught Scott Belsky About Product-Market Fit

Scott Belsky, founder of Behance and Adobe's former Chief Product Officer, discusses his insights from years of experience in building products and investing in startups in an episode of The New Build podcast. With a career spanning from founding Behance to investing in successful companies like Pinterest and Uber, Belsky emphasizes the importance of empathy over passion in product development. He argues that understanding user struggles is more crucial than being driven by passion alone, as it helps avoid solving the wrong problems. Belsky highlights the significance of building a strong company culture alongside product development, suggesting that this can prevent teams from drifting apart during challenging phases. Furthermore, he notes the dual nature of optimism in founders, which can both drive initial success and obscure potential challenges. Throughout the conversation, Belsky also reflects on his transition to the film industry as a partner at A24 and shares lessons from his journey in navigating the complexities of startup growth and product innovation.