Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Roger Martin is one of the world’s leading experts on strategy and the author of Playing to Win, one of the most beloved books on strategy. He’s written extensively for the Harvard Business Review; consulted for dozens of Fortune 500 companies, including P&G, Lego, and Ford; and written 11 other books. In our conversation, we discuss:• The five key questions you need to answer to develop an effective strategy• Why most companies get strategy wrong• How to avoid “playing to play” instead of playing to win• Real-world strategy examples from Procter & Gamble, Southwest Airlines, Lego, and Figma• How to think about differentiation vs. low cost• Shortcomings of current strategy education• Much more—Brought to you by:• Webflow—The web experience platform• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs• Cycle—Your feedback hub, on autopilot—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-strategy-roger-martin—Where to find Roger Martin:• X: https://x.com/RogerLMartin• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roger-martin-9916911a9/• Website: https://rogerlmartin.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) Roger’s background(02:20) The importance of strategy(07:00) Challenges in developing strategy(08:30) Critique of modern strategy education(14:00) Hamilton Helmer and Richard Rumelt(17:40) Defining strategy(19:12) The Strategy Choice Cascade(23:20) Playing to win vs. playing to play(24:57) Examples of strategic success(30:49) Differentiation and moats(40:23) Applying strategy to real-world scenarios(43:47) Customer-centric strategy(44:45) Defining the market and product(45:59) Value chain and distribution(48:28) Cost leadership vs. differentiation(53:16) Capabilities and management systems(57:14) Competitive advantage and market positioning(01:02:41) Counterpositioning and fault lines(01:05:53) Adapting to AI and market changes(01:14:11) Betterment over perfection(01:18:42) Final thoughts on strategy—Referenced:• Nearly 10% of S&P 500 CEOs are alumni of Procter & Gamble: https://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2023/02/06/10-of-s-p-500-ceos-pg.html• FigJam: https://www.figma.com/figjam/• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• What Is Resource-Based Theory?: https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/the-impact-of-technological-governance-and-political-capabilities-on-firms-performances-under-economic-turbulence/67915• Michael Porter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professorporter/• Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors: https://www.amazon.com/Competitive-Strategy-Techniques-Industries-Competitors/dp/0684841487• VRIO Framework Explained: https://strategicmanagementinsight.com/tools/vrio/• Business strategy with Hamilton Helmer (author of 7 Powers): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/business-strategy-with-hamilton-helmer• Good Strategy, Bad Strategy | Richard Rumelt: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/good-strategy-bad-strategy-richard• 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy: https://www.amazon.com/7-Powers-Foundations-Business-Strategy/dp/0998116319• Boston Consulting Group: https://www.bcg.com/• Bruce Henderson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Henderson• Lego: https://www.lego.com• Vanguard: https://investor.vanguard.com/• Southwest Airlines: https://www.southwest.com/• How Amazon Managed to Dethrone Walmart: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/08/20/technology/how-amazon-beat-walmart.html• GM Lost a 10-Year Battle with Tesla, Pulling the Plug on a Long Line of EVs: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brookecrothers/2023/07/09/gm-killed-its-electric-cars-and-lost-a-10-year-battle-with-tesla/• Westlaw: https://www.westlawinternational.com/• What Is an Economic Moat? Why Warren Buffett Says It Matters for Investors: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/economic-moat-why-warren-buffett-160046125.html• Salomon Brothers: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salomon_Brothers• US Airways: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Airways• Four Seasons: https://www.fourseasons.com/• Michael Dell on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdell/• Bill Gates on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamhgates/• Mandarin Oriental: https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/• Continental Lite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Lite• Ted (airline): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ted_(airline)• Case Study: Oil of Olay: https://www.studocu.com/es/document/universidad-de-murcia/estrategia-de-marketing/case-study-old-of-olay/95079369• AG Lafley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ag-lafley-2381b3201/• Jack Bogle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C._Bogle• Seven Ways Windows 95 Changed the World: https://www.forbes.com/sites/ianmorris/2015/08/24/windows-95-changed-the-world/• Where to Start with Strategy? Focus on Betterment: https://rogermartin.medium.com/where-to-start-with-strategy-bae40506304c• Brick by brick: The man who rebuilt the house of Lego shares his leadership secrets: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/on-leadership/wp/2016/12/08/brick-by-brick-the-man-who-rebuilt-the-house-of-lego-shares-his-leadership-secrets/• A New Way to Think: Your Guide to Superior Management Effectiveness: https://www.amazon.com/New-Way-Think-Management-Effectiveness/dp/164782351X/• Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works: https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-Strategy-Really-Works/dp/142218739X• The Design of Business: Why Design Thinking Is the Next Competitive Advantage: https://www.amazon.com/Design-Business-Thinking-Competitive-Advantage/dp/1422177807• The Opposable Mind: How Successful Leaders Win Through Integrative Thinking: https://www.amazon.com/Opposable-Mind-Successful-Integrative-Thinking/dp/1422118924• When More Is Not Better: Overcoming America’s Obsession with Economic Efficiency: https://www.amazon.com/When-More-Not-Better-Overcoming/dp/1647820065—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 25 July 2024

Rory Sutherland is widely regarded as one of the most influential (and most entertaining) thinkers in marketing and behavioral science. He’s the vice chairman of Ogilvy UK, the author of Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life, and the founder of Nudgestock, the world’s biggest festival of behavioral science and creativity. He champions thinking from first principles and using human psychology—what he calls “thinking psycho-logically”—over mere logic. In our conversation, we cover:• Why good products don’t always succeed, and bad ones don’t necessarily fail• Why less functionality can sometimes be more valuable• The importance of fame in building successful brands• The importance of timing in product success• The concept of “most advanced, yet acceptable”• Why metrics-driven workplaces can be demotivating• Lots of real-world case studies• Much more—Brought to you by:• Pendo—The only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application• Cycle—Your feedback hub, on autopilot• Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-most-people-miss-about-marketing—Where to find Rory Sutherland:• X: https://x.com/rorysutherland• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland• Book: Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Curious-Science-Creating-Business/dp/006238841X—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) Rory’s background(02:37) The success and failure of products(04:08) Why the urge to appear serious can be a disaster in marketing(08:05) The role of distinctiveness in product design(12:29) The MAYA principle(15:50) How thinking irrationally can be advantageous(17:40) The fault of multiple-choice tests(21:31) Companies that have successfully implemented out-of-the-box thinking(30:31) “Psycho-logical” thinking(31:45) The hare and the dog metaphor(38:51) Marketing’s crucial role in product adoption(49:21) The quirks of Google Glass(55:44) Survivorship bias(56:09) Balancing rational ideas with irrational ideas(01:06:19) The rise and fall of tech innovations(01:09:54) Consistency, distinctiveness, and clarity(01:21:12) Considering psychological, technological, and economic factors in parallel(01:23:35) Where to find Rory—Referenced:• Google Glass: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Glass• Meta Portal TV: https://www.meta.com/portal/products/portal-tv/• Rory’s quote in a LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brad-jackson-04766642_the-urge-to-appear-serious-is-a-disaster-activity-7093497742710210560-1LYN/• The MAYA Principle: Design for the Future, but Balance It with Your Users’ Present: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/design-for-the-future-but-balance-it-with-your-users-present• Ogilvy: https://www.ogilvy.com/• MCI: https://www.mci.world/• Veuve Clicquot: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veuve_Clicquot• Why do the French call the British ‘the roast beefs’?: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/2913151.stm• The Killing on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/the-killing-f5da5c2d-4626-4ba9-bcf3-ff5f891771fb• Original The Killing on BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017h7m1• The Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong: https://www.mandarinoriental.com/en/hong-kong/victoria-harbour• SAT: https://satsuite.collegeboard.org/sat• The Widening Racial Scoring Gap on the SAT College Admissions Test: https://www.jbhe.com/features/49_college_admissions-test.html• What is the age of the captain?: https://www.icopilots.com/what-is-the-age-of-the-captain/• Octopus Energy: https://octopus.energy/• Kraken: https://octopusenergy.group/kraken-technologies• Toby Shannan: https://theorg.com/org/shopify/org-chart/toby-shannan• Dunbar’s number: Why we can only maintain 150 relationships: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191001-dunbars-number-why-we-can-only-maintain-150-relationships• AO: https://ao.com/• Zappos: https://www.zappos.com/• Joe Cano on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeycano/• John Ralston Saul’s website: https://www.johnralstonsaul.com/• Voltaire’s B******s: The Dictatorship of Reason in the West: https://www.amazon.com/Voltaires-B******s-Dictatorship-Reason-West/dp/0679748199• Psycho-Logic: Why Too Much Logic Deters Magic: https://coffeeandjunk.com/psycho-logic/• Herbert Simon’s Decision-Making Approach: https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/bitstream/2438/4995/1/Fulltext.pdf• Robert Trivers’s website: https://roberttrivers.com/Welcome.html• Crazy Ivan: https://jollycontrarian.com/index.php?title=Crazy_Ivan• The Joys of Being a Late Tech Adopter: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/technology/personaltech/joys-late-tech-adopter.html• Jean-Claude Van Damme: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Claude_Van_Damme• Tim Berners-Lee: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Berners-Lee• Edward Jenner and the history of smallpox and vaccination: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1200696/• The real story behind penicillin: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/the-real-story-behind-the-worlds-first-antibiotic• What Are Japanese Toilets?: https://www.bigbathroomshop.co.uk/info/blog/japanese-toilets/• reMarkable: https://remarkable.com/• Chumby: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chumby• Survivorship bias: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivorship_bias• Jony Ive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jony_Ive• Marc Newson’s website: https://marc-newson.com/• Designing Men: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/business/2013/11/jony-ive-marc-newson-design-auction• Qantas A330: https://marc-newson.com/qantas-a330/• Herodotus: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herodotus• Big Decision? Consider It Both Drunk and Sober: https://www.forbes.com/sites/chunkamui/2016/03/22/wine-and-sleep-make-for-better-decisions/?sh=5c97fdc524b1• How Henry Ford and Thomas Edison killed the electric car: https://www.speakev.com/threads/how-henry-ford-and-thomas-edison-killed-the-electric-car.4270/• Watch Jay Leno get nostalgic and swoon over this 1909 EV: https://thenextweb.com/news/jay-leno-talk-about-electric-car-1909-baker• Jay Leno’s Garage: https://www.youtube.com/@jaylenosgarage• Nudgestock: https://nudgestock.com/• Akio Morita: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akio_Morita• Don Norman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnorman/• What Makes Tesla’s Business Model Different: https://www.investopedia.com/articles/active-trading/072115/what-makes-teslas-business-model-different.asp• Monica Lewinsky on X: https://x.com/MonicaLewinsky• Blindsight: The (Mostly) Hidden Ways Marketing Reshapes Our Brains: azon.com/Blindsight-Mostly-Hidden-Marketing-Reshapes-ebook/dp/B07ZKZ5DWF• Branding That Means Business: https://www.amazon.com/Branding-that-Means-Business-Economist-ebook/dp/B09QBCCH9N• PwC: https://www.pwc.com• Ryanair: https://www.ryanair.com• British Airways: https://www.britishairways.com/• Wrigley’s began as a soap business: know when to pivot: https://theamericangenius.com/entrepreneur/wrigleys-began-as-soap-know-when-to-pivot/• Transport for Humans: https://www.amazon.com/Transport-Humans-Perspectives-Pete-Dyson/dp/1913019357—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 21 July 2024

Jessica Lachs is the global head of analytics and data science at DoorDash, where she’s built one of the largest and most respected data organizations in tech. In her more than 10 years at DoorDash, she has served as the first general manager, responsible for launching new markets; the head of business ops and analytics; and the VP of analytics and data science. Previously, Jessica founded GiftSimple, a social gifting startup, and started her career at Lehman Brothers as an investment banking analyst. In our conversation, she shares:• How to structure and scale a high-impact analytics organization• Centralized vs. decentralized data teams• How to pick the right metric and aligning incentives• Advice for data people on how and when to push back• Lessons learned from building a global data team• How to foster a culture of extreme ownership• The role of AI in improving analytics team productivity• Advice for aspiring data leaders without formal training—Brought to you by:• Webflow—The web experience platform• Anvil—The fastest way to build software for documents• Attio—The powerful, flexible CRM for fast-growing startups—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-a-world-class-data-org-jessica-lachs—Where to find Jessica Lachs:• X: https://x.com/jesslachs• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-lachs/—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) Jessica’s background(04:59) Centralized vs. embedded analytics teams(10:52) The benefits of a centralized analytics team(15:10) Balancing proactive and reactive work(20:45) Advice on how to push back effectively(24:20) Hiring for curiosity and problem solving(28:57) Coming from a non-traditional background(34:40) The early days and culture at DoorDash(40:39) Encouraging cross-functional roles(44:39) Defining effective metrics(46:30) Simplifying metrics for better outcomes(55:28) Focusing on edge cases and fail states(01:00:12) Managing a global data organization(01:02:31) Leveraging AI for productivity(01:05:25) Building diverse and skilled data teams(01:08:40) Lightning round—Referenced:• How Netflix builds a culture of excellence | Elizabeth Stone (CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-netflix-builds-a-culture-of-excellence• Riley Newman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileynewman/• Tony Xu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xutony/• Imposter Syndrome: Why You May Feel Like a Fraud: https://www.verywellmind.com/imposter-syndrome-and-social-anxiety-disorder-4156469• Stanley Tang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stanleytang/• Andy Fang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fangsterr/• Evan Moore on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanmoore/• How WeDash became the flagship employee program for DoorDash: https://careers.doordash.com/blog/wedash-doordash-employee-program-how-does-it-work• Leading with empathy | Keith Yandell (DoorDash, Uber): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/leading-with-empathy-keith-yandell• The Rose Code: https://www.amazon.com/Rose-Code-Novel-Kate-Quinn/dp/006305941X• Libby app: https://libbyapp.com/• The West Wing on Prime: https://www.amazon.com/West-Wing-Complete-First-Season/dp/B000KZPG04• Alias on Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Alias-Season-1/dp/B00748O13S• Joseon sunscreens: https://beautyofjoseon.com/• Innisfree sunscreens: https://us.innisfree.com/• John Steinbeck quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/john_steinbeck_103825• Vanessa Roberts on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-roberts-b8a509a/• Tia Sherringham on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiasherringham/• Elizabeth Jarvis-Shean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-jarvis-shean-141a7966/• Regina (Gina) Tarone on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/regina-tarone-a565a2/overlay/about-this-profile/• My Journey (Part 1): I have a job that I would never be hired for: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jessica-lachs_anniversary-datascience-finance-activity-7216912300056727553-mEv6/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop• Starting an Analytics Org From Scratch — Lessons From a Decade at DoorDash: https://review.firstround.com/starting-an-analytics-org-from-scratch-lessons-from-a-decade-at-doordash/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 14 July 2024

Jeff Weinstein is a product lead at Stripe, where he helped grow their payment APIs to hundreds of billions in volume and transformed the way founders start companies into a few simple clicks with Atlas. Prior to Stripe, Jeff led several startups and sold companies to Groupon and Box. He’s known for his customer obsession, craft, quality, and building beloved products businesses rely on. In our conversation, we discuss:• The power of customer obsession and how to operationalize it in the product development process• How to pick the right metrics and use them to drive impact• Techniques for getting things done at big companies• A group practice Jeff started to uplevel product craft, called Study Group• The story behind Stripe Atlas and its mission to increase entrepreneurship globally• Lessons from working with the founders of Stripe—Brought to you by:• Pendo—The all-in-one platform for product-led companies building breakthrough digital experiences• Cycle—Your feedback hub, on autopilot• Anvil—The fastest way to build software for documents—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/creating-a-culture-of-excellence—Where to find Jeff Weinstein:• X: https://x.com/jeff_weinstein• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffwweinstein/• Email: [email protected]—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) Jeff’s background (10:16) The “go, go, go ASAP + optimistic, long-term compounding” approach(15:38) The importance of craft and quality(24:15) Effective customer communication strategies(28:57) The importance of speed in customer interactions (33:19) Narrowing your focus(36:53) Why you should pay attention only to paying-customer feedback(40:24) Practicing silence when communicating (45:33) The role of metrics in product success(54:08) Empowering teams with a single metric(58:23) Picking the right metric for your audience(01:05:10) The importance of metric hygiene(01:11:33) How Stripe uses “study groups” for product improvement(01:37:20) Stripe’s Atlas: simplifying company formation(01:50:38) Automation and operational efficiency(01:55:13) Diversity and team building(02:03:09) Building new products within a large company(02:21:10) Lightning round—Referenced:• Atlas: https://stripe.com/atlas• Stripe: https://stripe.com/• SQL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL• GitHub: https://github.com/• Linear: https://linear.app/• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Jeff’s tweet about Stripe’s bug-finder program: https://x.com/jeff_weinstein/status/1777487507934040300• The “Collison installation”: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18400504• How we use friction logs to improve products at Stripe: https://dev.to/stripe/how-we-use-friction-logs-to-improve-products-at-stripe-i6p• Fidelity: https://www.fidelity.com/• 83(b) election: https://docs.stripe.com/atlas/83b-election• Jeff’s tweet about Atlas’s NPS score: https://x.com/jeff_weinstein/status/1788644576330469638• What is a Delaware corporation? Here’s what makes this state so attractive to businesses: https://stripe.com/resources/more/what-is-a-delaware-corporation• Incorporating in Delaware explained: Why it’s such a popular option for businesses: https://stripe.com/resources/more/incorporating-in-delaware-explained• 7 of Pixar’s Best Storyboard Examples and the Stories Behind Them: https://boords.com/blog/7-of-pixars-best-storyboard-examples-and-the-stories-behind-them• Alex Kehayias on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexkehayias/• Patrick McKenzie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickmckenzie/• AngelList: https://www.angellist.com/• Dan Hightower on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danhighto/• Stripe Atlas perks partners: https://support.stripe.com/questions/stripe-atlas-perks-partners• Vision, conviction, and hype: How to build 0 to 1 inside a company | Mihika Kapoor (Product at Figma): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/vision-conviction-hype-mihika-kapoor• High Output Management: https://www.amazon.com/High-Output-Management-Andrew-Grove/dp/0679762884• Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace: https://www.amazon.com/Orbiting-Giant-Hairball-Corporate-Surviving/dp/0670879835• 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy: https://www.amazon.com/7-Powers-Foundations-Business-Strategy/dp/0998116319• Business strategy with Hamilton Helmer (author of 7 Powers): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/business-strategy-with-hamilton-helmer• Box: https://www.box.com/• Patrick Collison on X: https://x.com/patrickc• How to with John Wilson on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/how-to-with-john-wilson• The Quiet Girl on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/movie/the-quiet-girl-b50a4b8e-d3ff-4635-b806-5e7dbd292ca4• Raycast: https://www.raycast.com/• Quicksilver: https://qsapp.com/• Alfred: https://www.alfredapp.com/help/workflows/automations/• CleanShot: https://cleanshot.com/• John Collison on X: https://x.com/collision—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 11 July 2024

Mike Maples, Jr. is a legendary early-stage startup investor and a co-founder and partner at Floodgate. He’s made early bets on transformative companies like Twitter, Lyft, Twitch, Okta, Rappi, and Applied Intuition and is one of the pioneers of seed-stage investing as a category. He’s been on the Forbes Midas List eight times and enjoys sharing the lessons he’s learned from his years studying iconic companies. In his new book, Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future, co-authored with Peter Ziebelman, he discusses what he’s found separates startups and founders that break through and change the world from those that don’t. After spending years reviewing the notes and decks from the thousands of startups he’s known over the past two decades, he’s uncovered three ways that breakthrough founders think and act differently. In our conversation, Mike talks about:• The three elements of breakthrough startup ideas• Why you need to both think and act differently• How to avoid the “comparison trap” and “conformity trap”• The importance of movements, storytelling, and healthy disagreeableness in startup success• How to apply pattern-breaking principles within large companies• Mike’s one piece of advice for founders• Much morePre-order Mike’s book here and get a second signed copy for free. Limited copies are available, so order ASAP: patternbreakers.com/lenny.—Brought to you by:• Enterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growth• Anvil—The fastest way to build software for documents• Webflow—The web experience platform—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-find-a-great-startup-idea-mike-maples-jr—Where to find Mike Maples, Jr.:• X: https://x.com/m2jr• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maples/• Substack: https://greatness.substack.com/• Website: https://www.floodgate.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) Mike’s background(03:10) The inspiration behind Pattern Breakers(08:09) Uncovering startup insights(11:37) A quick summary of Pattern Breakers(13:52) Coming up with an idea(15:30) Inflections(17:09) Examples of inflections(28:10) Insights(36:58) The power of surprises(47:36) Founder-future fit(55:33) Advice for aspiring founders(56:41) Living in the future: valid opinions(55:34) Case study: Maddie Hall and Living Carbon(58:40) Identifying lighthouse customers(01:00:53) The importance of desperation in customer needs(01:03:57) Creating movements and storytelling(01:24:22) The role of disagreeableness in startups(01:34:42) Applying these principles within a company(01:40:43) Lightning round—Referenced:• Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future: https://www.amazon.com/Pattern-Breakers-Start-Ups-Change-Future/dp/1541704355• Justin.tv: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin.tv• Airbnb’s CEO says a $40 cereal box changed the course of the multibillion-dollar company: https://fortune.com/2023/04/19/airbnb-ceo-cereal-box-investors-changed-everything-billion-dollar-company/• Brian Chesky’s new playbook: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/brian-cheskys-contrarian-approach• The Unconventional Exit: How Justin Kan Sold His First Startup on eBay: https://medium.datadriveninvestor.com/the-unconventional-exit-how-justin-kan-sold-his-first-startup-on-ebay-4d705afe1354• Kyle Vogt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylevogt/• The State of Telehealth Before and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9035352/• The Craigslist Killers: https://www.gq.com/story/craigslist-killers• The social radar: Y Combinator’s secret weapon | Jessica Livingston (co-founder of Y Combinator, author, podcast host): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-social-radar-jessica-livingston• Michael Seibel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwseibel/• The Airbnb Story: How Three Ordinary Guys Disrupted an Industry, Made Billions ... and Created Plenty of Controversy: https://www.amazon.com/Airbnb-Story-Ordinary-Disrupted-Controversy/dp/0544952669• Scott Cook: https://www.forbes.com/profile/scott-cook/• Chegg: https://www.chegg.com/• Aayush Phumbhra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aayush/• Osman Rashid on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/osmanrashid/• Okta: https://www.okta.com/• The Man Who Makes the Future: Wired Icon Marc Andreessen: https://www.wired.com/2012/04/ff-andreessen/• Peter Ludwig on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwludwig/• Qasar Younis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qasar/• Paul Allen’s website: https://paulallen.com/• Louis Pasteur quote: https://www.forbes.com/quotes/6145/• What was Atrium and why did it fail? https://www.failory.com/cemetery/atrium• Patrick Collison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickcollison/• Drew Houston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewhouston/• William Gibson’s quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/681-the-future-is-already-here-it-s-just-not-evenly• Maddie Hall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddie-hall-76293135/• Living Carbon: https://www.livingcarbon.com• Zenefits (now Trinet): https://connect.trinet.com/• Sam Altman on X: https://x.com/sama• Steve Wozniak on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wozniaksteve/• Horsley Bridge Partners: https://www.horsleybridge.com/• David Swensen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_F._Swensen• Judith Elsea on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judithelsea/• 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy: https://www.amazon.com/7-Powers-Foundations-Business-Strategy/dp/0998116319• Business strategy with Hamilton Helmer (author of 7 Powers): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/business-strategy-with-hamilton-helmer• Lyft’s Focus on Community and the Story Behind the Pink Mustache: https://techcrunch.com/2012/09/17/lyfts-focus-on-community-and-the-story-behind-the-pink-mustache/• Logan Green on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logangreen/• John Zimmer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnzimmer11/• Storytelling with Nancy Duarte: How to craft compelling presentations and tell a story that sticks: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/storytelling-with-nancy-duarte-how• Steve Jobs Introducing the iPhone at MacWorld 2007: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7qPAY9JqE4• Jonathan Livingston Seagull: https://www.amazon.com/Jonathan-Livingston-Seagull-Richard-Bach/dp/0743278909• The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (author of 7 Rules of Power, professor at Stanford GSB): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-paths-to-power-jeffrey-pfeffer• Robin Roberts on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-roberts-393a934b/• Skunkworks: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/who-we-are/business-areas/aeronautics/skunkworks.html• Vision, conviction, and hype: How to build 0 to 1 inside a company | Mihika Kapoor (Product at Figma): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/vision-conviction-hype-mihika-kapoor• Hard-won lessons building 0 to 1 inside Atlassian | Tanguy Crusson (Head of Jira Product Discovery): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-0-to-1-inside-atlassian-tanguy-crusson• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/• Vinod Khosla: https://www.khoslaventures.com/team/vinod-khosla/• Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing: https://www.amazon.com/Top-Five-Regrets-Dying-Transformed-ebook/dp/B07KNRLY1L• Chase, Chance, and Creativity: The Lucky Art of Novelty: https://www.amazon.com/Chase-Chance-Creativity-Lucky-Novelty/dp/0262511355• Clay Christensen’s books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Clayton-M.-Christensen/author/B000APPD3Y• Resonate: Present Visual Stories That Transform: https://www.amazon.com/Resonate-Present-Stories-Transform-Audiences/dp/0470632011• Ferrari on Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Ferrari-Adam-Driver/dp/B0CNDBN672• Montblanc fountain pens: https://www.montblanc.com/en-us—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 7 July 2024

Dylan Field is the co-founder and CEO of Figma, the collaborative design platform that has revolutionized how product teams work. In my first-ever live podcast, recorded at Figma Config, Dylan and I dig into:• How intuition and product taste drive Dylan’s decision-making• The challenge of keeping things simple• Dylan’s thoughts on the future of product management• Lessons from Figma’s early days• How Figma built their initial user base• Dylan’s journey from intern to CEO of a 1,000+-person company• The future of design tools and AI—Brought to you by:• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs• Anvil—The fastest way to build software for documents• User Testing—Human understanding. Human experiences.—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/dylan-field-live-at-config—Where to find Dylan Field:• X: https://x.com/zoink?lang=en• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield/—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) Introduction(01:11) Welcoming Dylan Field(02:36) Highlights and surprises from Config(06:58) The philosophy of design(08:01) Raccoon feet and muffin hands(09:57) Building and refining intuition and product taste(12:50) How to influence leadership(16:14) The role of product managers(21:12) The future of product management(22:20) The importance of simplicity in design(26:10) The long road to Figma’s launch(27:44) Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs(29:07) Knowing when it’s time to ship(30:39) Early user acquisition strategies(35:50) Spotting trends and future innovations(39:20) Reflections on leadership and growth(43:16) Lightning round—Referenced:• Mihika Kapoor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihikakapoor/• Rick Rubin on the Creative Act—60 Minutes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sE1teB5bN-w• Figma pages: https://help.figma.com/hc/en-us/articles/360038511293-Create-and-manage-pages• Leading through uncertainty: A design-led company—Brian Chesky (Config 2023): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dkfijg7s76o• An inside look at how Figma builds product | Yuhki Yamashita (CPO of Figma): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-inside-look-at-how-figma-builds• Vision, conviction, and hype: How to build 0 to 1 inside a company | Mihika Kapoor (Product at Figma): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/vision-conviction-hype-mihika-kapoor• An inside look at Figma’s unique GTM motion | Claire Butler (first GTM hire): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-inside-look-at-figmas-unique-bottom• Zigging vs. zagging: How HubSpot built a $30B company | Dharmesh Shah (co-founder/CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-30-years-of-building• Nadia Singer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiasinger/ • Sho Kuwamoto on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/• FigJam: https://www.figma.com/figjam/• Tim Van Damme on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-van-damme-maxvoltar/• Coda: https://coda.io/• Shishir Mehrotra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/• Websim: https://websim.ai/• eToys.com commercial (from Dylan’s childhood acting career): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3Y92aCmmbU—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 30 June 2024

Jessica Livingston is a co-founder of Y Combinator, the first and most successful startup accelerator. Y Combinator has funded over 5,000 companies, 200 of which are now unicorns, including Airbnb, Dropbox, DoorDash, Stripe, Coinbase, and Reddit. Jessica played a crucial role in YC’s early success, when she was nicknamed the “social radar” because of her uncanny ability to quickly evaluate people—an essential skill when investing in early-stage startups. She’s also the host of the popular podcast The Social Radars, where she interviews billion-dollar-startup founders, and the author of the acclaimed book Founders at Work, which captures the origin stories of some of today’s most interesting companies. In our conversation, we discuss:• How Jessica gained the affectionate title of the “social radar”• Why defensive founders are a red flag• How to develop your social radar• What she looks for in founders during YC interviews• How YC’s early inexperience in angel investing led to the batch model• Her favorite stories from interviews with Airbnb, Rippling, and more• Lessons learned from hosting her own podcast• Much more—Brought to you by:• Enterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growth• Anvil—The fastest way to build software for documents• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-social-radar-jessica-livingston—Where to find Jessica Livingston:• X: https://x.com/jesslivingston• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicalivingston1/• Podcast: https://www.thesocialradars.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) Jessica’s background(02:42) Thoughts on being under-recognized(07:52) Jessica’s superpower: the social radar(15:11) Evaluating founders: key traits and red flags(21:00) The Airbnb story: a lesson in hustle and determination(25:57) A YC success story(28:26) The importance of earnestness(32:45) Confidence vs. defensiveness(34:43) Commitment and co-founder disputes(37:46) Relentless resourcefulness(40:00) Jessica’s social radar: origins and insights(43:24) Honing her social radar skills(45:44) Conviction and scams: a Y Combinator story(46:50) The interview process: challenges and insights(48:20) Operationalizing founder evaluation(49:38) Advice for building social radar skills(52:08) The “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” quiz(55:19) Jessica’s podcast: The Social Radars(01:00:34) Lessons from podcasting and interviewing(01:09:58) Lightning round—Referenced:• Paul Graham’s post about Jessica: https://paulgraham.com/jessica.html• Paul Graham on X: https://x.com/paulg• Robert Tappan Morris: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Tappan_Morris• Trevor Blackwell on X: https://x.com/tlbtlbtlb• Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/• “The Founders” examines the rise and legend of PayPal: https://www.economist.com/culture/2022/02/19/the-founders-examines-the-rise-and-legend-of-paypal• Patrick Collison on X: https://x.com/patrickc• John Collison on X: https://x.com/collision• Brian Chesky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianchesky/• Nate Blecharczyk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blecharczyk/• Joe Gebbia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgebbia/• Airbnb’s CEO says a $40 cereal box changed the course of the multibillion-dollar company: https://fortune.com/2023/04/19/airbnb-ceo-cereal-box-investors-changed-everything-billion-dollar-company/• Parker Conrad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkerconrad/• Zenefits: https://connect.trinet.com/hr-platform• Goat: https://www.goat.com/• Eddy Lu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddylu/• Drew Houston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewhouston/• Arash Ferdowsi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arashferdowsi/• Lessons from 1,000+ YC startups: Resilience, tar pit ideas, pivoting, more | Dalton Caldwell (Y Combinator, Managing Director): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-1000-yc-startups•Bitcoin launderer pleads guilty, admits to massive Bitfinex hack: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/08/03/new-york-man-admits-being-original-bitfinex-hacker-during-guilty-plea-in-dc-to-bitcoin-money-laundering.html• Paul Graham’s tweet with the facial recognition test: https://x.com/paulg/status/1782875262855663691• SmartLess podcast: https://www.smartless.com• Jason Bateman on X: https://x.com/batemanjason• Will Arnett on X: https://x.com/arnettwill• Sean Hayes on X: https://x.com/seanhayes• The Social Radars with Tony Xu, Co-Founder & CEO of DoorDash: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Ja-tony-xu-co-founder-ceo-of-doordash• The Social Radars with Brian Chesky: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/JW-brian-chesky-co-founder-ceo-of-airbnb• The Social Radars with Patrick and John Collison: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Kx-patrick-john-collison-co-founders-of-stripe• The Social Radars with Brian Armstrong: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/K3-brian-armstrong-co-founder-and-ceo-of-coinbase• The Social Radars with Emmett Shear: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/KM-emmett-shear-co-founder-of-twitch• The Social Radars with Paul Graham: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/JV-paul-graham-co-founder-of-y-combinator-and-viaweb• The Social Radars with Adora Cheung: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/L0-adora-cheung-co-founder-of-homejoy-instalab• Founders at Work: Stories of Startups’ Early Days: https://www.amazon.com/Founders-Work-Stories-Startups-Early/dp/1430210788• Startup School: https://www.startupschool.org/• The Social Radars with Parker Conrad: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Ky-parker-conrad-founder-of-zenefits-rippling• Rippling: https://www.rippling.com/• Carry on, Jeeves: https://www.amazon.com/Carry-Jeeves-Dover-Thrift-Editions/dp/0486848957• Very Good, Jeeves: https://www.amazon.com/Very-Good-Jeeves-Wooster-Book-ebook/dp/B0051GST06• Right Ho, Jeeves: https://www.amazon.com/Right-Ho-Jeeves-P-Wodehouse-ebook/dp/B083FFDNHN/• Life: https://www.amazon.com/Life-Keith-Richards-ebook/dp/B003UBTX72/• My Name Is Barbra: https://www.amazon.com/My-Name-Barbra-Streisand/dp/0525429522• Clarkson’s Farm on Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Clarksons-Farm-Season-1/dp/B095RHJ52R• Schitt’s Creek on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/schitts-creek-a2e7a946-9652-48a8-884b-3ea7ea4de273• Yellowstone on Peacock: https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/yellowstone• Sam Altman on X: https://x.com/sama• Justin Kan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinkan/• Alexis Ohanian on X: https://x.com/alexisohanian• Steve Huffman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shuffman56/• Breaking News: Condé Nast/Wired Acquires Reddit: https://techcrunch.com/2006/10/31/breaking-news-conde-nastwired-acquires-reddit/• Charles River Venture: https://www.crv.com/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 27 June 2024

Ami Vora is the Chief Product Officer of Faire, which connects independent retailers and brands around the world. Before Faire, Ami spent over 15 years at Meta, including as VP of Product and Design for WhatsApp (2B+ users), VP of Product for Facebook’s ads system (now $130B of annual revenue), and director at Instagram. She began her career working on developer tools at Microsoft. In our conversation, we discuss:• Why execution eats strategy for breakfast• Using metaphor to rally teams around one shared goal• How to build cross-functional relationships• “Dinosaur brain,” “Toddler soccer,” and the “hill climbing” metaphors• A tactic for handling disagreement• Tips for working well with product-minded founders as a product leader• The story of Ami’s incredible 15-year journey from temp to VP at Meta• Much more—Brought to you by:• Sidebar—Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers.• Anvil—The fastest way to build software for documents.• User Testing—Human understanding. Human experiences.—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/authenticity-and-curiosity-ami-vora—Where to find Ami Vora:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amvora/• Substack: https://amivora.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) Ami’s background(02:00) The myth of perfection in success(07:55) Emotionally connecting with the job(09:55) Embracing curiosity in moments of challenge(13:16) Thinking in feedback loops(17:17) The “dinosaur brain” metaphor in product reviews(20:20) Strategies for conducting effective product reviews(26:33) Using metaphors and imagery to communicate your vision(29:35) The power of having a shared narrative(31:55) WhatsApp: an example of metaphor in action(34:44) Emulating people that inspire you(36:19) WhatsApp video calling(37:35) Why execution is greater than strategy(41:36) Time allotment for strategy vs. execution(45:10) How to become a better strategic thinker(47:59) The intricacies of implementing feedback(51:53) Being a female leader in tech(55:13) Advice for young women in tech(56:07) Setting goals and aligning incentives(01:01:40) Acknowledging hard truths(01:05:46) Lessons from transitioning to Faire(01:08:40) The importance of a good CPO/CEO relationship(01:11:17) Vetting heads of product and maintaining customer focus(01:12:40) How Ami went from intern to leading major products at Meta(01:14:53) The one thing you should do to be successful in product(01:17:25) Lightning round—Referenced:• Faire: https://www.faire.com/• Making Meta | Andrew “Boz” Bosworth (CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/making-meta-andrew-boz-bosworth-cto• Community Wisdom: AMA with Dan Hockenmaier + Facilitating a roadmap session, structuring product teams, navigating an acquisition, companies not needing PMs anymore, and much more: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/making-meta-andrew-boz-bosworth-cto• Developing a growth model + marketplace growth strategy | Dan Hockenmaier (Faire, Thumbtack, Reforge): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/developing-a-growth-model-marketplace• Dan Hockenmaier’s website: https://www.danhock.com/• On Reviews: https://boz.com/articles/reviews• Finding a global optimum always feels like a hill climb: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/amvora_finding-a-global-optimum-always-feels-like-activity-7074776143882588161-jhyy/• Dolores Park: https://sfrecpark.org/892/Mission-Dolores-Park• Rob Goldman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robgoldman/• Execution eats strategy for breakfast, but execution without strategy leads to burnout: https://rationalpm.substack.com/p/execution-eats-strategy-for-breakfast• The goal of a “strategy” is to change our own team’s behavior: https://amivora.substack.com/p/the-goal-of-a-strategy-is-to-change• The paths to power: How to grow your influence and advance your career | Jeffrey Pfeffer (author of 7 Rules of Power, professor at Stanford GSB): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-paths-to-power-jeffrey-pfeffer• Path to Power course outline: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Pfeffer-OB377-Course-Outline-2018.pdf• Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?: https://hbr.org/1999/11/management-time-whos-got-the-monkey• Max Rhodes on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-rhodes/• Coupa Coffee: https://www.coupacafe.com/• Brandee Barker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandeedbarker/• Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person: https://www.amazon.com/Year-Yes-Dance-Stand-Person/dp/1476777128 • How to tell better stories | Matthew Dicks (Storyworthy): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-tell-better-stories-matthew-dicks-storyworthy/• A life of yes: Matthew Dicks at TEDxSomerville: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3TaQFcaMk4• The Office on Peacock: https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/the-office• 30 Rock on Peacock: https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/30-rock/6240863759978157112• Dall-E-2: https://openai.com/index/dall-e-2/• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com• Fellow kettles: https://fellowproducts.com/products/stagg-ekg-electric-pour-over-kettle• TikTok’s “Roman Empire” Meme, Explained: https://www.forbes.com/sites/danidiplacido/2023/09/21/tiktoks-roman-empire-meme-explained/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 23 June 2024

Tanguy Crusson is the product lead for Jira Product Discovery at Atlassian. In his more than 10 years at the company, he has been instrumental in taking several new products from zero to one, including HipChat, Statuspage, and Jira Product Discovery. In this episode, we dive deep into the struggles of innovating and building new products inside a large company. Tanguy shares candid stories about what worked, what didn’t, and his many hard-won lessons learned about how to successfully build 0 to 1. We cover:• Why large companies with so many advantages still fail at creating new products• Lessons learned from building HipChat• How to avoid common pitfalls like competitive myopia and premature scaling• Lessons learned from the acquisition and integration of Statuspage• Insights from the success of Jira Product Discovery• Tactics for protecting your “ugly babies”• The power of “lighthouse users”• The importance of having a “why now”• Much more—Brought to you by:• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs• Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-0-to-1-inside-atlassian-tanguy-crusson—Where to find Tanguy Crusson:• X: https://x.com/tanguycrusson• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanguy-crusson-99832a—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) Tanguy’s background(02:30) Tanguy’s journey at Atlassian(07:03) The challenges of innovating in large companies(10:42) Atlassian's high bar for excellence (12:58) The HipChat story: successes, failures, and lessons learned(20:47) Lessons learned from building HipChat(33:49) Statuspage: a journey of perseverance(39:48) Acquisition challenges and lessons(47:22) Strategic decisions: build, buy, or partner?(48:17) Learning to articulate "why now"(54:08) A quick summary of lessons in this episode(55:40) The success and pain of launching Jira Product Discovery (58:10) Incubating new products: the Point A program(01:00:13) Failure is the most likely outcome(01:04:15) Atlassian's four-phase approach to launching new products(01:09:20) Breaking rules without breaking trust(01:16:16) Early success and team autonomy(01:17:22) Innovating without disrupting existing customers(01:23:17) The Lighthouse Users program(01:30:00) Protecting and nurturing new ideas(01:36:14) Balancing innovation with personal well-being(01:38:17) A reminder to look after yourself(01:42:06) Lightning round—Referenced:• Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/• HipChat: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Hipchat/ct-p/hipchat• Stride: https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Stride/ct-p/stride• Statuspage: https://www.atlassian.com/software/statuspage• Opsgenie: https://www.atlassian.com/software/opsgenie• Jira Product Discovery: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/product-discovery• HipChat billboard: https://x.com/HubSpot/status/654696998126272512• Announcing our new partnership with Slack: https://www.atlassian.com/blog/announcements/new-atlassian-slack-partnership• Slack shows it’s worried about Microsoft Teams with a full-page newspaper ad: https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/2/13497766/slack-microsoft-teams-new-york-times-ad• What Is ‘Dogfooding’?: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/business/dogfooding.html• Jira: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira• Confluence: https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence• PagerDuty: https://www.pagerduty.com/• New Relic: https://newrelic.com/• BigPanda: https://www.bigpanda.io/• Transparent Uptime: http://www.transparentuptime.com/• Vision, conviction, and hype: How to build 0 to 1 inside a company | Mihika Kapoor (Product at Figma): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/vision-conviction-hype-mihika-kapoor• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Lessons from Atlassian: Launching new products, getting buy-in, and staying ahead of the competition | Megan Cook (head of product, Jira): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-atlassian-launching• Noah Weiss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noahw/• Tanguy’s LinkedIn post about “lighthouse users”: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tanguy-crusson-99832a_lighthouse-users-one-of-the-pm-techniques-activity-7176654510801502210-hWNi/• Pixar Chief: Protect Your ‘Ugly Babies’ (Your Unsightly Ideas): https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyboynton/2014/03/17/pixar-chief-protect-your-ugly-babies-your-unsightly-ideas/• Atlas: https://www.atlassian.com/software/atlas• Point A: https://www.atlassian.com/point-a• Scott Farquhar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottfarquhar• Who: A Method for Hiring: https://www.amazon.com/Who-Method-Hiring-HC-2008/dp/B004C79SRS/• Hakim’s Odyssey: Book 1: From Syria to Turkey: https://www.amazon.com/Hakims-Odyssey-Book-Syria-Turkey/dp/1637790007• Living with the Earth, Volume 1: Permaculture, Ecoculture: Inspired by Nature: https://www.amazon.com/Living-Earth-Gardeners-Permaculture-Ecoculture/dp/1856232603/• INRIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Institute_for_Research_in_Computer_Science_and_Automation• How a Hydrofoil Works: https://web.mit.edu/2.972/www/reports/hydrofoil/hydrofoil.html• What Is Kitefoil or Foilboarding?: https://www.whenitswindy.com/wp/?page_id=534• Freediving: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freediving• Tanguy’s freediving stats: https://www.aidainternational.org/Athletes/Profile-00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000a45• Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.com/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 16 June 2024

Jeffrey Pfeffer teaches the single most popular (and somewhat controversial) class at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business: The Paths to Power. He’s also the author of 16 books, including 7 Rules of Power: Surprising—But True—Advice on How to Get Things Done and Advance Your Career. He has taught at Harvard, the London Business School, and IESE and has written for publications like Fortune and the Washington Post. Recognized by the Academy of Management and listed in the Thinkers50 Hall of Fame, Jeffrey also serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards, bringing his expertise to global audiences through seminars and executive education. In our conversation, we discuss:• Jeffrey’s seven rules of power• How individuals can acquire and use power in business• Networking, and how to do it effectively• How to build a non-cringe personal brand• How to increase your influence to amplify your impact• Examples and stories of people building power• Tradeoffs and challenges that come with power—Brought to you by:• Uizard—AI-powered prototyping for visionary product leaders• Webflow—The web experience platform• Heap—Cross-platform product analytics that converts, engages, and retains customers—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-paths-to-power-jeffrey-pfeffer—Where to find Jeffrey Pfeffer:• X: https://x.com/JeffreyPfeffer• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-pfeffer-57a01b6/• Website: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/• Podcast: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/pfeffer-on-power/—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) Jeffrey’s background (02:54) Understanding discomfort with power(04:56) Power skills for underrepresented groups(07:51) The popularity and challenges of Jeffrey’s class at Stanford(12:21) The seven rules of power(13:03) Success stories from his course(15:43) Building a personal brand(21:11) Getting out of your own way(26:04) Breaking the rules to gain power(30:34) Networking relentlessly(40:10) Why Jeffrey says to “pursue weak ties”(42:00) Using your power to build more power(44:34) The importance of appearance and body language(47:15) Mastering the art of presentation(55:12) Examples of homework assignments that Jeffrey gives students(59:11) People will forget how you acquired power(01:03:58) More good people need to have power(01:10:49) The price of power and autonomy(01:17:13) A homework assignment for you—Referenced:• Gerald Ferris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerald-r-ferris-5816b1b5/• Political Skill at Work: https://tarjomefa.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/4173-engilish.pdf• Laura Esserman, MD: https://cancer.ucsf.edu/people/esserman.laura• Taylor Swift’s website: https://www.taylorswift.com/• Matthew 7: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%207&version=NIV• Mother Teresa quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/2887-if-you-judge-people-you-have-no-time-to-love• Paths to Power course description: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Pfeffer-OB377-Course-Outline-2018.pdf• 7 Rules of Power: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/books/7-rules-of-power/• The Knowing-Doing Gap: https://jeffreypfeffer.com/books/the-knowing-doing-gap/• Derek Kan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekkan/• Mitt Romney on X: https://x.com/mittromney• Elaine Chao’s website: https://www.elainechao.com/• Tony Hsieh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hsieh• Zappos: https://www.zappos.com/• How I Did It: Zappos’s CEO on Going to Extremes for Customers: https://hbr.org/2010/07/how-i-did-it-zapposs-ceo-on-going-to-extremes-for-customers• McKinsey & Company: https://www.mckinsey.com/• Bain & Company: https://www.bain.com/• BCG: https://www.bcg.com/• Keith Ferrazzi’s website: https://www.keithferrazzi.com/• Deloitte: https://www2.deloitte.com/• Tristan Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristanwalker/• Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/• Laura Chau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-chau/• Canaan Partners: https://www.canaan.com/• Andreessen Horowitz: https://a16z.com/• Sequoia Capital: https://www.sequoiacap.com/• Greylock: https://greylock.com/• The Women Who Venture (WoVen) Podcast: https://www.canaan.com/woven/podcasts• Imposter syndrome: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/imposter-syndrome• Gary Loveman and Harrah’s Entertainment: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/gary-loveman-harrahs-entertainment• “If you need help, just ask”: Underestimating compliance with direct requests for help: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/publications/if-you-need-help-just-ask-underestimating-compliance-direct-requests• Life story of Kathleen Frances Fowler: https://www.forevermissed.com/kathleenfowler/lifestory• Jason Calacanis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis/• Jason Calacanis: A Case Study in Creating Resources: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/case-studies/jason-calacanis-case-study-creating-resources• You’re Invited: The Art and Science of Connection, Trust, and Belonging: https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Invited-Science-Cultivating-Influence/dp/0063030977• View from the Top: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/learning/guest-speakers/view-top• Omid Kordestani on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omid-kordestani-46515151/• Netscape: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netscape• Esther Wojcicki on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/estherwojcicki/• Leanne Williams: https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/leanne-williams• Precision Psychiatry: Using Neuroscience Insights to Inform Personally Tailored, Measurement-Based Care: https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Psychiatry-Neuroscience-Personally-Measurement-Based/dp/1615371583• Mark Granovetter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-granovetter-8161704/• The Strength of Weak Ties: https://snap.stanford.edu/class/cs224w-readings/granovetter73weakties.pdf• Getting a Job: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Job-Study-Contacts-Careers/dp/0226305813• Acting with Power: https://www.amazon.com/Acting-Power-More-Powerful-Believe/dp/110190397X• Articles by Herminia Ibarra: https://herminiaibarra.com/articles/• Kingdom of the Planet of the Ape: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11389872/• Jim Collins’s website: https://www.jimcollins.com/• Dana Carney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danarosecarney/• Baba Shiv: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/faculty/baba-shiv• Tony Hayward: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hayward• Lloyd Blankfein: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lloyd_Blankfein• Regis McKenna: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regis_McKenna• Jack Valenti: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Valenti• Salman Rushdie quote: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/434175220328596286/• How to build deeper, more robust relationships | Carole Robin (Stanford GSB professor, “Touchy Feely”): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/build-robust-relationships-carole-robin• Carole Robin’s 15% rule: https://pen-name.notion.site/Carole-Robin-on-Lenny-s-Podcast-dc7159208e4242428f4b11ebc92285eb• Karlie Kloss on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karliekloss• Lindsey Graham’s website: https://www.lindseygraham.com/• Was Microsoft’s Empire Built on Stolen Code? We May Never Know: https://www.wired.com/2012/08/ms-dos-examined-for-thef/• Who’s who of Jeffrey Epstein’s powerful friends, associates and possible co-conspirators: https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/12/us/jeffrey-epstein-associates-possible-accomplices/index.html• Why Did Martha Stewart Go to Prison? A Look Back at Her 2004 Fraud Case: https://people.com/martha-stewart-fraud-case-prison-sentence-look-back-8550277• Dianne Feinstein: https://www.congress.gov/member/dianne-feinstein/F000062• Richard Blum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_C._Blum• Athena Care Network: https://www.athenacarenetwork.org• James G. March: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_G._March• Satya Nadella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satyanadella/• Trump Organization fined $1.6 million for tax fraud: https://apnews.com/article/politics-legal-proceedings-new-york-city-donald-trump-manhattan-e2f1d01525dafb64be8738c8b4f32085• Rudy Giuliani: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Giuliani• Harvard president resigns amid claims of plagiarism and antisemitism backlash: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2024/jan/02/harvard-president-claudine-gay-resigns• Stanford president resigns after fallout from falsified data in his research: https://www.npr.org/2023/07/19/1188828810/stanford-university-president-resigns• Rudy Crew: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Crew—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 13 June 2024

Uri Levine is the co-founder of Waze, the world’s largest community-based traffic and navigation app, acquired by Google for over $1 billion. He’s also founded nine other companies, been on the board of 20 companies, and advised more than 50 companies. He’s most recently the author of Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs, hailed by Steve Wozniak as the “Bible for entrepreneurs.” Uri is dedicated to creating impactful startups that solve real-world problems and has seen everything from failure to moderate success to big success. In our conversation, we dig into:• Why falling in love with the problem is key to startup success• The phases of the startup journey and how to navigate them• Why firing is more important than hiring• How Waze iterated to achieve product-market fit• Tactics for telling a compelling story when fundraising• Much more—Brought to you by:• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security• Mercury—The powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank• LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-uri-levine—Where to find Uri Levine:• X: https://twitter.com/urilevine1• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uri-levine• Website: https://urilevine.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) Uri’s background(02:50) Falling in love with the problem(09:03) Signs this is a big enough problem(10:54) The importance of passion(12:06) A pivot example(14:01) Where to find startup ideas(21:57) Finding product-market fit at Waze(29:45) The different phases of a startup journey(36:47) What investors don’t want to hear(39:53) Fundraising tips(48:02) How to make your presentations stronger(50:32) A wild fundraising story(53:46) Firing and hiring(59:50) The 30-day test(01:04:12) Understanding users(01:12:10) Talking to the right users(01:15:36) Lightning round—Referenced:• Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs: https://www.amazon.com/Fall-Love-Problem-Solution-Entrepreneurs/dp/1637741987• Waze: https://www.waze.com/• Ben Horowitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/behorowitz/• Ben Horowitz quote: https://quotefancy.com/quote/1635284/Ben-Horowitz-As-a-startup-CEO-I-slept-like-a-baby-I-woke-up-every-2-hours-and-cried• Michael Jordan quote: https://www.forbes.com/quotes/11194/#:~:text=I've%20lost%20almost%20300,that%20is%20why%20I%20succeed.• Steph Curry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Curry• How Airbnb Used Word of Mouth to Change the Travel Industry Forever: https://truested.com/story/airbnb• Space Mountain: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Mountain_(Disneyland)• How Netflix builds a culture of excellence | Elizabeth Stone (CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-netflix-builds-a-culture-of-excellence• Steve Wozniak on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wozniaksteve/• Uri’s post about the conference in Guatemala with Steve Wozniak: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/uri-levine_jewishnewyear-speakers-book-activity-6980089544079486976-0ADa/• Leonardo da Vinci quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/9010638-simplicity-is-the-ultimate-sophistication-when-once-you-have-tasted• Geoffrey Moore on finding your beachhead, crossing the chasm, and dominating a market: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/geoffrey-moore-on-finding-your-beachhead• Nana Korobi Ya Oki: https://ikigaitribe.com/vlog/nana-korobi-ya-oki/• That Will Never Work: The Birth of Netflix and the Amazing Life of an Idea: https://www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530204• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299• 8 Great Chess Apps for Beginners and Grand Masters: https://www.wired.com/story/best-chess-apps/• Pontera: https://pontera.com/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 9 June 2024

Cameron Adams is the co-founder and chief product officer of Canva. Canva is one of the world’s most valuable private software companies, used by 95% of Fortune 500 companies. Since its launch in 2013, Canva has grown to over 150 million monthly users in more than 190 countries, generating $2.3 billion in annual revenue. Prior to Canva, Cameron ran a design consultancy, worked at Google on Google Wave, and founded the email startup Fluent. He is also an author of five web design books and a regular speaker at global conferences. In our conversation, we discuss:• Why they spent a year building their minimum viable product (MVP) before launch• Why Canva has no managers, and their unique approach to coaching and performance reviews• Why they encourage employees to “give away their Legos”• Insights into Canva’s SEO growth strategy• Their three-pillar framework for integrating AI into their product• Stories from the early days—Brought to you by:• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs• Attio—The powerful, flexible CRM for fast-growing startups• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-canva-with-cameron-adams—Where to find Cameron Adams:• X: https://twitter.com/themaninblue• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue• Website: https://themaninblue.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) Cameron’s background(02:00) Reflecting on the success of Canva(04:50) Reflecting on hard times(10:01) Canva’s product-obsessed culture(12:02) Why they prioritize internal promotions and hires(13:56) What makes Canva unique(16:31) The concept of giving away your Legos(21:44) Why Canva has no managers(24:29) Product management at Canva(27:56) Reflections on working with a married couple(30:37) Why they spent a year building their MVP before launch(33:49) Advice for building an MVP(41:23) Canva’s onboarding transformation(44:25) Canva’s SEO strategy(50:37) The success of Canva’s freemium strategy(54:24) Integrating AI into Canva’s product(01:01:50) Where to find Cameron—Referenced:• Canva: https://www.canva.com/• Melanie Perkins on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melanieperkins• Cliff Obrecht on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliff-obrecht-79ba9920• Jennie Rogerson, Head of People, LinkedIn post about “season opener” events: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jennierogerson_season-opener-is-one-of-my-favourite-events-activity-7006815614556135424-73bD/• Game of Thrones on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones• Woodstock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodstock• ‘Give Away Your Legos’ and Other Commandments for Scaling Startups: https://review.firstround.com/give-away-your-legos-and-other-commandments-for-scaling-startups/• Minimum viable product (MVP): https://www.productboard.com/glossary/minimum-viable-product-mvp• Canva’s SEO Strategy Is Elite: https://thegrowthplaybook.substack.com/p/canvas-seo-strategy-is-elite• The SEO Strategy That Led Canva to a $40 Billion Valuation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INyGKt6LAqM• Andrianes Pinantoan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrianes/• Canva Create: https://www.canva.com/canva-create/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 2024

Matt Dixon is one of the world’s foremost experts in sales and the author of The Challenger Sale, which sold over a million copies worldwide and was a #1 Amazon and Wall Street Journal bestseller. His most recent book, The JOLT Effect, focuses on overcoming customer indecision—one of the biggest challenges to closing deals. Outside of writing, Matt co-founded DCM Insights, a boutique consultancy helping organizations understand customer behavior, and is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, with more than 20 print and online articles to his credit. In our conversation, we discuss:• Why 40% to 60% of qualified sales opportunities are lost due to customer indecision• Why dialing up FOMO doesn’t work, and what to do instead• The “pings and echoes” technique to catch issues early• The JOLT method for overcoming indecision• Key lessons from The Challenger Sale• Practical examples of how to apply these principles to close more deals—Brought to you by:• Enterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growth• Webflow—The web experience platform• Heap—Cross-platform product analytics that converts, engages, and retains customers—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/close-more-deals-matt-dixon—Where to find Matt Dixon:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewxdixon• Website: https://www.jolteffect.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) Matt’s background(01:57) The research behind Matt’s books(06:08) Insights from The JOLT Effect(10:15) FOMO vs. FOMU(18:18) An example of selling software(26:04) The JOLT method Step 1: Judge their level of indecision(29:41) The “pings and echoes” technique(34:49) Step 2: Offer a recommendation(38:36) Step 3: Limit the exploration(41:43) Step 4: Take risk off the table(45:58) When to hit the pause button with a customer(47:27) Insights from The Challenger Sale(49:07) An example of a challenger sale(55:23) Where to find Matt—Referenced:• A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins | April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-step-by-step-guide-to-crafting• The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation/dp/0670922854• The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision: https://www.amazon.com/JOLT-Effect-Performers-Overcome-Indecision/dp/0593538102• Gartner acquires CEB: https://www.gartner.com/en/about/acquisitions/history/ceb-acquisition• Tiger King on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81115994• Why sourdough went viral: https://www.economist.com/1843/2020/08/04/why-sourdough-went-viral• Neil Rackham: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Rackham• Status quo bias in decision-making: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Status_quo_bias• Omission bias: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/omission-bias• Gartner Magic Quadrant & Critical Capabilities: https://www.gartner.com/en/research/magic-quadrant• Dunning-Kruger effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect• Stop Losing Sales to Customer Indecision: https://hbr.org/2022/06/stop-losing-sales-to-customer-indecision• Dentsply Sirona: https://www.dentsplysirona.com/• “We happy?” Briefcase scene from Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGchDuOpbhE• Nupro Freedom Cordless Prophy System: https://www.dentsplysirona.com/en-us/discover/discover-by-category/preventive/hygiene-handpieces.html—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 30 May 2024

Bangaly Kaba was an early growth PM at Facebook, head of growth at Instagram, and VP of Product at Instacart and is currently Director of Product at YouTube overseeing a global team working on creator monetization. Bangaly has also been a growth advisor to dozens of companies, including Twitter, on the board of multiple companies, and is an active angel investor. In our conversation, we discuss:• A simple framework for choosing where to work and what to work on• The importance of “understand work”• The “adjacent users” theory and how it can help you drive growth• Advice for coaching product managers• Invaluable lessons from his time at Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube• Much more—Brought to you by:• Uizard—AI-powered prototyping for visionary product leaders• Mercury—The powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.—Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/frameworks-for-growing-your-career-bangaly-kaba—Where to find Bangaly Kaba:• X: https://twitter.com/iambangaly• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iambangaly/• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iambangaly/—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) Bangaly’s background(06:31) Choosing where to work and what to work on(08:39) The impact factor(10:53) Evaluating the environment(15:53) The manager component(18:27) The skills part of the equation(23:49) Advice on finding a mentor(25:42) The power of “understand work”(31:17) Operationalizing understand work(37:55) Balancing understand work(41:25) Managing complex change(45:26) Effective management of product managers(51:35) The role of product managers as coaches and team leaders(54:52) Driving growth through flywheels and value proposition(01:03:14) Understanding adjacent users(01:08:41) The role of partnerships and SEO in Instagram’s early growth(01:16:08) The secret behind Instagram’s growth(01:25:37) Lessons from Facebook(01:29:15) Failure corner(01:31:58) Lightning round—Referenced:• Impact = Environment x Skills: How to Make Career Decisions: https://www.reforge.com/blog/how-to-make-career-decisions• Thinking beyond frameworks | Casey Winters (Pinterest, Eventbrite, Airbnb, Tinder, Canva, Reddit, Grubhub): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/thinking-beyond-frameworks-casey• Casey Winters’s blog: https://caseyaccidental.com/• Ben Thompson’s newsletter: https://stratechery.com/about/• Elena Verna on how B2B growth is changing, product-led growth, product-led sales, why you should go freemium not trial, what features to make free, and much more: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/elena-verna-on-why-every-company• George Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geolee/• Bangaly Kaba: The Path to 1 Billion: Lessons Learned from Growing Instagram—CXL LIVE 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9ZHlb6kj_E• What Is ‘Dogfooding’?: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/14/business/dogfooding.html• Bloom’s taxonomy: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_taxonomy• Kevin Systrom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinsystrom/• Mike Krieger on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekrieger/• LeBron James: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeBron_James• Kobe Bryant: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_Bryant• Mike Krzyzewski: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Krzyzewski• John Calipari: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calipari• Stripe: https://stripe.com/• Chief: https://chief.com/• Jobs to be done framework: https://jobs-to-be-done.com/jobs-to-be-done-a-framework-for-customer-needs-c883cbf61c90• The Adjacent User: https://brianbalfour.com/quick-takes/the-adjacent-user• How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got• Alex Zhu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keepsilence/• From Brush to Canvas with Alex Zhu of Musical.ly: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey15v81pwII• Selena Gomez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/selenagomez/• Kim Kardashian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kimkardashian/• Rob Andrews on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robby-andrews-64669720/• Instagram’s growth speeds up as it hits 700 million users: https://techcrunch.com/2017/04/26/instagram-700-million-users/• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World: https://www.amazon.com/Range-Generalists-Triumph-Specialized-World/dp/0735214484• Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World: https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692• Start at the End: How to Build Products That Create Change: https://www.amazon.com/Start-End-Products-Create-Change/dp/0525534423• Flighty app: https://www.flightyapp.com/• Adam Grant on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamgrant/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 26 May 2024

Kenneth Berger coaches startup leaders on how to prevent burnout, advocate for their desired lifestyle, and make a meaningful impact on the world. He’s spent more than 20 years in the tech industry, is a former founder backed by top investors, and was the first product manager at Slack. Kenneth’s core mission is to help startup leaders change the world by learning to ask for what they want, living with integrity, and building genuine relationships even with the people they find most challenging. Currently he is writing a book, Ask for What You Want, in which he aims to share his actionable strategies for creating change in the world. In our conversation, we explore:• Why asking for what you want is so impactful• Three steps to effectively ask for what you want• Challenges that arise when people struggle to ask for what they want• Why hearing “no” is a normal part of the process• The “dream behind the complaint” technique for uncovering desires• Kenneth’s experience of being fired three times from Slack• How embracing fear and discomfort is key to getting what you want• Why discipline is overrated—Brought to you by:• Sidebar—Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers• Webflow—The web experience platform• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/ask-for-what-you-want-kenneth-berger—Where to find Kenneth Berger:• X: https://twitter.com/kberger• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@kberger• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kberger/• Website: https://kberger.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) Kenneth’s background(04:31) The importance of asking for what you want(06:36) Challenges that arise when people struggle to ask for what they want(08:09) A personal example of failing to ask for what you want(09:17) Signs this is a skill you need to work on(10:49) How to get better at knowing what you want(15:28) Why hearing “no” is a normal part of the process(17:29) Getting a “yes” vs. a “hell yes”(19:20) Step 1: Articulate what you want(24:07) Doing an integrity check(26:56) Step 2: Ask for what you want intentionally(30:45) Understanding your influence(34:48) Using complaints as inspiration(36:24) Internal family systems(38:00) Giving feedback(41:24) Step 3: Accept the response(45:22) Kenneth’s experience of being fired three times from Slack(57:30) Advice on being the first PM at a company or startup(01:04:58) Contrarian corner: anti-discipline(01:05:52) Lightning round—Referenced:• Joining as the first product manager: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/joining-as-the-first-product-manager• Internal Family Systems: https://ifs-institute.com/• How to build deeper, more robust relationships | Carole Robin (Stanford GSB professor, “Touchy Feely”): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/build-robust-relationships-carole-robin• Leaders in Tech: https://leadersintech.org/• The Three Realities Framework | The 15% Rule | Feedback Guidelines: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/build-robust-relationships-carole-robin• T-group weekends at Stanford: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/learning/leadership/interpersonal-dynamics/facilitation-training-program/intro-tgroup• DBT skill DEAR MAN: https://www.therapistaid.com/therapy-worksheet/dbt-dear-man• Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/22838-dialectical-behavior-therapy-dbt• Vision, conviction, and hype: How to build 0 to 1 inside a company | Mihika Kapoor (Product at Figma): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/vision-conviction-hype-mihika-kapoor• Stewart Butterfield on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/butterfield/• How to fire people with grace, work through fear, and nurture innovation | Matt Mochary (CEO coach): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-fire-people-with-grace-work• Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/1250103509• Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice• Jonny Miller’s Nervous System Mastery course: https://nsmastery.com/lenny• Managing nerves, anxiety, and burnout | Jonny Miller (Nervous System Mastery): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-nerves-anxiety-and-burnout• The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success: https://www.amazon.com/15-Commitments-Conscious-Leadership-Sustainable-ebook/dp/B00R3MHWUE• Break Point on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81569920• Living on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81582076• Wimbledon tennis: https://www.wimbledon.com• Wenshan Baozhong tea: https://redblossomtea.com/products/wenshan-baozhong?variant=31629962820• Tea From Taiwan: https://www.teafromtaiwan.com/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 19 May 2024

Jag Duggal is chief product officer at Nubank, a decacorn neobank founded in Brazil. It’s valued at over $30 billion, is bigger than Coinbase, Robinhood, Affirm, and SoFi combined, has 100 million customers (more than Bank of America!) while only operating in three countries in Latin America, and 80% to 90% of its growth comes through word of mouth. Prior to Nubank, Jag was a director of product management at Facebook, a senior vice president at Quantcast, and a product leader at Google. In our conversation, we discuss:• How Nubank builds a fanatical user base• Tactics for driving word-of-mouth growth• Measuring customer love through the Sean Ellis score• The importance of strategic clarity• The role of category design in creating successful products• Why companies should strive to be “fundamentally different,” not “incrementally better”• Nubank’s vision for an AI-powered banking future—Brought to you by:• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs• Mercury—The powerful and intuitive way for ambitious companies to bank• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/be-fundamentally-different-jag-duggal—Where to find Jag Duggal:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagduggal/—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) Jag’s background(04:34) Nubank’s remarkable achievements(06:01) Nubank’s product development process(11:23) Nubank’s values(12:16) Building products people love fanatically(15:21) The Sean Ellis score(21:27) An example project using the Sean Ellis score(25:07) Picking up the phone and calling customers(28:20) The importance of starting small and iterating(30:42) Pushing back effectively(34:10) Uncovering pain points through customer research(37:53) An example of setting a clear hypothesis(42:01) Developing a strategy(52:16) “Be fundamentally different, not incrementally better”(53:10) Category design(57:37) Nubank’s founding story and goals for the future(01:00:46) Advice for adding new product lines(01:03:46) The future of fintech and banking(01:09:23) AI corner(01:12:34) Failure corner(01:20:24) Key takeaways(01:22:11) Lightning round—Referenced:• Nubank: https://nubank.com.br/en/• Coinbase: https://www.coinbase.com/• Robinhood: https://www.robinhood.com/• SoFi: https://www.sofi.com/• Affirm: https://www.affirm.com/• Lemonade: https://www.lemfi.com/• Bank of America: https://www.bankofamerica.com/• Nubank achieves a world record with more than 7 million people participating in NuBolão in one month: https://building.nubank.com.br/nubank-achieves-world-record-with-nubolao• Nu México carries out first financial transaction 20 meters under the depth of the sea: https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/nu-mexico-carries-out-first-financial-transaction-20-meters-under-the-depth-of-the-sea• David Vélez on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-v%C3%A9lez-1004875• Cristina Junqueira on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crisjunqueira• Edward Wible on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamedwardwible• Sequoia Capital: https://www.sequoiacap.com/• Churrascaria: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churrascaria• Nubank’s real foundation: our culture and values: https://building.nubank.com.br/nubank-culture-and-values/• Working Backwards Press Release Template and Example: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/working-backwards-press-release-template-example-ian-mcallister/• Sean Ellis test: https://productcoalition.com/using-sean-ellis-test-for-measuring-your-product-market-fit-c8ac98053c2c• How to know if you’ve got product-market fit: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket• Reid Hoffman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidhoffman/• Ultravioleta: Nubank expands its premium card offer and adds new features on the product’s first anniversary: https://international.nubank.com.br/company/ultravioleta-nubank-expands-its-premium-card-offer-and-adds-new-features-on-the-products-first-anniversary/• Jeff Bezos: Amazon and Blue Origin | Lex Fridman Podcast #405: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWqzZ3I2cY• The Innovation Method Behind Swiffer Madness: https://www.fastcompany.com/3006797/innovation-method-behind-swiffer-madness• Kevin Systrom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinsystrom/• Good Strategy, Bad Strategy | Richard Rumelt: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/good-strategy-bad-strategy-richard• Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters/dp/0307886239• The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists: https://www.amazon.com/Crux-How-Leaders-Become-Strategists/dp/1541701240/• How to become a category pirate | Christopher Lochhead (author of Play Bigger, Niche Down, Category Pirates, more): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-become-a-category-pirate-christopher• Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets: https://www.amazon.com/Play-Bigger-Dreamers-Innovators-Dominate/dp/0062407619• Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works: https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-Strategy-Really-Works/dp/142218739X• A framework for finding product-market fit | Todd Jackson (First Round Capital): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-framework-for-finding-product-market• Citi: https://www.citi.com/• Santander Bank: https://www.santanderbank.com/• Fidji Sumo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fidjisimo/• Harvard Kennedy School: https://www.hks.harvard.edu/• Susan Wojcicki on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susan-wojcicki-b136a99/• Coldplay—“Lost+” ft. Jay-Z: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkCDRm_YRFg• Google Buys DoubleClick for $3.1 Billion: https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/14/technology/14DoubleClick.html• Real-time bidding: https://support.google.com/authorizedbuyers/answer/6136272• From Third World to First: The Singapore Story: 1965-2000: https://www.amazon.com/Third-World-First-Singapore-1965-2000/dp/0060197765/• The Gilded Age on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/the-gilded-age• Lomi: https://lomi.com/• Nubank careers: https://international.nubank.com.br/careers/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 16 May 2024

Vikrama Dhiman heads all things product at Gojek, including product management, design, program management, and research, across Indonesia, Singapore and India. He has over 16 years of experience building internet products, consults with Fortune 500 companies, and is among the most well-known and respected product leaders in all of Asia. In our conversation, we discuss:• The most common traits among successful product managers• The 3 W’s framework for PM career growth• The Four A’s of leveling up in product management• The right way to push back as a PM• Common pitfalls that stall PM careers• Vikrama’s advice for transitioning into product management• Why intent alone is not enough—Brought to you by:• Uizard—AI-powered prototyping for visionary product leaders• Webflow—The web experience platform• Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-framework-for-pm-skill-development—Where to find Vikrama Dhiman:• X: https://twitter.com/vikramadhiman• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vikrama/• Website: https://www.vikramadhiman.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) Vikrama’s background(03:56) Three common traits among great PMs(07:09) The first W: What you produce(15:40) The second W: What you bring to the table(18:58) The third W: What’s your operating model?(20:36) Three traits that make you a great PM to work with(21:49) How to improve the quality and quantity of your outputs(23:26) The art of the pushback(26:55) Common factors that impede career growth(33:39) Vikrama’s personal reflections(39:33) Choosing which skill(s) to focus on developing(46:28) The ambiguity of the PM role(51:47) The 8 axis for PM growth(56:57) Contrarian corner: Why intent alone is not enough(59:30) Lightning round—Referenced:• Taxi mafias, cash vaults, and 100% MoM growth: The story behind Southeast Asia’s biggest startup | Kevin Aluwi (Gojek): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/taxi-mafias-cash-vaults-and-100-mom• How to scrappily hire for, measure, and unlock growth | Crystal Widjaja, Gojek and Kumu: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-hire-for-measure-and-unlock• Gojek: https://www.gojek.com/en-id• SQL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQL• Oracle: https://www.oracle.com/• Crystal Widjaja on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalwidjaja• Raditya Wibowo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raditya-wibowo-a0845436/?originalSubdomain=id• Sidu Ponnappa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidup• Leveraging mentors to uplevel your career | Jules Walter (YouTube, Slack): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/leveraging-mentors-to-uplevel-your• Kevin Aluwi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaluwi/• Workday: https://www.workday.com/• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• Small Data: The Tiny Clues That Uncover Huge Trends: https://www.amazon.com/Small-Data-Clues-Uncover-Trends/dp/1250080681• Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World: https://www.amazon.com/Originals-How-Non-Conformists-Move-World/dp/014312885X• Thinking, Fast and Slow: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Fast-Slow-Daniel-Kahneman/dp/0374533555• Miss Congeniality on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Miss-Congeniality-Sandra-Bullock/dp/B002R5HQDK• Schitt’s Creek on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Schitts-Creek/dp/B083LDRW9F• DramaBox: https://www.dramaboxapp.com/• Am I Overthinking This?: Over-Answering Life’s Questions in 101 Charts: https://www.amazon.com/Am-Overthinking-This-Over-answering-questions/dp/1452175861/• Crazy Rich Asians on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Rich-Asians-Constance-Wu/dp/B07JGJFXBF• 9 Best Hawker Centers in Singapore—and What to Eat There: https://www.afar.com/magazine/best-hawker-centers-in-singapore-and-what-to-eat-there—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2024

Hamilton Helmer is one of the world’s leading experts on business strategy and the author of the seminal book 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy, which provides a comprehensive framework for understanding what it really takes to achieve and sustain a competitive advantage. With more than three decades of experience in the strategic consulting industry, Hamilton has advised over 200 companies—from burgeoning startups to Fortune 100 giants—on how to identify, build, and leverage their unique strategic powers. In our conversation, we discuss:• Potential sources of power that startups should develop from an early stage• Common misconceptions among companies about the types of power they possess• How power relates to strategy• The difference between a moat and a power• Practical strategies for non-leaders to leverage insights about power and strategy in their work• AI’s impact on competitive advantages and barriers to entry—Brought to you by:• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security• Paragon—Ship every SaaS integration your customers want—Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/business-strategy-with-hamilton-helmer—Where to find Hamilton Helmer:• X: https://twitter.com/hamiltonhelmer• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamilton-helmer-42983/• Website: https://7powers.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) Hamilton’s background(04:08) When power becomes important(08:24) How strategy relates to power(12:09) How power informs strategy(14:46) The sequence of powers(21:13) Common misconceptions(24:39) Network effects vs. network economies(26:58) Uber’s success(29:16) Moats vs. powers(31:12) Strategies for non-leaders to leverage power and strategy(37:51) Advice on how to become a strategic thinker(39:27) AI’s impact on the seven powers(45:43) Why moving fast is not a power(50:24) Three things that create value in a company(51:16) The debt trajectory of the U.S.(56:35) Optimism for the future(59:25) Lightning round—Referenced:• 7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy: https://www.amazon.com/7-Powers-Foundations-Business-Strategy/dp/0998116319• John von Neumann: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_von_Neumann• Pearl Harbor: https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/pearl-harbor• Where the Japanese Went Wrong at Pearl Harbor: https://pearlharbor.org/blog/where-japanese-went-wrong-pearl-harbor/• The ‘7 Powers’ of business success—from one of Netflix’s early investors: https://www.qualitycompounders.com.au/post/the-7-powers-of-business-success-from-one-of-netflix-s-early-investors• 7 Powers: Foundations of Business Strategy (Key Takeaways): https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-powers-foundations-business-strategy-key-takeaways-nikita-maloo/• Strategy Capital: https://strategycapital.com/• Warren Buffett: https://www.forbes.com/profile/warren-buffett/• Charlie Munger: https://www.forbes.com/profile/charles-munger/• Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger: https://www.stripe.press/poor-charlies-almanack• Bill Gates reveals why Warren Buffett was an invaluable source of support during the stormiest period of his career: https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-interview-warren-buffett-support-microsoft-antitrust-lawsuit-2019-6• Billionaire Warren Buffett’s Secret Love Affair With Castles, Revealed: https://www.thestreet.com/opinion/billionaire-warren-buffett-s-secret-love-affair-with-castles-revealed-14290973• Netflix didn’t kill Blockbuster—how Netflix almost lost the movie rental wars: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/22/how-netflix-almost-lost-the-movie-rental-wars-to-blockbuster.html• Michael Porter on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professorporter/• What Is Strategy?: https://hbr.org/1996/11/what-is-strategy• TSMC: https://www.tsmc.com/english• Toyota Production System: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_Production_System• America will be left with ‘severe, irreversible scars’ if national debt goes unchecked. Now, a blockbuster report warns the bill is higher than believed, hitting $141T by 2054: https://fortune.com/2024/04/01/america-social-economic-scars-us-debt-gomes-price/• Ben S. Bernanke: https://www.federalreservehistory.org/people/ben-s-bernanke• Forty-four of 50 U.S. states worsen inequality with ‘upside-down’ taxes: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/jan/10/states-wealth-inequality-taxes• Joseph A. Schumpeter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Schumpeter• Theory of Economic Development: https://www.amazon.com/Theory-Economic-Development-Science-Classics/dp/0878556982• The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe: https://www.amazon.com/Road-Reality-Complete-Guide-Universe/dp/0679776311• The Gene: An Intimate History: https://www.amazon.com/Gene-Intimate-History-Siddhartha-Mukherjee/dp/147673352X• American Fiction on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/American-Fiction-Jeffrey-Wright/dp/B0CQKR72NX• Farahan Sarouk rugs: https://nazmiyalantiquerugs.com/persian-sarouk-farahan-rugs/• Rory Sutherland on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rorysutherland• Ogilvy: https://www.ogilvy.com/• Clint Eastwood quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/clint_eastwood_168005• Winston Churchill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston_Churchill• Michelangelo, God’s Architect: The Story of His Final Years and Greatest Masterpiece: https://www.amazon.com/Michelangelo-Gods-Architect-Greatest-Masterpiece/dp/0691195498• The Last Judgment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_Judgment_(Michelangelo)• Theodore Roosevelt: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/theodore-roosevelt/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 5 May 2024

Annie Duke is a former professional poker player, a decision-making expert, and a special partner at First Round Capital. She is the author of Thinking in Bets (a national bestseller) and Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away and the co-founder of the Alliance for Decision Education, a nonprofit whose mission is to improve lives by empowering students through decision skills education. In our conversation, we cover:• What Annie learned from the late Daniel Kahneman• The power of pre-mortems and “kill criteria”• The relationship between money and happiness• The power of “mental time travel”• The nominal group technique for better decision quality• How First Round Capital improved their decision-making process• Many tactical decision-making frameworks—Brought to you by:• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.• UserTesting—Human understanding. Human experiences.• LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/making-better-decisions-annie-duke—Where to find Annie Duke:• X: https://twitter.com/AnnieDuke• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-duke/• Website: https://www.annieduke.com/• Substack: https://www.annieduke.com/substack/—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) Annie’s background(03:53) Lessons from Daniel Kahneman: humility, curiosity, and open-mindedness(09:15) The importance of unconditional love in parenting(15:15) Mental time travel and “nevertheless”(20:06) The extent of improvement possible in decision-making (24:54) Independent brainstorming for better decisions(35:36) Making sure people feel heard(42:41) The “3Ds” framework to make better decisions(44:49) Decision quality(55:46) Improving decision-making at First Round Capital(01:05:05) Using pre-mortems and kill criteria(01:10:15) Making explicit what’s implicit(01:10:55) The challenges of quitting and knowing when to walk away(01:19:23) Where to find Annie—Referenced:• Daniel Kahneman, Who Plumbed the Psychology of Economics, Dies at 90: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/27/business/daniel-kahneman-dead.html• Adversarial collaboration: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adversarial_collaboration• Does more money correlate with greater happiness?: https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/does-more-money-correlate-greater-happiness-Penn-Princeton-research#• Income and emotional well-being: A conflict resolved: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36857342/• Strategic decisions: When can you trust your gut?: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/strategic-decisions-when-can-you-trust-your-gut• Cass Sunstein on X: https://twitter.com/CassSunstein• Dr. Becky on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbeckyatgoodinside• A framework for finding product-market fit | Todd Jackson (First Round Capital): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-framework-for-finding-product-market• First Round Capital: https://firstround.com/• Brett Berson on X: https://twitter.com/brettberson• Renegade Partners: https://www.renegadepartners.com/• Renata Quintini on X: https://twitter.com/rquintini• Roseanne Wincek on X: https://twitter.com/imthemusic• Josh Kopelman on X: https://twitter.com/joshk• Bill Trenchard on X: https://twitter.com/btrenchard• Linnea Gandhi on X: https://twitter.com/linneagandhi• Maurice Schweitzer on X: https://twitter.com/me_schweitzer• Problems with premortems: https://sjdm.org/presentations/2021-Poster-Gandhi-Linnea-debiasing-premortem-selfserving~.pdf• Create a Solid Plan on How to Fail Big This Year: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/2020/02/07/create-a-solid-plan-on-how-to-fail-big-this-year/• Quit: The Power of Knowing When to Walk Away: https://www.amazon.com/Quit-Power-Knowing-When-Walk/dp/0593422996/• Richard Thaler on X: https://twitter.com/R_Thaler• Stewart Butterfield on X: https://twitter.com/stewart• Glitch: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glitch_(video_game)• How the Founder of Slack & Flickr Turned Colossal Failures into Billion-Dollar Companies: https://medium.com/swlh/how-the-founder-of-slack-flickr-turned-failures-into-million-and-billion-dollar-companies-7bcaf0d35d66• The Most Fascinating Profile You’ll Ever Read About a Guy and His Boring Startup: https://www.wired.com/2014/08/the-most-fascinating-profile-youll-ever-read-about-a-guy-and-his-boring-startup/• The Alliance for Decision Education: https://alliancefordecisioneducation.org/• Make Better Decisions course on Maven: https://maven.com/annie-duke/make-better-decisions—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 2 May 2024

Kayvon Beykpour was the longest-serving head of product at Twitter and was GM of Twitter’s consumer division until the platform was acquired by Elon Musk. He originally joined Twitter in 2015 through the acquisition of his company, Periscope, the largest live video streaming platform at the time. Periscope pioneered technology that inspired Instagram Live, TikTok Live, Facebook Live, and other social networks’ expansion into video streaming. In our conversation, we discuss:• The story of being let go from Twitter after Elon’s acquisition• How he turned Twitter’s stagnant culture around• Kayvon’s thoughts on the limitations of frameworks like Jobs to Be Done• Why Periscope failed• Advice for building consumer products• When to copy, when to innovate—Brought to you by:• Enterpret—Transform customer feedback into product growth• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster• Heap—Cross-platform product analytics that convert, engage, and retain customers—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/twitters-former-head-of-product-kayvon-beykpour—Where to find Kayvon Beykpour:• X: https://twitter.com/kayvz• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayvz/—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) Kayvon’s background(04:31) Getting Elon up to speed at Twitter(11:34) The story of being let go from Twitter after Elon’s acquisition(21:09) Changing the product culture at Twitter(29:44) Building the “hide replies” feature(32:02) Sacred crows, taking bold bets, and reigniting growth(34:28) Aquihires and their impact(42:40) Tips for successful acquisitions and staffing(47:00) The limitations of frameworks like JTBD(53:20) Signs you’ve gone too far with a framework(57:44) Lessons from building Periscope(01:00:41) Reasons why Periscope failed(01:07:24) The challenges of implementing video at Twitter(01:12:05) Copying ideas in good taste(01:17:58) How to get better at building consumer products(01:19:51) What Kayvon is building(01:20:31) Lightning round—Referenced:• Lessons on building product sense, navigating AI, optimizing the first mile, and making it through the messy middle | Scott Belsky (Adobe, Behance): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/lessons-on-building-product-sense-navigating-ai-optimizing-the-first-mile-and-making-it-through-t/• What it’s like to sell your startup for ~$120 million before it’s even launched: Meet Twitter’s new prized possession, Periscope: https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-periscope-and-why-twitter-bought-it-2015-3• Walter Isaacson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/walter-isaacson-b8b81520/• Elon Musk on X: https://twitter.com/elonmusk• Parag Agrawal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parag-agrawal-5a14742a/• Jack Dorsey on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-dorsey-a43b07242/• Blackboard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackboard_Inc.• Keith Coleman on X: https://twitter.com/kcoleman• Esther Crawford on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esthercrawford/• Twitter acquires Chroma Labs: https://tech.hindustantimes.com/tech/news/twitter-acquires-chroma-labs-story-aqvcRPAoYXqXJuAbefA6cN.html• John Barnett on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbarnettt/• Jobs to Be Done framework: https://jobs-to-be-done.com/jobs-to-be-done-a-framework-for-customer-needs-c883cbf61c90• Hot takes and techno-optimism from tech’s top power couple: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/hot-takes-and-techno-optimism-from-techs-top-power-couple-sriram-and-aarthi/• Nike Is Unveiling the Kobe 11 Tomorrow Using Periscope: https://sneakernews.com/2015/12/13/nike-is-unveiling-the-kobe-11-tomorrow-using-periscope/• Chris Sacca’s website: https://chrissacca.com/• Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/formedia/tools/facebook-live• Kevin Hart on X: https://twitter.com/KevinHart4real• Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/• Vine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vine_(service)• Paul Davison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davison/• Rohan Seth on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohanseth/• Cryptonomicon: https://www.amazon.com/Cryptonomicon-Neal-Stephenson/dp/0380788624• Reamde: https://www.amazon.com/Reamde-Novel-Neal-Stephenson-ebook/dp/B004XVN0WW• The Name of the Wind: https://www.amazon.com/Name-Wind-Kingkiller-Chronicle-Book-ebook/dp/B0010SKUYM• Star Trek official site: https://www.startrek.com/• Dune: part 2: https://www.dunemovie.com/• Oppenheimer on Peacock: https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-movies/oppenheimer• Tokyo Vice on Max: https://www.max.com/shows/tokyo-vice/e7d93204-7f98-4e62-ab52-6c1da053f942• Devs on Hulu: https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/devs• Nick Offerman on X: https://twitter.com/nick_offerman• 3 Body Problem on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81024821• Perplexity AI: https://www.perplexity.ai/• Particle: https://www.particle.news/• Crokinole board game: https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/521/crokinole—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 28 April 2024

Carole Robin spent over 20 years teaching the Stanford Graduate School of Business course Interpersonal Dynamics, affectionately known as “Touchy Feely.” After leaving Stanford, she founded a nonprofit called Leaders in Tech, which applies the Touchy Feely principles to help Silicon Valley executives build their leadership and interpersonal skills. Carole co-authored the popular book Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues, which shares key insights from her decades of teaching these courses. In our conversation, we discuss:• The benefits of building robust relationships, in life and work• The 15% rule, and how it will help you build better relationships• The power of vulnerability• Examples of how to practice vulnerability• Why mental models you build early in life hold you back later• The “three realities” and “the net”• The art of inquiry• Practical tips for avoiding defensiveness when getting feedback• The impact of long Covid on Carole’s life—Brought to you by:• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• CommandBar—AI-powered user assistance for modern products and impatient users• The a16z Podcast—Featuring conversations with the founders and technologists shaping our future—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/build-robust-relationships-carole-robin—Where to find Carole Robin:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carole-robin/• Email: [email protected]—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) Carole’s background(05:17) The importance of building robust relationships(10:20) The “Touchy Feely” course at Stanford(13:29) An example of the in-class experience(17:19) Leaders in Tech: developing interpersonal competence(21:36) Progressive disclosure and the 15% rule(24:28) Appropriate disclosure(26:52) The power of vulnerability(34:57) Admitting mistakes and sharing feelings(37:08) Understanding mental models(42:57) The “three realities” framework(53:52) The power of feedback and personal change(58:47) The art of inquiry(01:03:27) How to get better at giving feedback(01:07:47) Exercises and continued learning(01:10:49) “Advice hinders relationships”(01:16:49) Failure corner: AFOG(01:20:30) Takeaways(01:21:51) Lessons from long Covid—Referenced:• How to Build Better Relationships: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/how-build-better-relationships• Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues: https://www.amazon.com/Connect-Building-Exceptional-Relationships-Colleagues-ebook/dp/B0894279WZ• Leaders in Tech: https://leadersintech.org/• Leaders in Tech Fellows: https://leadersintech.org/learnaboutfellows• Steve Jobs: https://www.forbes.com/profile/steve-jobs/• Sheryl Sandberg on X: https://twitter.com/sherylsandberg• Ursula Burns: https://www.forbes.com/profile/ursula-burns/• Application for Leaders in Tech: https://leadersintech.org/programs-and-applications• Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development and Scaffolding Theory: https://www.simplypsychology.org/zone-of-proximal-development.html• The Best Leaders Aren’t Afraid to Be Vulnerable: https://hbr.org/2022/07/the-best-leaders-arent-afraid-of-being-vulnerable• The Surprising Benefits of Admitting Mistakes: 5 Ways to Build Intellectual Humility: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tracybrower/2021/12/29/the-surprising-benefits-of-admitting-mistakes-5-ways-to-build-intellectual-humility/• How to Build Conflict Skills—The Pinch/Crunch Model: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahart/2023/12/15/how-to-build-conflict-skills-the-pinchcrunch-model/• Slides mentioned (The Three Realities Framework | The 15% Rule | Feedback Guidelines): https://pen-name.notion.site/Carole-Robin-4-25-5d47d38a620e4636966d31f4bf3c7d00?pvs=4• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success: https://www.amazon.com/Mindset-Psychology-Carol-S-Dweck/dp/0345472322• Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey?: https://hbr.org/1999/11/management-time-whos-got-the-monkey• Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-022-00846-2• Leadership, acceptance, and self-management: my journey with long COVID: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/leadership-acceptance-self-management-my-journey-long-carole-robin/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 25 April 2024

Mihika Kapoor is a design-engineer-PM hybrid at Figma, where she was an early PM on FigJam and is now spearheading development on a new product at the company that’s coming out this June. She’s known as the go-to person at Figma for leading new 0-to-1 products, and, as you’ll hear in our conversation, beloved by everyone she works with. Her background includes founding Design Nation, a national nonprofit focused on democratizing design education for undergraduates; spearheading product launches at Meta; and community building within the NYC AI startup scene. In our conversation, we discuss:• How to effectively take ideas from 0 to 1 at larger companies• How to craft a compelling vision• The importance of vulnerability and feedback• The role of intuition and product sense in making decisions• How to practically communicate your vision• How to balance collaboration and strong opinions• Advice for building a strong team culture• Pivoting with grace and enthusiasm• The current AI revolution and its impact on PM—Brought to you by:• Paragon—Ship every SaaS integration your customers want• Lenny’s Talent Team—Hire the best product people. Find the best product gigs• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/vision-conviction-hype-mihika-kapoor—Where to find Mihika Kapoor:• X: https://twitter.com/mihikapoor• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihikakapoor/—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) Mihika’s background(04:29) Core attributes of great product managers(07:34) Crafting a compelling vision(12:12) The vision behind FigJam (18:25) Delivering a vision without design or engineering skills(21:52) Creating momentum(26:36) The importance of strong conviction(27:45) Direct communication(32:48) Building hype(42:20) Immersing yourself in user insights(47:16) Operationalizing user insights (50:33) Caring deeply about what you build(54:01) Finding passion in your work(57:00) Building a strong culture(01:07:07) Pivoting with grace and enthusiasm(01:11:48) Design Nation(01:13:15) Mihika’s weaknesses(01:16:07) Building new products at larger companies(01:20:50) Coming up with a great idea(01:22:49) The key to going from 0 to 1(01:26:47) Spreading the idea across the company(01:29:15) Closing thoughts(01:32:11) Lightning round—Referenced:• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Sho Kuwamoto on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/• The Medici Effect: What Elephants and Epidemics Can Teach Us About Innovation: https://www.amazon.com/Medici-Effect-Preface-Discussion-Guide/dp/1633692949• FigJam: https://www.figma.com/figjam/• Cognition: https://www.cognition-labs.com/• Devin: https://www.cognition-labs.com/introducing-devin• David Hoang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhoang2/• Replit: https://replit.com/• The Making of Maker Week at Figma: https://www.figma.com/blog/the-making-of-maker-week/• Yuhki Yamashita on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuhki/• Jeff Bezos’ Simple Decision-Making Framework Will Give You Clarity, Conviction, and Courage: https://medium.com/illumination/jeff-bezos-simple-decision-making-framework-will-give-you-clarity-conviction-and-courage-adf8d0183625• Alice Ching on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliceching/• Karl Jiang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-jiang-4a07424/• Kris Rasmussen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristopherrasmussen/• Config: https://config.figma.com/• Dev Mode: https://www.figma.com/dev-mode/• Asana: https://asana.com/• Julie Zhuo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-zhuo/• StrengthsFinder test: https://www.gyfted.me/personality-quiz/strengthsfinder-test-free• Dylan Field on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield/• Vishal Shah on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishalnshah/• Design Disruptors: https://www.invisionapp.com/films/design-disruptors• Daniel Burka on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dburka/• Jamie Myrold on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiemyrold/• Design Nation: https://dn.businesstoday.org/• Stuart Weitzman on X: https://twitter.com/StuartWeitzman• Joe Gebbia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgebbia/• Building a long and meaningful career | Nikhyl Singhal (Meta, Google): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-a-long-and-meaningful-career-nikhyl-singhal-meta-google/• Jambot: https://www.figma.com/community/widget/1274481464484630971/jambot• Hestia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hestia• Harry Potter series: https://www.amazon.com/Harry-Potter-Paperback-Box-Books/dp/0545162076• Pachinko: https://www.amazon.com/Pachinko-National-Book-Award-Finalist/dp/1455563927/• Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration: https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Inc-Expanded-Overcoming-Inspiration/dp/0593594649• The Overstory: https://www.amazon.com/Overstory-Novel-Richard-Powers/dp/039335668X• Severance on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/severance/umc.cmc.1srk2goyh2q2zdxcx605w8vtx• Dune on Max: https://www.max.com/movies/dune/e7dc7b3a-a494-4ef1-8107-f4308aa6bbf7• Dune: Part 2: https://www.dunemovie.com/• Arc browser: https://arc.net/• Pika: https://pika.art/home• The power of recognition: Why you should celebrate your employees | Josh Miller: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/the-power-of-recognition-why-you-should-celebrate-your-employees-josh-miller/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 21 April 2024

Dalton Caldwell is Managing Director and Group Partner at Y Combinator. Prior to YC, he was the co-founder and CEO of imeem (acquired by MySpace in 2009) and the co-founder and CEO of App.net. During his time at YC, he’s advised more than 35 YC unicorns, including DoorDash, Amplitude, Webflow, and Retool, and has worked across 21 different YC batches. He’s also racked up more than 6,500 office hours with founders. In our conversation, we discuss:• Why founders need to adopt the mindset “Just don’t die”• The most common reason startups fail• When to pivot, and characteristics of a good pivot• The concept of “tar pit ideas” and examples of bad startup ideas• Why investors say no to startups• The importance of market size in investment decisions• The pitfalls of founders over-delegating• Effective ways to talk to customers• 20 ideas Dalton is looking to fund—Brought to you by:• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security• Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-1000-yc-startups—Where to find Dalton Caldwell:• X: https://twitter.com/daltonc• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daltoncaldwell/—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) Dalton’s background(04:41) The value of simple advice(07:04) Dalton’s advice: “Just don’t die”(08:39) Knowing when to stop(11:45) Deciding to pivot(14:26) Characteristics of a good pivot(17:53) Knowing when to pivot(19:03) Zip’s journey and finding a market(21:22) Why Dalton says to “Move towards the mountains and the desert”(23:45) Tar pit ideas(26:49) Understanding why investors say no(29:14) The importance of market size(32:16) Avoiding over-delegation and hiring senior people too early(36:43) Why startups fail(40:30) Effectively talking to customers(45:17) Examples of startups hustling to talk to customers(48:01) Patterns of successful startups(52:05) YC’s Request for Startups(55:37) Early days of Silicon Valley(01:05:33) Contrarian corner: growth hacking for early startups(01:09:28) Failure corner(01:11:15) Closing thoughts(01:12:22) Lightning round—Referenced:• Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/• Tiger Woods’s website: https://tigerwoods.com/• Co-Founder Mistakes That Kill Companies & How to Avoid Them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlfjs_eEEzs• Daniel Alberson’s LinkedIn post about Y Combinator: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/alberson_i-left-my-dream-job-as-a-product-manager-activity-7089677882431533056-jJ9H• Companies in Y Combinator W17 Batch: https://www.ycdb.co/batch/w17• Brex: https://www.brex.com/• Retool: https://retool.com/• Segment: https://segment.com/• Mixpanel: https://mixpanel.com/• Whatnot: https://www.whatnot.com/• Andreessen Horowitz: https://a16z.com/• Airbnb’s CEO says a $40 cereal box changed the course of the multibillion-dollar company: https://fortune.com/2023/04/19/airbnb-ceo-cereal-box-investors-changed-everything-billion-dollar-company/• Rujul Zaparde on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/• Zip: https://ziphq.com/• Lu Cheng on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lu-cheng-973b7830/• Avoid these tempting startup tar pit ideas: https://www.ycombinator.com/library/Ij-avoid-these-tempting-startup-tarpit-ideas• Airbnb acquires Localmind to create crowdsourced advice about neighborhoods: https://skift.com/2012/12/13/airbnb-acquires-localmind-to-create-crowdsourced-advice-about-neighborhoods/• Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/• Razorpay: https://razorpay.com/• Total Addressable Market: https://www.productplan.com/glossary/total-addressable-market/• Lenny Bogdonoff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rememberlenny/• Milk Video: https://milkvideo.com/• Lessons from working with 600+ YC startups | Gustaf Alströmer (Y Combinator, Airbnb): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/lessons-from-working-with-600-yc-startups-gustaf-alstromer-y-combinator-airbnb/• How the most successful B2B startups came up with their original idea: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups• Collison installation: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18400504• Stripe: https://stripe.com/• Patrick Collison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickcollison/• John Collison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbcollison/• Tony Xu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xutony/• Grant LaFontaine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantlafontaine/• Ryan Petersen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rpetersen/• Lessons on building product sense, navigating AI, optimizing the first mile, and making it through the messy middle | Scott Belsky (Adobe, Behance): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/lessons-on-building-product-sense-navigating-ai-optimizing-the-first-mile-and-making-it-through-t/• YC’s latest Request for Startups: https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/ycs-latest-request-for-startups• ERPs: https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs#new-enterprise-resource-planning-software• Commercial open source companies: https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs#commercial-open-source-companies• New space companies: https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs#new-space-companies• A way to end cancer: https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs#a-way-to-end-cancer• Spatial computing: https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs#spatial-computing• New defense technology: https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs#new-defense-technology• Bringing manufacturing back to America: https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs#bring-manufacturing-back-to-america• Better enterprise glue: https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs#better-enterprise-glue• Small fine-tuned models, as an alternative to giant generic ones: https://www.ycombinator.com/rfs#small-finetuned-models-as-an-alternative-to-giant-generic-ones• Reid Hoffman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidhoffman/• Sam Altman on X: https://twitter.com/sama• Sean Parker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkersean/• Owen Van Natta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/owen-van-natta-444a7/• Marc Andreessen on X: https://twitter.com/pmarca• Picplz 1, Instagram 0 as VC firm Andreessen Horowitz chooses photo app rival: https://www.reuters.com/article/idUS2587232395/• Gustaf Alstromer—How to Get Users and Grow: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ikpoF2GH0• Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Yes-Negotiating-Agreement-Without/dp/0143118757• Founding Sales: The Early Stage Go-to-Market Handbook: https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Sales-Go-Market-Handbook-ebook/dp/B08PMK17Z1• Founder-led sales | Pete Kazanjy (Founding Sales, Atrium): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/founder-led-sales-pete-kazanjy-founding-sales-atrium/• The Sopranos on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/the-sopranos• The Wire on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/the-wire• Columbo on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Columbo-Season-1/dp/B008SA89HA• Oura ring: https://ouraring.com/• Apple watch: https://www.apple.com/watch/• SiPhox: https://siphoxhealth.com/• Dalton & Michael on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLQ-uHSnFig5Nd98Sc9I-kkc0ZWe8peRMC• How Future Billionaires Get Sh*t Done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ephzgxgOjR0• The Student’s Guide to Becoming a Successful Startup Founder: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5KCB2p6SB8—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 18 April 2024

David DeSanto is the chief product officer of GitLab, which is the largest remote-only company in the world. They share many of their team meetings on YouTube, and they’ve grown from being an open-source code management product competing with GitHub to a multi-product platform that covers security, compliance, continuous integration, project management, and deployment tools, many of which are infused with AI magic. In our conversation, we discuss:• How GitLab operationalizes transparency• The philosophy behind recording and sharing team meetings on YouTube• Their extensive public employee handbook• GitLab’s core value of having “short toes”• Challenges and advice for doing remote work well• Strategies for ensuring effective communication in a remote work environment• GitLab’s breadth-over-depth strategy• The company’s unique approach to AI• The value of using humor in high-stakes conversations—Brought to you by:• Orb—The flexible billing engine for modern pricing• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• Paragon—Ship every SaaS integration your customers want—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-gitlab-way—Where to find David DeSanto:• X: https://twitter.com/david_desanto• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddesanto/• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@david.the.beard—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) David’s background(04:20) Maintaining an epic beard(05:29) Why GitLab publicly shares team meetings(09:49) The GitLab Handbook(11:30) GitLab’s issue tracker(14:29) How to successfully build a culture of transparency(18:11) Benefits of operating with transparency(19:55) The value of building in public(21:53) How GitLab implements their core value of kindness(25:16) What it means to have “short toes”(27:41) Other core values(32:16) Common reasons for not fitting in at GitLab(34:42) Advice for remote teams(42:04) Advice for getting into product(43:52) Advice for PMs who are struggling in a remote world(48:25) Specific tools that help with remote work(53:13) Time zones and remote work(57:18) Breadth-over-depth strategy(01:04:14) AI at GitLab(01:13:11) GitLab’s products and solutions(01:14:54) Lightning round—Referenced:• GitLab: https://about.gitlab.com/• UX Showcase—David DeSanto introduction to UX team and AMA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEdsmnVKNj4• The GitLab Handbook: https://handbook.gitlab.com/• Sid Sijbrandij on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sijbrandij/• Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/• GitLab issues: https://docs.gitlab.com/ee/user/project/issues/• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• GitLab values: https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/values• GitLab organizational structure: https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/company/structure• GitLab direction: https://about.gitlab.com/direction/• Dogfooding: A simple practice to help you build better products: https://medium.com/agileinsider/dogfooding-a-simple-practice-to-help-you-build-better-products-b5954af4d5f7• The ultimate guide to adding a PLG motion | Hila Qu (Reforge, GitLab): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-adding-a-plg• Zigging vs. zagging: How HubSpot built a $30B company | Dharmesh Shah (co-founder/CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-30-years-of-building• HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/• Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-3rd-Disruptive-Mainstream/dp/0062292986• Geoffrey Moore on finding your beachhead, crossing the chasm, and dominating a market: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/geoffrey-moore-on-finding-your-beachhead-crossing-the-chasm-and-dominating-a-market/• Open-core model: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open-core_model• GitLab Duo: https://about.gitlab.com/gitlab-duo/• GitLab Docs: https://docs.gitlab.com/• Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/• GitLab Acquires UnReview to Expand Its DevOps Platform with Machine Learning Capabilities: https://about.gitlab.com/press/releases/2021-06-02-gitlab-acquires-unreview-machine-learning-capabilities/• Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less: https://www.amazon.com/Essentialism-Disciplined-Pursuit-Greg-McKeown/dp/0804137382• The Mission Critical Core/Context Model for Product Managers: https://secretpmhandbook.com/the-mission-critical-corecontext-model-for-product-managers/• The Devil’s Hour on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/the-devils-hour/umc.cmc.3zw4tyzd4lvor5mwhujms63x3• Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81458416• Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/TAYLOR-SWIFT-ERAS-EXTENDED-VERSION/dp/B0CP99SN2B• The STAR method: https://capd.mit.edu/resources/the-star-method-for-behavioral-interviews/• Artifact News: https://artifact.news/• Superhuman: https://superhuman.com/• Arc browser: https://arc.net/• An inside look at how The Browser Company builds product: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/competing-with-giants-an-inside-look—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 14 April 2024

Todd Jackson is a Partner at First Round Capital. Before moving into venture capital, he played a crucial role as VP of Product and Design at Dropbox, guiding the company until its IPO in 2018. Prior to Dropbox, Todd led product management for Twitter’s Content and Discovery teams after selling his startup, Cover, to Twitter in 2014. Before Cover, Todd oversaw product development for Facebook’s Newsfeed, Photos, and Groups. He kickstarted his career at Google as an associate product manager and eventually led product for Gmail, witnessing its growth from beta to 200 million users. In our conversation, we discuss:• Why product-market fit (PMF) matters• First Round Capital’s four-part PMF framework• Level one: Nascent product-market fit• Level two: Developing product-market fit• Level three: Strong product-market fit• Level four: Extreme product-market fit• Examples of companies at each level• How to know if you’re stuck at a level, and how to get unstuck• What to change if you’re stuck: persona, problem, promise, and product• The goals and challenges at each stage—Brought to you by:• WorkOS—The modern API for auth and user identity• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• CommandBar—AI-powered user assistance for modern products and impatient users—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-framework-for-finding-product-market—Where to find Todd Jackson:• X: https://twitter.com/tjack• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddj0/—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) Todd’s background(06:07) First Round Capital’s PMF framework(09:07) Why product-market fit is so important(11:02) Who can benefit from this framework(12:55) The product-market fit method(16:54) Broad overview of the framework(21:35) Level one: nascent product-market fit(33:16) The four P’s(39:13) Level two: developing product-market fit(49:13) Signs you’re stuck at level two, and what to do(55:12) Level three: strong product-market fit(01:00:17) Signs you’re stuck at level three, and what to do(01:02:22) Level four: extreme product-market fit(01:06:55) Rough timelines for each level(01:11:18) A quick recap of the framework(01:12:15) Diving deeper on the four P’s: what to do if you’re stuck(01:13:56) Dollar-driven discovery(01:25:11) Apply for the product-market-fit method program—Referenced:• First Round: https://firstround.com/• Twitter Acquires Cover: https://www.vox.com/2014/4/7/11625332/twitter-acquires-cover-an-android-mobile-startup• Dropbox: https://www.dropbox.com/• Rahul Vohra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulvohra/• How Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product Market Fit: https://review.firstround.com/how-superhuman-built-an-engine-to-find-product-market-fit/• How to validate your startup idea: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/validating-your-startup-idea• How the most successful B2B startups came up with their original idea: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups• How to know if you’ve got product-market fit: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket• A guide for finding product-market fit in B2B: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit• Product-market fit method: http://pmf.firstround.com/• Stripe: https://stripe.com/• Plaid: https://plaid.com/• Paths to PMF: https://review.firstround.com/series/product-market-fit/• WeWork: https://www.wework.com/• Casper: https://casper.com/• Vanta: https://www.vanta.com/• Christina Cacioppo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/• Ramp: https://ramp.com/• Velocity over everything: How Ramp became the fastest-growing SaaS startup of all time | Geoff Charles (VP of Product): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/velocity-over-everything-how-ramp-became-the-fastest-growing-saas-startup-of-all-time-geoff-charl/• Jack Altman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackealtman/• Lattice: https://lattice.com/• Zachary Perret on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zperret/• Positioning: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning• Retool: https://retool.com/• David Hsu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/• Persona: https://withpersona.com/• Rick Song on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/• Lloyd Tabb on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lloydtabb/• Looker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looker_(company)• Jason Boehmig on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jboehmig/• Ironclad: https://ironcladapp.com/• Lessons in leadership | Scaling an org and tactical management advice | Jack Altman (Lattice): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZzXqf61mrQ• Filip Kaliszan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaliszan/• Verkada: https://www.verkada.com/• Ali Ghodsi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/• Databricks: https://www.databricks.com/• Stripe Radar: https://stripe.com/radar• Stripe Atlas: https://stripe.com/atlas• Square Stand: https://squareup.com/shop/hardware/us/en/products/ipad-pos-stand-integrated-card-reader• Cash App: https://cash.app/• Square Checking: https://squareup.com/us/en/campaign/banking/checking• Square Loan: https://squareup.com/help/us/en/article/5654-get-started-with-square-capital• Casey Winters on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters/• How to sell your ideas and rise within your company | Casey Winters, Eventbrite: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-sell-your-ideas-and-rise-within-your-company-casey-winters-eventbrite/• Josh Kopelman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkopelman/• The art and science of pricing | Madhavan Ramanujam (Monetizing Innovation, Simon-Kucher): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/the-art-and-science-of-pricing-madhavan-ramanujam-monetizing-innovation-simon-kucher/• Simon Kucher: https://www.simon-kucher.com/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 11 April 2024

Claire Vo is the chief product officer at LaunchDarkly and the founder of ChatPRD, likely the most popular PM-specific AI product out there. Before LaunchDarkly, she was a longtime chief product officer at Color and Optimizely. Claire has founded and managed two other companies, Pretty HQ and Experiment Engine, the latter of which Optimizely acquired in 2017. In our conversation, we discuss:• Knowing what you want in your career and being clear about it• Finding your zone of genius and how to operate within it• How to maintain a fast pace in larger companies• How to make it easy for your boss to help you achieve your goals• Advice for navigating the tech industry as a woman• The role of a CPTO and the benefits it brings to organizations• Why she built ChatPRD• Tips for building your own AI tools• The impact of AI on product management and what skills will continue to be important—Brought to you by:• Orb—The flexible billing engine for modern pricing• Dovetail—Bring your customer into every decision• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/bending-the-universe-in-your-favor—Where to find Claire Vo:• X: https://twitter.com/clairevo• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairevo/• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chiefproductofficer—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) Claire’s background(04:50) How to achieve career progression(10:11) Avoiding promotion obsession(13:50) How Claire stepped into leadership roles(17:24) Operating in your zone of genius(23:03) How to maintain a fast pace(27:46) Setting a high bar for quality and talent(29:54) Normalizing feedback(33:09) Being a woman in tech(47:09) The role of a CPTO(54:19) Building ChatPRD(59:39) Tips for building a GPT(01:02:27) The impact of AI on product management(01:08:08) How AI is changing the product management role(01:14:36) Efficiency gains with ChatPRD(01:16:39) Contrarian corner: sales-led product organizations(01:20:11) Lightning round—Referenced:• LaunchDarkly: https://launchdarkly.com/• Define your zone of genius: Laura Garnett at TEDxMillRiver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQ7_r2oWlrw• Energy Audit: https://beta.mocharymethod.com/blog-post/energy-audit• How to fire people with grace, work through fear, and nurture innovation | Matt Mochary: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/how-to-fire-people-with-grace-work-through-fear-and-nurture-innovation-matt-mochary/• Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice-with-author-kim-scott/• Optimizely: https://www.optimizely.com/• GitLab: https://about.gitlab.com/• ChatPRD: https://www.chatprd.ai/• You should be playing with GPTs at work: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/you-should-be-playing-with-gpts-at• SpaceX’s Starship: https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/• GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot• Product management theater | Marty Cagan (Silicon Valley Product Group): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/product-management-theater-marty-cagan-silicon-valley-product-group/• High Growth Handbook: Scaling Startups from 10 to 10,000 People: https://www.amazon.com/High-Growth-Handbook-Elad-Gil/dp/1732265100• Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building: https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-People-Tactics-Management-Building/dp/1953953212• Stripe Press: https://press.stripe.com/• Circe: https://www.amazon.com/Circe-Madeline-Miller/dp/0316556327• Poor Things: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14230458/• Mythic Quest on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/mythic-quest/umc.cmc.1nfdfd5zlk05fo1bwwetzldy3• Silicon Valley on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/silicon-valley• Chrysler Pacifica: https://www.chrysler.com/pacifica.html• Waymo: https://waymo.com/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 7 April 2024

Dharmesh Shah is the co-founder and CTO of HubSpot (currently valued at $30 billion) and one of the most fascinating founders I’ve ever met. Dharmesh is the keeper of HubSpot’s Culture Code, built ChatSpot (an AI chatbot built on top of HubSpot CRM) and a game called WordPlay (which grew to 16 million users), and also founded and writes for OnStartups, a top-ranking startup blog and community with more than 1M members. He’s also invested in 100+ startups including OpenAI, AngelList, Coinbase, and Dropbox. In our conversation, we discuss:• The biggest lessons he has learned from building HubSpot• The importance of leaning into your strengths• Dharmesh’s data-oriented approach to public speaking• How he developed HubSpot’s culture code• The decision-making process at HubSpot• His contrarian approach to building products• Why founders and product teams are all fighting the second law of thermodynamics• How “flash tags” can save your teams time• How to decide what ideas are worth investing in—Brought to you by:• Explo—Embed customer-facing analytics in your product• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security• LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-30-years-of-building—Where to find Dharmesh Shah:• X: https://twitter.com/dharmesh• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharmesh/• Website: https://dharmesh.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) Dharmesh’s background(04:20) Fun facts about Dharmesh(06:31) His data-oriented approach to public speaking(11:45) Advice for adding humor to your presentations(15:28) Why he has no direct reports(18:46) You can shape the universe to your liking(20:02) Lessons from building HubSpot(23:43) Contrarian ways of running a company(37:26) Fighting the second law of thermodynamics (40:29) The importance of simplicity in running a business(45:22) Succeeding in the SMB market(50:29) Zigging when others are zagging(54:17) When it makes sense to go “wide and deep”(57:33) Using flashtags to communicate opinions(01:02:44) HubSpot’s decision-making process (01:09:41) Deciding what ideas to invest in(01:15:26) Defining and maintaining company culture(01:30:46) The potential of AI(01:37:03) Practical advice for learning AI(01:40:07) Where to find Dharmesh—Referenced:• WordPlay: https://wordplay.com/article/unlimited• ChatSpot: https://chatspot.ai/• Indian-origin entrepreneur buys ‘chat.com’ for over $10 million, then sells, donates $250,000 to Khan Academy: https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/indian-origin-entrepreneur-buys-chatcom-for-over-10-million-then-sells-donates-250000-to-khan-academy-382907-2023-05-26• Kipp Bodnar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kippbodnar/• The surprising metric presenters should analyze: https://lars-sudmann.com/the-surprising-metric-presenters-should-analyze/• SoloWare: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/dharmesh_for-3-decades-now-in-addition-to-my-day-activity-7166500611247583232-kZgb/• Brian Halligan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianhalligan/• First Principles: Elon Musk on the Power of Thinking for Yourself: https://jamesclear.com/first-principles• Peter Thiel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterthiel/• The second law of thermodynamics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_law_of_thermodynamics• What is an SMB?: https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/SMB-small-and-medium-sized-business-or-small-and-midsized-business• Shopify: https://www.shopify.com/• Relentless curiosity, radical accountability, and HubSpot’s winning growth formula | Christopher Miller (VP of Product, Growth and AI): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/relentless-curiosity-radical-accountability-and-hubspots-winning-growth-formula-christopher-mil/• FlashTags: A Simple Hack for Conveying Context Without Confusion: https://www.onstartups.com/flashtags-a-simple-hack-for-conveying-context-without-confusion• What it means to “disagree and commit”: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16949021• A Simple Decision Framework: Debate, Decide and Unite: https://connectingdots.com/p/debate-decide-unite• Dharmesh Shah’s Frameworks for Creating a $1 Billion Net Worth: https://hakune.co/dharmesh-shah-networth/• Zip: https://ziphq.com/• The HubSpot Culture Code: Creating a Company We Love: https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/34234/the-hubspot-culture-code-creating-a-company-we-love.aspx• How defining values and culture helped Airbnb achieve worldwide success: https://lattice.com/library/how-defining-values-and-culture-helped-airbnb-achie• What is SQL?: https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/sql/• GrowthBot: https://community.hubspot.com/t5/Releases-and-Updates/Meet-GrowthBot-from-HubSpot-Labs/ba-p/417985—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 4 April 2024

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:• 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—Brought to you by:• Sprig—Build a product people love• Dovetail—Bring your customer into every decision• Coda—Meet the evolution of docs—Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-speak-more-confidently-and—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—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) Matt’s background(04:50) Techniques for managing anxiety in public speaking(10:57) Dare to be dull(13:40) Reframing anxiety as excitement(16:08) Using mantras to boost confidence(18:45) Managing negative self-talk(20:03) Normalizing speaking anxiety(23:12) Using conversation as a communication technique(24:52) Using the double-exhale breathing technique(28:29) Getting present-oriented(29:46) Using tongue twisters(33:34) Broad advice for speaking on the spot(38:35) The PREP structure(38:59) The What? So What? Now What? structure(42:10) Toastmasters and improv(45:31) Getting better at small talk(51:05) The importance of sharing back(52:33) Giving feedback(56:31) Improving toasts and tributes(01:02:57) Mastering Q&A sessions(01:07:25) Apologizing effectively(01:09:29) Closing thoughts—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 31 March 2024

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:• 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—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—Find the transcript and references at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kunal-shah-on-winning-in-india-second—Where to find Kunal Shah:• X: https://twitter.com/kunalb11• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunalshah1/• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@CRED_club—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) 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 company growth(39:55) Profitability and Indian business culture(43:24) Advice for staying positive amid criticism(44:41) The promising market in India(47:35) The power of curiosity(52:59) Who Kunal looks up to(55:31) Kunal’s favorite sources of content(58:42) Asking great questions(01:02:54) Contrarian corner: Wealth is nothing but storage of energy(01:05:26) Failure corner(01:08:57) Closing thoughts: Share your learnings(01:09:38) Lightning round—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 24 March 2024

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:• 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—Brought to you by:• Sprig—Build a product people love• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-pr-emilie-gerber—Where to find Emilie Gerber:• Substack: http://onbackgroundintel.substack.com• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilie-gerber-59612230/• Website: https://sixeastern.com/• Email: [email protected]—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) 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 Lenny(55:46) Effective pitching strategies(57:45) Improving pitch announcements(01:03:01) Press releases(01:07:06) Crafting a compelling story(01:09:43) Traditional press vs. newsletters, podcasts, and social media(01:15:50) Building a social media presence(01:17:51) How to get a Morning Brew feature(01:19:32) Advice on choosing a PR agency(01:22:25) Timing and budget for PR(01:25:39) Lightning round—Referenced:• Perplexity: https://www.perplexity.ai/• Who is Lenny Rachitsky? And what does he know that you don’t about making millions writing online?: https://www.fastcompany.com/90940453/lenny-rachitsky-newsletter-podcast-job-board-substack• 42-year-old brings in an average of $41,000 a month from his podcast and works on it just 5 hours a week: https://www.cnbc.com/2024/01/11/lenny-rachitsky-podcast-brings-in-more-than-500k-a-year-heres-how.html• How This Newsletter Writer Got More Than 300,000 Subscribers, and Now Makes “Significantly More” Than He Did at His Day Job: https://www.entrepreneur.com/starting-a-business/how-this-newsletter-writer-got-more-than-300000/447172• Business Insider: https://www.businessinsider.com/• Contraline: https://www.contraline.com/• Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/• TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/• Axios: https://www.axios.com/• Fortune: https://fortune.com/• Term Sheet: https://fortune.com/tag/term-sheet/• The Verge: https://www.theverge.com/• Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/• New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/• Found podcast: https://techcrunch.com/tag/found/• Equity podcast: https://techcrunch.com/tag/equity-podcast/• VentureBeat: https://venturebeat.com/• Fast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/• Clockwise: https://www.getclockwise.com• Shopify deleted 322,000 hours of meetings. Should the rest of us be jealous?: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/15/1156804295/shopify-delete-meetings-zoom-virtual-productivity• Shopify canceled all recurring meetings. Should you too?: https://www.getclockwise.com/blog/shopify-cancels-meetings• Shopify’s new meeting cost calculator is well intentioned—but it’s not addressing the issue: https://www.fastcompany.com/90930137/shopifys-new-meeting-cost-calculator-is-well-intentioned-but-its-not-addressing-the-issue• Matt Martin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/voxmatt/• Ramp: https://ramp.com/welcome• Corporate card start-up Ramp targets Bill.com with free payments software: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/26/corporate-cards-ramp-targets-billcom-with-free-payments-software.html• Bill: https://www.bill.com/• Velocity over everything: How Ramp became the fastest-growing SaaS startup of all time | Geoff Charles (VP of Product): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/velocity-over-everything-how-ramp-became-the-fastest-growing-saas-startup-of-all-time-geoff-charl/• Column Tax: https://www.columntax.com/• Propel: https://www.joinpropel.com/• Gamma: https://gamma.app/• Gamma brings in $7M to bring the slide deck into the 21st century: https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/28/gamma-brings-in-7m-to-bring-the-slide-deck-into-the-21st-century/• NewBank: https://www.newbankusa.com/• Backed by a16z, Relay races to market with Zapier in its crosshairs: https://techcrunch.com/2023/10/11/relay-a16z-zapier-google/• Zapier: https://zapier.com/• Rajiv Ayyangar’s thread on X about tag lines: https://twitter.com/rajivayyangar/status/1758179077629100482• Entropy: https://entropytechnologydesign.com/• Money 20/20: https://www.money2020.com/• Jim Bankoff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbankoff/• Ramping Up: https://www.notboring.co/p/ramping-up• Aaron Levie on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/boxaaron/• Aaron Levie on X: https://twitter.com/levie• Duolingo on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duolingo• Morning Brew: https://www.morningbrew.com/• Tech Brew: https://www.emergingtechbrew.com/• HR Brew: https://www.hr-brew.com/• Mark Zuckerberg on Morning Brew Daily: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQqsvRHjas4&t=1309s• How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Your-Mind-Consciousness-Transcendence/dp/1594204225• The Walking Dead on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/70177057• Yellowjackets on Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/yellowjackets/• The Last of Us on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us• Apple Vision Pro: https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro• TNB Tech Minute: Startup Perplexity Challenges Google With AI Search: https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/tech-news-briefing/tnb-tech-minute-startup-perplexity-challenges-google-with-ai-search/984362d5-a8f0-48b4-8b55-ad7e570a74d2—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 21 March 2024

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:• 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—Brought to you by:• Whimsical—The iterative product workspace• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.• LinkedIn Ads—Reach professionals and drive results for your business—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-happiness-and-pain-of-product—Where to find Noam Lovinsky:• X: https://twitter.com/noaml• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noaml/—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) 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 starting small and building community density(46:07) Advice for building a startup within a startup(48:52) Having an incentive system(49:34) Lessons from Grammarly: adapting to changing user needs and building for the masses(54:20) The scrappiness and profitability of Grammarly(56:56) The resilience and motivation of the Grammarly team in Ukraine(59:08) General career advice(01:01:02) When to pull back(01:02:58) Closing thoughts(01:03:56) Lightning round—Referenced:• Substack: https://substack.com/• Hunter Walk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunterwalk/• The rituals of great teams | Shishir Mehrotra of Coda, YouTube, Microsoft: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-rituals-of-great-teams-shishir-mehrotra-coda-youtube-microsoft/• Salar Kamangar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salar-kamangar-5a059712/• Grammarly: https://www.grammarly.com/• Thumbtack: https://www.thumbtack.com/• FRED on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/FRED• How Airbnb Proved That Storytelling Is the Most Important Skill in Design: https://www.inc.com/yazin-akkawi/the-surprising-technique-airbnb-uses-to-better-sell-an-experience.html• Google+: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google%2B• Marco Zappacosta on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcozappacosta/• Bryan Schreier on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanschreier/• Whitney Steele on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitneydsteele/• David Shein on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidshein/• The magic of thinking big, by Lenny Rachitsky: https://www.mindtheproduct.com/the-magic-of-thinking-big-by-lenny-rachitsky/• What Seven Years at Airbnb Taught Me About Building a Business: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-seven-years-at-airbnb-taught• New apps, new experiences: NPE Team, from Facebook: https://tech.facebook.com/engineering/2019/7/npe-team-from-facebook/• The Origin Story of the BRC Trash Fence: https://journal.burningman.org/2016/05/black-rock-city/leaving-no-trace/the-origin-story-of-the-brc-trash-fence/• Nike opens high-tech research and innovation lab: https://www.just-style.com/news/nike-opens-high-tech-research-and-innovation-lab/• ChatGPT: https://chat.openai.com/• Microsoft Copilot: https://copilot.microsoft.com/• How to grow a subscription business | Yuriy Timen (Grammarly, Canva, Airtable): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-grow-a-subscription-business-yuriy-timen-grammarly-canva-airtable/• “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”: https://gointothestory.blcklst.com/the-cave-you-fear-to-enter-holds-the-treasure-you-seek-d624e28c3848• Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making: https://www.amazon.com/Build-Unorthodox-Guide-Making-Things/dp/0063046067• For All Mankind on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/for-all-mankind/umc.cmc.6wsi780sz5tdbqcf11k76mkp7• Fargo TV series on Hulu: https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/fargo• Arc browser: https://arc.net/• Competing with giants: An inside look at how The Browser Company builds product | Josh Miller (CEO): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/competing-with-giants-an-inside-look-at-how-the-browser-company-builds-product-josh-miller-ceo/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2024

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:• 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—Brought to you by:• Sprig—Build a product people love• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-theater-marty—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/—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) 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) The product management reckoning is here(32:05) Taking control of your product management career(34:59) The challenge of finding reliable product management advice(40:18) The disconnect between good product companies and the product management community(44:23) Top-down vs. bottom-up cultures(47:06) The shift in product management post-ZIRP era(49:44) The changing landscape of product management(52:05) The disruption of PM skills by AI(55:56) The purpose and content of Marty’s new book, Transformed(01:02:05) The product operating model(01:08:27) New competencies required for successful product teams(01:11:25) Marty’s thoughts on product ops(01:15:13) Advice for founders who don’t want product managers(01:18:06) Lightning round—Referenced:• Transformed: Moving to the Product Operating Model: https://www.amazon.com/Transformed-Becoming-Product-Driven-Company-Silicon/dp/1119697336• Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love: https://www.amazon.com/INSPIRED-Create-Tech-Products-Customers/dp/1119387507• Empowered: Ordinary People, Extraordinary Products: https://www.amazon.com/EMPOWERED-Ordinary-Extraordinary-Products-Silicon/dp/111969129X• The nature of product | Marty Cagan, Silicon Valley Product Group: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-nature-of-product-marty-cagan-silicon-valley-product-group/• Product Leadership Theater: https://www.svpg.com/product-leadership-theater/• Product Management Theater: https://www.svpg.com/product-management-theater/• Linear: https://linear.app/• How Linear builds product: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-linear-builds-product• Brian Chesky’s new playbook: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/brian-cheskys-new-playbook/• Mamas, don’t let your babies grow up to be coders, Jensen Huang warns: https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/27/jensen_huang_coders/• Epic Waste: https://www.svpg.com/epic-waste/• What is scrum and how to get started: https://www.atlassian.com/agile/scrum• CSPO: https://www.scrumalliance.org/get-certified/product-owner-track/certified-scrum-product-owner• PSPO: https://www.scrum.org/courses/professional-scrum-product-owner-training• Jira: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira• Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products That Create Customer Value and Business Value: https://www.amazon.com/Continuous-Discovery-Habits-Discover-Products/dp/1736633309• Shreyas Doshi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreyasdoshi/• Ben Erez’s LinkedIn post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7168978777966891008/• Oracle: https://www.oracle.com/• The essence of product management | Christian Idiodi (SVPG): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-essence-of-product-management-christian-idiodi-svpg/• Making Meta | Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth (CTO): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/making-meta-andrew-boz-bosworth-cto/• Building a long and meaningful career | Nikhyl Singhal (Meta, Google): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-a-long-and-meaningful-career-nikhyl-singhal-meta-google/• Partners at SVPG: https://www.svpg.com/team/• Trainline: https://www.thetrainline.com/• Almosafer: https://global.almosafer.com/• Expedia: https://www.expedia.com/• Shopify: https://www.shopify.com/• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• The ultimate guide to product operations | Melissa Perri and Denise Tilles: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-product-operations-melissa-perri-and-denise-tilles/• Understanding the role of product ops | Christine Itwaru (Pendo): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/understanding-the-role-of-product-ops-christine-itwaru-pendo/• Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making: https://www.amazon.com/Build-Unorthodox-Guide-Making-Things/dp/0063046067• What’s Our Problem?: A Self-Help Book for Societies: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Our-Problem-Self-Help-Societies/dp/B0BVGH6T1Q• Rivian: https://rivian.com/• AI-1 airbag vest: https://www.klim.com/Ai-1-Airbag-Vest-3046-000• Leslie Lamport’s quote: https://quotefancy.com/quote/3702194/Leslie-Lamport-If-you-re-thinking-without-writing-you-only-think-you-re-thinking• Joan Didion’s quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/264509-i-don-t-know-what-i-think-until-i-write-it—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 10 March 2024

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:• 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—Brought to you by:• WorkOS—The modern API for auth & user identity• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-tiktok-culture-strategy-monetization—Where to find Ray Cao:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiayiraycao/—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) 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) Getting started with TikTok Ads(01:08:42) Common mistakes to avoid with TikTok advertising(01:09:44) Ray’s favorite TikTok account(01:10:54) Where to find Ray—Referenced:• TikTok: https://tiktok.com/• Google Shopping: https://shopping.google.com/• Eugene Wei’s blog: https://www.eugenewei.com/• TikTok and the Sorting Hat: https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2020/8/3/tiktok-and-the-sorting-hat• How Netflix builds a culture of excellence | Elizabeth Stone (CTO): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-netflix-builds-a-culture-of-excellence-elizabeth-stone-cto/• Inside OpenAI | Logan Kilpatrick (head of developer relations): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/inside-openai-logan-kilpatrick-head-of-developer-relations/• Brian Chesky’s new playbook: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/brian-cheskys-new-playbook/• Lead with Context not Control: https://www.svpg.com/lead-with-context-not-control/• Shuba on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tiktokbrownchick• Duolingo on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duolingo• Duolingo leagues: https://duolingo.fandom.com/wiki/League• CapCut: https://www.capcut.com/• Amanda Talijan (silent baby item reviews) on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@amanda_talijan/video/7321700482018233642—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 7 March 2024

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:• 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—Brought to you by:• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• Explo—Embed customer-facing analytics in your product—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/making-meta-andrew-boz-bosworth-cto/—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://wardenshortbow.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) Boz’s background(04:48) Fun facts about him(07:20) Early days at Facebook(11:11) Advice for founders(13:22) Leveraging leaders(19:27) Tips for communicating with managers(22:10) Transparency at Meta(27:01) The importance of clear guidelines(29:11) Involvement in the details(33:15) Building the News Feed(37:28) Passion and career growth(40:25) Exploring new opportunities(42:02) The value of variety in experience(45:01) Giving and receiving feedback(47:38) Boz’s tattoos(51:30) Communication is the job(01:00:47) Comparing VR headsets: Meta Quest 3 and Apple Vision Pro(01:10:41) Meta’s downturn and turnaround(01:16:10) Navigating org changes(01:20:43) Lessons from failure(01:26:33) Closing thoughts(01:29:57) Lightning round—Referenced:• Reality Labs: https://about.meta.com/realitylabs/• Quest: https://www.meta.com/quest/• Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses: https://www.ray-ban.com/usa/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses• Taekwondo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taekwondo• 4-H: https://4-h.org/• David Copperfield’s website: https://www.davidcopperfield.com/html/• MC Hammer on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mchammer/• George W. Bush: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/george-w-bush/• Fry’s Electronics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fry%27s_Electronics• Association for Computing Machinery: https://www.acm.org• Get It Done: https://boz.com/articles/get-it-done• Patrick Stewart on X: https://twitter.com/sirpatstew• The FB Exec Practice That Changed the Way I Lead (about HPMs): https://livingos.substack.com/p/fb-exec-hpm• Mark Zuckerberg on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zuck• Chris Cox on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-cox-2896b841/• Javier Olivan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javierolivan/• Brian Chesky’s new playbook: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/brian-cheskys-new-playbook/• Eye of Sauron: https://lotr.fandom.com/wiki/Eye_of_Sauron• Ruchi Sanghvi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsanghvi/• Eric Schmidt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-e-schmidt/• Sheryl Sandberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sandberg-5126652/• Best Advice Sheryl Sandberg Received: If Offered a Seat on Rocket Ship, Get On: https://news.yahoo.com/blogs/newsmakers/best-advice-sheryl-sandberg-received-don-t-idiot-161459450.html• Veritas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veritas• Communication is The Job: https://boz.com/articles/communication-is-the-job• Repetition does not spoil the prayer: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/repetition-does-spoil-prayer-constantine-constantinides-m-d-ph-d--1f/• Janet Lansbury’s website: https://www.janetlansbury.com/• Dr. Becky on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbeckyatgoodinside• Boz to the Future Episode 18: The Future According to Matthew Ball: https://www.meta.com/blog/quest/boz-to-the-future-episode-18-matthew-ball-metaverse-epyllion/• Apple Vision Pro: https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro• Quest 3 headset: https://www.meta.com/quest/quest-3/• Virtual desktop: https://www.meta.com/experiences/2017050365004772/• Meta Horizon Workrooms: https://www.meta.com/experiences/2514011888645651/ • After trying the Vision Pro, Mark Zuckerberg says Quest 3 ‘is the better product, period’: https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/13/24072413/mark-zuckerberg-apple-vision-pro-review-quest-3• Lou Holtz on X: https://twitter.com/CoachLouHoltz88• Gell-Mann amnesia effect: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Gell-Mann_Amnesia_effect• “Wet streets cause rain”: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=19026568• Michael Crichton on X: https://twitter.com/CrichtonBooks• AI research at Meta: https://ai.meta.com/research/• Llama 2: https://llama.meta.com/• Warren Buffett quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/warren_buffett_383933• Mark Slee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcslee/• Dave Fetterman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davefetterman/• Emacs and Vim: https://dev.to/george_udonte/emacs-and-vim-an-overview-for-beginners-2e65• Ami Vora on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amvora/• The Dream Machine: https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Machine-M-Mitchell-Waldrop/dp/1732265119• Alan Turing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Turing• Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Inside-Guide-Becoming-Parent/dp/B09Y4WG7RJ• Dr. Becky’s website: https://www.goodinside.com/• The Mandalorian on Disney+: https://www.disneyplus.com/series/the-mandalorian/3jLIGMDYINqD• Scott Trowbridge on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-trowbridge-b70866/• Dave Filoni on X: https://twitter.com/dave_filoni• Jon Favreau on X: https://twitter.com/jon_favreau• Mercedes-Benz AMG EQS Sedan: https://www.mbusa.com/en/vehicles/model/eqs/sedan/amgeqsv4• Tracey Emin “Trust Yourself”: https://www.artsy.net/artwork/tracey-emin-trust-yourself• Tracey Emin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/traceyeminstudio• Rick Rubin: Protocols to Access Creative Energy and Process | Huberman Lab Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpgqXCkRO-w• Ansel Adams: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 3 March 2024

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:• 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—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—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-discover-your-superpowers-own-your-story-and-unlock-personal-growth-donna-lichaw-author/—Where to find Donna Lichaw:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dlichaw/• Website: https://www.donnalichaw.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) 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 personal growth(01:12:41) Identifying subconscious goals(01:15:27) Envisioning impact(01:16:44) Lightning round—Referenced:• The Leader’s Journey: Transforming Your Leadership to Achieve the Extraordinary: https://www.amazon.com/Leaders-Journey-Transforming-Leadership-Extraordinary/dp/1959029134• Effective Leadership Is Transformational, by Ken Blanchard: https://www.chieflearningofficer.com/2019/06/13/effective-leadership-is-transformational/• Ken Blanchard’s website: https://www.blanchard.com/• How to write a kickass README: https://dev.to/scottydocs/how-to-write-a-kickass-readme-5af9• This Week #5: Overcoming impostor syndrome, introducing growth to an org, and how to partner with your Data Scientist: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-overcoming-impostor-syndrome• Community Wisdom: Dealing with impostor syndrome as a PM: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/community-wisdom-dealing-with-impostor• Stuart Smalley: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuart_Smalley• Kryptonite: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kryptonite• How Dyslexic Thinking Gives Entrepreneurs a Competitive Edge: https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisoncoleman/2023/05/16/how-dyslexic-thinking-gives-entrepreneurs-a-competitive-edge/• Characterizing Creative Thinking and Creative Achievements in Relation to Symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorder: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9283685/• Robert Iger: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/leaders/robert-a-iger/• CliftonStrengths test: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx• VIA Character Strengths: https://www.viacharacter.org/• How to fire people with grace, work through fear, and nurture innovation | Matt Mochary (CEO coach): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-fire-people-with-grace-work-through-fear-and-nurture-innovation-matt-mochary-ceo-coach/•10 Steve Jobs Quotes That’ll Stick With You Long After You Read Them: https://www.themuse.com/advice/10-steve-jobs-quotes-thatll-stick-with-you-long-after-you-read-them• Gestalt coaching: https://gestaltcenterforcoaching.com/• Gestalt therapy: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/gestalt-therapy• Head, Heart and Hands: http://creatingminds.org/tools/head_heart_hands.htm• Managing nerves, anxiety, and burnout | Jonny Miller (Nervous System Mastery): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/managing-nerves-anxiety-and-burnout-jonny-miller-nervous-system-mastery/• The User’s Journey: Storymapping Products That People Love: https://www.amazon.com/Users-Journey-Storymapping-Products-People/dp/1933820314• For All Mankind on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/for-all-mankind/umc.cmc.6wsi780sz5tdbqcf11k76mkp7• Ted Lasso on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/ted-lasso/umc.cmc.vtoh0mn0xn7t3c643xqonfzy• The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Possibility-Transforming-Professional-Personal/dp/0142001104• IMPRESA Monkey Noodle Stretchy String Fidget/Sensory Toys: https://www.amazon.com/IMPRESA-Glitter-Stretchy-Phthalate-Latex-Free/dp/B0868X6NRQ• Dolly Parton quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/21268-find-out-who-you-are-and-do-it-on-purpose• Donna’s favorite fidgets: https://pen-name.notion.site/Donna-Lichaw-s-Favorite-Fidgets-f84f241d31704a498d71d3502af1821b?pvs=4—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 25 February 2024

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:• 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—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—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-netflix-builds-a-culture-of-excellence-elizabeth-stone-cto/—Where to find Elizabeth Stone:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-stone-608a754/—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) 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(01:00:12) Staying close to teams(01:02:31) Advice on being present(01:07:40) Lightning round—Referenced:• What to Know About the Netflix Cup, Today’s First-Ever Live Sports Event: https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/netflix-cup-live-event-date-news• Ann Miura Ko interview | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2GO0Ks_VGg• Netflix culture: https://jobs.netflix.com/culture• No Rules Rules: Netflix and the Culture of Reinvention: https://www.amazon.com/No-Rules-Netflix-Culture-Reinvention/dp/1984877860• Reed Hastings on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reedhastings/• Netflix’s “Keeper Test” and Why You Need It | Lorne Rubis: https://www.highlights.lornerubis.com/2015/08/the-netflix-keeper-test-and-the-courage-to-take-it/• The Hunger Games: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_Games• Nan Yu on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenanyu/• Work Life Philosophy: https://jobs.netflix.com/work-life-philosophy• The Scoop: Netflix’s historic introduction of levels for software engineers: https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/netflix-levels/• Chaos Monkey: https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/Chaos-Monkey• Ali Rauh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-rauh/• Keith Henwood on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-henwood/• Jeff Bezos’ Morning Routine of Puttering Around—How It Works: https://medium.com/illumination/jeff-bezos-morning-routine-of-puttering-around-how-it-works-9d73f359ac8d• What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: A Memoir: https://www.amazon.com/What-Talk-About-When-Running/dp/0307389839• A Fine Balance: https://www.amazon.com/Fine-Balance-Rohinton-Mistry/dp/140003065X• Triangle of Sadness on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/movie/triangle-of-sadness-f60937bd-45f4-469a-938f-db95026953a1• Beef on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81447461• Fellow pour-over coffee set: https://fellowproducts.com/products/stagg-xf-pour-over-set• Peloton bikes: https://www.onepeloton.com/shop/bike—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 22 February 2024

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:• 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—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—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-a-world-class-sales-org-jason-lemkin-saastr/—Where to find Jason Lemkin:• X: https://twitter.com/jasonlk• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmlemkin/• Website: https://www.saastr.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) 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(26:43) The role of a VP of Sales(30:06) Interviewing salespeople(45:16) Determining sales compensation and quota(53:34) Transitioning from 100% commission to a smaller percentage(56:58) Indicators of a hard-to-sell product(59:39) Scaling the sales organization(01:05:26) Understanding sales roles and titles(01:10:02) Product involvement in sales, and vice versa(01:20:32) Thoughts on product teams taking on P&L responsibilities(01:27:23) One thing founders can do to become better at sales(01:31:02) The ideal trial length for a free trial sales team(01:39:50) Closing thoughts(01:41:43) Lightning round—Referenced:• Marc Benioff on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbenioff/• Snowflake: https://www.snowflake.com/en/• Yamini Rangan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yaminirangan/• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• HubSpot: https://www.hubspot.com/• Twilio: https://www.twilio.com/• Cloudflare: https://www.cloudflare.com/• GitHub: https://github.com/• Columbo: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1466074/• What is Davos and why is it important? Your guide to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting: https://www.euronews.com/next/2024/01/15/what-is-davos-and-why-is-it-important-your-guide-to-the-world-economic-forums-annual-meeti• Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/• Satya Nadella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satyanadella/• Glengarry Glen Ross on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Glengarry-Glen-Ross-James-Foley/dp/B002NN5F7A• The Wolf of Wall Street on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Wall-Street-Leonardo-DiCaprio/dp/B00IIU9FQY• A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins | April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/a-step-by-step-guide-to-crafting-a-sales-pitch-that-wins-april-dunford-author-of-obviously-awesom/• Pipedrive: https://www.pipedrive.com/• Sam Blond on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-blond-791026b/• Gong: https://www.gong.io/• Zendesk: https://www.zendesk.com/• ZoomInfo: https://www.zoominfo.com/• Apollo: https://www.apollo.io/• Daniel Chait on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhchait/• SAP: https://www.sap.com/• Lessons on building product sense, navigating AI, optimizing the first mile, and making it through the messy middle | Scott Belsky (Adobe, Behance): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/lessons-on-building-product-sense-navigating-ai-optimizing-the-first-mile-and-making-it-through-t/• VistaPrint: https://www.vistaprint.com/• Procore: https://www.procore.com/• Matt Mullenweg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattm/• Wordpress: https://wordpress.com/• SaaStr University: https://app.saastruniversity.com/collections/20252• From Impossible to Inevitable: How SaaS and Other Hyper-Growth Companies Create Predictable Revenue: https://www.amazon.com/Impossible-Inevitable-Hyper-Growth-Companies-Predictable/dp/1119531691• Pavilion: https://www.joinpavilion.com/• Top 10 Learnings about Free Trials with Tomasz Tunguz: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfQNJpnxmMw• The Terminal List on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/The-Terminal-List-Season-1/dp/B09HYNH8TK• Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount: https://www.paramountmovies.com/movies/top-gun-maverick• OpusClip app: https://www.opus.pro/• OnePlus Open smartphone: https://www.amazon.com/OnePlus-Dual-SIM-Unlocked-Smartphone-Hasselblad/dp/B0CHN7M531/• SaaStr conferences: https://www.saastr.com/events/• Marketo: https://go.marketo.com/about-marketo-landingpage-emea.html• Zoomtopia: https://zoomtopia.com/• Money20/20: https://us.money2020.com/• Shoptalk: https://shoptalk.com/• Jeff Lawson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffiel/• Eric Kwan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erickwan/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 18 February 2024

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:• “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—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—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/making-time-for-what-matters-jake-knapp-and-john-zeratsky-authors-of-sprint-and-make-time-co-fou/—Where to find Jake Knapp:• X: https://twitter.com/jakek• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-knapp/• Website: https://jakeknapp.com/—Where to find John Zeratsky:• X: https://twitter.com/jazer• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnzeratsky/• Website: https://johnzeratsky.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 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 bandwagon and infinity pools(15:22) Real talk: Jake and John’s productivity levels(20:10) The four-part framework for getting more done: Highlight, Laser, Energize, Reflect(25:15) Step 1: Highlight(28:08) Designing your day with a calendar(30:52) The Groundhog Day mentality(35:10) Tactical advice for implementing the highlight method(39:30) An example of a failed highlight(48:08) Step 2: Laser(51:12) Creating intentional friction to avoid distractions(57:28) Curating a distraction-free phone(01:07:58) Resetting expectations and slowing your inbox(01:14:51) Systems over willpower(01:18:14) Managing email distractions(01:18:49) Step 3: Energize(01:22:05) Step 4: Reflect(01:26:30) Introduction to Sprint—Referenced:• Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day: https://www.amazon.com/Make-Time-Focus-Matters-Every/dp/0525572422• Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days: https://www.amazon.com/Sprint-audiobook/dp/B019R2DQIY• Make Time blog: https://maketime.blog/• Make Time blog on X: https://twitter.com/maketimeblog• Character: https://www.character.vc/• Google Ventures: https://www.gv.com/• Character Labs: https://www.character.vc/labs• Strategies for becoming less distracted and improving focus | Nir Eyal (author of Indistractable and Hooked): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/strategies-for-becoming-less-distracted-and-improving-focus-nir-eyal-author-of-indistractable-and/• Groundhog Day on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Groundhog-Day-Bill-Murray/dp/B000SP1SH6• Reclaim.ai: https://reclaim.ai/• Feed Blocker for LinkedIn: https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/feed-blocker-for-linkedin/eikaafmldiioljlilngpogcepiedpenf• The Lord of the Rings: https://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0544003411• MagSafe charger: https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MHXH3AM-A-MagSafe-Charger/dp/B08L5NP6NG/• Nanit app: https://www.nanit.com/pages/nanit-app• Arianna Huffington’s Phone Bed Charging Station: https://www.amazon.com/Arianna-Huffingtons-Charging-Station-Walnut/dp/B0799ZG1LY• Cell Phone Lock Box with Timer: https://www.amazon.com/Portable-Android-Self-Discipline-Achieve-Addiction/dp/B0CG8V4YG3?th=1• The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich: https://www.amazon.com/4-Hour-Workweek-Escape-Live-Anywhere/dp/0307465357• The Economist: https://www.economist.com/• Odysseus: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Odysseus• Mailman: https://www.mailmanhq.com/• Future: https://www.future.co/• Notion: https://www.notion.so/• Miro: https://miro.com/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 11 February 2024

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:• 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”—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—Find the transcript for this episode and all past episodes at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/episodes/. Today’s transcript will be live by 8 a.m. PT.—Where to find Logan Kilpatrick:• X: https://twitter.com/OfficialLoganK• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/logankilpatrick/• Website: https://logank.ai/—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) 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 products(35:56) OpenAI’s planning process and decision-making criteria(40:22) The importance of real-time communication(42:33) OpenAI’s team and growth(44:47) Future developments at OpenAI(47:42) GPT-5 and building toward the future(50:38) OpenAI’s enterprise offering and the value of sharing custom applications(52:30) New updates and features from OpenAI(55:09) How to leverage OpenAI’s technology in products(58:26) Encouragement for building with AI(59:30) Lightning round—Referenced:• OpenAI: https://openai.com/• Sam Altman on X: https://twitter.com/sama• Greg Brockman on X: https://twitter.com/gdb• tldraw: https://www.tldraw.com/• Harvey: https://www.harvey.ai/• Boost Your Productivity with Generative AI: https://hbr.org/2023/06/boost-your-productivity-with-generative-ai• Research: quantifying GitHub Copilot’s impact on developer productivity and happiness: https://github.blog/2022-09-07-research-quantifying-github-copilots-impact-on-developer-productivity-and-happiness/• Lesson learnt from the DPD AI Chatbot swearing blunder: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lesson-learnt-from-dpd-ai-chatbot-swearing-blunder-kitty-sz57e/• Dennis Yang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisyang/• Tim Ferriss’s blog: https://tim.blog/• Tyler Cowen on X: https://twitter.com/tylercowen• Tom Cruise on X: https://twitter.com/TomCruise• Canva: https://www.canva.com/• Zapier: https://zapier.com/• Siqi Chen on X: https://twitter.com/blader• Runway: https://runway.com/• Universal Primer: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-GbLbctpPz-universal-primer• “I didn’t expect ChatGPT to get so good” | Unconfuse Me with Bill Gates: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-Ymdc6EdKw• Microsoft Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/• Lennybot: https://www.lennybot.com/• Visual Electric: https://visualelectric.com/• DALL-E: https://openai.com/research/dall-e• The One World Schoolhouse: https://www.amazon.com/One-World-Schoolhouse-Education-Reimagined/dp/1455508373/ref=sr_1_1• Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams: https://www.amazon.com/Why-We-Sleep-Unlocking-Dreams/dp/1501144324• Gran Turismo: https://www.netflix.com/title/81672085• Gran Turismo video game: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/gran-turismo/• Manta sleep mask: https://mantasleep.com/products/manta-sleep-mask• WAOAW sleep mask: https://www.amazon.com/WAOAW-Sleep-Sleeping-Blocking-Blindfold/dp/B09712FSLY—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 8 February 2024

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:• 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—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.lennyspodcast.com/episodes/. Today’s transcript will be live by 8 a.m. PT.—Where to find Megan Cook:• X: https://twitter.com/meganwcook• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cookmegan—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) 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 stays ahead of competitors(01:04:28) Learning from failure(01:08:30) Fight club(01:10:08) Lightning round—Referenced:• Jira: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira• Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/• Bitbucket: https://bitbucket.org/product• Ben Crowe on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-crowe-67299714/• Ash Barty on X: https://twitter.com/ashbarty• Atlassian’s blog, Work Life: https://www.atlassian.com/blog• Lessons learned: 1,000 days of distributed at Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/blog/distributed-work/distributed-work-report• New research: How to make time for the work that matters: https://www.atlassian.com/blog/distributed-work/calendar-redesign-experiment• Atlas: https://www.atlassian.com/software/atlas• Confluence: https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence• Lenny’s swag store: https://lennyswag.com/• What is CSAT and how do you measure it?: https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/customer/what-is-csat• The UX research reckoning is here | Judd Antin (Airbnb, Meta): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ux-research-reckoning-is-here-judd-antin-airbnb-meta/• Charlie Sutton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charliesutton/• Nokia 6100: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nokia_6100• Compass: https://www.atlassian.com/software/compass• Jira Product Discovery: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira/product-discovery• Canva: https://www.canva.com/• Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love: https://www.amazon.com/INSPIRED-Create-Tech-Products-Customers/dp/1119387507• Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building: https://www.amazon.com/Scaling-People-Tactics-Management-Building/dp/1953953212• Foundation on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/foundation/umc.cmc.5983fipzqbicvrve6jdfep4x3• Foundation book series: https://www.amazon.com/Foundation-3-Book-Boxed-Set-Empire/dp/0593499573• Traeger smoker: https://www.traeger.com/shop/wood-pellet-grills—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 4 February 2024

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:• 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—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.—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—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/managing-nerves-anxiety-and-burnout-jonny-miller-nervous-system-mastery/—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: [email protected]• Course: https://nsmastery.com/lenny—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) Jonny’s background(07:19) The bottom-up approach to nervousness and anxiety(09:42) The power of breath in changing states(11:47) The concept of state over story(13:56) Personal experiences with nervousness(15:01) Breathing exercises to calm you down(20:40) The “espresso” breath exercise to give you energy(25:44) Interoception and the A.P.E. framework(34:47) The “feather, brick, dump truck” phenomenon(37:40) Recognizing emotional debt and avoiding burnout(40:47) Using somatic-oriented therapy for healing(45:26) Telltale signs of emotional debt(48:13) The competitive advantage of “feeling the feels”(50:20) Advice for people overwhelmed by stimuli(52:36) The NSDR (non-sleep deep rest) practice for emotional release(55:38) Daily practices for emotional well-being(58:23) Thoughts on meditation(01:01:26) The Body Keeps the Score(01:01:58) Contrarian corner(01:04:43) Lightning round—Jonny’s If [This] Then [Breathe] Recipes:• If [overwhelmed], then [hum]• If [anxious], then [breath of calm]• If [lethargic], then [espresso breath]—Referenced:• The Operating Manual for Your Nervous System: https://every.to/p/the-operating-manual-for-your-nervous-system• Afferent vs. Efferent Neurons: https://www.osmosis.org/answers/afferent-vs-efferent-neurons• Insular cortex: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insular_cortex• Jonny’s TED Talk, “The gifts of grief”: https://www.ted.com/talks/jonny_miller_the_gifts_of_grief/details• Humming (Simple Bhramari Pranayama) as a Stress Buster: A Holter-Based Study to Analyze Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Parameters During Bhramari, Physical Activity, Emotional Stress, and Sleep: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10182780/• 14-Minute Guided NSDR (non-sleep deep rest) practice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjXX2c72fYY• Breathing Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety | Dr. Andrew Huberman on the Physiological Sigh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZKIupBUuc• Interoception: the hidden sense that shapes well-being: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/15/the-hidden-sense-shaping-your-wellbeing-interoception• Exteroception: https://dictionary.apa.org/exteroception• Interoceptive Awareness and ADHD: https://chadd.org/adhd-news/adhd-news-adults/interoceptive-awareness-and-adhd/• Childhood Trauma Affects Stress-Related Interoceptive Accuracy: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6813623/• The Hour Between Dog and Wolf: How Risk Taking Transforms Us, Body and Mind: https://www.amazon.com/Hour-Between-Dog-Wolf-Transforms/dp/0143123408• Somatic Experiencing: https://www.somaticexperiencing.com/• Hakomi Institute: https://hakomiinstitute.com/• Decisions and Desire (about Antonio Damasio’s work): https://hbr.org/2006/01/decisions-and-desire• When enough is enough | Andy Johns (ex-FB, Twitter, Quora): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/when-enough-is-enough-andy-johns-ex-fb-twitter-quora/• What Is Yoga Nidra?: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-is-yoga-nidra• Becoming Fully Yourself, What AI Wants, Family Rituals & Rites of Passage, with Kevin Kelly: https://podcast.curioushumans.com/episodes/becoming-fully-yourself-what-ai-wants-rites-of-passage-with-kevin-kelly• Tim Ferriss: https://tim.blog/• The Power of Sensations: Intermediate’s Vipassana Body Scan: https://insighttimer.com/carola.ananda/guided-meditations/the-power-of-sensations-intermediates-vipassana-body-scan-meditation• Vipassana Meditation: https://www.dhamma.org/en/index• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma: https://www.amazon.com/Body-Keeps-Score-Healing-Trauma/dp/0670785938• Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma: https://www.amazon.com/Waking-Tiger-Healing-Peter-Levine/dp/155643233X• Consolations: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words: https://www.themarginalian.org/2015/04/29/david-whyte-consolations-words/• The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership: A New Paradigm for Sustainable Success: https://www.amazon.com/15-Commitments-Conscious-Leadership-Sustainable/dp/0990976904/• The Conscious Leadership Group: https://conscious.is/• Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex, and Death in a World That’s Lost Its Mind: https://www.amazon.com/Recapture-Rapture-Rethinking-Death-World/dp/0062905465• Kubo and the Two Strings on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Kubo-Two-Strings-Charlize-Theron/dp/B01K5BSWX0• Wolfwalkers on AppleTV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/wolfwalkers/umc.cmc.amuoq00hqelfi98j0gvg641x• Scavengers Reign on Max: https://www.max.com/shows/scavengers-reign/50c8ce6d-088c-42d9-9147-d1b19b1289d4• Jerry Colonna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jerry-colonna-reboot/• Ra Optics “Sunset” blue-light blockers: https://raoptics.com/collections/night-lenses• Nurosym vagal stimulation device: https://my.nurosym.com/vns1564/• Pulsetto vagal stimulation device: https://pulsetto.tech/new-year/?gc_id=20124962116&h_ad_id=686249897188&gad_source=1• Apollo vagus nerve stimulator: https://apolloneuro.com/products/apollo-wearable—Additional research:• Cellular allostatic load is linked to increased energy expenditure and accelerated biological aging: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453023003001• Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093/full• Relationship between interoception and emotion regulation: New evidence from mixed methods: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032718323723• Out-of-the-blue panic attacks aren’t without warning: body sends signals for hour before: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21783179/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 28 January 2024

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:• 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—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—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/geoffrey-moore-on-finding-your-beachhead-crossing-the-chasm-and-dominating-a-market/—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/—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) 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 to take before trying to cross the chasm(22:19) Signs you’re ready to cross the chasm(25:19) Advice for startups on where to start(27:31) Thoughts on venture capital(27:53) A general timeline for crossing the chasm(30:52) What exactly is the “chasm”?(32:35) The difference between visionaries and pragmatists(36:05) Finding the compelling reason to buy(43:45) The Early Market playbook(45:46) The Bowling Alley playbook(48:39) Different sales approaches for early market and bowling alley(51:26) Changing the value state of the company(53:28) The Tornado playbook(57:35) Why combining playbooks doesn’t work(59:10) Using generative AI in different market phases(01:03:02) The risks of discounting(01:04:21) Other “deadly sins” of crossing the chasm(01:09:09) Positioning in crossing the chasm(01:10:36) Product-led growth and crossing the chasm(01:13:54) The challenges of software and entrepreneurship(01:16:35) How Geoffrey’s thinking has evolved(01:19:30) The importance of entrepreneurship and impact(01:20:42) His book The Infinite Staircase(01:23:58) Connect with Geoffrey Moore—Referenced:• Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling Disruptive Products to Mainstream Customers: https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-3rd-Disruptive-Mainstream/dp/0062292986• Oracle: https://www.oracle.com/• Documentum: https://www.opentext.com/products/documentum• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Notion: https://www.notion.so/• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• Intel: https://www.intel.com/• Jason Fried challenges your thinking on fundraising, goals, growth, and more: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/jason-fried-challenges-your-thinking-on-fundraising-goals-growth-and-more/• The Mayo Clinic: https://www.mayoclinic.org/• Coda: https://coda.io/• An inside look at how Figma ships product: https://coda.io/@yuhki/figma-product-roadmap• Dylan Field on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield/• Regis McKenna on Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/regis-mckenna-inc• Andrew Grove: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Grove• A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins | April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/a-step-by-step-guide-to-crafting-a-sales-pitch-that-wins-april-dunford-author-of-obviously-awesom/• Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win: https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Pitch-Craft-Story-Stand/dp/1999023021• B2B Go-to-Market Playbooks and the Technology Adoption Life Cycle: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/b2b-go-to-market-playbooks-technology-adoption-life-cycle-moore/• Juniper: https://www.juniper.net/us/en.html• Sal Khan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khanacademy/• Khan Academy: https://www.khanacademy.org/• How the Star Wars Kessel Run Turns Han Solo Into a Time-Traveler: https://www.wired.com/2013/02/kessel-run-12-parsecs/• Atlassian: https://www.atlassian.com/• Martin Casado on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martincasado/• The Infinite Staircase: What the Universe Tells Us About Life, Ethics, and Mortality: https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Staircase-Universe-Ethics-Mortality/dp/1950665984—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 25 January 2024

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:• 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—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.—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/good-strategy-bad-strategy-richard—Where to find Richard Rumelt:• Email: [email protected]• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-rumelt-18520828/• Website: https://thecruxbook.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) 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(28:19) Identifying and utilizing power(34:38) Types of power(41:13) Implementing power(48:15) The importance of historical knowledge(55:23) How to write an action agenda(01:02:47) The crux(01:10:40) Challenges to executing a strategy(01:15:44) The need for a decider(01:20:39) Strategy for startups(01:26:04) Richard’s “value denials” exercise(01:31:01) Closing thoughts(01:33:57) Lightning round—Referenced:• China’s Xi says ‘reunification’ with Taiwan is inevitable: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/31/chinas-xi-says-reunification-with-taiwan-is-inevitable.html• The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists: https://www.amazon.com/Crux-How-Leaders-Become-Strategists/dp/1541701240• Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters/dp/0307886239• Fundamental Issues in Strategy: A Research Agenda: https://www.amazon.com/Fundamental-Issues-Strategy-Research-Agenda/dp/0875843433/• Strategy, Structure, and Economic Performance: https://www.amazon.com/Strategy-Structure-Economic-Performance-Richard/dp/0875841090• There’s more than the CIA and FBI: The 17 agencies that make up the U.S. intelligence community: https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-17-intelligence-agencies-20170112-story.html• Programme for International Student Assessment: https://www.oecd.org/pisa/• Gerstner: Changing Culture at IBM—Lou Gerstner Discusses Changing the Culture at IBM: https://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/gerstner-changing-culture-at-ibm-lou-gerstner-discusses-changing-the-culture-at-ibm• Marvin Lieberman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marvin-lieberman-2a6b72/• S&P 500: https://www.spglobal.com/spdji/en/indices/equity/sp-500/#overview• Battle of Tora Bora: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Tora_Bora• Milton Friedman: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milton_Friedman• The Louvre: https://www.louvre.fr/en• How does SpaceX build its Falcon 9 reusable rocket?: https://www.sciencefocus.com/space/how-does-spacex-build-its-falcon-9-reusable-rocket• Charles Darwin: History’s most famous biologist: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/charles-darwin-most-famous-biologist.html• Donald Rumsfeld: https://www.defense.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/Article/602800/• Bush: The Decider-in-Chief: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bush-the-decider-in-chief/• Woodrow Wilson: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about-the-white-house/presidents/woodrow-wilson/• How the Sinking of Lusitania Changed World War I: https://www.history.com/news/how-the-sinking-of-lusitania-changed-wwi• Nokia: https://www.nokia.com/• The Rise and Fall of Nokia: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=46041• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/• These New Windows Let the Summer Breeze In, But Block the Street Noise: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/these-new-windows-let-the-summer-breeze-in-but-block-the-street-noise-7906121/• Stop it! (Bob Newhart): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvujypVVBAY• The Innovator’s Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book That Will Change the Way You Do Business: https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Change-Business/dp/0062060244• Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works: https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-Strategy-Really-Works/dp/142218739X• Steve Jobs: https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1982176865• Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points That Challenge Every Company: https://www.amazon.com/Only-Paranoid-Survive-Exploit-Challenge/dp/0385483821• Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.: https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr/dp/1400077303/• Yellowstone on Paramount+: https://www.paramountnetwork.com/shows/yellowstone• Smart telescopes: https://milehighastro.com/collections/smart-telescopes• Cassandra Clare: https://cassandraclare.com/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 21 January 2024

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:• 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—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—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-art-and-wisdom-of-changing-teams-heidi-helfand-author-of-dynamic-reteaming/—Where to find Heidi Helfand:• X: https://twitter.com/heidihelfand• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidihelfand/• Website: https://www.heidihelfand.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) 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 isolating small teams(33:27) Supporting and protecting internal startups(34:33) The one-by-one pattern(36:44) The grow and split pattern(39:20) The merging pattern(42:14) The switching pattern(50:18) Anti-patterns of reteaming(52:49) Embracing change and growth(58:48) How to become a better listener(01:01:28) Lightning round—Referenced:• Dynamic Reteaming: The Art and Wisdom of Changing Teams: https://www.amazon.com/Dynamic-Reteaming-Wisdom-Changing-Teams/dp/1492061298• O’Reilly: https://www.oreilly.com/• Procore Technologies: https://www.procore.com/• Kristian Lindwall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristianlindwall/• Chris Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissmithagile• Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes: https://www.amazon.com/Transitions-Making-Changes-Revised-Anniversary/dp/073820904X• Pat Wadors on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patwadors/• The Four Steps to the Epiphany: Successful Strategies for Products That Win: https://www.amazon.com/Four-Steps-Epiphany-Successful-Strategies/dp/1119690358• GoToMyPC: https://get.gotomypc.com/• Teamwork: https://www.amazon.com/Teamwork-Right-Wrong-Interpersonal-Communication/dp/0803932901• AppFolio: https://www.appfolio.com/• SecureDocs: https://www.securedocs.com/• Citrix: https://www.citrix.com/• The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups: https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Code-Secrets-Highly-Successful/dp/0804176981• Tuckman’s stages of group development: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuckman%27s_stages_of_group_development• Rich Sheridan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/menloprez/ • Menlo Innovations: https://menloinnovations.com/• Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us: https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates/dp/1594484805• Toyota Kata: Managing People for Improvement, Adaptiveness and Superior Results: https://www.amazon.com/Toyota-Kata-Managing-Improvement-Adaptiveness/dp/0071635238• Paulo Freire: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulo_Freire• Jon Walker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwalker/• Managing Corporate Lifecycles: https://www.amazon.com/Managing-Corporate-Lifecycles-Ichak-Adizes/dp/9381860548• The Adizes Institute: https://www.adizes.com/• John Cutler on Lenny’s Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/what-differentiates-the-highest-performing-product-teams-john-cutler-amplitude-the-beautiful-mes/• Co-Active Training Institute: https://coactive.com/• Co-Active Coaching: The proven framework for transformative conversations at work and in life: https://www.amazon.com/Co-Active-Coaching-Fourth-transformative-conversations/dp/1473674980• Creating Intelligent Teams: https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Intelligent-teams-Anne-R%C3%B8d/dp/186922583X• The Surprising Power of Liberating Structures: Simple Rules to Unleash a Culture of Innovation: https://www.amazon.com/Surprising-Power-Liberating-Structures-Innovation/dp/0615975305• Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making: https://www.amazon.com/Facilitators-Participatory-Decision-Making-Jossey-bass-Management/dp/1118404955• The Bear on Hulu: https://www.hulu.com/series/the-bear-05eb6a8e-90ed-4947-8c0b-e6536cbddd5f—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 18 January 2024

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:• 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—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—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/taking-control-of-your-career-ethan-evans-amazon/—Where to find Ethan Evans:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/• Substack: https://levelupwithethanevans.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) 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 promotion?(23:09) How to break out of a career plateau(28:52) How to become systematically inventive(36:04) Interview advice and how to stand out(40:43) A story of failing Jeff Bezos(50:31) Lessons learned from that failure(57:30) What Ethan would have done differently(01:00:35) Amazon’s leadership principles(01:08:52) Contrarian corner: Returning to the office vs. staying remote(01:10:39) Contrarian corner: Doing business on a handshake(01:11:52) Lightning round—Referenced:• The Magic Loop: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-magic-loop• SDE levels: https://www.masaischool.com/blog/understanding-sde-levels-sde-1-vs-sde-2-vs-sde-3-differences/• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful: https://www.amazon.com/What-Got-Here-Wont-There/dp/1401301304• Thomas Edison’s quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/thomas_a_edison_109928• Jeff Bezos: Amazon and Blue Origin | Lex Fridman Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWqzZ3I2cY• Unpacking Amazon’s unique ways of working | Bill Carr (author of Working Backwards): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/unpacking-amazons-unique-ways-of-working-bill-carr-author-of-working-backwards/• Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595• Jeff Wilke on X: https://twitter.com/jeffawilke• Andy Jassy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-jassy-8b1615/• Werner Vogels on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wernervogels/• Amazon’s Silk browser explained: https://www.androidpolice.com/amazon-silk-browser-explainer/• Chickens and pigs: https://www.scrum.org/resources/chickens-and-pigs• 58% of tech employees experience imposter syndrome. Here’s how to overcome it: https://medium.com/wearefutureworks/58-of-tech-employees-experience-imposter-syndrome-heres-how-to-overcome-it-78172d8a2258• Jeff Bezos to exec after product totally flopped: ‘You can’t, for one minute, feel bad’: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/22/jeff-bezos-why-you-cant-feel-bad-about-failure.html• Amazon’s leadership principles: https://www.amazon.jobs/content/en/our-workplace/leadership-principles• Sam Altman on X: https://twitter.com/sama• Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work: https://www.amazon.com/Decisive-Make-Better-Choices-Life/dp/0307956393• Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box: https://www.amazon.com/Leadership-Self-Deception-Getting-Out-Box/dp/1523097809• The Almanack of Naval Ravikant: A Guide to Wealth and Happiness: https://www.amazon.com/Almanack-Naval-Ravikant-Wealth-Happiness/dp/1544514212/• Angel list: https://venture.angellist.com/naval/syndicate• Naval Ravikant on X: https://twitter.com/naval• 1923 on Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/1923/• Yellowstone on Paramount+: https://www.paramountnetwork.com/shows/yellowstone• Chuckit! dog toys: https://www.chuckit-toys.co.uk/• Luke 12:48: https://law.utk.edu/2016/05/10/to-whom-much-is-given-much-will-be-required• The Challenger space shuttle disaster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster• Ethan’s popular course on Maven: https://maven.com/ethan-evans/break-through-to-executive—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 14 January 2024

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:• 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”—Brought to you by Teal—Your personal career growth platform | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Ahrefs—Improve your website’s SEO for free—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-be-more-innovative-sam-schillace-microsoft-deputy-cto-creator-of-google-docs/—Where to find Sam Schillace:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schillace/• Newsletter: https://sundaylettersfromsam.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) 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) Building Google Docs(31:06) The evolution of Google Docs(37:15) Finding product-market fit(39:52) The future of documents(44:57) The value of playing with technology(47:58) Taking risks and embracing failure(49:21) Thinking in the future(53:48) Finding joy in your work(01:01:20) Just do the best you can(01:02:34) The transformational power of AI(01:09:27) Advice for approaching AI(01:13:07) The culture at Microsoft(01:16:51) Closing thoughts(01:17:32) Lightning round—Referenced:• Google Docs began as a hacked-together experiment, says creator: https://www.theverge.com/2013/7/3/4484000/sam-schillace-interview-google-docs-creator-box• Edna Mode: https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Edna_Mode• Sergey Brin’s profile on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/profile/sergey-brin/• People Who Were No Smarter Than You: https://medium.com/thrive-global/people-who-were-no-smarter-than-you-4e1c88c3fee6• Nat Torkington (O’Reilly Media): https://www.oreilly.com/people/nathan-torkington/• How Tesla Has Shaken (Not Stirred) Established Carmakers—and Why It Really Matters: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferdungs/2021/04/23/how-tesla-has-shaken-not-stirred-established-carmakersand-why-it-really-matters/• First Principles: Elon Musk on the Power of Thinking for Yourself: https://jamesclear.com/first-principles• Ashton Tate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashton-Tate• Learning by Doing: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/learning-doing-sam-schillace• Kevin Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkevinscott/• How do we make sense of all of this?: https://sundaylettersfromsam.substack.com/p/how-do-we-make-sense-of-all-of-this• Steve Newman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevescalyr/• Eric Schmidt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-schmidt-02158951/• Michael Arrington on X: https://twitter.com/arrington• TechCrunch: https://techcrunch.com/• “Hello, Computer” scene from Star Trek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hShY6xZWVGE• Writely—Process Words with your Browser: https://techcrunch.com/2005/08/31/writely-process-words-with-your-browser/• Satya Nadella on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satyanadella/• Poor Charlie’s Almanack: The Essential Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger: https://press.stripe.com/poor-charlies-almanack• Calvinism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calvinism• This Quote from Seth Godin Could Change How You Think About Pursuing Your Passion: https://friedchickenandsushi.com/blog/2021/7/5/this-quote-from-seth-godin-could-change-how-you-think-about-pursuing-your-passion• AI isn’t a feature of your product: https://sundaylettersfromsam.substack.com/p/ai-isnt-a-feature-of-your-product• Introducing Gemini: our largest and most capable AI model: https://blog.google/technology/ai/google-gemini-ai/• Invisible Cities: https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Cities-Italo-Calvino/dp/0156453800• The Wasp Factory: https://www.amazon.com/WASP-FACTORY-NOVEL-Iain-Banks/dp/0684853159• Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Good-Ideas-Come-Innovation/dp/1594485380/• Slow Horses on Apple TV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/slow-horses/umc.cmc.2szz3fdt71tl1ulnbp8utgq5o• Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on Apple TV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/monarch-legacy-of-monsters/umc.cmc.62l8x0ixrhyq3yaqa5y8yo7ew?mttn3pid• Scavengers Reign on Max: https://www.max.com/shows/scavengers-reign/50c8ce6d-088c-42d9-9147-d1b19b1289d4• 2023 Mustang Mach-E: https://www.ford.com/suvs/mach-e/• Boccalone Salumeria (now closed) on X: https://twitter.com/boccalone—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 11 January 2024

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:• 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—Brought to you by DX—A platform for measuring and improving developer productivity | OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security.—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-engineering-mindset-will-larson-carta-stripe-uber-calm-digg/—Where to find Will Larson:• X: https://twitter.com/Lethain• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-larson-a44b543/• Website: https://lethain.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) 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 same performance rating to EMs and PMs(48:24) Measuring engineering productivity(55:53) Defining company values(01:02:10) Failure corner: the Digg rewrite(01:11:05) Will’s upcoming book, The Engineering Executive’s Primer(01:12:04) Lightning round—Referenced:• The end of the “free money” era: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/11/techscape-zirp-tech-boom• Work on what matters: https://lethain.com/work-on-what-matters/• Sheryl Sandberg to Harvard Biz Grads: “Find a Rocket Ship”: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kashmirhill/2012/05/24/sheryl-sandberg-to-harvard-biz-grads-find-a-rocket-ship/?sh=708c9a93b37a• What Is Systems Thinking?: https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/business/what-is-systems-thinking• Introduction to systems thinking: https://lethain.com/systems-thinking/• Thinking in Systems: https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Systems-Donella-H-Meadows/dp/1603580557• Silent Spring: https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Spring-Rachel-Carson/dp/0618249060• Writing an engineering strategy: https://lethain.com/eng-strategies/• Carta: https://carta.com/• Eric Vogl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericvogl/• Good Strategy/Bad Strategy: The difference and why it matters: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-Bad-difference-matters/dp/1781256179• The Crux: How Leaders Become Strategists: https://www.amazon.com/Crux-How-Leaders-Become-Strategists/dp/1541701240/• How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors That Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything in Between: https://www.amazon.com/How-Big-Things-Get-Done/dp/0593239512/• Technology Strategy Patterns: Architecture as Strategy: https://www.amazon.com/Technology-Strategy-Patterns-Architecture/dp/1492040878/• The Value Flywheel Effect: Power the Future and Accelerate Your Organization to the Modern Cloud: https://www.amazon.com/Value-Flywheel-Effect-Accelerate-Organization/dp/1950508579• The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win: https://www.amazon.com/Phoenix-Project-DevOps-Helping-Business/dp/1942788290• The Engineering Executive’s Primer: Impactful Technical Leadership: https://www.amazon.com/Engineering-Executives-Primer-Impactful-Leadership/dp/1098149483• An Elegant Puzzle: Systems of Engineering Management: https://press.stripe.com/an-elegant-puzzle• Staff Engineer: Leadership beyond the management track: https://www.amazon.com/Staff-Engineer-Leadership-beyond-management-ebook/dp/B08RMSHYGG• Gergely Orosz’s newsletter: https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/author/gergely/• Leaving big tech to build the #1 technology newsletter | Gergely Orosz (The Pragmatic Engineer): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/leaving-big-tech-to-build-the-1-technology-newsletter-gergely-orosz-the-pragmatic-engineer/• The art of product management | Shreyas Doshi (Stripe, Twitter, Google, Yahoo): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/the-art-of-product-management-shreyas-doshi-stripe-twitter-google-yahoo/• Henry Ward on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heward/• Vrushali Paunikar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vrushali-paunikar/• Accelerate: The Science of Lean Software and DevOps: Building and Scaling High Performing Technology Organizations: https://www.amazon.com/Accelerate-Software-Performing-Technology-Organizations/dp/1942788339• How to measure and improve developer productivity | Nicole Forsgren (Microsoft Research, GitHub, Google): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-measure-and-improve-developer-productivity-nicole-forsgren-microsoft-research-github-goo/• DORA: https://dora.dev/• Setting engineering org values: https://lethain.com/setting-engineering-org-values/• Digg: https://digg.com/• Kevin Rose on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinrose/• Digg’s v4 launch: an optimism born of necessity: https://lethain.com/digg-v4/• Dash Gopinath on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dashgopinath/• Rich Schumacher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richschumacher/• The ALL NEW Don’t Think of an Elephant!: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate: https://www.amazon.com/ALL-NEW-Dont-Think-Elephant-ebook/dp/B00NP9LHFA• Top Chef on Peacock: https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/top-chef/5172289448907967112• Hard to work with: https://lethain.com/hard-to-work-with/—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 7 January 2024

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:• 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—Brought to you by Teal—Your personal career growth platform | Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security | Ahrefs—Improve your website’s SEO for free—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ux-research-reckoning-is-here-judd-antin-airbnb-meta/—Where to find Judd Antin:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juddantin/• Website: https://juddantin.com/• Blog: https://medium.com/onebigthought—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) 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 about PMs, from researchers(41:02) A/B testing vs. user research(43:15) Hindsight bias and narrative fallacy(44:55) Making recommendations based on research(47:26) Advice for teams on how to leverage researchers(51:18) How product managers can be better partners to user researchers(56:53) The ideal ratio of researchers in a company(59:43) Empowering user researchers to drive impact(01:03:39) The limitations of NPS as a metric(01:06:48) The risks of dogfooding(01:08:51) Lightning round—Referenced:• Matt Gallivan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgallivan/• Janna Bray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janna-bray-a4046a25/• Celeste Ridlen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/celesteridlen/• Rebecca Gray on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccagray2/• Hannah Pileggi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-pileggi-43169314/• Louise Beryl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-beryl-13225833/• The UX Research Reckoning Is Here: https://medium.com/onebigthought/the-ux-research-reckoning-is-here-c63710ea4084• The end of the “free money” era: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/apr/11/techscape-zirp-tech-boom• Cognitive biases: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cognitive_biases• IDEO design thinking: https://designthinking.ideo.com/• Everything Is Obvious: How Common Sense Fails Us: https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Obvious-Common-Sense-Fails/dp/0307951790• Patrick Collison’s tweet: https://twitter.com/patrickc/status/1443215022029619200?lang=en• Brian Chesky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianchesky/• Brian Chesky on Lenny’s Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/brian-cheskys-new-playbook/• NPS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_promoter_score• What is CSAT and how do you measure it?: https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/customer/what-is-csat/• Michael Murakami on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhmurakami/• Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters: https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Leadership-Happens-Matters-Common/dp/1591391660• Demon Copperhead: https://www.amazon.com/Demon-Copperhead-Novel-Barbara-Kingsolver/dp/0063251922• All Systems Red: The Murderbot Diaries: https://www.amazon.com/All-Systems-Red-Murderbot-Diaries/dp/0765397536• The Last of Us on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/the-last-of-us• Belay glasses: https://www.amazon.com/Belay-Glasses-Climbing-Comfortable-Sturdy/dp/B08GSBYDKQ/• Epictetus: Control What You Can—Especially Yourself: https://www.shortform.com/blog/epictetus-control/• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change: https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/0743269519—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 4 January 2024

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:• 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—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—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/strategies-for-becoming-less-distracted-and-improving-focus-nir-eyal-author-of-indistractable-and/—Where to find Nir Eyal:• X: https://twitter.com/nireyal• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/• Website: https://www.nirandfar.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) 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-minute timer(23:20) Making time for traction with a timebox schedule(25:02) How to turn your values into time(28:36) Booking deep work time(29:22) Making pacts to prevent distraction(31:00) The problem with to-do lists(34:31) The drawback of deadlines(36:08) Distraction is an emotion regulation problem(39:54) Hacking back external triggers(45:03) Preventing distraction with pacts(48:18) Specific tools to hold you accountable(53:42) Managing emotions and discomfort(56:37) Taking responsibility and being high-agency(01:00:09) Becoming indistractable at work(01:05:04) Schedule syncing to align with managers(01:09:36) We are not as hooked on technology as people think(01:16:00) Life purpose and personal responsibility(01:17:38) Lightning round—Referenced:• Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life: https://www.amazon.com/Indistractable-Control-Your-Attention-Choose/dp/194883653X• Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products: https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-How-Build-Habit-Forming-Products/dp/1591847788• Dorothy Parker’s quote: https://twitter.com/nireyal/status/1472280598723108866• “Writing is bleeding” quote: https://www.hemingwaysociety.org/quotation-controversy-writing-and-bleeding• The Pomodoro Technique Explained: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bryancollinseurope/2020/03/03/the-pomodoro-technique/• Timeboxing: Why It Works and How to Get Started in 2024: https://www.nirandfar.com/timeboxing/• Using your working time well - Issue 22: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-management-issue-22• All-In podcast: https://www.allinpodcast.co/• Nir’s post about “the planning fallacy”: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/nireyal_why-do-tasks-always-seem-to-take-longer-than-activity-7137440438939959297-XIUB/• How the Ancient Greeks Beat Distraction: https://www.nirandfar.com/tantalizing-distractions/• Jeremy Bentham: https://iep.utm.edu/jeremy-bentham• An overview of Sigmund Freud’s pleasure principle: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/pleasure-principle• The Matrix “There is no spoon” scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAXtO5dMqEI• Outlet timer: https://www.amazon.com/Century-Indoor-24-Hour-Mechanical-Outlet/dp/B01LPSGBZS• Forest app: https://www.forestapp.cc/• Focusmate: https://www.focusmate.com/• Have We Been Thinking About Willpower the Wrong Way for 30 Years?: https://hbr.org/2016/11/have-we-been-thinking-about-willpower-the-wrong-way-for-30-years• We Need Social Antibodies to Fight the Disease of Distraction: https://nireyal.medium.com/we-need-social-antibodies-to-fight-the-disease-of-distraction-51f9187be016• The Mere Presence of Your Smartphone Reduces Brain Power, Study Shows: https://news.utexas.edu/2017/06/26/the-mere-presence-of-your-smartphone-reduces-brain-power• Leading in Tough Times: HBS Faculty Member Amy C. Edmondson on Psychological Safety: https://www.hbs.edu/recruiting/insights-and-advice/blog/post/leading-in-tough-times• If Tech Is So Distracting, How Do Slack Employees Stay So Focused?: https://www.nirandfar.com/slack-use/• Managing up: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-up• Duolingo: https://www.duolingo.com/• FitBot: https://www.fitbotapp.com/• Paulo Coelho’s quote: https://twitter.com/paulocoelho/status/416264984188825600• Alchemy: The Dark Art and Curious Science of Creating Magic in Brands, Business, and Life: https://www.amazon.com/Alchemy-Curious-Science-Creating-Business/dp/006238841X• The Experience Machine: How Our Minds Predict and Shape Reality: https://www.amazon.com/Experience-Machine-Minds-Predict-Reality/dp/1524748455• Empire of the Sun on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Empire-Sun-Christian-Bale/dp/B001N3JY82• Sesame grinder: https://www.miyacompany.com/450-014-450-014• Muji pens: https://www.muji.us/collections/pen-pencils—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 29 December 2023

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: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 YouTubeSarah’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—This entire episode is brought to you by Gelt—Redefine your approach to taxes.—Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-hierarchy-of-engagement-sarah-tavel-benchmark-greylock-pinterest/—Where to find Sarah Tavel:• X: https://twitter.com/sarahtavel• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahtavel/• Substack: https://www.sarahtavel.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) 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 who want to increase retention(29:34) What founders often get wrong(31:43) Examples of core actions(37:37) Finding your North Star Metric(38:12) Who should use the Hierarchy of Engagement framework(38:54) The Hierarchy of Marketplaces framework(46:09) Level 1: Focus on a constrained opportunity(50:19) Sarah’s “happy GMV” and “minimum viable happiness” concepts(54:47) Thumbtack: a counterexample to this approach(56:36) Signs you’re ready to move to level 2(58:06) Level 2: Tipping the marketplace(01:04:15) Tipping loops(01:10:53) Not all markets are susceptible to tipping(01:15:55) The challenge of homogeneity in B2B marketplaces(01:20:29) Signs you’re tipping successfully(01:21:43) Level 3: Dominating the market(01:28:29) The opportunity in underestimated markets(01:30:11) The challenges of chasing GMV and losing focus(01:36:36) Recognizing currents and momentum in the market(01:39:20) You can never rest on your laurels(01:41:03) How to apply these frameworks outside of marketplaces(01:42:57) Three ways to find marketplace opportunity(01:45:10 ) Lightning round—Referenced:• Hierarchy of Engagement, Expanded: https://sarahtavel.medium.com/the-hierarchy-of-engagement-expanded-648329d60804• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/• Evernote: https://evernote.com/• Notion: https://www.notion.so/• Houseparty app: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houseparty_(app)• Clubhouse: https://www.clubhouse.com/• How to price your product | Naomi Ionita (Menlo Ventures): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-price-your-product-naomi-ionita-menlo-ventures/• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/• Lessons on building a viral consumer app: The story of Saturn: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-on-building-a-viral-consumer• Saturn: https://www.joinsaturn.com/• What happened to Secret?: https://www.failory.com/cemetery/secret• How to determine your activation metric: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-determine-your-activation• Shishir Mehrotra on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/• The rituals of great teams | Shishir Mehrotra of Coda, YouTube, Microsoft: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-rituals-of-great-teams-shishir-mehrotra-coda-youtube-microsoft/• Engagement Hierarchy: Core Actions: https://sarahtavel.medium.com/engagement-hierarchy-core-actions-dd4f72042100• Choosing Your North Star Metric: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/choosing-your-north-star-metric• Hierarchy of Marketplaces: https://sarahtavel.medium.com/the-hierarchy-of-marketplaces-introduction-and-level-1-983995aa218e• Mike Williams on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoroomie/• Everything Marketplaces: https://www.everythingmarketplaces.com/• Fabrice Grinda on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabricegrinda/• OLX: https://www.olx.com/• DoorDash Loves the ’Burbs as Much as You Do: https://www.wsj.com/articles/doordash-loves-the-burbs-as-much-as-you-do-11605618001• Thumbtack: https://www.thumbtack.com/• NPS: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Net_promoter_score• Sean Ellis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanellis/• Rekki: https://rekki.com/• Ronen Givon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronen-givon-535b2514• Hipcamp: https://www.hipcamp.com/• Demand driving supply: The little-understood growth loop behind a surprising number of iconic billion-dollar companies: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/demand-driving-supply-marketplaces• Inside the Revolution at Etsy: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/25/business/etsy-josh-silverman.html• Faire: https://www.faire.com/• Bill Gurley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billgurley/• Mechanical Turk: https://www.mturk.com/• Parker Conrad on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkerconrad/• Rippling: https://www.rippling.com/• “White Space” for Building a Marketplace: How to Find Your Competition’s Vulnerabilities—and Capitalize: https://sarahtavel.medium.com/white-space-for-building-a-marketplace-how-to-find-your-competitions-vulnerabilities-and-79674aa4d399• Pachinko: https://www.amazon.com/Pachinko-National-Book-Award-Finalist/dp/1455563935• The Five Temptations of a CEO: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Temptations-CEO-Anniversary-Leadership/dp/0470267585• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756• Tesla: https://www.tesla.com/• Reid Hoffman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reidhoffman/• What Is A Good Activation Rate: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Transcribed - Published: 27 December 2023