Julie Zhuo
Founder & CEO at Sundial / Former VP of Design at Facebook
Julie Zhuo was the longtime head of design for the Facebook app used by over 3 billion people, author of the bestselling book The Making of a Manager, and is now founder of Sundial, an AI-powered data analyst used by companies like OpenAI, Gamma, and Character.AI.
Dimension Profile
Key Themes
Episode Summary
Julie Zhuo, the first-ever guest on Lenny's Podcast, shares her journey from intern designer to VP of Design at Facebook, where she felt like an imposter for seven or eight years before realizing that discomfort and growth are inseparable. She offers career advice centered on embracing imposter syndrome, asking for help instead of faking confidence, and joining growing companies where opportunities to stretch yourself are abundant.
Leadership Principles
- → Feeling like an imposter coincides with the fastest and most intense periods of growth in your career — embrace it
- → Ask for help rather than faking it until you make it — vulnerability accelerates growth and builds camaraderie
- → Join a growing company if you want opportunities — growth creates more chances to raise your hand and try new things
Notable Quotes
"The first seven or eight years at Facebook, every single week, I felt like an imposter. The constant refrain in my head was, 'Do you really deserve to be here? You've never done this before.' But looking back, being in an uncomfortable situation is the same coin as the fastest periods of growth."
— On how imposter syndrome and career growth are two sides of the same coin
"I used to try and hold it all in. 'I better fake it until I make it.' Now I realize I was preventing myself from getting the support and empathy and advice that would've helped me grow faster and maybe with a little bit less pain."
— On why asking for help is more effective than pretending you have all the answers
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