The power of a few good ideas and the magic loop for career advancement.: Advancing in your career doesn't always require groundbreaking ideas. Focus on expressing a few good ideas consistently and follow the five steps of the Magic Loop to grow your career.
Advancement in your career doesn't necessarily require a constant flow of groundbreaking ideas. According to Ethan Evans, former vice president at Amazon, having just a few good ideas and successfully expressing them over time can be seen as tremendously inventive. He emphasizes that invention doesn't always require extensive time investments, as even two hours once a month can be enough to generate new ideas. Additionally, Evans talks about "The Magic Loop," a simple concept to grow your career, even in challenging circumstances. It involves five steps, such as performing your current job well, asking your boss how you can help, and building a strong relationship based on teamwork. By following these steps, individuals can advance and succeed in their careers.
Building a Strong Working Relationship with Your Manager: The Magic Loop: By following The Magic Loop, you can form a strong partnership with your manager, advance in your career, and achieve your goals by asking for help, staying dedicated, communicating your goals, and taking initiative.
Forming a partnership with your manager can help you advance in your career and find satisfaction in your job. By following the steps of The Magic Loop, you can build a strong working relationship with your manager and achieve your goals. Step one is to ask your manager how you can help them, even if it's not your favorite work. Step two is to continue helping out and showing your dedication. Step three is to communicate your own goals and ask for ways to achieve them. Step four is to know your goal and be clear about what you want. Finally, step five is to repeat the process and continue working together towards your goals. Remember, not all managers are proactive in employee development, so taking initiative can make a big difference in your career progression.
The Magic Loop: Taking Control of Your Career Growth and Success.: By implementing The Magic Loop strategy, you can proactively manage your own career growth and have meaningful conversations with your manager to achieve your ambitions at any level of your career.
The Magic Loop is a career development strategy that puts you in control of your own growth and success. It highlights the fact that not all managers are capable or proactive in managing their employees' careers, which is why it's important to take initiative. By implementing The Magic Loop, you can have conversations with your manager about your career goals and create a partnership that helps you step up to new challenges and achieve your ambitions. This process has been proven to be successful for both entry-level employees and high-level executives. It doesn't matter what level you are at in your career; The Magic Loop can be beneficial and lead to significant progress and opportunities.
Building Trust and Rapport with Your Leadership: Gradually shift from simply asking your manager how you can help, to proactively suggesting and taking action on tasks. Creating a positive relationship with your manager can lead to career growth opportunities.
Building trust and rapport with your leadership is crucial for career success. As you progress in your career, you need to shift from simply asking your manager how you can help to proactively suggesting and taking action on tasks that need to be done. However, it's important to note that this step should be taken gradually, as it requires a strong foundation of trust. Managers often feel overwhelmed and appreciate having an ally who can lighten their load. Additionally, this approach taps into our innate social engineering tendencies of helping those who help us. By adopting this mindset and focusing on doing your current job well, you can establish a positive relationship with your manager and create opportunities for growth in your career.
Effective Communication and Alignment for Career Growth: Openly discussing goals and aspirations with your manager establishes trust, prevents assumptions, and leads to personal and professional fulfillment.
Effective communication and alignment with your manager are crucial for career growth and advancement. By openly discussing your goals and aspirations, you can bridge the gap between your manager's needs and your own objectives. This helps to establish trust, build a strong relationship, and identify areas for improvement. Additionally, expressing your ambitions can prevent assumptions from your manager about your career path, whether they assume you want to stay in your current role indefinitely or become a manager like them. Moreover, The Magic Loop framework can be applied not only for promotion but also for pursuing different projects, transitioning to new functions, or achieving work-life balance. Establishing clear lines of communication and proactive goal-setting can lead to personal and professional fulfillment.
Advancing in your career: How to increase your chances of promotion: To move up in your career, develop next-level skills, show readiness for more responsibility, and seize unexpected opportunities to stand out and demonstrate qualities needed for advancement.
Moving up in your career requires both patience and proactive action. While there may be a choke point in senior management roles and limited opportunities in a lean economy, there are things you can do to increase your chances of advancement. It's important to recognize that advancing to a higher level requires a shift in skills and mindset. Start practicing next-level skills, such as strategic thinking and taking on innovative projects. Show your leadership that you are ready for more responsibility. Additionally, be prepared for unexpected opportunities that may arise, such as when your peers leave and you are given their teams. Ultimately, it's about being the person who stands out and demonstrates the qualities needed for advancement.
The Importance of Being an Inventive Leader: Being an inventive leader involves promoting individuals who can do more than their current role, thinking big, simplifying, dedicating time to problem-solving, and becoming systematically inventive in a particular field.
In short, one big takeaway from this conversation is the importance of being an inventive leader. Ethan Evans emphasizes the value of promoting individuals who can do more than their current role, as it not only benefits the organization but also provides personal growth opportunities. Inspired by Jeff Bezos, Ethan adopted the concept of being an inventor as a leader. He highlights the significance of thinking big, simplifying, and dedicating time to problem-solving. He shares his experience of becoming systematically inventive, resulting in over 70 patents during his tenure at Amazon. Ethan believes that inventiveness is attainable by being an expert in a particular field and spending focused time brainstorming. He exemplifies this by describing his unique patent idea for a drone delivery system using a truck as a mobile hub.
Nurturing Innovation through Iterative Optimization: Continuous improvement and scaling of initial ideas can lead to substantial inventions. In job interviews, displaying genuine interest and dressing appropriately enhances your chances of being hired.
Innovation and invention require a combination of dedicated time and incremental optimization. It's not about constantly generating new ideas, but rather about refining and improving existing ones. The process of invention doesn't necessarily require a significant amount of time, as a few good ideas can have a long-lasting impact. Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk are examples of individuals who have made substantial inventions by focusing on continuously improving and scaling their initial ideas. Additionally, when it comes to standing out as a candidate in job interviews, appearance and enthusiasm play a crucial role. Showing genuine interest and dressing appropriately can greatly increase your chances of getting hired.
Showcasing enthusiasm and impact in job interviews: Convey genuine excitement, highlight problem-solving skills, and demonstrate the positive impact made in previous roles to showcase leadership abilities and drive change.
In interviews, it's important to showcase enthusiasm and focus on the impact of your work. When interviewing for a job, it's crucial to convey genuine excitement about the opportunity and demonstrate a deep understanding of the company. Avoid being judgmental or overly focused on selling yourself. Instead, emphasize the problem-solving and impact you have made in your previous roles. Highlight specific examples of how your work has made a difference and positively influenced past employers. Remember that being a leader is not just about completing tasks, but also about having a significant impact and driving change. In virtual interviews, maintain eye contact, showcase good body language, and be fully present to project enthusiasm and appreciation for the opportunity. Ultimately, it's not just about the content you deliver, but also how you come across.
Taking Ownership and Communication in a Crisis: Taking ownership, proactively communicating, and seeking assistance during a crisis can help minimize the impact and gain trust from stakeholders.
Taking ownership and proactively communicating with stakeholders can help mitigate the impact of a crisis. When faced with a technical issue that delayed the launch on Amazon, Ethan Evans took accountability and admitted the fault rather than making excuses. By doing so, he gained a small measure of trust from Jeff, the CEO, who agreed to a plan for resolution. Evans continued to update Jeff regularly, ensuring transparency and demonstrating a commitment to resolve the problem. Additionally, the supportive culture at Amazon enabled Evans to receive help from principal engineers from AWS, resulting in a temporary solution to the database issue. This story highlights the importance of ownership, effective communication, and seeking assistance during challenging situations.
Rebuilding Trust and Succeeding After a Major Failure: Taking ownership, communicating effectively, and handling difficult situations with grace can rebuild trust, lead to personal growth, and generate positive outcomes.
Even after a major failure, it is possible to rebuild trust and succeed. Ethan Evans faced a situation where a product launch went awry, leading to frustration from the CEO, Jeff. Although the problem was eventually fixed, Jeff still had doubts about the reliability of the team. However, Ethan took the initiative to confront the situation. Instead of retaliating or avoiding the CEO, he attended a meeting and engaged in a genuine conversation with Jeff. By choosing to respond positively and rebuild the relationship, Ethan showed that flaming with angry emails is easy, but facing problems face-to-face and being kind can have a significant impact. Ultimately, Ethan was able to re-earn trust, learn from the experience, and even achieve a promotion. This story highlights the importance of taking ownership, communicating effectively, and handling difficult situations with grace.
Effective Leadership in Times of Crisis: Prioritizing communication, transparency, trust-building, problem-solving, taking ownership of mistakes, and maintaining resilience are crucial for leaders to navigate challenging situations successfully.
In times of crisis or when mistakes are made, it is crucial for leaders to prioritize communication and transparency with their teams. By keeping everyone updated and involved, leaders can build trust and prevent micromanagement. Meeting team members in person and addressing issues offline can also help diffuse tensions and facilitate problem-solving. Additionally, it is important to work hard and fast to fix the problem, even if it means putting in extra hours or pulling in additional resources. Taking ownership of mistakes and learning from them is also key, as it allows leaders to grow and overcome imposter syndrome. Ultimately, resilience and a positive mindset can help leaders navigate challenging situations and come out stronger.
Learning from Mistakes and Building a Positive Reputation: Take responsibility for mistakes, learn from them, and move forward. Leaders should consider the potential consequences of their decisions to maintain a positive reputation. Show support to team members involved in mistakes.
Mistakes happen, even at major companies like Amazon. It's important to recognize when you've made a mistake and take responsibility for it, but it's equally important to not let that mistake define you or hold you back. Instead of dwelling in shame, it's vital to learn from the experience and move forward. Additionally, this story highlights the importance of considering the potential impact of your actions. Leaders should always be conscious of the potential consequences of their decisions, especially when it comes to large-scale companies like Amazon. Avoiding potential negative headlines in media outlets can help maintain a positive reputation and prevent unnecessary setbacks. Lastly, it's crucial to provide support and reassurance to team members who may have been involved in mistakes, ensuring they understand that the failure is not solely their fault.
Prioritizing human connections and support in the face of challenges: Valuing people over processes, acknowledging emotions, and fostering a supportive environment are crucial in effectively navigating difficult situations and supporting team members.
We need to prioritize human connections and support in the face of challenges. In the conversation between Ethan Evans and Lenny, they reflect on a situation where a team member left after feeling responsible for a bug. Ethan regrets not realizing the emotional impact it had on the team member and not stepping in to provide support. This highlights the importance of being there for individuals facing challenges, even if it may not directly affect the outcome. Additionally, the discussion on Amazon's leadership principle of ownership emphasizes the significance of taking responsibility and not shying away from difficult situations. Overall, these experiences teach us to value people over processes, acknowledge their emotions, and foster a supportive environment.
The Importance of Balance and Decisive Action in Leadership: Effective leadership requires a balance between decisive action and caution, as well as the ability to influence decision-makers with good ideas and actively seek diverse perspectives.
In short, one big takeaway from this conversation is the importance of balance and decisive action in leadership. Jeff Bezos emphasizes the need for decisiveness in his approach to Blue Origin, where he encourages a bias for action. However, this must be balanced with caution, especially when dealing with dangerous endeavors like rocket launches. It's a delicate balance of moving forward while ensuring safety measures are in place. Another important lesson is that good ideas can influence top-level decision-makers in a company, even if they are not openly acknowledged. This highlights the significance of having good ideas and being persistent in presenting them. Additionally, effective leadership involves actively seeking diverse perspectives and constantly questioning and adapting beliefs based on new evidence.
Challenging Traditional Office Setups and Contract Reliance: Trusting people and valuing personal integrity can result in better outcomes and more meaningful relationships, even if there is occasional disappointment.
Ethan Evans holds contrarian views on the return to office movement and doing business based on contracts. He believes that remote work has more room for improvement compared to the traditional office setup, which has been around for centuries. Evans argues that the remote work experience has only been explored for a few years, while offices have reached their peak potential. He also emphasizes the importance of trust and personal integrity in business relationships, going against the trend of relying heavily on contracts and legal agreements. Evans believes in the power of trusting people and their word, even if there's a risk of occasional disappointment. Trusting others can lead to better outcomes and healthier relationships in the long run.
Embrace Your Uniqueness and Find Success in Your Career: Embrace your individuality, nurture your strengths and interests, and have the courage to voice your beliefs, as this authenticity and assertiveness will contribute to your career success.
Success and fulfillment in one's career come from embracing one's unique qualities and passions. Naval Ravikant, an angel investor and author of The Almanack Of Naval Ravikant, emphasizes that no one can be a better version of oneself. Instead of trying to copy others, it is important to identify and nurture one's own strengths and interests. This authenticity becomes one's defensible career value, setting them apart from others. Additionally, the key to success lies in having the courage to disagree with higher leadership or people in power, standing up for one's beliefs. This trait is valued in leaders as it fosters a diverse and productive work environment.
Embracing diversity and personal growth for career success.: Continuous learning, diverse perspectives, and personal development are crucial for career advancement and overcoming challenges. Seek support, embrace different viewpoints, and invest in your own growth.
Ethan Evans emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and incorporating different perspectives. He acknowledges that he is one person with his own perspective, and relies on the comments and feedback of others to improve his own thinking. This highlights the value of seeking diverse opinions and being open to different viewpoints. Additionally, Ethan's focus on career development and leadership underscores the significance of actively working towards personal growth and advancement. He offers courses and coaching to help individuals navigate their careers, break through barriers, and achieve their goals. By embracing lifelong learning, adopting a growth mindset, and seeking support and guidance, individuals can successfully progress in their careers and overcome challenges along the way.
Taking control of your career | Ethan Evans (Amazon)
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
209 Episodes
Recent Episodes from Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
How marketplaces win: Liquidity, growth levers, quality, and more | Benjamin Lauzier (Lyft, Thumbtack, Reforge)
Benjamin Lauzier has been building and scaling marketplaces for almost 15 years. He was the VP of product and growth at Thumbtack, where he rebuilt the product team and Thumbtack’s growth levers, re-architected their revenue model, and helped double the company’s growth within three years. Prior to Thumbtack, Ben was at Lyft for six years, where he led the supply side of the product organization to a point where 1% of U.S. workers were driving for Lyft every month. Currently, he advises marketplace teams and founders, teaches a Reforge course on marketplace growth, and has recently launched a health tech company called Nurra, which connects users with care advocates to navigate the health-care system. In our conversation, we cover:
• What defines a marketplace business
• Strategies for growing supply and demand in the early stages
• How to measure liquidity and other marketplace health metrics
• How to evaluate if a marketplace model is right for your idea
• Lessons from Lyft, Thumbtack, and other successful marketplaces
• The differences between product management in the U.S. and Europe
—
Brought to you by:
• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
• Paragon—Ship every SaaS integration your customers want
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security
—
Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-marketplaces-win-benjamin-lauzier
—
Where to find Benjamin Lauzier:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminlauzier/
• Ben’s Reforge course: https://www.reforge.com/courses/marketplace-growth/details
—
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) Ben’s background
(02:24) Defining a marketplace
(07:52) Challenges in building a marketplace
(13:28) Methods for growing supply
(15:57) Understanding marketplace liquidity
(21:36) Identifying product-market fit in marketplaces
(24:10) Evaluating marketplace business models
(27:20) Common pitfalls and failures in marketplaces
(36:23) Managed marketplaces and quality control
(42:26) Lyft’s rental car initiative
(46:35) Mentorship and ambassador programs
(51:21) Driver recruitment strategies
(54:12) Lyft vs. Uber: a strategic analysis
(59:24) Cultural differences in tech: Europe vs. U.S.
(01:10:30) Building a health advocacy platform
(01:16:52) Lightning round and final thoughts
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
You don’t need to be a well-run company to win: Surprising lessons in product leadership and AI strategy | Tamar Yehoshua (President at Glean, ex-CPO at Slack, VP at Google, VP at Amazon)
Tamar Yehoshua is the president of product and technology at Glean. Prior to joining Glean, Tamar was chief product officer at Slack, where she led product, design, and research as the company scaled, including a 10x increase in revenue, its public listing, and an acquisition by Salesforce. She also led product and engineering teams at Google, working on search, identity, and privacy, and at A9.com, an Amazon company. Tamar has served on the board of directors for RetailMeNot, ServiceNow, Snyk, and Yext. In our conversation, we discuss:
• Why you don’t need to be a well-run company to win
• The impact of AI on product management and the future of work
• How to build strong cross-functional relationships, especially with engineers
• Lessons learned from working with leaders like Jeff Bezos and Stewart Butterfield
• Strategies for staying ahead in a rapidly evolving tech landscape
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• Explo—Embed customer-facing analytics in your product
• Sprig—Build products for people, not data points
• Sidebar—Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers
—
Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/you-dont-need-to-be-a-well-run-company-to-win-tamar-yehoshua
—
Where to find Tamar Yehoshua:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamar-yehoshua-886217/
• Newsletter: https://tamaryehoshua.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) Tamar’s background
(02:09) Key advice for career success
(06:54) Understanding people and motivations
(09:33) The importance of impact
(11:20) Navigating company chaos
(18:40) Career planning: a different perspective
(26:22) Lessons from industry leaders
(37:59) Building stronger cross-functional relationships
(42:00) Streamlining OKR reviews with async methods
(45:26) Why you shouldn’t worry so much about making users unhappy
(47:50) The power of listening in leadership
(52:34) How to leverage AI so you don’t fall behind
(01:06:39) Closing thoughts and lightning round
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
Becoming a super IC: Lessons from 12 years as a PM individual contributor | Tal Raviv (Product Lead at Riverside)
Tal Raviv is a product manager at Riverside, where he joined as its first PM. Over his 12-year career as an individual contributor, Tal has been an early PM at Patreon, AppsFlyer, and Wix, working in consumer growth, developer API platforms, and pricing. He started his career by co-founding a profitable SaaS company and also volunteers as a surf instructor for people with disabilities. In our conversation, Tal shares:
• Why he has chosen to stay an individual contributor rather than moving into management
• The rise of “super ICs” and how companies can support this career path
• Advice for succeeding as a long-term IC product manager
• How he uses AI to enhance his productivity
• How to build self-reliant teams and make yourself redundant
• Lessons from failures
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• Gamma—A new way to present, powered by AI
• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs
• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
—
Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-super-ic-pm-tal-raviv
—
Where to find Tal Raviv:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv/
• Maven course: https://maven.com/tal-raviv/product-manager-productivity-system/
—
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) Tal’s background
(02:24) Choosing to stay an IC product manager
(07:05) The value of IC roles
(08:31) Compensation and career path
(12:37) Advice for companies on creating space for ICs
(14:33) Leveraging AI for productivity
(22:44) Build your personal PM productivity system
(37:39) Contrarian opinions and insights
(44:32) Book smart vs. street smart decision-making
(51:51) There’s no one right way to get things done
(57:03) Failure corner
(01:19:04) Lightning round
(01:26:50) Living through conflict
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
Rethinking SEO in the age of AI | Eli Schwartz (SEO advisor, author)
Eli Schwartz is a leading SEO consultant and the author of Product-Led SEO. He has worked with industry giants like Zapier, Tinder, Coinbase, Quora, LinkedIn, and WordPress to build and execute global SEO strategies that significantly enhanced their organic visibility at scale. In our conversation, Eli shares:
• How AI and LLMs are reshaping the SEO landscape
• Why you should be focused on mid-funnel SEO strategies
• How to determine if SEO is the right approach for your business
• Why SEO should be treated as a product rather than just a marketing tactic
• SEO myths
• The future of search in light of recent legal challenges faced by Google
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• Pendo—The only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application
• Brave Search—A smarter way to search
• OneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster
—
Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/rethinking-seo-in-the-age-of-ai-eli-schwartz
—
Where to find Eli Schwartz:
• X: https://x.com/5le
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schwartze/
• Website: https://www.elischwartz.co/
• Newsletter: https://www.productledseo.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) Eli’s background
(02:10) The impact of AI on SEO strategies
(11:34) Understanding search intent
(15:30) Real-world impact and structured vs. unstructured data
(20:19) Top-of-funnel vs mid-funnel SEO strategies
(22:57) Case studies
(31:29) Steps for getting started with SEO
(35:20) Examples of when not to focus on SEO
(39:17) Evaluating SEO investment
(44:00) Understanding the tradeoffs in marketing channels
(46:23) SEO conversion metrics and expectations
(52:09) Understanding the time horizon of SEO
(59:37) The role of AI in content creation
(01:05:26) AI overviews
(01:07:40) Brand building and SEO
(01:09:51) Programmatic vs. editorial SEO strategies
(01:16:06) Insights from the Google antitrust verdict
(01:20:36) Google’s dominance in search
(01:23:52) The future of SEO and user choice
(01:26:28) SEO myths debunked
(01:36:58) Forecasting SEO success
(01:44:18) The need for SEO expertise
(01:46:26) Lightning round and closing thoughts
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
The things engineers are desperate for PMs to understand | Camille Fournier (author of “The Manager’s Path,” ex-CTO at Rent the Runway)
Camille Fournier is the author of The Manager’s Path, which many consider the definitive guide for navigating one’s career path in tech. Camille was previously the CTO of Rent the Runway, VP of Technology at Goldman Sachs, Head of Platform Engineering at Two Sigma, and Global Head of Engineering and Architecture at JPMorgan Chase. She is about to release new newest book, Platform Engineering: A Guide for Technical, Product, and People Leaders. In our conversation, we discuss:
• What product managers do that annoys engineers
• Why major rewrites are a trap
• Why you should have fewer one-on-ones
• Strategies for organizing and working with platform teams
• Tips for new managers
• Advice for transitioning from individual contributor to manager
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• DX—A platform for measuring and improving developer productivity
• CommandBar—AI-powered user assistance for modern products and impatient users
• Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace
—
Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/engineering-leadership-camille-fournier
—
Where to find Camille Fournier:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/camille-fournier-9011812/
• Website: https://skamille.medium.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) Camille’s background
(02:17) Common annoyances between PMs and engineers
(07:09) Avoiding the telephone game
(08:05) Hoarding ideas and over-engineering
(09:55) The importance of involving engineers in ideation
(11:37) The middle-person dilemma
(14:21) Rewriting systems: a big trap?
(20:40) Engineering leadership lessons
(36:02) Moving from IC to management
(40:32) One-on-one meetings
(45:10) Pushing beyond comfort zones
(45:27) Building a balanced work culture
(48:01) Effective time management strategies
(54:15) Advice for platform team success
(01:02:42) Platform team responsibilities
(01:04:43) When to form a platform team
(01:07:02) Thriving on a platform team
(01:12:48) AI corner
(01:17:03) Lightning round and final thoughts
—
Referenced:
• Platform Engineering: A Guide for Technical, Product, and People Leaders: https://www.amazon.com/Platform-Engineering-Technical-Product-Leaders/dp/1098153642/
• The Manager’s Path: A Guide for Tech Leaders Navigating Growth and Change: https://www.amazon.com/Managers-Path-Leaders-Navigating-Growth/dp/1491973897
• 97 Things Every Engineering Manager Should Know: Collective Wisdom from the Experts: https://www.amazon.com/Things-Every-Engineering-Manager-Should/dp/1492050903
• Avoiding the Rewrite Trap: https://skamille.medium.com/avoiding-the-rewrite-trap-b1283b8dd39e
• Levelsio on X: https://x.com/levelsio
• Pieter Levels on the Lex Fridman Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFtjKbXKqbg
• GraphQL: https://graphql.org/
• New Blue Sun by André 3000 on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/33Ek6daAL3oXyQIV1uoItD
• Musk’s 5 Steps to Cut Internal Bureaucracy at Tesla and SpaceX: https://icecreates.com/insight/musk-s-5-steps-to-cut-internal-bureaucracy-at-tesla-and-spacex-you-may-say-it-s-his-algorithm/
• Ian Nowland on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/inowland/
• Studio Pulls ‘Megalopolis’ Trailer Using Fake Quotes from Famed Movie Critics: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/studio-pulls-megalopolis-trailer-using-fake-quotes-from-famed-movie-critics_n_66c74046e4b0f1ca469413c7
• Claude 2: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-2
• 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
• When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times: https://www.amazon.com/When-Things-Fall-Apart-Difficult/dp/1611803438
• Alien: Romulus: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt18412256/
• Whoop: https://www.whoop.com
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
Land your dream job in today’s market: negotiation tactics, job search councils, and more | Phyl Terry (Author, “Never Search Alone”)
Phyl Terry is the author of Never Search Alone, which I’ve seen so many people reference as the most impactful guide they read for finding a job. Phyl was on the founding team of the first company Amazon acquired back in the ’90s and then was CEO of pioneering product consulting firm Creative Good, with companies like Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft as customers. Today, Phyl is the founder and CEO of Collaborative Gain, which 20 years ago pioneered bringing councils to senior product leaders and GMs in Silicon Valley. That’s their day job—in addition to that, Phyl runs a free global community for job seekers based on their latest book. In our conversation, we discuss:
• Why you should never search for a job alone
• How job search councils work
• How to determine your “candidate-market fit”
• How to conduct a listening tour
• Creating your job mission and OKRs
• How to negotiate job offers
• The art of asking for help
• Tactics for effective networking and interviewing
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• Sidebar—Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers
• Sprig—Build products for people, not data points
• Dovetail—The customer insights hub for product teams
—
Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/land-your-dream-phyl-terry
—
Where to find Phyl Terry:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phylterry/
• Website: https://www.phyl.org/
—
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) Phyl’s background
(01:58) The concept of job search councils
(04:27) The power of community in job searching
(08:55) The scale and structure of job search councils
(12:27) The impact of job search councils
(20:19) The concept of candidate-market fit
(22:50) Writing a Mnookin two-pager
(24:37) Conducting listening tours
(30:12) Creating a focused candidate-market fit
(36:20) Advice on finding the right stage of company for you
(40:37) Identifying your unique path
(45:30) Navigating tough job markets
(49:07) Playing to win
(53:36) Negotiation tactics for job offers
(01:05:12) The gratitude house exercise
(01:10:48) The power of asking for help
(01:19:18) How to ask for help
(01:28:40) Final thoughts and advice
(01:38:21) Lightning round
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
How LinkedIn became interesting: The inside story | Tomer Cohen (CPO at LinkedIn)
Tomer Cohen is the chief product officer at LinkedIn, responsible for setting the company’s product strategy, leading product development, user experience design, business development, content creation, and customer operations. He also hosts the Building One podcast, where he interviews exceptional builders across various disciplines. In our conversation, we discuss:
• How LinkedIn transformed its feed into an engaging content and social platform
• Tomer’s famous “We might be wrong, but we are not confused” mantra
• The importance of conviction and passion in product leadership
• LinkedIn’s approach to experimenting with and implementing AI features
• Lessons from Tomer’s rapid career progression at LinkedIn
• Strategies for embracing AI in product development
—
Brought to you by:
• Gamma—A new way to present, powered by AI
• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs
• Merge—A single API to add hundreds of integrations into your app
—
Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-linkedin-became-interesting-tomer-cohen
—
Where to find Tomer Cohen:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomercohen/
• Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/building-one-with-tomer-cohen/id1726672498
—
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 to Tomer Cohen and his role at LinkedIn
(02:28) The mantra “We might be wrong, but we are not confused”
(06:45) Clarity of thought and focus
(13:03) Setting ambitious goals and overdelivering
(16:18) Transforming LinkedIn’s feed: strategy and execution
(22:03) Running experiments at scale
(26:24) Goal setting and identifying opportunities
(30:58) AI’s role in LinkedIn’s evolution
(35:38) The AI-first mindset at LinkedIn
(35:38) Developing an AI-first mindset
(44:49) Letting go of your roadmaps and allowing room for exploration
(49:12) Career growth and personal insights
(55:01) Takeaways
(56:39) Lightning round and final thoughts
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
The original growth hacker reveals his secrets | Sean Ellis (author of “Hacking Growth”)
Sean Ellis is one of the earliest and most influential thinkers and operators in growth. He coined the term “growth hacking,” invented the ICE prioritization framework, was one of the earliest people to use freemium as a growth lever, and, most famously, developed the Sean Ellis Test for product-market fit (which a large percentage of founders use today to track if they’ve found PMF). Over the course of his career, Sean was head of growth at Dropbox and Eventbrite; helped companies like Microsoft and Nubank refine their growth strategy; was on the founding team of LogMeIn, which sold for over $4 billion; and is the author of one of the most popular growth books of all time, Hacking Growth, which has sold over 750,000 copies. In our conversation, he shares:
• The proper use of the Sean Ellis Test for measuring product-market fit
• How to increase your activation and retention rates
• How to select the right North Star metric for your business
• Case studies from his work growing Dropbox and other products
• How growth strategy has changed over the past decade
• How AI is impacting growth efforts
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• Gamma—A new way to present, powered by AI
• CommandBar—AI-powered user assistance for modern products and impatient users
• Merge—A single API to add hundreds of integrations into your app
—
Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-original-growth-hacker-sean-ellis
—
Where to find Sean Ellis:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanellis/
• Website: https://www.seanellis.me/
• Substack: https://substack.com/@seanellis
—
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) Sean’s background
(02:18) The Sean Ellis test explained
(06:28) The 40% rule
(08:06) Case study: improving product-market fit
(12:34) Understanding and leveraging customer feedback
(16:50) Challenges and nuances of product-market fit
(22:22) When to use the Sean Ellis Test
(23:46) When not to use the Sean Ellis Test and other caveats
(27:13) Defining your own threshold and how the Sean Ellis Test came about
(36:13) Tools for implementing the survey
(37:30) Transitioning from surveys to retention cohorts
(39:13) Nubank’s approach
(40:18) Case study: Superhuman’s strategy for increasing product-market fit
(45:18) Coining the term “growth hacking”
(48:24) How to approach growth
(57:25) Improving activation and onboarding
(01:05:17) Identifying effective growth channels
(01:10:28) The power of customer conversations
(01:12:43) Developing the Dropbox referral program
(01:14:47) The importance of word of mouth
(01:15:23) Freemium models and engagement
(01:19:21) Picking a North Star metric
(01:24:30) The evolution of growth strategies
(01:27:12) The ICE and RICE frameworks
(01:30:11) AI’s role in growth and experimentation
(01:32:52) Final thoughts and lightning round
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
Airbnb’s Vlad Loktev on embracing chaos, inquiry over advocacy, poking the bear, and “impact, impact, impact” (Partner at Index Ventures, Airbnb GM/VP Product)
Vlad Loktev spent 10 years at Airbnb, where he started as an IC PM and quickly advanced to lead the core Airbnb marketplace business and then GM the entire homes business, managing over 1,000 people and reporting directly to CEO Brian Chesky. He recently left Airbnb and joined Index Ventures as their newest partner. Vlad was my manager at Airbnb for many years, and is the person I credit most for teaching me how to be a great product manager. Prior to Airbnb, Vlad spent a year at Zynga, where he helped grow Words with Friends to over 14 million daily active users. In our conversation, Vlad shares:
• Insight into Brian Chesky’s leadership style
• Why success as a PM is all about impact, impact, impact
• Why chaos can be good
• Why as a leader it’s OK to let some fires burn
• Why you should learn to “poke the bear”
• Balancing product release speed with quality
• Lessons on prioritization, decision-making, and organizational design
• Advice for founders on building company culture
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• Pendo—The only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security
• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
—
Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/impact-impact-impact-vlad-loktev
—
Where to find Vlad Loktev:
• X: https://x.com/vladimirloktev
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vladimirloktev/
—
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) Vlad’s background
(02:54) Reflecting on transformative years at Airbnb
(04:28) Skills and mindsets for success
(11:03) Impact-driven mindset
(13:16) Saying no and inquiry before advocacy
(17:54) “Poking the bear”
(22:46) Psychological tools for leadership
(30:08) Building and scaling teams
(36:12) Letting fires burn
(47:34) Embracing chaos
(54:40) The unsell email strategy
(01:02:01) Finding your place in an organization
(01:05:38) The importance of company culture
(01:13:16) Airbnb’s unique approach to product management
(01:26:41) Failure corner
(01:31:32) Lightning round and final thoughts
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
How to consistently go viral: Nikita Bier’s playbook for winning at consumer apps (co-founder of TBH, Gas, advisor, investor)
Nikita Bier is one of the most in-demand consumer, social, and growth experts in the world. He’s the co-founder of TBH (sold to Meta for more than $30 million) and Gas (sold to Discord for millions more) and has helped more consumer apps that have hit #1 in the app stores than any other person I’ve come across. He currently spends his time advising founders on growth, product, and design and is an investor and advisor to some of the best consumer tech companies, including Flo, Locket, Eight Sleep, Citizen, BeReal, Captions, and more. In our conversation, we discuss:
• The inside story of how TBH and Gas achieved explosive growth
• Strategies for building viral consumer apps
• Why teens are such a great audience
• Fighting the human trafficking hoax at Gas
• The challenge of creating durable social products
• His experience working as a PM at Facebook
• Advice for founders on building consumer apps
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• Webflow—The web experience platform
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security
• Explo—Embed customer-facing analytics in your product
—
Book Nikita for 1:1 consultation/mentoring: https://intro.co/NikitaBier
—
Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-consistently-go-viral-nikita-bier
—
Where to find Nikita Bier:
• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@nikitabier
• Website: https://intro.co/NikitaBier
—
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) Nikita’s background
(06:08) Nikita’s early ventures: Politify and Outline
(08:42) Transition to consumer apps
(13:45) The birth of TBH
(16:43) Building for teens vs. adults
(20:00) TBH’s viral success
(32:18) Leveraging live chat
(34:08) Lasting lessons from TBH
(37:00) Selling TBH to Facebook
(42:19) Big-tech product management
(48:46) Nikita on why “product management is not real”
(51:49) The Tim Cook painting story
(53:53) Leaving Facebook and starting a new venture
(58:02) Rebuilding TBH and overcoming challenges
(59:46) Addressing criticism
(01:04:24) The human trafficking hoax
(01:09:51) Selling to Discord and lessons learned
(01:11:36) Lasting lessons from Gas
(01:13:14) Building durable consumer apps
(01:22:35) The VC route
(01:23:27) Contact permissions in iOS 18
(01:26:53) The success of Dupe
(01:31:53) Advice for startup founders
(01:34:14) Work with Nikita
—
Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.
—
Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.
Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
Related Episodes
Ep 57: Improve Your Accountability: Combine Internal Drive with External Accountability
Today's episode of Prospecting on Purpose focuses on accountability, a key driver in professional success. We explore its crucial role in business environments, especially for those leading teams, managing client relationships, or driving sales and projects.
Sara delves into two essential aspects of accountability: our personal commitment to goals (internal) and the structures or relationships supporting our progress (external).
She’ll share results from a recent survey on professional accountability, revealing how people view their accountability.
Sara will share tips for internal accountability including setting clear goals, regularly tracking progress, and maintaining a growth mindset. For more details, listen to episode 7: Four Foundations for a Growth Mindset:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4ubpUn5XB4uyGEfX6CFxDY?si=49273b9757ea43d9
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/prospecting-on-purpose/id1663074741?i=1000598246485
Sara Murray website: https://www.saramurray.com/podcast/episode-7-four-foundations-for-a-growth-mindset
She’ll also introduce one of the greatest accountability tasks, assigning ourselves external accountability. This can include implementing hard deadlines, partnering with an accountability buddy, seeking guidance from coaches or mentors, and publicly announcing goals for added motivation.
This episode also debuts a new product offering from Sara Murray, Inc. ACE Your Sales Digital Course, details can be found on: www.saramurray.com/aceyoursales.
More from Sara:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/saramurraysales/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saramurraysales/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@saramurraysales
Former No.1 Pick-Up Artist: “We’re Wired to Cheat After 7 Years”, “I Was In A Relationship With My Mum”, The True Danger Of Porn: Neil Strauss
Episode 388: GAME CHANGING Language Tools and Goal Setting Questions
This is a small clip for an old Modern Success lecture I did years ago. This gives you a taste of what I teach.
http://www.bryancasella.com
http://www.jointeambc.com
[6] Se fixer des objectifs : Clarifier ses objectifs
![[6] Se fixer des objectifs : Clarifier ses objectifs](https://www.podcastworld.io/podcast-images/chit-chat-sans-make-up-r35ge193.webp)
CLARIFIER SES OBJECTIFS
Dans cette deuxième thématique on rentre dans le dur. Il est l'heure de se fixer des objectifs et développer sa productivité. Pas de panique, on y va petit à petit et surtout dans la bonne humeur.
Dans ce podcast, découvrez quelques outils qui vous permettront d'y voir plus clair et de savoir ce qui est la priorité pour VOUS.
Vous pouvez aussi laisser une note et un commentaire sur iTunes, Apple Podcast ou votre plateforme d'écoute 😊 A bientôt !
Camille et Sophie
~~~~
🔗Lien vers le blog Hashtag Marrade
✨ -15% sur tout le site www.mymellowdays.com jusqu'au 17 octobre 2020 avec le code MARRADE15 !
The MONEY Expert: If I Was Broke Today, This Is EXACTLY What I’d Do | Patrick Bet-David
Patrick Bet-David immigrated to America at twelve years old, when his parents fled Iran as refugees during the Iranian Revolution. After high school, Patrick joined the U.S. military and served in the 101st Airborne before starting a business career in the financial services industry. At age 30, he founded PHP Agency, an insurance marketing organization with 66 agents. He grew the firm to 40,000 agents before making a multi-nine-figure exit.
A serial entrepreneur, Bet-David founded Valuetainment, which became the #1 YouTube channel on entrepreneurship with nearly a billion views, and expanded into a media, consulting, and production company. He hosts the PBD Podcast, the #1 business podcast on Spotify. He lives in South Florida with his wife and four children.
Buy his new book Choose Your Enemies Wisely: Business Planning for the Audacious Few
In this episode you will learn
- Patrick’s journey to his first major financial milestone, including the story behind his first $1,000,000 and the pivotal decision that significantly contributed to his success.
- How to effectively analyze the past year's experiences and data for a productive outlook, setting up a foundation for a successful 2024.
- Patrick’s strategies for rebuilding success from scratch, offering practical advice and a step-by-step comeback plan for those starting anew.
- The five 'Unworthy Enemies' that drain energy, and how identifying a 'Worthy Enemy' can be a source of motivation and vitality.
- Insights on successful investment strategies, including his top five personal investment choices and the reasons behind their selection, as well as their outcomes.
For more information go to www.lewishowes.com/1547
For more Greatness text PODCAST to +1 (614) 350-3960
More SOG episodes we think you’ll love:
Rob Dial – https://link.chtbl.com/1516-pod
Dr Joe Dispenza – https://link.chtbl.com/1494-pod
Inky Johnson – https://link.chtbl.com/1483-pod