Career Success: Success in your career requires excelling in your current role, understanding people, and blending metrics with intuition for informed decision-making. Cultivate relationships and a mindset of curiosity to enhance leadership effectiveness.
To be successful in your career, it's important to focus on excelling at your current job, understand the details of your product, and know your industry technology. Building strong relationships involves understanding people's motivations and needs. Combine metrics with intuition to make informed decisions, and always be curious and ask questions to deepen your understanding. Great leaders leverage their experiences and observations to create products that resonate and motivate their teams. Engaging with colleagues and seeking feedback can enhance your ability to lead effectively. Key figures in tech emphasize the importance of a beginner's mind and having a clear vision while being able to adapt and respond to user insights.
Impact over Chaos: Strive to make a real impact rather than just meeting goals. In fast-growing companies, chaos is common and sometimes necessary, but as companies scale, implementing structure becomes essential for continued success and productivity.
To truly succeed in your role, focus on making a real impact rather than just meeting goals. Listen to customers and understand what they truly need—avoid pushing features just because you created them. Remember, while chaotic environments can lead to success in early growth phases, achieving scale requires structure and a clear direction. This chaos is often necessary for rapid growth but ensure that you recognize when it’s time to implement order as the company matures. Ultimately, prioritize solving meaningful problems for users and be mindful of the essential elements that drive success: product market fit, a working sales strategy, and adequate funding. Balance the chaos of growth with the structure needed to sustain success, adapting to the company's evolving needs.
Career Growth: Strong product market fit is essential for business success. When building a career, focus on following talented individuals and learning, rather than just seeking high-paying jobs. Embrace the journey of growth and learning, as many good opportunities exist beyond top companies.
Achieving strong product market fit is crucial for a company's success, as lacking it can lead to failure. However, during times of growth, chaos is common, but that shouldn’t excuse poor organization or employee dissatisfaction. For careers, it's okay not to have a clear plan. Instead, focus on following highly skilled individuals in the industry you admire, as learning from the best will benefit your growth. Look for jobs where you can learn and develop, rather than chasing immediate financial rewards. Even if you don’t land a job at a top company, many great opportunities exist if you're willing to learn and navigate your own path, understanding that career decisions may not always lead to success, but the focus on learning will guide you toward fulfilling growth.
Career Growth Insights: Find admired professionals to guide your job search, focus on skill-building, and leverage trusted peer networks for career growth. Technologies like Sidebar enhance networking opportunities and support career advancement.
When choosing a workplace or seeking career improvement, identify and learn from professionals you admire. Analyze their skills and the companies they work for—it can guide your job search. Building skills is essential as they are timeless, unlike companies. Great leaders, like Jeff Bezos and Stewart Butterfield, emphasize consistency, customer focus, and the ability to prototype and test ideas quickly, which are vital for long-term success. Having a solid network of trusted peers provides invaluable support for overcoming challenges at work. Joining platforms like Sidebar can enhance your networking opportunities with fellow professionals and help facilitate career growth, ultimately leading to a significant positive change in your career trajectory.
Collaborative Prototyping: Fostering strong collaboration among product, engineering, and design teams, along with a prototyping mindset and clear roles, leads to faster iterations and better products.
Prototyping in product development can lead to faster and more efficient outcomes when the engineering team adopts a flexible mindset and efficient infrastructure. By prioritizing collaboration between product managers, engineers, and designers, and maintaining clear roles and responsibilities, teams can align more effectively to achieve their goals. Spending time together and open communication are crucial for ensuring everyone is on the same page. This collaborative culture can drive innovation and allow for quick iterations informed by real data and user feedback, ultimately leading to better products. A strong partnership between product and engineering teams, as well as a willingness to pivot and prototype frequently, can help companies remain dynamic and innovative in the competitive landscape. Mark Benioff exemplifies how skills in marketing can significantly contribute to product vision, blending needs across various company functions to realize success.
Effective Communication: Direct communication and listening to team feedback improve team alignment. Asynchronous tools can enhance productivity and reduce meeting fatigue while respecting the concerns of both present and future users leads to better product decisions.
Being direct and transparent in communication leads to better alignment and productivity within teams. Using asynchronous tools, like Slack channels and video presentations, allows for more effective OKR reviews and reduces meeting overload. Listening to team members and respecting their feedback, even if it’s from a vocal minority, helps improve product decisions—prioritizing future users while still being transparent with current ones over changes. Authenticity, active listening, and clear explanations are crucial in maintaining a sense of connection and trust, whether in leadership or product management. Tackling challenges together, iterating on processes, and properly communicating why changes are made fosters a supportive environment, ultimately benefiting both employees and users.
Embracing AI: AI is revolutionizing product management by boosting efficiency and innovation, enabling faster workflows and better team collaboration. Staying updated with AI tools is essential for PMs to maintain their competitive edge and enhance productivity.
AI is transforming how product managers work, enabling them to be more efficient and innovative. By using AI tools, PMs can automate tasks, analyze data quickly, and enhance collaboration between teams. Embracing these technologies is crucial as the lines between roles blur, and staying ahead requires continuous learning and adapting. The use of AI can lead to greater productivity, allowing PMs to focus on strategic elements while the AI handles routine data processing and reporting. This shift will empower product managers to leverage insights and streamline workflows, ensuring they are not left behind as AI technologies continue to advance and reshape the industry.
Product Managers and AI: AI tools present opportunities for product managers to excel. While routine tasks may be automated, creativity and strategic thinking will remain essential. Strong PMs can leverage AI to enhance products, ensuring they stand out in a competitive landscape.
In an age where AI tools are rapidly evolving, product managers (PMs) have the unique opportunity to thrive rather than get replaced. While routine tasks may be automated, the need for creativity, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills in PMs will become more critical. AI can identify customer needs but lacks the creativity to develop solutions, allowing top PMs to stand out. As AI becomes integrated into products, companies will need PMs who can leverage AI efficiently while also adding distinct value beyond AI capabilities. Hence, exceptional PMs who can blend technical knowledge, user understanding, and innovative thinking will flourish, while less effective PMs focusing on execution may face job threats. Continuous improvement of products alongside enhancing AI capabilities will further distinguish successful products in the marketplace.
Adapt and Thrive: Adapt to the fast-paced tech world by staying informed and embracing new tools. In parenting, prioritize sleep for happy, healthy children, and remember to commit to your decisions for personal growth.
In a rapidly changing tech landscape, it's essential to adapt your work practices to keep pace and seize opportunities. Staying informed through newsletters, podcasts, and discussions can help you stay ahead. Embrace learning and be proactive in exploring new tools. Remember, making decisions is part of growth; commit to them fully. In parenting, prioritizing sleep for your child is crucial. Well-rested kids are happier, healthier, and help create a more balanced household. Utilizing techniques like sleep training can be effective, and meeting a child's basic needs fosters a positive environment for growth and learning. Overall, both in work and parenting, a proactive, informed, and adaptable mindset is key to thriving.
Sharing Connections: Sharing your daily experiences with your children encourages them to open up about their lives, creating better communication and connection. Engagement with others professionally also enhances learning and growth through mutual sharing.
Sharing your life experiences with your children can encourage them to open up about their own experiences. Instead of just asking how their day was, share an interesting part of your day or a mistake you made. This approach fosters better communication and connection between you and your kids. It’s important to create an environment where they feel comfortable discussing their thoughts and feelings. Additionally, engaging with others through professional networks, like LinkedIn, can enhance your personal growth and provide valuable feedback for your work. By inviting others to share their opinions or insights while also sharing yours, you create a mutual learning experience. Always look for ways to connect, learn, and grow together, whether it’s in family relationships or professional interactions. This two-way street of communication benefits everyone involved and builds stronger, more meaningful connections.
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)
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
212 Episodes
Recent Episodes from Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career
Behind the product: NotebookLM | Raiza Martin (Senior Product Manager, AI @ Google Labs)
Raiza Martin is a senior product manager for AI at Google Labs, where she leads the team behind NotebookLM, an AI-powered research tool that includes a delightful podcast-on-demand feature called “Audio Overviews.” NotebookLM started as a 20% project and has grown into a product that’s spreading across social media and has a Discord server with over 60,000 users. Raiza previously worked on AI Test Kitchen and has a background in startups, payments, and ads. In our conversation, we discuss:
• The origin story of NotebookLM
• The future road map for NotebookLM
• How Google Labs operates differently from the rest of Google
• The development of the “Audio Overviews” feature
• Key metrics and growth of NotebookLM
• Stories about collaborating with author Steven Johnson
• Navigating potential misuse of AI technology
—
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/googles-notebooklm-raiza-martin
—
Where to find Raiza Martin:
• X: https://x.com/raiza_abubakar
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whatsaraiza/
—
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 NotebookLM
(05:43) The genesis of NotebookLM
(08:08) Innovative features and use cases
(18:52) Building a startup culture within Google
(24:28) Expanding user demographics
(27:30) The product roadmap
(32:18) Other use cases
(36:11) Collaborating with Steven Johnson
(42:49) Ensuring ethical AI
(46:06) Future directions and user engagement
—
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 conscious leader: Leading without fear, finding your life’s objective function, and getting better at vision and strategy | John Mark Nickels (Uber, Waymo, DoorDash)
JM Nickels is a Senior Director of Product Management at Uber. Previously, he was Head of Product for Commercialization at Waymo and led product teams at DoorDash. JM is also a coach and advisor focused on conscious leadership. In our conversation, we discuss:
• How to sharpen your vision and strategy skills
• What “conscious leadership” means and how to practice it
• Practical techniques for managing stress
• The power of soft skills and emotional intelligence in product leadership
• Lessons from working at Uber, Waymo, and DoorDash
• Keys to living a successful and fulfilling life
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• Pendo—The only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application
• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security
—
Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/becoming-a-conscious-leader-john-mark-nickels
—
Where to find John Mark Nickels:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmnickels/
• Website: https://www.rhythmofbeing.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) Introduction to JM
(02:02) Conscious leadership explained
(03:41) The power of soft skills
(07:34) Navigating Uber’s evolution
(12:41) Embracing emotions and inner work
(21:46) Crafting strategy and vision
(41:16) Balancing vision and execution
(46:13) Lessons from DoorDash, Uber, and Waymo
(52:32) The future of autonomous ride-hailing
(55:18) Contrarian corner: Embracing emotions in the workplace
(59:47) Keys to a fulfilling life
(01:04:45) Taking responsibility and agency
(01:07:29) 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
Thinking like a gardener not a builder, organizing teams like slime mold, the adjacent possible, and other unconventional product advice | Alex Komoroske (Stripe, Google)
Alex Komoroske is a strategic leader who merges the practice, theory, and mindset necessary to tackle complex problems. He spent 13 years at Google, where he worked on Search and DoubleClick and led Chrome’s Open Web Platform. He also spearheaded Augmented Reality in Google Maps and developed toolkits to align companywide strategy from the ground up. After serving as Head of Corporate Strategy at Stripe, he is now co-founding a startup aimed at reimagining the web for the AI era. Alex created the popular “Slime Molds” deck, which offers fresh insights into organizational dynamics. He is also the author of the widely read “Bits and Bobs,” a collection of thought-provoking reflections.In our conversation, we delve into:
• “Organizational kayfabe”
• “Gardening” vs. “building”
• How AI will soon change how we build product
• How and why to embrace the adjacent possible
• The power of reflection and how to build it into your workflow
• How to create emergent properties in organizations
• How to run effective “strategy salons” or “nerd clubs”
• Much more
—
Brought to you by:
• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments
• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security
• Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace
—
Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/unconventional-product-advice-alex-komoroske
—
Where to find Alex Komoroske:
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-komoroske-6597336/
• Website: https://www.komoroske.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) Introduction to Alex
(01:53) Alex’s Bits and Bobs document
(06:20) The Compendium and note-taking process
(10:10) The impact of AI and LLMs on product development
(14:24) Skills to lean into as a product manager
(19:02) How AI makes us better as individuals
(23:04) Organizational kayfabe
(31:48) Gardening vs. building
(34:46) Emergence-oriented thinking
(41:55) Slime molds and organizational structure
(45:15) Identifying resonant ideas
(47:05) The power of metaphors
(48:02) Strategy salons and nerd clubs
(52:30) Building and sustaining communities
(55:59) Productivity hacks and self-control
(01:01:04) Life philosophy and personal insights
(01:07:52) The adjacent possible
(01:15:56) 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 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
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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
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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
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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
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Where to find Lenny:
• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
—
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) 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