Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth
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How to speak more confidently and persuasively | Matt Abrahams (professor, podcast host, author, speaker)
31 maart 2024 · 1 uur 12 min
Matt Abrahams is a renowned communication expert, with decades of teaching, coaching, and consulting experience. At Stanford University, he teaches a business school class on strategic communication. Beyond academia, he’s a sought-after keynote speaker and consultant, guiding presenters from IPO road shows to prestigious platforms like TED, the World Economic Forum, and the United Nations. His acclaimed podcast, Think Fast, Talk Smart, garners millions of listeners, and his book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter, equips speakers with practical skills for impromptu success. With a previous bestseller, Speaking Up Without Freaking Out, Matt has empowered countless individuals to speak confidently and authentically. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• The concept of “daring to be dull”
• The power of visualization to desensitize oneself to speaking situations
• Managing negative self-talk
• The WHAT structure for delivering toasts (why we are here, how you are connected, anecdote, thanks)
• The ADD structure for Q&As (answer, detailed example, describe relevance)
• Breathing techniques to reduce anxiety, such as the double exhale
• Concrete speaking structures like What? So What? Now What? and the Four I’s (information, impact, invitation, implications)
• Much more
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Brought to you by:
• Sprig—Build a product people love
• Dovetail—Bring your customer into every decision
• Coda—Meet the evolution of docs
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Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-speak-more-confidently-and
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Where to find Matt Abrahams:
• X: https://twitter.com/tftsthepod
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maabrahams/
• Website: https://mattabrahams.com/
• Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ll0MwobDt1JW9gYaOONEo
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Matt’s background
(04:50…
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Kunal Shah on winning in India, second-order thinking, the philosophy of startups, and more
24 maart 2024 · 1 uur 19 min
Kunal Shah is one of the most well-known and admired product leaders in India. He is the CEO and founder of CRED, an Indian-based fintech startup valued at over $6 billion. Prior to CRED, he founded three other startups, including Freecharge, which he sold for over $400 million to Snapdeal. He has also been an advisor to India’s most influential organizations. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• The prevalence of successful Indian immigrants in top CEO roles across the tech industry
• Why companies in India can grow DAUs but not ARPU—and what that means for building products for India
• What most sets India’s market apart
• Challenges and opportunities in the Indian market
• The Delta 4 framework for building new products
• Lessons from building CRED so far
• The power of curiosity and second-order thinking
• Lessons from failure
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Brought to you by:
• WorkOS—The modern API for auth and user identity
• Orb—The flexible billing engine for modern pricing
• Dovetail—Bring your customer into every decision
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Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kunal-shah-on-winning-in-india-second
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Where to find Kunal Shah:
• X: https://twitter.com/kunalb11
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunalshah1/
• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@CRED_club
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Kunal’s background
(04:22) The Delta 4 framework
(11:00) The success of Indian CEOs in the U.S.
(19:55) Challenges and opportunities in India
(23:04) DAUs vs. ARPU in Indian markets
(25:50) The perception of time in India
(27:55) The curse of focus in Asian markets
(30:33) Challenges and opportunities in India (continued)
(33:23) Lessons learned from building CRED
(36:40) Profit pools can provide valuable insights into the values of a country
(37:55) Founders’ role in …
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The ultimate guide to PR | Emilie Gerber (founder of Six Eastern)
21 maart 2024 · 1 uur 34 min
Emilie Gerber is the founder and CEO of Six Eastern, a top PR agency that’s worked with over 100 tech companies, from stealth startups to publicly traded companies. Before starting her own firm, she worked at Uber, where she led PR for the business development team and B2B programs. Prior to that, she worked at Box on product communications, with a focus on product launches and partnership announcements. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• Why, and when, getting press is worth your time
• Common misconceptions about the impact press can have
• The second-order effects of press
• Which areas each publication (TechCrunch, Axios, The Verge, etc.) cares most about
• How to craft your pitch
• How to find and reach reporters
• How pitching press is different from pitching customers
• The effectiveness of direct communication through social media versus traditional press
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Brought to you by:
• Sprig—Build a product people love
• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-pr-emilie-gerber
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Where to find Emilie Gerber:
• Substack: http://onbackgroundintel.substack.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilie-gerber-59612230/
• Website: https://sixeastern.com/
• Email: hello@sixeastern.com
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Emilie’s background
(04:56) The value of press and second-order effects
(13:00) When press is not worth your time
(17:01) Different publications and their suitability
(25:36) Avoiding negative stories
(27:23) Finding aligned podcasts and awards
(31:12) Advice for reaching out to reporters
(37:23) Controversial pitches
(41:16) Avoiding category creation
(43:26) Examples of pitches that have worked well
(53:32) Pitching to…
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The happiness and pain of product management | Noam Lovinsky (Grammarly, Facebook, YouTube, Thumbtack)
17 maart 2024 · 1 uur 10 min
Noam Lovinsky has had a distinguished career in product, leaving an indelible mark at Facebook, YouTube, Thumbtack, and currently as the chief product officer at Grammarly. At Facebook, Noam helped establish the New Product Experimentation team; at Thumbtack, he was chief product officer; and at YouTube, he was one of the early product leaders overseeing the consumer experience. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• Challenges and lessons from reviving growth at YouTube and Thumbtack
• Lessons from building Facebook’s New Product Experimentation team
• Insights into Grammarly’s success
• Knowing when it’s time to kill your project
• Why diversifying your growth channels is critical
• The power of visioning and storytelling in shaping product strategy
• How to create space for innovation at large companies
• The resilience and motivation of Grammarly’s team in Ukraine
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Brought to you by:
• Whimsical—The iterative product workspace
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
• LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business
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Where to find Noam Lovinsky:
• X: https://twitter.com/noaml
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noaml/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Noam’s background
(04:18) Noam’s lack of online presence
(08:06) Lessons from YouTube: advocating for what’s best for yourself and the team
(14:31) Prioritizing what’s best for the business
(19:37) Knowing when it’s time to kill a project
(21:47) Lessons from Thumbtack: diversifying growth channels and overcoming challenges
(26:24) How Thumbtack turned growth around
(31:44) Building Airbnb’s instant booking feature
(35:28) Lessons from Thumbtack: team collaboration and product strategy
(38:38) Lessons from Facebook: building the New Product Experimentation team
(40:43) The importance of sta…
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Product management theater | Marty Cagan (Silicon Valley Product Group)
10 maart 2024 · 1 uur 25 min
Marty Cagan is a luminary in the world of product. He’s the author of two of the most foundational books for product teams and product leaders (Inspired and Empowered), he’s the founder of Silicon Valley Product Group (one of the longest-running product advisory groups), and he’s almost certainly worked with more product leaders and teams than any human alive. Now he’s releasing his newest book, Transformed, which is sure to become a staple of tech-powered companies worldwide. Marty’s previous appearance on our show remains one of the most popular episodes to date. In this conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• The rise of “product management theater”
• Changes in the PM role post-ZIRP and the shift from growth to build functions
• The disconnect between good product companies and online product advice
• How over-hiring has created challenges in the product industry
• The most important skills for PMs to build
• How to know if you’re on a “feature team”
• The potential disruption of product management by AI
• Marty’s new book, Transformed: Moving to the Product Operating Model
• Four new competencies required for successful product organizations
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Brought to you by:
• Sprig—Build a product people love
• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-theater-marty
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Where to find Marty Cagan:
• X: https://twitter.com/cagan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cagan/
• Silicon Valley Product Group: https://www.svpg.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Marty’s background
(04:46) His take on the state of product management
(12:08) Product management theater
(18:33) Feature teams vs. empowered product teams
(24:48) Skills of a real product manager
(29:27) Th…
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Inside TikTok: Culture, strategy, monetization, and more | Ray Cao (Global Head of Monetization Product Strategy and Operations)
7 maart 2024 · 1 uur 12 min
Ray (Jiayi) Cao is the global head of product strategy and operations for monetization product at TikTok. Prior to TikTok, Ray spent six years at Google helping scale Google Shopping globally. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• TikTok’s internal culture and core values
• How TikTok’s product team operates
• How working at TikTok is different from working at Google
• How TikTok rolls out to new markets
• TikTok’s core principle of “context, not control”
• How their sales and product teams work together
• Lessons (and mistakes) from building TikTok’s early go-to-market team
• The importance of hiring for quality rather than quantity
• Insights on being successful on TikTok as a creator, a business, and an advertiser
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Brought to you by:
• WorkOS—The modern API for auth & user identity
• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-tiktok-culture-strategy-monetization
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Where to find Ray Cao:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiayiraycao/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Ray’s background
(04:55) Cultural differences between Google and TikTok
(08:24) Fine-tuning the algorithm for different markets
(12:15) Examples of fine-tuning the algorithm
(15:11) Core principles and values of TikTok
(19:34) Hiring at TikTok
(21:38) Embracing the “always day one” mentality
(25:09) Collaboration between teams
(28:38) Amazon’s cultural influence
(31:14) Setting up the product organization for speed and innovation
(35:38) Building the go-to-market team
(40:18) What makes people successful at TikTok
(43:02) Thoughts on putting in long hours
(44:40) OKRs and planning at TikTok
(49:12) Tips for how to be successful on TikTok
(53:49) Tips for advertising on TikTok
(01:04:03)…
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Making Meta | Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth (CTO)
3 maart 2024 · 1 uur 42 min
Andrew Bosworth—or Boz, as most people know him—is the chief technology officer at Meta and head of Reality Labs, the company’s augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) organization, which he created in 2017. Boz joined Facebook in 2006 as their approximately 10th engineer, and in his 18-year tenure he built the original News Feed, Messenger, and Groups, as well as many early anti-abuse and infrastructure systems. At various times he has been the engineering director overseeing Events, Places, Photos, Videos, Timeline, Privacy, and more. Before Reality Labs, he ran the Ads and Business Platform product group, where he led engineering, product, research, analytics, and design, taking annual revenue from $4 billion to $40 billion in five years. Andrew currently leads Meta’s efforts in AR, VR, AI, and consumer hardware across Quest, Ray-Ban Meta glasses, and more. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• Stories from the early days of Facebook
• Lessons from Meta’s downturn and recent turnaround
• Meta’s culture of transparency
• Boz’s thoughts on the Apple Vision Pro
• Why communication is the job
• Why you should regularly seek help from your manager
• Lessons in setting incentives and avoiding their misuse
• Why you should optimize for a variety in experience in your career
• The importance of trusting your own expertise and not being swayed by external opinions
• Stories of failures and personal growth
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Brought to you by:
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
• Explo—Embed customer-facing analytics in your product
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/making-meta-andrew-boz-bosworth-cto
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Where to find Andrew Bosworth:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/boz/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boztank/
• X: https://twitter.com/boztank
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bosworth-8247a01/
• Website: https://boz.com/
• Photography website: https://wa…
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How to discover your superpowers, own your story, and unlock personal growth | Donna Lichaw (author of The Leader’s Journey)
25 februari 2024 · 1 uur 27 min
Donna Lichaw is an internationally sought-after executive coach, keynote speaker, and best-selling author. She helps visionary founders, CEOs, and executive teams level up their leadership and scale their impact while staying true to their mission, purpose, and themselves. Donna works with leaders at companies like Google, Disney, Twitter, Microsoft, Mailchimp, and Adobe, as well as a plethora of mission-driven startups and nonprofits. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• How our personal narratives influence our success and failure
• Why identifying your superpowers (and kryptonite) is so important, and how to do it
• The value of doubling down on your strengths rather than trying to fix weaknesses
• How to acknowledge and reframe feelings of impostor syndrome
• The Double Diamond framework for personal growth and goal-setting
• The power of visualization and how it can fuel motivation and creativity
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Brought to you by:
• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster
• Sendbird—The (all-in-one) communications API platform for mobile apps
• Sprig—Build a product people love
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-discover-your-superpowers
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Where to find Donna Lichaw:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dlichaw/
• Website: https://www.donnalichaw.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Donna’s background
(04:25) Donna’s origin story and transition to coaching
(08:38) The power of storytelling in leadership
(11:36) Becoming the hero of your own story
(14:49) Changing your story
(21:19) Understanding and shifting others’ stories
(25:41) Imposter syndrome
(31:28) Exploring different types of kryptonite
(36:41) Identifying and leveraging strengths
(43:53) Identifying superpowers
(56:39) Running experiments
(01:01:52) Using product frameworks for pe…
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How Netflix builds a culture of excellence | Elizabeth Stone (CTO)
22 februari 2024 · 1 uur 14 min
Elizabeth Stone is the chief technology officer of Netflix. She previously served as vice president of product data science and engineering, and as vice president of data and insights, at Netflix. Before Netflix, Elizabeth was vice president of science at Lyft, chief operating officer at Nuna, a trader at Merrill Lynch, and an economist at Analysis Group. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• Elizabeth’s advice for career advancement
• Netflix’s unique high-performance culture
• How, and why, Netflix maintains a high bar for excellence
• Intentional leadership practices
• How to foster an “open door” culture within your team
• The Keeper Test and how it contributes to maintaining a high bar for excellence
• The power of transparent communication
• Much more
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Brought to you by:
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
• Sendbird—The (all-in-one) communications API platform for mobile apps
• Explo—Embed customer-facing analytics in your product
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-netflix-builds-a-culture-of-excellence
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Where to find Elizabeth Stone:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-stone-608a754/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Elizabeth’s background
(04:36) Life as CTO vs. VP of Data
(05:57) The role of economists in tech companies
(08:32) Using economics to understand incentives
(10:07) Success and career growth
(20:15) Setting expectations
(25:02) Advice for how to avoid burnout
(27:44) Netflix culture: high talent density
(30:31) Netflix culture: candor and directness
(31:45) The Keeper Test
(39:01) Maintaining a high bar for excellence
(43:54) Netflix culture: freedom and responsibility
(46:18) Unconventional processes at Netflix
(47:55) Examples of candor
(51:44) Data and insights team structure
(01:00:…
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Building a world-class sales org | Jason Lemkin (SaaStr)
18 februari 2024 · 2 uur 2 min
Jason Lemkin created and runs SaaStr, the world’s largest community for B2B/SaaS founders, and is the managing director of SaaStr Fund, a $90 million venture capital firm specializing in early-stage enterprise investments. He is also the mastermind behind two major tech conferences each year—one in the Bay Area, drawing in over 15,000 people, and another in Europe, with a crowd of more than 3,000 SaaS executives, founders, and entrepreneurs. Before SaaStr, Jason wore many hats: CEO and co-founder of EchoSign (later bought by Adobe), vice president at Adobe Systems, co-founder and president of NanoGram Devices Corp., vice president of NeoPhotonics, and a senior director at BabyCenter. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• How far you should go without a salesperson
• Signs it’s time to hire salespeople
• Why you need to hire two salespeople
• How to compensate your salespeople
• How to interview salespeople
• When to hire a VP of Sales
• How to prevent their flaming out
• How to scale your sales org
• How to improve the relationship between your sales and product teams
• Much more
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Brought to you by:
• CommandBar—AI-powered user assistance for modern products and impatient users
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
• LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-a-world-class-sales-org
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Where to find Jason Lemkin:
• X: https://twitter.com/jasonlk
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmlemkin/
• Website: https://www.saastr.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Jason’s background
(06:18) The importance of sales in B2B businesses
(11:23) Signs that you should start hiring salespeople
(14:19) Attributes to look for in early sales reps
(19:08) Hiring a VP of Sales…
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Making time for what matters | Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (authors of Sprint and Make Time, co-founders of Character Capital)
11 februari 2024 · 1 uur 36 min
Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky are the authors of best-selling books Sprint and Make Time. They have helped more than 300 teams design new products and bring them to market, including those at YouTube, Gusto, One Medical Group, and Slack. Jake and John are co-founders of the venture capital firm Character, where they support startups with capital and sprints. Previously, they were operating partners at Google Ventures and, before that, design leaders at Google, where John worked on Google Ads and YouTube and Jake helped build Gmail and co-founded Google Meet. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• “Busy bandwagon” and “infinity pools”
• Creating one “highlight” each day
• Their four-part framework for productivity
• How to use the calendar to design your day
• How creating friction can help you avoid distractions
• Tips on creating a distraction-free phone
• Strategies for managing email and distractions
• The importance of reflecting on the day and making time for meaningful work
• Design sprints
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Brought to you by:
• Sidebar—Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers
• Whimsical—The iterative product workspace
• WorkOS—The modern API for auth and user identity
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/making-time-for-what-matters-jake
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Where to find Jake Knapp:
• X: https://twitter.com/jakek
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-knapp/
• Website: https://jakeknapp.com/
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Where to find John Zeratsky:
• X: https://twitter.com/jazer
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnzeratsky/
• Website: https://johnzeratsky.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) About Jake and John
(04:10) Recording the audiobook for Make Time
(06:06) What people often get wrong when trying to become more productive
(11:24) The busy bandw…
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Inside OpenAI | Logan Kilpatrick (head of developer relations)
8 februari 2024 · 1 uur 8 min
Logan Kilpatrick leads developer relations at OpenAI, supporting developers building with the OpenAI API and ChatGPT. He is also on the board of directors at NumFOCUS, the nonprofit organization that supports open source projects like Jupyter, Pandas, NumPy, and more. Before OpenAI, Logan was a machine-learning engineer at Apple and advised NASA on open source policy. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• OpenAI’s fast-paced and innovative work environment
• The value of high agency and high urgency in your employees
• Tips for writing better ChatGPT prompts
• How the GPT Store is doing
• OpenAI’s planning process and decision-making criteria
• Where OpenAI is heading in the next few years
• Insight into OpenAI’s B2B offerings
• Why Logan “measures in hundreds”
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Brought to you by:
• Hex—Helping teams ask and answer data questions by working together
• Whimsical—The iterative product workspace
• Arcade Software—Create effortlessly beautiful demos in minutes
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Find the transcript for this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-openai-logan-kilpatrick-head
Today’s transcript will be live by 8 a.m. PT.
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Where to find Logan Kilpatrick:
• X: https://twitter.com/OfficialLoganK
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logankilpatrick/
• Website: https://logank.ai/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Logan’s background
(03:49) The impact of recent events on OpenAI’s team and culture
(08:20) Exciting developments in AI interfaces
(09:52) Using OpenAI tools to make companies more efficient
(13:04) Examples of using AI effectively
(18:35) Prompt engineering
(22:12) How to write better prompts
(26:05) The launch of GPTs and the OpenAI Store
(32:10) The importance of high agency and urgency
(34:35) OpenAI’s ability to move fast and ship high-quality…
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Lessons from Atlassian: Launching new products, getting buy-in, and staying ahead of the competition | Megan Cook (head of product, Jira)
4 februari 2024 · 1 uur 21 min
Megan Cook is the head of product for Atlassian’s Jira software, which is used by 75% of Fortune 500 companies, has over 125,000 customers globally, over 15 different products, and is by far the most popular project management tool in the world. Megan has been at Atlassian for just under 11 years, and before this role, she was an analyst, a developer, and an Agile coach. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• How to get buy-in for your ideas
• The value of starting small
• How, and why, creating space for play is so essential
• How Jira stays ahead of endless competition
• Atlassian’s approach to launching new product lines
• Tactical tips for making remote work, work
• A personal failure and the lessons learned from it
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Brought to you by:
• Teal—Your personal career growth platform
• Sprig—Build a product people love
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
—
Find the transcript for this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-atlassian-launching
Today’s transcript will be live by 8 a.m. PT.
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Where to find Megan Cook:
• X: https://twitter.com/meganwcook
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cookmegan
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Megan’s background
(03:50) Creating space for play and psychological safety on teams
(07:36) Peer feedback groups
(10:30) Sharing stories of failure
(13:33) The “10 dollar” game for priorities
(15:24) Advice on making remote work, work
(24:16) Getting buy-in for your ideas
(28:33) The importance of staying open-minded
(34:05) A quick summary of how to get buy-in
(36:45) Fighting the good fight
(38:15) Identifying customer pain points
(43:04) Starting small and showing success
(46:08) Launching new product lines
(53:35) Atlassian’s gated process for new product ideas
(58:00) How Jira sta…
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Managing nerves, anxiety, and burnout | Jonny Miller (Nervous System Mastery)
28 januari 2024 · 1 uur 14 min
Jonny Miller is the founder of Nervous System Mastery, a course that has helped hundreds of founders and tech leaders cultivate calm, reduce nervousness, enhance resilience, and elevate their sense of aliveness. Having personally benefited from Jonny’s teachings, I’m especially excited to have him on the show. In this episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• How shifting your focus from the mind to the body can help ease nervousness
• The power of breath in changing states
• The importance of “interoception”
• Specific breathing exercises to both calm and excite your nervous system
• The A.P.E. (awareness, posture, and emotion) framework for recognizing body signals
• The “feather, brick, dump truck” phenomenon
• The concept of emotional debt and how to release it
• The competitive advantage of feeling emotions
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Jonny’s five-week boot camp, Nervous System Mastery, will equip you with evidence-backed protocols to cultivate greater calm and agency over your internal state. Learn to rewire maladaptive stress responses and improve your sleep (use code LENNY for $250 discount). Apply here.
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Brought to you by:
• Teal—Your personal career growth platform
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
• Miro—A collaborative visual platform where your best work comes to life
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-nerves-anxiety-and-burnout
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Where to find Jonny Miller:
• X: https://twitter.com/jonnym1ller
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonnym1ller/
• Website: https://www.jonnymiller.co/
• Podcast: podcast.curioushumans.com
• Email: jonny@curioushumans.com
• Course: https://nsmastery.com/lenny
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Jonny’s background
(07:19) The bottom-up approach to nervousness and anxiety
(09:42) The power of breath in changing states
(…
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Geoffrey Moore on finding your beachhead, crossing the chasm, and dominating a market
25 januari 2024 · 1 uur 25 min
Geoffrey Moore is an author, speaker, and advisor, widely known for his seminal book Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers, which many consider the most important book ever written on go-to-market strategy. Moore’s work is focused on the market dynamics surrounding disruptive innovations, and how one overcomes the challenge of transitioning from serving early adopters to the mainstream. In this episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• What “crossing the chasm” means
• What steps to take before you try crossing the chasm
• The importance of winning a marquee customer
• The role of executive sponsors in the sales process
• The differences between visionaries and pragmatists, and how to build for each
• Geoffrey’s four go-to-market playbooks based on stage: Early Market, Bowling Alley, Tornado, and Main Street
• The problem with discounting before crossing the chasm
• “Deadly sins” to avoid when crossing the chasm
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Brought to you by:
• CommandBar—AI-powered user assistance for modern products and impatient users
• WorkOS—An API platform for quickly adding enterprise features
• Arcade Software—Create effortlessly beautiful demos in minutes
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/geoffrey-moore-on-finding-your-beachhead
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Where to find Geoffrey Moore:
• X: https://twitter.com/geoffreyamoore
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreyamoore/
• LinkedIn posts: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffreyamoore/recent-activity/articles/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Geoffrey’s background
(04:03) What people often get wrong about Crossing the Chasm
(05:58) Finding your beachhead segment
(09:29) The four inflection points of the technology adoption lifestyle
(15:45) Geoffrey’s bonfire and bowling alley analogies
(18:36) Steps…
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Good Strategy, Bad Strategy | Richard Rumelt
21 januari 2024 · 1 uur 49 min
Richard Rumelt is a legend in the world of strategy. He’s the author of Good Strategy/Bad Strategy and The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists, both of which are often recommended by guests on this podcast. From his early days teaching in Iran at a Harvard-sponsored business school to teaching at Harvard Business School itself to over four decades teaching at UCLA’s Anderson School of Management, Richard’s impact resonates globally. His strategic insights are sought after by major corporations including Microsoft, Shell, Apple, AT&T, Intel, and Commonwealth Bank and by governmental organizations such as the U.S. Army Special Operations Command. In this episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• The essential components of a good strategy
• The importance of coherence in strategy
• Common pitfalls that create a bad strategy
• How “power” plays into strategy, and common sources of power
• The value of knowing history when developing effective strategies
• Why a strategy should simply be called an “action agenda”
• The need for one decider in an organization
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Brought to you by:
• CommandBar—AI-powered user assistance for modern products and impatient users
• Miro—A collaborative visual platform where your best work comes to life
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/good-strategy-bad-strategy-richard
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Where to find Richard Rumelt:
• Email: richard@generalimagination.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-rumelt-18520828/
• Website: https://thecruxbook.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Richard’s background
(04:29) What is a strategy?
(06:23) The essential components of a good strategy (the “kernel”)
(15:04) An example of good strategy
(16:55) Bad strategy
(25:17) The importance of focus and power
(28:…
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The art and wisdom of changing teams | Heidi Helfand (author of Dynamic Reteaming)
18 januari 2024 · 1 uur 10 min
Heidi Helfand is the author of Dynamic Reteaming, which outlines practical strategies for orchestrating successful team and company org changes. Her work is informed by more than 20 years in the tech industry at notable companies like AppFolio, Procore, and Expertcity/GoToMeeting. Today, she dedicates her efforts to sharing her knowledge through workshops, comprehensive courses, and consultative services, helping organizations navigate and optimize their team structures. In this episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• The importance of reteaming and reorging
• The benefits of embracing reteaming
• The five patterns of reteaming: one by one, grow and split, merging, isolation, and switching
• Examples of successful reteaming
• Why stable teams are not always ideal
• How change can lead to great career opportunities
• The RIDE framework for decision-making
• Advice on how to set up isolated teams for success
• The anti-patterns of reteaming and the challenges that can arise
• Tactical tips for becoming a better listener
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Brought to you by:
• Productroadmap.ai—AI to connect your roadmaps to revenue
• Hex—Helping teams ask and answer data questions by working together
• Ahrefs—Improve your website’s SEO for free
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-and-wisdom-of-changing-teams
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Where to find Heidi Helfand:
• X: https://twitter.com/heidihelfand
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidihelfand/
• Website: https://www.heidihelfand.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Heidi’s background
(03:40) How Heidi got involved with reteaming and reorgs
(07:37) Advice for people dealing with reorgs
(11:56) The benefits of change and the RIDE framework
(17:11) The five patterns of reteaming
(20:00) The power of isolation
(27:38) Advice on how to be successful by…
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Taking control of your career | Ethan Evans (Amazon)
14 januari 2024 · 1 uur 21 min
Ethan Evans is a writer, career coach, course instructor, and retired VP at Amazon. During his 15 years at Amazon, he helped invent Prime Video, Amazon Video, the Amazon Appstore, Prime Gaming (formerly Twitch Prime), and Twitch Commerce. Prior to Amazon, Ethan spent 12 years in technical leadership roles at several East Coast startups. He writes a newsletter, Level Up, which publishes candid career advice and has a growing community of ambitious professionals to connect with. Ethan also offers a range of Leadership Development Courses via live online classes and on-demand courses. In this episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• The Magic Loop framework: a five-step process to grow your career
• A handful of reasons why people get stuck in their career growth
• Advice on how to break out of a career plateau
• How to cultivate inventiveness in your work
• How to stand out in interviews
• A personal story of failing Jeff Bezos and lessons learned
• Contrarian opinions on the return-to-office movement and doing business on a handshake
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Brought to you by Sidebar—Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers | Sprig—Build a product people love | Arcade Software—Create effortlessly beautiful demos in minutes
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/taking-control-of-your-career-ethan
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Where to find Ethan Evans:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/
• Substack: https://levelupwithethanevans.substack.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Ethan’s background
(04:25) The Magic Loop
(08:31) The goal of the Magic Loop
(10:59) Clarifications on the framework
(12:46) Success stories
(17:22) The importance and effectiveness of the Magic Loop
(19:01) A quick summary of the steps in the Magic Loop
(21:46) What if you’re not pursuing a promot…
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How to be more innovative | Sam Schillace (Microsoft deputy CTO, creator of Google Docs)
11 januari 2024 · 1 uur 28 min
Sam Schillace is deputy CTO and corporate vice president at Microsoft. Prior to working at Microsoft, Sam started a company called Writely, which was acquired by Google and became the foundation of what today is Google Docs. While at Google, Sam helped lead many of Google’s consumer products, including Gmail, Blogger, PageCreator, Picasa, Reader, Groups, and more recently Maps and Google Automotive Services. Sam was also a principal investor at Google Ventures, has founded six startups, and was the SVP of engineering at Box through their IPO. In this episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• The journey of building Google Docs
• The importance of taking risks, embracing failure, and finding joy in your work
• The importance of asking “what if” questions vs. “why not”
• Why convenience always wins
• How, and why, Sam stays optimistic
• Inside Microsoft’s culture
• Why you should solve problems without asking for permission
• Early-career advice
• Why “pixels are free” and “bots are docs”
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Brought to you by Teal—Your personal career growth platform | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Ahrefs—Improve your website’s SEO for free
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-be-more-innovative-sam-schillace
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Where to find Sam Schillace:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schillace/
• Newsletter: https://sundaylettersfromsam.substack.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Sam’s background
(03:45) The first Google Docs file
(06:45) Disruptive innovation
(10:11) First-principles thinking
(11:00) Recognizing disruptive ideas
(13:17) Examples of first-principles thinking
(15:46) The power of optimism
(19:47) Sam’s motto: Get to the edge of something and f**k around
(21:53) User value and laziness
(24:31) People are lazy (and what to do about it)
(28:36) …
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The engineering mindset | Will Larson (Carta, Stripe, Uber, Calm, Digg)
7 januari 2024 · 1 uur 17 min
Will Larson is Chief Technology Officer at Carta. Prior to joining Carta, he was the CTO at Calm and held engineering leadership roles at Stripe, Uber, and Digg. He is the author of two foundational engineering career books, An Elegant Puzzle and Staff Engineer, and The Engineering Executive’s Primer, which will be released in February. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• Systems thinking: what it is and how to apply it
• Advice for product managers on fostering productive relationships with engineering managers
• Why companies should treat engineers like adults
• How to best measure developer productivity
• Writing and its impact on his career
• How to balance writing with a demanding job
• How to develop your company values
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Brought to you by DX—A platform for measuring and improving developer productivity | OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-engineering-mindset-will-larson
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Where to find Will Larson:
• X: https://twitter.com/Lethain
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-larson-a44b543/
• Website: https://lethain.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Will’s background
(04:12) Changes in the field of engineering
(06:27) We need to stop treating engineers like children
(08:32) Systems thinking
(13:23) Implementing systems thinking in hiring
(16:32) Engineering strategy
(20:21) Examples of engineering strategies
(25:08) How to get good at strategy
(26:48) The importance of writing about things that excite you
(32:40) The biggest risk to content creation is quitting too soon
(35:24) How to make time for writing
(37:41) Tips for aspiring writers
(41:18) Building productive relationships between product managers and engineers
(43:45) Giving the s…
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The UX research reckoning is here | Judd Antin (Airbnb, Meta)
4 januari 2024 · 1 uur 15 min
Judd Antin has spent 15 years leading research and design teams at companies like Yahoo, Meta, and Airbnb. His direct reports have gone on to lead user research at Figma, Notion, Slack, Robinhood, Duolingo, AllTrails, and more. In our conversation, we unpack the transformation that the user-research field is experiencing. Specifically: Lees meer
• Where user research went wrong over the past decade
• The three types of research—macro, middle-range, and micro—and the purpose of each
• How to effectively integrate researchers into the product development process
• The “user-centered performance” phenomenon and why it’s a waste of time
• Common tropes about PMs, from researchers
• The ideal ratio of researchers in a company
• Why Judd says NPS is useless, and what to use instead
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Brought to you by Teal—Your personal career growth platform | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Ahrefs—Improve your website’s SEO for free
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ux-research-reckoning-is-here
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Where to find Judd Antin:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juddantin/
• Website: https://juddantin.com/
• Blog: https://medium.com/onebigthought
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Judd’s background
(04:16) Critiques and responses to Judd’s post “The UX Research Reckoning Is Here”
(07:33) The state of user research
(08:53) Macro, middle-range, and micro research
(14:05) What teams get wrong when it comes to research
(15:46) The importance of integrating research from the beginning
(17:30) Traits of great researchers
(19:53) Advice for evaluating user researchers
(21:10) Balancing business and product focus
(23:55) User-centered performance
(26:42) The role of intuition in product development
(30:15) Checking your gut instincts
(32:54) Common tropes abo…
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Strategies for becoming less distracted and improving focus | Nir Eyal (author of Indistractable and Hooked)
29 december 2023 · 1 uur 25 min
Nir Eyal is the author of two best-selling books, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. He writes, consults, and teaches at the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. His books have sold over 1 million copies in more than 30 languages; he has taught at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business and its Design School; and he has started and sold two startups since 2003. In our conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• Strategies for becoming less distractible and improving focus
• The difference between distraction and “traction”
• Reactive work vs. reflexive work and why you should book time in your calendar
• The 10-minute rule to overcome internal triggers and stay focused
• The problem with to-do lists, and what to do instead
• The value of creating a timebox schedule that aligns with personal values and priorities
• The use of pacts as a last line of defense against distraction
• How to develop a high-agency mindset
• Advice for leaders on helping employees improve focus in the workplace
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Brought to you by Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | Teal—Your personal career growth platform
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/strategies-for-becoming-less-distractible
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Where to find Nir Eyal:
• X: https://twitter.com/nireyal
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/
• Website: https://www.nirandfar.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Nir’s background
(04:20) How to become less distractible
(07:43) Understanding distraction and traction
(12:52) The four steps to becoming indistractable
(13:53) Mastering internal triggers
(18:49) Surfing the urge with a 10-…
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The hierarchy of engagement | Sarah Tavel (Benchmark, Greylock, Pinterest)
27 december 2023 · 1 uur 51 min
Sarah Tavel is a General Partner at Benchmark and sits on the boards of Chainalysis, Hipcamp, Rekki, Cambly, and Medely. She is a founding member of All Raise, the nonprofit organization working to accelerate the success of women in the venture-capital and VC-backed startup ecosystem. Before Benchmark, Sarah was a partner at Greylock Partners. She joined Pinterest in 2012 as their first PM and launched their first search and recommendations features. She also led three acquisitions as she helped the company scale through a period of hypergrowth. In this episode, we discuss: Lees meer
Sarah’s Hierarchy of Engagement framework for growing a consumer startup
• The three levels of the Hierarchy of Engagement: core action, retention, and self-perpetuation
• The importance of measuring cohorts and maintaining focus on the core action
• Examples of core user actions from Pinterest and YouTube
Sarah’s Hierarchy of Marketplaces framework for building a marketplace startup
• The three vectors of growth for dominating a marketplace
• Advice on “tipping the marketplace” and ultimately dominating the market
• The value of focusing on a constrained market
• How to avoid disruption
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This entire episode is brought to you by Gelt—Redefine your approach to taxes.
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-hierarchy-of-engagement-sarah
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Where to find Sarah Tavel:
• X: https://twitter.com/sarahtavel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahtavel/
• Substack: https://www.sarahtavel.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Sarah’s background
(03:33) Framework 1: The Hierarchy of Engagement
(06:03) Level 1: Core action
(10:33) Level 2: Retention
(14:00) Level 3: Self-perpetuation
(19:32) The importance of focus
(23:54) The challenge of anonymity
(26:04) Advice for founders w…
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The essence of product management | Christian Idiodi (SVPG)
21 december 2023 · 1 uur 33 min
Christian Idiodi is a partner at Silicon Valley Product Group. After a long product career and founding multiple companies, Christian now spends his time working closely with product leaders at companies big and small to implement and improve their discipline of product management. In today’s episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• Why there’s often a negative perception of product managers, and how we can fix this
• The four attributes of a product manager’s job: value, usability, viability, and feasibility
• The power of finding reference customers
• How Christian developed a process for high-volume hiring to help companies like McDonald’s and Starbucks
• Tactical tips for coaching, building relationships, and building trust as a leader
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Brought to you by Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Teal—Your personal career growth platform
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-essence-of-product-management
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Where to find Christian Idiodi:
• X: https://twitter.com/CIdiodi
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/
• Website: https://www.svpg.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Christian’s background
(03:56) The negative perception of product managers
(07:58) How to become a PM people want to work with
(11:30) The definition of a product manager
(14:46) Where new PMs fail
(16:59) Reference customers: what they are and why they are so important
(24:05) A quick summary of how to build a product that people want and love
(26:44) How to determine product-market fit
(29:54) The benefits of this approach
(34:11) Real examples of using reference customers
(40:06) Doing things that don’t scale
(48:40) How to get better at coaching and build trust with l…
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Jason Fried challenges your thinking on fundraising, goals, growth, and more
17 december 2023 · 1 uur 50 min
Jason Fried is the co-founder and CEO of 37signals, the maker of Basecamp and HEY. 37signals is a very different kind of company. With fewer than 80 employees, they have over 100,000 customers, generate tens of millions of dollars in profit each year, and have no investors, board, or any plans to ever raise money or sell the company. In our conversation, we explore a path many tech founders never consider—bootstrapping. We discuss: Lees meer
• Why he and his team prioritize profit above all else
• The unexpected challenges with raising venture capital
• The “Shape Up” framework for building products
• Why, and how, to foster a gut-driven culture
• Jason’s thoughts on why work should not feel like war
• Advice for starting a bootstrapped business
• The philosophy behind Once, 37signals’s new line of software products
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Brought to you by Coda—Meet the evolution of docs | Sidebar—Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers | Wix Studio—The web creation platform built for agencies
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jason-fried-challenges-your-thinking
—
Where to find Jason Fried:
• X: https://twitter.com/jasonfried
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/
• Email: jason@hey.com
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Jason’s background
(03:49) The success of 37signals
(06:46) When raising money makes sense
(09:58) The power of small teams
(13:55) Defining success and goals
(17:08) Playing “infinite games” in life
(20:11) Starting a business vs. staying in business
(22:13) Lessons from 25 years in business
(27:28) Venture scale vs. bootstrapping
(30:30) Choosing the right path for your business
(33:19) The “Shape Up” framework
(37:59) The drawback of promises
(39:56) Adopting a new way of working
(41:36) The two-week co…
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How to tell better stories | Matthew Dicks (Storyworthy)
15 december 2023 · 1 uur 43 min
Matthew Dicks is a best-selling author, columnist, blogger, podcaster, playwright, and teacher. He wrote my all-time favorite book on storytelling, Storyworthy. He is an elementary school teacher by day and by night teaches storytelling and public speaking to individuals, corporations, universities, religious institutions, and school districts around the world. He’s taught storytelling at Yale, MIT, Harvard, and Purdue, along with Amazon, Salesforce, Slack, Lego, and others. In this conversation, Matthew shares insights and techniques for effective storytelling, including: Lees meer
• The benefits of good storytelling in business
• The five-second moment and why it’s so important
• Why you should start every story at the end
• How to build a vault of stories that can be deployed in business situations
• Tips on how to be funnier
• His life-changing “Homework for Life” practice
• Advice for dealing with nervousness in public speaking
• The power of saying yes
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Brought to you by OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster | Maui Nui Venison—The healthiest red meat on the planet delivered directly to your door | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-tell-better-stories-matthew
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Where to find Matthew Dicks:
• Website: https://matthewdicks.com/
• X: https://twitter.com/MatthewDicks
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-dicks-84a95711/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4K0fcEJkzJLso5h6CN00LQ
• Storyworthy: https://www.storyworthymd.com/
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Matthew’s background
(04:27) The five-second moment
(10:29) Knowing the ending
(14:28) The importance of including a transformation
(15:59) The dinner test
(18:19) You can’t tell someone else’s story
(20:24) Vacation stories
(…
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Failure
13 december 2023 · 1 uur 1 min
In this special compilation episode, we delve into failure—an overlooked source of wisdom. From freezing onstage in front of thousands of people, to coworkers staging an intervention, to huge product investments that went to zero, we’ve pulled our favorite stories of failure from 100+ podcast episodes. I hope these stories serve as a gentle nudge to view failure not as a setback but as a crucial detour toward growth. Lees meer
—
Brought to you by Sendbird—The (all-in-one) communications API platform for mobile apps | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/failure
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, you’ll hear from:
(00:00) Lenny: Why I’m focusing on failure
(03:25) Katie Dill: The single meeting that changed how Katie leads forever
(08:03) Paul Adams: Freezing onstage in front of thousands of people
(18:38) Tom Conrad: Lessons from Pets.com and Quibi—two of the most famous product disasters of all time
(33:19) Sri Batchu: When you fail, make sure you fail conclusively
(39:00) Jiaona Zhang (JZ): One of the biggest product misses at Airbnb
(44:32) Gina Gotthilf: Everyone has an “A side” and a “B side,” and we should all share our B sides more
(57:57) Maggie Crowley: Her favorite interview question about failure, and lessons from a personal failure
(1:00:33) Thanks for listening
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
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Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott
10 december 2023 · 1 uur 27 min
Kim Scott is the author of Radical Candor, currently the #1 most recommended book on this podcast. The book has sold over 1 million copies and has been translated into 23 languages. Before writing, Kim was a CEO coach at Dropbox, Qualtrics, Twitter, and other tech companies. She was also a member of the faculty at Apple University and before that led AdSense, YouTube, and DoubleClick teams at Google. This spring she’ll be launching Radical Respect, which she considers to be a prequel to Radical Candor. In today’s conversation, we go deep on Kim’s popular framework, including: Lees meer
• What separates radical candor and obnoxious aggression
• Tactical advice on delivering constructive feedback
• How well-meaning empathy can become ruinous
• Strategies for effectively soliciting and responding to feedback
• The importance of having regular career conversations
• The false dichotomy of a good leader versus a kind person
• A sneak peek into Radical Respect
—
Brought to you by Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice
—
Where to find Kim Scott:
• X: https://twitter.com/kimballscott
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimm4/
• Website: https://www.radicalcandor.com/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Kim’s background
(03:13) A brief overview of Radical Candor
(06:46) How people fail with ruinous empathy, manipulative insincerity, and obnoxious aggression
(08:37) The impact of radical candor on Kim’s life
(14:16) How to communicate feedback effectively
(20:34) A story illustrating the problem with ruinous empathy and manipulative insincerity
(27:50) How to get over the need to be liked
(31:31) How to have career conversations w…
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The full-stack PM | Anuj Rathi (Swiggy, Jupiter Money, Flipkart)
7 december 2023 · 1 uur 12 min
Anuj Rathi is the Chief Product and Marketing Officer at Jupiter Money, where he leads product management, marketing, design, growth, and analytics. Before Jupiter Money, Anuj served as the Senior Vice President of Revenue and Growth at Swiggy, VP of Product at SnapDeal, a Senior PM at Walmart Labs and the first-ever PM at Flipkart. He’s also one of the most beloved and respected product leaders in India. In this episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• How product management is different in India
• How to rethink your approach to new users
• How Anuj operationalizes the “working backwards” framework
• Why Anuj thinks PMs should be more full-stack than they are
• How to use Anuj’s “4BB” framework to get better at product strategy and prioritization
• Advice on developing innovative roadmap ideas
• The three essential skills of a successful PM
• Three reasons why leadership fails
• Why OKRs don’t work in marketplaces
—
Brought to you by Sanity—The most customizable content layer to power your growth engine | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Wix Studio—The web creation platform built for agencies
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-full-stack-pm-anuj-rathi-swiggy
—
Where to find Anuj Rathi:
• X: https://twitter.com/anujrathi
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anujrathi1
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Anuj’s background
(04:28) How product differs in India
(08:34) When modern product thinking started to gain traction in India
(14:01) How Anuj thinks about new-user experiences
(15:07) Scott Belsky’s “lazy, vain, and selfish” framework
(19:59) Why PMs must understand category consumers
(22:30) Anuj’s philosophy on the PM job
(23:59) How Anuj applies the working-backwards framework
(28:36) The importance of FAQs
(30:10) The full-stack PM min…
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Crafting a compelling product vision | Ebi Atawodi (YouTube, Netflix, Uber)
3 december 2023 · 1 uur 40 min
Ebi Atawodi is Director of Product Management for the Creator Experience at YouTube, former Head of Product at Uber, and a former Director of Product (Payments and EMEA) at Netflix. Known for crafting a strong, unified vision, Ebi empowers her teams to achieve outsized outcomes. In today’s episode, we go deep into vision and strategy, including: Lees meer
• The four key elements of a good vision statement
• Three ways to determine your mission
• The four pillars of great product management
• How writing helps you gain clarity
• How culture influences product
• Tips on how to structure a strategy session
• Advice on building team culture and improving work relationships
• What’s coming soon at YouTube
—
Brought to you by Sidebar—Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers | Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | Wix Studio—The web creation platform built for agencies
—
Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/crafting-a-compelling-product-vision
—
Where to find Ebi Atawodi:
• X: https://twitter.com/ebiatawodi
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebiatawodi
• YouTube mixes: https://www.youtube.com/@EbiAtawodi/videos
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Ebi’s background
(04:31) Four key elements of a product vision
(08:14) Examples of lofty but attainable visions
(11:43) Vision vs. mission
(13:23) Examples of visions and missions from notable companies
(15:00) A simple framework for outlining a vision
(20:51) Other methods for outlining a vision
(23:29) The impact of writing clear headlines
(26:41) Using mockups to frame your vision
(28:24) A step-by-step approach to developing a vision
(32:58) Ebi’s “10 Things” document
(37:47) A quick summary of Ebi’s tips
(40:56) How to us…
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The future of AI in software development | Inbal Shani (CPO of GitHub)
1 december 2023 · 50 min
Inbal Shani is the chief product officer at GitHub, where she leads core product management, along with product strategy, marketing, open source, and communities, including the development of GitHub Copilot. Prior to joining GitHub, she led engineering and product teams at Amazon and Microsoft. In today’s conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• What Inbal believes is overhyped and underhyped in the rapidly changing field of AI
• How AI-driven code generation is changing software development
• Her take on whether AI will replace developers
• How software development looks in 3 to 5 years
• How product teams operate at GitHub
• GitHub’s Next team, and other ways the company fosters a culture of innovation
• The success metrics and philosophy behind GitHub’s Copilot
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Brought to you by Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | Sanity—The most customizable content layer to power your growth engine | HelpBar by Chameleon—The free in-app universal search solution built for SaaS
—
Find the transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-future-of-ai-in-software-development-inbal-shani-cpo-of-github/#transcript
—
Where to find Inbal Shani:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inbalshani/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Inbal’s background
(04:17) Why generative AI is not going to replace developers in the near future
(05:54) Why AI-driven testing is underhyped
(07:48) What the next 3 to 5 years will look like
(10:13) Stats around the use of GitHub Copilot
(12:07) How Copilot enables engineers to work more efficiently
(13:38) Common mistakes when adopting AI into your workflows
(16:42) How GitHub operationalizes “dogfooding”
(18:46) The philosophy behind Copilot
(20:24) Copilot’s success metrics
(24:54) How Copilot encourages colla…
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My favorite interview questions from 100+ guests
29 november 2023 · 21 min
This is a special episode of the podcast where I’ve curated my favorite interview questions that guests have shared, among over 100 podcast guests. Whether you’re a hiring manager, currently interviewing, or simply intrigued by the creative and perceptive questions that top product leaders rely on to find top talent, these questions offer unique insights into the strategies and philosophies that shape successful interviews. Lees meer
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Brought to you by Sendbird—The (all-in-one) communications API platform for mobile apps | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
—
Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-interview-questions-from
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, you’ll hear from:
(00:00) Lenny
(03:21) Eeke De Miliano
(03:57) Geoff Charles
(04:31) Shishir Mehrotra
(08:44) Yuhki Yamashita
(09:56) Katie Dill
(10:36) Karri Saarinen
(11:02) Camille Hearst
(11:28) Jiaona Zhang
(12:43) Noah Weiss
(13:10) Ben Williams
(14:41) Meltem Kuran Berkowitz
(15:29) Paige Costello
(16:13) Nikhyl Singhal
(17:51) Ayo Omojola
(18:20) Scott Belsky
(19:17) Lauryn Isford
(19:46) Paul Adams
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
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Billion dollar failures, and billion dollar success | Tom Conrad (Quibi, Pandora, Pets.com, Snap, Zero)
26 november 2023 · 1 uur 40 min
Tom Conrad is the CEO of Zero and on the board of Sonos. He began his career in engineering at Apple, where he helped build key features that remain in iOS today. Tom was previously the VP of Product at Snap and the chief technology officer of Pandora. He also held leadership positions at notable tech flops Pets.com and Quibi, giving him a unique perspective not only on what it takes to build a successful company but also on lessons from failure. In today’s conversation, we discuss: Lees meer
• Lessons learned from the infamous failures of Pets.com and Quibi
• Lessons learned from the successes of Apple, Pandora, and Snap
• Advice on choosing where to work
• Understanding the math formula of a business
• How to avoid burnout
• Why Tom says not everyone needs to be a founder
• What he’s building now
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Brought to you by Coda—Meet the evolution of docs | Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | HelpBar by Chameleon—the free in-app universal search solution built for SaaS
—
Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/billion-dollar-failures-and-billion
—
Where to find Tom Conrad:
• X: https://twitter.com/tconrad
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomconrad/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Tom’s background
(04:40) Landing a gig at Apple
(07:41) Pioneering the blinking folder design on iOS
(11:04) Advice on choosing where to work
(12:43) The importance of trusting your gut when it comes to people
(14:05) Lessons from failed ventures
(17:32) Why and how Pets.com shut down
(18:30) How Tom’s experience at Quibi renewed his passion for building
(28:48) Takeaways from Quibi and why it ultimately failed
(31:42) Failing is okay
(35:04) Tom’s career at Apple
(39:11) Lessons from You Don’t Know Jack
(40:24) Lessons…
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Redefining success, money, and belonging | Paul Millerd (The Pathless Path)
19 november 2023 · 1 uur 5 min
Paul Millerd spent several years working in strategy consulting and on the “default path” before deciding to walk away to work on his own in 2017. His book, The Pathless Path, chronicles his own journey and deep dive into the history of work and has been read by more than 40,000 people. His podcast, The Pathless Path Podcast, highlights conversations with others following unconventional paths. He also runs the online training business StrategyU, helping people learn the skills of consulting without having to work in the industry. In our conversation, Paul shares: Lees meer
• An explanation of the “default path” and the “pathless path”
• Signs you may be stuck on the default path
• How to inch your way toward the pathless path
• Why Paul suggests everyone should take a three-month sabbatical
• Tips for embracing fear and betting on yourself
• How to work through the fear of losing money and prestige
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Brought to you by Sanity—The most customizable content layer to power your growth engine | Maui Nui Venison—The healthiest red meat on the planet delivered directly to your door | Wix Studio—The web creation platform built for agencies
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/redefining-success-money-and-belonging-paul-millerd-the-pathless-path/
—
Where to find Paul Millerd:
• X: https://twitter.com/p_millerd
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmillerd/
• Website: https://pathlesspath.com/
• Newsletter: https://newsletter.pathlesspath.com
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCofS_FvauuHc-x6mq7yz6nA
• Podcast: https://think-boundless.com/podcast/
• Email: paul@strategyu.com
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Paul’s background
(04:33) An explanation of the “default path”
(06:32) Questions to help clarify which path you are on
(07:35) Paul’s thoughts on “remi…
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The ultimate guide to product operations | Melissa Perri and Denise Tilles
16 november 2023 · 1 uur 20 min
Melissa Perri is the CEO of Produx Labs, a product management training organization; author of the seminal PM book The Build Trap; and a former Harvard Business School professor of product management. Denise Tilles is the CPO at Grocket, Melissa’s colleague at Produx Labs, and a seasoned product leader with over a decade of experience. Together they authored the new book Product Operations: How successful companies build better products at scale. In today’s episode, they share insights, strategies, and real-world experiences to master all things product ops. We discuss: Lees meer
• What exactly product operations is
• The three pillars of the product ops role
• The biggest benefits of adding product ops to your organization
• Which tasks product managers should offload to product ops and which they need to own
• How to help PMs embrace the value of product ops
• Examples of companies that have implemented product ops well
• Who and how to hire for this role
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This entire episode is brought to you by Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-product-operations-melissa-perri-and-denise-tilles/#transcript
—
Where to find Melissa Perri:
• X: https://twitter.com/lissijean
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissajeanperri/
• Website: https://produxlabs.com/
—
Where to find Denise Tilles:
• X: https://twitter.com/dtilles
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisetilles/
• Website: https://www.denisetilles.com
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) About our guests, Melissa Perri and Denise Tilles
(03:46) How common is the product operations role?
(07:41) The benefits of having a product ops person in your organization
(09:16) How to help PMs embra…
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Brian Chesky’s new playbook
12 november 2023 · 1 uur 13 min
Brian Chesky is the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb. Under Brian’s leadership, Airbnb has grown into a community of over 4 million hosts who have welcomed more than 1.5 billion guests across over 220 countries and regions. I had the privilege of working under his leadership, so it is a great honor to have him on the show. We discuss: Lees meer
• How Airbnb has shifted their thinking on product management
• Why bureaucracy happens in companies, and how to avoid it
• The importance of founders diving into the details
• Why Airbnb moved away from traditional growth channels and what they are doing instead
• Airbnb’s newly released features
• How and why Brian encourages his team to set ambitious goals
• Why he says he still has a lot to prove
—
Brought to you by Sidebar—Catalyze your career with a Personal Board of Directors | Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/brian-cheskys-new-playbook/#transcript
—
Where to find Brian Chesky:
• X: https://twitter.com/bchesky
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianchesky/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Brian’s background
(05:18) The current structure of product management at Airbnb
(09:21) How fast-moving companies become slow-moving bureaucracies
(12:20) Brian’s thoughts on performance marketing
(13:50) Airbnb’s rolling two-year roadmap
(15:30) Brian’s journey as CEO in a growing company
(18:34) Best practices for A/B testing
(20:30) Who inspired Airbnb’s new direction
(23:18) The first changes Brian implemented at the onset of the pandemic
(24:51) Why founders should be “in the details”
(30:15) Airbnb’s marketing, communication, and creative functions
(31:38) Advice for founde…
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Marketplace lessons from Uber, Airbnb, Bumble, and more | Ramesh Johari (Stanford professor, startup advisor)
9 november 2023 · 1 uur 24 min
Ramesh Johari is a professor at Stanford University focusing on data science methods and practice, as well as the design and operation of online markets and platforms. Beyond academia, Ramesh has advised some incredible startups, including Airbnb, Uber, Bumble, and Stitch Fix. Today we discuss: Lees meer
• What exactly a marketplace is, if you boil it down
• What you need to get right to build a successful marketplace
• How to optimize any marketplace
• An easy litmus test to see if there’s an opportunity to build a marketplace in the space
• The role of data science in successful marketplaces
• Ramesh’s philosophy on experimentation and AI
• Advice on implementing rating systems
• Why learning isn’t free
—
Brought to you by Sanity—The most customizable content layer to power your growth engine | Hex—Helping teams ask and answer data questions by working together | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/marketplace-lessons-from-uber-airbnb-bumble-and-more-ramesh-johari-stanford-professor-startup/
—
Where to find Ramesh Johari:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rameshjohari/
• Website: https://web.stanford.edu/~rjohari/
• X: https://twitter.com/rameshjohari
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Ramesh’s background
(04:31) A brief overview of what a marketplace is
(08:10) The role of data science in marketplaces
(11:21) Common flaws of marketplaces
(16:43) Why every founder is a marketplace founder
(20:26) How Substack increased value to creators by driving demand
(20:58) An example of overcommitting at eBay
(22:24) An easy litmus test for marketplaces
(25:52) Thoughts on employees vs. contractors
(28:02) How to leverage data scientists to improve your marketplace
(34:10) Correlation vs. causation
(35:27) Decisions th…
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Mastering product strategy and growing as a PM | Maggie Crowley (Toast, Drift, Tripadvisor)
5 november 2023 · 1 uur 23 min
Maggie Crowley is VP of product at Toast and previously vice president and head of product at Charlie Health, senior director of product management at Drift, and a PM at TripAdvisor. She’s also the host of Build, a podcast dedicated to product and product management. In today’s conversation, Maggie shares: Lees meer
• The value of building a broad-based PM skill set
• Three qualities of the best product managers
• A step-by-step guide for crafting a product strategy
• How to break into PM
• Why great writing is often just simplifying your writing
• Why being too data-driven is a red flag
• The impact of content creation on Maggie’s career
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Brought to you by Productroadmap.ai—AI to connect your roadmaps to revenue | Composer—the AI-powered trading platform | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/mastering-product-strategy-and-growing-as-a-pm-maggie-crowley-toast-drift-tripadvisor/
—
Where to find Maggie Crowley:
• X: https://twitter.com/maggiecrowley
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-crowley-42a97112/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Maggie’s background
(04:06) Three common traits among the best product managers
(09:33) Strategy is an important but small part of the job
(11:14) How to get better at simplification
(13:39) Tips on simplifying your writing
(15:13) Ownership as a PM
(17:53) Examples of simplifying your work
(19:39) Maggie’s Slack support group
(21:37) How to improve on following up on your work
(23:23) A realistic time horizon for PMs
(26:31) Staying in your role vs. trying a new opportunity
(27:37) The importance of “carrying the water”
(28:56) Pros and cons of the PM job
(31:42) Advice on landing a PM role
(34:36) Maggie’s step-by-step process for writing your product strategy
(39:55) N…
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Unpacking Amazon’s unique ways of working | Bill Carr (author of Working Backwards)
2 november 2023 · 1 uur 33 min
Bill Carr is the co-author of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon. With a background at Amazon of over 15 years, Bill played a pivotal role in shaping the company’s global digital music and video ventures, including Amazon Music, Prime Video, and Amazon Studios. After Amazon, Bill was an Executive in Residence with Maveron, an early-stage, consumer-only venture capital firm. He later served as the chief operating officer of OfferUp, the largest mobile marketplace for local buyers and sellers in the U.S. Today he’s the co-founder of Working Backwards LLC, where he helps companies implement Amazon’s time-tested management strategies. In this episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• What exactly “working backwards” is, and how you do it
• Why having “single-threaded leaders” is so effective
• Inside Amazon’s intense product review process
• How to actually follow the “disagree and commit” principle
• The thinking behind the principle “Leaders are right, a lot”
• Input vs. output metrics
• Fostering a culture of risk-taking and innovation
• The role and responsibilities of a “bar raiser” in your hiring, and how it significantly improves the success rate of new hires
—
Brought to you by AssemblyAI—Production-ready AI models to transcribe and understand speech | Coda—Meet the evolution of docs | Wix Studio—The web creation platform built for agencies
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/unpacking-amazons-unique-ways-of-working-bill-carr-author-of-working-backwards/
—
Where to find Bill Carr:
• X: https://twitter.com/BillCarr89
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-carr/
• Website: https://www.workingbackwards.com/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Bill’s background
(04:26) Amazon’s workplace evolution
(09:54) Amazon’s “fitness function”
(…
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Reflections on a movement | Eric Ries (creator of the Lean Startup methodology)
29 oktober 2023 · 2 uur 14 min
Eric Ries is the creator of the Lean Startup methodology, author of the New York Times bestseller The Lean Startup, and founder of the Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE). He’s also a multi-time founder and currently advises startups, VC firms, and larger companies on business and product strategy. In today’s episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• The current state of the Lean Startup methodology
• Common misconceptions about the Lean Startup methodology
• Understanding how to actually think about MVPs (minimum viable products)
• When to pivot and when to stay the course
• Thoughts on AI and how to deal with uncertainty
• How to structure your company around core values and create products that benefit humanity
• The philosophy behind Eric’s current big idea: the Long-Term Stock Exchange
• Much more
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Brought to you by Sanity—The most customizable content layer to power your growth engine | Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/reflections-on-a-movement-eric-ries-creator-of-the-lean-startup-methodology/#transcript
—
Where to find Eric Ries:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eries/
• X: https://twitter.com/ericries
• Website: https://theleanstartup.com/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Eric’s background
(04:46) Eric’s recent activities and projects
(06:23) Eric’s start in advising and first-principles thinking
(10:56) Lessons from designing the Lean Startup process
(14:04) The current state of lean startup methodology
(22:33) Common misconceptions about the methodology
(24:28) Changes Eric would make in an updated version of Lean Startup
(27:52) An explanation of minimum viable product (MVP) and wh…
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What AI means for your product strategy | Paul Adams (CPO of Intercom)
26 oktober 2023 · 1 uur 23 min
Paul Adams is the longtime chief product officer at Intercom, where he leads the product management, product design, data science, and research teams. Before Intercom, Paul was the global head of brand design at Facebook, a senior user researcher at Google, and a product designer at Dyson. He’s also a best-selling author, a podcast host, and a public speaker. In today’s episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• Practical advice on integrating AI into your organization
• Tips and tools for learning AI as a PM
• Hilarious stories from Google and Facebook
• How to build conviction with skeptical coworkers
• Lessons learned from pricing at Intercom
• How Intercom implemented JTBD
—
Brought to you by Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments | Hex—Helping teams ask and answer data questions by working together | HelpBar by Chameleon—The free in-app universal search solution built for SaaS
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/what-ai-means-for-your-product-strategy-paul-adams-cpo-of-intercom/
—
Where to find Paul Adams:
• X: https://twitter.com/Padday
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauladams/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Paul’s background
(04:09) Freezing onstage in front of 8,000 people
(07:28) Insights from Google+ days
(12:31) Learning from failure
(13:56) Intercom’s “ship fast, ship early, ship often” principle
(15:17) Integrating AI into product strategy
(17:31) Making time for AI learning
(19:37) AI in new-product development
(21:16) Questions to ask about your product
(23:33) How Intercom pivoted after the release of ChatGPT
(25:13) Intercom’s AI chatbot, Fin
(26:45) The early impact of AI adoption at Intercom
(28:53) Mind-blowing capabilities of AI
(34:27) How to structure teams around AI products
(37:57) Why all teams should be involved in AI
(39:0…
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A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins | April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch)
22 oktober 2023 · 1 uur 31 min
April Dunford is a speaker, mentor, podcaster, best-selling author, and beloved returning guest to the show. Last year, she joined me on the pod to discuss product positioning and differentiated value. Today, April offers invaluable insights from her latest book, Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win. We go deep on the art of effective pitching and selling, and April shares the specific framework she’s used to successfully pitch products at companies like Google, IBM, Postman, and Epic Games. Together we discuss: Lees meer
• Tactical advice on pitch creation and testing
• Real-life examples of companies transforming their narratives into successful sales strategies
• How to combat customer inaction
• How to become your prospect’s guide in their buying journey
• The importance of differentiated value
• Marketing’s role in the process
• Why you should avoid FOMO as a sales strategy
• Tips for handling objections
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Brought to you by Composer—the AI-powered trading platform | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments | LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-step-by-step-guide-to-crafting
—
Where to find April Dunford:
• Website: https://www.aprildunford.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/
• Newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) April’s background
(03:46) Fixing poor positioning with storytelling at Help Scout
(12:22) Pitch components: setup and differentiated value
(14:13) Wrapping up the sales pitch
(15:56) Handling objections effectively
(19:13) Understanding buyer’s mindset and market perception
(25:46) Avoiding FOMO as a sales strategy
(29:28) Lenny’s stressful experience buying community forum software for…
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Scaling Duolingo, embracing failure, and insight into Latin America’s tech scene | Gina Gotthilf (Latitud, Duolingo)
19 oktober 2023 · 1 uur 37 min
Gina Gotthilf is a co-founder and the COO of Latitud, a startup platform supporting the next generation of iconic tech startups in Latin America. Previously, Gina led growth and marketing at Duolingo, which she helped grow from 3 million to 200 million users. She was recently named one of the 500 most influential people in all of Latin America by Bloomberg. In today’s episode, we discuss: Lees meer
• Behind the scenes of Duolingo’s early growth
• How to balance the “A and B sides” of life
• Stories from Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign
• Lessons from Duolingo’s international expansion
• Tactical tips for driving organic growth
• How to use PR, brand love, and community as growth levers
• Why Gina is passionate about investing in Latin America
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Brought to you by Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | Hex— Helping teams ask and answer data questions by working together | Mercury—the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/scaling-duolingo-embracing-failure-and-insight-into-latin-americas-tech-scene-gina-gotthilf-la/#transcript
—
Where to find Gina Gotthilf:
• X: https://twitter.com/ginag
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginafrombrazil/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gina/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Gina’s background
(04:34) The Vamos Latam Summit
(07:22) Gina’s “A and B sides” framework
(09:34) Her B side
(16:27) Lessons from working on Mike Bloomberg’s presidential campaign
(20:40) How Gina was able to 3x the conversion rate on a campaign site in one day
(24:34) 4 areas Duolingo leaned into to have success in the difficult world of B2C subscriptions
(36:39) B-side lessons from Duolingo
(42:05) The importance of trust…
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Building beautiful products with Stripe’s Head of Design | Katie Dill (Stripe, Airbnb, Lyft)
15 oktober 2023 · 1 uur 34 min
Katie Dill is the Head of Design at Stripe. Previously, she was Head of Experience Design at Airbnb and Head of Design at Lyft. Katie has been named one of Business Insider’s 10 People Changing the Tech Industry as well as one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business and received the Girls in Tech “Creator of the Year” award. In today’s episode, she shares: Lees meer
• What makes a design great
• Advice on building high-performing teams in hyper-growth environments
• A pivotal lesson in leadership she learned at Airbnb
• Stripe’s focus on quality and how it’s tied to growth
• A formula for removing organizational friction
• How to increase productivity
• What to look for when hiring a designer
—
Brought to you by Sidebar—Catalyze your career with a Personal Board of Directors | Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster
—
Find the transcript for this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-beautiful-products-with
—
Where to find Katie Dill:
• X: https://twitter.com/lil_dill
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@lil_dilly
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-dill-79168b3/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Katie’s background
(04:47) Katie’s pivotal leadership moment at Airbnb
(10:55) Advocating for design ROI
(16:07) Stripe’s quality focus
(17:50) Stripe’s vast scope
(18:45) How design enhances utility
(21:39) Defining beauty and its role in product growth
(26:19) Operationalizing quality
(28:44) Katie’s insights from dialogues with diverse organizations
(34:47) 15 Essential Journeys: Stripe’s method for holistic UX understanding and unified vision
(44:35) Stripe’s PQR quality review
(46:25) Stripe’s prioritization philosophy
(48:…
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How to get press for your product | Jason Feifer (editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine)
12 oktober 2023 · 1 uur 42 min
Brought to you by Sidebar—Catalyze your career with a Personal Board of Directors | Maui Nui Venison—The healthiest red meat on the planet delivered directly to your door | Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments Lees meer
—
Jason Feifer is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine and a former editor at Fast Company. He’s also a podcast host, book author, keynote speaker, and startup advisor. Every week, he shares tips in his newsletter, One Thing Better, to help people become happier and more effective at work. In today’s episode, Jason draws upon his wealth of experience in media to share tactical insights on how to get press coverage. We discuss:
• High-level steps to securing press coverage for your product
• Why it’s critical to understand the mission of the publication
• Why freelance writers are more likely to write about you
• When it’s worth investing in PR
• When and how to hire a great PR agency
• Insider tips for writing the perfect pitch
• Why you should optimize for “Opportunity Set B”
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-get-press-for-your-product-jason-feifer-editor-in-chief-of-entrepreneur-magazine/
—
Where to find Jason Feifer:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonfeifer/
• Newsletter: jasonfeifer.com/newsletter
• Help Wanted podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/LsYdERXQ
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Jason’s background
(04:09) Jason’s inbox volume
(07:41) The impact of press coverage on startups
(08:47) Navigating the timing and outlets for press exposure
(10:37) When not to pursue press coverage
(12:38) Jason’s three-step press strategy
(14:01) Unpacking the media’s mission
(15:48) Identifying a publication’s mission
(22:56) Step one: How to prepare for outreach
(26:11) How press can help you
(28:25) When to work with a …
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Inside Linear: Building with taste, craft, and focus | Karri Saarinen (co-founder, designer, CEO)
8 oktober 2023 · 1 uur 40 min
Karri Saarinen is the co-founder and CEO of Linear, an issue-tracking tool that has quickly become the fastest-growing and most beloved in the world. Before Linear, Karri was the principal designer and co-creator of design systems at Airbnb and the founding designer at Coinbase. In today’s episode, he shares: Lees meer
• How to prioritize craft in product development
• The Linear method for modern software development
• How Linear operates with only one PM
• Why every product needs good design in 2023
• Strategies for staying focused amid distractions
• Linear’s unique hiring strategies
• Sneak peek of a soon-to-be-released Linear feature
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Brought to you by Mercury—the powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank | Composer—the AI-powered trading platform | Pendo—The all-in-one platform for product-led companies building breakthrough digital experiences
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-linear-building-with-taste
—
Where to find Karri Saarinen:
• X: https://twitter.com/karrisaarinen
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karrisaarinen/
• Website: https://karrisaarinen.com/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Karri’s background
(04:25) Overview of Linear
(06:43) Linear’s design process and its focus on quality
(12:25) Building a craft-oriented company
(16:41) Product management at Linear
(18:37) Strategies for launching a startup without a dedicated PM
(21:16) How Linear assists PMs in their roles
(23:46) Linear’s potential expansion in PM roles
(24:58) The importance of design
(29:08) Utilizing design and brand as distinct competitive advantages
(30:48) The importance of authenticity in branding and messaging
(33:08) How design reviews are conducted at Linear
(38:34) The Linear method for modern software development
(40:07) Wh…
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Brian Balfour: 10 lessons on career, growth, and life
5 oktober 2023 · 1 uur 42 min
Brought to you by Jira Product Discovery—Atlassian’s new prioritization and roadmapping tool built for product teams | Coda—Meet the evolution of docs | Wix Studio—The web creation platform built for agencies Lees meer
—
Brian Balfour is the founder and CEO of Reforge. Prior to Reforge, he was the VP of Growth at HubSpot and co-founded three other startups. In today’s episode, Brian shares 10 lessons from his career, growth, and life:
• Lesson 1: Inspect the work, not the person.
• Lesson 2: Tell me what it takes to win; then tell me the cost.
• Lesson 3: Problems never end (and that’s okay).
• Lesson 4: The year is made in the first six months.
• Lesson 5: Growth is a system between acquisition, retention, and monetization. Change one and you affect them all.
• Lesson 6: Do the opposite.
• Lesson 7: Use cases, not personas.
• Lesson 8: Solving for everyone is solving for no one.
• Lesson 9: Find sparring partners, not mentors or coaches.
• Lesson 10: 2x+ the activation energy for things that need to change.
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/brian-balfour-10-lessons-on-career-growth-and-life/
—
Where to find Brian Balfour:
• X: https://twitter.com/bbalfour
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbalfour/
• Website: https://brianbalfour.com/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Brian’s background
(04:29) His Notion doc of lessons
(07:35) Lesson 1: Inspect the work, not the person
(12:39) Implementing lesson 1 and a recap of Reforge Artifacts
(16:01) Lesson 2: Tell me what it takes to win; then tell me the cost
(18:17) Why you should revisit your ideal end state often
(20:25) How planning works at Reforge
(23:50) Lesson 3: Problems never end (and that’s okay)
(26:31) The “players, coaches, captains” framework
(30:24) How AI will allow for smaller teams
(34…
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What sets great teams apart | Lane Shackleton (CPO of Coda)
1 oktober 2023 · 1 uur 30 min
Brought to you by Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Ezra—The leading full-body cancer screening company Lees meer
—
Lane Shackleton is CPO of Coda, where he’s been leading the product and design team for over eight years. Lane started his career as an Alaskan climbing guide and then as a manual reviewer of AdWords ads before becoming a product specialist at Google and later a Group PM at YouTube. He also writes a weekly newsletter with insights and rituals for PMs, product teams, and startups. In today’s conversation, we discuss:• Principles that set great PMs apart• Rituals of great product teams• The fine line between OKRs and strategy, and why it matters• “Two-way write-up”• The story of how skippable YouTube ads were born and lessons learned• How to gauge personal career growth• “Tim Ferriss Day” and its impact on Coda’s history• How Lane bootstrapped his way to CPO from the bottom of the tech ladder
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Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/what-sets-great-teams-apart-lane-shackleton-cpo-of-coda/
—
Where to find Lane Shackleton:
• X: https://twitter.com/lshackleton
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laneshackleton
• Substack: https://lane.substack.com/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Lane’s background
(04:03) Working as a guide in Alaska
(07:32) Parallels between guiding and building software
(09:12) Why Lane started studying and writing about product teams
(12:49) How Lane came up with the career ladder and guiding principles
(14:10) The five levels Coda’s career ladder
(16:30) Principles of great product managers
(21:06) The beginner’s-mind ritual at Coda
(24:05) Two rituals: “cathedrals not bricks” and “proactive not reactive”
(27:46) How to develop your own guiding principles
(31:17) Learn…
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Building Anchor, selling to Spotify, and lessons learned | Maya Prohovnik (Spotify’s Head of Podcast Product)
28 september 2023 · 1 uur 8 min
Brought to you by Sidebar—Catalyze your career with a Personal Board of Directors | Wix Studio—The web creation platform built for agencies | LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business Lees meer
—
Maya Prohovnik is currently Spotify’s Head of Podcast Product. She was employee #1 at Anchor, which was acquired by Spotify in 2019 and now powers more than 80% of all new podcasts created in the world. In 2023, Maya was named one of the Most Important People in Podcasting by The Hollywood Reporter. In today’s episode, we discuss:• How Maya operationalizes “dogfooding”• How to balance data-driven decision-making and intuition• Strategies for preserving startup culture in a large organization• Tactical tips to improve at public speaking• How Radical Candor and the Eisenhower matrix transformed her approach to managing people• What’s next at Spotify for Podcasters
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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-anchor-selling-to-spotify
—
Where to find Maya Prohovnik:
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@mayafish
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayaprohovnik/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Maya’s background
(04:34) Spotify’s podcasting platform
(06:24) Maya’s personal podcasts
(11:36) The importance of “dogfooding”
(13:24) How Maya operationalizes dogfooding
(16:31) How to balance data-driven decision-making and trusting your gut
(21:38) Building Anchor 2.0
(26:24) The beginning of Anchor’s hockey stick growth
(28:08) How Anchor utilized interns to make the Apple Podcasts integration “magical”
(35:36) Anchor and Spotify’s successful integration
(37:50) Maintaining a startup culture within a large organization
(39:20) Transitioning from a startup to a large company
(42:02) Challenges brought on by the acquisition
(48:49) How Maya’s le…
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How to drive word of mouth | Nilan Peiris (CPO of Wise)
24 september 2023 · 1 uur 17 min
Brought to you by Pendo—The all-in-one platform for product-led companies building breakthrough digital experiences | Wix Studio—The web creation platform built for agencies | Masterworks—Invest in blue-chip art Lees meer
—
Nilan Peiris is Chief Product Officer at Wise, one of the fastest-growing (and profitable) tech companies in the world. Wise allows anyone to send money in more than 60 currencies to over 160 countries at low cost, and throughout its history has grown primarily through word of mouth. In today’s episode, we discuss:
• Tactical advice on driving word of mouth (WOM)
• Strategies for measuring WOM
• How NPS surveys helped Wise determine their growth and product strategy
• How Wise incentivizes teams to do the hard things
• The small change that generated a 3x increase in referrals
• How Wise structures its product and growth teams
—
Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-drive-word-of-mouth-nilan
—
Where to find Nilan Peiris:
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nilanp
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilanpeiris/
—
Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Nilan’s background
(03:27) A brief overview of Wise
(06:11) How word of mouth is measured
(07:56) Why Wise leaned into WOM
(10:21) Why Wise built their WOM motion using the NPS method
(16:13) How WOM solves trust problems
(18:55) How to get to 9 or 10 on the NPS scale
(20:51) Determining what will wow users
(21:31) Common missteps companies make when trying to drive WOM
(23:24) Using the “working backward” method at Airbnb
(25:45) How Wise is able to offer drastically lower money transfer fees
(27:51) The three costs associated with moving money
(32:02) Rational vs. irrational reasons behind recommendations
(34:11) Prioritizing customer happiness
(38:14) How Wise approaches expe…