Jin Ma

learning, playing, and exploring | builder | operator | ex M&A banker | @Wharton alum

[Zara Zhang @zarazhangrui]

For every hour you spend on building the product, spend two hours on explaining it, demonstrating it, selling it, teaching it…

This is my favorite part about building: telling the world about it and then refining it based on contact with reality

[Boris Cherny @bcherny]

As engineering, product, design, DS, etc. melt into a new kind of role, I was reflecting on what roles might look like in the future. For example, when I look at the Claude Code team I see what I think is five archetypes:

1. Prototyper: comes up with brand new ideas; churns out many ideas, most of which don't ship
2. Builder: quickly turns a prototype/idea into production-grade product/infra
3. Sweeper: cleans up the UI, simplifies the code and system, unships, optimizes performance
4. Grower: takes a product that has been built and iterates on it to improve Product-Market Fit
5. Maintainer: owns a mature system to make it secure, reliable, fast, and efficient as it scales

Many people span across 2 roles, and sometimes 3 roles. I also notice that these roles are not really tied to job function -- eg. across Anthropic, some designers match category 1, some 2, some 3; same for engineers, PM, DS.

A healthy team needs a mix of these, depending on the product:

- A product that is new and pre-PMF needs people that are strong at 1+2+3
- A product that is growing and has found PMF needs 2+3+4 and some 5
- A product that has strong PMF needs 3+4+5 and some 2

Maybe product roles of the future will look more like this, and less like the domain-specific roles of today?

[Will Ahmed @willahmed]

You have no experience.
You’ve never started a company.
You’ve never had a full time job.
Nike is going to kill you.
You’re a kid.
You don’t have technical skills.
You shouldn’t build hardware.
Apple is going to kill you.
You can’t build hardware.
You can’t measure heart rate non-invasively.
Athletes don’t care about recovery.
Under Armour is going to kill you.
It won’t be accurate.
You don’t listen.
You’re an ineffective leader.
You can’t recruit great talent.
You’re going to have to pay every athlete.
You can’t measure sleep non-invasively.
It’s too expensive to research.
Athletes are a small market.
The product costs too much to make.
The product costs too much to sell.
Your valuation is too high.
Consumers aren’t going to want it.
Hardware is too hard.
You should measure steps.
Fitbit is going to kill you.
You can’t build a marketing engine.
You can’t raise enough money.
You need a real CEO.
Google is going to kill you.
You can’t be a subscription.
You can’t build a brand.
You can’t do consumer in Boston.
Your valuation is too high.
You shouldn’t make accessories.
You shouldn’t make apparel.
Lululemon is going to kill you.
You can’t predict Covid.
Stay in your niche.
You are going to run out of money.
You can’t build a health platform.
Amazon is going to kill you.
You can’t measure blood pressure.
You can’t get medical approvals.
The market is too small.
You don’t understand AI.
The market is too competitive.
It won’t work internationally.
The supply chain is too complicated.
You can’t build an AI.
You can’t raise enough money.
It’s too competitive.
Healthcare isn’t going to want it.
…

Just keep going ✌️

[Zibo Gao @gao_zibo]

every consumer founder had an artist, athlete or musician dream. to be someone who can move culture.

[Wholesome Side of 𝕏 @itsme_urstruly]

A once-in-a-lifetime shot captured by photographer Mark Ham, the moon perfectly framed by a rainbow. Caught at just the right time.

[Ben South @bnj]

Introducing @variantui

Enter an idea and get endless (beautiful) designs as you scroll

No canvas, no skills or MCP, no constant prompting

Reply if you'd like 200 free designs to give it try

[Fons Mans @FonsMans]

Note to self

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

@gao_zibo go offline -> take a ton of pictures -> post online -> cool

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

@averycode Would love to know as well

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

@JoshRozin yes

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

busy tending to my garden🌻

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

Pure goodness. Pure delight.

[andi @andiify]

i made a post office site where you can send digital letters to your friends 📨📨

link in the replies. sound on.

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

performative

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

@spottedinprod CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

@_re_pete learning to love low status :)

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

Made a simple photo editing app called Tinto. Been dogfooding it this past week— here’s what the edited photos look like.

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

Is anyone still actively using Lapse?

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

@avikrishna They know their marketing game 🫡

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

@waaihong Out on the App Store already!! https://t.co/rkrVlXq54P

[Jin Ma @jin_making]

🐶