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joeseesun/lennys-podcast-newsletter
Lenny Rachitsky 播客与 Newsletter 知识库。搜索、阅读、学习 Lenny 的 638 篇内容（289 播客转录 + 349 篇 Newsletter）。 涵盖产品管理、增长、设计、工程、AI、创业、领导力等 17 个主题。 触发词：Lenny、Lenny's Newslet
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How it works
lennys-podcast-newsletter
When your agent uses it
Lenny Rachitsky 播客与 Newsletter 知识库。搜索、阅读、学习 Lenny 的 638 篇内容（289 播客转录 + 349 篇 Newsletter）。 涵盖产品管理、增长、设计、工程、AI、创业、领导力等 17 个主题。 触发词：Lenny、Lenny's Newsletter、Lenny's Podcast、"Lenny 怎么说"、"Lenny 有没有聊过"。
What it loads into context
Frontmatter
115 tokensAlways available to the agent
SKILL.md
1,167 tokensWhen the skill is activated
Reference documents
7,362,639 tokensLoaded on request
Token counts are estimates. Scripts run separately; they are not counted as reference context.
The playbook
- 数据概览
- 数据路径（自包含在 skill 内）
- 搜索脚本
- Workflow
- 回答格式
- 注意事项
Scripts executed separately
scripts/lenny_search.py
Files
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Read SKILL.md
# Lenny's Podcast & Newsletter 知识库
基于 Lenny Rachitsky 的完整内容存档（289 播客转录 + 349 篇 Newsletter），支持搜索、阅读、问答和学习。
## 数据概览
- **289 篇播客转录**：硅谷顶级产品人访谈（完整对话逐字稿）
- **349 篇 Newsletter**：产品管理、增长、职业发展深度文章
- **17 个主题标签**：design, leadership, strategy, growth, startups, career, product-management, b2b, engineering, b2c, ai, analytics, go-to-market 等
- **289 位嘉宾**：包括 Brian Chesky, Satya Nadella, Lenny 本人等
- **数据来源**：[lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com)
## 数据路径（自包含在 skill 内）
Skills included
- lennys-podcast-newsletter
Repository facts
- License
- MIT
- Created
- Mar 21, 2026
- Last pushed
- Mar 21, 2026
- Forks
- 26
- Open issues
- 0
- Project activity
- Slowing
Before you install
Network or broad shellAutomated signals, not a guarantee
Checked Nov 8, 2026
Not fully analyzed: some files were too long, unreadable or missing. This never lowers the level.
Show 11 notes
SKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzedSKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzedSKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzedSKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzedSKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzedSKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzedSKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzedSKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzedSKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzedSKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzedSKILL.md:1Analysis incomplete: Referenced executable target unavailable; not analyzed
- No broad tool permissions
- 14,249 network referencesin 606 files: references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-business-step-4-find-your-early-adopters-b.md:10 references/02-newsletters/my-all-time-favorite-reads-on-product-growth-leadership-writing-investing-and-mu.md:14 references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-business-step-5-retain-iterate-until-enoug.md:10 and 603 more
- 25 obfuscation signalsin 19 files: references/02-newsletters/skills-pms-need-to-build.md:185 references/02-newsletters/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups-came-up-with-their-original-idea.md:244 references/02-newsletters/ideal-sprint-length-designer-vs-pm-roles-running-pm-team-meetings-running-post-m.md:10 and 16 more
- No instruction overrides
- 1 executable scriptin 1 file: scripts/lenny_search.py:1
- 10 references to secretsin 9 files: references/02-newsletters/how-to-learn-the-most-about-a-candidate-from-a-single-interview-question.md:58 references/02-newsletters/a-holiday-gift-guide-for-tech-people-with-taste.md:145 references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-business-step-4-find-your-early-adopters-b.md:397 and 6 more
- No requests to vote in Hot
Show all 14,288 signals by file
README.md
- Network accessline 29
- [ ] [Claude Code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code) installed - Network accessline 30
- [ ] Python 3.8+ (built-in on macOS) - [ ] Lenny's data archive (from [lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com) paid subscription) - Place the extracted data at: `~/乔木新知识库/20-29 学习/23 播客转录/lennys-data/` - Network accessline 31
- [ ] Lenny's data archive (from [lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com) paid subscription) - Network accessline 77
- [Lenny Rachitsky](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/) — Original content creator - Network accessline 78
- [lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com) — Data archive for paid subscribers - Network accessline 100
- [ ] 已安装 [Claude Code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code) - Network accessline 101
- [ ] Python 3.8+（macOS 自带） - [ ] Lenny 数据存档（来自 [lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com) 付费订阅） - 将解压的数据放在：`~/乔木新知识库/20-29 学习/23 播客转录/lennys-data/` - Network accessline 102
- [ ] Lenny 数据存档（来自 [lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com) 付费订阅） - Network accessline 137
- [Lenny Rachitsky](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/) — 原始内容创作者 - Network accessline 138
- [lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com) — 付费订阅者数据存档 - Network accessline 144
- **X (Twitter)**: [@vista8](https://x.com/vista8) - Network accessline 147
<p align="center"> <img src="https://github.com/joeseesun/terminal-boost/raw/main/assets/wechat-qr.jpg?raw=true" alt="向阳乔木推荐看公众号二维码" width="300"> - Network accessline 148
<img src="https://github.com/joeseesun/terminal-boost/raw/main/assets/wechat-qr.jpg?raw=true" alt="向阳乔木推荐看公众号二维码" width="300">
SKILL.md
- Network accessline 17
- **17 个主题标签**：design, leadership, strategy, growth, startups, career, product-management, b2b, engineering, b2c, ai, analytics, go-to-market 等 - **289 位嘉宾**：包括 Brian Chesky, Satya Nadella, Lenny 本人等 - **数据来源**：[lennysdata.com](https://www. - Network accessline 19
- **数据来源**：[lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com)
references/01-start-here/LICENSE.md
- Network accessline 33
For licensing inquiries or commercial use requests, visit [lennysnewsletter.com](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com).
references/01-start-here/README.md
- Network accessline 8
- Podcast transcripts: **289** - `01-start-here/index.json` is the source of truth for this ZIP and uses the bundled file paths - Paid subscribers can also connect to the full MCP at [lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com) - Network accessline 9
- `01-start-here/index.json` is the source of truth for this ZIP and uses the bundled file paths - Paid subscribers can also connect to the full MCP at [lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com) - Newsletter posts published within the las - Network accessline 10
- Paid subscribers can also connect to the full MCP at [lennysdata.com](https://www.lennysdata.com)
references/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Welcome to a**✨ free-edition ✨**of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. Annual subscribers now get a free year of **[Perplexity Pro, Notion Plus, - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 16
What started as an “[experiment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/advice-on-growth-product-and-leadership)” just over five years ago is now the world’s largest product newsletter, podcast, and community. I’m feeling very proud. - Network accessline 18
Milestones like these are a great opportunity to pause and reflect, so I put out a call on [X](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1892279027626365015) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_im-fast-approaching-1-million-new - Network accessline 20
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/1000000/comments) - Network accessline 22
If you’re wondering what might change now that we’ve hit this milestone, the answer is: nothing. You can expect a high-quality, high-value newsletter in your inbox every week, like always. That being said, I’m cooking up some exciting new s - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 36
Seriously, though, there are apparently [over a million product managers](https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/people/?keywords=product+manager&origin=FACETED_SEARCH&sid=xzE&titleFreeText=product+manager) globally. But more importantly, - Network accessline 38
The newsletter (and podcast) are growing fastest among non-PMs because, with the rise of AI engineers, [as I’ve written](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-pms-are-best-positioned-to-thrive), the skills that matter more and more are PM - Network accessline 57
1. **Newsletter:** I do all of my own writing and editing (10 to 30 hours per post), but I’ve also got an amazing editor (who gives me content and structure feedback), copy editor (who edits for grammar, typos, and clarity), and designer. F - Network accessline 58
2. **Podcast:** I work with two boutique agencies that help me with basically everything outside of finding guests and recording the episode. They handle audio and video editing; titles, thumbnails, and descriptions; coordinating with guest - Network accessline 70
 - Network accessline 74
The reason I started writing was to crystallize my own thinking and to not forget what I’d learned. After leaving Airbnb, I was planning to start another company, and I asked myself, “What did I actually learn over the course of my time at - Network accessline 76
I wrote a few more things on [Medium](https://medium.com/@lennysan) and got good enough feedback from people I respected to motivate me to keep going. So I kept going. - Network accessline 80
As I write out the answer to this question, I see that the key was getting enough positive signals in the early days (while the idea was an “[ugly baby](https://www.forbes.com/sites/andyboynton/2014/03/17/pixar-chief-protect-your-ugly-babie - Network accessline 86
 - Network accessline 90
1. Two guest posts in other newsletters to kick things off (in July): [The First Round Review](https://review.firstround.com/the-power-of-performance-reviews-use-this-system-to-become-a-better-manager/) and [Andrew Chen’s blog](https://andr - Network accessline 91
2. A popular series of posts that led to a large spike (in late November): [How to kickstart and scale a marketplace business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 102
1. Leaning into guest posts (which also end up being [my most popular posts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/archive?sort=top)) - Network accessline 103
2. Incubating new podcasts (with new hosts) 3. Finding ways to delegate more of the work (mixed results so far) 4. Giving myself more ways to take time off (e.g. [PTO policy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/pto-policy)) - Network accessline 105
4. Giving myself more ways to take time off (e.g. [PTO policy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/pto-policy)) - Network accessline 117
1. [Substack’s recommendation feature](https://on.substack.com/p/recommendations). If you look at the chart at the top of this post, the hockey-stick moment was the day they launched that feature. Today, over 5,000 other newsletters recomme - Network accessline 118
2. [The Greatest Bundle Ever](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/announcing-the-greatest-product-bundle). This didn’t accelerate my free subscriber growth, but it did do a lot of good for my paid subscriber growth. However, this sort of app - Network accessline 120
How do you drive word of mouth? In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger: [Be useful](https://beusefulbook.com/). As I shared in my post when reaching [500,000 subscribers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/500000): - Network accessline 124
[Here’s some tactical advice](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/136342278/quality-consistency-all-that-matters) on how to actually do this. - Network accessline 136
This is actually a very important lesson I’ve learned: In this line of work, individual (viral) posts come and go, but it’s all about how long you can stick with it. One viral post: easy. One post every week for five years: much less easy. - Network accessline 148
### Who was your favorite guest on the podcast, and why was it [Nan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTr21kgCFF4)? - Network accessline 152
1. [Tobi Lütke](https://youtu.be/tq6vdDJQXvs?si=-FqZvVQ4cvBbC7sY) - Network accessline 153
2. [Elizabeth Stone](https://youtu.be/2XgU6T4DalY?si=77-CVhVGgkstVLRw) - Network accessline 154
3. [Drew Houston](https://youtu.be/egdYKLBswgk?si=aO-RS9ibQpstLotk) - Network accessline 155
4. [Nikita Bier](https://youtu.be/bhnfZhJWCWY?si=RJxCWlrwtqTWTXY3) - Network accessline 156
5. [Elena Verna](https://youtu.be/IHwS2By9UKM?si=SFU_5bhBJyysIu_f) - Network accessline 157
6. [Dalton Caldwell](https://youtu.be/m7LvNTbaqSI?si=4pGkqaFNk8enQiS4) - Network accessline 158
7. [Mihika Kapoor](https://youtu.be/uDq6_CPaRjM?si=DhbJyzU-TdHUHrej) - Network accessline 159
8. [Jen Abel](https://youtu.be/969dwgu98qc?si=O5Vlsyz2aN1tkneY) - Network accessline 160
9. [Todd Jackson](https://youtu.be/yc1Uwhfxacs?si=LIXF6SABF3yh2LYU) - Network accessline 161
10. [Katie Dill](https://youtu.be/gfEEcssu304?si=7273FsNWR1ZahKkO) - Network accessline 162
11. [Jeff Weinstein](https://youtu.be/qbZQjprTnrU?si=YG2XMnqb_Y4Nz12L) - Network accessline 170
As I was answering this question, Marty Cagan published a post about the same topic, and I 100% agree with his take. [Go read it](https://www.svpg.com/a-vision-for-product-teams/). The gist, to answer your question, is that I expect product - Network accessline 176
1. [A guide to AI prototyping for product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-guide-to-ai-prototyping-for-product) - Network accessline 177
2. [Product manager is an unfair role. So work unfairly.](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-is-an-unfair-role) - Network accessline 178
3. [How to become a supermanager with AI](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-become-a-supermanager-with) - Network accessline 179
4. [Five proven prompt engineering techniques (and a few more-advanced tactics)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-proven-prompt-engineering-techniques) - Network accessline 180
5. [How to use ChatGPT in your PM work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-pm-work) (and [Perplexity](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-perplexity-in-your-pm)) - Network accessline 186
1. [Gwynne Shotwell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_Shotwell) - Network accessline 187
2. [Levelsio](https://x.com/levelsio) - Network accessline 188
3. [Mira Murati](https://x.com/miramurati) - Network accessline 189
4. [Jensen Huang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenhsunhuang/) - Network accessline 190
5. [Jony Ive](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jony_Ive) - Network accessline 191
6. [Andrej Karpathy](https://karpathy.ai/) - Network accessline 192
7. [Sheryl Sandberg](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheryl_Sandberg) - Network accessline 193
8. [Tony Fadell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Fadell) - Network accessline 194
9. [Paul Graham](https://www.paulgraham.com/) - Network accessline 207
[Halo Science](https://www.halo.science/) is hiring for a Head of Product. In this role, you’ll: - Network accessline 218
If you’d like to get your profile sent directly to their team, just fill out [this quick form](https://airtable.com/appTNAXC72V74HqPS/pagCczxszIZPdd00t/form). All submissions from my readers get priority (but no guarantees beyond that). - Network accessline 220
*If you’d like to get your role featured here, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apphKJD0wLIHfPcZu/pag09IdQYrMpolMa5/form). If you’re interested in working with my white-glove recruiting service specializing in senior product roles (e.g. Di - Network accessline 222
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 224
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/14-habits-of-highly-effective-product-managers.md
- Network accessline 18
These observations all went into a list that I’ve been adding to and refining over the years, and your question was a great forcing function to synthesize the list and turn it into something useful. Below, you’ll find what to me are the 14 - Network accessline 22
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/14-habits-of-highly-effective-product/comments) - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 34
1. Ask your manager (and ideally a trusted peer) to actively give you brutally honest feedback on your docs, meetings, and presentations. 2. Leverage the [Minto Pyramid and the SCR framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid - Network accessline 35
2. Leverage the [Minto Pyramid and the SCR framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) when crafting an argument. - Network accessline 36
3. Start a “[swipe file](https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/new-small-business-must-have-a-swipe-file.html)” where you save examples of well-executed documents, emails, presentations, etc. that you can later come back to for inspiration. - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 46
1. Be very selective with what you take on (say *no*!), and spend more time than anyone else on the things you do take on. 2. Prioritize *and* communicate: When you’re asked to do something new, first determine its priority (i.e. slot it in - Network accessline 48
3. Keep a [Waiting For list](https://how-to-gtd.blogspot.com/2012/06/waiting-for-list.html) to avoid losing open threads. - Network accessline 50
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/14-habits-of-highly-effective-product/comments) - Network accessline 194
1. **Duolingo**: [Principal Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/16daa6a1-ff27-4097-89cb-41f7a1b33aa6) (NY/Seattle) - Network accessline 195
2. **Companion Labs**: [Head of / Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/f1e8cbf6-7338-48ae-ba6f-2507b3427e0e) (SF) - Network accessline 196
3. **Curology**: [Group Product Manager, Growth & Subscription](https://pallet.xyz/job/400edfd5-43fb-45d1-a679-772cb7442b6e) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 197
4. **Curology**: [Group Product Manager, Medical & Pharmacy Ops](https://pallet.xyz/job/f589c9bf-48c9-43df-8a3e-c418f92b715b) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 198
5. **Grand Rounds**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/8f22029f-7685-443c-b595-588326096967) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 199
6. **ClassDojo:**[0 to 1 Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/a207cd17-0dd5-45a3-9068-5cabd6b30193) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 200
7. **AbstractOps:**[Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/e5b97f68-c279-4830-bfda-749d54ec22bd) (Remote) - Network accessline 201
8. **Dialogue:**[Vice-President, Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/job/bd8a4d54-5b37-4de0-af2f-84ad640faa6e) (Remote) - Network accessline 202
9. **Amazon Music:**[Principal Product Manager - Tech, Podcasts](https://pallet.xyz/job/650a0b97-3d81-46ae-8986-d72b4f3639f7) (SF) - Network accessline 203
10. **Intercom:**[Senior Product Manager - Self-serve Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/fd328108-c412-40cd-91f3-0e3a324df4ad) (London/Dublin/Remote) - Network accessline 204
11. **Chime:**[Senior Product Manager, Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/e0c51de6-26f9-4b5c-a758-4d6b6ae4899f) (SF) - Network accessline 205
12. **Miro**: [Senior Product Manager (Workshops Core)](https://pallet.xyz/job/8c95a561-53c7-495c-af75-5f1ceac1d782) (Amsterdam) - Network accessline 206
13. **NexHealth:**[First Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/2d8e2cad-f0dd-4a21-88fd-6003e8c7c00c) (SF) - Network accessline 207
14. **Elementl:**[Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/7422cd00-62dc-4ccf-b538-98482a78aec8) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 208
15. **Clockwise:**[Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/c3bac4ce-f356-49b5-918b-110ec159c769) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 209
16. **UserLeap:**[Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/e923f27c-b7b8-4edf-aaa5-3bc5be3570e8) (SF) - Network accessline 213
1. **OpenPhone**: [Head of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/job/102a757f-cbea-4113-9588-cf1fc98a8d7a) (Remote) - Network accessline 214
2. **neo.tax:**[Head of Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/2fd84c85-b209-47d0-9213-671e0342cff3) (Mountain View/Remote) - Network accessline 215
3. **Reforge:**[Lifecycle Marketer](https://pallet.xyz/job/c3f09744-d3d4-4817-8817-e04c778aff38) (Remote) - Network accessline 216
4. **Coda:**[Growth Associate Program](https://pallet.xyz/job/bba22fae-9ec5-47a2-b6dd-157f498b1fba) (SF) - Network accessline 217
5. **Ojo:**[Head of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/job/4fb7dc9e-52ca-4b94-8dce-1d72e643cc86) (Remote) - Network accessline 218
6. **Labelbox**: [Director of Growth and Demand Generation](https://pallet.xyz/job/c6947128-80d8-49ab-a679-728f0aaf3430) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 219
7. **Livepeer:**[Go To Market Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/3f5394b4-3104-4670-9572-c045b065119a) (Remote) - Network accessline 223
1. **Playbook**: [Head of Engineering](https://pallet.xyz/job/94f60a15-f165-4f10-81f1-1e56e2cebfc2) (Remote) - Network accessline 224
2. **Karat**: [Senior Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/1b718459-42d4-489b-b725-8139c93b4898) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 225
3. **Cable**: [Backend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/8f3f617d-07ba-412f-87f5-6a8ad1d0fe35) (Remote) - Network accessline 226
4. **Discord:**[Engineering Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/71eeec4f-6dea-4645-95b7-44b1ea38507b) (SF) - Network accessline 227
5. **G2i:**[Senior React, React Native, or Node Developer](https://pallet.xyz/job/7a1c36d5-eb4f-43e5-b93f-c83f951a1ef9) (Remote) - Network accessline 228
6. **Novi Connect:**[Senior Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/1691057a-21ac-4450-b3d6-e2189a5cebc9) (Remote) - Network accessline 229
7. **Endgame:**[Principal Frontend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/2f6285e1-d9d4-427f-9a62-3ec0e895ab7b) (Remote) - Network accessline 230
8. **Eppo:**[Backend / Infrastructure Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/2cd3039f-b44d-4079-83e0-e303debf2f00) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 231
9. **Causal:**[Full-stack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/6daf039f-a20e-4aa0-a7b0-54a8c19963b1) (Remote) - Network accessline 232
10. **Flux.ai:**[Fullstack Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/af3f67a4-e209-4b98-8a26-101c7805b207) (Remote) - Network accessline 233
11. **Coinbase:**[University Grad, Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/6ac840de-6951-42f8-a55a-051c56a3f303) (Remote) - Network accessline 237
1. **Cardless**: [Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/4befe144-b63d-4a5c-9626-11a533a8fdd3) (SF) - Network accessline 238
2. **Cameo:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/d095ea77-d995-4895-b764-59b4297a1292) (Remote) - Network accessline 239
3. **Tango:**[Product Design Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/2a6c39e6-2dea-4e92-86c9-d147bb07d783) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 240
4. **Scratchpad:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/b068e1e5-8ae3-4886-b542-fa3443f1ff9b) (Remote) - Network accessline 241
5. **Rewatch:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/68207a68-6f8b-4099-8107-197922e2d8cf) (Remote) - Network accessline 242
6. **Orbit:**[Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/9b1f634f-6900-4322-9b6f-2ff38e477b63) (Paris/SF/Remote) - Network accessline 243
7. **Imperfect Foods:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/b9cab5f0-9bcb-4caf-a0bc-2443e4768b60) (Remote) - Network accessline 244
8. **Karat**: [First Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/29a7b24a-2ba0-489e-8222-d5d2b0b68e43) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 246
*To browse ~200 open, or to add your open roles, [visit Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 250
1. **Watch:** [How to Draw a Self-Portrait in 11 Levels of Increasing Complexity](https://kottke.org/21/04/how-to-draw-a-self-portrait-in-11-levels-of-increasing-complexity) - Network accessline 252
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T3cxSySI2Q) - Network accessline 254
2. **Listen**: [The 7 Powers with Hamilton Helmer & Jeff Lawson](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nfx-podcast/id1456824325?i=1000519248039) by NFX - Network accessline 255
3. **Read**: [99 Additional Bits of Unsolicited Advice](https://kk.org/thetechnium/99-additional-bits-of-unsolicited-advice/) by Kevin Kelly - Network accessline 259
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/2020-year-in-review---issue-58.md
- Network accessline 12
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3. **Launched a paid plan**, which went from zero to over 3,000 subscribers in ~6 months 4. **Launched the private Slack community**, which continues to be one of my proudest achievements with this whole endeavor 5. **Added a second weekly - Network accessline 28
5. **Added a second weekly email**, which highlights the best advice from the community itself, curated by [Kiyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiyanibamba/) - Network accessline 46
1. [How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got) - Network accessline 47
2. [How today's fastest-growing B2B businesses found their first 10 customers](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses) - Network accessline 48
3. [What is good retention](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 49
4. [Strategy and tactics for increasing conversion](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics) - Network accessline 50
5. [Magical growth loops](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/magical-growth-loops) - Network accessline 54
1. [My favorite product management templates](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37) - Network accessline 55
2. [A comprehensive survey of Product Management](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/product-management-survey) - Network accessline 56
3. [Getting better at product strategy](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) - Network accessline 57
4. [Flywheels, flywheels, flywheels](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/flywheels-flywheels-flywheels-issue) - Network accessline 58
5. [Managing up](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/managing-up) - Network accessline 62
1. [How to price your SaaS product](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/saas-pricing-strategy) - Network accessline 63
2. [A playbook for fundraising](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/a-playbook-for-fundraising) - Network accessline 64
3. [What it feels like when you've found product-market fit](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-it-feels-like-when-youve-found) - Network accessline 65
4. [How to know if you've got product-market fit](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) - Network accessline 66
5. [The Transition: Layering sales onto a bottom-up self-serve product](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/sales-bottom-up) - Network accessline 78
**✨**Sponsored job of the week: **[Product Manager at UserLeap](https://boards.greenhouse.io/userleap/jobs/4279026003) ✨** - Network accessline 80
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4124465003), [Descript](https://jobs.lever.co/descript-2/08f9b563-c3e6-49a4-be07-82fafc1868af), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), - Network accessline 81
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC98C5FDFB/) - Network accessline 82
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8hL-FyCrmAes/edit), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product-Desi - Network accessline 83
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 84
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04), [Tome](https://www - Network accessline 85
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 86
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [ - Network accessline 87
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://job - Network accessline 91
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/25-proven-tactics-to-accelerate-ai-adoption-at-your-company.md
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Longtime product operator and creator [Peter Yang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/petergyang/) has been investigating, sharing, and applying AI best practices for years now, and he’s been getting this question more than any other. So have I! W - Network accessline 16
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Peter shares more practical AI tips via his [newsletter](https://creatoreconomy.so/) and [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@peteryangyt). - Network accessline 20
P.S. You can now also listen to these posts in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtu - Network accessline 22
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But here’s the reality: According to a recent [Gallup poll](https://www.gallup.com/workplace/691643/work-nearly-doubled-two-years.aspx), only 8% of U.S. workers use AI daily. Meanwhile, teams that crack the AI adoption code are seeing incre - Network accessline 44
 - Network accessline 56
1. **Include specific tactics in your memo:** Tobi Lütke, CEO of Shopify, didn’t just say that “using AI is now a baseline expectation” in his now-famous [memo](https://x.com/tobi/status/1909251946235437514?lang=en). Instead, he shared conc - Network accessline 57
2. **Declare a “code red” moment:** Wade Foster, CEO of Zapier, called an all-hands-on-deck moment in March 2023 after ChatGPT’s launch. He then shared a [playbook](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zbkjL0d-ev87PO0yKJBBMlliByVaUIREKNQfvtV - Network accessline 58
3. **Define what “embracing AI” means:** Luis von Ahn, Duolingo’s CEO, defined AI adoption as both “making our products better” and “empowering employees to do their best work.” Teams were encouraged to use AI for everything from speeding u - Network accessline 59
4. **Embed with individual teams:** Darragh Curran, Intercom’s CTO, set a [goal](https://fin.ai/ideas/2x/) to “2x productivity with AI” and then spent a week every month embedded with individual teams to identify and execute on the 2x oppor - Network accessline 70
1. **Make AI adoption part of performance reviews:** Shopify asks employees to rate colleagues on a 1-to-5 scale for how well they “reflexively use AI tools for improving and amplifying work outputs.” 2. **Publish AI usage by team:** At Ram - Network accessline 71
2. **Publish AI usage by team:** At Ramp, leadership shares the number of AI power users (5+ actions a week) for tools like Cursor, Claude Code, and ChatGPT. This transparency creates natural accountability across teams. 3. **Track team-spe - Network accessline 72
3. **Track team-specific impact:** Zapier tracks the impact of AI adoption by function. In sales, for example, when targeted leads engage with marketing content, AI [auto-packages](https://zapier.com/templates/details/target-account-engagem - Network accessline 74
5. **Make it a daily habit:** Whoop gave employees a [30-day challenge](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zJ4rbi9YcQuGqGxc6-AQD0-44oT9l4Eyono0AdpgJbA/edit?gid=0#gid=0) with bite-size 2-minute tasks to complete and rewarded those who k - Network accessline 82
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*Thanks, Peter! For more from Peter, check out his [newsletter](https://creatoreconomy.so/) and [YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@peteryangyt).* - Network accessline 152
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/28-ways-to-grow-supply-in-a-marketplace.md
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*Yesterday I was fortunate enough to be a guest contributor to [Andrew Chen’s blog](https://andrewchen.co/grow-marketplace-supply/). The response has been amazing. Below I’ve included that entire post, along with a dozen bonus examples and - Network accessline 12
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MvA - Network accessline 13
> Airbnb now seems like an unstoppable juggernaut, but early on it was so fragile that about 30 days of going out and engaging in person with users made the difference between success and failure. > > — [Paul Graham](https://twitter.com/pau - Network accessline 15
> — [Paul Graham](https://twitter.com/paulg), founder of YC - Network accessline 21
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WNrF - Network accessline 25
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8hdK! - Network accessline 29
> Understanding the context and expectations of your audience is vital to engaging them. At Airbnb we tailored the value props all the way from ad creative to landing pages. > > — [Dan Hill](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilldan/), ex-Airbnb - Network accessline 31
> — [Dan Hill](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilldan/), ex-Airbnb Growth Lead, CEO of [Alma](https://alma.app/) - Network accessline 45
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2hwb! - Network accessline 49
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sWrI! - Network accessline 71
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!47oU! - Network accessline 75
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WZCo! - Network accessline 87
> If your product requires word-of-mouth to convince most people to start using it, you can engineer more growth by building an incentivized referrals program. The incentive will be fuel that pushes people over the edge to tell their friend - Network accessline 89
> — [Gustaf Alströmer](https://medium.com/u/221459a385bf), ex-Airbnb Growth Lead, Partner at YC - Network accessline 103
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!O9Dp! - Network accessline 105
Uber: <https://www.uber.com/drive/partner-app/new-driver-referrals/> - Network accessline 107
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xjLv! - Network accessline 109
Airbnb: <https://www.airbnb.com/refer?r=6> - Network accessline 111
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mxuC! - Network accessline 113
Lyft: <https://www.lyft.com/driver-bonus> - Network accessline 125
> After calling and activating 100 listings in a market, we then drove demand there to see what converted. We then called these hosts to help them convert their requests into bookings. This was all manual, but super effective, all the while - Network accessline 127
> — [Georg Bauser](https://www.georgbauser.de/), ex-International Expansion at Airbnb - Network accessline 139
- Lyft: <https://www.saastr.com/build-sales-team-1-100-video-transcript/> - Network accessline 140
- DoorDash: <https://medium.com/@DoorDash/doordashs-inside-sales-team-is-driving-the-growth-of-key-merchant-relationships-b1f926819426> - Network accessline 152
> Initially, the Etsy team were freelance web designers and one of their clients was a craft forum called getcrafty.com. Throughout the redesign process, the Etsy team interacted with the website’s 10,000 users to best understand their need - Network accessline 154
> — [Chris Maguire](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/growth-hacking-lessons-from-the-big-guys-daebb2c791d2/), co-founder of Etsy - Network accessline 166
- Airbnb: <https://davegooden.com/2011/05/how-airbnb-became-a-billion-dollar-company/> - Network accessline 167
- Omni: <https://www.reforge.com/blog/omni-bootstrapped-marketplace-liquidity-growth> - Network accessline 168
- General: <https://platformed.info/whatsapp-instagram-marketing/> - Network accessline 172
- To be successful here, you’ll have to be “creative” in how you do said piggy-backing. Airbnb piggy-backed off of Craigslist for both [supply](https://davegooden.com/2011/05/how-airbnb-became-a-billion-dollar-company/) and [demand](https:/ - Network accessline 180
> To launch a city, we’d travel there and hold a meetup. Here in San Francisco, it’s not a big deal to meet a founder. In other places, that’s pretty novel. They would get so excited that they met us that they’d tell their friends. The mark - Network accessline 182
> — [Brian Chesky](https://twitter.com/bchesky), CEO of Airbnb - Network accessline 194
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0Gmb - Network accessline 196
Source: <https://twitter.com/bchesky/status/839209664197754880> - Network accessline 198
- Read the first part of [this interview with Reid and Brian](https://medium.com/pm-insights/handcrafted-solutions-creating-a-product-your-customers-will-love-bc0cb2342cc0). - Network accessline 199
- [Lessons in Building Movements through Community Action from Douglas Atkin, Global Director of Community at Airbnb](https://cmxhub.com/douglas-atkin-global-director-of-community-at-airbnb-on-building-movements-through-community-action/) - Network accessline 211
> In the early days we targeted a lot of events: the DNC, the Presidential Inauguration, music festivals, the World Cup, Olympics, etc. Events and PR were the main way we bootstrapped the network in the early days. > > — [Brian Chesky](http - Network accessline 213
> — [Brian Chesky](https://twitter.com/bchesky), CEO of Airbnb - Network accessline 225
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zega - Network accessline 227
- Airbnb: <https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2015/may/18/airbnb-float-a-house-on-the-thames-in-london> - Network accessline 228
- Uber: <https://www.annexcloud.com/blog/ubers-marketing-strategy-in-7-steps-revisited/> - Network accessline 229
- TaskRabbit: <https://www.networkworld.com/article/2223168/-1-500-to-be-first-in-line-for-an-iphone------or-a-publicity-stunt-.html> - Network accessline 241
> Performance marketing is about reaching people where they are, inspiring them to take action and doing so cost effectively. You quickly learn that it’s a unique blend of art and science, and we were most effective at scaling this powerful - Network accessline 243
> — [Fatima Husain](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatima-husain-0a278711/), ex-Airbnb host paid growth lead, Principle at [Comcast Ventures](https://comcastventures.com/) - Network accessline 255
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JRgm!, - Network accessline 259
- Knowing your supply LTV is key, so that you know how much you can spend. - You can figure out the basics yourself, but try to hire people that have done this before. - This lever works, but can easily become [addicting](https://andrewchen - Network accessline 261
- This lever works, but can easily become [addicting](https://andrewchen.co/paid-marketing-addiction/). - Network accessline 267
> Converting travelers to hosts definitely moved the needle when we launched a new market. Plus, these new hosts were the most empathetic as they remembered the guest’s needs. > > — [Kati Schmidt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinschmidt/? - Network accessline 269
> — [Kati Schmidt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katrinschmidt/?locale=en_US), ex-Head of B.D., Airbnb Germany - Network accessline 281
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mVjY - Network accessline 311
> We needed to move fast and acquiring companies with inventory in these competitive markets provided an immediate benefit. Often times the expense of the acquiring the company that had the inventory was cheaper than the cost to go about ac - Network accessline 313
> — [Jonathan Golden](https://twitter.com/jpgg), first PM at Airbnb, partner at [NEA](https://www.nea.com/) - Network accessline 325
- Airbnb: [Crashpadder](https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/20/airbnb-acquires-uk-based-crashpadder-as-part-of-international-growth-push/), [Statthotel](https://www.internetworld.de/e-commerce/internet/statthotel-uebernommen-277295.html) - Network accessline 326
- Rover: [DogBuddy](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leading-pet-care-company-rover-com-accelerates-european-growth-with-dogbuddy-acquisition-885852466.html), [DogVacay](https://www.geekwire.com/2018/inside-rovers-dogvacay-deal-form - Network accessline 327
- Eventbrite: [Ticketfly](https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/press/press-releases/eventbrite-completes-acquisition-of-ticketfly/), [Picatic](https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/press/press-releases/eventbrite-acquires-picatic/) - Network accessline 349
- GrubHub: <https://table.skift.com/2018/05/01/grubhubs-aggressive-growth-fueled-by-chain-partnerships/> - Network accessline 350
- DoorDash: <https://medium.com/@DoorDash/the-doordash-outside-sales-team-builds-partnerships-and-empathy-with-business-owners-across-the-3fbdf1f0723b> - Network accessline 362
> One of the smartest things we did in the early days of Udemy was produce our own courses. Production (i.e. filming & editing video content) is a huge friction point in our supply-side process. So, we produced a few of our own courses in t - Network accessline 364
> — [Dinesh Thiru](https://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2013/04/02/how-to-grow-a-marketplace/#185578ab76be), VP of Marketing at Udemy - Network accessline 376
- At Airbnb, read Brian Chesky’s [answer to the first question in this interview](https://medium.com/cs183c-blitzscaling-class-collection/scaling-airbnb-with-brian-chesky-class-18-notes-of-stanford-university-s-cs183c-3fcf75778358). His and - Network accessline 377
- See example #1 in [this post about Udemy](https://www.forbes.com/sites/groupthink/2013/04/02/how-to-grow-a-marketplace/#185578ab76be). - Network accessline 399
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rgk4 - Network accessline 401
Airbnb Billboard, [source](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/508273507941191302/?lp=true) - Network accessline 403
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ua0S - Network accessline 405
Lyft bus ad, [source](https://skift.com/2016/04/14/lyft-is-spending-millions-on-an-ambitious-expansion-plan-in-the-u-s/) - Network accessline 407
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yK90 - Network accessline 409
Uber TV commercial, [source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiVXmLkcOiA) - Network accessline 431
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!VRrf! - Network accessline 435
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Cf0J! - Network accessline 439
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GfuG! - Network accessline 463
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MzVn! - Network accessline 465
- Uber: <https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ubers-print-marketing-so-crazy-seth-engel/> - Network accessline 466
- GrubHub: <https://blog.sendwithscout.com/grubhub-knows-how-to-design-a-postcard/> - Network accessline 470
- This is an under-appreciated channel. - Tricky to measure, but possible. - Check out [Lob](https://lob.com/) to make this super easy. - Network accessline 472
- Check out [Lob](https://lob.com/) to make this super easy. - Network accessline 476
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!i_8H! - Network accessline 480
> All conversion optimization should start with user research. The biggest gains in optimization don’t come from brute-force A/B tests, but from trying to understand the real barriers to people using your product. For example, early at Airb - Network accessline 482
> — [Dan Hill](https://twitter.com/danhilltech?lang=en), ex-Airbnb Growth Lead, CEO of [Alma](https://alma.app/) - Network accessline 536
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!GAx2! - Network accessline 540
> When I think about the ROI of things that you can do in a business, make certain that your customer is safely handed from acquisition to the activation. Make certain that they are activated and you have done everything in your power in or - Network accessline 542
> — [Shaun Clowes](https://twitter.com/shaunmclowes?lang=en), CPO at Metromile - Network accessline 554
- At Airbnb, an activation was getting a new listing to its first booking within the first month. - At Uber, an activation was completing the first ride. - [Inside the 6 Hypotheses that Doubled Patreon’s Activation Success](https://brianbal - Network accessline 556
- [Inside the 6 Hypotheses that Doubled Patreon’s Activation Success](https://brianbalfour.com/essays/patreon-onboarding-growth) - Network accessline 568
> Retention is the core of your growth model and influences every other input to your model. This is important because if you improve retention, you’ll also improve the rest of your funnel. > > — [Brian Balfour](https://twitter.com/bbalfour - Network accessline 570
> — [Brian Balfour](https://twitter.com/bbalfour?lang=en), Founder/CEO of Reforge - Network accessline 582
- At Airbnb, we didn’t spend a lot of time focused directly on retention. When we did, the majority of our efforts centered around helping new hosts get booked and have a great first stay. - Excellent retention reading over at [Reforge](htt - Network accessline 583
- Excellent retention reading over at [Reforge](https://www.reforge.com), including [Why Retention Is The Silent Killer](https://www.reforge.com/blog/retention-engagement-growth-silent-killer) and [Retention is Hard, and Getting Harder — He - Network accessline 584
- [Retention metrics roundup of articles and links](https://andrewchen.co/retention-metrics-roundup-of-articles-and-links/) by [Andrew Chen](https://medium.com/u/8edc94d7a232). - Network accessline 585
- [Casey Winters on how to create long-term growth](https://www.intercom.com/blog/podcasts/greylocks-casey-winters-on-how-to-create-meaningful-growth/) - Network accessline 619
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p76g! - Network accessline 640
> OpenTable sold software to restaurants that created value for them without requiring any diners on the “buyer” side of the marketplace. They built a unique table management and CRM product (the “Electronic Reservation Book”) and charged a - Network accessline 642
> — [Eli Chait](https://blog.elichait.com/2018/04/09/how-the-100-largest-marketplaces-solve-the-chicken-and-egg-problem/), ex-Director of PM at OpenTable - Network accessline 650
- OpenTable: Simplified reservation management for restaurants - Eventbrite: Created free web pages for your event - More: <https://blog.elichait.com/2018/04/09/how-the-100-largest-marketplaces-solve-the-chicken-and-egg-problem/> - Network accessline 652
- More: <https://blog.elichait.com/2018/04/09/how-the-100-largest-marketplaces-solve-the-chicken-and-egg-problem/> - Network accessline 656
- In most marketplaces, [supply is king](https://andrewchen.co/why-uber-for-x-failed/), so your single-player-mode should generally be focused on the supply side. - Network accessline 661
> Our co-founder [Nate Blecharczyk](https://twitter.com/nathanblec) is highly quantitative and had determined that 300 listings, with 100 reviewed listings, was the magic number to see growth take off in a market. Observing New York, Paris, - Network accessline 663
> — [Jonathan Golden](https://twitter.com/jpgg), first PM at Airbnb, partner at [NEA](https://www.nea.com/) - Network accessline 671
- Airbnb: <https://medium.com/@jgolden/lessons-learned-scaling-airbnb-100x-b862364fb3a7> - Network accessline 672
- Airbnb and others: <https://medium.com/immutable/network-effects-1b975c7a6859> - Network accessline 673
- Facebook: <https://medium.com/geckoboard-under-the-hood/how-facebooks-7-friends-in-10-days-got-everyone-confused-about-correlation-and-causation-25da4bb8220e>" - Network accessline 681
> We looked at people’s willingness to trust someone, based on how similar they are in age, location, and geography. The research showed, not surprisingly, we prefer people who are like us. The more different somebody is, the less we trust - Network accessline 683
> — [Joe Gebbia](https://medium.com/u/8e37c023687a), Co-Founder of Airbnb and CPO - Network accessline 692
- Airbnb: Make the supply look great, e.g. free photography, structured data with limited customization. - Airbnb: Reduce risk, e.g. Handle payments online, Host Guarantee, 24/7 support. - Uber and Airbnb: <https://firstround.com/review/How - Network accessline 694
- Uber and Airbnb: <https://firstround.com/review/How-Modern-Marketplaces-Like-Uber-Airbnb-Build-Trust-to-Hit-Liquidity/> - Network accessline 698
> Internationalization is a challenge and risky. But tech companies need to be global to win. It’s about the right strategy and answering the right questions at the right time. Not going international is a wasted growth opportunity. > > — [ - Network accessline 700
> — [Georg Bauser](https://www.georgbauser.de/), ex-International Expansion at Airbnb - Network accessline 708
- [Launching airbnb.jp in record time](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/launching-airbnb-jp-in-record-time-52f8b0af965d) - Network accessline 709
- [Who did what in international expansion in 2018](https://medium.com/the-expansion-partner-blog/who-did-what-in-international-expansion-in-2018-96ff7efcc775) - Network accessline 710
- [How Netflix Expanded to 190 Countries in 7 Years](https://hbr.org/2018/10/how-netflix-expanded-to-190-countries-in-7-years) - Network accessline 720
> Early on Airbnb presented only one image of itself to hosts. Many types of hosts deemed the platform unsuitable, but opening ourselves and marketing to business travel hosts and luxury home hosts gave those hosts a message they wanted to - Network accessline 722
> — [Marc McCabe](https://twitter.com/mccabe?lang=en), ex-Head of Airbnb for Business - Network accessline 744
**For more writings about growth, product, management, and related topics, make sure to subscribe to [my new newsletter](https://lenny.substack.com/) and hit me up [on twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan).** - Network accessline 750
*Thank you [Andrew Chen](https://twitter.com/andrewchen),* [Gustaf Alströmer](https://twitter.com/gustaf), *[Jonathan Golden](https://twitter.com/jpgg)*, *[Fatima Husain](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatima-husain-0a278711/), [Marc McCabe](h
references/02-newsletters/500000-ten-lessons-learned-from-building-this-newsletter.md
- Network accessline 34
- Help me parent better: [ParentData by Emily Oster](https://emilyoster.substack.com/) - Network accessline 35
- Help me cook better: [Broken Palate](https://www.brokenpalate.com/), [a newsletter](https://anewsletter.alisoneroman.com/) - Network accessline 36
- Help me understand what’s happening in tech: [Stratechery](https://stratechery.com/), [Platformer](https://www.platformer.news/) - Network accessline 37
- Help me understand what’s happening in the world: [Noahpinion](https://www.noahpinion.blog/), [The Free Press](https://www.thefp.com/) - Network accessline 38
- Inspire me: [Adam Grant](https://adamgrant.substack.com/), [Austin Kleon](https://austinkleon.substack.com/) - Network accessline 39
- Entertain me: [Seeing Things](https://lizadonnelly.substack.com/), [Alphabet Soup](https://etgarkeret.substack.com/) - Network accessline 64
As a good rule of thumb, start by getting [1,000 people](https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/) to think your newsletter is the best newsletter in the world. Interestingly, [when I hit 1,000 paid subscribers](https://twitter.com/lennys - Network accessline 70
I spend a median of 10 hours per post. Some posts take hundreds of hours ([like this series](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups)). There’s a strong correlation between the time I spend on a post and how - Network accessline 74
Speaking of Substack, [the recommendations feature](https://on.substack.com/p/recommendations) is a total game changer. IMHO it’s one of the most impactful growth features in history ([which I explored in a recent podcast episode](https://w - Network accessline 80
Before I started this newsletter, I’d never written anything publicly, taken writing courses, or studied writing. But after doing a bunch of writing, and reading three impactful books (*[On Writing Well](https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well- - Network accessline 82
Cut every word that isn’t ~~absolutely~~ necessary. Make your intro 50% shorter. Get into the meat of your post as quickly as possible. [As Wes Kao puts it](https://twitter.com/wes_kao/status/1257771556152934402), “Start your story right be - Network accessline 90
Most of [my top newsletter posts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/archive?sort=top) are the result of my spending tens of hours doing primary research and uncovering new insights that haven’t been shared before. I’m doing a lot of work on - Network accessline 94
If you’re considering going all-in on content creation, my advice is to first spend many years (e.g. 10) actually doing the work. Build up as much real-life experience as you can first. This also gives you more “career optionality,” as [Ele - Network accessline 104
Having a deadline to ship is an essential forcing function to write consistently. [Here’s how I created a deadline for myself](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1172237713711542273?s=20) when I launched the newsletter. Pick a cadence, sha - Network accessline 106
A weekly cadence is a great starting point. People often start publishing at too fast a rate and quickly burn out. I can only sustainably write one great post a week. Crazies like [Ben Thompson](https://stratechery.com/), [Noah Smith](https - Network accessline 116
[Here’s my first piece](https://marker.medium.com/what-seven-years-at-airbnb-taught-me-about-building-a-company-e1d035d49c56) that I put out publicly. It came out of my simply wanting to remember what I learned from my time at Airbnb. I fou - Network accessline 120
- **First 100 subscribers:** [Medium post about Airbnb](https://marker.medium.com/what-seven-years-at-airbnb-taught-me-about-building-a-company-e1d035d49c56) → helped me grow Twitter audience → tweeted that I’m launching a newsletter → firs - Network accessline 121
- **Next 1,000:** Guest post on [First Round Review](https://review.firstround.com/the-power-of-performance-reviews-use-this-system-to-become-a-better-manager) and [Andrew Chen’s blog](https://andrewchen.com/grow-marketplace-supply/) - Network accessline 123
- **Next 100,000:** Writing useful stuff every week for 2 years → tweeting + word of mouth - **Next 200,000:** Continuing to write useful stuff week after week - **Last 200,000:** Continuing to write useful stuff week after week + [Substack - Network accessline 125
- **Last 200,000:** Continuing to write useful stuff week after week + [Substack’s recommendations feature](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1581331300325109765?lang=en) - Network accessline 141
1. [A recent](https://www.fastcompany.com/90940453/lenny-rachitsky-newsletter-podcast-job-board-substack) *[Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/90940453/lenny-rachitsky-newsletter-podcast-job-board-substack)* [profile](https://www.fas - Network accessline 142
2. [A presentation I once gave on creating a writing habit](https://www.canva.com/design/DAESBO5RCnw/msMLA8QJNmPQi0H1GNHl3Q/edit) - Network accessline 143
3. [A presentation I once gave on launching the paid plan](https://www.canva.com/design/DAD8irTiMoI/igeI5Uv-4TWSbGV4WnbgIQ/edit) - Network accessline 144
4. [An impressive reverse engineering of my newsletter journey](https://growthinreverse.com/lenny/) (though the numbers aren’t totally accurate) - Network accessline 145
5. [My most popular posts of all time](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/archive?sort=top)
references/02-newsletters/60-ideas-to-boost-your-growth.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s*✨ ***free edition***✨ of my weekly newsletter*. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stre - Network accessline 14
1. *[Getting more technical](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-more-technical)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[Saying no](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saying-no)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[My all-time favorite reads on product, growth, leadership, writing, investing, and much more](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-all-time-favorite-reads-on-product)* - Network accessline 18
*(Also, [my genius wife’s second book](https://www.maybethiswillhelpbook.com/) came out today! As one reviewer put it, “it feels like a hug from a friend, with charts!!” You can order it from [Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Maybe-This-Will- - Network accessline 22
In [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework), [Dan Hockenmaier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hock) and I wrote about how it’s helpful to think about your business like a high-performance race c - Network accessline 29
Your Growth Engines are the most important component to get right long-term ([read why in the full post](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework)), but when you’re just starting out, Turbo Boosts—one-off events that accelerate - Network accessline 31
**To inspire your own Turbo Boost experimentation, I’ve pulled in [Ali Abouelatta](https://twitter.com/abouelatta_ali), the author of the excellent [First 1000](https://read.first1000.co/) newsletter, who spends much of his time investigati - Network accessline 33
*You can find Ali on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/abouelatta_ali), and definitely subscribe to his newsletter: [First 1000](https://www.first1000.co/).* - Network accessline 45
 - Network accessline 53
#### **[GoldieBlox](https://youtu.be/M0NoOtaFrEs)** - Network accessline 57
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0NoOtaFrEs) - Network accessline 63
#### **[Monet](https://www.tiktok.com/@joanna.shan/video/6883220655790181638?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgow9YV1K52ytQf7szopLK%2FZp9bW1KDqf%2FmoIBLQrSzUWvQFZnPmu1mzbzsnGEvEXyE7GgA%3D&language=en&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAAXkeCw_itwGFE-NEr - Network accessline 67
 - Network accessline 73
#### **[Dropbox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QmCUDHpNzE&t=83s)** - Network accessline 77
 - Network accessline 83
#### **[Twitter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGnMThF_2Lo)** - Network accessline 87
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGnMThF_2Lo) - Network accessline 93
1. **[Poo-Pourri](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKLnhuzh9uY)** - Network accessline 94
2. **[Man Crates](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tj3-boydrI0&t=18s)** - Network accessline 95
3. **[mmhmm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8KhKBLoSMk)** - Network accessline 96
4. **[Dollar Shave Club](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI)** - Network accessline 102
#### **[Calm: Do Nothing for 2 Minutes](https://www.donothingfor2minutes.com/)** - Network accessline 106
 - Network accessline 112
#### **[Tommee Tippee: Advice Wipes](https://youtu.be/wnoQGBwzUYA)** - Network accessline 116
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnoQGBwzUYA) - Network accessline 122
> *“The campaign is based on a poll of 1,000 new moms, which showed that more than half feel entirely overwhelmed by unsolicited parenting advice and opinions.” ([source](https://www.clickz.com/tommee-tippee-turns-parenting-advice-into-baby - Network accessline 124
#### **[Toucan: Own The Word](https://jointoucan.com/own-the-word/claim)** - Network accessline 126
[Toucan](https://jointoucan.com/) teaches people a new language while they’re surfing the internet. The company launched [Own The Word](https://jointoucan.com/own-the-word/claim), which gave people (or brands) “ownership” of any word for 99 - Network accessline 128
 - Network accessline 134
#### **[MSCHF: Satan Shoes](https://satan.shoes)** - Network accessline 138
 - Network accessline 142
**Why it worked:** A controversy hyped by Lil Nas X and a [lawsuit from Nike](https://www.theverge.com/2021/4/8/22374480/nike-mschf-lil-nas-x-unauthorized-satan-shoes-lawsuit-settled). - Network accessline 144
#### **[Party Round: Helpful VCs](https://helpfulvcs.com/)** - Network accessline 148
 - Network accessline 154
#### **[Bad Unicorn: MindF](https://mindf.cc/)**[\*\*\*](https://mindf.cc/) - Network accessline 158
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1ltkH6Fepo) - Network accessline 164
[Continue reading online 👉](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 166
#### **[Stir: Goodbye Mixer](https://www.goodbyemixer.com/)** - Network accessline 170
 - Network accessline 176
#### **[Codecademy: Code Year challenge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codecademy#:~:text=Code%20Year%20was%20a%20free,continued%20the%20program%20into%202013.)** - Network accessline 180
 - Network accessline 188
1. **Stir:** [Collab Party](https://collab.party) - Network accessline 189
2. **PopJam:** [Sock and Awe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sock_and_Awe) - Network accessline 190
3. **Party Round:** [The BIGTECH Fellowship](https://bigtechfellowship.com/) - Network accessline 191
4. **Twitter:** [NFT Drops](https://twitter.com/Twitter/status/1410227743636217856?s=20) - Network accessline 192
5. **Uber:** [UberPUPPIES](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEwBCtO4BBs) - Network accessline 198
#### **[Mint Mobile: The Bobby Bonilla Plan](https://www.mintmobile.com/product/bobby/)** - Network accessline 202
** - Network accessline 214
#### **[Cards Against Humanity: $5 for nothing](https://www.vox.com/2015/11/28/11620980/cards-against-humanity-sells-nothing-for-71000-on-black-friday)** - Network accessline 218
 - Network accessline 224
#### **[Cash App: 99% off everything](https://twitter.com/CashApp/status/1316809835871178753?s=20)** - Network accessline 232
1. **Fast:** [$5 hoodie](https://twitter.com/pkligerman/status/1406099022096613378?lang=en) - Network accessline 233
2. **Cards Against Humanity:** [99% Sale](https://www.99percentoffsale.com) - Network accessline 234
3. **Amazon:** [Prime Day](https://www.amazon.com/primeday) - Network accessline 240
#### **[Honk: Influencer Twitter launch](https://twitter.com/search?lang=en&q=%28%40usehonk%29+min_faves%3A3+until%3A2020-12-23+since%3A2020-12-22&src=typed_query)** - Network accessline 248
#### **[Step: Charli D’Amelio](https://www.tiktok.com/@charlidamelio/video/6925130864099740934?lang=en)** - Network accessline 252
 - Network accessline 258
#### **[Reddit: Paul Graham’s Essay](https://www.paulgraham.com/sfp.html)** - Network accessline 262
 - Network accessline 264
**Distribution:** [paulgraham.com](https://www.paulgraham.com/sfp.html) - Network accessline 268
#### **[Spanx: Oprah’s Favorite Things](https://www.inc.com/sara-blakely/how-sara-blakely-got-spanx-on-oprah.html)** - Network accessline 272
 - Network accessline 280
1. **Casper:** [Kylie Jenner](https://www.instagram.com/p/0gMVQOnGnn/?hl=en) - Network accessline 281
2. **Atoms:** [Alexis Ohanian](https://twitter.com/search?lang=en&q=%28from%3Aalexisohanian%29+%28%40wearatoms%29&src=typed_query) - Network accessline 282
3. **Twitter:** [Om Malik](https://gigaom.com/2006/07/15/valleys-all-twttr/) - Network accessline 283
4. **Creative Juice:** [MrBeast](https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/24/22348926/mrbeast-creator-investment-fund-creative-juice) - Network accessline 289
#### **[Toucan x Bark](https://jointoucan.com/bark)** - Network accessline 291
Toucan partnered with [Bark](https://www.barkbox.com/) on April Fools’ Day to create a (fake) “woof” translator. - Network accessline 293
 - Network accessline 299
#### **[MainStreet x Stripe Atlas](https://twitter.com/mainstreet/status/1405555975147462659?lang=en)** - Network accessline 305
#### **[Eight Sleep x IFTTT](https://ifttt.com/explore/partner-case-study-eight)** - Network accessline 313
#### **[MicroAcquire x Pipe](https://pipe.com/microacquire/seller)** - Network accessline 323
1. **[Atoms x Pomp](https://www.atoms.com/bitcoin)** - Network accessline 324
2. **[Red Bull x GoPro](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aec4uWBZoNQ)** - Network accessline 325
3. **[Hulu x Uber Eats](https://press.hulu.com/news/2021/09/28/hulu-and-uber-eats-announce-partnership-to-give-eligible-hulu-subscribers-six-months-of-complimentary-uber-eats-pass/)** - Network accessline 326
4. **[Apple x Hermès](https://www.apple.com/apple-watch-hermes/)** - Network accessline 332
#### **[Hinge: Launch Party](https://www.washingtonian.com/2013/02/08/hinge-launch-party-photos/)** - Network accessline 336
 - Network accessline 342
> *“I knew if we wanted something like this to be successful we needed a large, core group of people who are all connected on Facebook and had power as influencers.”*—[Justin McLeod](https://www.inc.com/will-yakowicz/hinge-a-party-to-save-t - Network accessline 344
#### **[Simulate: Dino Nuggs Hunt](https://simulate.com/drop/001/)** - Network accessline 348
 - Network accessline 354
#### **[Snackpass: Events with local college groups](https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2020/01/snackpass-app-builds-a-growing-profile-on-campus)** - Network accessline 358
 - Network accessline 364
#### **[Snapchat: Spectacles vending machines](https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/10/13584488/snapchat-snap-inc-spectacles-vending-machine-snapbot-available)** - Network accessline 368
 - Network accessline 376
1. **Glossier:** [Summer Fridays Pop-Up](https://observer.com/2015/07/summer-fridays-are-beautiful-at-the-glossier-pop-up-shop/) - Network accessline 377
2. **Refinery29:** [29Rooms](https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2018/09/209141/29-rooms-nyc-2018-photos) - Network accessline 378
3. **The Hustle:** [Hustle Con](https://hustlecon.com) - Network accessline 384
#### **[Hey: Fight with Apple](https://twitter.com/dhh/status/1272968382329942017?s=20)** - Network accessline 386
**Distribution:** Twitter (@[DHH](https://twitter.com/dhh), 400K+ followers) and PR (The Verge, Protocol, AppleInsider, TechCrunch) - Network accessline 390
#### **[Salesforce: Fight with Siebel Systems](https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-benioff-salesforcecom-chief-has-pulled-some-crazy-stunts-2012-3#he-hired-fake-protesters-to-disrupt-a-siebel-conference-and-drew-the-cops-in-1)** - Network accessline 394
 - Network accessline 400
#### **[Fanhouse: Fight with Apple](https://twitter.com/jasminericegirl/status/1402691047940100100?lang=en)** - Network accessline 406
#### **[WePay: Fight with PayPal](https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/7007/how-a-block-of-ice-increased-one-company-s-customers-by-225.aspx)** - Network accessline 410
 - Network accessline 416
#### **[DoNotPay: Fight with Robinhood](https://twitter.com/jbrowder1/status/1354871260459589633?lang=en)** - Network accessline 424
1. **Epic:** [Fight with Apple](https://www.theverge.com/2021/9/12/22667694/epic-v-apple-trial-fortnite-judge-yvonne-gonzalez-rogers-final-ruling-injunction-breakdown) - Network accessline 425
2. **Netscape:** [Fight with Microsoft](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Microsoft_Corp.) - Network accessline 426
3. **Six4Three:** [Fight with Facebook](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/inside-bikini-photo-startup-six4three-s-scrappy-battle-put-facebook-n995016) - Network accessline 427
4. **Egnyte:** [Fight with Box](https://www.egnyte.com/box-vs-egnyte-permissions) - Network accessline 439
*Thanks, Ali! Ali will soon be graduating from Cornell and will be looking for a PM role. If you’d like to chat with him, reach out on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/abouelatta_ali). Also, don’t forget to subscribe to his newsletter, [First - Network accessline 443
1. **Matter:** [Design Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/d08a9ae6-80b3-414f-8e36-daa2b8ea6768) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 444
2. **Papaya:** [Director, Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/4d7cac8e-4fc5-4df3-9dff-185749963030) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 445
3. **Airtable:** [Engineering Manager, Monetization](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6806a6f6-bb9d-4a9c-b4a6-d48d36951670) (SF) - Network accessline 446
4. **Catalog:** [Design Director](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/9ffd590f-5cda-4bbd-b1bf-687a7f89eb48) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 447
5. **TrueAccord:** [Senior Product Manager, Core Product](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/ddcb06db-119d-47d0-83f4-ddd1ff755f88) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 448
6. **Brace:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/f04ce367-5a1f-462e-a79d-725870b8eded) (NYC) - Network accessline 449
7. **Goldin Auctions:** [Director of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/9c678421-6315-445c-a735-9362904b5229) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 450
8. **Highlight:** [Founding Blockchain Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6db63ec8-0421-4e06-9908-0376f44c2f99) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 451
9. **Pinpoint:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/70b2de44-b90f-4d37-a146-948144a92873) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 452
10. **Aescape:** [Product Management Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/117d35d9-a9b3-49d0-82df-b27a6c074e0f) (Brooklyn, NY) - Network accessline 456
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/a-builders-guide-to-living-a-long-and-healthy-life.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey there, I’m Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podca - Network accessline 12
*Annual subscribers get a **free year** of 17 premium products: **[Devin, Lovable, Replit, Bolt, n8n, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, Gamma, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, and ChatPRD](https://www.lenn - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 20
So over the past year I’ve started getting serious about my health: tracking my nutrition, exercising, experimenting with supplements, focusing on my sleep, etc. Along that journey, I came across [Justin Mares](https://justinmares.substack. - Network accessline 22
Unlike the health folks everyone knows—Andrew Huberman, Rhonda Patrick, Bryan Johnson—[Justin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmares/) is a full-time builder. He co-founded [Kettle & Fire](https://kettleandfire.com/), [Perfect Keto](https - Network accessline 30
*For more from Justin, check out his [newsletter](https://justinmares.substack.com/) and [Truemed](https://www.truemed.com/) (buy health products at a steep discount using your HSA). They’re also [hiring a marketer](https://www.truemed.com/ - Network accessline 32
*You can also listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@le - Network accessline 34
 - Network accessline 44
Unfortunately, the West is in the [throes of a chronic disease crisis](https://justinmares.substack.com/p/the-great-american-poisoning). Americans today are the sickest population of humans to ever exist. Nearly 50% of adults have prediabet - Network accessline 46
In this post, I won’t cover traditional health tips (exercise, get eight hours of sleep, etc.), though they’re crucial. Instead, I want to cover some of the lesser-known health gotchas that consistently sap your health. I’ve spent the past - Network accessline 58
Beyond the basics, I’ve found a few products that really help me get my best sleep. I love my [Eight Sleep](https://www.eightsleep.com/), and have found their pod works *incredibly* well to help me both increase my deep sleep and avoid wake - Network accessline 60
Studies have found that [mattresses can be a source of harmful chemicals](https://www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/childrens-health/mattresses-can-be-source-of-harmful-chemicals-in-kids-rooms-a5263703680/) (especially foam ones), as they - Network accessline 72
To ensure you’re not inhaling toxic compounds that mattresses often off-gas (like VOCs, benzene, and formaldehyde) while sleeping, I highly recommend the [Woolshire pillow](https://thewoolshire.com/products/wool-pillow), the [Avocado](https - Network accessline 80
Turning fibers into clothing is a complicated and chemically intensive process. Thousands of chemicals are used to make clothing, some 10% of which have been shown to [disrupt the immune system, increase cancer risk, mess with hormones, and - Network accessline 82
It’s unfortunately not just the chemicals, dyes, and other additives that make your clothing choices important for your health. Extremely common materials like polyester can [lower sperm count](https://www.eviemagazine.com/post/polyester-un - Network accessline 84
I strongly recommend *at minimum* wearing toxin-free, organic cotton or linen socks and underwear. My favorite brands are [Industry of All Nations](https://industryofallnations.com/collections/underwear) and [Pact](https://wearpact.com/) fo - Network accessline 86
For shirts, I like [Paka](https://www.pakaapparel.com/)’s stuff, especially their T-shirts, as they use a blend of 85% organic cotton and 15% alpaca fibers. [Faherty](https://fahertybrand.com/) has a surprisingly good selection of organic t - Network accessline 90
This is the area I feel most passionate about. The Standard American Diet (SAD) is terrible. Right now, many Americans get 55% of their calories from [ultraprocessed foods](https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/08/07/nx-s1-549 - Network accessline 94
 - Network accessline 96
When it comes to sourcing foods, the biggest things to optimize for are (1) nutrient density and (2) toxin avoidance. The most nutrient-dense foods are sourced more locally, which inherently means eating seasonally. The farther your food tr - Network accessline 98
Beyond nutrient density, it’s important to mitigate common toxins like pesticides (glyphosate, atrazine), phthalates, microplastics (though it’s nearly impossible), and PFAS. That means buying organic where possible—especially the most-spra - Network accessline 102
1. **Protein bars/snacks:** I absolutely love these [Maui Nui meat sticks](https://mauinuivenison.com/products/snack-membership?Title=Default+Title). Maui Nui has the best-sourced meat I am aware of, anywhere in the world. (We partnered wit - Network accessline 103
I prefer these sticks to a protein bar most of the time. But if I’m running low, I absolutely love the [Jacob bar](https://eatjacob.com/) in a pinch. Just be sure to [avoid David bar](https://x.com/jwmares/status/1904218913413672988). 😉 - Network accessline 104
2. **Bone broth:** You probably knew I would say this, but I drink at least a carton of [Kettle & Fire](https://kettleandfire.com) bone broth each day. We made the first [wild-harvested bone broth](https://www.kettleandfire.com/pages/mauinu - Network accessline 105
3. **Beef:** People should be eating far more organ meats, because they’re such a great source of key amino acids and other nutrients. I love Force of Nature and their [ancestral blend](https://forceofnature.com/products/regenerative-beef-a - Network accessline 106
4. **Coffee:** This is a tough one to source locally. I buy a lot of coffee from the [Groundwork](https://www.groundworkcoffee.com/collections/regenerative-organic-certified) team, who have worked hard to build one of the only regenerative - Network accessline 108
At this point in my life, there are very few national food brands that I support, as I tend to prefer buying locally and seasonally where possible. Scaling a food business while maintaining high standards is extremely difficult, and, to be - Network accessline 112
Many supplements are a waste of time and money. Much (most?) of what you’ll find on Amazon is probably fake, overhyped, or doesn’t have enough effective ingredients to do anything. A recent consumer test found that 4 of 6 creatine gummy bra - Network accessline 116
1. **Protein powder:** Protein is key, and most Americans don’t get anywhere close to the recommended 0.36 grams per pound of body weight. For those looking to increase protein intake, [Equip](https://equipfoods.com/) is probably my favorit - Network accessline 117
Beyond protein for building muscle, Americans also criminally underconsume collagen and gelatin, both of which are key building blocks for healthy joints, skin, hair, and gut. I have four or five servings of collagen per week (on top of my - Network accessline 118
2. **Creatine:** Creatine is a naturally occurring amino acid stored in muscles and the brain that helps with energy creation. It’s been safely used by bodybuilders since time immemorial and is increasingly associated with a host of [mental - Network accessline 119
3. **Nattokinase:** This is a new compound that I am very bullish on. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., and 70% to 80% of heart attacks are caused by atherosclerotic plaque. Certain dosages of nattokinase (at least 10 - Network accessline 120
4. **B vitamins and MTHFR:** If you’re like me—and 30% of other people—you may have some variety of the MTHFR mutation. This mutation impairs the body’s ability to detox and can lead to higher levels of homocysteine, an amino acid in the bl - Network accessline 121
5. **Organ supplementation:** As I’ve mentioned, organ meats and connective tissue contain key amino acids and nutrients that are not found in muscle meats like steak or chicken breast. Unfortunately, most Americans primarily eat cuts of mu - Network accessline 123
Outside of those daily staples, I have a whole host of supplements I’ll take for specific life events, often from brands like Momentous or Thorne, which both have good sourcing practices. For example, when I’m sick, I follow the [Huberman p - Network accessline 125
Though this regimen seems to help, nothing is better than not getting sick at all. That’s why whenever I fly, I use [Viraldine](https://www.amazon.com/VIRALDINE-Povidone-Iodine-Designed-Congestion-applications/dp/B0CTWWS1DK) before getting - Network accessline 129
In my view, environmental toxins are the trans fats of our generation. [PFAS](https://www.vox.com/2022/8/25/23318667/pfas-forever-chemicals-safety-drinking-water), phthalates, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, pesticides, and heavy metals are - Network accessline 133
The FDA takes the opposite approach: Sure, humans have never before been exposed to these classes of chemicals, but whatever—let’s assume they’re safe. The U.S. has over 40,000 chemicals allowed in our food, water, and environment, with min - Network accessline 137
Detoxing your environment is critically important but almost impossible to do completely. That’s why I think an 80/20 approach makes a lot of sense here: cut out toxins in the things you’re regularly exposed to, and use detox tools (like sa - Network accessline 139
For many, this means cleaning up your home environment, your office environment, and your kitchen. Most of what I’ve learned about this I learned after having the [Lightwork](https://lightworkhome.com/) (think: functional medicine doctor fo - Network accessline 143
1. **Air purifiers:** Most microplastics are inhaled, not ingested via water or food. On the high end, I like the [Jaspr](https://jaspr.co/), but if you’re looking for a great everyday purifier, the [PuroAir](https://getpuroair.com/) is als - Network accessline 144
2. **Water purifier:** Our drinking water is riddled with PFAS, glyphosate, and many other toxins. [A recent study](https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2025/04/cancer-causing-chemicals-drinking-water-put-122m-americans-risk) foun - Network accessline 145
3. **Pesticide mitigation:** I am becoming more and more concerned about pesticides. They’re everywhere, and by far the best thing you can do is improve your food sourcing by buying organic, local, and seasonal wherever possible. To the ext - Network accessline 146
4. **Detoxing your kitchen:** This is crucial but can be relatively simple. Most of the compounds you’re looking to remove are plastic items that will shed plastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA, BPS, and phthalates. Remove pl - Network accessline 150
I’ve replaced (first just a few, and now all) the bulbs in my house with [these circadian bulbs](https://thehealthyhome.shop/collections/lights). If you’re skeptical of the impact, try replacing one lamp with a circadian light bulb, and you - Network accessline 152
Lastly, there are electromagnetic fields (think Wi-Fi signals, Bluetooth, cellphone radiation, power infrastructure). Andy Bromberg of [Lightwork](https://www.lightworkhome.com/) has another banger post on the [skeptic’s guide to EMFs](http - Network accessline 158
1. **Deodorant:** I’ve used and loved [Primally Pure](https://primallypure.com/collections/deodorant) for years now, though today there are plenty of good options that are free of heavy metals and actually effective. [Native](https://www.na - Network accessline 159
2. **Blue-light blockers:** I dig the [Ra Optics](https://raoptics.com/) blue-light blockers for nighttime wear, or to wear if I’m staring at a screen for many hours. [Chroma](https://getchroma.co/collections/blue-light-blocking-glasses) al - Network accessline 160
3. **Soap/shampoo:** You can’t go wrong with [Dr. Bronner’s](https://www.drbronner.com/). - Network accessline 161
4. **Cleaning products:** [Branch Basics](https://branchbasics.com/) is the best by a mile. Huge fan. - Network accessline 163
Skin-care-wise, I tend to like a few products but not go crazy. On the daily, I use [Mirror Skin](https://mymirrorskin.com/) as a base layer and then add a [mineral sunscreen](https://karigran.com/products/essential-spf) (when I remember, w - Network accessline 173
1. [Eight Sleep](https://www.eightsleep.com/) - Network accessline 174
2. [Momentous magnesium L-threonate](https://www.livemomentous.com/products/magnesium-threonate) - Network accessline 175
3. [Woolshire pillow](https://thewoolshire.com/products/wool-pillow) - Network accessline 176
4. [Coyuchi sheets](https://www.coyuchi.com/collections/sheet-sets) - Network accessline 177
5. [Avocado mattress](https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com) - Network accessline 178
6. [Essentia mattress](https://myessentia.com/) - Network accessline 179
7. [Naturepedic mattress](https://www.naturepedic.com/) - Network accessline 180
8. [Hästens](https://hastens.com/us/) - Network accessline 184
1. [Industry of All Nations](https://industryofallnations.com/collections/underwear) - Network accessline 185
2. [Pact](https://wearpact.com/) - Network accessline 186
3. [Nads](https://nadsunder.com/) - Network accessline 187
4. [Paka](https://www.pakaapparel.com/) - Network accessline 188
5. [Faherty](https://fahertybrand.com/) - Network accessline 189
6. [Wax London](https://waxlondon.com/collections/organic-cotton) - Network accessline 193
1. [Maui Nui meat sticks](https://mauinuivenison.com/products/snack-membership?Title=Default+Title) - Network accessline 194
2. [Jacob protein bar](https://eatjacob.com/) - Network accessline 195
3. [Kettle & Fire bone broth](https://kettleandfire.com) - Network accessline 196
4. [Force of Nature beef](https://forceofnature.com/products/regenerative-beef-ancestral-blend) - Network accessline 197
5. [White Oak Pastures meats](https://whiteoakpastures.com/) - Network accessline 198
6. [Groundwork coffee](https://www.groundworkcoffee.com/collections/regenerative-organic-certified) - Network accessline 199
7. [Radius](https://www.eatradius.com/) - Network accessline 203
1. [Equip protein](https://equipfoods.com/) - Network accessline 204
2. [Momentous](https://www.livemomentous.com/products/creatine-monohydrate) - Network accessline 205
3. [Lineage](https://lineageprovisions.com/products/creatine-monohydrate) - Network accessline 206
4. [Perfect Keto](https://shop.perfectketo.com/products/grass-fed-collagen-with-mct) - Network accessline 207
5. [Toku](https://tokuhealth.com/) - Network accessline 208
6. [Thorne B complex](https://www.amazon.com/Thorne-Methyl-Guard-Plus-methylation-homocysteine/dp/B00O5AHC4S/) - Network accessline 209
7. [Maui Nui Organ Blend](https://mauinuivenison.com/products/organ-blend-supplement) - Network accessline 210
8. [AHCC](https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Kinoko-Platinum-AHCC-Supplement/dp/B00HG0YZMG/ref=sr_1_6_pp) - Network accessline 211
9. [Astaxanthin](https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Synergy-SuperPure%C2%AE-Astaxanthin-Antioxidant/dp/B07KX3NZJ5/ref=sr_1_6_pp?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.RCID4tv3DFCQwIWFVzZA_22htPLJuRaXepz1XeDNiKAgy4p5vfIKZP6sGyNJD5hFJXqvQFTOpy8C_lEj7Oo0a0UfggDsEyQ7TSMQ_t - Network accessline 212
10. [Viraldine](https://www.amazon.com/VIRALDINE-Povidone-Iodine-Designed-Congestion-applications/dp/B0CTWWS1DK) - Network accessline 216
1. [Inuspheresis](https://www.inuspheresis.com/) - Network accessline 217
2. [Proxima](https://www.proxima.health/) - Network accessline 218
3. [Lightwork](https://lightworkhome.com/) - Network accessline 219
4. [Jaspr](https://jaspr.co/) - Network accessline 220
5. [PuroAir](https://getpuroair.com/) - Network accessline 221
6. [Rorra](https://rorra.com/products/countertop-system) - Network accessline 222
7. [Aquasana](https://www.aquasana.com/) - Network accessline 223
8. [Ophora](https://www.ophorawater.com/whole-home/) - Network accessline 224
9. [Renovera](https://www.amazon.com/Renovera-Vegetable-Infant-Friendly-Powdered-Produce/dp/B07R3W8H41/ref=sr_1_6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.7ckRjZuxqNsmcIyStMrrXpAzOIRLzBn5pK-NheGfpCW3tOfJyHpjBeUUCNV7yBLN1WgrRlm2XJo_HjN8nB7Fwh89tZOqwy0FqX6badqwutdzP - Network accessline 225
10. [PowerScale](https://www.amazon.com/Powerscale-Generator-Vegetable-Multipurpose-Pesticides/dp/B0D8DM18HV/ref=sr_1_17) - Network accessline 226
11. [Caraway](https://www.carawayhome.com/) - Network accessline 227
12. [Beeswax wraps](https://www.amazon.com/Bees-Wrap-Assorted-Sustainable-Alternative/dp/B0126LMDFK/ref=sr_1_7?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-6b6IdDUrHXN828SJ9DA6ti-e8Dl293N7a5T7Lj0_lGJdlOYOLcjmajLiRvwRm4a8FJFP0XdODb0iXLJl3UZLPlMVjn6ohUxVif3AZ2JmoPQQu86 - Network accessline 228
13. [Teakhaus](https://teakhaus.com/collections/cutting-boards) - Network accessline 229
14. [Circadian bulbs](https://thehealthyhome.shop/collections/lights) - Network accessline 230
15. [Smart plug](https://www.amazon.com/Govee-WiFi-Outlet/dp/B08731J1L4/ref=sr_1_6) - Network accessline 234
1. [Primally Pure deodorant](https://primallypure.com/collections/deodorant) - Network accessline 235
2. [Native deodorant](https://www.nativecos.com) - Network accessline 236
3. [Ra Optics blue-light glasses](https://raoptics.com/) - Network accessline 237
4. [Chroma blue-light glasses](https://getchroma.co/collections/blue-light-blocking-glasses) - Network accessline 238
5. [Dr. Bronner’s soaps](https://www.drbronner.com/) - Network accessline 239
6. [Branch Basics cleansers](https://branchbasics.com/) - Network accessline 240
7. [Mirror Skin serum](https://mymirrorskin.com/) - Network accessline 241
8. [Kari Gran sunscreen](https://karigran.com/products/essential-spf) - Network accessline 242
9. [Shwally tallow balm](https://www.shwallyhome.com/collections/our-balms/products/shwally-face-and-body-balm) - Network accessline 243
10. [Alitura Meteorite scrub](https://alitura.com/collections/skincare/products/the-meteorite-facial-scrub?selling_plan=4148527355) - Network accessline 244
11. [Alitura Pearl cleanser](https://alitura.com/collections/skincare/products/alitura-pearl-cleanser) - Network accessline 248
*For more from [Justin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmares/), check out his [newsletter](https://justinmares.substack.com/) and [Truemed](https://www.truemed.com/). They’re also [hiring a marketer](https://www.truemed.com/careers)!* - Network accessline 252
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/a-comprehensive-survey-of-product-management.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a ✨ **once-a-month-free-edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressin - Network accessline 14
1. *[Ten ways to generate buzz for your product](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/creating-buzz-at-launch-preview)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[How to run SEO experiments](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/seo-experimentation)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[When NOT to run an experiment](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/not-running-an-experiment)* - Network accessline 30
*A big thank you to [PMHQ](https://productmanagerhq.com/), [Sriram Krishnan](https://twitter.com/sriramk), [Hiten Shah](https://twitter.com/hnshah), [Josh Elman](https://twitter.com/joshelman), [Ian McAllister](https://twitter.com/ianmcall) - Network accessline 42
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-survey/comments) - Network accessline 133
**✨** Sponsored job of the week: **[Product Manager at UserLeap](https://boards.greenhouse.io/userleap/jobs/4279026003) ✨** - Network accessline 135
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4124465003), [Descript](https://jobs.lever.co/descript-2/08f9b563-c3e6-49a4-be07-82fafc1868af), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), - Network accessline 136
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC98C5FDFB/) - Network accessline 137
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8Cvl - Network accessline 138
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 139
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04), [Tome](https://www - Network accessline 140
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 141
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4188 - Network accessline 142
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://job - Network accessline 146
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/a-founders-guide-to-community.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to a ✨ **free monthly edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out - Network accessline 14
Community—so hot right now. Ask any founder if they’ve thought about building a community and 9 out of 10 times you’ll get an immediate yes. And for good reason. Companies like [Atlassian](https://cmxhub.com/build-award-winning-communities- - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 18
To guide you on your community-building journey (and even make sure it’s worth doing), I’ve invited [David Spinks](https://twitter.com/DavidSpinks), the author of the book *[The Business of Belonging](https://cmxhub.com/the-business-of-belo - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 46
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In the [2021 CMX Community Industry Report](https://cmxhub.com/the-2021-community-industry-report-the-data-you-need-to-build-thriving-communities/), 86% of companies said that “community is critical to [their] mission” and 69% of companies - Network accessline 54
Through my work on [CMX](https://cmxhub.com), [Bevy](https://www.bevy.com), [my podcast](https://pod.cmxhub.com), and [my book](https://cmxhub.com/the-business-of-belonging/), I’ve had the opportunity to advise and learn from thousands of c - Network accessline 58
**I’ll share some of the most common questions companies have about starting communities and give you actionable steps to get started. You’ll also be able to put the frameworks I share here into practice using [A Founder’s Guide to Communit - Network accessline 78
 - Network accessline 80
Community unlocks the ability to scale value creation, with a relatively small team. It’s how Duolingo is able to run [2,600 events every month](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5h79SwDcFU) with a community team of three people. It’s how [8 - Network accessline 99
There are six objectives that a community can drive. To help businesses wrap their heads around the options, use the [SPACES model](https://cmxhub.com/the-spaces-model/): - Network accessline 101
1. **Support:** Create spaces for customers to answer questions and solve problems for each other. Example: [Autodesk support community](https://www.autodesk.com/community) - Network accessline 102
2. **Product:** Create spaces for customers to share product feedback and ideas with each other and with your team. Example: [Atlassian feedback section](https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Feedback-Announcements/ct-p/feedback-forum) - Network accessline 103
3. **Acquisition:** Build programs that help you grow your pipeline and customer base. Example: [Branch’s Mobile Growth community](https://mobilegrowth.org/) - Network accessline 104
4. **Contribution:** Enable members to contribute content, services, or something else of value to a platform you create. Example: [Notion Template Gallery](https://www.notion.so/Notion-Community-04f306fbf59a413fae15f42e2a1ab029#8d82ce462ca - Network accessline 105
5. **Engagement:** Connect customers to each other around their common interests in order to increase customer retention. Example: [Culture Amp’s Culture First](https://www.cultureamp.com/community) - Network accessline 106
6. **Success:** Enable customers to teach each other how to better use your product and be more successful in their careers. Example: [Salesforce’s Trailblazer program](https://trailhead.salesforce.com/trailblazercommunity) - Network accessline 110
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The key questions to answer in your interviews ([part 1 of the worksheet](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dBID0wCPTQSptUoUkYk4VIEBUsTP0NJemoTPGO7ZmSo/edit?usp=sharing)): - Network accessline 152
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Here’s an exercise you can do to help identify the business objectives for your community ([part 2 of the worksheet](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dBID0wCPTQSptUoUkYk4VIEBUsTP0NJemoTPGO7ZmSo/edit?usp=sharing)): - Network accessline 166
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For startups, it’s really common for one of the founders to own community at the start. It makes sense—the founder wants to be as hands-on as possible to stay close to customers. And you may not have the funds to [hire a full-time community - Network accessline 223
I recommend planning your community out on an annual, quarterly, and monthly basis. At CMX and Bevy, our community team uses [objectives and key results](https://www.atlassian.com/work-management/strategic-planning/okrs) (OKRs). At the end - Network accessline 227
 - Network accessline 235
The idea is that by building successful community programs, you will drive business impact. It’s not always going to be direct *causation*, such that customers who participate in your community are spending more as a result. But companies w - Network accessline 260
If you want to go a little more in-depth, you can use what is called [the stickiness score](https://www.pendo.io/pendo-blog/use-stickiness-ratio-measure-product-health/), which is DAU/MAU. Essentially it says: of the members who participate - Network accessline 281
We send out one large annual community health survey to all of our members, and a shorter health survey to every member 90 days after they join the community. [Here’s how we run our annual survey process.](https://cmxhub.com/how-we-run-comm - Network accessline 285
Here’s a cheat sheet for measuring community health ([also in our worksheet](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dBID0wCPTQSptUoUkYk4VIEBUsTP0NJemoTPGO7ZmSo/edit#heading=h.cdxn1nejfszz)): - Network accessline 287
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All community programs have some of the same fundamental elements, what we call the [7Ps of community](https://cmxhub.com/the-7ps-of-community/): - Network accessline 329
([You can fill out your own 7Ps of community in part 3 of the worksheet](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dBID0wCPTQSptUoUkYk4VIEBUsTP0NJemoTPGO7ZmSo/edit?usp=sharing)) - Network accessline 331
Let’s look at an example of how the 7Ps are represented in an actual community program: TuesdaysTogether, a program run by the software company HoneyBook in which members of its community host a meetup on the second Tuesday of every month. - Network accessline 383
How small should you start? I’d recommend starting with 10 to 50 members. In the community world, the people you invite to the pre-party are commonly known as [founding members](https://medium.com/@caremjo/how-to-create-a-founding-members-g - Network accessline 397
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Take [Finimize](https://www.finimize.com/), for example. Its team of three community professionals are leading a program where an event is hosted almost every day of the year. They’re able to run more than 200 events annually by empowering - Network accessline 419
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If you ever get stuck, you can always turn to your fellow members here in Lenny’s community, and of course the [CMX community](https://cmxhub.com/community) is packed with others who are building communities just like you. - Network accessline 458
I’m also always happy to help. You can DM me on Twitter anytime [@DavidSpinks](https://twitter.com/davidspinks) or follow along on [my newsletter](https://davidspinks.substack.com). - Network accessline 466
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2. **OnFrontiers:** [UI/UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c5c630a8-eef4-4ee2-b5c0-f454921f70ff) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 468
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*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 484
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/a-free-year-of-devin-the-worlds-most-advanced-autonomous-ai-software-engineer.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey there, I’m Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podca - Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 14
The vision for the Lenny’s Newsletter [Product Pass](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass) is to give you access to the most cutting-edge and important tools and technologies, so that you can experience them—not just read about th - Network accessline 16
**Starting today, [Insider subscribers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?plan=founding) get a free year of [Devin](https://devin.ai), the world’s most advanced autonomous AI software engineer.** - Network accessline 20
This adds an additional $1,350 in value to your [Insider subscription](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?plan=founding) (for just $350/year)—on top of the more than 15 premium products you already have a year of free access to (wor - Network accessline 22
[Subscribe to Insider](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?plan=founding) - Network accessline 32
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9wR418HU4w) - Network accessline 38
1. [Claire Vo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairevo/) told me that Devin is the #2 contributor to her six-figure [ChatPRD](https://www.chatprd.ai/) business (behind only her, for now) and touches 100% of their PRs, by reviewing code, updati - Network accessline 40
 - Network accessline 41
2. [Sahil Lavingia](https://x.com/shl) has been proudly sharing that Devin is [Gumroad](https://gumroad.com/)’s #1 contributor of code, with over 1,500 merged PRs (averaging 10 per day). - Network accessline 42
3. [Dan Shipper](https://x.com/danshipper) said, “Working with Devin is familiar because it feels like adding a few junior engineers to your team. You toss them tasks, and they’ll get started with enthusiasm . . . It’s programming leverage— - Network accessline 44
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ectyyex0IBo) - Network accessline 46
4. Devin ranks #1 in the [Builder Arena](https://www.designarena.ai/builder), ahead of Cursor, Lovable, Replit, and Figma Make—a benchmark based on thousands of people blindly comparing the output of each AI’s product being given the same p - Network accessline 48
 - Network accessline 50
5. Also, [Scott Wu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-wu-8b94ab96/) (CEO of [Cognition](https://cognition.ai)) is something else: - Network accessline 62
7. Build SaaS integrations 8. Send daily summaries of shipped changes 9. Tackle complex migrations: [Nubank](https://nubank.com.br/) used Devin to migrate their over-6-million-line ETL monolith over the course of a couple of weeks, which ot - Network accessline 63
8. Send daily summaries of shipped changes 9. Tackle complex migrations: [Nubank](https://nubank.com.br/) used Devin to migrate their over-6-million-line ETL monolith over the course of a couple of weeks, which otherwise would have been an - Network accessline 64
9. Tackle complex migrations: [Nubank](https://nubank.com.br/) used Devin to migrate their over-6-million-line ETL monolith over the course of a couple of weeks, which otherwise would have been an 18-month and 1,000-engineer project. - Network accessline 65
10. Increase your unit test coverage: [Litera](https://www.litera.com/) used Devin to increase their test coverage by 40%, which reduced their regression cycles from three weeks to two days. - Network accessline 71
Check out their [website](https://devin.ai) for more. - Network accessline 73
 - Network accessline 77
As an **[Insider](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?plan=founding)** subscriber, you get one free year of Devin Core with 50 ACUs a month, valued at $1,350. This is roughly equivalent to a full-time engineer working for a week stra - Network accessline 81
1. Become an **[Insider](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?plan=founding)** member (this is an upgrade from the regular annual membership). - Network accessline 82
2. **[Claim your free code here](https://lennysproductpass.com/).** - Network accessline 86
1. **You must be a new customer of Devin** to take advantage of the free year. If you’ve already paid for Devin before (monthly or yearly), you won’t be able to get a free additional year of that specific product. 2. **Both existing and new - Network accessline 87
2. **Both existing and new subscribers** of Lenny’s Newsletter are eligible for this deal. Existing subscribers can [redeem the offer here](https://lennysproductpass.com/).
references/02-newsletters/a-guide-for-finding-product-market-fit-in-b2b.md
- Network accessline 12
- **Part 1:** [How to come up with a great B2B startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) - Network accessline 13
- **Part 2:** [How to validate your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup) - Network accessline 14
- **Part 3:** [How to identify your ICP](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer) - Network accessline 15
- **Part 4**: [How to find and win your first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers) - Network accessline 16
- **Part 5:** A guide for finding product-market fit *← This post* - **Part 6:** [How, and when, to hire your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - **Part 7:** [How to scale your growth engine](https:/ - Network accessline 17
- **Part 6:** [How, and when, to hire your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - Network accessline 18
- **Part 7:** [How to scale your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/scaling-your-b2b-growth-engine) - Network accessline 20
*A huge thank-you to **[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/)** (COO of Notion), **[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/)** (CEO of Databricks), **[Andrew Ofstad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aofstad/)** (co-fo - Network accessline 38
2. **From a working product to feeling PMF typically took 9-18 months.** Expect to spend a year or so iterating before you finally have something people want. 3. **Most companies got an alpha product out the door in 1-3 months.** Unless you - Network accessline 39
3. **Most companies got an alpha product out the door in 1-3 months.** Unless you think you’re the next Figma, get your V1 out quickly. 4. **A few companies—Figma, Airtable, Slack—took 4+ years to find PMF**, but they were the exceptions, a - Network accessline 40
4. **A few companies—Figma, Airtable, Slack—took 4+ years to find PMF**, but they were the exceptions, and Slack was working on a completely different product (a game) before [pivoting to what became Slack](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/ - Network accessline 50
[Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/) (co-founder and CEO of Coda) described this feeling so well: - Network accessline 58
> “**I remember with the first 100 or so customers, every customer kind of felt like the last customer we would get, to be honest.** We were like, I can’t believe DoorDash is using this product. That’s incredible! We were so proud. Unlike o - Network accessline 60
> —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), founder and CEO of **Retool** - Network accessline 66
> There are all these horror stories in Silicon Valley of these companies who got to 150 or 200 million revenue and then didn’t grow. So there was always this fear that it was going to happen to us as well. **Your product-market fit is alwa - Network accessline 68
> —[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/), co-founder and CEO of **Databricks** - Network accessline 72
> “**I never felt at any point of time like, ah, now I have product-market fit.** I always felt like there was always something for us to improve on—whether it was growth or product or customer care. I’m always seeing what more we can do to - Network accessline 74
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO of **Gusto** - Network accessline 76
> “I’ve spent most of the history of Hex paranoid that we’re not at PMF, or there’s more to do. I think our vision is big enough and that, at any point, even when I have thousands of people telling us this thing is awesome, I still feel lik - Network accessline 78
> —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), co-founder and CEO of **Hex** - Network accessline 80
> “**I don’t even know if today we have true product-market fit.** If you’re going down the venture path, what I tell other founders is that anytime you raise, your product-market fit is gone, because whatever you raised, the next raise eff - Network accessline 82
> —[Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), founder and CEO of **Persona** - Network accessline 84
PMF is never a binary yes-or-no moment. It’s instead a gradual process of finding fit with larger and larger segments, as [Jori Lallo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorilallo/), co-founder of **Linear**, describes: - Network accessline 110
> They’re still customers; they were our first customer.” > > —[Sho Kuwamoto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/), VP of Product - Network accessline 112
> —[Sho Kuwamoto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/), VP of Product - Network accessline 122
> We decided not to finish his list. Instead, we built the doc that we originally envisioned. I thought it would take three or four months, but it took over a year to get back to his list.” > > —[Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/i - Network accessline 124
> —[Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 126
[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/) at **Retool** built a tool to catch anyone running into issues with their early product so that they could fix the issues immediately: - Network accessline 136
> “During the beta process, we had a bunch of systems that recorded the users’ screens using Gong. And we were watching these like maniacs, every day. I would probably spend two hours watching people interact with the system, reverse engine - Network accessline 138
> —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 142
> “**For the first 30 customers, I was with them in their offices seeing them do payroll, or I was on the phone with them, watching them and then seeing them send payroll, and their reactions and seeing feedback.** What’s working, what’s no - Network accessline 144
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 150
> Therefore, **we created a team of data analysts to serve as our technical customer-facing teams (sales engineers, customer support, and implementation analysts) to quickly deploy and develop instances of Looker for our customer.** Early o - Network accessline 152
> —[Keenan Rice](https://www.linkedin.com/in/keenanrice/), founding team - Network accessline 154
“You won’t be great for anyone. Just get the thing to be really damn useful for one customer.” —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), co-founder and CEO of Hex - Network accessline 156
One of the biggest recurring lessons from my conversations is to talk to customers more. I know you hear this a lot, but you are probably *still* not talking to customers enough. Here’s [Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spensersk - Network accessline 172
> In terms of feeling market-message fit, there’s a few ways you can test it. One, based on launch press coverage, e.g. who wants to talk about it. You send an email using cold outbound and look at response rates. SDRs can do that all the t - Network accessline 174
> —[Eric Glyman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eglyman/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 178
> “I separate the ‘product-user fit’ from ‘product-buyer fit.’ We got the former pretty quickly, I’d say within a year after we launched our Git integration. The latter— getting people to pay for it and aligning with their commercial needs— - Network accessline 180
> ***—***[Guy Podjarny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypo/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 182
Remember, [trust is your secret weapon](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/115245373/important-takeaway-trust-is-your-secret-weapon) early on. - Network accessline 188
For **Vanta**, getting the first five-figure verbal agreement, and then a $500k deal, convinced [Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/) that she had found PMF: - Network accessline 196
> “For me, it was probably our first six-figure deal when it was like, ‘Oh crap, a company will actually pay us for this.’ I just remember being consistently surprised that they didn’t say no to the prices that we were putting in front of t - Network accessline 198
> —[Julianna Lamb](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannaelamb/) and [Reed McGinley-Stempel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-mcginley-stempel-17362245/), co-founders - Network accessline 202
> “I think I didn’t admit it to ourselves until we had a customer, Microsoft, that told us, ‘Hey, you have to start charging for this thing.’ I thought we might have product-market fit. In reality we’d had it for like a year, and I wish tha - Network accessline 204
> —[Dylan Field](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield), co-founder and CEO of **Figma**, via [fireside chat with Elad Gil](https://blog.eladgil.com/p/transcript-and-video-fireside-w-dylan?publication_id=1119759&post_id=103105470&isFreemai - Network accessline 206
> **“**When we launched our private beta, we were offering it for free.To our surprise, **users started writing to us asking, ‘Can we pay for this?’ They liked it so much, they wanted to pay for it. That was the first sign this was going to - Network accessline 208
> —[Tom Preston-Werner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Preston-Werner), first CEO and co-founder of **GitHub** - Network accessline 212
> “I was talking to this company called Super Lucky Casino. I went through the demo and the whole pitch, and we got to the end of it, and they asked me a question I’d never been asked. They’re like, ‘This is great, how much does it cost?’ A - Network accessline 213
> > But then I remember [Patrick McKenzie’s advice](https://www.kalzumeus.com/2006/08/14/you-can-probably-stand-to-charge-more/), which is, ‘Charge more.’ So I’m like, all right, what’s the biggest number I can think of? Well, let me double - Network accessline 214
> But then I remember [Patrick McKenzie’s advice](https://www.kalzumeus.com/2006/08/14/you-can-probably-stand-to-charge-more/), which is, ‘Charge more.’ So I’m like, all right, what’s the biggest number I can think of? Well, let me double t - Network accessline 216
> —[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/),co-founder and CEO of **Amplitude** - Network accessline 218
And it goes without saying, if these early customers leave, they don’t count. [Retention is key](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29), especially early on. - Network accessline 224
For **Amplitude**,[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/) felt PMF once they signed their first half-dozen customers (at increasingly higher prices): - Network accessline 238
> One of 11: the salespeople at one point decided they didn’t need it, and turned it off. A day later, we got a call from the CEO saying, who the fuck told you to turn it off? That’s the type of feedback you want to hear to feel like you ha - Network accessline 240
> —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/?originalSubdomain=il), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 244
> “I don’t think we felt PMF until we had our first 10 customers live and very successful. This took just over a year from the time we committed to the idea. I distinctly remember a deal where our champion cried because her manager hadn’t a - Network accessline 246
> —[Rujul Zaparde](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/) and [Lu Cheng](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lu-cheng-973b7830/), co-founders - Network accessline 248
> “In the earliest early phases, the only really meaningful measure of product-market fit is whether you can close more than 10 customers, and you think you can close more.” > > —[Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), - Network accessline 250
> —[Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 260
> “For us, it really felt like Geoffrey Moore’s *Inside the Tornado*. Nearly 100% of customers were coming from inbound sales because there was sufficient demand to keep the phones ringing.” > > ー[Jeffrey Queisser](https://www.linkedin.com/ - Network accessline 262
> ー[Jeffrey Queisser](https://www.linkedin.com/in/queisser/), co-founder of **Box** - Network accessline 264
> “I definitely remember the moment I knew this product wasn’t going to die, and that was when we started getting our first emails from people we had never met before and who lived in areas of the world that we’d never been before. We start - Network accessline 266
> —[Cameron Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue/), co-founder and CPO of **Canva** - Network accessline 274
> The actionable thing for me on the product-market fit stuff is it’s just really focusing on customer love. At the end of the day, what we did—every single bullet point and element and bone in the body of what Gusto is—was how can we make - Network accessline 276
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO of **Gusto** - Network accessline 278
> “**It wasn’t until the first person came effectively inbound telling us that they heard about us from someone else.** I was kind of like, when you’ve heard about us from someone else, when there’s someone who likes it enough that they’re - Network accessline 280
> —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), co-founder and CEO of **Hex** - Network accessline 284
> Then when Thunkable committed to an annual agreement, and that was from a cold email, like this is really solving problems for us. The CTO, the VP of product. Then the other moment was Square. I had some arm’s-length connections from Weeb - Network accessline 286
> —[Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/), founder and CEO of **Sprig** - Network accessline 290
> “It was the first time we put something out into the world and people said, ‘This is great. Can you solve mobile? What about internal data? What about warehousing?’ Suddenly we had another 5 to 10 problems to go tackle. It felt like the f - Network accessline 292
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/), co-founder of Segment - Network accessline 294
> “There’s a point when the editor was so slow that if you typed text, it took forever to type the text. We didn’t have multiplayer editing yet—there was so much that wasn’t there. And a potential customer wrote us a 12-page document saying - Network accessline 296
> —[Dylan Field](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield/), co-founder and CEO of Figma, via [fireside chat with Elad Gil](https://blog.eladgil.com/p/transcript-and-video-fireside-w-dylan?publication_id=1119759&post_id=103105470&isFreemail=t - Network accessline 300
> “For me, there was a visceral sense of your thing taking on a life of its own and lurching forward, like **getting pressed into the back of your seat by a fast car or a plane taking off**.” > > —[Drew Houston](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ - Network accessline 302
> —[Drew Houston](https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewhouston), CEO and co-founder of Dropbox - Network accessline 314
> **It wasn’t one moment, though. It was a gradual feeling of realizing, ‘Wow, this is starting to work.’ We likely had PMF earlier but I just didn’t feel it for a long time.”** > > —[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/), c - Network accessline 316
> —[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 320
> “The only way you know if you’ve built what customers want is because **they are using it in an explosive and destructive way**. If you are not getting explosive usage, you are not building what customers want, or there aren’t that many c - Network accessline 322
> “I think the right initial metric is ‘**Do any users love our product so much they spontaneously tell other people** to use it?’” —[Sam Altman](https://blog.samaltman.com/before-growth) - Network accessline 332
> Then, when we launched Notion 2.0 later that year, a *Wall Street Journal* article came out by David Pierce that sort of put growth on steroids. We felt not only do we have product-market fit, we have this consolidated tool that people ar - Network accessline 334
> —[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/), co-founder and COO - Network accessline 338
> “We never have a sudden influx of new users, but from the moment we flipped from closed to open beta, **we started seeing a regular influx of signups**. As we added key features (such as alerting!), we saw them use our product more and mo - Network accessline 339
> ー[Olivier Pomel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivierpomel/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 343
> “I don’t feel like PMF is ever black-and-white. You’re most of the time on a course to getting PMF. But **what gave me confidence we had some level of PMF was our ability to grow our MRR consistently week over week. We had a goal of growi - Network accessline 345
> —[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-collin-bb59492a/en/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 349
> “The ‘Wow, this is really working’ moment was when we moved from the hype of Product Hunt to the product selling itself: about 3 to 4 months after launch. The organic virality caused by someone creating a video and innately wanting to sha - Network accessline 351
> —[Shahed Khan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahedkhan/), co-founder - Network accessline 355
> “From a PMF perspective, I think probably at even $5 million or $10 million in ARR, I was still not totally sure we had product-market fit. Every deal felt like it could have actually been our last. What I didn’t realize is that people or - Network accessline 357
> —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 365
> So then I started thinking this is a viable business. This thing can go much further. Maybe we can one day get to, say, $100 million revenue or something like that. Q2 of 2017 was when we felt that, okay, there’s something here.” > > —[Al - Network accessline 367
> —[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 371
> “I think we were under-appreciative of our product-market fit. Looking back, we had good product-market fit, which made us grow very fast at the time. But I don’t think we are as aware of it as we are now how good our product-market fit w - Network accessline 373
> —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/), co-founder and CPO of **Gong** - Network accessline 375
> “Looking back, we had [PMF] for like a year, and I wish that I had recognized that sooner, because I think I would have acted differently.” > > —[Dylan Field](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield), co-founder and CEO of **Figma**, via [ - Network accessline 377
> —[Dylan Field](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield), co-founder and CEO of **Figma**, via [fireside chat with Elad Gil](https://blog.eladgil.com/p/transcript-and-video-fireside-w-dylan?publication_id=1119759&post_id=103105470&isFreemai - Network accessline 385
1. Is the problem you’re solving [truly](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/113130490/what-makes-a-great-bb-startup-idea) **[important](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/113130490/what-makes-a-great-bb-startup-idea)** [and](https://www.len - Network accessline 386
2. Is your solution **[Delta-4 better](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/113130490/ingredient-the-market-is-underserved)** than the status quo? - Network accessline 387
3. Have you tried rethinking your **[ICP](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer)**? How truly painful is the pain you’re attempting to solve for them? - Network accessline 388
4. Have you tried rethinking your **idea**? [Revisit Step 1](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups). - Network accessline 389
5. Is your idea truly **[venture-scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/your-startup-idea-probably-isnt-venture)**? - Network accessline 395
1. [How To Find Product Market Fit](https://youtu.be/0LNQxT9LvM0) by David Rusenko - Network accessline 396
2. [The Lean Startup Playbook for Achieving Product-Market Fit](https://leanstartup.co/a-playbook-for-achieving-product-market-fit/) by Dan Olsen - Network accessline 397
3. [The Never-Ending Road To Product Market Fit](https://brianbalfour.com/essays/product-market-fit) by Brian Balfour - Network accessline 398
4. [How to find product market fit: the counterintuitive secrets](https://www.unusual.vc/post/how-to-find-product-market-fit) by Unusual Ventures - Network accessline 399
5. [The Only Thing That Matters](https://pmarchive.com/guide_to_startups_part4.html) by Marc Andreessen - Network accessline 400
6. [How to know if you’ve got product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) - Network accessline 401
7. [What it feels like when you’ve found product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-it-feels-like-when-youve-found) - Network accessline 403
### Next: [How, and when, to hire your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - Network accessline 409
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 413
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 415
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/a-guide-to-ai-prototyping-for-product-managers.md
- Network accessline 14
[Colin Matthews](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinmatthews-pm/?originalSubdomain=ca) was a longtime PM and now teaches my favorite AI prototyping course: [AI Prototyping for Product Managers](https://maven.com/tech-for-product/ai-prototypin - Network accessline 16
*If you’d like to learn more, [check out Colin’s free 30-minute lightning lesson](https://maven.com/p/30546f/ai-prototyping-for-product-managers-in-2025), where he shows you how to build a functional prototype in 10 minutes (including a few - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 20
If you haven’t been paying close attention over the past six months, you may have missed the rise of tools like [Cursor](https://www.cursor.com/), [Replit Agent](https://replit.com/), [v0](https://v0.dev/), [Bolt](https://bolt.new/), and ot - Network accessline 29
 - Network accessline 37
1. **Chatbots (e.g. [Claude](https://claude.ai/), [ChatGPT](https://chatgpt.com/)):** The AI tools you probably know, which can also write and explain basic code - Network accessline 38
2. **Cloud development environments (e.g. [Replit](https://replit.com/), [Bolt](https://bolt.new/), [v0](https://v0.dev/), [Lovable](https://lovable.dev/)):** Full-stack platforms thatcan build and run your apps in the cloud - Network accessline 39
3. **Local developer assistants (e.g. [GitHub Copliot](https://github.com/features/copilot), [Cursor](https://www.cursor.com/), [Windsurf](https://codeium.com/windsurf), [Zed](https://zed.dev/ai)):** Development environments (i.e. IDEs) tha - Network accessline 41
 - Network accessline 53
 - Network accessline 57
Claude goes one step beyond ChatGPT’s abilities with their [Artifact system](https://support.anthropic.com/en/articles/9487310-what-are-artifacts-and-how-do-i-use-them). Artifacts allow you to run the code within Claude’s interface and depl - Network accessline 59
 - Network accessline 61
([Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/) is another tool you’ve probably heard of, which feels similar to chatbots but is more focused on search and not as useful for creating apps. It can write basic code because it’s built on top of othe - Network accessline 71
One of the key differentiators among the various cloud development environments is hosting. As I explained in my [prior post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/become-a-more-technical-product-manager) on becoming a more technical PM, every - Network accessline 73
One of the most popular tools today, [v0](https://v0.dev/), is capable of writing and hosting both client and server code. By default it uses specific frameworks called [Next.js](https://nextjs.org) and [Shadcn UI](https://ui.shadcn.com/) t - Network accessline 75
 - Network accessline 77
[Bolt](https://bolt.new/) is very similar to v0 in that it can also generate and deploy both client and server code. But a key difference is where the server runs. With v0, you deploy to real cloud hosting infrastructure, whereas Bolt runs - Network accessline 81
 - Network accessline 83
Another popular tool is [Replit](https://replit.com). Replit allows you to build full-stack applications, including a client, server, and database. It can build web apps using both JavaScript and Python frameworks and particularly excels at - Network accessline 89
 - Network accessline 91
Finally, we have [Lovable](https://lovable.dev). It’s the newest of the bunch. Lovable is most similar to v0 and Bolt—it excels at generating websites, and uses JavaScript frameworks like React and Next.js. Its differentiation comes from it - Network accessline 97
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We now have a functional initial prototype of your product idea within 10 minutes! Without any coding skill. Incredible. We could even continue to improve this prototype filter (e.g. showing listings updated in real time as you adjust the p - Network accessline 167
If you’re like me, your design skills are probably not good enough to create the initial design we used in the prior example. Luckily, you can build a prototype using existing patterns and components from free and publicly available design - Network accessline 175
 - Network accessline 183
 - Network accessline 191
 - Network accessline 209
**Example:** [Deployment manager](https://spectacular-jelly-78231b.netlify.app/) - Network accessline 228
**Example:** [Sales calculator](https://v0.dev/chat/zMcDEi4HTuf?b=b_blmQipLxqTK) - Network accessline 240
**Example:** [Product analytics dashboard](https://product-analytics-dashboard-colinmatthews2.replit.app/) - Network accessline 250
 - Network accessline 254
**Example:** [Netflix-inspired blog](https://a4thjlf0qthccgos.vercel.app/) - Network accessline 266
**Example:** [2-factor authentication UI](https://musical-pegasus-eb007e.netlify.app/) - Network accessline 283
**Example:** [Substack image resizer](https://substack-image-resizer-colinmatthews2.replit.app/) - Network accessline 304
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1. [Maximizing outputs with v0: From UI generation to code creation—Vercel](https://vercel.com/blog/maximizing-outputs-with-v0-from-ui-generation-to-code-creation) - Network accessline 361
2. [Prompt engineering overview—Anthropic](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/overview) - Network accessline 362
3. [Build a fullstack app in 7 minutes with v0 (Figma to code)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyFVtaLy-bA) - Network accessline 363
4. [Bolt tutorial for beginners with the Bolt CEO Eric Simons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SfUMQ1yTY8&t=1607s) - Network accessline 364
5. [Windsurf vs. Cursor: which is the better AI code editor?](https://www.builder.io/blog/windsurf-vs-cursor) - Network accessline 368
*If you’d like to learn more, Colin is teaching a free 30-minute lightning lesson on January 14th where he’ll show you how to build a functional prototype in 10 minutes (including a few advanced techniques). [Sign up here](https://maven.com - Network accessline 376
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 378
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/a-holiday-gift-guide-for-tech-people-with-taste.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey there, I’m Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podca - Network accessline 12
*Become an annual subscriber and get an unbelievable deal: **A full free year of 17+ premium products, including [Devin, Lovable, Replit, Bolt, n8n, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, Gamma, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic - Network accessline 20
For more ideas, check out my previous gift guides from [2024](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lennys-newsletter-holiday-gift-guide-e6b), [2023](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-new-parent-gift-guide-for-product) (for new parents), [2 - Network accessline 24
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-holiday-gift-guide-for-tech-people/comments) - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 32
1. **[Handcrafted Modern maple donut bowl](https://www.handcraftedmodern.co/products/medium-maple-wood-donut-bowl):** My wife got us this, and I was like “wtf is it?” But then I realized how much a beautiful wood piece adds to your space. [ - Network accessline 34
 - Network accessline 35
2. **[Coyuchi 100% organic cotton sheets](https://www.coyuchi.com/products/organic-crinkled-percale-sheet-set-undyed?variant=50911855411492):** Pricey, but oh so nice. You spend so many hours in your sheets, imho it makes sense to splurge h - Network accessline 37
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3. **[Deadline candle](https://sublime.metalabel.com/candle?variantId=1):** “Transforms your most dreaded moments into sacred ritual.” - Network accessline 40
 - Network accessline 41
4. **[Matic](https://maticrobots.com/):** [Wirecutter](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/matic-robot-vacuum/), [Wired](https://www.wired.com/review/matic-robot-vacuum/), [Gizmodo](https://gizmodo.com/the-matic-robot-vacuum-charms-a - Network accessline 43
 - Network accessline 45
5. **[Living Tea seasonal tea club](https://www.livingtea.net/products/seasonal-tea-club-gift-subscription?variant=40597401141315&selling_plan=2122285123):** A friend got this for me, and it’s so nice. They include background on each tea, h - Network accessline 46
6. **[Koshi chimes](https://soundhealinglab.com/collections/chimes-and-shakers/products/koshi-chimes):** The sound of these is unique and delightful. “Simply move the chime gently holding it by its cord to produce a crystalline, relaxing so - Network accessline 48
 - Network accessline 50
7. **[Plant-based desk lamp](https://maju.design/?v=7516fd43adaa):** You may have noticed one of these in my podcast background. We bought it at the West Coast Craft fair in SF, but they also sell them at [SFMOMA](https://museumstore.sfmoma - Network accessline 52
 - Network accessline 53
8. **[Angels Horn vinyl record player](https://www.amazon.com/ANGELS-HORN-Bluetooth-Turntable-Turntables/dp/B09VK9DLYR?th=1):** Includes built-in speakers (and Bluetooth!), so it’s a really easy, versatile, and affordable way to enjoy recor - Network accessline 55
 - Network accessline 56
9. **[Graf Lantz Bierfilzl merino wool round coasters](https://www.amazon.com/Graf-Lantz-Bierfilzl-Square-Coasters/dp/B0BXYQ1VXF?th=1):** I can’t get enough of these around the house. Lots of color options, and the [square ones](https://www - Network accessline 58
 - Network accessline 59
10. **[Vera salt](https://verasalt.co/):** Microplastic-free salt. After learning that I was [half-man, half-plastic](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-builders-guide-to-living-a-long) and also that sea salt is one of the most microplast - Network accessline 61
 - Network accessline 65
1. ***[Charts for Babies](https://www.amazon.com/Charts-Babies-Picture-Book/dp/1419785184)*** **[by Michelle Rial](https://www.amazon.com/Charts-Babies-Picture-Book/dp/1419785184):** MY WIFE HAS A NEW BOOK COMING OUT. I know I’m biased, but - Network accessline 67
 - Network accessline 69
2. **[Emerging Artist beanie for babies](https://shop.whitney.org/products/emerging-artist-baby-hat):** We gifted this to our nephew when he was younger, and it’s never not funny. - Network accessline 71
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3. **Kids’ [guitar](https://loogguitars.com/products/loog-pro-acoustic-natural) or [piano](https://loogguitars.com/collections/loog-piano):** They come with guides to help you learn, and they are really high-quality. My wife and I even prac - Network accessline 75
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4. **[Yoto mini player](https://us.yotoplay.com/yoto-mini):** A neat screen-free audio player for kids. Our son loves his so much. He rotates between the Beatles, Raffi, Queen, and Spanish [cards](https://us.yotoplay.com/collections/best-se - Network accessline 79
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5. **[Personalized ring](https://www.catbirdnyc.com/famous-letter-gold-ring.html#306=98) ([or necklace](https://www.catbirdnyc.com/tiniest-name-necklace.html)):** For your BFF, mom, lover, or just get it for yourself. As a fun twist, make i - Network accessline 83
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6. **Personalized [pennant](https://oxfordpennant.com/collections/customizable) or [blanket](https://littlemoonjumper.com/blankets/stroller-blankets/?sort=bestselling):** Is there anything kids/parents/humans love more than their name on st - Network accessline 87
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7. **[Coyuchi handstitched organic toddler blanket](https://www.coyuchi.com/products/pebbled-handstitched-organic-toddler-quilt-undyed-w-warms?variant=50911873368356):** Nontoxic naps for your little one. - Network accessline 90
8. **[Kids’ Adirondack chair](https://www.hineighbor.com/collections/outdoor-chairs/products/low-chair-jr?variant=39959166976080):** Extra-cute if you place it near your adult-sized chair on the porch. - Network accessline 92
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9. **[Organic floppy brown teddy bear](https://www.bellalunatoys.com/products/senger-organic-cotton-brown-teddy-bear?variant=7265131266094):** This teddy bear is relatively expensive, but it’s a rare non-polyester option for something your - Network accessline 96
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10. **[John Klassen prints](https://www.gallerynucleus.com/detail/13584/):** There are also [originals](https://www.gallerynucleus.com/artists/jon_klassen), but most are sold out. [More prints here](https://www.gallerynucleus.com/artists/jo - Network accessline 100
![I Want My Hat Back - Pg. 25-26 - Drama [PRINT], Jon Klassen](https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/eb149af7-97b1-498b-b240-73c5734b71a3_750x513.jpeg) - Network accessline 104
1. **[ModRetro Chromatic](https://modretro.com/products/chromatic-tetris-bundle?variant=49807115223342):** A modern remake of the original Game Boy by Palmer Luckey (founder of Anduril and Oculus). It feels great, plays great, and makes a u - Network accessline 106
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2. **[Peak Design tech pouch](https://www.peakdesign.com/products/tech-pouch?Color=Eclipse&Size=Small):** They also make a [larger version](https://www.peakdesign.com/products/tech-pouch?Size=Regular&Color=Eclipse), and [their toiletry bag] - Network accessline 110
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3. **[Aranet CO2 monitor](https://www.aranet.com/en/home/products/aranet4-home):** Did you know high CO2 impairs your cognition? [Research](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4892924/) shows that brain function decreases by 15% when C - Network accessline 114
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4. **[Belkin MagSafe 3-in-1 charger](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DL8CK73P?th=1):** I saw these at a hotel once, immediately got it, and love it. Better than any other nightstand charger I’ve tried. - Network accessline 118
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5. **[Herschel tech backpack](https://herschel.com/shop/backpacks/kaslo-daypack-tech?v=11289-07070-OS):** This has been my go-to bag for years. - Network accessline 121
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6. **[Sony WH-1000XM5 noise-canceling wireless headphones](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CFRWFTQQ?th=1):** These have become my workhorse headphones. Grab [this cute stand](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DZHXKZNP?th=1) if you use headphones at y - Network accessline 123
7. **[iPhone case with built-in stand](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6G99C1H?th=1):** I learned about this from [Kevin Rose’s newsletter](https://www.kevinrose.com/). There’s also [an Anker version](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D7GV2JGT?th=1) - Network accessline 125
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8. **[Hooga amber book light](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Q87WJ7M?th=1):** I originally got it to change the baby’s diaper during the night while keeping the lights dim and super warm. Now use it nightly while reading in bed. Lasts forever - Network accessline 127
9. **[Amazon Kindle Colorsoft](https://www.amazon.com/All-New-Amazon-Kindle-Colorsoft-Signature-Edition/dp/B0CN3XR57P?th=1):** Did you know they make Kindles in color? Thanks for the tip, [Laura Fingal-Surma](https://x.com/urbanistvc). - Network accessline 128
10. **[AirPods](https://www.apple.com/airpods/):** For all your friends who have “AirPods #1,” “AirPods #2,” . . . “AirPods #5” in their Bluetooth devices list. - Network accessline 132
1. **[Function Health](https://www.functionhealth.com/gifting) or [Superpower](https://superpower.com/gift) membership:** Make sure they aren’t pushing themselves *too* far. - Network accessline 133
2. **[Spirit Rock gift certificate](https://spirit-rock.secure.retreat.guru/program/gift-certificate/):** I did a 10-day silent retreat there a number of years back, and it was life-changing. [Check their upcoming retreats here](https://www - Network accessline 134
3. **[The Anti-Anxiety Notebook](https://shop.therapynotebooks.com/products/anti-anxiety-notebook): “**Utilizing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, a rigorously-tested and widely-used treatment, you’ll develop the skills to identify, challenge, - Network accessline 136
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4. **[Japanese Hot Spring Minerals bath salts](https://jinenstore.com/collections/best-selling-gifts/products/jinen-japanese-hot-spring-minerals-bath-salts-hinoki-500g):** 🧘🧘🧘 - Network accessline 138
5. **[Leaves and Flowers Sleep Tea](https://reliquarysf.com/collections/leaves-and-flowers/products/sleep-tea):** 💤💤💤 - Network accessline 139
6. **[Rice wax Japanese candles](https://jinenstore.com/collections/best-selling-gifts/products/daiyo-rice-wax-japanese-candles-earth-colors): 🕯<U+FE0F>🕯<U+FE0F>🕯<U+FE0F>** - Network accessline 141
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7. **[Candle holder](https://www.mbuenopottery.com/shop/p/candle-holder):** Goes well with [beeswax tea lights](https://bluecorncandles.com/products/pure-beeswax-tea-light-candles), and creates a really nice light effect. - Network accessline 143
8. ***[Runnin’ Down a Dream: How to Thrive in a Career You Actually Love](https://www.amazon.com/Runnin-Down-Dream-Thrive-Actually/dp/0593799666)*** **[by Bill Gurley](https://www.amazon.com/Runnin-Down-Dream-Thrive-Actually/dp/0593799666): - Network accessline 144
9. **[Squishy stress ball set](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HN3RYDC?th=1):** I’ve got fidgety hands, so I often need something to play with. You may see me holding these during my podcast chats sometimes. “Free from BPAs, phthalates, and la - Network accessline 145
[Credential-related source omitted] - Access to secretsline 145
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 147
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1. **Donate** to **[GiveDirectly](https://www.givedirectly.org/)**, **[St. Jude Research Hospital](https://www.stjude.org/)**, **[SF-Marin Food Bank](https://donate.sfmfoodbank.org/page/32140/donate/1?ea.tracking.id=DigAd2526-PMG&ea.trackin - Network accessline 152
2. **[Evil eye charm](https://www.shopesqueleto.com/products/evil-eye-hamsa-gold-charm?pr_prod_strat=e5_desc&pr_rec_id=cd53d792c&pr_rec_pid=8086385262779&pr_ref_pid=8086385131707&pr_seq=uniform) or [stoneware](https://www.mquan.com/collecti - Network accessline 153
3. **[100-pound Parmesan wheel](https://flamingoestate.com/products/brads-parmesan-wheel):** “Crafted by hand from the milk of cows grazing high in the alpine meadows of Benedello di Pavullo, these monumental Parmesan wheels are aged by Gio - Network accessline 155
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4. **[A $4,000 wind chime](https://communedesign.shop/products/furniture-music-wind-chimes):** Part of Chris Kallmyer’s “collection of furniture made to intone atmospheric music and breezy melodies that promote social well-being through sou - Network accessline 158
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5. **[Jony Ive’s $5,000 lantern](https://www.balmuda.com/lovefrom-balmuda/):** “The simple form is the result of meticulous design and engineering. Available in polished stainless steel with gold lens guard and component details. Easy to ma - Network accessline 161
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6. **[A really nice coffee machine](https://home.lamarzoccousa.com/product/linea-micra/):** Make your home feel like your dream coffee shop. [There’s also one for $20k](https://home.lamarzoccousa.com/product/strada-x1/). [And a $4k coffee g - Network accessline 164
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7. **[A really nice set of adjustable dumbbells](https://www.snodesport.com/products/ad-80-quick-adjusting-dumbbells):** “In its simplest form, strength means utilizing muscle to generate force. And if you are interested in living a long an - Network accessline 168
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8. **[A really nice watering can](https://www.shopterrain.com/shop/haws-fazeley-flow-watering-can-05l?cj_flex=Content&cj_publishercid=3512519&cjdata=MXxOfDB8WXww&cjevent=f96198a3c34811f0801001ae0a1cb82b&cm_mmc=cj-_-affiliates-_-Wirecutter+I - Network accessline 171
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9. **[A really nice candle holder](https://origin-made.com/collections/store/products/candeia?variant=39858954272848):** “Consists of a mouth-blown glass shade paired with either a brass or alpinina stone base option. Candeia’s design was i - Network accessline 174
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10. **[Poetry written by humans](https://store.newyorker.com/products/a-century-of-poetry-in-the-new-yorker):** No slop here. - Network accessline 177
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1. **[Books Are Magic hat](https://www.booksaremagic.net/item/nQhV0zs_31GYHpOYUyRrDw/lists/LRuDNzlF1pHc/):** Signal to the world your love for books and Brooklyn bookstores. - Network accessline 183
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2. ***[The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/v2/offers/tnyagift01002?ot=%7B%220%22%3A%224e168c05-8cca-4eee-8e6f-d620129bf17d%22%7D&ct=0)*** **[subscription with tote](https://www.newyorker.com/v2/offers/tnyagift01002?ot=%7B%220%22%3A%22 - Network accessline 185
3. **[Small Works expertly framed limited-edition prints](https://smallworksprojects.com/collections):** “Small Works has made frames for the Whitney Museum in New York and mega-gallery Gagosian, and just about every major artist and art-ha - Network accessline 186
4. **[Kat and Roger pottery](https://cedarandhyde.com/collections/kat-and-roger):** “Their work combines classic shapes and graphic surface patterns with earthy natural clay textures.” - Network accessline 188
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5. **[Milk + Honey breast-milk jewelry](https://www.milkandhoney.jewelry/):** This may creep some people out, but it was a hit in our household. - Network accessline 191
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6. **[Made In stainless-steel cookware](https://madeincookware.com/collections/stainless-clad):** We started with one pan and are slowly replacing every pan with Made In. - Network accessline 193
7. **Organic cotton clothing** from **[Wax London](https://waxlondon.com/collections/organic-cotton), [Faherty](https://fahertybrand.com/), [Pact](https://wearpact.com/),** **[Industry of All Nations](https://industryofallnations.com/collec - Network accessline 194
8. **[Zennyth startraveler gel pens](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B45RTFQH/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_plhdr=t&aaxitk=69cfb0e855eab9b2a8ac4f9b29f5a229&hsa_cr_id=0&qid=1763333232&sr=1-1-9e67e56a-6f64-441f-a281-df67fc737124&pd_rd_w=FGnU5&conten - Network accessline 195
9. **[Blissoma SPF 30 broad-spectrum mineral facial sunscreen](https://blissoma.com/photonic-spf-30-broad-spectrum-zinc-oxide-mineral-face-sunscreen-moisturizer-sensitive-skin-acne/):** My go-to (face) sunscreen. - Network accessline 197
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10. **[Owala FreeSip insulated stainless-steel water bottle with straw](https://www.amazon.com/Owala-Insulated-Stainless-BPA-Free-Conquest/dp/B085DV8T75/ref=fabric-ww-slds-dp-fsdpnewarrivals-fa-xcat-fixed-desktop_d_sccl_1_1/136-3168637-1219 - Network accessline 204
1. **[Corrugated cardboard cutter](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RIS0UY?th=1):** Breaking down Amazon boxes will never be the same. - Network accessline 206
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2. **[Manta silk sleep mask](https://mantasleep.com/products/manta-silk-mask?variant=45539961766041):** A twist! I’ve long recommended the [WAOAW sleep mask](https://www.amazon.com/WAOAW-Sleep-Sleeping-Blocking-Blindfold/dp/B09712FSLY), but - Network accessline 210
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3. **[Aura frames](https://auraframes.com/gifting):** Digital picture frames have historically been super-lame, but this one is different. It feels like an actual picture frame and looks good on your shelf. One delight feature is that your - Network accessline 214
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5. **[Aarke stainless-steel hot water kettle](https://aarke.us/products/aarke-kettle):** I’m a tea guy, and I’ve tried a bunch of electric kettles. This has been the best by far. Not cheap, but beautiful, fast, and as plastic-free as I can - Network accessline 217
6. **[Glerups slippers](https://www.glerups.com/collections/slip-ons):** I’ve been using the same pair of Glerups for years, and they still look great and feel great. [Wirecutter loves them too](https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/be - Network accessline 219
6. **[Electric tire/ball inflator](https://www.amazon.com/HOTO-Inflator-Portable-Compressor-Motorcycle/dp/B0CQ1RCJV7):** You don’t have to get this exact model or brand, but man, once you go electric, you don’t go back. Works with bikes, ca - Network accessline 220
7. **[Owala kids’ insulated stainless-steel tumbler](https://www.amazon.com/Owala-Lian-Li-LANCOOL-MESH/dp/B0C768CWDF?th=1):** I haven’t found a better cup for toddlers. Good stocking stuffer. Tip: Replace the plastic straws with these [stai - Network accessline 221
8. **[DrTung’s Smart Floss](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016790E7Q?th=1):** Another twist! I’ve long recommended [Cocofloss](https://www.amazon.com/COCOFLOSS-Coconut-Oil-Delicious-Dentist-Designed-Cruelty-Free/dp/B082BF4TYW?th=1),but with my - Network accessline 225
1. [Kodak Ektar H35 Half Frame film camera](https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1714484-REG/reto_project_rk0101_reto_kodak_h35_half.html) via [Robert Bye](https://x.com/RobertJBye) - Network accessline 226
2. [Map gifts](https://evanapplegate.com/map-gifts) via [Evan Applegate](https://x.com/youwillmakemaps) - Network accessline 227
3. [Analog starter kit](https://ugmonk.com/collections/analog/products/analog-starter-kit-black-steel-with-cards?variant=44404663222422) via [David Kyle Choe](https://x.com/davidkylechoe) - Network accessline 228
4. [Our Place Wonder Oven](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CLTK2JF8?social_share=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_5SGP9102CXDEW857S6NP&titleSource=true&th=1) via [Abby Grills](https://x.com/AGrillz) - Network accessline 229
5. [Hatsukokoro Kurogane Bunka knife](https://cutleryandmore.com/products/hatsukokoro-kurogane-bunka-41739) via [Madhav Shroff](https://x.com/Maddy_Shroff) - Network accessline 230
6. [Horl 2 knife sharpener](https://www.horl.com/us/en/sharpeners/horl2/) via [Jeremy Michael Cohen](https://x.com/jeremymcohen) - Network accessline 231
7. [Bearaby cotton weighted blanket](https://bearaby.com/products/the-napper) by [Claire Vo](https://x.com/clairevo) - Network accessline 232
8. [Nordace universal travel adapter](https://nordace.com/en/product/nordace-universal-travel-adapter-with-usb-charging-ports-type-c-usb/) via [Emily Ross](https://x.com/emilyross) - Network accessline 233
9. [Everyday cozy Larimer crew socks](https://www.smartwool.com/en-us/wool-apparel-and-socks/everyday-socks/everyday-cozy-larimer-crew-socks/SW001890.html) via [Hristo Vassilev](https://x.com/hristo_vassilev) - Network accessline 234
10. [Anker Prime power bank](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F66LNB8D) via [Nick Huber](https://x.com/nhuber) - Network accessline 235
11. [Prismacolor Premier colored pencils](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00006IEEU?social_share=cm_sw_r_cso_cp_apin_dp_NZKV655CE78VNA07V309&titleSource=true&th=1) via [Jackie Bavaro](https://x.com/jackiebo) - Network accessline 236
12. [Guidecraft kitchen toddler tower](https://guidecraft.com/products/guidecraft-classic-kitchen-helper-stool) via [Marissa Goldberg](https://x.com/mar15sa) - Network accessline 240
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-holiday-gift-guide-for-tech-people/comments) - Network accessline 244
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/a-new-parent-gift-guide.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Don’t miss [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/), my AI chatbot that’s trained on every newsletter post and podcast interview.* - Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 14
For something a little different, and fun, I’m combining my yearly tradition of a holiday gift guide (here’s [2021](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lennys-holiday-gift-guide) and [2022](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lennys-newslette - Network accessline 22
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1. **[Corrugated Cardboard Cutter](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008RIS0UY?th=1):** You’ll be opening a lot of packages. This will transform your package-opening workflow. - Network accessline 27
2. **[WAOAW Sleep Mask](https://www.amazon.com/WAOAW-Sleep-Sleeping-Blocking-Blindfold/dp/B09712FSLY):** A returning favorite. Will help you get the most out of your precious sleep opportunities. - Network accessline 28
3. **[Taking Cara Babies First Five Months Bundle](https://takingcarababies.com/):** The most practical and easy-to-remember advice I’ve come across for taking care of a baby. I recommend watching these videos before your baby arrives. My w - Network accessline 29
4. **Read everything by Emily Oster:** She’s like Lenny’s Newsletter meets *Consumer Reports* meets Dear Abby meets babies. [Get her newsletter](https://emilyoster.substack.com/), get her first book *[Expecting Better](https://www.amazon.co - Network accessline 31
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5. ***[The Happiest Baby on the Block](https://www.amazon.com/Happiest-Block-Revised-Updated-Second/dp/0553393235?crid=2CIHUL8LL717C&keywords=The+Happiest+Baby+on+the+Block+paperback&qid=1700357993&sprefix=the+happiest+baby+on+the+block+pap - Network accessline 34
6. ***[Moms on Call](https://www.amazon.com/Moms-Call-Basic-Baby-Months/dp/0985411422)*****:** The highest signal-to-noise book on baby care. Feels like a PM wrote it. - Network accessline 35
7. ***[The Birth Partner](https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Partner-5th-Childbirth-Companions/dp/1558329102?crid=U2JNIYIQC9UJ&keywords=the+birth+partner+5th+edition&qid=1700357934&sprefix=the+birth+partner%2Caps%2C154&sr=8-1)*****:** Most valuab - Network accessline 36
8. **[Rossetta Galaxy Projector](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NNBXZMW):** Vibes for the labor/delivery room. - Network accessline 38
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1. **[Huckleberry app subscription](https://huckleberrycare.com/):** If there’s one thing PMs love, it’s being data-informed. We tried a few baby tracking apps, and this one is the best combination of UX, functionality, and reliability. Som - Network accessline 44
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!56yU!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/htt - Network accessline 46
2. **[Wonder Weeks app subscription](https://www.thewonderweeks.com/baby/apps/the-wonder-weeks-app/):** Eerily accurate at predicting baby behavior, milestones, and fussy periods. Based on [this book](https://www.amazon.com/Wonder-Weeks-Str - Network accessline 47
3. **[Baby Shusher](https://www.amazon.com/Baby-Shusher-Babies-Miracle-Soother/dp/B00D2JN87I?linkCode=df0&hvadid=198101723026&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9050610626857654012&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031982&hvt - Network accessline 49
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!EqUy!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https - Network accessline 51
4. **[Decibel measuring app](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/decibel-db-sound-level-meter/id1227650795)**: If you’re using white noise, use this app to make sure it’s not too loud. What defines too loud is controversial, but [here’s Emily Ost - Network accessline 52
5. **[Nanit Baby Monitor](https://www.nanit.com/products/nanit-pro-camera):** Packed with smart features and lots of thoughtful touches (e.g. a monthly birthday celebration photo, video compilations, and tons of stats). Though it can be ann - Network accessline 54
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IeM7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https - Network accessline 56
5. **[Hatch Rest Baby Sound Machine and Night Light](https://www.amazon.com/Hatch-Rest-Night-Light-WiFi/dp/B08QVG9759?th=1):** Another classic, another gem. [Use this link to get $15 off](https://www.hatch.co/lenny/). More reliable than the - Network accessline 57
6. **[Hooga Clip-On Blue-Blocking Amber LED Light](https://www.amazon.com/Blocking-Rechargeable-Battery-Adjustable-Brightness/dp/B07Q87WJ7M?linkCode=df0&hvadid=343161280953&hvadid=343161280953&hvpos=&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvnetw=g&hvrand=14494730 - Network accessline 60
1. [Frida Baby 2-in-1 Portable Sound Machine + Nightlight](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B099FH2XKH) - Network accessline 61
2. [Babelio Mini Sound Machine](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0BRB6S14Y?th=1) - Network accessline 62
3. [Yogasleep Hushh+ Portable White Noise Machine](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BMCY5C48) - Network accessline 63
4. [Dreamegg White Noise Machine](https://www.amazon.ca/gp/aw/d/B0B6G2BV9W?th=1) [Haven’t tried this one but seems great] - Network accessline 67
1. **[BabyBjörn Bouncer](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BQYVOKY?colid=1VSRQYYNL3KOZ&coliid=I2FPZBEM73D1DN&redirect=true&vs=1&th=1):** I don’t know how you get anything done around the house without one of these. Babies love them. - Network accessline 68
2. **[Ubbi diaper bin](https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/F4A1D839-CECB-448A-94F8-FF34596C6CE1?ingress=2&visitId=640a9054-f10c-4081-a7b3-bdb4bb12bf5f):** We tried three other bins, with fancy features, and kept coming back to this one. Like - Network accessline 69
3. **[WubbaNub Pacifiers](https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/DF7C5E26-7BE1-49D8-B3F8-AC06B23FA9F1?ingress=2&visitId=7d3f4c39-9b1c-4aab-a99b-0188a60c8ac7):** Not just cute, but also practical for wedging into places so that it doesn’t fall o - Network accessline 71
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iXyB!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2 - Network accessline 73
4. **[Keekaroo Peanut Changer](https://www.amazon.com/Keekaroo-0130009KR-0001-Peanut-Changer-Vanilla/dp/B00KSW970Y?crid=2K0Z31XEVP88F&keywords=Keekaroo&qid=1700340943&sprefix=keekaroo%2Caps%2C147&sr=8-1&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.18ed3cb5-28d5- - Network accessline 74
5. **[Ofie Mat by Little Bot](https://littlebotbaby.com/collections/ofie-mat/products/little-bot-baby-play-mat-ofie-mat-plant-eze):** A soft and textured mat for baby to play on. There are a few different cute design options, and many are t - Network accessline 76
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TRmV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/htt - Network accessline 78
6. **[Overland sheepskin](https://www.overland.com/products/single-pelt-(2-x-35)--premium-australian-sheepskin-rug-80313?cl=ivry):** To change up the texture on the mat or nursery floor. Makes tummy time a little softer (and fancier). - Network accessline 79
7. **[Butt Spatula](https://www.amazon.com/Bumco-2-PACK-Diaper-Cream-Spatula/dp/B075VC9VNC?crid=1Z0DHSCAFONC&keywords=Butt+Spatula&qid=1700341019&sprefix=butt+spatula%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-6&th=1):** Get it and it’ll make sense later. - Network accessline 80
8. **[Oogiebear Booger Picker](https://www.amazon.com/oogiebear-Cleaner-Registry-Essential-Removal/dp/B07CZRHML9?crid=QXWI5MZJ5LBX&keywords=booger+picker+tool+newborn&qid=1700347813&sprefix=booger+picker%2Caps%2C163&sr=8-5):** Super-useful, - Network accessline 81
9. **[Haakaa Baby Nail Trimmer](https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Clippers-Manicure-Grooming-Fingernails/dp/B08H22JLBV?crid=1NDBNSX9CJQ4&keywords=cherish+baby+nail+file+electric+nail+trimmer&qid=1700430584&sprefix=nail+file+baby%2Caps%2C148&s - Network accessline 82
10. **[Lovevery](https://lovevery.com/):** I know everyone you know is already telling you to get this subscription, so I’ll just +1 that. Elegant, thoughtful, and handy at every step of the baby’s journey. Some people also like the [Lalo]( - Network accessline 83
11. **[Summer Health](https://www.summerhealth.com/):** A service that lets you text a pediatrician any day or night with random questions and get an answer within 15 minutes. We’ve used it to settle disagreements about hand washing, to che - Network accessline 84
12. **[The Getaway Bag](https://noreceptionclub.com/products/backpack-getaway):** An ingeniously designed diaper bag made especially for travel. They have [other great products too](https://noreceptionclub.com/). - Network accessline 86
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LiYN!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/ht - Network accessline 88
13. **[Ergobaby Omni 360](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B3TXCL6?th=1):** My wife loved carrying the baby in this. Even though there are prettier ones out there, this one was easy and ergonomic. Function over form. [Watch out for hip dysplasi - Network accessline 89
14. **[Elvie Stride Plus](https://www.elvie.com/en-us/shop/elvie-stride-plus):** My wife grew to love this portable breast pump (after a couple of devastating initial leaks while she was figuring it out). As a bonus, it comes with a super-h - Network accessline 95
1. **[Magnetic Me](https://magneticme.com/collections/baby-shop?tw_adid=611427025329&tw_campaign=904369644&tw_source=google&page=3):** Magnets and zippers (especially double-sided) are your friends. Buttons and clasps are your enemy. We ain - Network accessline 96
2. **[Posh Peanut](https://poshpeanut.com/):** A friend gifted us a onesie from here, and it’s been our enduring go-to. Makes a great gift, especially if you add on the beautiful gift box. - Network accessline 97
3. **[Primary](https://www.primary.com/collections/baby?sizeFamily=baby&page=1):** Colorful, soft, and always draws comments from other moms. - Network accessline 98
4. **[The Ollie Swaddle](https://www.amazon.ca/Ollie-Swaddle-Nature-Collection-Sky/dp/B01831ZNWW/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ollie+swaddle&qid=1700339934&sr=8-1&th=1):** We tried a bunch of swaddles but kept coming back to this one. Our second favo - Network accessline 99
5. **[Kyte sleep sack](https://www.amazon.ca/Kyte-Baby-Sleeping-Toddlers-Months/dp/B07PF1D4WD/ref=sr_1_9?crid=HAA1WCBA2KR0&keywords=Kyte+Baby+Sleeping+Bag&qid=1700340514&sprefix=kyte+baby+sleeping+bag%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-9&th=1):** Once you gr - Network accessline 103
1. ***[Art for Baby](https://www.amazon.com/Art-Baby-Various/dp/0763644242?linkCode=df0&hvadid=312057607871&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=1602346812400776707&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9032091&hvtargid=pla-42087274 - Network accessline 105
[](https://www.amazon.com/Art-Baby-Various/dp/0763644242?linkCode=df0&hvadid=312057607871&hv - Network accessline 107
2. ***[Go to Sleep (I Miss You)](https://www.amazon.com/Go-Sleep-Miss-You-Parenthood/dp/1250211492)*****:** Cute as hell, sweet as heck. - Network accessline 109
[](https://www.amazon.com/Go-Sleep-Miss-You-Parenthood/dp/1250211492) - Network accessline 111
3. **[Little Moonjumper blanket](https://littlemoonjumper.com/Moonjumper-Crib-Blanket-p/mjc.htm):** You can customize the name on the blanket. Makes an amazing gift. - Network accessline 115
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-new-parent-gift-guide-for-product/comments) - Network accessline 123
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 125
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!0cYf!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/htt - Network accessline 129
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/a-new-perk-for-annual-subscribers-a-free-year-of-some-of-the-worlds-most-beloved.md
- Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 18
1. **[Bolt](https://bolt.new/)** - Network accessline 19
2. **[Superhuman](https://superhuman.com)** - Network accessline 20
3. **[Linear](https://linear.app/)** - Network accessline 21
4. **[Perplexity Pro](https://www.perplexity.ai/pro)** - Network accessline 22
5. **[Granola](https://granola.ai/lenny)** - Network accessline 45
1. Once you [become a paid yearly subscriber](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?), [click here](https://lennysbundle.com/) to redeem your codes. - Network accessline 46
2. If you’re on a monthly plan, [upgrade to yearly](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?), then [go here](https://lennysbundle.com/) to redeem your codes. - Network accessline 47
3. If you’re already a paid annual subscriber, [click here](https://lennysbundle.com/) to redeem your codes. - Network accessline 51
1. **[Granola](https://granola.ai/lenny)**: One year of the Business plan for you and your team—up to 100 seats ($10,000+ value) - Network accessline 52
2. **[Linear](https://linear.app/)**: One year of the Business plan—two seats ($336 value) - Network accessline 53
3. **[Superhuman](https://superhuman.com)**: One year of the Starter plan ($300 value) - Network accessline 54
4. **[Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/pro)**: One year of the Pro plan ($240 value) - Network accessline 55
5. **[Bolt](https://bolt.new/)**: One year of the Pro plan ($240 value)
references/02-newsletters/a-playbook-for-fundraising.md
- Network accessline 10
*Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a**free monthly edition**of my weekly newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you - Network accessline 14
1. *[How to increase retention](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-increase-your-retention-issue)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[Flywheels, flywheels, flywheels](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/flywheels-flywheels-flywheels-issue)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Navigating your early career](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/navigating-your-early-career-issue)* - Network accessline 20
Whenever I need fundraising advice, there’s one person I immediately go to: [Marc McCabe](https://twitter.com/mccabe?lang=en). Marc is a friend, a former colleague, and a prolific angel investor. He has personally helped dozens of startups - Network accessline 22
If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to [ping Marc on Twitter](https://twitter.com/mccabe?lang=en). - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 30
*By [Marc McCabe](https://twitter.com/mccabe?lang=en)* - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 34
*Image: [Gilbert Garcin](https://www.designboom.com/art/gilbert-garcin-retrospective-at-espace-jacques-villegle/)* - Network accessline 40
Over the last decade I have personally helped dozens of companies raise capital, from pre-seed to Series C rounds, and through these experiences I’ve seen a lot of effective, and also counterproductive, fundraising patterns. I shared many o - Network accessline 61
**Generally the way to think about whether you are ready for a Series A is whether you’ve proven [a credible value hypothesis](https://a16z.com/2017/02/18/12-things-about-product-market-fit/)**. This is a combination of factors including th - Network accessline 71
3. **A longer presentation deck** (12-15 slides) 4. **A 2-3 year forecast** with assumed fundraise secured 5. **Optional: [Metrics deck](https://www.rippling.com/blog/company-news/rippling-series-a-pitch-deck-and-memo/)** or a data room. So - Network accessline 73
5. **Optional: [Metrics deck](https://www.rippling.com/blog/company-news/rippling-series-a-pitch-deck-and-memo/)** or a data room. Sometimes you will get asked for this at Series A, sometimes not. It helps if you ask your prospective VCs in - Network accessline 75
You can find some good references for building pitches [here](https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/writing-a-business-plan/), [here](https://piktochart.com/blog/startup-pitch-decks-what-you-can-learn/) and [here](https://medium.com/@zebulgar/ - Network accessline 79
> “If you can’t tell a credible and compelling story about your vision and how your plans will capitalize on broader societal, market, cultural, economic or other trends, you’re dead in the water. I believe my own secret to fundraising succ - Network accessline 81
> — [Eoghan McCabe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoghanmccabe), co-founder Intercom - Network accessline 87
One thing that Covid has changed is that building a relationship with a VC, with fewer in-person meetings, is now harder. Think about this with respect to your materials. To make up for the lack of in-person face time, you need to find more - Network accessline 97
> “Fundraising can be a lonely experience, especially as you will want to protect those in the company from the highs and lows during your round. Finding some good external people to lean on for vetting your pitch or providing introductions - Network accessline 99
> — [Jonathan Golden](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jgolden/), NEA - Network accessline 105
 - Network accessline 111
**I recommend putting together a list of 50-60 funds you want to talk to ([here’s a template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14eNxvGZTsBWHdd7uHA49RxkBq67sj07mfLDvsHyk9dg/edit#gid=0))**. With that list, figure out the partner you’d i - Network accessline 130
Approach this with the eyes of a project manager. You should be building a calendar and keeping notes for each VC’s progress and feedback, per the [tracker template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14eNxvGZTsBWHdd7uHA49RxkBq67sj07mfL - Network accessline 146
> “The world of venture capital actually closely mimics enterprise sales in this manner. Once your 'inside sponsor' has gotten over the line, then you are actually on the same team. The best founders recognize this and treat me like we're o - Network accessline 148
> — [Delian Asparouhov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/delian-asparouhov-87447742/), Founders Fund - Network accessline 154
Don’t forget, you’ve built this synchronized process keeping many funds in the loop for a reason. Rather than helping the fund set a valuation (which they probably have a clearer idea of than you), focus the conversation on what you want to - Network accessline 164
If you have questions about it, hit me up on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mccabe). And lastly, I want to thank [Jonathan Golden](https://twitter.com/jpgg), [Delian Asparouhov](https://twitter.com/zebulgar), [Eoghan McCabe](https://twitter. - Network accessline 168
- **Product**: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager) - Network accessline 169
- **Growth**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076601003), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever.co/hipcamp/d04821c3-fb9a-4d3f-9a7a-1b75deacc09f), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth) - Network accessline 170
- **Design**: [Huddle](https://dribbble.com/jobs/49411-Sr-Product-Designer), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8h - Network accessline 171
- **Engineering lead**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/00505223-bc85-4c28-8e4b-31217d05c2de) - Network accessline 172
- **Frontend engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product - Network accessline 173
- **Backend engineer**: [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) - Network accessline 174
- **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [neo.tax](https://angel.co/company/neo-tax/jobs/887778-software-engine - Network accessline 175
- **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Vori](https://www.notion.so/Mobile-Engineer-Vori-c5ceccd966a04c8aa9e970f0355ca13c) - Network accessline 176
- **Sales/BD**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4105169003), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/649855-vice-president-of-sales), [Swayable](https://angel.co/company/swayable/jobs/808347-director-of-sales - Network accessline 177
- **Ops**: [Levels](https://levels.link/ops) - Network accessline 178
- **Community**: [Outschool](https://jobs.lever.co/outschool/449fa54a-1778-4255-a95d-a65dc28194c7) - Network accessline 179
- **Content**: [Levels](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mk1d389BL8bQExZXxLgj2LX5uvRWy4l5ei0ladQ0Feo/edit) - Network accessline 180
- **HR**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4125981003) - Network accessline 182
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/a-pms-guide-to-influence.md
- Network accessline 10
[Jules Walter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswalter/)*—*an illustrious [Newsletter Fellow](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/meet-your-lennys-newsletter-fellows) and the author of one of my most beloved guest posts, [How to develop prod - Network accessline 12
***[Jules Walter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswalter/)** is a product leader at Google working on Gemini. Previously he was at YouTube, where he launched Primetime Channels with more than 40 streaming packages, such as NFL Sunday Ticke - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 41
 - Network accessline 61
 - Network accessline 67
First, I focus on the detractors. If possible, I meet with them ahead of time to deeply understand their concerns and POV. Sometimes I might be able to address those concerns and get them on my side before the meeting. Other times, they mig - Network accessline 85
 - Network accessline 89
 - Network accessline 93
 - Network accessline 114
1. [The Minto Pyramid Principle](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) (on communicating with executives) - Network accessline 115
2. [Pathwise Leadership](https://pathwiseleadership.com/about.html) (group coaching on influence in the workplace) - Network accessline 116
3. [Eigenquestions: The Art of Framing Problems](https://coda.io/@shishir/eigenquestions-the-art-of-framing-problems) - Network accessline 117
4. [How to communicate tradeoffs so leaders will listen](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-communicate-tradeoffs-so-leaders) - Network accessline 119
*Thanks, Jules! For more, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswalter/) and [X](https://x.com/julesdwalt).* - Network accessline 127
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 129
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/a-product-managers-guide-to-web3.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to a ✨ **monthly free edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s - Network accessline 12
1. [Lessons from 140+ angel investments](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/angel-investing) - Network accessline 13
2. [How to get promoted](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-promoted) - Network accessline 14
3. [What is good monthly churn](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/monthly-churn-benchmarks) - Network accessline 20
To understand this myself, I reached out to my good friend [Jason Shah](https://twitter.com/0xShah), who I was lucky to work with at Airbnb for many years and who now leads product at [Alchemy](https://www.alchemy.com/). Alchemy is essentia - Network accessline 22
#### **In true web3 fashion, Jason minted the core artwork from this post, “[WAGMI: Web2 PM Meet Web3 PM](https://opensea.io/assets/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/59793507817619197726422726491707995633373880928833237379690573428 - Network accessline 24
[Check out the auction](https://opensea.io/assets/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/59793507817619197726422726491707995633373880928833237379690573428648344289281) - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 64
**The most important things a web3 team needs usually don’t have that much to do with product managers**. The [Ethereum Foundation that has 97 employees](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ethereum-foundation/people/) and stewards a $500B Lay - Network accessline 96
 - Network accessline 162
For example, Uniswap is one of the most popular DeFi protocols and needed a vote from the community to deploy its protocol to Polygon. The proposal was [submitted by Polygon in November 2021](https://gov.uniswap.org/t/governance-proposal-up - Network accessline 206
 - Network accessline 210
**Start here:** Peruse the [Bitcoin whitepaper](https://bitcoin.org/bitcoin.pdf). Watch [“The Potential of Crypto” from Chris Dixon](https://a16z.com/crypto-startup-school/). Follow [influential accounts on Crypto Twitter](https://twitter.c - Network accessline 212
**Use it:** Buy some (e.g. [Coinbase](https://coinbase.com/), [FTX](https://ftx.com/), [Binance](https://binance.com)), send it to a web3 wallet (e.g. [Metamask](https://metamask.io/download) for Ethereum or BSC or [Phantom](https://phantom - Network accessline 214
**Build it:** Try a [Buildspace project](https://buildspace.so/). Search and read contracts on [Etherscan](https://etherscan.io/). Mint an NFT. Join a DAO and start contributing to something like [Developer DAO](https://www.developerdao.com - Network accessline 218
**Search:** Review top web3 VC portfolios ([a16z crypto](https://a16z.com/portfolio/#crypto?src=0xshah), [Pantera](https://panteracapital.com/portfolio/?src=0xshah), [Paradigm](https://www.paradigm.xyz/portfolio/?src=0xshah), [Dragonfly Cap - Network accessline 220
**Research:** Read those project websites, research what they have shipped, and understand how you can help by reviewing community forums (e.g. [Lido/staking](https://research.lido.fi/)) and Twitter (e.g. [Frax/fractional stablecoins](https - Network accessline 238
*None of this is financial advice. Please do your own research. You can follow Jason on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/0xShah) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonyogeshshah/).* - Network accessline 242
1. **Alchemy:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/3ee9aa95-2101-41b4-b664-c143bc9f2e01) (SF, NYC, Remote) - Network accessline 243
2. **Elevate Labs:** [Senior Product Manager, Balance](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/54802bbd-3ad4-4abf-bd0f-308e86d52586) (Remote) - Network accessline 244
3. **Oath Care:** [UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/0e35e470-6b81-4dae-a706-33139219fa68) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 245
4. **Oath Care:** [Community Marketing Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/300b896f-80ca-4893-a39f-1d2dfff8da00) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 246
5. **Hex:** [Growth Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/957d5c52-aac0-483e-b336-5b63961a99e6) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 247
6. **Monarch:** [Data Lead - Growth](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/269cafbf-a15c-41d3-b8cb-566b49fbe84e) (Remote-Global, Remote-US) - Network accessline 248
7. **Monarch:** [Performance Marketing Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/e80e525c-d891-422a-8bfe-5a82aa4caad4) (Remote-Global, Remote-US) - Network accessline 249
8. **Convosight:** [Sr Product Owner](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/22dd029a-3678-491f-b7ca-820585118380) (Remote-Global, Remote-US, Remote-India) - Network accessline 250
9. **Siteline:** [First Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/3cc1fa57-e3e3-4b93-9d0d-fac7c592545b) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 251
10. **Koodos**: [Product Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/1412066a-3922-47c6-99f7-28401ed895f5) (NYC, Remote-US) - Network accessline 252
11. **Mynd:** [Senior Product Manager, Communications](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/77af7c80-baa3-4208-b322-2ea674604fdb) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 253
12. **Empower:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/5d73dc1a-9b0d-45d9-a661-735f07650d26) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 254
13. **Superjoi:** [UI/UX Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/9710eb14-bc72-46a5-b75b-2949c5c1bfa7) (LA, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 255
14. **Superjoi:** [Full Stack Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4111e336-604a-43c7-90b4-8cf03952800b) (LA, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 256
15. **HireArt:** [Senior Full-Stack Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/fd0b1a53-7741-4a2b-8739-a976d2482afe) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 257
16. **Universe:** [Product Lead - Commerce Tools](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/38cfa180-37e3-4882-99ae-3a6d35a04d32) (Remote) - Network accessline 258
17. **Universe:** [Product Lead - Creation Tools](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/5b414879-8180-4651-bc80-39610ee206f2) (Remote) - Network accessline 259
18. **Clubhouse:** [Growth Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/ed55d82e-f9b6-47b7-837d-b8f29b9e2b41) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 260
19. **Earthly Technologies:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/958ba7ed-1571-4249-a103-2e58dfcc40bd) (Remote-US, Remote-Canada) - Network accessline 262
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).*
references/02-newsletters/a-three-step-framework-for-solving-problems.md
- Network accessline 10
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!z - Network accessline 16
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!X - Network accessline 18
An early design of the product we launched, giving Airbnb travelers an easy way to find fun things to do with other travelers — designs courtesy of [Shaun Modi](https://shaunmodi.com/meetups) - Network accessline 20
I personally took many learnings away from that experience, but most of all it instilled in me the importance of getting the problem statement right. Though many factors contribute to a project’s failure, **nothing is more certain to cause - Network accessline 22
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ij - Network accessline 24
As I noted in [my last post](https://medium.com/@lennysan/what-seven-years-at-airbnb-taught-me-about-building-a-company-e1d035d49c56), I firmly believe that nailing the problem statement is the single most important step in solving any prob - Network accessline 30
> “True happiness occurs only when you find the problems you enjoy having and enjoy solving.” — Mark Manson ([The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F\*ck](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019MMUA8S/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)) - Network accessline 36
If your team doesn’t have a clear vision (i.e. where you’re going) or overall strategy (i.e. how you’ll get there), pause here and figure these things out first; [this](https://boz.com/articles/strategy-tactics.html), [this](https://www.sal - Network accessline 38
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!a8 - Network accessline 51
You can also use this handy [1-Pager template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/edit) ([copy it here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/copy)). I f - Network accessline 53
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Fv - Network accessline 63
1. **It’s short.**Aim for a single sentence to describe the actual problem. The more you need to explain it, the less clear the problem ends up being. 2. **It’s focused.** It includes just a single clear problem that can be owned by a singl - Network accessline 64
2. **It’s focused.** It includes just a single clear problem that can be owned by a single team and solved in a reasonable amount of time. It’s often very helpful to add some examples of what problem you are \*not\* solving. 3. **It referen - Network accessline 65
3. **It references a “need” that is not being fulfilled.** Try to focus this around a user need, but can also be a business need if necessary. The [Jobs-To-Be-Done framework](https://jtbd.info/2-what-is-jobs-to-be-done-jtbd-796b82081cca) is - Network accessline 77
- User growth is slowing. [Issue: Too broad for this process, see advice on approaching big picture strategy [here](https://boz.com/articles/strategy-tactics.html) and [here](https://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters-ebook - Network accessline 119
Have you ever seen those Chipotle billboards along the highway (pictured below)? Years ago my co-worker [Peter](https://twitter.com/PeterKirwan) pointed out the trick behind these ads — each of us is picturing our most ideal and delicious i - Network accessline 121
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_! - Network accessline 125
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jx - Network accessline 139
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!B- - Network accessline 143
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IV - Network accessline 157
> “Problems are constant in life. When you solve your health problem by buying a gym membership, you create new problems, like having to get up early to get to the gym on time, sweating like a meth-head for thirty minutes on an elliptical, - Network accessline 159
> — Mark Manson ([The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F\*ck](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019MMUA8S/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)) - Network accessline 163
1. [Deep Work](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X47ZVXM/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) - Network accessline 164
2. [The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F\*ck](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019MMUA8S/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) - Network accessline 165
3. [Good Strategy, Bad Strategy](https://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters-ebook/dp/B004J4WKEC/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3SUB4MWG7602M&keywords=good+strategy+bad+strategy&qid=1554495219&s=gateway&sprefix=good+strategy+bad%2Caps%2C20 - Network accessline 166
4. [Measure What Matters](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078FZ9SYB/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) - Network accessline 167
5. [Lean Analytics](https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Analytics-Better-Startup-Faster/dp/1449335675) - Network accessline 169
If you’ve found additional habits, tools, or docs that help you tackle problems more effectively I’d love to hear it — **[tweet at me](https://twitter.com/lennysan)**. - Network accessline 171
Sincerely, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) - Network accessline 172
[Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) - Network accessline 174
*Big thank you to [Sean](https://twitter.com/sean_lynch?lang=en), [Brett](https://matterapp.com/), and [Yelena](https://twitter.com/yelenart?lang=en) for reviewing early drafts.*
references/02-newsletters/a-year-free-of-posthog-16500-value-the-all-in-one-analytics-experimentation-feat.md
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*👋 Hey there, I’m Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podca - Network accessline 12
*This Giving Tuesday, I’m partnering again with [GiveDirectly](https://givedirectly.org/lenny) and over two dozen other Substack writers to send cash to every family across three villages in rural Rwanda. If we’re successful, over **800 fam - Network accessline 14
[Give now and get matched](https://givedirectly.org/lenny) - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 18
I’m excited to welcome [PostHog](https://posthog.com/) to the [Lenny’s Newsletter Product Pass](https://lennysproductpass.com/) 🎉 - Network accessline 20
**All annual Lenny’s Newsletter subscribers now get one full year’s worth of PostHog Scale** ***and*** **2x the free-tier credits, a $16,500 value.** This deal is available to *all* annual subscribers, and brings the total value of the [Pro - Network accessline 22
*This is the first time PostHog has ever offered a deal like this, and you won’t find it anywhere else. Like all Product Pass deals, you must be a new PostHog customer to take advantage of the deal. See [Product Pass terms here](https://www - Network accessline 24
PostHog helps you build successful products by giving you literally every piece of SaaS that you need: **analytics**, **experimentation**, **feature flags**, **session replay**, **error tracking**, **data warehouse**, **LLM analytics,** **s - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 32
Oh, they also just launched [PostHog AI](https://posthog.com/ai), which integrates with all of the products and lets you ask questions about your data, magically create dashboards, build surveys using natural language, summarize session rep - Network accessline 36
1. Their [website](https://posthog.com/) is 🤌 - Network accessline 37
2. Their [story](https://posthog.com/handbook/story) is inspiring. - Network accessline 38
3. Their [vibes](https://posthog.com/community/profiles/27732) are hilarious. - Network accessline 39
4. Their [company blog](https://posthog.com/blog) is one of the most genuinely useful and high-signal-to-noise company blogs out there. A model for how to do content marketing. Some examples: - Network accessline 41
1. [I’ve consistently underestimated how important communication is as a CEO](https://posthog.com/blog/ceo-diary-6) - Network accessline 42
2. [How we got our first 1,000 users](https://posthog.com/founders/first-1000-users) - Network accessline 43
3. [How to do startup sales with no experience](https://posthog.com/founders/startup-sales-strategy) - Network accessline 44
4. [Job interview questions engineers should ask (but don’t)](https://posthog.com/newsletter/job-interview-questions-engineers) - Network accessline 45
5. [How not to be boring](https://posthog.com/blog/brand) - Network accessline 49
Twice the free credits gives you tons of room to scale (90% of their users never exceed their already-generous free tier), and the Scale add-on gives you all the features you need to grow: priority support, white labeling, unlimited project - Network accessline 53
 - Network accessline 57
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/accelerating-growth-at-scale--phase-2-of-kickstarting-and-scaling-a-marketplace.md
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 - Network accessline 199
> “**There were no silver bullet** unfortunately. Just lots of [lead bullets](https://a16z.com/2011/11/13/lead-bullets/).” - Network accessline 207
- **[Part 1](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace)**[: Constrain the marketplace 🔬](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 208
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee)** [Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 209
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911)** [Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 210
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5)** [Drive initial demand 👋](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5) - Network accessline 214
- **[Part 1:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand)** [Determine if you are supply or demand constrained 🤹<U+200D>♂<U+FE0F>](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand) - Network accessline 215
- **Part 2:** Scale growth levers 🔥 (this post) - **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting)** [Maintain quality 🏅](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting) - **[Part 4:](htt - Network accessline 216
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting)** [Maintain quality 🏅](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting) - Network accessline 217
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)** [What would you have done differently if you did it again](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)**[🔮](https://ww
references/02-newsletters/adding-a-work-trial-to-your-interview-process.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Don’t miss [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) ✨ (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more) and my new [swag store](https://lennyswag.com/)(makes great gifts!).* - Network accessline 14
Indeed they have. [Karri Saarinen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karrisaarinen/) (CEO of [Linear](https://linear.app/)) [mentioned](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/137200502/i-assume-much-of-your-success-has-been-thanks-to-hiring-well-in-y - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 29
*A big thank-you to [Matt Mullenweg](https://ma.tt/) ([Automattic](https://automattic.com/)), [Jason Fried](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/) ([37signals](https://37signals.com/)), [Karri Saarinen](https://karrisaarinen.com/) and [C - Network accessline 41
As [James Hawkins](https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-hawkins/) (co-founder and CEO of PostHog) shared, “**It makes it obvious who to hire.** **It is** ***frequently*** **surprising how someone performs relative to what we thought in the intervi - Network accessline 45
> “The majority of companies don’t work in the way we do, which leads to fewer people with these kinds of skills. A conventional interview process, often modeled by large companies, doesn’t account for this. **It’s challenging to assess in - Network accessline 49
> “**The more we thought about why some hires succeeded and some didn’t, the more we recognized that there is no substitute for working alongside someone in the trenches.** > > We recognized we were being influenced by aspects of an intervi - Network accessline 51
> We recognized we were being influenced by aspects of an interview—such as someone’s manner of speaking or behavior in a restaurant—that have no bearing on how a candidate will actually perform. Some people are amazing interviewees and cha - Network accessline 55
> “It did mean that we might miss out on some people who couldn’t make the time for it, but because at a startup, commitment—and wanting it—is very important, **it** **was a good filter**.” —[Matias Woloski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mati - Network accessline 57
> “The trial is about their work. But it’s **also about them seeing all the internals of the company**, culture, finances, my attitude, etc.” —[Sahil Lavingia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahillavingia/), founder and CEO of Gumroad - Network accessline 59
> “**It’s a two-way street**. It allows us to be as confident as possible in making a decision and enables the person interviewing to do the same thing.” —[Matt Mullenweg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattm/), founder and CEO of Automattic - Network accessline 63
[Karri Saarinen](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/publish/post/140748471?back=%2Fpublish%2Fposts%2Fscheduled) best summarized the recurring lesson across my interviews: - Network accessline 67
**Gumroad** wins for taking this idea furthest by hiring the candidates as contractors for 4 to 6 weeks. As [Sahil Lavingia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahillavingia/) put it, “**It’s so very hard a priori to know if someone can do the job - Network accessline 71
 - Network accessline 75
> “**Another way to look at work trials is, you’re hired by default** but will likely be fired in 30 to 60 days if you don’t perform like the rest of the team by the end of that time limit.” —[Sahil Lavingia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sah - Network accessline 81
> Our recruiter and people operations coordinator handle necessary logistics pre-trial, like securing a non-disclosure agreement, granting temporary tool access, scheduling meetings, and prepping docs conveying context on goals and expectat - Network accessline 83
> Work trial projects sometimes end up being the first project for the new hire when they get started.” —[Karri Saarinen](https://karrisaarinen.com/) - Network accessline 87
- For an **engineer**, [building a feature allowing teams to effectively triage incoming feature requests](https://linearapp.notion.site/Kenneth-Skovhus-Work-Trial-7ef0fb71e7ab408d87169c0982726f64) - Network accessline 88
- For a **content marketer**, [writing a blog post based on a feature release](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eTRmCpkpIGHQlDHniC_R5I1rTJigCzMq7b3BjRjS4vE/edit#heading=h.fo83nqhhnonf) *(which they [shipped part 2 of to production](https - Network accessline 91
 - Network accessline 100
> Tasks are generally designed to be too much work for one person to complete in a day, in order to get a sense of the candidate’s ability to prioritize, and they’re open-ended as per above.” > > —[James Hawkins](https://www.linkedin.com/in - Network accessline 102
> —[James Hawkins](https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-hawkins/), CEO - Network accessline 106
 - Network accessline 108
At **Automattic**,they also used to give candidates access to the actual codebase, but as [Matt Mullenweg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattm/) told me, “it lacked consistency and was hard to scale. These days, for more generic engineering r - Network accessline 114
> Several people are usually involved in the process. There’s always a Lead who is the main point of contact for the candidate. The others involved are the folks the candidate would interact with most. This could be anywhere from two to six - Network accessline 116
> Folks are also set up on Slack and [P2](https://wordpress.com/p2/) (our internal communication tool) so they can get used to the tools we use, communicate how they need to, and have access to all the information they need.” - Network accessline 118
Here’s a blog post snippet from [an engineering candidate who went through the Automattic work trial](https://jerryjones.dev/2020/04/16/getting-hired-at-automattic/): - Network accessline 120
 - Network accessline 122
**Auth0** used to do an in-depth take-home exercise, as [Matias Woloski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matiaswoloski/?originalSubdomain=ar) (co-founder and CTO) shared: - Network accessline 128
Here’s an example project prompt for an engineering role at Auth0 ([high-res copy here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w_BQisyyiUyhh7302NzaB9gTB9SqYqEMcUDNZkJfouc/edit)): - Network accessline 130
 - Network accessline 134
> “For engineering roles specifically, we now have a take-home code test that takes about 90 minutes, which replaced part of the tech interview pipeline and is fairly different from the previous process. > > **We decided to move to a shorte - Network accessline 135
> > **We decided to move to a shorter challenge supported by a platform ([CodeSignal](https://codesignal.com/?gad_source=1)) for two main reasons:** > - Network accessline 136
> **We decided to move to a shorter challenge supported by a platform ([CodeSignal](https://codesignal.com/?gad_source=1)) for two main reasons:** - Network accessline 141
> **There’s an understanding that there’s less ‘signal’ from the shorter exercise, but as of today this is a trade-off the org has decided to go ahead with, and we often look at the process and metrics to see where we can make future improv - Network accessline 143
> **—**[Matias Woloski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matiaswoloski/?originalSubdomain=ar), Auth0 - Network accessline 145
**37signals** also does take-home assignments, but, unlike other companies, candidates *aren’t* allowed to ask the team any questions. [Jason Fried](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/) noted they also keep the prompt strategically vag - Network accessline 151
Here’s a real project 37signals gave design candidates ([high-res copy here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WTFOR_xP7xU17qUFKpL7xydAgq7-zz9SPJg1YRPq0vw/edit))**:** - Network accessline 153
 - Network accessline 157
> “**We’re not making pictures here.** This is not screenshot work. This is not Figma work. We don’t ship Figma to customers. We ship HTML and CSS. You have to make the real thing. That’s what we’re hiring you to do. > > You’ve got to make - Network accessline 159
> You’ve got to make the whole thing work. Now, when I say work, we know you have five days. You don’t have access to our codebase. You’ve got to re-create something and make something. And what you choose to focus on is up to you. And what - Network accessline 176
> 1. Culture interview/screening with our internal recruiter: 30 minutes > 2. Technical interview with the team leader + 1 or 2 team members: 60 minutes > 3. Bar-raiser with me or [Tim Glaser](https://www.linkedin.com/in/timgl/) (my co-foun - Network accessline 177
> 2. Technical interview with the team leader + 1 or 2 team members: 60 minutes > 3. Bar-raiser with me or [Tim Glaser](https://www.linkedin.com/in/timgl/) (my co-founder and CTO): 30 minutes > 4. **SuperDay work trial: typically 1 day, som - Network accessline 178
> 3. Bar-raiser with me or [Tim Glaser](https://www.linkedin.com/in/timgl/) (my co-founder and CTO): 30 minutes - Network accessline 181
> We’ll split these SuperDays across multiple days (e.g. two half-days) if that’s easier for the candidate so we don’t heavily favor people with more flexibility. We can get the whole lot done in a couple of days from start to finish if nee - Network accessline 183
> Most of the day is spent on a task, but we also include a short ‘coffee chat’ with two or three selected staff. The chats are an additional culture screen and an opportunity for candidates to get to know the team, ask questions about the - Network accessline 185
 - Network accessline 197
> Apart from these meetings, the candidate focuses on carrying out the project, and can reach out to the team through a dedicated Slack channel or ad hoc calls if they have questions or need information.” > > —[Cristina Cordova](https://www - Network accessline 199
> —[Cristina Cordova](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinajcordova/), COO of Linear - Network accessline 207
> ‘Here’s your time. Tell us how much time you spent. We recognize that you probably don’t have as much time as you’d like. We totally understand that.’ ” > > —[Jason Fried](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/), 37signals - Network accessline 209
> —[Jason Fried](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/), 37signals - Network accessline 222
> 4. Demo.” > > **—**[Matias Woloski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matiaswoloski/?originalSubdomain=ar) - Network accessline 224
> **—**[Matias Woloski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matiaswoloski/?originalSubdomain=ar) - Network accessline 228
> “**We measure in hours rather than days or weeks, as we firmly believe in giving people the flexibility to bring their authentic selves to the project.** Someone could spend two weeks on a 40-hour project; others could take three months—w - Network accessline 234
> “If people can do more hours each week, they’re welcome to. But the cool thing about our model is people don’t have to quit their job or take time off work to interview. > > Prior to the work trial, I do one 30-minute ‘culture fit’ interv - Network accessline 236
> Prior to the work trial, I do one 30-minute ‘culture fit’ interview, basically sussing out why they want to work for a weird company like Gumroad and a weirdo like me.” —[Sahil Lavingia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahillavingia/), founde - Network accessline 242
- **Gumroad:** “We pay them the same hourly rate they’d get when they join. For engineers, that is $150 to $200 an hour. We have a contract they sign as part of onboarding via [Flexile](https://flexile.com/) (our homegrown product).” - Network accessline 258
> The recruiter documents highlights and key takeaways to later share back with the candidate, offering detailed transparency regardless of outcome, as closing the feedback loop can provide significant value to the candidate. > > When we de - Network accessline 260
> When we decide not to move forward with a candidate, we stick to our transparent approach and let them know why, despite the hard situation.” —[Karri Saarinen](https://karrisaarinen.com/) - Network accessline 264
> “The evaluation is well-structured. We have scorecards that assess several areas, from the core skills needed for the role to more nuanced areas such as communication (how well someone communicates in a distributed environment) and how we - Network accessline 278
> “Everyone gets to participate, but I get to decide. Generally it’s a ‘hell yes’ or ‘no’ kind of decision, though. If there’s any doubt, there’s no doubt. Unfortunately, it’s hard to compromise with remote work. > > Roughly 20% to 30% pass - Network accessline 280
> Roughly 20% to 30% pass, FWIW, so I think the framing is important, but ultimately all jobs are at-will, so it’s really a marketing/narrative thing.” —[Sahil Lavingia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahillavingia/) - Network accessline 290
> **What’s very clear after this process in interviewing five people, there’s usually one person or two who really stand out. Some surprise us on the upside, some surprise us on the downside, but there’s always two—one or two. And in some c - Network accessline 292
> That’s why I think it’s so important to look at real work. Everything else is an abstraction. Your history is an abstraction. I have no idea if you did it or not, how much of it you did, what percentage of it you did, how many times it wa - Network accessline 296
It turns out this isn’t very hard, as [Cristina Cordova](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinajcordova/) (COO of Linear) shared: - Network accessline 310
> If a candidate is choosing between multiple offers, offering a ‘Well, try out PostHog this way anyway’ means they can de-risk picking us, *and* it means since we’ll be working with them during the trial that we’ll build a better relations - Network accessline 312
> If people don’t want to somehow figure out how to fit a trial in, then they likely aren’t motivated, have too much ego, or aren’t scrappy enough to be a great culture fit for us—of course, if we’ve made an effort to understand how to fit - Network accessline 314
> “**We pay $200/hour and are location-agnostic and don’t have meetings and people can set their own hours and choose what percentage of that $200/hour becomes equity.**” —[Sahil Lavingia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahillavingia/), Gumroa - Network accessline 318
> “To manage expectations, we published posts about our process and shared that early in the process. **On top of that, during the interviews, of course, candidates interview you (the company), and we showed we were a great place to work at - Network accessline 320
> —[Matias Woloski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matiaswoloski/?originalSubdomain=ar), Auth0 - Network accessline 322
[Matt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattm/) at **Automattic** shared an in-depth answer on how to make this process something candidates are excited about, touching on many of the points others made above: - Network accessline 335
> 5. **Have dedicated Trial Leads.** Ensuring there is a dedicated point of contact is super-important. This is sometimes someone from the team the person will be working with, but in some cases, such as Engineering and Happiness, there’s a - Network accessline 337
> —[Matt Mullenweg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattm/) - Network accessline 343
**[Matt](https://ma.tt/) / Automattic:** - Network accessline 346
> > - **Set clear expectations with your teams.** The trial stage isn’t a solo effort and usually requires several people to be involved. This is a time commitment and will lengthen your hiring process. Ensure your hiring teams are behind t - Network accessline 347
> - **Set clear expectations with your teams.** The trial stage isn’t a solo effort and usually requires several people to be involved. This is a time commitment and will lengthen your hiring process. Ensure your hiring teams are behind the - Network accessline 348
> - **Communication is key!** This process works for us, as we believe that communication is oxygen ([see the Automattic creed](https://automattic.com/creed/)), and that forms a strong baseline for how we communicate expectations with folks - Network accessline 353
**[Sahil](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahillavingia/) / Gumroad:** - Network accessline 355
> 1. “Use [Flexile](https://flexile.com/)! Ha. But seriously, I think it doesn’t have to be binary. I think the important thing is that candidates can really learn more about what the work actually entails. - Network accessline 358
**[Matias](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matiaswoloski/?originalSubdomain=ar) / Auth0:** - Network accessline 365
**[James](https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-hawkins/) / PostHog:** - Network accessline 376
**[Jason](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/jason-fried-challenges-your-thinking-on-fundraising-goals-growth-and-more/) / 37signals:** - Network accessline 380
 - Network accessline 384
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/adding-a-work-trial-to-your-interview/comments) - Network accessline 388
1. [Why and how we do work trials at Linear](https://linear.app/blog/why-and-how-we-do-work-trials-at-linear) - Network accessline 389
2. [The CEO of Automattic on Holding “Auditions” to Build a Strong Team](https://hbr.org/2014/04/the-ceo-of-automattic-on-holding-auditions-to-build-a-strong-team) - Network accessline 390
3. [What to Expect During a Trial—Automattic](https://automattic.com/what-to-expect-during-a-trial/https://automattic.com/what-to-expect-during-a-trial/) - Network accessline 391
4. [How We Hire—Automattic](https://automattic.com/how-we-hire/) - Network accessline 392
5. [How We Hire Engineers – Volume 2—Auth0](https://auth0.com/blog/how-we-hire-engineers-volume-2/) - Network accessline 393
6. [Everything we’ve learned about hiring for startups (so far)—PostHog](https://newsletter.posthog.com/p/everything-weve-learned-about-hiring) - Network accessline 401
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 405
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/all-the-ways-to-grow-your-product.md
- Network accessline 14
1. The newsletter crossed **[200,000 total subscribers](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1561774321676083202)** yesterday 🫣 - Network accessline 15
2. The podcast is now at over **[1,000 five-star reviews](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1561774321676083202)** across [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-podcast-product-growth-career/id1627920305) and [Spotify](https - Network accessline 16
3. The [Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) made its **1,000th introduction** between a candidate and a company - Network accessline 17
4. We’re also the **[#1 business newsletter](https://substack.com/discover/category/business/paid)** and the **#[2 podcast](https://substack.com/discover/category/podcast/paid)** across all of Substack 🫠 - Network accessline 21
*Now, as our [six-part series on kickstarting and scaling a consumer business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer) comes to a close, I’ll be transitioning back to our regularly scheduled programming—answe - Network accessline 27
Coming back to the [Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework), there are five components that help a startup grow: - Network accessline 29
 - Network accessline 31
#### **[Kickstarts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/how-to-find-your-first-users)—the seven ways to acquire your early users and get your engine rolling:** - Network accessline 33
1. [Reaching out to friends and colleagues](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-reach-out-to-friends-and-colleagues) (e.g. emailing your friends) - Network accessline 34
2. [Reaching out to targeted strangers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-reach-out-to-targeted-strangers) (e.g. DM’ing celebs) - Network accessline 35
3. [Going where your target audience hangs out](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-go-where-your-target-audience-hangs-out-online-or-offline) (e.g. college campuses, Reddit) - Network accessline 36
4. [Enlisting influencers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-enlist-influencers-paid-or-organically) (e.g. people with large Twitter followings) - Network accessline 37
5. [Getting press](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-get-press) - Network accessline 38
6. [Creating viral content](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-create-viral-content) - Network accessline 39
7. [Getting physical placement](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-get-physical-placement) (e.g. flyers, stickers, signs) - Network accessline 41
#### **[Growth engines](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/57395431/-virality-which-can-be-driven-by-word-of-mouth-sharing-content-sending-invites-to-your-friends-or-a-referral-program)—the four self-sustaining growth loops that drive your - Network accessline 43
1. [Paid ads](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/57395431/-paid) - Network accessline 44
2. [SEO](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/57395431/-seo) - Network accessline 45
3. [Virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/57395431/-virality-which-can-be-driven-by-word-of-mouth-sharing-content-sending-invites-to-your-friends-or-a-referral-program) - Network accessline 46
4. [Sales](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/57395431/sales) - Network accessline 48
#### **[Lubricants](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/57395431/lubricants)—the four optimizations that make your growth engine run more efficiently:** - Network accessline 50
1. [Conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics) - Network accessline 51
2. [Retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products-retention) - Network accessline 55
#### **[Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/57395431/turbo-boosts)—one-off growth spikes that quickly fade:** - Network accessline 57
1. PR (e.g. [Snapchat Spectacles launch](https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/10/13584488/snapchat-snap-inc-spectacles-vending-machine-snapbot-available)) - Network accessline 58
2. Viral content (e.g. [Dollar Shave Club video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI)) - Network accessline 59
3. Influencer posts (e.g. [Kylie Jenner and Casper](https://www.instagram.com/p/0gMVQOnGnn/?hl=en)) - Network accessline 60
4. Marketing campaigns (e.g. [contest](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/40915593/coinbase-dogecoin-sweepstakes), [giveaway](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/21779937/-offer-a-remarkable-giveaway), [billboards](https://neilshah.com/downl - Network accessline 61
5. Co-marketing campaigns (e.g. [Uber and Spotify](https://time.com/3589281/uber-spotify-music-ride/)) - Network accessline 62
6. Events (e.g. [Hinge launch party](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/-host-a-launch-party-hinge)) - Network accessline 63
7. Stunts (e.g. [Half.com renaming a town in Oregon to Half.com](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/21779937/-execute-a-remarkable-offline-stunt)) - Network accessline 64
8. Mini product launches (e.g. [Calm’s donothingfor2minutes.com](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/40915593/calm-do-nothing-for-minutes)) - Network accessline 65
9. Getting featured by a highly trafficked platform (e.g. [Amazon on Yahoo’s homepage](https://www.quora.com/How-did-Amazon-get-initial-traction/answer/Anurag-Bhatia-6?ch=10&oid=17256326&share=bfa62c79&srid=pil&target_type=answer)) - Network accessline 66
10. Creating controversy (e.g. [DHH vs. Apple](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/40915593/-pick-a-fight)) - Network accessline 77
Channel partnerships are business arrangements where you tap into another company’s channel to distribute your product. For example, [Google made early deals with Netscape, Yahoo, and AOL](https://hackernoon.com/the-deals-that-made-google-t - Network accessline 83
> I think [avoiding partnerships] is a mistake. Some people say business development (BD) can be a crutch to an inferior product—if you have good distribution, you don’t have to work as hard to build a great product. But the thing I like ab - Network accessline 85
> —[Paul English](https://paulenglish.com/), co-founder, via *[How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2021/09/24/1040555343/kayak-paul-english)* - Network accessline 95
> We still hadn’t found the repeatable, scalable business model. It still cost us more to fulfill orders than we collected from customers. We still hadn’t found a way to make DVD rental by mail work effectively. That solution was years away - Network accessline 97
> —[Marc Randolph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Randolph), co-founder - Network accessline 101
> “**We leveraged partnerships to drive demand. We partnered with Citysearch, AOL Digital Cities, Yahoo, and Metromix.** Anytime one of our restaurants was listed on an online directory, you could find an OpenTable link (before APIs, you ac - Network accessline 103
> —[Mike Xenakis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/xenakismike/), early executive - Network accessline 113
> “**For many years a big lever for us was expanding geographically.** As we got better at selecting and launching new markets, each new market would reach critical growth milestones faster and faster.” > > —[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedi - Network accessline 115
> —[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmullen/), co-founder - Network accessline 119
> “Market expansion was absolutely **one of the most important growth drivers**.” > > —[Mike Xenakis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/xenakismike), early executive - Network accessline 121
> —[Mike Xenakis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/xenakismike), early executive - Network accessline 125
> “When we began to scale, **expanding geographically was one of our top two or three growth levers** for both supply and demand.” > > —[Casey Winters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters/), early growth leader - Network accessline 127
> —[Casey Winters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters/), early growth leader - Network accessline 133
> We entered a city by just spending on Google AdWords. We had a concept of ‘activated markets’ and a target list of markets we were trying to activate. When we saw organic growth bubbling up in a new market, that informed where we would go - Network accessline 135
> —[David Rosenthal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamesrosenthal/), early board member - Network accessline 137
Though this growth lever is fairly obvious, what isn’t obvious is when to make this investment and how to execute it effectively. For more on these two questions, check out my previous posts on [how to choose cities to expand into](https:// - Network accessline 149
 - Network accessline 153
1. [Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) - Network accessline 154
2. [From zero to 10,000 clients in two years using channel partners](https://review.firstround.com/From-Zero-to-10000-clients-in-Two-Years-Using-Channel-Partners) by Alex Rampell - Network accessline 155
3. [Expanding your business internationally](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-12-expanding-your-business) - Network accessline 156
4. [Marketplace city expansion strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/marketplace-city-expansion) - Network accessline 157
5. [How to kickstart and scale a consumer business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer) - Network accessline 163
[Join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to get bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 165
 - Network accessline 169
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 173
1. **Walmart:** [Sr./Principal Product Manager (Store No8 incubator)](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/22be805a-9d53-46f9-ac69-ddf6b158c2fb) (S.F., Manhattan, San Diego, Seattle) - Network accessline 174
2. **TaskRabbit:** [Director of Product, New Ventures](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6c0915d0-3ac3-4ba8-b53e-4684948711a6) (Remote) - Network accessline 175
3. **Credit Karma:** [Senior Product Manager - Recommendation Systems](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a2999f74-7e88-458c-bbd3-781b7ce48a3e) (Oakland)
references/02-newsletters/an-ai-glossary.md
- Network accessline 14
*P.S. If you prefer, you can listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www. - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 24
There are many different types of AI models. Some, which focus on language—like [ChatGPT o3](https://openai.com/index/introducing-o3-and-o4-mini/), [Claude Sonnet 4](https://www.anthropic.com/claude/sonnet), [Gemini 2.5 Pro](https://deepmin - Network accessline 32
[Here’s a really good primer on how LLMs actually work](https://every.to/p/how-ai-works), and [also this popular deep dive by Andrej Karpathy](https://youtu.be/zjkBMFhNj_g): - Network accessline 34
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjkBMFhNj_g) - Network accessline 44
[This is the best explanation of transformers](https://ig.ft.com/generative-ai/) I’ve seen. Here’s also a more technical and visual deep dive: - Network accessline 46
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJtZARuO3JY) - Network accessline 54
As it trains, the model adjusts millions of internal settings called “weights.” These are similar to how neurons in the human brain strengthen or weaken their connections based on experience. When the model makes a correct prediction, those - Network accessline 58
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEUclZdj_Sc) - Network accessline 82
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC6Hd1hFvos) - Network accessline 90
[Here’s a great guide](https://www.labellerr.com/blog/reinforcement-learning-from-human-feedback/), plus this technical deep dive into RLHF: - Network accessline 92
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_X4XFwKX8k) - Network accessline 105
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKuFqQKYRrA) - Network accessline 125
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYGDpG-pTho) - Network accessline 135
 - Network accessline 139
 - Network accessline 141
[Don’t miss this excellent guest post by Aman Khan](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/beyond-vibe-checks-a-pms-complete) that teaches you how to craft evals for your product. - Network accessline 157
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3vHJcHBS-w) - Network accessline 179
[This explanation of transformers](https://ig.ft.com/generative-ai/) also explains tokens really well, and [here you can see how top models tokenize words](https://tiktokenizer.vercel.app/). - Network accessline 183
 - Network accessline 189
To borrow a definition from [this recent guest post, “Make product management fun again with AI agents,”](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/make-product-management-fun-again) it’s best to think of the term “agent” as a spectrum, where AI s - Network accessline 197
[Here’s a great guide from Anthropic](https://www.anthropic.com/engineering/building-effective-agents) for how to build effective agents. - Network accessline 201
The term originated from [this tweet](https://x.com/karpathy/status/1886192184808149383) by Andrej Karpathy: - Network accessline 203
 - Network accessline 213
Artificial “superintelligence” (ASI) refers to the next step beyond AGI—AI that is much more intelligent than the best human minds in virtually every domain. We don’t believe we have reached this point yet, and there are debates about wheth - Network accessline 215
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEkGLj0bwAU) - Network accessline 223
The good news is that newer models are getting better at avoiding hallucination, and there are proven strategies—like RAG and prompt engineering—that help mitigate the risk ([here’s a guide from Anthropic](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs - Network accessline 233
1. **Text:** LLMs are prompted to generate fictional customer support chats, medical notes, or math problems based on real-world examples. 2. **Images:** [Diffusion models](https://huggingface.co/learn/computer-vision-course/en/unit10/datag - Network accessline 234
2. **Images:** [Diffusion models](https://huggingface.co/learn/computer-vision-course/en/unit10/datagen-diffusion-models) and [GANs](https://www.impetus.com/resources/blog/synthetic-data-generation-using-gans/) create realistic visuals, fro - Network accessline 239
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPPBujNssnU) - Network accessline 243
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-ai-glossary/comments) - Network accessline 247
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMlx5fFNoYc)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCEmiRjPEtQ) - Network accessline 249
*Thank you to [Dennis Yang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisyang/), [Hilary Gridley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarygridley/), and [Aman Khan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanberkeley/) for feedback on this post.* - Network accessline 253
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/announcing-the-greatest-product-bundle-ever-get-a-year-free-of-granola-notion-su.md
- Network accessline 10
# [See the updates to the deal here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-unbelievable-offer-now-get-one). - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 20
1. 1 year free of **[Granola](https://granola.ai/lenny)** for your entire company ($10,000+ value) - Network accessline 21
2. 1 year free of **[Notion Plus](https://www.notion.com/pricing)** with unlimited AI for 10 seats ($2,000+ value) - Network accessline 22
3. 1 year free of **[Linear](https://linear.app/)** for two seats ($336 value) - Network accessline 23
4. 1 year free of **[Superhuman](https://superhuman.com/)** ($300 value) - Network accessline 24
5. 1 year free of **[Perplexity Pro](https://www.perplexity.ai/pro)** ($240 value) - Network accessline 26
I specifically selected these tools because they were among the most beloved products in my recent [“What’s in your stack” survey](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/whats-in-your-stack-the-state-of). They represent the height of what produ - Network accessline 39
1. **[Granola](https://granola.ai/lenny)**: One year of the Business plan for you and your team (up to 100 seats) - Network accessline 40
2. **[Notion](https://www.notion.com/pricing)**: One year of the Plus plan (plus unlimited AI) for you and your team (up to 10 seats) - Network accessline 41
3. **[Linear](https://linear.app/)**: One year of the Business plan (two seats) - Network accessline 42
4. **[Superhuman](https://superhuman.com/)**: One year of the Starter plan - Network accessline 43
5. **[Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/pro)**: One year of the Pro plan - Network accessline 49
1. Once you [become a paid yearly subscriber](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?), [click here](https://lennysbundle.com/) to redeem your codes. - Network accessline 50
2. If you’re on a monthly plan, [upgrade to yearly](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?), then [go here](https://lennysbundle.com/) to redeem your codes. - Network accessline 51
3. If you’re already a paid annual subscriber, [click here](https://lennysbundle.com/) to redeem your codes.
references/02-newsletters/announcing-the-lenny--friends-summit.md
- Network accessline 10
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be hosting a very special one-day conference this fall in San Francisco, on Thursday, October 24. I’ve curated a speaker lineup of product and growth leaders who I deeply respect, and we’re aiming to have - Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 14
[Apply to attend](https://lennyssummit.com/) - Network accessline 34
[Apply to attend](https://lennyssummit.com/) - Network accessline 36
references/02-newsletters/applications-now-open-for-my-live-course-product-management-fundamentals.md
- Network accessline 12
This is just a quick note to let you know that I’ve opened up applications for my occasional live cohort-based course: [Product Management Fundamentals](https://productmanagementfundamentals.com/). - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 20
- **[Ken Norton](https://www.bringthedonuts.com/)** - Network accessline 21
- **[Shreyas Doshi](https://twitter.com/shreyas)** - Network accessline 22
- **[Jackie Bavaro](https://twitter.com/jackiebo)** - Network accessline 23
- **[Andrew Chen](https://andrewchen.com/)** - Network accessline 24
- **[Adam Fishman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/)** - Network accessline 48
references/02-newsletters/autonomy-vs-direction---issue-35.md
- Network accessline 62
How do you find the right balance between the best ideas winning, getting things done, and teams feeling good? It’s all about setting expectations. Look at the diagram below (which is based on a chapter from [Crucial Conversations](https:// - Network accessline 64
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!H6u6!,f_auto,q_auto:good - Network accessline 66
To help you through the process of finding the right balance, keep reading. Also, check out articles by [Marty Cagan](https://svpg.com/consensus-vs-collaboration/) and [Ellen Gottesdiener](https://www.mindtheproduct.com/how-to-make-product- - Network accessline 70
1. [SPADE](https://coda.io/@gokulrajaram/gokuls-spade-toolkit) by Gokul Rajaram - Network accessline 71
2. [How we make decisions at Coinbase](https://medium.com/@barmstrong/how-we-make-decisions-at-coinbase-cd6c630322e9) by Brian Armstrong - Network accessline 72
3. [Xanax for Decision-Making](https://firstround.com/review/this-matrix-helps-growing-teams-make-great-decisions/) by Gil Shklarski - Network accessline 73
4. [Making Good Decisions as a Product Manager](https://blackboxofpm.com/making-good-decisions-as-a-product-manager-c66ddacc9e2b) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 74
5. [How to Operate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fQHLK1aIBs) by Keith Rabois - Network accessline 92
Read more about disagree and commit [here](https://tomtunguz.com/disagree-and-commit/) and [here](https://hackernoon.com/disagree-and-commit-the-importance-of-disagreement-in-decision-making-b31d1b5f1bdc). - Network accessline 98
It’s okay to go against your best judgment occasionally. A rule of thumb that I use is that 90% of the time, I should feel great about the path my team is taking. Occasionally though, it’s OK to give the team a chance to prove me wrong. Esp - Network accessline 122
- Growth: [Airhouse](https://jobs.lever.co/airhouse/2fa1feb6-f994-4de2-8611-3ecf0abde767), [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076601003) - Network accessline 123
- Design: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-Designer-first-design-hire-da77a3e4cfe94dfa80 - Network accessline 124
- Frontend engineer: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Founding-Fron - Network accessline 125
- Backend engineer: [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-god), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 126
- Fullstack engineer: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Wren](https://projectwren.com/careers/software-engineer) - Network accessline 127
- iOS engineer: [Ideaflow](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZpH5WMQqg337hxpHMZGMPjmmzSfVRJdK76Lof8mw_V0/edit#), [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c) - Network accessline 128
- Engineering exec: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/74686298-a043-4976-8f77-f4ef643f4200) - Network accessline 129
- Sales/BD: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4105169003), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/649855-vice-president-of-sales), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/996cdde4-737b-4794-ad0f-d726448c3dfb), - Network accessline 130
- Security: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/592999-cybersecurity-compliance-program-manager) - Network accessline 134
1. **Read**: [The Cadence: How to Operate a SaaS Startup](https://medium.com/craft-ventures/the-cadence-how-to-operate-a-saas-startup-436aa8099e8) by David Sacks - Network accessline 135
2. **Scream**: [App Lets You Destress By Screaming Into Icelandic Wilderness](https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/07/17/892195741/app-lets-you-destress-by-screaming-into-icelandic-wilderness) - Network accessline 138
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/become-a-more-technical-product-manager.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Don’t miss my **[PM recruiting service](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** (to hire your next Sr. PM or VP), **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more), and my ** - Network accessline 14
A technical background is a superpower for product managers, [as I’ve said](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-more-technical) before. You’ll make better decisions, understand trade-offs, make more accurate estimates, and communicat - Network accessline 16
To help you level up, I teamed up with [Colin Matthews](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinmatthews-pm/?originalSubdomain=ca), instructor of the very popular Maven course [Technical Foundations for Product Managers](https://maven.com/tech-for - Network accessline 18
*For more from Colin, [check out Colin’s Maven course](https://maven.com/tech-for-product/tech-fundamentals?promoCode=LENNY25)—the next cohort kicks off on May 6! [Use this link to get 25% off](https://maven.com/tech-for-product/tech-fundam - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 34
 - Network accessline 42
APIs are everywhere—[Meta](https://developers.facebook.com/docs/#), [Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/developers/documentation/getting_started/api_basics), [OpenAI](https://openai.com/product), [your bank](https://developer.citi.com/), [your doct - Network accessline 48
 - Network accessline 63
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OpenAI has organized their API into a few groups—images, chat, and audio. Within each, there are a few endpoints that allow you to take different actions. For example, you could send a request to ***/audio/speech*** to create an <U+200B><U+200B>MP3 file - Network accessline 93
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To generate this, we sent a POST request to ***https://api.openai.com/v1/audio/speech*** with the following body: - Network accessline 137
1. Sign up for an API account at <https://platform.openai.com/signup> - Network accessline 140
 - Network accessline 142
3. Using [Postman](https://www.postman.com/) or a web-based API request tool ([here’s a free one](https://stackblitz.com/edit/github-18edst?embed=1&file=README.md&hideExplorer=1&view=preview)), make a POST request to **<https://api.openai.c - Network accessline 164
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[Popularized by Eric Ries](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/reflections-on-a-movement-eric-ries-creator-of-the-lean-startup-methodology/), CI/CD helps teams move quickly and keep the pace of shipping code to production high. For example, [Stri - Network accessline 273
Want to learn how to create a new pull request yourself? Check out this [free practice exercise](https://docs.google.com/document/d/11_WFRYVy_UZUrlEfApB5SSea5T4Jj11ov4zCeDvio4g/edit?usp=sharing), where I’ll walk you through each step of cre - Network accessline 297
The purpose of this isn’t to micromanage engineers or take responsibility for [feasibility](https://www.svpg.com/four-big-risks/). It’s to help you be a better collaborator with your technical team by reducing communication overhead between - Network accessline 299
*Thank you, Colin! For more from Colin, [check out his Maven course](https://maven.com/tech-for-product/tech-fundamentals?promoCode=LENNY25)—the next cohort kicks off on May 6. [Use this link to get 25% off](https://maven.com/tech-for-produ - Network accessline 307
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 311
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/becoming-a-senior-product-manager.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and welcome to a*🔓 ***free bonus edition*** 🔓*of my weekly newsletter. I decided to make this issue available to everyone, so enjoy!* - Network accessline 24
Thus, if you can accelerate getting to Senior PM, you’ll have the most impact on accelerating your overall PM career. To help you down this journey, I asked [Jackie Bavaro](https://twitter.com/jackiebo) (author of [Cracking the PM Interview - Network accessline 30
*by [Jackie Bavaro](https://twitter.com/jackiebo)* - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 128
In our new book ***[Cracking the PM Career](https://amzn.to/3nEiox9)***, Gayle and I go into even more detail on the senior PM role and what it means to be strategic. If you have more thoughts or questions, the best way to reach me is [@ja - Network accessline 134
> **[Growth Manager - Acquisition](https://bubble.io/job?jid=4592582002%2C)** - Network accessline 140
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4313154003), [Kudo](https://kudo.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=32), [Plume](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2389567233/?trackingId=KJBHkPnMP%2FFrI5SgShG5IQ%3D%3D), [Ro - Network accessline 141
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC98C5FDFB/), [SpaceX Starlink](https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5032353002?gh_jid=5032353002&gh_src=seek - Network accessline 142
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Office Hours](https://jobs.lever.co/office-hours/13d73541-b5b7-405a-9 - Network accessline 143
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 144
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 145
6. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-Backend-6d954206f00b446289f18bf51960ca34), [Transform](https://trans - Network accessline 146
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Alloy](https://apply.workable.com/alloy-automation/j/27639ECE80/), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9 - Network accessline 147
8. **iOS engineer**: [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://jobs.lever.co/stytch/d3bf3860-4aaa-4a23-8e28-dad20957be44) - Network accessline 151
1. **Watch**: [Kurt Vonnegut on how to write a short story](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmVcIhnvSx8) - Network accessline 153
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmVcIhnvSx8) - Network accessline 155
2. **Watch**: [Home Movie: The Princess Bride](https://kottke.org/21/02/home-movie-the-princess-bride) (via [Kottke](https://kottke.org/21/02/home-movie-the-princess-bride)) - Network accessline 157
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR8pA_WV9QI) - Network accessline 159
3. **Read**: [Frameworks](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-UiEeoiV0xBFVZgid63FRaph03OCmHzyEExubn63j0U/edit) by [Chris Paik](https://twitter.com/cpaik) - Network accessline 163
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/beyond-vibe-checks-a-pms-complete-guide-to-evals.md
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Aman Khan runs a popular [course on evals developed with Andrew Ng](https://www.deeplearning.ai/short-courses/evaluating-ai-agents/), is Director of Product at Arize AI (a leading AI company), and has been a product leader at Spotify, Cruis - Network accessline 18
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1. **Human evals:** These are human feedback loops you can design into your product (i.e. showing a thumbs-up/thumbs-down or a comment box next to an LLM response, for your user to provide feedback). You can also have human labelers (i.e. s - Network accessline 77
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1. **[Hallucination](https://docs.arize.com/phoenix/evaluation/how-to-evals/running-pre-tested-evals/hallucinations):** Is the agent accurately using the provided context, or is it making things up? - Network accessline 87
2. **[Toxicity/tone](https://docs.arize.com/phoenix/evaluation/how-to-evals/running-pre-tested-evals/toxicity):** Is the agent outputting harmful or undesirable language? - Network accessline 91
3. **[Overall correctness](https://docs.arize.com/phoenix/evaluation/how-to-evals/running-pre-tested-evals/q-and-a-on-retrieved-data):** How well is the system performing at its primary goal? - Network accessline 97
- [Code generation](https://docs.arize.com/phoenix/evaluation/how-to-evals/running-pre-tested-evals/code-generation-eval) - Network accessline 98
- [Summarization quality](https://docs.arize.com/phoenix/evaluation/how-to-evals/running-pre-tested-evals/summarization-eval) - Network accessline 99
- [Retrieval relevance](https://docs.arize.com/phoenix/evaluation/how-to-evals/running-pre-tested-evals/retrieval-rag-relevance) - Network accessline 101
Phoenix (open source) maintains a repository of off-the-shelf evaluators [here](https://docs.arize.com/phoenix/evaluation/how-to-evals/running-pre-tested-evals).\* Ragas (open source) also maintains a repository of RAG-specific evaluators [ - Network accessline 116
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1. **Gather real user interactions:** [Capture real examples](https://hamel.dev/blog/posts/field-guide/index.html#measure-alignment-between-automated-evals-and-human-judgment) of how users engage with your app. You can do this via direct fe - Network accessline 140
3. **Build a representative dataset:** Collect these interactions into a structured dataset, ideally annotated with “ground truth” (human labels) for accuracy. I’d recommend having between 10 and 100 examples with human labels to start with - Network accessline 152
- **Setting the role:** “You are a judge, evaluating written text.” - **Providing the context:** “Here is the text : {text}” → In this case, {text} is a variable, where you will be providing the “LLM agent answer” in the [variable of - Network accessline 153
- **Providing the context:** “Here is the text : {text}” → In this case, {text} is a variable, where you will be providing the “LLM agent answer” in the [variable of the prompt](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-en - Network accessline 165
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1. Tip: You can add a few examples to your prompt of “good” and “bad” evals to ground the LLM response, as a form of “[few-shot prompting](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/build-with-claude/prompt-engineering/multishot-prompting).” - Network accessline 175
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For a detailed example of how to build a hallucination eval, check out our guide [here](https://arize.com/llm-evaluation), as well as our hands-on course [on Evaluating AI Agents](https://www.deeplearning.ai/short-courses/evaluating-ai-agen - Network accessline 210
 - Network accessline 214
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/beyond-vibe-checks-a-pms-complete/comments) - Network accessline 218
1. [A conversation with OpenAI’s CPO Kevin Weil, Anthropic’s CPO Mike Krieger, and Sarah Guo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxkvVZua28k&t=1s) - Network accessline 219
2. Peter Yang + Aman: [The AI Skill That Will Define Your PM Career in 2025 | Aman Khan (Arize)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8lEDw7pOkE) - Network accessline 220
3. [DeepLearning.ai course on evals](https://deeplearning.ai) with Andrew Ng - Network accessline 221
4. Prompt optimization guide: <https://arize.com/course/prompt-optimization/> - Network accessline 222
5. Arize eval hub (free!): <https://arize.com/llm-evaluation> - Network accessline 223
6. Peter Yang + Scott White: [Exclusive: Inside the Best AI Model for Coding and Writing | Scott White (Anthropic)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynWgKSF0TZY) - Network accessline 229
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/breaking-into-growth.md
- Network accessline 10
## ✨ Announcement: Applications for my [PM course](https://maven.com/lenny/product-management-fundamentals?custom=true) now open ✨ - Network accessline 14
In addition to live lectures, practical assignments, group breakouts, and getting to know 100+ other early-career PMs, you’ll also learn from amazing guest speakers: **[Ken Norton](https://www.bringthedonuts.com/), [Shreyas Doshi](https://t - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 44
- [Head of Growth at Shef](https://jobs.lever.co/shef/e98c6b46-0ffa-4b20-bd27-f328aacc0737) - Network accessline 45
- [Growth PM at Primer](https://www.notion.so/Growth-PM-San-Francisco-CA-3049279c24844c41bf99c159fe74e78b) - Network accessline 46
- [Growth Associate at Launch House](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/cc16e91a-64cd-40b0-b48b-0a9befd0a77b) - Network accessline 62
This step alone was the primary reason I got the chance. My manager knew it was important to me, so when an opportunity arose (about six months later), they helped me grab it. Use the [Baader-Meinhof phenomenon](https://en.wikipedia.org/wik - Network accessline 72
- [Learn the basics of A/B testing](https://netflixtechblog.com/what-is-an-a-b-test-b08cc1b57962) - Network accessline 73
- [Learn about p-values, power, and significance](https://netflixtechblog.com/interpreting-a-b-test-results-false-positives-and-statistical-significance-c1522d0db27a) - Network accessline 74
- [Learn about fostering a culture of experimentation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/fostering-a-culture-of-experimentation) - Network accessline 75
- [Learn about the benefits and pitfalls of building with data](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/the-agony-and-ecstasy-of-building-with-data-56215764d67c) - Network accessline 76
- Take the [Reforge Experimentation + Testing course](https://www.reforge.com/experimentation-testing) - Network accessline 80
- [Learn about the history of the growth role](https://brianbalfour.com/growth-machine/why-growth) - Network accessline 81
- [Learn about ways to drive growth](https://andrewchen.com/theres-only-a-few-ways-to-scale-user-growth-and-heres-the-list/) - Network accessline 82
- [Learn about principles, processes, teams, and tactics](https://brianbalfour.com/growth-machine/principles-process-team-tactics) - Network accessline 83
- [Learn my favorite high-level growth framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) - Network accessline 84
- [Learn about funnels](https://ahrefs.com/blog/marketing-funnels/) - Network accessline 85
- [Learn about loops](https://www.reforge.com/blog/growth-loops#:~:text=Loops%20combine%20how%20your%20product,harder%20for%20others%20to%20replicate.) - Network accessline 86
- Take the [Reforge Growth Series](https://www.reforge.com/growth-series) - Network accessline 90
- [Learn the basics of SEO](https://ahrefs.com/blog/what-is-seo/) - Network accessline 91
- [Learn how to do SEO](https://ahrefs.com/blog/seo-basics/#how-to-do-seo) - Network accessline 92
- [Learn how to run SEO experiments](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/seo-experimentation) - Network accessline 93
- [Learn about content-driven growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/content-driven-growth-strategy) and [winning at SEO](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/crafting-an-seo-strategy-issue-34) - Network accessline 97
- [Learn the basics of performance marketing](https://www.khoslaventures.com/a-primer-on-paid-marketing) - Network accessline 98
- [Learn how to make and run an online ad](https://www.julian.com/guide/growth/make-ads) - Network accessline 99
- [Learn about CAC](https://andrewchen.com/how-to-actually-calculate-cac/) - Network accessline 100
- [Learn how product can automate ads](https://eng.lyft.com/lyft-marketing-automation-b43b7b7537cc) - Network accessline 101
- [Learn about the downsides of paid growth](https://andrewchen.com/paid-marketing-addiction/) - Network accessline 105
- [Learn about the types of virality](https://news.greylock.com/the-five-types-of-virality-8ba42051928d?gi=ee0e3f5e160b) - Network accessline 106
- [Learn about viral loops](https://andrewchen.com/whats-your-viral-loop-understanding-the-engine-of-adoption/) - Network accessline 107
- [Learn about ways to increase virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) - Network accessline 111
- [Learn the basics of funnel conversion optimization](https://amplitude.com/funnels) - Network accessline 112
- [Learn tactics to improve conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics) - Network accessline 113
- [Set up analytics and track conversion within your funnels](https://segment.com/recipes/improve-conversion-by-removing-funnel-bottlenecks/) - Network accessline 117
- [Learn about SQL in a course](https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-sql) or [online](https://mode.com/sql-tutorial/), and start running queries - Network accessline 118
- [Take a class on statistics](https://online.stanford.edu/courses/xfds110-introduction-statistics) and [experimental design](https://www.coursera.org/specializations/design-experiments) - Network accessline 126
1. Design and run a handful of experiments. [Here’s a template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aPAOEvYbT9gsSUUtucANjcKQf1J5CqMwLgbMhuAiQxY/edit) to get you started. - Network accessline 127
2. Identify your company’s [primary growth engine](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework). - Network accessline 128
3. Run a [Facebook ad](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads) and an [AdWords ad](https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/6324971?hl=en). - Network accessline 129
4. Analyze [your company’s SEO health](https://ahrefs.com/site-audit). - Network accessline 136
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/breaking-into-growth/comments) - Network accessline 140
1. [The growing specialization of product management](https://www.reforge.com/blog/product-specializations) by Adam Fishman and Keya Patel - Network accessline 141
2. [Reforge blog](https://www.reforge.com/blog/) and [courses](https://www.reforge.com/all-programs) - Network accessline 142
3. [Demand Curve growth course](https://www.demandcurve.com/program) - Network accessline 143
4. [Netflix’s blog on experimentation](https://netflixtechblog.com/decision-making-at-netflix-33065fa06481) - Network accessline 144
5. [Casey Winters’s blog](https://caseyaccidental.com/) - Network accessline 145
6. [Growth & User Acquisition newsletter](https://www.indiehackers.com/series/growth-acquisition) - Network accessline 146
7. [First 1000 newsletter](https://read.first1000.co/) - Network accessline 148
*Thank you, [Che Sharma](https://twitter.com/chesharma87), for feedback on this post. Have a fulfilling and productive week*🙏 - Network accessline 152
1. **Enterpret:** [Principal Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/ffbf9d72-bac3-4a65-a086-43dcb9b46bcb) (NYC) - Network accessline 153
2. **Launch House:** [Growth Associate](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/cc16e91a-64cd-40b0-b48b-0a9befd0a77b) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 154
3. **Hyphen:** [Senior Software Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/409ba7dc-d175-45cf-a3e8-5b50d020c874) (LA, San Jose, ATL, Remote-US) - Network accessline 155
4. **Rapchat:** [Data Analyst](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/e32872cf-766d-47f1-b367-6e9b0d437294) (Remote-US/EU) - Network accessline 156
5. **The Parent Company:** [Product Manager - Consumer Growth](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/31f0e76e-aace-4a3c-a1bd-370dab92eda2) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 157
6. **Spokn:** [Head of Product Design](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/4ae774dd-1c74-4709-897e-dd4413a2aa5c) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 158
7. **Custom Ink:** [Senior UX Architect](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6cf2edfe-0149-4cf8-99f4-7bf23a949975) (Fairfax VA, Remote-US) - Network accessline 159
8. **PadSplit:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/a4a610e5-a0dc-4c28-9c19-9905c60917ad) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 160
9. **Matter:** [Design Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/d08a9ae6-80b3-414f-8e36-daa2b8ea6768) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 161
10. **Papaya:** [Director, Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/4d7cac8e-4fc5-4df3-9dff-185749963030) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 162
11. **Airtable:** [Engineering Manager, Monetization](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6806a6f6-bb9d-4a9c-b4a6-d48d36951670) (SF) - Network accessline 163
12. **Catalog:** [Design Director](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/9ffd590f-5cda-4bbd-b1bf-687a7f89eb48) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 165
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 169
1. **Listen:** [Tim Ferriss with Chris Dixon and Naval Ravikant talking about web3](https://tim.blog/2021/10/28/chris-dixon-naval-ravikant/) - Network accessline 170
2. **Read:** [Learn to hire well](https://hunterwalk.com/2021/10/22/learn-to-hire-well-and-youll-never-lose/) by Hunter Walk - Network accessline 171
3. **Learn:** [How to launch on Product Hunt, a detailed guide](https://www.indiehackers.com/post/how-to-launch-on-product-hunt-a-detailed-guide-569166376a) by Xavier Coiffard - Network accessline 175
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/build-your-personal-ai-copilot.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Welcome to a **✨ free edition ✨** of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) - Network accessline 12
One of my favorite collaborators, [Tal Raviv](https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv?originalSubdomain=il), is back with another incredible piece that will change how many of you operate at work. If you’re looking for the promised AI product - Network accessline 14
P.S. You can now also listen to these posts in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtu - Network accessline 16
*For more from Tal, check out his [63 free video tutorials](https://talraviv.co/) on using AI agents at work, his other guest post, [“PM is an unfair role. So work unfairly”](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-is-an-unfair-r - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 30
I did what any experienced product manager would do: I whined and complained. Eventually my eng manager, [Oleksii](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oleksii-monchyk-91ba09171/?originalSubdomain=de), took pity on me and showed me how to write deta - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 48
An AI copilot might be the least “[agentic](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/make-product-management-fun-again)” way of using AI, and that’s the point. As AI tools proliferate and become more capable, our AI copilot is there to support us - Network accessline 60
AI copilots also make it infinitely easier to [vibe code an AI prototype](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-guide-to-ai-prototyping-for-product), [run meaningful data analysis](https://maven.com/p/eddc27/how-experienced-growth-p-ms-analy - Network accessline 66
And they do! One student created a [career development copilot](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sblODeX-FGk) for women on her team. Another is piloting AI coaching for sales managers doing one-on-ones. A third [built an onboarding copilot]( - Network accessline 70
You can build a valuable AI copilot in a number of ways—anything from keeping a long chat thread to creating a [geeky Cursor repository](https://maven.com/p/0a96cb/cursor-isn-t-just-for-coding-how-ai-native-p-ms-work). But my preferred meth - Network accessline 79
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Notice how there’s nothing fancy about these prompts. Since the LLM has so much context, conversational one-liners are often all you need. Expect surprising and delightful moments. In the words of [Karina Nguyen](https://youtu.be/DeskgjrLxx - Network accessline 205
Using [AI to prototype](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-guide-to-ai-prototyping-for-product) shortens the path to making something people want, in three ways: - Network accessline 211
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Scan the resulting use cases and use them as inspiration. Have a conversation! Engage with the results and push back on parts that don’t sit right with you. The goal is finding a use case you’re excited to make happen. With this in hand, tu - Network accessline 339
 - Network accessline 379
Imagine if your copilot could pull directly from new department templates, project management, or team messaging, dynamically updating as your world changes. I wish it could have all this information without getting confused, overwhelmed, o - Network accessline 405
*Thank you to [Alex Furmansky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexfurmansky/) for being an amazing (human) thinking partner for these ideas. And thank you to [Colin Matthews](https://maven.com/tech-for-product/ai-prototyping-for-product-manage - Network accessline 417
(If the geeky approach sounds appealing, I’m hosting a [free lightning lesson featuring live hands-on demos](https://maven.com/p/0a96cb/cursor-isn-t-just-for-coding-how-ai-native-p-ms-work) of how people are doing this.) - Network accessline 423
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/building-a-referrals-program.md
- Network accessline 10
*Hello and welcome to another edition of my weekly newsletter! My name is [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s s - Network accessline 14
I do indeed! I love referrals programs so much. While leading the supply growth work at Airbnb, one of the teams I oversaw built and scaled the [host referrals program](https://www.airbnb.com/refer). The team (made up of folks much smarter - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 26
1. **Impact**: Based on my previous research into marketplace growth, referrals were tied for the [second most common early growth lever for supply](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911), and [valuab - Network accessline 90
- [Referrals At Airbnb: Driving Sustainable & Scalable Growth with Jimmy Tang and Gustaf Alstromer](https://youtu.be/SS9wGKuGVt4) - Network accessline 91
- [Hacking Word-of-Mouth: Making Referrals Work for Airbnb](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/hacking-word-of-mouth-making-referrals-work-for-airbnb-46468e7790a6) - Network accessline 92
- [Under the Microscope: How Airbnb Thinks About Product/Market Fit, Team & More](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60WkV2gS-ds) - Network accessline 93
- [How Airbnb Built One Of The Most Successful Referral Programs Ever](https://www.cloudsponge.com/blog/airbnb-referral-program/) - Network accessline 101
1. **Read**: [Managers, Take Your 1:1s to the Next Level with These 6 Must Reads](https://firstround.com/review/managers-take-your-1-1s-to-the-next-level-with-these-6-must-reads/) — An excellent collection of pro tips for 1:1 meetings, incl - Network accessline 102
2. **Watch**: [Satisfaction: Mug](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acPhktaGn5o) — Make sure your sound is on. - Network accessline 103
3. **Follow**: [The Browser](https://thebrowser.com/) — A curated weekly collection of beautiful and insightful writing. - Network accessline 105
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) (or subscribing if you aren’t already)** - Network accessline 107
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/building-eval-systems-that-improve-your-ai-product.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. Annual subscribers get a free year of 15+ premium products: **[Lovable, Replit, Bolt, n8n, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, Gamma, Su - Network accessline 12
*For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) |** **[How I AI](https://www.youtube.com/@howiaipodcast)** **| [Lenny’s Reads](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/s/lennys-reads) - Network accessline 14
[Hamel Husain](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamelhusain/) and [Shreya Shankar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrshnk/)’s online course, [AI Evals for Engineers & PMs](https://bit.ly/4myp27m), is the #1 highest-grossing course on Maven, and con - Network accessline 20
In honor of this post, Hamel and Shreya are also offering an exclusive discount on their course: 35% off. This is the largest discount they’ve ever offered. [Use this link](https://bit.ly/4myp27m) to register (or use code LENNYSLIST when ch - Network accessline 24
*P.S. You can listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@le - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 28
Aman Khan’s [post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/beyond-vibe-checks-a-pms-complete) on evals perfectly captured why evaluation is becoming a core, make-or-break skill for product managers. This article provides the next step: a playboo - Network accessline 34
Before you can improve your AI product, you must understand how it fails. The surface area for what you *could* evaluate is infinite. The most common mistake is to start by measuring [ready-made](https://hamel.dev/blog/posts/evals-faq/shoul - Network accessline 48
 - Network accessline 52
 - Network accessline 56
This lightly constrained process is crucial for discovering problems you didn’t know you had. It’s also where teams often discover what they *truly* want from their AI system. [Research shows](https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.12272) that people a - Network accessline 60
 - Network accessline 62
This grouping process often happens in a spreadsheet or a dedicated annotation tool where you can tag or label each critique. When I was working on this apartment leasing assistant in a [real-life scenario](https://hamel.dev/blog/posts/fiel - Network accessline 72
 - Network accessline 100
 - Network accessline 114
This process of refining your judge’s prompt on the dev set is a meta-evaluation task. You are evaluating your evaluator. It is also where you will discover the nuances of your own quality bar. As [research](https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.12272 - Network accessline 118
 - Network accessline 155
Fix your retriever first. Only when you are confident that the right information is consistently being fed to your generator should you focus heavily on improving the generation step. It should be noted that RAG is a very nascent topic, and - Network accessline 163
 - Network accessline 207
It is impossible to explain everything about evals in a single post. Hamel and Shreya have documented the most frequent questions that people have about evals [here](https://hamel.dev/blog/posts/evals-faq/) ([PDF version here](https://hamel - Network accessline 209
*Thanks,* *[Hamel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamelhusain/) and [Shreya](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrshnk/)! For more, check out [their course](https://bit.ly/4myp27m)—and get 35% off using code LENNYSLIST (the largest discount they’ve - Network accessline 213
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/choosing-a-take-rate.md
- Network accessline 31
 - Network accessline 33
*([Click here to check out the detailed spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VD_cb65dgIQr1bz33G1cGA5knDSz4S5yEQTSxyQOSlU/edit#gid=0))* - Network accessline 107
I can’t write a post about take rates without referencing [Bill Gurley’s seminal piece on take rates](https://abovethecrowd.com/2013/04/18/a-rake-too-far-optimal-platformpricing-strategy/), in which he argues that you are often better off * - Network accessline 117
1. Add a monthly subscription fee (e.g. [Shopify](https://www.shopify.com/pricing), [Gumroad](https://gumroad.com/features/pricing)) - Network accessline 118
2. Create tiers with lower fees for fewer services (e.g. [Patreon](https://www.patreon.com/product/pricing), [Uber Eats](https://restaurants.ubereats.com/us/en/pricing/)) - Network accessline 119
3. Give discounts for higher volume (e.g. [Upwork scales from 20% to 5%](https://support.upwork.com/hc/en-us/articles/211062538-Freelancer-Service-Fees), [StockX cuts fees as you sell more](https://help.stockx.com/s/article/What-are-StockX- - Network accessline 125
Coming back to [the list of take rates](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VD_cb65dgIQr1bz33G1cGA5knDSz4S5yEQTSxyQOSlU/edit#gid=0), what stood out to me: - Network accessline 135
 - Network accessline 137
 - Network accessline 143
- [A Rake Too Far](https://abovethecrowd.com/2013/04/18/a-rake-too-far-optimal-platformpricing-strategy/) by Bill Gurley - Network accessline 144
- [How to set pricing in your marketplace](https://www.sharetribe.com/academy/how-to-set-pricing-in-your-marketplace/) by Juho Makkonen - Network accessline 145
- [My running collection of take rates](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1VD_cb65dgIQr1bz33G1cGA5knDSz4S5yEQTSxyQOSlU/edit#gid=0) - Network accessline 149
## **🔥 Job opening of the week:**[Lead Product Manager at Quartzy](https://jobs.lever.co/quartzy/2b7342f1-9382-40f3-a119-2a7a90237020?lever-origin=applied&lever-source%5B%5D=Lenny%27s) - Network accessline 151
> *Quartzy is in hyper-growth mode and our SaaS platform has an exciting roadmap for 2021! If you're interested in building technologies that help research labs handle, order and optimize their resources daily, take a look at this role.* > - Network accessline 153
> [Learn more](https://jobs.lever.co/quartzy/2b7342f1-9382-40f3-a119-2a7a90237020?lever-origin=applied&lever-source%5B%5D=Lenny%27s) - Network accessline 157
1. **Product**: [AbstractOps](https://work.abstractops.com/3003f61f65d44cfdbebfdd01677f1adb), [Decent](https://decent.breezy.hr/p/a976bf37026c-product-lead), [Goldcast](https://boards.greenhouse.io/goldcast/jobs/4009779004), [Rocketplace](h - Network accessline 158
2. **Growth**: [Offsyte](https://www.notion.so/Growth-Marketing-Manager-3fbc68b7dcc2411c857a2753bd4e70f7), [SpaceX Starlink](https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5032353002?gh_jid=5032353002&gh_src=seekorswimcom) - Network accessline 159
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Eppo](https://www.notion.so/Eppo-Founding-Designer-57b62fbe7832400396 - Network accessline 160
4. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 161
5. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Eppo](https://www.notion.so/Eppo-Founding-Data-Engineer-45533e4fc79c4c4d97b8302c051243bc), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/S - Network accessline 162
6. **Fullstack engineer**: [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [Mem](https://get.mem.ai/careers#product-engineer), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product-first-Full-stack-Engineer-5e056689b68048aeb1ccfea6ac73eb9e), [S - Network accessline 163
7. **Mobile engineer**: [Nocap](https://www.notion.so/nocapnotion/Software-Engineer-iOS-058677353900453ca6b60c62445ac3a0), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Styt - Network accessline 164
8. **Game economy designer**: [Sorare](https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/companies/sorare/jobs/game-economy-designer_paris_SORAR_kYW8MjK) - Network accessline 170
2. **Listen**: A 5m documentary about a rainy afternoon in Japan (via [Edith Zimmerman](https://drawinglinks.substack.com/)) - Network accessline 172
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5SLi-GZ0Z4) - Network accessline 174
3. **Read**: [Marketplace Supply Strategy: Comprehensive, Exclusive, or Curated](https://a16z.com/2021/03/31/marketplace-supply-strategy/) by Casey Winters and Anne Lewandowski - Network accessline 178
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/choosing-your-north-star-metric.md
- Network accessline 10
This is just quick email to let you know [I wrote a guest post](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/) for [Future](https://future.a16z.com/) (a16z’s new media site) that I’m pretty excited about. It’s a guide for helping you choose y - Network accessline 12
[Read the full post](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/) - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 16
If you have any feedback, questions, or thoughts, I’d love to hear it [in the comments](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/publish/post/https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/choosing-your-north-star-metric/comments). - Network accessline 18
[Read the full post](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/)
references/02-newsletters/communicating-bad-news---issue-26-2.md
- Network accessline 14
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hexi!,f_auto,q
references/02-newsletters/communicating-bad-news---issue-26.md
- Network accessline 10
Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and welcome to a **🔒 subscriber-only weekly edition 🔒** of my newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing y - Network accessline 12
***🚨 Paid-subscribers only**: I’m exploring launching a private online community, exclusively for paid subscribers. If you’d like to join when it launches, [get on the waitlist here](https://email.mg1.substack.com/c/eJwlkNFKxTAMhp9mvRxZ1231 - Network accessline 18
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hexi!,f_auto,q - Network accessline 32
3. **Share the context:** When sharing the results for the first time, remind leaders why they decided to give this a shot in the first place. Put together a brief deck (or doc) that includes the background on the project, including the ini - Network accessline 34
5. **You and your projects are not the same thing**: Although it’s important to be excited and bought into the projects you take on, it’s also important to not build your identity around your projects (both internally, or in the eyes of you - Network accessline 44
1. **Read**: [Why Specific Positive Feedback is So Important](https://summation.net/2020/02/19/why-specific-positive-feedback-is-so-important/) (via [@auren](https://twitter.com/auren)) - Network accessline 45
2. **Scroll**: [Wealth shown to scale](https://mkorostoff.github.io/1-pixel-wealth/) — Spend sixty seconds on this page and try to keep your head from exploding - Network accessline 46
3. **Watch**: A guy runs running a mile every hour for 26 hours (equaling a marathon), and in between every lap does household chores. Who’s more impressive, him, or [this guy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL05N7lagvg)? Hard to say. - Network accessline 48
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvT5XS7j-Dc)
references/02-newsletters/content-driven-growth.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a ✨ **once-a-month free edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressin - Network accessline 14
1. *[How to increase your product’s virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[Becoming a senior product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/senior-product-manager)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Examples of great job descriptions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/examples-of-great-job-postings)* - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 34
1. **User-Generated SEO-Optimized (UGSO):** Your users generate public content that Google finds and surfaces in organic search. This primarily drives the growth of companies like **[Quora](https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-become-a-product-ma - Network accessline 35
2. **Editorially generated SEO-optimized (EGSO):** Employees (or contractors) of the company create content with the goal of ranking higher for certain keywords. This primarily drives the growth of companies like **[Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.c - Network accessline 36
3. **Data-generated SEO-optimized (DGSO):** This strategy is the combination of UGC and Editorial—your company auto-magically generates thousands of individual pages off your UGC and proprietary data. This primarily drives the growth of com - Network accessline 37
4. **User-generated virality-optimized (UGVO):** UGC leads to users sharing that content with their friends, which then pulls those friends into the product. **TikTok** is the ultimate example of this (users sharing watermarked videos with - Network accessline 38
5. **Editorially generated virality-optimized (EGVO)**: Employees/founders make one-off viral content—also known as thought leadership or brand building: content that the founder/company creates with the goal of having that content spread t - Network accessline 40
In previous posts, we’ve explored the top-left quadrant ([data and user-generated SEO](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/crafting-an-seo-strategy-issue-34)), and the bottom half ([viral growth strategies](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/i - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 44
[I asked Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1348764224739164160) which companies do this type of content-driven growth best, and four companies came up over and over: **Slidebean**, **Ahrefs**, **Intercom**,and **HubSpot**. - Network accessline 46
 - Network accessline 60
*A* huge *thank-you to [Caya](https://twitter.com/cayahere) (Slidebean), [Tim Soulo](https://twitter.com/timsoulo) (Ahrefs), [Kieran Flanagan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieranjflanagan) (HubSpot), [John Collins](https://twitter.com/jaycee - Network accessline 76
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/content-driven-growth-strategy/comments) - Network accessline 80
**[Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com/blog/):** Have published 300+ posts with 1.5M visits/month. Most popular content: - Network accessline 82
- [Top 100 Most Visited Websites by Search Traffic (2021)](https://ahrefs.com/blog/most-visited-websites/) - Network accessline 83
- [Affiliate Marketing for Beginners: 7 Steps to Success](https://ahrefs.com/blog/affiliate-marketing/) - Network accessline 84
- [Top Google Searches (2021)](https://ahrefs.com/blog/top-google-searches/) - Network accessline 86
**[Slidebean](https://slidebean.com/):** Have published 250+ videos with 160K visits/month. Most popular content: - Network accessline 88
- [Boosted Boards: from flight risk to $70 million failure](https://youtu.be/jxPDeFT4oTE) - Network accessline 89
- [Zoom company story: How Eric Yuan defeated Skype](https://youtu.be/p9YUjzmiiSk) - Network accessline 90
- [How Spotify beat Apple at their own game](https://youtu.be/IZnTp_iCrRY) - Network accessline 92
**[Intercom](https://www.intercom.com/):** Have published 870 posts and 262 podcasts, with 100K+ visits/month and 75K+ listeners/month, respectively. Most popular content: - Network accessline 94
- [RICE: Simple prioritization for product managers](https://www.intercom.com/blog/rice-simple-prioritization-for-product-managers/) - Network accessline 95
- [Design workshops that work: how to get better at brainstorming](https://www.intercom.com/blog/running-design-workshops/) - Network accessline 96
- [What is a product manager and what do they do?](https://www.intercom.com/blog/qa-what-does-a-product-manager-do/) - Network accessline 98
**[HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com/):** In HubSpot’s early days, 30% or more of their customers came from demand generated by their blog posts. Also, if you look at their web traffic (organic, direct, referral), it’s bigger than a lot of o - Network accessline 118
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3_aAxneu2w) - Network accessline 186
> “We’re very ambitious about having a real media company within HubSpot. Inbound/media has always been how we’ve differentiated ourselves from most other SaaS brands. > > We’re so serious about this, [we bought a media company](https://blo - Network accessline 187
> > We’re so serious about this, [we bought a media company](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/why-hubspot-is-acquiring-the-hustle). > - Network accessline 188
> We’re so serious about this, [we bought a media company](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/why-hubspot-is-acquiring-the-hustle). - Network accessline 213
> “We have [Josh](https://twitter.com/JoshuaCHardwick), who is in charge of our blog content, and two in-house marketers who are creating content together with Josh: [SQ](https://twitter.com/siquanong) and [Michal](https://twitter.com/micha - Network accessline 214
> > [Patrick](https://twitter.com/patrickstox) is responsible for slightly more technical content on our blog, but he does it part-time, since he also belongs to our product team and his feedback is needed there too. > - Network accessline 215
> [Patrick](https://twitter.com/patrickstox) is responsible for slightly more technical content on our blog, but he does it part-time, since he also belongs to our product team and his feedback is needed there too. - Network accessline 216
> > We also have [Sam](https://twitter.com/samsgoh), who is in charge of our video content. > - Network accessline 217
> We also have [Sam](https://twitter.com/samsgoh), who is in charge of our video content. - Network accessline 237
> “These days, we use [this tool](https://slidebean.com/youtube-suggest-a-video) to decide what videos to make. I partially summarized how we got started and how we operate today in these two YouTube videos:” - Network accessline 239
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viyKWTfT-g4)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tvLKfH6qsw) - Network accessline 275
> “**Video content is expensive and a long-term bet!** It will take months to create an audience, and that means dozens of videos. If you have to hire someone for the production, it will be an expensive bet and one that few companies will b - Network accessline 277
> When it’s working, it’s a real beauty. We’ve seen people engage and recall our brand better than ever (look at what happened with [your tweet](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1348764224739164160), which drove ~5K visits to our website - Network accessline 279
*Thanks, [Caya](https://twitter.com/cayahere) (Slidebean), [Tim Soulo](https://twitter.com/timsoulo) (Ahrefs), [Kieran Flanagan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieranjflanagan) (HubSpot), and [John Collins](https://twitter.com/jaycee001) (Inte - Network accessline 283
The four companies we looked at above use content with primarily one goal: to drive top-of-funnel traffic. Webflow does this too; however, even more interestingly, they use content in a very different way: to increase new-user success. They - Network accessline 285
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC72-AA-1Kg) - Network accessline 289
To learn about Webflow’s approach, I got in touch with [Mischa Vaughn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mischavn/), the director of content and communications at Webflow, who very generously agreed to share lessons on behalf of the education tea - Network accessline 299
> “Video was always a high priority for Webflow. Even on the day we launched, one of the founders created a full-site build walkthrough that was crucial in onboarding customers. But one day in 2016, **a passionate member of our community po - Network accessline 325
Thank you, [Mischa](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mischavn/)! - Network accessline 327
And thank you to everyone else who contributed to this post: [Caya](https://twitter.com/cayahere) (Slidebean), [Tim Soulo](https://twitter.com/timsoulo) (Ahrefs), [Kieran Flanagan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kieranjflanagan) (HubSpot), [Jo - Network accessline 331
## **🔥 Job opening of the week:** [Product Manager at Forward](https://jobs.lever.co/goforward/1a29023e-97d0-4904-90f7-3ddceff8aea1?lever-source=ForwardJobsLP) - Network accessline 333
> Forward is building the world's most advanced healthcare platform by combining hardware, software, and doctors under one roof to make high-quality healthcare available to all. > > [Learn more about this role](https://jobs.lever.co/goforwa - Network accessline 335
> [Learn more about this role](https://jobs.lever.co/goforward/1a29023e-97d0-4904-90f7-3ddceff8aea1?lever-source=ForwardJobsLP) - Network accessline 339
1. **Product**: [Rocketplace](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Rocketplace/11bc424f-e80f-4bab-aa96-517c01a6d511), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/), [UserLeap](https://boards.greenhouse.io/userleap/jobs/4279026003) - Network accessline 340
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [SpaceX Starlink](https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5032353002?gh_jid=5032353002&gh_src=seekorswimcom) - Network accessline 341
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/1175906-lead-p - Network accessline 342
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 343
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Point380](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2415394722/?capColoOverride=true), [Practice](https://www.no - Network accessline 344
6. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-Backend-6d954206f00b446289f18bf51960ca34), [Reclaim](https://reclaim - Network accessline 345
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [Iggy](https://www.notion.so/askiggy/Full-Stack-Engineer-IggyAPI-5a8c - Network accessline 346
8. **Mobile engineer**: [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://jobs.lever.co/stytch/d3bf3860-4aaa-4a23-8e28-dad20957be44) - Network accessline 347
9. **Game economy designer**: [Sorare](https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/companies/sorare/jobs/game-economy-designer_paris_SORAR_kYW8MjK)
references/02-newsletters/counterintuitive-advice-for-building-ai-products.md
- Network accessline 10
You’re either building AI into your product now or you will be soon. And you’re probably already swimming in advice on the subject. But most of the advice out there is full of big, lofty ideas and light on tactics rooted in actual experienc - Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 16
You’re in good company. A recent [survey](https://docsend.com/view/pi629vaxy57u9qvb) by Emergence Capital found that 60% of companies have already integrated generative AI into their products, and another 24% have it on their roadmap. AI is - Network accessline 18
Unfortunately, many of these efforts will end in failure. Most early AI apps have a [“tourist”](https://twitter.com/omooretweets/status/1770470084601114837) problem: they get a lot of traction quickly but have [shockingly low retention and - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 26
> *“It takes time to think AI-native. The first-pass product is often a bolt-on or simple chat experience. **The high-value experience is a deeper rethink** once you have played with the technology, understood what it really provides more d - Network accessline 28
> —[Elad Gil](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eladgil/), technology entrepreneur and investor - Network accessline 30
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcvIGJ3_H_k) - Network accessline 31
> *“**It’s actually easier and safer for startups to work on hard problems, problems that cannot quite be solved with today’s foundation models.** We’re excited about riding the capability curve of improving models, instead of fighting that - Network accessline 33
> —[Sarah Guo](https://twitter.com/saranormous), startup investor and founder at Conviction - Network accessline 37
> *With AI, it is wholly unclear if something is possible to build. And when it is built, it is wholly unclear if it is any good, even if it appears to be good. Often the best place to start projects is by asking, **‘What is technologically - Network accessline 39
> —[Paul Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauladams/), chief product officer at Intercom - Network accessline 41
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fJ3rYVlfYE) - Network accessline 45
> *“**Demo value isn’t user value.** Building a cool AI demo doesn’t mean we have a product that customers love and is useful.”* > > —[Joshua Xu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/buffxz/), co-founder and CEO at HeyGen - Network accessline 47
> —[Joshua Xu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/buffxz/), co-founder and CEO at HeyGen - Network accessline 49
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEE875kutbk) - Network accessline 52
> *Many have discussed the AI ‘phantom PMF’ phenomenon, where novelty-driven acquisition leads to a steep churn cliff, but the reverse is also true. I frequently speak with customers who reject AI products that meet their needs simply becau - Network accessline 53
> >  > - Network accessline 54
>  - Network accessline 58
> 1. *Longitudinal validation: Are we testing for a long enough period to understand how engagement changes once the novelty wears off?* > 2. *High-touch testing: Are we staying close enough to users to understand how their attitudes, which - Network accessline 59
> 2. *High-touch testing: Are we staying close enough to users to understand how their attitudes, which drive engagement patterns, change daily? We’re experimenting with user Slack groups instead of traditional surveys and one-on-one qualit - Network accessline 60
> 3. *Attitudinal segmentation: Are we including both AI embracers and AI skeptics in our early testing groups? Crucially, are we segmenting them carefully to avoid averaging out their engagement and creating [‘tepid tea’](https://theaccide - Network accessline 62
> —[Hilary Gridley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarygridley/), head of core app product at WHOOP - Network accessline 64
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIaNjKYImFA) - Network accessline 65
> *“Building fantastic product experiences hasn’t gotten easier with AI. Sci-fi capabilities of the models are inspiring, but that’s not what makes AI products great. Good old-fashioned product engineering does. **This means homing in on re - Network accessline 67
> —[Caitlin Colgrove](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colgrove/), co-founder and chief technology officer at Hex - Network accessline 69
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvq7M0Cd9HQ) - Network accessline 70
> *“Most people think about AI-assisted services in terms of the model quality, but model quality is just a tiny piece of the total product. It turns out that post-processing filters, contractual guarantees, data privacy, feedback loops, ob - Network accessline 72
> —[Ryan J. Salva](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjsalva/), vice president of product at GitHub - Network accessline 82
> ***All of this underscored to us that AI tools require a combination of intuitive product design and broader, ongoing education to support these behavior shifts.** You can't ‘flip the switch’ with AI—society is in the midst of change at a - Network accessline 84
> —[Cameron Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue/?originalSubdomain=au), co-founder and chief product officer at Canva - Network accessline 86
> *“Experimenting to find the right UI/UX for an AI feature can have an equally big impact on conversion metrics as research updates to the AI model itself. The right UX doesn’t just make new model capabilities more discoverable—it actually - Network accessline 88
> —[Joel Kwartler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelkwartler/), head of product at Runway - Network accessline 90
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nByslCkykj8) - Network accessline 96
> *What are the implications of this? **Companies that have or really understand data in a deep vertical will have an advantage.** **And designers will be more important than ever before**, imagining entirely new ways to transform the inter - Network accessline 98
> —[Scott Belsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbelsky/), chief strategy officer and executive vice president (EVP) of design and emerging products at Adobe; founder of Behance - Network accessline 100
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpiALnqE-VQ) - Network accessline 104
> *“**Start with a core workflow that feels like a chore where the promise-to-payoff is high if you get it right.** You want to select a place where the upfront user effort (like taking the leap to try it out or customizing it) yields a big - Network accessline 106
> —[Paige Costello](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigecostello/), head of AI at Asana - Network accessline 108
 - Network accessline 112
> *“We talk so much in software about how users don’t care about how something is built; they care about the job software does for them. **But we’ve found that branding AI-powered products as ‘AI-powered’ (as cringe as that can be) does mor - Network accessline 114
> —[James Evans](https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-evans-7086b3126/), co-founder and CEO at CommandBar - Network accessline 116
 - Network accessline 117
> ***“ ‘AI mandates’ at larger companies create a window for startups to gain customers faster than they could pre-AI**,simply because the board and CEO of larger companies are pushing for something in AI to happen in their org.”* > > —[Ela - Network accessline 119
> —[Elad Gil](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eladgil/), technology entrepreneur and investor - Network accessline 123
> *“**The smallest (and almost invisible) features are usually the fan favorites.** Things like pre-filling names, tiny bits of UI magic, simple data transformations often have a bigger impact and more customer adoption than the Big AI Feat - Network accessline 125
> —[Claire Vo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairevo/), chief product officer at LaunchDarkly and founder at ChatPRD - Network accessline 127
> *“**Look less at ‘what cool new things could AI do’ but more at ‘what’s the thing our users do 100 times a day that AI could make better.’** An example for us is writing a summary for an incident. It turns out that users vastly, vastly pr - Network accessline 129
> —[Stephen Whitworth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwhitworth/), co-founder and CEO at Incident.io - Network accessline 131
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHUhC5vHDZk) - Network accessline 135
> *“People need and want a lot of customization to make AI products work for their use case. They are willing to put in a lot of effort curating prompts, experimenting with models, and building on APIs that were never even imaginable a year - Network accessline 137
> —[Johnny Ho](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hjohnny/), co-founder and chief strategy officer at Perplexity - Network accessline 139
 - Network accessline 142
> *GitHub Copilot has an acceptance rate of 35%. That is to say, developers commit 35% of Copilot suggestions into their code editor. A ‘good enough’ acceptance rate will differ based on the use case and customer cohort. The best way to fin - Network accessline 144
> —[Ryan J. Salva](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanjsalva/), vice president of product at GitHub - Network accessline 146
 - Network accessline 147
> *“A significant amount of AI innovation is in the prompt. Time and time again, I’ve seen teams reach this aha moment of realizing **they don’t necessarily need to build new features, but they need to spend time on making their prompts bet - Network accessline 149
> —[Sherif Mansour](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherifmansour/?originalSubdomain=au), distinguished product manager at Atlassian - Network accessline 153
> *“[RAG](https://aws.amazon.com/what-is/retrieval-augmented-generation/) works surprisingly well if you give it the right context and ask the model to include links to the sources. If built the right way, AI-infused products automatically - Network accessline 155
> —[Dan Siroker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsiroker/), co-founder and CEO at Limitless - Network accessline 157
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt_WnR_GZqs) - Network accessline 161
> *“Initially an AI model might perform well with a limited set of tasks or data. **However, not planning for the scalability of both the AI system and its infrastructure can lead to performance bottlenecks as user demands increase**.This o - Network accessline 163
> —[Chris Lu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lu11/), co-founder at Copy.ai - Network accessline 165
 - Network accessline 166
> *“It’s easy to build too much ‘scaffolding’ logic on top of base models in the pursuit of optimizing quality. Fine-tuning and few-shot example training the models directly have been far more effective at improving quality for us. Beyond t - Network accessline 168
> —[Henri Liriani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hliriani/), co-founder and chief product officer of Tome - Network accessline 170
 - Network accessline 174
> *“While the previous generation of AI/ML breakthroughs like recommendation or ranking systems were finding the best product-market fit with products that took time away from people (social media, etc.), this new wave of generative AI seem - Network accessline 176
> —[Gaurav Misra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gamisra1/), co-founder and CEO at Captions - Network accessline 178
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9yNocxacHs) - Network accessline 182
> *“**The thing we’ve learned: speed wins.** Take, for example, Instant Reply or Auto Summarize. Gmail and Outlook have similar features, but you have to generate the replies and summaries on demand—and then wait for them to finish generati - Network accessline 184
> —[Rahul Vohra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulvohra/), founder and CEO at Superhuman - Network accessline 186
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiNWdByBU98) - Network accessline 200
*A huge thank-you to [Caitlin Colgrove](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colgrove/), [Cameron Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue/), [Chris Lu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-lu11/), [Claire Vo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairev - Network accessline 208
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 212
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/defending-your-big-bets.md
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[While working on this post, I put a call out on Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1363549295815835656) asking PMs, founders, and leaders what has worked best for them to allow their “big bets” to survive to launch. Here are my f - Network accessline 48
— [Sriram Krishnan](https://twitter.com/sriramk/status/1363561158955790336), PM ex-Twitter, Snap, FB, Microsoft - Network accessline 52
— [Jason Warner,](https://twitter.com/jasoncwarner/status/1363570831012454401) CTO GitHub - Network accessline 56
— [Tomer London](https://twitter.com/tomerlondon/status/1363551076788568066), co-founder Gusto - Network accessline 60
— [Zoelle Egner](https://twitter.com/zoelle/status/1363550791659790336), ex-marketing at Airtable, Box - Network accessline 64
— [Anand Chandrasekaran](https://twitter.com/anandc/status/1363559445628821504), EVP Product Management at Five9 - Network accessline 68
— [Robleh Jama](https://twitter.com/robjama/status/1363562057573015553), Director of Product at Shopify - Network accessline 72
— [Ben Perreau](https://twitter.com/perreau/status/1363550352650330112), Principal, SYPartners - Network accessline 74
Don’t miss [the full thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1363549295815835656) for much more great advice. - Network accessline 78
1. [Rock, Pebble, and Sand Product and Portfolio Management](https://dragonboat.io/rock-pebbles-and-sand-product-and-portfolio-management/) by Becky Flint - Network accessline 79
2. [Why you need to innovate on three horizons](https://versionone.vc/need-innovate-three-horizons/) by Boris Wertz - Network accessline 80
3. [Thinking in Bets](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074DG9LQF/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) by Annie Duke - Network accessline 81
4. [Why The Impact Effort Prioritization Matrix Doesn’t Work](https://itamargilad.com/why-impact-effort-prioritization-doesnt-work/) by Itamar Gilad - Network accessline 82
5. [Ruthless Prioritization](https://blackboxofpm.com/ruthless-prioritization-e4256e3520a9) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 86
## **🔥 Job opening of the week:**[Senior Product Manager at ResearchGate](https://www.researchgate.net/careers/senior-product-manager-m-f-d-b4ddc0a7-9f17-4109-83c0-b88d82d0daa8) - Network accessline 88
> ResearchGate are currently looking for a senior product leader who is interested in leading a high-output process to deliver exceptional products. > > [Learn more](https://www.researchgate.net/careers/senior-product-manager-m-f-d-b4ddc0a7 - Network accessline 90
> [Learn more](https://www.researchgate.net/careers/senior-product-manager-m-f-d-b4ddc0a7-9f17-4109-83c0-b88d82d0daa8) - Network accessline 94
1. **Product**: [Clearbanc](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2438839063), [Decent](https://decent.breezy.hr/p/a976bf37026c-product-lead), [Rocketplace](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Rocketplace/11bc424f-e80f-4bab-aa96-517c01a6d511), [Transform - Network accessline 95
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [SpaceX Starlink](https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5032353002?gh_jid=5032353002&gh_src=seekorswimcom) - Network accessline 96
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/1175906-lead-p - Network accessline 97
4. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 98
5. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-Backend-6d954206f00b446289f18bf51960ca34), [Reclaim](https://reclaim - Network accessline 99
6. **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Emporii](https://www.notion.so/emporii/Senior-Full-Stack-Engineer-5a149801dcfa4ce89a43ccdc19857daa), [Icebreaker](https://ice - Network accessline 100
7. **Mobile engineer**: [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://jobs.lever.co/stytch/d3bf3860-4aaa-4a23-8e28-dad20957be44) - Network accessline 101
8. **Game economy designer**: [Sorare](https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/companies/sorare/jobs/game-economy-designer_paris_SORAR_kYW8MjK) - Network accessline 107
2. **Read**: [Diagnose with data, treat with design](https://twitter.com/joulee/status/1367875690939346949?s=21) by Julie Zhou - Network accessline 109
3. **Write:** [Seven tactical copywriting tips](https://ckarchive.com/b/38uphkhg4m0d) from Harry Dry - Network accessline 111
 - Network accessline 115
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/demand-driving-supply-the-little-understood-growth-loop-behind-a-surprising-numb.md
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*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you - Network accessline 12
1. *[GTM motions of 30 B2B SaaS companies](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gtm-motions)* - Network accessline 13
2. *[Templates and examples of 1-Pagers and PRDs](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prds-1-pagers-examples)* - Network accessline 14
3. *[A guide to marketplace city expansion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/marketplace-city-expansion)* - Network accessline 18
#### Book of the month: *[The Cold Start Problem](https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Start-Problem-Andrew-Chen/dp/0062969749/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0)*, by Andrew Chen - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 22
Did you know that [Andrew Chen](https://andrewchen.com/) has a book coming out?? Yes, the same Andrew Chen who’s written some of the most well-known growth essays out there (and who for the past three years has been working on this book ins - Network accessline 24
1. [Growth Hacker is the new VP Marketing](https://andrewchen.com/how-to-be-a-growth-hacker-an-airbnbcraigslist-case-study/) - Network accessline 25
2. [How to build a growth team](https://andrewchen.com/how-to-build-a-growth-team/) - Network accessline 26
3. [The Law of Shitty Clickthroughs](https://andrewchen.com/the-law-of-shitty-clickthroughs/) - Network accessline 27
4. [The Power User Curve: The best way to understand your most engaged users](https://andrewchen.com/power-user-curve/) - Network accessline 31
[Pre-order The Cold Start Problem](https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Start-Problem-Andrew-Chen/dp/0062969749/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0) - Network accessline 39
To study the growth loop you’ve identified within your business—where your demand is directly driving your supply—I’ve pulled in Brian Rothenberg, who presented a memorable talk on this very topic at a recent conference. Brian has spent the - Network accessline 41
*For more from Brian, you can find him on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bmrothenberg), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianrothenberg/), and [his website](https://brianrothenberg.com/).* - Network accessline 47
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In Lenny’s post [“Magical growth loops,”](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/magical-growth-loops) he shares several examples of this in action. For instance, Lyft: - Network accessline 61
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Other hugely successful startups have benefited from this built-in dynamic as well. For example, former Square COO [Keith Rabois](https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith/) once shared that in the early days, approximately 1% of people who bought - Network accessline 75
Eventbrite’s Series A investor and board member [Roelof Botha](https://www.sequoiacap.com/people/roelof-botha/) from Sequoia Capital first saw this growth opportunity in his diligence process and talked about it in a 2009 TechCrunch intervi - Network accessline 77
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Building on anecdotes and qualitative evidence that buyer-to-seller conversion was already happening even at a very early stage, early employees [Felicia Evans](https://www.linkedin.com/in/feliciayiu), [Tamara Mendelsohn](https://www.linked - Network accessline 87
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I’ve asked friends at companies that have experienced this demand-to-supply loop what they’ve seen in terms of conversion rates. I’ve heard a pretty broad range, from roughly 0.5% to around 5% of users, starting as demand-side users and the - Network accessline 101
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[Continue reading online 👉](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/demand-driving-supply-marketplaces) - Network accessline 171
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[Thrilling](https://shopthrilling.com/), the leading marketplace for quality vintage clothing, helping 20,000+ small retailers digitize and sell their unique products online (disclaimer: I’m an investor), benefits from this viral loop as we - Network accessline 189
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If those header changes seem too subtle, check out the old Airbnb experiment that my former growth team colleague [Felicia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/feliciayiu/) captured: - Network accessline 207
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Beyond the general awesomeness of using a large pop-up with social proof to call attention to “List your space,” I love that [Gustaf Alstromer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustafalstromer), Airbnb’s former growth product lead, is the first - Network accessline 213
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Are you seeing this demand-to-supply growth loop emerging in your startup? [Let me know!](https://twitter.com/bmrothenberg) - Network accessline 267
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1. **Mynd:** [Senior Growth Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c4bde52c-d66e-4b42-96fb-2ba861f72e27) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 274
2. **Mynd:** [Product Lead, Internal Tools](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/b6da1eaa-5a2b-4ad4-92f9-5ac4b9f764e5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 275
3. **CHPTR:** [Founding Back-End Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c96f89cb-0288-4028-ae4d-f380567449de) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 276
4. **Permutive:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/1ff1e376-ab34-4138-ba4a-822475672a93) (NYC) - Network accessline 277
5. **CloudTrucks:** [Product Manager-Console (Workflows & Automations)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/68d092da-db3a-4f25-8b95-2072342c18fe) (SF) - Network accessline 278
6. **Fairchain:** [Software Engineer, Full Stack](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f2963b88-7eaf-4b4d-9788-4b58f5c6b785) (NYC) - Network accessline 279
7. **HomeLight:** [Senior Product Manager, Listing Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/48c02f5e-e681-4b83-9012-fb08ae2c1e52) (SF, Phoenix, Seattle) - Network accessline 280
8. **Perfect Recall:**[Founding Fullstack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/7ac1bf05-0aa6-436e-8546-6e14c5222f7e) (Waterloo) - Network accessline 281
9. **Spatial:** [Backend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/9424b997-d1e3-4eb1-8b0a-e9f1cc622fb5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 282
10. **Maven:**[Product Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/de48b7e9-782d-4c3e-a354-6abd66fb7d0d) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 283
11. **Republic:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/da2ec715-1731-4709-9194-e4c630709ab1) (NYC, Remote-US) - Network accessline 285
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 289
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/differentiating-your-product.md
- Network accessline 12
[Michael Porter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Porter), one of the most cited authors in business and economics and generally seen as the godfather of business strategy, spent decades studying what it takes to build a durable busine - Network accessline 19
> #### “Constant improvement in operational effectiveness is necessary to achieve superior profitability. However, it is not usually sufficient. Few companies have competed successfully on the basis of operational effectiveness over an exte - Network accessline 21
> #### —Michael Porter, *[On Competition](https://www.amazon.com/Competition-Updated-Expanded-Michael-Porter/dp/142212696X)* - Network accessline 23
Why? Because your competition will learn from your success, copy you, and eat away at your margins. It becomes a race to the bottom. If you can instead run a different race, the competitive field becomes less crowded. This is why [Etsy came - Network accessline 25
> #### “If you stay in the shadow of your larger competitors and never establish your differentness, you will always be weak.” > > #### —Jack Trout, *[Differentiate or Die](https://www.amazon.com/Differentiate-Die-Survival-Killer-Competitio - Network accessline 27
> #### —Jack Trout, *[Differentiate or Die](https://www.amazon.com/Differentiate-Die-Survival-Killer-Competition-ebook/dp/B000U5I6QU/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=)* - Network accessline 29
Differentiating becomes even more important if you’re entering a crowded market or coming after an established player. You need to give people a reason to choose you, and to even pay attention in the first place. Think about Robinhood comin - Network accessline 31
Seeing how important differentiation is, I was surprised to find very little advice on *how* one can differentiate. There are great [books](https://www.amazon.com/Positioning-Battle-Your-Al-Ries/dp/0071373586) and [posts](https://www.lennys - Network accessline 43
 - Network accessline 49
 - Network accessline 53
 - Network accessline 59
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 - Network accessline 77
 - Network accessline 86
 - Network accessline 92
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Finally, an underappreciated differentiator, which is especially powerful in the early stages, is to laser-focus on a small, underserved market. By definition, if a market is underserved, there’s very little competition. Wish focused on [va - Network accessline 101
Here’s a fascinating look ([courtesy of a16z](https://a16z.com/2021/11/19/the-rise-of-many-in-consumer-fintech/)) at how the fintech space is playing out, with different startups going after different niches: - Network accessline 103
 - Network accessline 128
1. *[On Competition](https://www.amazon.com/Competition-Updated-Expanded-Michael-Porter/dp/142212696X)* by Michael Porter - Network accessline 129
2. *[Differentiate or Die](https://www.amazon.com/Differentiate-Die-Survival-Killer-Competition-ebook/dp/B000U5I6QU/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=)* by Jack Trout - Network accessline 130
3. [A quick-start guide to positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning) by April Dunford - Network accessline 136
1. **Otta:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/896bc872-ef34-44a5-85bd-74784e9bea89) (London) - Network accessline 137
2. **Sonar:** [Product Manager, Integrations](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/d830dd44-5885-452a-a0fc-681a667d20c5) (ATL, Remote-US) - Network accessline 138
3. **LiveAuctioneers:** [Senior Product Manager, Platform](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4550e1ee-d35a-4975-9bb1-ec28725672cc) (NYC, Lehi UT) - Network accessline 139
4. **Writer:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/2da796a4-bd41-4797-b052-3224fc5adbf2) (SF, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 140
5. **Shortwave:** [Growth Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/f67128c7-7420-4e94-8548-5c9bfdfbe66e) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 141
6. **Casual:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c03a7db8-67f0-4b79-a82b-e4bf8ef624d1)(Remote-EU) - Network accessline 143
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 147
1. **Watch:** [Most people don’t know how bikes work](https://kottke.org/21/11/most-people-dont-know-how-bikes-work) - Network accessline 149
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cNmUNHSBac) - Network accessline 151
2. **Listen:** [Prophets of Doom](https://www.dancarlin.com/product/hardcore-history-48-prophets-of-doom/) by Dan Carlin - Network accessline 152
3. **Read:** [My first impressions of web3](https://moxie.org/2022/01/07/web3-first-impressions.html) by Moxie Marlinspike - Network accessline 156
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/ecosystem-is-the-next-big-growth-channel.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey there, I’m Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podca - Network accessline 12
*Annual subscribers get a **free year of 17+ premium products**: [Devin, Lovable, Replit, Bolt, n8n, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, Gamma, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, ChatPRD + Stripe Atlas](https: - Network accessline 14
I’m always on the lookout for alpha to share with you on what the most successful companies are doing differently—so you can do it as well. This post is the epitome of that. [Emily Kramer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykramer/) has ident - Network accessline 16
Below, Emily shares how you can implement this strategy yourself, along with dozens of real-world examples of how top companies are executing it. For more insights from Emily, check out her excellent [newsletter](https://newsletter.mkt1.co/ - Network accessline 18
*P.S. You can listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@le - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 36
[Tom Orbach](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/tomorbach_building-an-audience-from-scratch-is-stupid-activity-7376883159348428800-6cFa?rcm=ACoAAAC36HYBYwE6pfdDyi_36enIwk6IrfnVTyU), the director of growth marketing at Wiz, said it best: “Why st - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 44
 - Network accessline 50
#### [Supabase](https://supabase.com/) - Network accessline 54
→ [Supabase went from 1 million to over 4.5 million](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7381727584788811778?updateEntityUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afs_updateV2%3A%28urn%3Ali%3Aactivity%3A7381727584788811778%2CFEED_DETAIL%2CEMPTY%2CDEFA - Network accessline 56
> *“Community and virality aren’t ‘intangible.’ Supabase shows how to turn organic pull (GitHub stars, YC adoption, vibe-coding buzz) from developers into structured funnels, lifecycle paths, and monetization.” —[Aaron Cort, operating partn - Network accessline 58
#### [Clay](https://www.clay.com/) - Network accessline 64
#### [Lovable](https://lovable.dev) - Network accessline 66
Lovable helps builders quickly create apps that are naturally shareable—a classic driver of viral growth (think “Built with Webflow” or “Made in Typeform” badges). But Lovable accelerates this virality through community-driven initiatives l - Network accessline 70
> *“For years, the marketing playbook was predictable, but not anymore. All the attention has shifted to the creator economy. **The goal is no longer to produce everything in-house but to empower creators to generate content about you**,and - Network accessline 72
#### [Gamma](https://gamma.app/) - Network accessline 76
→ Gamma attributes **over half of their growth** to influencers, and founder Grant Lee breaks down [the details in this post](https://x.com/thisisgrantlee/status/1966874658680303880). - Network accessline 78
#### [Vercel](https://vercel.com/) - Network accessline 80
Vercel’s huge developer community builds on [Next.js](https://next.js) (which Vercel leads work on), and those projects naturally scale into Vercel enterprise deals. - Network accessline 84
#### [ElevenLabs](https://elevenlabs.io/) - Network accessline 86
**ElevenLabs** turned users into contributors through its Voice Library. Voice actors upload voices and earn money when they’re used, which attracts more creators. These voices also power viral content like “[AI presidents](https://www.yout - Network accessline 88
→ [ElevenLabs hit $100 million ARR with just 50 employees](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/technology/ai-silicon-valley-start-ups.html). Without its paid creator ecosystem (over *[$1 million to creators in 2025](https://elevenlabs.io/voi - Network accessline 90
 - Network accessline 92
You’ll see ecosystem flywheels behind nearly every fast-growing AI startup, from **[Baseten](https://www.baseten.co/)**’s strategic partnerships with cloud providers, to **[Midjourney](https://www.midjourney.com/)** embedding its product in - Network accessline 96
I initially became obsessed with the power of ecosystems firsthand at [Carta](https://carta.com/solutions/law-firms/) in 2018, where lawyers as channel partners drove massive growth, and at Astro in 2017, where building for the Slack platfo - Network accessline 106
> *Example: HubSpot partnered with a bunch of marketing influencers [to promote their new framework, “Loop Marketing,”](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/emilykramer_hubspotmediapartner-activity-7376256981201862656-xjEb?rcm=ACoAAAC36HYBYwE6pfd - Network accessline 112
You see this especially on LinkedIn, where individual people (employees, customers, or partners) perform much better than brands—eight times better from employees vs. brands, according to [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/5000-engag - Network accessline 114
> *Example: Vanta may be best known for its clever [play-on-words billboards](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/145424815/making-an-impression-how-do-i-ensure-my-campaign-is-memorable), but you’ve likely also seen them sponsoring business - Network accessline 118
AI was supposed to make GTM teams more efficient—and in some ways it has. But [shrinking](https://www.chiefmarketer.com/gartner-39-of-cmos-plan-to-reduce-labor-costs-and-cut-agency-allocations/) GTM teams are scrambling to get efficiency th - Network accessline 122
> *Example: [Navattic](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/natalie-marcotullio_for-our-most-recent-launch-i-wanted-to-activity-7355587957677858816-meh_?rcm=ACoAAAC36HYBYwE6pfdDyi_36enIwk6IrfnVTyU) built a team of marketing advisors, which makes - Network accessline 130
> *Example: If you have a niche audience, you can often find organizations and trade associations to partner with. [Clio](https://www.clio.com/partnerships/bar-associations/) works with state bar associations to reach lawyers, and [Upstart] - Network accessline 138
 - Network accessline 144
> *Example: At [Tracksuit](https://tracksuit.com), an always-on brand tracking tool, agency partners are both power users and advocates. Agencies drive so many referrals, the team is doubling down on this flywheel by building products to su - Network accessline 158
> *Example: With [Lenny’s Product Pass](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass), startups get promoted through Lenny’s Newsletter, subscribers get free tools, and Lenny gets more paid subscribers.* - Network accessline 172
> *Example: [Arrows](https://arrows.to) rebuilt their standalone customer onboarding product exclusively for HubSpot users. They’ve grown almost 40x since then and are now using it to expand into Salesforce and other ecosystems. [CEO Daniel - Network accessline 180
**Inbound:** Use a community to get people excited to talk about your product. They may continue that conversation on other platforms, like Reddit, and that content has a higher chance of surfacing in an LLM than your own. *Lenny had [Ethan - Network accessline 182
**Outbound:** Boost a sponsored influencer post on LinkedIn as a Thought Leader Ad from your company, use engagement with the post as a “signal,” then connect and follow up in a DM. *Here’s an example of a [sponsored post I did with an agen - Network accessline 184
**Product virality:** Drive product adoption by offering an educational course, then make sure students show off what they learn. *[AirOps does this with their three-week AI marketing course](https://www.airops.com/cohort), and [GC AI](http - Network accessline 186
**Events:** Run programming in your trade-show booth with partners to get people to show up, without the gimmicks and throw-away-able swag. *Mercury hosts [expert sessions](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mercuryhq_good-morning-from-techcrun - Network accessline 200
*Thanks, Emily! For more from Emily, check out her [newsletter](https://newsletter.mkt1.co/), and find her on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykramer/) and [X](https://x.com/emilykramer?lang=en).* - Network accessline 204
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/essential-reading-for-product-builders-part-1.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Welcome to a **🔒 paid edition 🔒** of my weekly newsletter. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) - Network accessline 12
*Annual subscribers now get a year free of [Bolt, Perplexity Pro, Notion, Superhuman, Linear, Granola, and more](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/announcing-the-greatest-product-bundle). **[Subscribe now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/ - Network accessline 24
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/essential-reading-for-product-builderspart/comments) - Network accessline 26
*Bonus: You can also listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube. - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 30
### 1. [Who’s Got the Monkey](https://www.med.unc.edu/uncaims/wp-content/uploads/sites/764/2014/03/Oncken-_-Wass-Who_s-Got-the-Monkey.pdf)?, by William Oncken, Jr., and Donald L. Wass - Network accessline 42
### 2. [On agency](https://www.henrikkarlsson.xyz/p/agency?publication_id=313411&post_id=167633827&isFreemail=true&r=13nam&triedRedirect=true), by Henrik Karlsson - Network accessline 55
### 3. [On building good taste](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2wLP0izeJE), by Ira Glass - Network accessline 69
### 4. [Strategies for learning](https://andymasley.substack.com/p/strategies-for-learning), by Andy Masley - Network accessline 77
### 5. [If your product is](https://paulbuchheit.blogspot.com/2010/02/if-your-product-is-great-it-doesnt-need.html) *[great](https://paulbuchheit.blogspot.com/2010/02/if-your-product-is-great-it-doesnt-need.html)*[, it doesn’t need to be](h - Network accessline 87
### 6. [The only thing that matters](https://fictivekin.github.io/pmarchive-jekyll/guide_to_startups_part4), by Marc Andreessen - Network accessline 107
### 7. [The Cook and the Chef: Musk’s Secret Sauce](https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/11/the-cook-and-the-chef-musks-secret-sauce.html), by Tim Urban - Network accessline 109
> “I’m fascinated by those rare people in history who manage to dramatically change the world during their short time here, and I’ve always liked to study those people and read their biographies. Those people know something the rest of us d - Network accessline 117
1. [How to Do Great Work](https://paulgraham.com/greatwork.html), by Paul Graham - Network accessline 118
2. [Maker’s Schedule, Manager’s Schedule](https://paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html), by Paul Graham - Network accessline 119
3. [Good Product Manager/Bad Product Manager](https://a16z.com/good-product-manager-bad-product-manager/), by Ben Horowitz - Network accessline 120
4. [Product vs. Feature Teams](https://www.svpg.com/product-vs-feature-teams/), by Marty Cagan - Network accessline 121
5. [Aggregation Theory](https://stratechery.com/aggregation-theory/), by Ben Thompson - Network accessline 122
6. [Status as a Service](https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2019/2/19/status-as-a-service), by Eugene Wei - Network accessline 123
7. [1,000 True Fans](https://kk.org/thetechnium/1000-true-fans/), by Kevin Kelly - Network accessline 127
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/essential-reading-for-product-builderspart/comments) - Network accessline 131
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/essential-reading-for-product-builders-part-2.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Welcome to a **🔒 paid edition 🔒** of my weekly newsletter. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) - Network accessline 12
*P.S. Annual subscribers get a free year of 15+ premium products: **[Lovable, Replit, Bolt, n8n, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, Gamma, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, and ChatPRD](https://www.lennysnew - Network accessline 14
Less than a month ago I published [part 1 of this series](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/essential-reading-for-product-builderspart), and it’s already my [9th most popular post of all time](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/archive?sort= - Network accessline 20
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/essential-reading-for-product-builderspart-1ac/comments) - Network accessline 22
*You can listen to this post in convenient podcast form here: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@le - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 26
### **1. [Building Products](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/building-products-91aa93bea4bb), by Julie Zhuo** - Network accessline 35
### **2. [Communication Is the Job](https://boz.com/articles/communication-is-the-job), by Andrew Bosworth** - Network accessline 39
### **3. [Executive Communication](https://www.heavybit.com/library/video/executive-communication/), by Barbara Minto via Michael Dearing** - Network accessline 49
 - Network accessline 51
### **4. [Distribution](https://a16z.com/distribution/), by Ben Horowitz** - Network accessline 57
### **5. [The Market Curve](https://medium.com/sequoia-capital/the-market-curve-44097b626f6d), by Mike Vernal** - Network accessline 65
 - Network accessline 67
### **6. [The Four Fits](https://brianbalfour.com/four-fits-growth-framework), by Brian Balfour** - Network accessline 71
 - Network accessline 73
### **7. [Startup = Growth](https://paulgraham.com/growth.html), by Paul Graham** - Network accessline 77
### **8. [Give Away Your Legos](https://review.firstround.com/give-away-your-legos-and-other-commandments-for-scaling-startups/), by Molly Graham** - Network accessline 85
### **9. [We Don’t Sell Saddles Here](https://medium.com/@stewart/we-dont-sell-saddles-here-4c59524d650d), by Stewart Butterfield** - Network accessline 91
### **10. [Schlep Blindness](https://www.paulgraham.com/schlep.html), by Paul Graham** - Network accessline 103
- [Eigenquestions: The Art of Framing Problems](https://coda.io/@shishir/eigenquestions-the-art-of-framing-problems)**,** by Shishir Mehrotra and Matt Hudson - Network accessline 104
- [What Makes a Strong Product Culture?](https://www.bringthedonuts.com/essays/what-makes-a-strong-product-culture/), by Ken Norton - Network accessline 105
- [How to Work with Designers](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/how-to-work-with-designers-6c975dede146), by Julie Zhuo - Network accessline 106
- [The Next Feature Fallacy](https://andrewchen.com/the-next-feature-fallacy-the-fallacy-that-the-next-new-feature-will-suddenly-make-people-use-your-product/), by Andrew Chen - Network accessline 107
- [Product Management Mental Models for Everyone](https://blackboxofpm.com/product-management-mental-models-for-everyone-31e7828cb50b), by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 111
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/essential-reading-for-product-builderspart-1ac/comments) - Network accessline 115
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/ethan-smith-the-power-of-internal-linking-for-seo.md
- Network accessline 10
 - Network accessline 18
Enter [Graphite](https://www.graphitehq.com/), the boutique growth agency Ethan co-founded to assist companies with programmatic SEO, content strategy, and growth design. Lenny welcomed Ethan to [the podcast](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/) - Network accessline 62
Using a program like [Screaming Frog](https://www.screamingfrog.co.uk/), crawl your site to pull data for an internal link audit. You’ll learn the total number of internal links, find any broken links that take visitors to an error page, an - Network accessline 90
Lenny’s Podcast features interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover concrete and actionable advice and empower you to launch your own product. Listen to the full [interview with Ethan Smith](https://www.lennys - Network accessline 92
For answers to reader questions about product and career growth, subscribe to [Lenny’s Newsletter](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/). And be sure to explore the full [podcast archive](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/episodes/) for valuable c - Network accessline 94
- [Building a cult-like brand](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-build-a-cult-like-brand-laura-modi-bobbie/) - Network accessline 95
- [Techno-optimism](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/hot-takes-and-techno-optimism-from-techs-top-power-couple-sriram-and-aarthi/) - Network accessline 96
- [Product-led sales](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-product-led-sales-elena-verna/) - Network accessline 97
- [Defining your ideal customer profile](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/blog/defining-your-ideal-customer-profile-pete-kazanjys-perspective/) - Network accessline 98
- [When to quit your job](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/blog/when-to-quit-your-job-ada-chen-weighs-in/)
references/02-newsletters/evaluating-a-marketplace-business-idea---issue-31.md
- Network accessline 12
# Q: I loved your series about [kickstarting and scaling a marketplace business](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace). As an investor, I’m curious how you evaluate marketplace business ideas. What do yo - Network accessline 18
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetc - Network accessline 38
- [What is good retention](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 39
- [How to know if you've got product-market fit](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) - Network accessline 40
- [Interviewing for product-market fit](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/interviewing-users-for-product-market) - Network accessline 56
- [How Can You Tell If Your Market Is A Good One?](https://blog.eladgil.com/2011/03/how-can-you-tell-if-your-market-is-good.html) by Elad Gil - Network accessline 57
- [A rising tide lifts all boats; the importance of market selection](https://lsvp.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/a-rising-tide-lifts-all-boats-the-importance-of-market-selection/) by Jeremy Liew - Network accessline 58
- [7 Lessons from Andy Rachleff on Product-Market Fit](https://medium.com/parsa-vc/7-lessons-from-andy-rachleff-on-product-market-fit-9fc5eceb4432#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWhen%20a%20great%20team%20meets,market%2C%20something%20special%20happens.%E - Network accessline 75
1. [How to build a breakthrough](https://medium.com/@m2jr/how-to-build-a-breakthrough-3071b6415b06) by Mike Maples, Jr. - Network accessline 76
2. [Andy Rachleff and Startup Lessons of Greatness: You need a breakthrough insight](https://medium.com/starting-greatness/andy-rachleff-and-startup-lessons-of-greatness-you-need-a-breakthrough-insight-ae846196ba7) - Network accessline 77
3. [How Can You Tell If Your Market Is A Good One?](https://blog.eladgil.com/2011/03/how-can-you-tell-if-your-market-is-good.html) - Network accessline 93
- [Peter Thiel’s CS183: Startup - Class 9 Notes Essay](https://blakemasters.com/post/22405055017/peter-thiels-cs183-startup-class-9-notes-essay) - Network accessline 94
- [Product To Distribution](https://blog.eladgil.com/2018/04/product-to-distribution.html) by Elad Gil - Network accessline 95
- [Startup = Growth](https://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html) by Paul Graham - Network accessline 101
[Subscribe to Read Full Post](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/evaluating-a-marketplace-business)
references/02-newsletters/evaluating-a-marketplace-business-idea.md
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# Q: I loved your series about [kickstarting and scaling a marketplace business](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace). As an investor, I’m curious how you evaluate marketplace business ideas. What do yo - Network accessline 56
- [What is good retention](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 57
- [How to know if you've got product-market fit](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) - Network accessline 58
- [Interviewing for product-market fit](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/interviewing-users-for-product-market) - Network accessline 74
- [How Can You Tell If Your Market Is A Good One?](https://blog.eladgil.com/2011/03/how-can-you-tell-if-your-market-is-good.html) by Elad Gil - Network accessline 75
- [A rising tide lifts all boats; the importance of market selection](https://lsvp.wordpress.com/2007/08/17/a-rising-tide-lifts-all-boats-the-importance-of-market-selection/) by Jeremy Liew - Network accessline 76
- [7 Lessons from Andy Rachleff on Product-Market Fit](https://medium.com/parsa-vc/7-lessons-from-andy-rachleff-on-product-market-fit-9fc5eceb4432#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWhen%20a%20great%20team%20meets,market%2C%20something%20special%20happens.%E - Network accessline 93
- [How to build a breakthrough](https://medium.com/@m2jr/how-to-build-a-breakthrough-3071b6415b06) by Mike Maples, Jr. - Network accessline 94
- [Andy Rachleff and Startup Lessons of Greatness: You need a breakthrough insight](https://medium.com/starting-greatness/andy-rachleff-and-startup-lessons-of-greatness-you-need-a-breakthrough-insight-ae846196ba7) - Network accessline 95
- [How Can You Tell If Your Market Is A Good One?](https://blog.eladgil.com/2011/03/how-can-you-tell-if-your-market-is-good.html) - Network accessline 111
- [Peter Thiel’s CS183: Startup - Class 9 Notes Essay](https://blakemasters.com/post/22405055017/peter-thiels-cs183-startup-class-9-notes-essay) - Network accessline 112
- [Product To Distribution](https://blog.eladgil.com/2018/04/product-to-distribution.html) by Elad Gil - Network accessline 113
- [Startup = Growth](https://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html) by Paul Graham - Network accessline 129
- [Peter Thiel: successful businesses are based on secrets](https://www.wired.co.uk/article/peter-thiel) - Network accessline 130
- [Andy Rachleff and Startup Lessons of Greatness: You need a breakthrough insight](https://medium.com/starting-greatness/andy-rachleff-and-startup-lessons-of-greatness-you-need-a-breakthrough-insight-ae846196ba7) - Network accessline 131
- [a16z Podcast: Earned Secrets](https://a16z.com/2018/08/04/earned-secrets-ben-horowitz-interns-2018/) - Network accessline 149
- [Don't be the best, be the only](https://vator.tv/news/2013-07-19-mike-maples-part-3-dont-be-the-best-be-the-only) by Mike Maples, Jr. - Network accessline 150
- [Competition is for Losers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Fx5Q8xGU8k) by Peter Theil - Network accessline 151
- [7 Powers: The Foundations of Business Strategy](https://www.amazon.com/7-Powers-Foundations-Business-Strategy/dp/0998116319) by Hamilton Helmer - Network accessline 167
- [Why Software Is Eating the World](https://a16z.com/2011/08/20/why-software-is-eating-the-world/) by Marc Andreessen - Network accessline 168
- [Invest in Pure Tech Companies](https://spearhead.co/pure) by Naval Ravikant - Network accessline 169
- [Negative Unit Economics Create the Illusion of Success](https://spearhead.co/unit-economics) by David Sacks - Network accessline 189
- [Cherry](https://techcrunch.com/2013/01/13/iterations-lessons-we-can-draw-from-cherry/) - Network accessline 190
- [Homejoy](https://www.forbes.com/sites/ellenhuet/2015/07/23/what-really-killed-homejoy-it-couldnt-hold-onto-its-customers/#2a2288111874) - Network accessline 191
- [Zimride](https://techcrunch.com/2015/01/28/zimride/) - Network accessline 195
- [The Hierarchy of Marketplaces — Level 1](https://medium.com/@sarahtavel/the-hierarchy-of-marketplaces-introduction-and-level-1-983995aa218e) by Sarah Tavel - Network accessline 196
- [Cracking the Chicken-and-Egg Problem 🐣 - Growing Initial Demand](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5) - Network accessline 197
- [Why hasn't 'Airbnb for food' taken off?](https://www.quora.com/Why-hasnt-Airbnb-for-food-taken-off/answer/Casey-Winters) by Casey Winters - Network accessline 211
- [Exec](https://startupgraveyard.io/company/exec/) - Network accessline 212
- [Prim](https://fortune.com/2014/01/22/prim-anatomy-of-a-folded-startup/) - Network accessline 213
- [Zaarly](https://techcrunch.com/2013/03/16/marketplaces-businesses-are-tough-to-build/) - Network accessline 217
- [Underutilized Fixed Assets](https://kwokchain.com/2020/01/23/underutilized-fixed-assets/) by Kevin Kwok - Network accessline 218
- [28 Ways to Grow Supply in a Marketplace](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/28-ways-to-grow-supply-in-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 219
- [Cracking the Chicken-and-Egg Problem 🐣 - Growing Initial Supply](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 235
- [Handy](https://www.inc.com/magazine/201611/jeff-bercovici/from-pivot-to-profit.html) - Network accessline 236
- [Wimdu](https://www.eu-startups.com/2019/07/imitation-simply-wasnt-enough-a-wimdu-post-mortem/#:~:text=The%20merger%20came%20with%20speculation,and%20failed%20to%20secure%20more.&text=Wimdu's%20official%20statement%20said%20it,employees%2 - Network accessline 237
- [Etsy](https://www.businessinsider.com/this-is-why-etsy-is-failing-2015-6) - Network accessline 238
- [TaskRabbit](https://www.reforge.com/blog/taskrabbit-marketplace-growth) - Network accessline 239
- [Laurel & Wolf](https://www.failory.com/cemetery/laurel-wolf) - Network accessline 240
- [Fab](https://www.inc.com/christine-lagorio/jason-goldberg-fab-lessons.html) - Network accessline 241
- [Beepi](https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryjuetten/2019/01/15/failed-startups-beepi/#51ea99742e57) - Network accessline 245
- [Hierarchy of Marketplaces — Level 2](https://medium.com/@sarahtavel/hierarchy-of-marketplaces-level-2-f1c44ed4a39) by Sarah Tavel - Network accessline 246
- [How Billion Dollar Marketplaces Are Built with Marco Zappacosta, Co-Founder & CEO of Thumbtack](https://www.nfx.com/post/billion-dollar-marketplace-thumbtack/) - Network accessline 247
- [13 Metrics for Marketplace Companies](https://a16z.com/2020/02/21/marketplace-metrics/) by a16z - Network accessline 261
- [Zocdoc](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/07/zocdocs-price-surge-has-doctors-fretting-over-excessive-costs-and-an.html) - Network accessline 262
- [Thumbtack](https://www.nfx.com/post/billion-dollar-marketplace-thumbtack/) - Network accessline 263
- [Omni](https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/25/omni-shuts-down/) - Network accessline 264
- [NeighborGoods](https://www.fastcompany.com/2682702/what-happens-now-that-sharing-economy-pioneer-neighborgoods-has-been-acquired) - Network accessline 265
- [Sharingear](https://www.failory.com/cemetery/sharingear) - Network accessline 266
- [Neighborrow](https://pando.com/2013/03/16/what-can-be-learned-when-sharing-leads-to-failing/) - Network accessline 270
- [Four Paths to Marketplace Success](https://a16z.com/2020/02/20/marketplace-engagement/) by D'Arcy Coolican - Network accessline 271
- [WTF is Marketplace Liquidity?](https://medium.com/point-nine-news/wtf-is-marketplace-liquidity-f2caca3802c0) by Julia Morrongiello - Network accessline 272
- [Four Strategies to Win Big with Low Frequency Marketplaces](https://caseyaccidental.com/low-frequency-marketplaces/) by Casey Winters - Network accessline 286
- [Tutorspree](https://www.failory.com/cemetery/tutorspree) - Network accessline 287
- [Homejoy](https://www.nfx.com/post/the-nfx-marketplace-scorecard/) - Network accessline 288
- [Handy](https://www.inc.com/magazine/201611/jeff-bercovici/from-pivot-to-profit.html) - Network accessline 292
- [Marketplaces, ratings systems, and leakage](https://www.charleshudson.net/marketplaces-rating-systems-and-leakage) by Charles Hudson - Network accessline 293
- [How Modern Marketplaces Like Uber and Airbnb Build Trust to Achieve Liquidity](https://firstround.com/review/How-Modern-Marketplaces-Like-Uber-Airbnb-Build-Trust-to-Hit-Liquidity/) by Anand Iyer - Network accessline 294
- [Four Questions Every Marketplace Startup Should Be Able to Answer](https://medium.com/@jgolden/four-questions-every-marketplace-startup-should-be-able-to-answer-defb0590e049) by Jonathan Golden - Network accessline 308
- [Zocdoc](https://www.cnbc.com/2018/08/07/zocdocs-price-surge-has-doctors-fretting-over-excessive-costs-and-an.html) - Network accessline 313
- [Hierarchy of Marketplaces — Level 2](https://medium.com/@sarahtavel/hierarchy-of-marketplaces-level-2-f1c44ed4a39) by Sarah Tavel - Network accessline 314
- [10 Factors To Consider When Evaluating Digital Marketplaces](https://abovethecrowd.com/2012/11/13/all-markets-are-not-created-equal-10-factors-to-consider-when-evaluating-digital-marketplaces/) by Bill Gurley - Network accessline 315
- [The Guide to Marketplaces](https://versionone.vc/marketplaces-guide-ed2/) by Version One - Network accessline 329
- [Shipitwise](https://medium.com/shipitwise/goodbye-for-now-shipitwise-is-shutting-down-ae5a4bdf1550) - Network accessline 334
- [10 Factors To Consider When Evaluating Digital Marketplaces](https://abovethecrowd.com/2012/11/13/all-markets-are-not-created-equal-10-factors-to-consider-when-evaluating-digital-marketplaces/) by Bill Gurley - Network accessline 335
- [10 Marketplace KPIs That Matter](https://medium.com/@algovc/10-marketplace-kpis-that-matter-22e0fd2d2779) by Andrei Brasoveanu - Network accessline 336
- [The NFX Marketplace Scorecard](https://www.nfx.com/post/the-nfx-marketplace-scorecard/) - Network accessline 340
Finally, as I learn more about marketplaces and investing, I’ll use this post as a living document. So consider bookmarking it. And, if you have any feedback, additional examples, or insights, PLEASE [hit me up](https://twitter.com/lennysan - Network accessline 342
*Thank you [Sarah Tavel](https://twitter.com/sarahtavel), [Dan Hockenmaier](https://twitter.com/danhockenmaier?lang=en), and [Mike Duboe](https://twitter.com/mduboe) for reviewing early drafts of this post.*
references/02-newsletters/everyone-should-be-using-claude-code-more.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey there, I’m Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podca - Network accessline 12
*Subscribers get **19 premium products for free for one year**: [Lovable, Replit, Gamma, n8n, Bolt, Devin, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, PostHog, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, ChatPRD + Stripe Atlas - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 16
Ever since [my chat with Dan Shipper](https://youtu.be/crMrVozp_h8?si=Kx_XeBfEM2pPJ1Ib&t=429), I couldn’t stop thinking about his hot take that [Claude Code](https://www.claude.com/product/claude-code) was the most underrated AI tool for no - Network accessline 22
**To inspire your own ideas, I’ve collected 50 of my favorite and most creative ways non-technical people are using Claude Code in their work and life. This list includes my own favorite use cases, and the best examples y’all shared with me - Dangerous shell operationline 34
1. On a Mac, run this command: *curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash* - Network accessline 34
1. On a Mac, run this command: *curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash* - Network accessline 35
2. In Windows, run this command: *irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex* - Network accessline 38
If you run into any trouble, just ask your favorite chatbot for help. Or better yet, install [Warp](https://www.warp.dev/) ([free with your newsletter subscription](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass)!), which replaces your loca - Network accessline 46
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Out of the over 500 ideas you shared with me on [X](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1960417604948123663) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_do-you-use-claude-code-or-some-other-cli-activity-7379238388391923713-nVnf?r - Network accessline 76
### **1. Brainstorming domain names, from [Ben Aiad](https://x.com/benaiad)** - Network accessline 80
### **2. Finding high-quality leads, from [Jeff Lindquist](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-lindquist-0497b625/)** - Network accessline 84
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### **3. Same as above, but instead, scraping GitHub repos, from [Sergei Zotov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/szotov/)** - Network accessline 90
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### **4. Noticing when you’re avoiding conflict, from [Dan Shipper](https://x.com/danshipper)** - Network accessline 96
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*Pro tip: Use [Granola](https://www.granola.ai/) ([first year free](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass)!), and ask Claude Code how to download your meeting notes into a folder.* - Network accessline 100
### **5. Figuring out why your computer is running slow, from [Anthony Roux](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyrouxfr/)** - Network accessline 108
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### **6. Cleaning up messy invoice files, from [Martin Merschroth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-merschroth/)** - Network accessline 114
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### **7. Organizing files and folders across your computer, from [Justin Dielmann](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justindielmann/)** - Network accessline 127
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### **8. Building a slide for your child, from [John Conneely](https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbconneely/)** - Network accessline 133
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### **9. Organizing scattered thoughts, from [Helen Lee Kupp](https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenleekupp/)** - Network accessline 147
> → Wrote a full article in *my* exact voice (pulled from my own examples!) > → Created LinkedIn versions automatically (this post is one of them!) > → Everything saved and ready to publish (including grabbing a screenshot of the template r - Network accessline 149
> → Everything saved and ready to publish (including grabbing a screenshot of the template repository that I’m adding here!)” [[Here’s the repo](https://github.com/WomenDefiningAI/claudecode-writer)] - Network accessline 151
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### **10. Writing a job description, from [Justin Bleuel](https://x.com/JustinBleuel)** - Network accessline 159
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### **11. Synthesizing transcripts of calls with customers, from [Derek DeHart](https://www.linkedin.com/in/derekdehart/)** - Network accessline 165
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### **12. Improving your writing, from [Teresa Torres](https://www.linkedin.com/in/teresatorres/)** - Network accessline 169
> “I now write all of my content with Claude Code in VS Code. We iterate on an outline, it helps me improve the hook, it conducts research for me and adds citations to my outline, and it reviews and gives feedback on each section as I write - Network accessline 171
** - Network accessline 177
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### **14. Creating “self-driving” documentation, from [James Pember](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespember/)** - Network accessline 181
> “The most interesting use case we’re playing with is something I call ‘self-driving documentation.’ Basically, how can we give an Agent the responsibility of figuring out how/where our documentation can be better and more comprehensive. W - Network accessline 183
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### **15. Creating a self-improving feedback loop, from** **[Gang Rui](https://www.linkedin.com/in/limgangrui/)** - Network accessline 189
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### **16. Getting inspiration from competitors’ ads, from [Sumant Subrahmanya](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumantus/)** - Network accessline 195
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### **17. Automatically creating changelogs, from [Manik Aggarwal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aggarwalmanik/)** - Network accessline 201
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### **18. Building presentations, from [Hank Yeomans](https://x.com/HankYeomans)** - Network accessline 215
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### **19. Doing social media research, from [Danny Shmueli](https://x.com/dannyshmueli)** - Network accessline 229
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### **20. Roadmapping, from [Abhi Chandwani](https://x.com/abhi_chandwani)** - Network accessline 235
> I find it very useful, again because it is super rich in context. > > I run this through a repo that I have named {https://project.name}-product. See structure in the image below. Regularly Git push with verbose Git commit messages to cre - Network accessline 236
> > I run this through a repo that I have named {https://project.name}-product. See structure in the image below. Regularly Git push with verbose Git commit messages to create context for Claude to run some part of my decisioning workflows - Network accessline 237
> I run this through a repo that I have named {https://project.name}-product. See structure in the image below. Regularly Git push with verbose Git commit messages to create context for Claude to run some part of my decisioning workflows in - Network accessline 239
> > https://CLAUDE.md has paths to my engineering repos for architectural review, tradeoffs, and decisions. Broad structure below, and [here’s my prompt](https://x.com/abhi_chandwani/status/1960434310759993555).” - Network accessline 241
![A directory structure displayed in a file explorer. Folders named latent-product, bugs, execution, press-release, product-flywheel, user-research, and vision are visible. A file named CLAUDE.md is highlighted with a star icon next to it.] - Network accessline 245
21. “Fully uninstalling Adobe products from their computer. Notoriously hard to do.” via [Jonathan Stiansen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiansen/) - Network accessline 246
22. “Automating Jira. I take a call transcript with my eng team, write up action items, create tickets in Jira using MCP—hands-off with the most annoying product in the world!” via [Terry Lin](https://x.com/itsmeterrylin) - Network accessline 247
23. “I use it to summarize recent tickets in Intercom and create bug reports in Asana, including the ticket link, user information, and steps to reproduce. I believe Claude could handle this directly, but CC feels easier to use.” via [Eren - Network accessline 248
24. “I use it for the majority of my PM tasks: custom commands for refining Linear issues, explaining features/codebase to me, writing release notes, discussing UX improvements, and polishing the UI. For good or bad, I talk to Claude more t - Network accessline 249
25. “I just joined a startup as CPO, so to make conversations with my dev team the most productive, can ask questions about what our code can/can’t do before asking them.” via [Brandon Dorman](https://x.com/brandon_edu) - Network accessline 250
26. “I host a weekly figure-drawing event where we hire a model. I sent an email to my model list asking for a few dates when they are available, and let Claude create a schedule for the next few months by reading the replies. I give it acc - Network accessline 251
27. “I have several Wi-Fi routers, and there were problems with connections and speed between them and my devices. Using MCP [Playwright](https://github.com/microsoft/playwright), it logged in and configured everything.” via [Chingis Aleken - Network accessline 252
28. “I made an audio recording of my doctor’s appointment. Took the audio, chunked, transcribed, and now I have an assistant using this as context.” via [Iliya Valchanov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iliya-valchanov/) - Network accessline 253
29. “My daughter needed to present her artwork for her school application. I took photos of her work and asked [Warp](https://www.warp.dev/) to resize the photos and add them all to a PDF. Would have take me a lot of time to do this manuall - Network accessline 254
30. “I created ‘Claude CEO,’ which connects to my Gmail, Brex, Mercury, and Linear each day and gives me a comprehensive report on what I need to focus on each day.” via [Dennison Bertram](https://x.com/DennisonBertram) - Network accessline 255
31. “I used Claude Code as a *monster* research unit. Get it to parse arXiv or any other databases with reports and research papers. Compile thousands of papers to find a needle-in-a-haystack problem/solution. Find commonalities among paper - Network accessline 256
32. “I use it to review my Slack conversations from the past day and identify conversations I participated in where I learned something or solved a problem and, turn that into an organic (personal-experience-based) social post that others c - Network accessline 257
33. “I’ve definitely used it to reverse-build documentation and requirements. We were building so fast on this side project, we were making decisions on the fly but losing the context and location of those decisions. I was crudely copy/past - Network accessline 258
34. “I recently used Cursor (with Claude) to resize a 23MB GIF that was too large for most online converters. Also, formatting an NTFS SD card so my Mac could read it. Super cool.” via [Akilesh Bapu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akileshbapu/ - Network accessline 259
35. “Storing all contracts and being able to then query these easily (e.g. which customers have X clause).” via [Pulkit Agrawal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/agrawalpulkit/) - Network accessline 263
36. [Refining your backlog in Linear](https://x.com/JucelyMarie/status/1960828753317339220) - Network accessline 264
37. [Managing user research, concepts, test results, and strategy](https://x.com/SamZoloth/status/1960418474779697326) - Network accessline 265
38. [Building a command center for your attention](https://x.com/raizamrtn/status/1960454186757448087) - Network accessline 266
39. [Turning product discovery notes into PRDs, and optimizing PRDs for coding agents](https://x.com/_HelenaT/status/1960448248088551892) - Network accessline 267
40. [Coming up with the first drafts of product messaging](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7379238388391923713?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7379238388391923713%2C7379244841391554560%29&dashCommentUrn=ur - Network accessline 268
41. [Running standups, sprint retros, and PRD reviews, and building a career OS](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7379238388391923713/?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7379238388391923713%2C73792601436553420 - Network accessline 269
42. [Running a branding studio](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7379238388391923713?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7379238388391923713%2C7379536238078328832%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287 - Network accessline 270
43. [Running your marketing](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7379238388391923713?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7379238388391923713%2C7379244841391554560%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%287379 - Network accessline 271
44. [Running your product](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7379238388391923713?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7379238388391923713%2C7379259023898038272%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%28737925 - Network accessline 272
45. [Running your entire life](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7379238388391923713?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7379238388391923713%2C7379382232454680577%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%2873 - Network accessline 276
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/everyone-should-be-using-claude-code/comments) - Network accessline 280
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/examples-and-templates-of-1-pagers-and-prds.md
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prds-1-pagers-examples/comments) - Network accessline 34
**1. [Lost and Found (Lyft)](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1koKv1Elt8_NAzcWwpbd0llp8LDEs1e-z/view?usp=sharingg+links+to+designs%2C+decisions+made%2C+and+edge+cases.)** by [Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin) - Network accessline 40
**2. [Shift Swap Project Charter](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eWVN-1LFNTMobw9rp_oqah37NXTGvdYRk__SUpq7_RQ/edit?usp=sharing)** by [John Koht](https://twitter.com/johnkoht) - Network accessline 46
**3. [Shopify to Quickbooks Connector](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1F4WuF0fp7QL1YGnkv5mvbX85iuWZMaGw4ol-IJFFuQI/edit?usp=sharing)** by [Todd Kovalsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddkovalsky/) - Network accessline 52
**4. [prodmgmt.world](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1G3Qrsnp_QyV7twNvKwGc_oir8jBAJ6pd0yyJkUTMTnk/edit#heading=h.9mazvlhmsilr)** by [George Nurijanian](https://twitter.com/nurijanian) - Network accessline 62
1. [My 1-Pager template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/edit) — What I use anytime I start a new project. - Network accessline 63
2. [Front’s PRD template](https://paper.dropbox.com/doc/Front-1-Pager-template--BRKbuX4FcAJ__BMryiLQFQlYAg-lhj0cggaonhJvH3B2f6gg) (by Nate Abbott) — Love the structure and clarity it enforces. - Network accessline 64
3. [Kevin Yien’s PRD template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mEMDcHmtQ6twzNlpvF-9maNlAcezpWDtCnyIqWkODZs/edit) (PM at Square) — Love this whole template, particularly the “Non-Goals” section and the step-by-step flow. - Network accessline 65
4. [Asana’s project brief template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W46cmPfPwXIIH2mNNbbQ5EdjnhQFqGxGhT5iAijmJjc/edit#heading=h.cqt1a4hrfy8u) — Particularly love the problem statement framework. - Network accessline 66
5. [Intercom’s story template](https://s3.amazonaws.com/marketing.intercomcdn.com/assets/Intercom-Job-Story-template.pdf) — Love the simplicity, while still having everything you need to get started. - Network accessline 67
6. [Product Hunt’s PRD template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yrU5F6Gxhkfma91wf_IbZfexw8_fahbGQLW3EvwdfQI/edit) — Love the way it begins (Who, Why, What). A bit long though. - Network accessline 68
7. [Steve Morin’s 1-pager template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BeNK9BYd3-8pAqVYR_B0Gzp7kGNtWdPFHJKIXI52_84/edit?ts=5f264700#heading=h.6jynaot9cbnq) (EM at Asana) — Love the focus on success criteria and risks. - Network accessline 69
8. [Figma’s PRD template](https://coda.io/@yuhki/figmas-approach-to-product-requirement-docs/prd-name-of-project-1) — A super comprehensive plug-and-play template. - Network accessline 70
9. [Bolt PRD Template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eBaBOF2A3rIfXeqqjq4uFAxX2f85JqanJmq-72ptur0/edit) — Ideal for hardware products. - Network accessline 76
1. [Great One-Pagers](https://medium.com/@johnpcutler/great-one-pagers-592ebbaf80ec) by John Cutler - Network accessline 77
2. [How to Focus on the Purpose of Your Product](https://productschool.com/blog/product-management-2/focus-on-purpose-product-one-pager-template/) by Product School - Network accessline 78
3. [How to Write a Painless Product Requirements Document](https://uxpin.medium.com/how-to-write-a-painless-product-requirements-document-508ff6807b4a) by Jerry Cao - Network accessline 80
For more templates, [don’t miss this post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37), and if you have any other great examples, do share 👇 - Network accessline 82
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prds-1-pagers-examples/comments) - Network accessline 88
1. **Perfect Recall:** [Founding Fullstack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/7ac1bf05-0aa6-436e-8546-6e14c5222f7e) (Waterloo) - Network accessline 89
2. **Spatial:** [Backend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/9424b997-d1e3-4eb1-8b0a-e9f1cc622fb5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 90
3. **Maven:** [Product Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/de48b7e9-782d-4c3e-a354-6abd66fb7d0d) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 91
4. **Republic:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/da2ec715-1731-4709-9194-e4c630709ab1) (NYC, Remote-US) - Network accessline 92
5. **Snackpass:** [Product Manager, Payments](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/e3813aa9-51f9-405d-ab6b-b6e3338c4397) (SF, NYC, LA, Remote) - Network accessline 93
6. **Fabulous:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/aba1b987-d8fe-4160-be34-43ea3fe18079) (Remote) - Network accessline 94
7. **Stonks:** [Backend Web Developer, Founding team](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4b47d0cb-9b97-41c8-88ab-e3c188e3c036) (Remote) - Network accessline 96
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 100
1. **Watch:** [How Cast Iron Pans Are Made](https://kottke.org/21/08/how-cast-iron-pans-are-made) - Network accessline 102
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEQP94YbYFo) - Network accessline 104
2. **Read:** [The Fun Scale](https://www.rei.com/blog/climb/fun-scale) by REI - Network accessline 105
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 109
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/examples-of-great-job-postings.md
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/examples-of-great-job-postings/comments) - Network accessline 22
### 1. Superhuman ([link](https://superhuman.com/roles?gh_jid=2444377)) - Network accessline 24
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1. Kicks off with a compelling and succinct (just five lines) explanation of the product 2. A clear sense of what the company values — frequent uses of words like “craft”, “impact”, “customers”, “delight”, “deeply understand” 3. Evidence to - Network accessline 29
2. A clear sense of what the company values — frequent uses of words like “craft”, “impact”, “customers”, “delight”, “deeply understand” 3. Evidence to back up the bold claims, with links to a [wall of love](https://twitter.com/SuperhumanCo - Network accessline 30
3. Evidence to back up the bold claims, with links to a [wall of love](https://twitter.com/SuperhumanCo/timelines/911278863216340992), [founder’s writing](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/goodbye-mr-iwata-rahul-vohra/), and [their investors’ - Network accessline 34
### 2. Basecamp ([link](https://m.signalvnoise.com/basecamp-is-hiring-a-head-of-marketing/)) - Network accessline 36
 - Network accessline 46
### 3. DelightChat ([link](https://www.notion.so/Are-you-a-Senior-Backend-Engineer-04a9f65a1ae14605a8485b4acad55a4d)) - Network accessline 48
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### 4. Mighty ([link](https://www.notion.so/Mighty-is-hiring-945d3168d3e34a37883ca4d823ed734f)) - Network accessline 60
 - Network accessline 70
### 5. Levels ([link](https://www.notion.so/Join-Levels-Remote-Head-of-Marketing-Growth-6e64dba240404eaea9160a48f1c5f24f)) - Network accessline 72
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- [Growth at Amie](https://www.notion.so/Growth-Memo-93c8bfda5dab4148b0606d527fda848a) - Network accessline 87
- [Cowpoke/Intern at Lowercase Capital](https://lowercasecapital.com/2010/10/10/ranchhands/) - Network accessline 88
- [Huntsville, Alabama, Police Department](https://www.ere.net/if-all-else-fails-dress-up-as-a-dinosaur-and-recruit/) - Network accessline 89
- [Airbnb job posting on Quora in 2010](https://www.quora.com/What-start-ups-are-hiring-in-San-Francisco/answer/Michael-Schaecher?ch=10&share=9f8c0eaf&srid=hR7) - Network accessline 90
- [Jr. Conversion Copywriter at Conversion Crimes](https://conversioncrimes.com/careers/jr-conversion-copywriter/) - Network accessline 94
 - Network accessline 106
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/examples-of-great-job-postings/comments) - Network accessline 110
## **🔥 Job opening of the week:** [Lead Product Manager at Nacelle](https://boards.greenhouse.io/nacelle/jobs/4309224003?gh_src=9e3265023us) - Network accessline 114
[Learn more about Nacelle](https://boards.greenhouse.io/nacelle/jobs/4309224003?gh_src=9e3265023us) - Network accessline 118
1. **Product**: [Rocketplace](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Rocketplace/11bc424f-e80f-4bab-aa96-517c01a6d511), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/), [UserLeap](https://boards.greenhouse.io/userleap/jobs/4279026003) - Network accessline 119
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC98C5FDFB/), [SpaceX Starlink](https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5032353002?gh_jid=5032353002&gh_src=seek - Network accessline 120
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/1175906-lead-p - Network accessline 121
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 122
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 123
6. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-Backend-6d954206f00b446289f18bf51960ca34), [Reclaim](https://reclaim - Network accessline 124
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Alloy](https://apply.workable.com/alloy-automation/j/27639ECE80/), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9 - Network accessline 125
8. **Mobile engineer**: [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Roo](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2402709626/), [Stytch](https://jobs.lever.co/stytch/d3bf3860-4a - Network accessline 129
1. **Watch**: [Tadpoles: The Big Little Migration](https://kottke.org/21/02/tadpoles-the-big-little-migration) - Network accessline 131
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S-lZtE1J6M) - Network accessline 132
2. **Listen**: [Katie Haun on the Dark Web, Gangs, Investigating Bitcoin, and The New Magic of “Nifties” (NFTs)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/499-katie-haun-on-dark-web-gangs-investigating-bitcoin/id863897795?i=1000509727539) by Ti - Network accessline 133
3. **Read**: [American Idle](https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2021/2/15/american-idle) by Eugene Wei
references/02-newsletters/finding-your-distribution-advantage.md
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At scale, there’s essentially only one winning strategy: Become world-class at one growth channel (performance marketing, virality, content, or sales) within your market. For example, in discount online shopping, Wish dominates performance - Network accessline 24
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/distribution-advantages/comments) - Network accessline 42
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Companies like Kylie Cosmetics (Kylie Jenner), Square (Jack Dorsey), Superhuman (Rahul Vohra), Goop (Gwyneth Paltrow), and Tesla (Elon Musk) all springboarded off their founder’s pre-existing audience, giving them an immediate unfair advant - Network accessline 48
Having an audience doesn’t automatically mean you’ll build a durable business, though—[Justin Kan’s Atrium](https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/03/atrium-shuts-down/) being one ironic example. - Network accessline 54
A second type of distribution advantage is developing a unique viral loop that allows you to grow more quickly and efficiently than anyone else in your market. I previously wrote about [these magical loops](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/ - Network accessline 56
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Other companies that were able to grow through unique growth loops include [Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/) and [PayPal](https://paypal.com/) (super-successful referral programs), [Slack](https://slack.com/) and [Figma](https://www.figma - Network accessline 60
**How might you create this advantage?** It’s very difficult to layer on if this isn’t natural to your product, but check out [this post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) for inspiration. - Network accessline 64
[Zynga and Facebook](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/31/technology/farmville-zynga-facebook.html), [Instagram and the iPhone](https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/102615/story-instagram-rise-1-photo0sharing-app.asp), [Pinduoduo a - Network accessline 68
**How might you create this advantage?** Tinker with new platforms (e.g. VR, Snapchat apps, Substack, etc.) when they do launch to see if they are worth investing in, and check out [Mike Maples’s writing on inflection points](https://medium - Network accessline 74
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A fifth type of distribution advantage, for B2B businesses in particular, is having a lot of pre-existing direct connections with your target buyers. Basically, having warm intros vs. having to go cold. [Commsor](https://www.commsor.com/) s - Network accessline 90
A few companies saw huge success in securing early strategic partnerships. [Netflix made a deal with DVD manufacturers](https://observer.com/2017/07/how-netflix-used-coupons-to-become-a-70-billion-company-reed-hastings-mark-randolph/#:~:tex - Network accessline 100
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/distribution-advantages/comments) - Network accessline 118
1. [A Customer Acquisition Playbook for Consumer Startups](https://review.firstround.com/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playbook-for-consumer-startups) - Network accessline 119
2. [Increasing virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) - Network accessline 120
3. [Creating buzz at launch](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/creating-buzz-at-launch) - Network accessline 126
1. **Clearco**: [Product Manager - Capital Partnerships](https://pallet.xyz/job/82497ce0-6faa-4aa7-a321-86d525a23cd7?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 127
2. **Frame.io:** [Sr. Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/4846ad99-c62d-4b4f-979a-a558342d6a68?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 128
3. **SnapStream Media**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/8bec1419-8512-4c77-b7a9-3351dfea8afe?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 129
4. **Gitpod**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/85a37e65-b9b3-4a93-acf6-e6a6d1f28fa4?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 130
5. **Shift**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/2907defd-bb4b-4972-86d5-024eda23dcd6?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 131
6. **Postlight**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/c205c9c1-b4e8-4a43-a538-adaa2bfe974d?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (NYC, Remote) - Network accessline 132
7. **Noyo**: [VP of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/7e49a835-3b73-4bc2-a397-feea3e8d3e80?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 133
8. **Polygence:**[Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/55046525-1bd3-4901-8452-45fc1c643d82) (Palo Alto) - Network accessline 134
9. **Metafy:**[Principal Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3bd02acf-9da4-4769-9dd7-fed6a81045c8) (Remote) - Network accessline 135
10. **Panther:** [Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/fb5d0f95-eadf-44b2-8968-d2ad35ed5ab9?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 136
11. **6ix**: [Project Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/5322e118-bba3-4a9f-ac38-da61d5b4cab8?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote, Toronto) - Network accessline 138
*Browse many more open roles, or add your own, on [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 142
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/first-principles-thinking.md
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*P.S. Don’t miss **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** ✨ (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more) and my new **[Swag Store](https://lennyswag.com/)** (great gifts for your favorite PMs, or yourself!). - Network accessline 18
The concept of thinking from first principles comes from [physics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_principle#:~:text=In%20physics%20and%20other%20sciences,empirical%20model%20and%20parameter%20fitting.), is also known as *[ab initio](ht - Network accessline 24
Before we go further, it’s important to know that this technique takes a lot of effort. As [Ozan Varol](https://ozanvarol.com/about/) (former rocket scientist and best-selling author) explained in [this interview with Farnam Street](https:/ - Network accessline 36
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ4bXM185qE) - Network accessline 58
### Example 1: Building the Square Cash Card—[Ayo Omojola](https://www.linkedin.com/in/omojola) - Network accessline 66
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW6K8ZOWoIs) - Network accessline 73
### Example 2: Building OpenAI—[Ilya Sutskever](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilya-sutskever/) - Network accessline 77
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCoavgGZ64Y) - Network accessline 80
For more, [here’s another video of Ilya](https://youtu.be/13CZPWmke6A?si=J3hTLrO-gnBfiskW&t=1021) sharing this same lesson. - Network accessline 82
### Example 2b: The key to Stripe and OpenAI’s success—[Greg Brockman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thegdb/) - Network accessline 86
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp3A5q9L_bg) - Network accessline 93
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> “**Learning to cook at the Cordon Bleu meant breaking down every dish into its smallest individual steps and doing each laborious and exhausting procedure by hand.** In time Child could bone a duck while leaving the skin intact, extract t - Network accessline 99
### Example 4: Becoming the #1 YouTuber—[Mr. Beast](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6OQ3DkcsbYNE6H8uQQuVA) - Network accessline 103
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1jDk_2Yeno) - Network accessline 111
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59cPbUdIfZ0) - Network accessline 120
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cz4NyqCmQs8) - Network accessline 122
And his advice for discovering something new, from an interview with *[Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/59549/failure-doesnt-suck)*: - Network accessline 126
### Example 7: **Building Wise—[Nilan Peiris](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nilanpeiris)** - Network accessline 135
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZifSLGOrrw) - Network accessline 156
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agVazRnnyI0) - Network accessline 167
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV3sBlRgzTI) - Network accessline 174
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDwzmJpI4io) - Network accessline 199
3. Talk to the people making the raw ingredients (or APIs) 4. Push back on gatekeepers 5. Question “authority”—remember that we have a [bias to trust authority](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authority_bias) - Network accessline 200
4. Push back on gatekeepers 5. Question “authority”—remember that we have a [bias to trust authority](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authority_bias) 3. **Try it before you conclude it’s not possible** - Network accessline 201
5. Question “authority”—remember that we have a [bias to trust authority](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authority_bias) - Network accessline 208
 - Network accessline 210
“With each of these questions, the challenge is to keep asking ‘why’ until you hit the floor.” —Tim Urban, [The Cook and the Chef](https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/11/the-cook-and-the-chef-musks-secret-sauce.html) - Network accessline 211
—Tim Urban, [The Cook and the Chef](https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/11/the-cook-and-the-chef-musks-secret-sauce.html) - Network accessline 215
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYfNvmF0Bqw) - Network accessline 220
 - Network accessline 225
> **Einstein, by contrast, was able to cast off Newtonian misconceptions.** ‘His conviction that the universe loves simplification and beauty, and his willingness to be guided by this conviction, even if it meant destroying the foundations - Network accessline 227
> —Walter Isaacson, *[Einstein: His Life and Universe](https://www.amazon.com/Einstein-Life-Universe-First-Printing/dp/B002AXQX4M/)* - Network accessline 231
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sMBhDv4sik) - Network accessline 235
1. [The Cook and the Chef, by Tim Urban](https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/11/the-cook-and-the-chef-musks-secret-sauce.html) - Network accessline 236
2. [Patrick Collison’s advice to teens](https://patrickcollison.com/advice) - Network accessline 237
3. [First principles thinking explained | Lex Fridman and Elon Musk](https://youtu.be/54OSbbtXrdI?si=VNeKODSDzDRwgv_p) - Network accessline 238
4. *[Where Good Ideas Come From](https://www.amazon.com/Where-Good-Ideas-Come-Innovation/dp/1594485380)* [by Steven Johnson](https://www.amazon.com/Where-Good-Ideas-Come-Innovation/dp/1594485380) - Network accessline 241
1. [Brian Chesky](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/brian-cheskys-new-playbook/) - Network accessline 242
2. [Jason Fried](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/jason-fried-challenges-your-thinking-on-fundraising-goals-growth-and-more/?) - Network accessline 243
3. [Karri Saarinen](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/inside-linear-building-with-taste-craft-and-focus-karri-saarinen-co-founder-designer-ceo/) - Network accessline 244
4. [Claire Hughes Johnson](https://youtu.be/Mv0o9o4MRh0?si=a1WpyCta0WU4EcKh) - Network accessline 252
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 256
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/five-habits-of-highly-annoying-product-managers.md
- Network accessline 30
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By far the best way to annoy your teammates is to obsess over the “right way” of building product, especially by treating a specific framework or process that you read about on Twitter (or certain newsletters 👀) as gospel. [I asked people o - Network accessline 52
To avoid this, my advice is to (1) always have a strong “why this is a problem” argument in your [PRDs/1-Pagers](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/edit) and (2) speak with the engineer, designer - Network accessline 72
For more on decision-making, check out my post on [autonomy vs. direction](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/dff9723f-a141-43ec-913a-03b8b16697fe). - Network accessline 74
 - Network accessline 96
1. [14 habits of highly effective product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/14-habits-of-highly-effective-product) - Network accessline 97
2. [A three-step framework for solving problems](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-three-step-framework-for-solving) - Network accessline 98
3. [What are the top 10 things you hate about product managers?](https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-top-10-things-you-hate-about-Product-Managers) - Network accessline 102
1. **Fabulous**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/aba1b987-d8fe-4160-be34-43ea3fe18079) (Remote) - Network accessline 103
2. **Stonks**: [Backend Web Developer, Founding team](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4b47d0cb-9b97-41c8-88ab-e3c188e3c036) (Remote) - Network accessline 104
3. **Gtmhub**: [Director of Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/9a59fc25-67d1-4082-ba49-2b03c880500e) (Remote) - Network accessline 105
4. **Gearflow**: [Full Stack Software Engineer, Buyer Experience](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/bafacefd-3514-45a6-b88d-9e863a894fcd) (Chicago/Remote) - Network accessline 106
5. **Contra**: [Project Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/edd82d32-289f-464a-9e93-b37d1ecaa382) (SF) - Network accessline 107
6. **Otto**: [Senior Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/88e962f7-aecf-4e50-b04e-9f6cfa3e5ff4) (Remote) - Network accessline 108
7. **Jetpack Workflow:** [Product Designer (UI/UX)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/1653c4a3-0230-481c-a0fa-9b7203b2783d) (Remote) - Network accessline 109
8. **Pallet**: [Full Stack Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4fafcda8-cfb9-4e51-9173-04dc72382ea9) (NYC/Remote) - Network accessline 110
9. **Runway:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/0601f0a1-96ee-4dc5-b9fb-d613f6e212bc) (Remote) - Network accessline 111
10. **SwagUp**: [Director, Product Management (Dashboard)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/943ab014-bcb4-4d79-8bdb-2c18f7fc0fa0) (Remote) - Network accessline 112
11. **Whatnot**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/c9d0007f-e954-4306-8776-11d994395e67) (Remote) - Network accessline 113
12. **Evisort**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f643aa41-7b02-48a7-8bb9-8319e0a32270) (Remote) - Network accessline 114
13. **Truework**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/288da35c-9090-4186-8d57-e269611288f3) (SF) - Network accessline 115
14. **Staffy:** [Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/ed0b504b-4fa3-48bc-9716-684750df3e80) (Toronto) - Network accessline 117
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 121
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/five-principles-for-successfully-managing-managers.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Welcome to a **✨ free monthly edition ✨** of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p - Network accessline 14
1. *[Make product management fun again with AI agents](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/make-product-management-fun-again)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[State of the product job market in 2025](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/state-of-the-product-job-market-in)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[The ultimate guide to negotiating your comp](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-negotiating)* - Network accessline 18
*Annual subscribers also get a free year of [Perplexity Pro, Notion, Superhuman, Linear, Granola, and more](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/announcing-the-greatest-product-bundle). **[Subscribe now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subsc - Network accessline 20
[Saumil Mehta](https://www.linkedin.com/in/saumilmehta1/) is the former CPO and Head of Business for Square. He most recently ran Product Management, Marketing, and Partnerships across Square while reporting to the CEO. Over a nine-year ten - Network accessline 24
You can follow Saumil on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/saumilmehta1/) and [X](https://x.com/saumil?lang=en) and read his personal writing about company-building on [Medium](https://medium.com/@saumil). - Network accessline 26
*P.S. If you prefer, you can listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www. - Network accessline 28
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But in general, off-the-cuff solutions and strong opinions actually undermine your direct-report managers in the management chain and disempower them in front of their own team. You rob your direct-report managers of the opportunity to get - Network accessline 88
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Thankfully, Andy Grove’s classic *[High Output Management](https://www.amazon.com/High-Output-Management-Andrew-Grove/dp/0679762884/ref=sr_1_1)* gives us a key management concept framework for this kind of matchmaking: **task-relevant matur - Network accessline 139
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*Thanks, Saumil! You can follow Saumil on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/saumilmehta1/) and [X](https://x.com/saumil?lang=en) and read his personal writing about company-building on [Medium](https://medium.com/@saumil).* - Network accessline 157
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/five-proven-prompt-engineering-techniques-and-a-few-more-advanced-tactics.md
- Network accessline 12
1. The inaugural Lenny and Friends Summit was a smashing success. I shared some reflections on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_some-reflections-on-the-lenny-and-friends-activity-7256770312699076609-zxJQ) and [X](htt - Network accessline 13
2. If you couldn’t make it, videos of the talks from the Summit will be going up on [my YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/user/lennyrach?sub_confirmation=1) over the next couple of weeks. Subscribe to catch them as they come out. - Network accessline 14
3. My live podcast recording with [Shreyas Doshi](https://shreyasdoshi.com/) will be coming out this Thursday as an episode in your regular podcast feed. - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 20
The difference, I’m learning, is in crafting your prompts. The nuance and skill needed to get good results became clear to me when [Mike Taylor](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjt145/) published his guest post “[How close is AI to replacing pr - Network accessline 22
Mike is a full-time professional prompt engineer. He [wrote a book for O’Reilly](https://www.amazon.com/Prompt-Engineering-Generative-AI-Future-Proof/dp/109815343X) on prompt engineering and created a [course on AI](https://www.udemy.com/co - Network accessline 24
*For more from Mike, check out his book,* [Prompt Engineering for Generative AI](https://www.amazon.com/Prompt-Engineering-Generative-AI-Future-Proof/dp/109815343X)*, and his AI engineering studio, [Brightpool](https://brightpool.dev/). Fol - Network accessline 26
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Specifying a style is just one tactic, though, and there are hundreds of [prompt engineering techniques](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2406.06608), many of them proven effective in scientific studies. The good news is that you don’t have to read th - Network accessline 42
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- **Problem:** You’re not confident in your ability to articulate the technical requirements clearly and persuasively. - **Prompt:** “You are an *expert software architect* known for bridging the gap between product vision and technical i - Network accessline 59
- **Prompt:** “You are an *expert software architect* known for bridging the gap between product vision and technical implementation. Help me prepare talking points for a meeting with our engineering team about the technical feasibility of - Network accessline 60
- **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/67070632-89d8-800d-b153-83c8a743b819> - Network accessline 61
- **Source**: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2305.16367> - Network accessline 67
 - Network accessline 89
- Emotional appeal: Connecting technology to lifestyle - Call to action: Encouraging audience engagement*” - **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/67070931-6780-800d-a8d0-c6a198de3479> - Network accessline 90
- Call to action: Encouraging audience engagement*” - **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/67070931-6780-800d-a8d0-c6a198de3479> - **Source**: <https://bakztfuture.substack.com/p/dall-e-2-unbundling> - Network accessline 91
- **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/67070931-6780-800d-a8d0-c6a198de3479> - Network accessline 92
- **Source**: <https://bakztfuture.substack.com/p/dall-e-2-unbundling> - Network accessline 98
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- **Problem:** You’re concerned that your presentation might not convey the urgency and importance of your proposed initiatives. - **Prompt:** “Help me draft a product roadmap presentation that will resonate with our executive team. Pleas - Network accessline 105
- **Prompt:** “Help me draft a product roadmap presentation that will resonate with our executive team. Please make sure it conveys a sense of urgency and highlights the strategic importance of each initiative. *This task is very important - Network accessline 106
- **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/6707074a-c83c-800d-9654-0aca023fc523> - Network accessline 107
- **Source**: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2307.11760> - Network accessline 113
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- As an admin, I want to view user activity logs so that I can monitor for suspicious behavior.* Generate a user story for adding a new ‘dark mode’ feature to our mobile app.” - **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/670707 - Network accessline 123
Generate a user story for adding a new ‘dark mode’ feature to our mobile app.” - **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/67070778-8ce8-800d-a45a-0405480a9600> - **Source**: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.14165> - Network accessline 124
- **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/67070778-8ce8-800d-a45a-0405480a9600> - Network accessline 125
- **Source**: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.14165> - Network accessline 131
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- Key pain points in their fitness journey” - “Generate potential customer feedback on our idea to track calories burned during work meetings, *using our user personas*.” - **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/67070802-05 - Network accessline 150
- “Generate potential customer feedback on our idea to track calories burned during work meetings, *using our user personas*.” - **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/67070802-0564-800d-b96b-020fa30d8382> - **Source**: <https: - Network accessline 151
- **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/67070802-0564-800d-b96b-020fa30d8382> - Network accessline 152
- **Source**: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.03714> - Network accessline 158
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The chain-of-thought technique encourages the AI to break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable steps. By prompting the AI to “think through” a problem step-by-step, you can often obtain more logical, transparent, and accurate - Network accessline 164
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- **Problem:** The decision is complex, involving multiple factors such as development time, user impact, and strategic alignment. - **Prompt:** “*Think this through step-by-step*: We need to decide whether to prioritize feature A (advanc - Network accessline 171
- **Prompt:** “*Think this through step-by-step*: We need to decide whether to prioritize feature A (advanced reporting) or feature B (integration with a popular third-party tool) for our next sprint. Consider development time, potential us - Network accessline 172
- **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/6707083b-0b40-800d-8fc0-b2e1f0d4188f> - Network accessline 173
- **Source**: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2201.11903> - Network accessline 179
 - Network accessline 184
- **Situation:** You’re drafting a competitive-analysis report, but you’re not sure you have the most up-to-date information on the market. - **Problem:** You need to ensure that your analysis is based on current market conditions and com - Network accessline 185
- **Problem:** You need to ensure that your analysis is based on current market conditions and competitor offerings. - **Prompt:** “Based on Seeking Alpha’s Tesla report, answer this question: How does Tesla’s performance compare with com - Network accessline 186
- **Prompt:** “Based on Seeking Alpha’s Tesla report, answer this question: How does Tesla’s performance compare with competitors like BYD?” ([source](https://seekingalpha.com/article/4666977-tesla-stock-q4-earnings-results-still-long-term- - Network accessline 187
- **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/6707087a-32c8-800d-89d4-ac3fd691adb1> - Network accessline 188
- **Source**: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.11401> - Network accessline 196
 - Network accessline 208
- “Generate five diverse product descriptions for a pair of shoes that fits any foot size.” - “Please rate each of the product descriptions on a scale of 1 to 5 based on clarity, persuasiveness, and how well it conveys the product’s uni - Network accessline 209
- “Please rate each of the product descriptions on a scale of 1 to 5 based on clarity, persuasiveness, and how well it conveys the product’s unique value proposition. For each rating, provide a brief explanation of the score.” - **Try it wi - Network accessline 210
- **Try it with ChatGPT:** <https://chatgpt.com/share/670708d3-1c54-800d-b638-8e9a1c3e89ae> - Network accessline 211
- **Source**: <https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.05685> - Network accessline 223
*For more from Mike, check out his book,* [Prompt Engineering for Generative AI](https://www.amazon.com/Prompt-Engineering-Generative-AI-Future-Proof/dp/109815343X)*, and his AI engineering studio, [Brightpool](https://brightpool.dev/), and - Network accessline 231
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 233
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/five-steps-to-starting-your-product-led-growth-motion-part-2.md
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If you’re just joining us, make sure to read [part one of this series](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-steps-to-starting-your-plg-motion), where I cover the first three steps of starting your PLG motion: - Network accessline 14
- **[Step 1: Map your funnel](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/89869825/step-map-your-funnel)** - Network accessline 15
- **[Step 2: Pick a starting point](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/89869825/step-pick-a-starting-point)** - Network accessline 16
- **[Step 3: Anticipate the most common pitfalls](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/89869825/step-anticipate-the-most-common-pitfalls)** - Network accessline 18
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*You can find* *on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaqu/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/HilaQu), and [Substack](https://hilaqu.substack.com/). Make sure to check out the Reforge courses she teaches, [Advanced Growth Strategy](htt - Network accessline 41
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To achieve this, you need a centralized database and a two-way data pipeline to and from your marketing/sales/product analytics tools. Companies usually achieve this through a combination of homegrown systems and third-party tools (e.g. dat - Network accessline 53
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An emerging category of product-led sales/PQL tools—such as [Pocus](https://www.pocus.com/), [Endgame](https://www.endgame.io/), [Toplyne](https://www.toplyne.io/), and [Pace](https://www.paceapp.com/)—can also help connect multiple data so - Network accessline 61
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But building an experimentation platform requires not only engineering resources but also data science and statistical expertise. The time and labor it takes to build and maintain a homegrown platform properly is not a small commitment, so - Network accessline 73
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I’d also like to point out that the “Head of Product-Led Sales” is the least developed role in the PLG org. This [job posting](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/head-of-product-led-sales-at-canva-3066885612/) from Canva is probably the mos - Network accessline 104
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And finally, don’t miss [part one of this series](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-steps-to-starting-your-plg-motion), if you haven’t yet read that. - Network accessline 140
1. [Top 12 books on SaaS product-led growth](https://hilaqu.substack.com/p/top-12-books-on-saas-product-led) by Hila Qu - Network accessline 141
2. [Growth Loops Are the New Funnels](https://www.reforge.com/blog/growth-loops) from Reforge - Network accessline 142
3. [The Product-Led-Growth (PLG) Playbook for B2B Startups](https://www.stage2.capital/blog/the-product-led-growth-plg-playbook-for-b2b-startups) by [Mark Roberge](https://www.stage2.capital/blog/author/mark-roberge) - Network accessline 143
4. [2022 PLG benchmarks report](https://openviewpartners.com/2022-product-benchmarks/) by OpenView - Network accessline 144
5. [Software powering the PLG era](https://www.bvp.com/atlas/roadmap-software-powering-the-plg-era) by Bessemer Venture Partners - Network accessline 145
6. Hila’s favorite PLG podcast episodes: [HubSpot](https://podcast.openviewpartners.com/public/32/OV-%7C-BUILD-21cbd466/653b1fae), [GitLab](https://podcast.openviewpartners.com/public/32/OV-%7C-BUILD-21cbd466/a38d2e0d), [Canva](https://podc - Network accessline 147
*Thank you* so *much, Hila. You can find* *on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaqu/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/HilaQu), and [Substack](https://hilaqu.substack.com/). Make sure to check out the Reforge courses she teaches, [Ad - Network accessline 153
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people, who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicati - Network accessline 155
 - Network accessline 159
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 163
1. **Surfer:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f6ebf2d0-c425-4690-95de-01b9c6568092) (Remote) - Network accessline 164
2. **Zendoor:** [Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/192a2c6c-e46c-4190-9d81-9a527273c89d)(Remote) - Network accessline 165
3. **TryHackMe:** [Senior Growth Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/4ff08da3-df3e-4952-95bb-b4a032dba623) (Remote) - Network accessline 166
4. **TryHackMe:** [Head of Marketing](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f0b0d2d4-f721-4903-a1ef-9125b28b1755) (Remote) - Network accessline 170
1. **Watch:** [Basic needs—extreme happiness](https://youtu.be/vC8gJ0_9o4M) - Network accessline 174
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC8gJ0_9o4M) - Network accessline 176
2. **Listen:** [MrBeast: Future of YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram on Lex Fridman Podcast](https://youtu.be/Z3_PwvvfxIU) - Network accessline 178
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3_PwvvfxIU) - Network accessline 180
3. **Read:** [2023 is the Year of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_](https://tomtunguz.com/2023-the-year-of/) by Tomasz Tunguz
references/02-newsletters/five-steps-to-starting-your-product-led-growth-motion.md
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*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing - Network accessline 14
Thus, when [Hila Qu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaqu/) approached me about collaborating on a definitive deep-dive on building a PLG motion, I was thrilled. Hila helped scale [Acorns](https://www.acorns.com/) from 1 million to 5 million - Network accessline 16
Hila went far beyond my (already high) expectations putting this post together—sharing not only a step-by-step guide to building your PLG motion, but also adding a boatload of real-life examples, templates, and tools. So much so that we had - Network accessline 18
*You can find on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaqu/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/HilaQu), and [Substack](https://hilaqu.substack.com/). Make sure to check out the Reforge courses she teaches, [Advanced Growth Strategy](https - Network accessline 20
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### [Read Parts 4 and 5—Setting up the correct infrastructure, and building your team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-steps-to-starting-your-product). - Network accessline 240
*You can find Hila on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaqu/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/HilaQu), and [Substack](https://hilaqu.substack.com/). Make sure to check out the Reforge courses she teaches, [Advanced Growth Strategy](h - Network accessline 246
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 248
 - Network accessline 252
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 256
1. **Zendoor:** [Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/192a2c6c-e46c-4190-9d81-9a527273c89d)(Remote) - Network accessline 257
2. **TryHackMe:** [Senior Growth Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/4ff08da3-df3e-4952-95bb-b4a032dba623) (Remote) - Network accessline 258
3. **TryHackMe:** [Head of Marketing](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f0b0d2d4-f721-4903-a1ef-9125b28b1755) (Remote)
references/02-newsletters/flywheels-flywheels-flywheels.md
- Network accessline 10
*Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a**🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒**of my newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out at - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 24
> “Lower prices led to more customer visits. More customers increased the volume of sales and attracted more commission-paying third-party sellers to the site. That allowed Amazon to get more out of fixed costs like the fulfillment centers - Network accessline 26
> ー Brad Stone, *[The Everything Store](https://www.amazon.com/Everything-Store-Jeff-Bezos-Amazon/dp/0316219282/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462241069&sr=8-1&keywords=the+everything+store)* - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 68
Play around with your list and see if anything interesting emerges. [Here’s some inspiration](https://futureblind.com/2019/08/03/advantage-flywheels/) for the types of flywheels you may discover in your business: - Network accessline 70
 - Network accessline 74
Jim Collins wrote [an entire book on flywheels](https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Flywheel-Monograph-Accompany-Great/dp/0062933795), where he shares a different approach for identifying your flywheel. This approach is only really useful for la - Network accessline 80
5. If you have more than six components, you’re making it too complicated; consolidate and simplify to capture the essence of the flywheel 6. Test the flywheel against your list of successes and disappointments 7. Test the flywheel against - Network accessline 82
7. Test the flywheel against the three circles of your [Hedgehog Concept](https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/the-hedgehog-concept.html) - Network accessline 84
To dive deeper, definitely get [the book](https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Flywheel-Monograph-Accompany-Great/dp/0062933795). - Network accessline 90
To illustrate the point, here’s a [way-too-complicated-but-accurate](https://innovationtactics.com/netflix-business-model-flywheel-investment-cycle/) Netflix flywheel: - Network accessline 92
 - Network accessline 94
Here’s a [more simple yet useful Netflix flywheel](https://danco.substack.com/p/netflix-positional-scarcity-and-the): - Network accessline 96
 - Network accessline 100
**[Intel](https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=good+to+great&qid=1579199478&sr=8-3&linkCode=sl1&tag=lccom01-20&linkId=938dec3c596daeff94d2b9dad3254417&language=en_US)** - Network accessline 102
 - Network accessline 104
**[Faire](https://blog.ycombinator.com/reimagining-b2b-commerce-with-faire/)** - Network accessline 106
 - Network accessline 108
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 110
 - Network accessline 112
**[Opendoor](https://notboring.substack.com/p/knock-knock-whos-there-opendoor):** - Network accessline 114
 - Network accessline 116
**[DoorDash](https://www.doordash.com/)**: - Network accessline 118
 - Network accessline 120
**[Booking.com](https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=55158):** - Network accessline 122
 - Network accessline 124
And finally, I couldn’t NOT include [Disney’s wild-but-incredible flywheel](https://kottke.org/15/06/walt-disneys-corporate-strategy-chart): - Network accessline 126
 - Network accessline 127
> “Examine the flow of information in the graphic. The film studio is at Disney’s core with different platforms in orbit. Films provide material for comic strips that, in turn, promote films. The comics become reprintable material for books - Network accessline 129
> — *[Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/3048046/the-secret-to-walt-disneys-corporate-strategy)* - Network accessline 145
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/flywheels-flywheels-flywheels-issue/comments) - Network accessline 149
[David Perell’s personal flywheel](https://www.perell.com/tweetstorms/my-business-model) - Network accessline 151
 - Network accessline 153
[Glassdoor’s content flywheel (created by Kevin Kwok):](https://kwokchain.com/2019/04/09/making-uncommon-knowledge-common/) - Network accessline 155
 - Network accessline 157
[Epic's flywheel (created by Matthew Ball & Jacob Navok)](https://www.matthewball.vc/all/epicprimer1) - Network accessline 159
 - Network accessline 163
1. [A framework for developing your own flywheel](https://futureblind.com/2019/08/03/advantage-flywheels/) - Network accessline 164
2. [Turning the Flywheel by Jim Collins](https://www.amazon.com/Turning-Flywheel-Monograph-Accompany-Great-ebook/dp/B07JFT5G7N/ref=as_li_ss_tl?crid=22WLM58KN3U82&keywords=turning+the+flywheel+a+monograph+to+accompany+good+to+great&qid=15774 - Network accessline 165
3. [The Flywheel Effect](https://www.jimcollins.com/concepts/the-flywheel.html) - Network accessline 166
4. [Flywheels And How To Create Content Communities by Andy Johns](https://andyjohns.co/posts/flywheels-and-how-to-create-content-communities) - Network accessline 170
*Special thanks to the [Compound Writing](https://compoundwriting.com/) members who reviewed this post: [Stew Fortier](https://stewfortier.com), [Tom White](https://Tomwhitenoise.com), [Tyler Wince](https://productsolving.substack.com), and - Network accessline 174
- **Product**: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), [Uptime2020](https://jobs.all-hands.us/companies/uptime2020/jobs/product-manager-2-5943a3d1-9819-417b-aee9-fc6a563b276e) - Network accessline 175
- **Growth**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076601003), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Outschool](https://jobs.lever.co/outschool/4f18d9fe-516b-4285-a5df-357f6cff5b92) - Network accessline 176
- **Design**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Invest Like The Best](https://investorfieldguide.com/hiring_design/), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [ResQ](h - Network accessline 177
- **Engineering leader**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/00505223-bc85-4c28-8e4b-31217d05c2de) - Network accessline 178
- **Frontend engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product - Network accessline 179
- **Backend engineer**: [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 180
- **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [Invest Like The Best](https://investorfieldguide.com/hiring_engineer/ - Network accessline 181
- **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c) - Network accessline 182
- **Sales/BD**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4105169003), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/649855-vice-president-of-sales), [Swayable](https://angel.co/company/swayable/jobs/808347-director-of-sales - Network accessline 183
- **Ops**: [Levels](https://levels.link/ops) - Network accessline 184
- **Community**: [Outschool](https://jobs.lever.co/outschool/449fa54a-1778-4255-a95d-a65dc28194c7) - Network accessline 185
- **HR**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4125981003) - Network accessline 189
1. **Watch:**[Minto’s Pyramid Principle summarized by Michael Dearing](https://www.heavybit.com/library/video/executive-communication/) — the secret to business communication - Network accessline 191
 - Network accessline 193
2. **Learn**: [Videos by Harrison Metal](https://vimeo.com/harrisonmetalshorts) — An incredible collection of short educational videos about pricing, strategy, growth, and much more - Network accessline 194
3. **Read**: [TikTok and the Sorting Hat](https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2020/8/3/tiktok-and-the-sorting-hat) by Eugene Wei — read everything Eugene writes - Network accessline 196
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/publish/post/https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/?action=share), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/fostering-a-culture-of-experimentation.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and welcome to a**🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒**of my newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out - Network accessline 18
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ue6M!,f - Network accessline 34
Everything you’ll read below in large-part trickled down from a decision to hire a data scientist ([Riley Newman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rileynewman/)) as Airbnb’s 10th employee: - Network accessline 98
Even if you get all of the above right but running experiments is hard to do, or teams don’t fully trust the results, it’ll continue to be an uphill battle. At Airbnb, the search experience team (who was running most of the early experiment - Network accessline 108
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!AeVc!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progress - Network accessline 110
An important element of this work is making sure that your data foundations are solid — investing time and resources in infrastructure and tooling that establishes a single source of truth for metrics that you can trust. It’s better to oper - Network accessline 116
1. [4 Principles for Making Experimentation Count](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/4-principles-for-making-experimentation-count-7a5f1a5268a) by Lindsay Pettingill - Network accessline 117
2. [At Airbnb, Data Science Belongs Everywhere — Insights from Five Years of Hypergrowth](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/at-airbnb-data-science-belongs-everywhere-917250c6beba) by Riley Newman - Network accessline 118
3. [An island of truth: practical data advice from Facebook and Airbnb](https://towardsdatascience.com/an-island-of-truth-practical-data-advice-from-facebook-and-airbnb-a0d9c355e5a0) by James Mayfield - Network accessline 119
4. [Experiments at Airbnb](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/experiments-at-airbnb-e2db3abf39e7) by Jan Overgoor - Network accessline 120
5. [Experiment Reporting Framework](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/experiment-reporting-framework-4e3fcd29e6c0) by Will Moss - Network accessline 121
6. [Scaling Airbnb’s Experimentation Platform](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/https-medium-com-jonathan-parks-scaling-erf-23fd17c91166) by Jonathan Parks - Network accessline 122
7. [Data Infrastructure at Airbnb](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/data-infrastructure-at-airbnb-8adfb34f169c) by James Mayfield - Network accessline 123
8. [Growth tech talk](https://airbnb.design/videos/growth-tech-talk/) by Nick Handel - Network accessline 127
*Thank you [Lindsay Pettingill](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lpettingill/), [Bar Ifrach](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bar-ifrach-71507657), [Rebecca Rosenfelt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccarosenfelt/), and [Nick Handel](https://www.link - Network accessline 131
**Sponsored job of the week**: ✨ [0→1 Product Leader at ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731) ✨ - Network accessline 133
- **Product**: [ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever.co/hipcamp/d04821c3-fb9a-4d3f-9a7a-1b75deacc09f), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), [Prod - Network accessline 134
- **Growth**: [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Shef](https://angel.co/company/shef-1/jobs/883288-head-of-marketplace-expansion) - Network accessline 135
- **Design**: [Huddle](https://dribbble.com/jobs/49411-Sr-Product-Designer), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8h - Network accessline 136
- **Engineering lead**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/00505223-bc85-4c28-8e4b-31217d05c2de) - Network accessline 137
- **Frontend engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product - Network accessline 138
- **Backend engineer**: [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) - Network accessline 139
- **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [Iggy](https://www.notion.so/askiggy/Full-Stack-Engineer-IggyAPI-5a8c1 - Network accessline 140
- **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Vori](https://www.notion.so/Mobile-Engineer-Vori-c5ceccd966a04c8aa9e970f0355ca13c) - Network accessline 146
2. **Dance**: [iLe - Tu Rumba](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTzL-G2kIA8) (via Tim Ferriss) - Network accessline 148
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTzL-G2kIA8) - Network accessline 149
3. **Get feedback**: [Discovery Assist](https://discoveryassist.firstround.com/) — a new offering by [First Round Capital](https://firstround.com/) that gives founders free access to companies to do customer discovery and feedback
references/02-newsletters/freemium-vs-trial.md
- Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 26
Chime disrupted the entrenched banking industry by offering fee-free banking—while making money through [transaction interchange fees](https://finty.com/us/business-models/chime/#:~:text=Chime%20makes%20money%20by%20charging,and%20interest% - Network accessline 28
> #### “If it’s digital, sooner or later it’s going to be free.” > > #### —Chris Anderson, *[Free: The Future of a Radical Price](https://www.amazon.com/Free-Future-Radical-Chris-Anderson/dp/1401322905)* - Network accessline 30
> #### —Chris Anderson, *[Free: The Future of a Radical Price](https://www.amazon.com/Free-Future-Radical-Chris-Anderson/dp/1401322905)* - Network accessline 38
> #### “I have never come across the business where I don’t believe there’s not a role for free at some point in their strategy.” > > #### —[Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/freemium-free-trial-surprises-elena-verna-reforge-when- - Network accessline 40
> #### —[Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/freemium-free-trial-surprises-elena-verna-reforge-when-baxter/) - Network accessline 55
 - Network accessline 80
For further inspiration, [here are pricing tiers of 50+ SaaS products](https://airtable.com/shrCT6ToQg0xnCvZA/tblkxppVHddRti4l4), collected by a16z: - Network accessline 82
 - Network accessline 84
Finally, a bit of advice from [Patrick Campbell](https://twitter.com/Patticus), CEO of ProfitWell, from his previous guest post on [SaaS pricing strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saas-pricing-strategy): - Network accessline 92
1. [Bottom Up Pricing & Packaging: Let the User Journey Be Your Guide](https://a16z.com/2021/03/11/bottom-up-pricing-packaging-let-the-user-journey-be-your-guide/) by Jennifer Li and Martin Casado at a16z - Network accessline 93
2. [Per Seat or Per Use Pricing: A Framework for Evaluating the Right Strategy for Your Startup](https://tomtunguz.com/seat-vs-usage-based-pricing/) by Tomasz Tunguz - Network accessline 94
3. [Pricing your SaaS product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saas-pricing-strategy) by Patrick Campbell - Network accessline 95
4. *[Monetizing Innovation: How Smart Companies Design the Product Around the Price](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F4DYY1I/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)* by Madhavan Ramanujam and Georg Tacke - Network accessline 97
To go even deeper, definitely check out Reforge’s [Monetization and Pricing](https://www.reforge.com/monetization-pricing) course. - Network accessline 101
1. [The Hidden Freemium Advantage](https://www.reforge.com/blog/the-hidden-fremium-advantage) by Elena Verna - Network accessline 102
2. [Freemium, Free Trial and Free Surprises](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/freemium-free-trial-surprises-elena-verna-reforge-when-baxter/) by Elena Verna - Network accessline 103
3. [The Flavors of Free](https://goodbetterbest.substack.com/p/the-flavors-of-free) by Rob Litterst - Network accessline 104
4. *[Free: The Future of a Radical Price](https://www.amazon.com/Free-Future-Radical-Chris-Anderson-ebook-dp-B002DYJR4G/dp/B002DYJR4G/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=)* by Chris Anderson - Network accessline 105
5. [The Freemium Manifesto](https://www.profitwell.com/freemium-acquisition-book) by ProfitWell - Network accessline 106
6. [The Ultimate Guide to Freemium](https://blog.hubspot.com/service/freemium) by HubSpot - Network accessline 112
1. **Silo Finance:** [Technical Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/dceac63a-d817-47e7-a4a5-5f653f298bdd) (Remote-Global, Remote-EU) - Network accessline 113
2. **Donut:** [First Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/6259d930-475f-4ed4-82a3-fea29273b40a) (Remote-US, Remote-EU) - Network accessline 114
3. **Mindbloom:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/0db1f9c0-266c-4d77-9852-df27b58f8779) (Remote-US, Remote-Canada) - Network accessline 115
4. **Finch Care Inc.:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/18311f14-d482-48a1-808e-3716a7f1aabe) (Remote) - Network accessline 116
5. **Mos:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/86e76563-7237-4a39-8465-3682823f7506) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 117
6. **Airhouse:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/1739a7ee-41ab-43fb-8ac9-788738baad22)(SF, Oakland) - Network accessline 118
7. **CommerceHub:** [Director of Product Management, Delivery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/5e4c79e3-9c75-4cd3-aa6f-0b9fc40636bf) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 119
8. **CommerceHub:** [Sr. Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/125eafba-2e93-41ee-98aa-abaae84c1b35) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 120
9. **Elevate Labs:** [Senior Product Manager, Balance](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/54802bbd-3ad4-4abf-bd0f-308e86d52586) (Remote) - Network accessline 121
10. **Oath Care:** [UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/0e35e470-6b81-4dae-a706-33139219fa68) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 122
11. **Oath Care:** [Community Marketing Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/300b896f-80ca-4893-a39f-1d2dfff8da00) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 123
12. **Hex:** [Growth Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/957d5c52-aac0-483e-b336-5b63961a99e6) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 124
13. **Monarch:** [Data Lead - Growth](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/269cafbf-a15c-41d3-b8cb-566b49fbe84e) (Remote-Global, Remote-US) - Network accessline 125
14. **Monarch:** [Performance Marketing Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/e80e525c-d891-422a-8bfe-5a82aa4caad4) (Remote-Global, Remote-US) - Network accessline 126
15. **Convosight:** [Sr Product Owner](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/22dd029a-3678-491f-b7ca-820585118380) (Remote-Global, Remote-US, Remote-India) - Network accessline 127
16. **Siteline:** [First Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/3cc1fa57-e3e3-4b93-9d0d-fac7c592545b) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 128
17. **Koodos**: [Product Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/1412066a-3922-47c6-99f7-28401ed895f5) (NYC, Remote-US) - Network accessline 130
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 134
1. **Watch:** *[jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy](https://www.netflix.com/title/81426972)* on Netflix - Network accessline 136
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-e_YPO-RYc) - Network accessline 138
2. **Listen:** [Chuck Klosterman on Writing the Past and Relishing the Present](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chuck-klosterman-on-writing-the-past-and/id983795625?i=1000552000320) by Tyler Cowen - Network accessline 140
3. **Read:** [Opening up about mental health](https://andyjohns.substack.com/p/opening-up-about-mental-health) by Andy Johns
references/02-newsletters/general-management-functional-and-hybrid-models-which-org-design-works-best-for.md
- Network accessline 14
Today’s guest authors, [Rohini Pandhi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohinipandhi/) and [Mary Liu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marygliu/), have witnessed firsthand how reorgs transformed the way six different prominent companies operate, incl - Network accessline 16
*[Rohini Pandhi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohinipandhi/) is currently a product leader at [Mercury](https://mercury.com/). Previously, she spent over seven years at [Square](https://squareup.com/us/en)/[Block](https://block.xyz/) leading - Network accessline 18
*[Mary Liu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marygliu/) is a seasoned product leader specializing in core/growth products and AI for consumer and SaaS companies. She has founded and scaled new product and platform areas at [Square](https://squar - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 22
Late last year, Block (formerly known as Square) made several striking announcements about its org structure. The company [laid off](https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-dorsey-warns-block-employees-job-cuts-internal-memo) about 10% of its - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 26
As the founder and CEO of Block and Square, Jack Dorsey underscored the change to his [shareholders](https://s29.q4cdn.com/628966176/files/doc_financials/2023/q4/Block_4Q23_Shareholder_Letter.pdf): - Network accessline 34
 - Network accessline 64
 - Network accessline 76
On the other side of the coin, companies like Meta and Shopify use a hybrid approach to help leaders move quicker within the functional structure. Leaders set company-level priorities and pull together a special task force, with a champion - Network accessline 88
 - Network accessline 96
 - Network accessline 98
*Thanks, [Rohini](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohinipandhi/) and [Mary](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marygliu/)! Have a fulfilling and productive week 🙏* - Network accessline 104
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 108
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/generating-buzz-2.md
- Network accessline 10
*Below is a peek at this week’s 🔒 **subscriber-only** 🔒 post. [Subscribe](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/subscribe?coupon=dac5b98c) to read the full post.* - Network accessline 16
As Marc Andreessen said, “everyone’s time is already allocated.” With [hundreds of products](https://www.producthunt.com/) launching each day and endless ads clamoring for our attention, how do you get over the event horizon of attention? E - Network accessline 24
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIVlM435Zg) - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 36
1. **[Poo Pourii](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKLnhuzh9uY)** - Network accessline 38
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKLnhuzh9uY) - Network accessline 40
2. **[Descript](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl9wqNe5J8U)** - Network accessline 42
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl9wqNe5J8U) - Network accessline 44
3. **[Dollar Shave Club](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI)** - Network accessline 46
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI) - Network accessline 50
4. **[mmhmm](https://t.co/V3YVgj3kTB?amp=1)** - Network accessline 52
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8KhKBLoSMk) - Network accessline 54
5. **[Dropbox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QmCUDHpNzE)** - Network accessline 56
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QmCUDHpNzE) - Network accessline 58
6. **[Mailbox](https://www.theverge.com/2012/12/13/3759494/mailbox-for-iphone-email-app)** - Network accessline 60
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Us1Ws4i14c) - Network accessline 64
7. **[Robinhood](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6906146)**: “$0 commission stock brokerage” - Network accessline 65
8. **[Dropbox](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8863)**: “Throw away your USB drive” - Network accessline 66
9. **[Gmail](https://googlepress.blogspot.com/2004/04/google-gets-message-launches-gmail.html)**: “Free email with 1GB of storage” - Network accessline 67
10. **[Netflix](https://medium.com/better-marketing/how-netflix-destroyed-blockbuster-in-just-6-years-4c5c3006fe3e)**: “No Due Dates, No Late Fees” - Network accessline 68
11. **[Warby Parker](https://www.inc.com/magazine/201505/graham-winfrey/neil-blumenthal-icons-of-entrepreneurship.html)**: “Try on five pairs of frames at home for free before buying any” - Network accessline 69
12. **[Spotify](https://web.archive.org/web/20110614213044/https://www.spotify.com/int/)**: “All of the world’s music – for free” - Network accessline 70
13. **[Coin](https://gigaom.com/2013/11/14/meet-coin-a-startup-creating-a-universal-credit-card/)**: “Replace eight of your credit cards with just one” - Network accessline 71
14. **[Eero](https://web.archive.org/web/20150228021831/https://www.eero.com/)**: "Finally, WiFi that works” - Network accessline 75
15. **[Half.com](https://www.wired.com/1999/12/welcome-to-half-com-oregon/)** renamed a town in Oregon to “Half.com” for a year - Network accessline 77
 - Network accessline 79
16. **[Salesforce](https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-benioff-salesforcecom-chief-has-pulled-some-crazy-stunts-2012-3)** hired fake protesters, commandeered all the taxis at a rival’s event and used them to deliver a 45-minute pitch, etc. - Network accessline 81
 - Network accessline 83
17. **[WePay](https://techcrunch.com/2010/10/26/wepay-ice-paypal/amp/)** dropped 600 pounds of ice in front of PayPal’s conference - Network accessline 85
 - Network accessline 87
18. **[Snapchat](https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/10/13584488/snapchat-snap-inc-spectacles-vending-machine-snapbot-available)** dropped off strange vending machines at random locations in LA with a limited number of Spectacles - Network accessline 89
 - Network accessline 91
19. **[Tommee Tippee](https://www.adweek.com/creativity/baby-brand-tommee-tippee-made-baby-wipes-reams-actual-parenting-advice-166428/)** turned parenting help books into limited-edition baby wipes. - Network accessline 93
 - Network accessline 97
20. **[Yo](https://www.businessinsider.com/everyone-is-going-crazy-over-yo-app-2014-6)**: An app that only lets you send “Yo” to your friends raises $1m - Network accessline 98
21. **[Quibi](https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/4/21165312/quibi-funding-investors-jeffrey-katzenberg-launch-date-price)**: Celebrity founders raise ~$2B for a pre-product video platform - Network accessline 99
22. **[Hey.com](https://twitter.com/dhh/status/1272968382329942017?lang=en)**: Public figure calling out Apple for their App Store fees - Network accessline 100
23. **[Stolen](https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/14/buzzy-social-app-stolen-shuts-down-amidst-concerns-from-users/)**: An app that lets you “buy” your friends on Twitter - Network accessline 101
24. **[Zillow](https://money.cnn.com/2006/02/08/real_estate/money_zillow/)**: Zestimates telling you the value of your home - Network accessline 105
25. **[Push for Pizza](https://observer.com/2015/10/a-pizza-lamborghini-is-giving-away-scholarships-at-these-70-colleges-this-fall/)**: One lucky winner at each school will win a pizza scholarship, AKA free pizza for an entire semester, del - Network accessline 107
 - Network accessline 109
26. **[Fast](https://twitter.com/fast/status/1301220870183104514)**: $5 hoodies - Network accessline 111
 - Network accessline 115
[Subscribe now, save $40](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/subscribe?coupon=dac5b98c)
references/02-newsletters/generating-buzz.md
- Network accessline 14
As Marc Andreessen said, “everyone’s time is already allocated.” With [hundreds of products](https://www.producthunt.com/) launching each day and endless ads clamoring for our attention, how do you get over the event horizon of attention? E - Network accessline 22
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIVlM435Zg) - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 34
1. **[Poo Pourii](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKLnhuzh9uY)** - Network accessline 36
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKLnhuzh9uY) - Network accessline 38
2. **[Descript](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl9wqNe5J8U)** - Network accessline 40
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl9wqNe5J8U) - Network accessline 42
3. **[Dollar Shave Club](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI)** - Network accessline 44
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUG9qYTJMsI) - Network accessline 48
4. **[mmhmm](https://t.co/V3YVgj3kTB?amp=1)** - Network accessline 50
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8KhKBLoSMk) - Network accessline 52
5. **[Dropbox](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QmCUDHpNzE)** - Network accessline 54
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QmCUDHpNzE) - Network accessline 56
6. **[Mailbox](https://www.theverge.com/2012/12/13/3759494/mailbox-for-iphone-email-app)** - Network accessline 58
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Us1Ws4i14c) - Network accessline 62
7. **[Robinhood](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6906146)**: “$0 commission stock brokerage” - Network accessline 63
8. **[Dropbox](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8863)**: “Throw away your USB drive” - Network accessline 64
9. **[Gmail](https://googlepress.blogspot.com/2004/04/google-gets-message-launches-gmail.html)**: “Free email with 1GB of storage” - Network accessline 65
10. **[Netflix](https://medium.com/better-marketing/how-netflix-destroyed-blockbuster-in-just-6-years-4c5c3006fe3e)**: “No Due Dates, No Late Fees” - Network accessline 66
11. **[Warby Parker](https://www.inc.com/magazine/201505/graham-winfrey/neil-blumenthal-icons-of-entrepreneurship.html)**: “Try on five pairs of frames at home for free before buying any” - Network accessline 67
12. **[Spotify](https://web.archive.org/web/20110614213044/https://www.spotify.com/int/)**: “All of the world’s music – for free” - Network accessline 68
13. **[Coin](https://gigaom.com/2013/11/14/meet-coin-a-startup-creating-a-universal-credit-card/)**: “Replace eight of your credit cards with just one” - Network accessline 69
14. **[Eero](https://web.archive.org/web/20150228021831/https://www.eero.com/)**: "Finally, WiFi that works” - Network accessline 73
15. **[Half.com](https://www.wired.com/1999/12/welcome-to-half-com-oregon/)** renamed a town in Oregon to “Half.com” for a year - Network accessline 75
 - Network accessline 77
16. **[Salesforce](https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-benioff-salesforcecom-chief-has-pulled-some-crazy-stunts-2012-3)** hired fake protesters, commandeered all the taxis at a rival’s event and used them to deliver a 45-minute pitch, etc. - Network accessline 79
 - Network accessline 81
17. **[WePay](https://techcrunch.com/2010/10/26/wepay-ice-paypal/amp/)** dropped 600 pounds of ice in front of PayPal’s conference - Network accessline 83
 - Network accessline 85
18. **[Snapchat](https://www.theverge.com/2016/11/10/13584488/snapchat-snap-inc-spectacles-vending-machine-snapbot-available)** dropped off strange vending machines at random locations in LA with a limited number of Spectacles - Network accessline 87
 - Network accessline 89
19. **[Tommee Tippee](https://www.adweek.com/creativity/baby-brand-tommee-tippee-made-baby-wipes-reams-actual-parenting-advice-166428/)** turned parenting help books into limited-edition baby wipes. - Network accessline 91
 - Network accessline 95
20. **[Yo](https://www.businessinsider.com/everyone-is-going-crazy-over-yo-app-2014-6)**: An app that only lets you send “Yo” to your friends raises $1m - Network accessline 96
21. **[Quibi](https://www.theverge.com/2020/3/4/21165312/quibi-funding-investors-jeffrey-katzenberg-launch-date-price)**: Celebrity founders raise ~$2B for a pre-product video platform - Network accessline 97
22. **[Hey.com](https://twitter.com/dhh/status/1272968382329942017?lang=en)**: Public figure calling out Apple for their App Store fees - Network accessline 98
23. **[Stolen](https://techcrunch.com/2016/01/14/buzzy-social-app-stolen-shuts-down-amidst-concerns-from-users/)**: An app that lets you “buy” your friends on Twitter - Network accessline 99
24. **[Zillow](https://money.cnn.com/2006/02/08/real_estate/money_zillow/)**: Zestimates telling you the value of your home - Network accessline 103
25. **[Push for Pizza](https://observer.com/2015/10/a-pizza-lamborghini-is-giving-away-scholarships-at-these-70-colleges-this-fall/)**: One lucky winner at each school will win a pizza scholarship, AKA free pizza for an entire semester, del - Network accessline 105
 - Network accessline 107
26. **[Fast](https://twitter.com/fast/status/1301220870183104514)**: $5 hoodies - Network accessline 109
 - Network accessline 111
27. **[Uniswap](https://cointelegraph.com/news/13-000-defi-users-have-already-claimed-uniswap-s-new-uni-token)**: Free token distribution. - Network accessline 115
28. **[Jet.com](https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/blog/techflash/2015/01/jet-com-gets-a-big-following-with-equity-giveaway.html)** gave away 100,000 shares of stock options to the person who referred the most signups [*Led to acquiring 35 - Network accessline 116
29. **[Dropbox](https://viral-loops.com/blog/dropbox-grew-3900-simple-referral-program/)** gave free storage for you and any friend you refer [*Contributed to growth from 100k to 4m users in 15 months*] - Network accessline 117
30. **[Harry’s](https://tim.blog/2014/07/21/harrys-prelaunchr-email/)** gave users had the opportunity to earn free products by sharing an invite with friends. The more friends who signed up using your unique referral link, the bigger the p - Network accessline 119
 - Network accessline 121
31. **[Robinhood](https://viral-loops.com/blog/robinhood-referral-got-1-million-users/)** gave users priority access by referring their friends (along with a remarkable value prop, see above). [*Led to 1 million users before launch*] - Network accessline 123
 - Network accessline 125
32. **[Ritual](https://chicagoonthecheap.com/ritual-eats-week/#:~:text=In%20order%20to%20be%20eligible,New%20users%20are%20automatically%20eligible.)** gave you $1 lunch (max 4 items) for referring a friend. [“*At one point seemingly EVERYO - Network accessline 129
33. **[Hey.com](https://Hey.com)**: Promoted by [DHH](https://twitter.com/dhh) (~400k Twitter followers), while being invite-only [*Lead to 180k people waitlist*] - Network accessline 130
34. **[Superhuman](https://druriley.com/superhuman-marketing-playbook-9-strategies-19-examples/#0-scarcity-marketing):** Used by an increasing number of tech influencers (which you can see in email signatures), while being invite-only [*Led - Network accessline 131
35. **[Clubhouse](https://twitter.com/blakeir/status/1257906709877702658)**: Mentioned by an increasing number of tech influencers (which you see on Twitter), while being invite-only - Network accessline 132
36. **[ThirdLove](https://people.com/style/thirdlove-extended-bra-launch-waitlist/):** Launched with press and influencer marketing [*Led to 1.3 million people waitlist*] - Network accessline 133
37. **[OnePlus One](https://thenextweb.com/market-intelligence/2015/03/17/how-oneplus-ones-marketing-made-it-the-most-desirable-phone-in-the-world/):** A cheap smartphone that you could only get by invitation [*Led to selling over 1.5 milli - Network accessline 134
38. **[Mailbox](https://www.fastcompany.com/1671952/the-ux-thinking-behind-mailboxs-800000-person-waiting-list):** Known founder launches a slick new product, while having a visible waitlist [*Led to 800k people waitlist*] - Network accessline 136
 - Network accessline 140
39. **[👁<U+FE0F>👄👁<U+FE0F>](https://twitter.com/itiseyemoutheye/status/1276729816469975040)** : It is what it is [*Led to 20,000 email signups and $200,000 for charity*] - Network accessline 141
40. **[Chobani](https://shanebarker.com/blog/product-launch-marketing-ideas/#14_Use_Visual_Countdowns_on_Social_Media):** Every day counted down (using different fruit to represent the number of days remaining) to a mysterious announcement - Network accessline 143
 - Network accessline 145
41. **[Segway](https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=126341&page=1)**: “After nearly a year of speculation, Dean Kamen's mysterious machine — IT — was revealed on ABCNEWS' Good Morning America.” - Network accessline 147
 - Network accessline 151
42. **[Toucan](https://twitter.com/search?q=%40jointoucan+word+until%3A2020-08-18+since%3A2020-08-16&src=typed_query)**: The founders got their investors and friends to “claim” a word and Tweet about it. [*Led to 100% month of month growth* - Network accessline 153
43. **[Venmo](https://neilshah.com/downloads/venmo-lucas-case-study.pdf)**: Mysterious “Lucas uses Venmo” posters all over the NYC subway system. [*Led to a 40% increase in daily signups*] - Network accessline 155
 - Network accessline 157
44. **[Twitter (and Foursquare) at SXSW](https://techcrunch.com/2011/01/04/twitter-foursquare-sxsw/)**: They set up a tweet visualization screens and negotiated with the conference to put them in the main hallways in the Austin Convention C - Network accessline 159
 - Network accessline 163
45. **[MSCHF](https://mschf.xyz/)** - Network accessline 164
46. **[Levels](https://twitter.com/search?q=%40levels&src=typed_query)** - Network accessline 165
47. **[Stir](https://twitter.com/search?q=%40stir+drop&src=typed_query)** - Network accessline 166
48. **[Fast](https://twitter.com/search?q=%40domm&src=typed_query)** - Network accessline 167
49. **[Lambda School](https://twitter.com/search?q=%40austen+lambda&src=typed_query)** - Network accessline 171
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/creating-buzz-at-launch/comments) - Network accessline 177
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si= - Network accessline 181
**✨ Group Product Managers at Quora**: [Subscriptions](https://grnh.se/7c4200392us) and [Moderation](https://grnh.se/35dbcae12us) **(**sponsored**) ✨** - Network accessline 183
1. **Product**: [Descript](https://jobs.lever.co/descript-2/08f9b563-c3e6-49a4-be07-82fafc1868af), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever.co/hipcamp/d04821c3-fb9a-4d3f-9a7a-1b - Network accessline 184
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC98C5FDFB/) - Network accessline 185
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8Cvl - Network accessline 186
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 187
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 188
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 189
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Afrikrea](https://weworkremotely.com/remote-jobs/afrikrea-senior-rails-developer), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad2699 - Network accessline 190
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://job
references/02-newsletters/getting-better-at-product-strategy.md
- Network accessline 10
*Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a**🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒**of my newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out at - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 90
> Instead, a talented leader identifies the one or two critical issues in the situation—the pivot points that can multiply the effectiveness of effort—and then focuses and concentrates action and resources on them.” > > — [Richard Rumelt](h - Network accessline 92
> — [Richard Rumelt](https://goodbadstrategy.com/), *Good Strategy Bad Strategy* - Network accessline 121
1. [How to Become a Strategic Leader](https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-to-become-a-strategic-leader/) by Julie Zhuo - Network accessline 122
2. [Product Strategy – Insights](https://svpg.com/product-strategy-insights/) by Marty Cagan - Network accessline 123
3. [How to define your product strategy](https://medium.com/@gibsonbiddle/2-the-dhm-model-6ea5dfd80792) by Gibson Biddle - Network accessline 129
1. [Good Strategy Bad Strategy](https://www.amazon.com/dp/0307886239) by Richard Rumelt - Network accessline 130
2. [Divinations newsletter](https://divinations.substack.com/) by Nathan Baschez - Network accessline 131
3. [The Innovator's Dilemma](https://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Change-Business/dp/0062060244) by Clayton M. Christensen - Network accessline 132
4. [7 Powers](https://www.amazon.com/7-Powers-Foundations-Business-Strategy/dp/0998116319) by Hamilton Helmer - Network accessline 133
5. [Good to Great](https://www.amazon.com/Good-Great-Some-Companies-Others/dp/0066620996) by Jim Collins - Network accessline 145
1. [Aggregation Theory](https://stratechery.com/concept/aggregation-theory/) by Ben Thompson - Network accessline 146
2. [Finding Power](https://divinations.substack.com/p/finding-power) by Clay Christensen - Network accessline 147
3. [Hierarchy of Engagement](https://medium.com/@sarahtavel/the-hierarchy-of-engagement-expanded-648329d60804) by Sarah Tavel - Network accessline 148
4. [Status as a Service](https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2019/2/19/status-as-a-service) by Eugene Wei - Network accessline 149
5. [Four myths of bundling](https://coda.io/d/Four-Myths-of-Bundling_dHY6lD6jWOW/Intro_sup_3#_lufsJ) by Shishir Mehrotra - Network accessline 153
> “To influence day-to-day activities, strategies need to be simple enough for leaders at every level of the organization to understand, communicate, and remember — a strategy that gathers dust on a shelf is nothing more than an expensive b - Network accessline 155
> — [MIT Sloan Review](https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/turning-strategy-into-results/) - Network accessline 162
2. Memorable 3. Is explained with framework or a metaphor 4. Leverages the [rule of three](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)#:~:text=The%20rule%20of%20three%20is,or%20effective%20than%20other%20numbers.&text=The%20Latin% - Network accessline 163
3. Is explained with framework or a metaphor 4. Leverages the [rule of three](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)#:~:text=The%20rule%20of%20three%20is,or%20effective%20than%20other%20numbers.&text=The%20Latin%20phrase%20%2 - Network accessline 164
4. Leverages the [rule of three](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_three_(writing)#:~:text=The%20rule%20of%20three%20is,or%20effective%20than%20other%20numbers.&text=The%20Latin%20phrase%20%22omne%20trium,as%20the%20rule%20of%20three.) - Network accessline 169
These are the best public strategy docs I could find. If you’ve seen others, [hit me up](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and I’ll add them. - Network accessline 171
1. **[Gitlab](https://about.gitlab.com/company/strategy/)** — My favorite. Notice the clear Mission, Vision, and three-part Strategy. - Network accessline 172
2. **[Tesla](https://archive.is/ypo0q)** — A classic. Notice the narrative style, the detailed identification of the problems, and the very simple four-step ambitious yet clear strategy at the end. - Network accessline 173
3. **[Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2013/04/how-to-create-alignment-within-your-company.html)** — Simple, but tells you exactly what needs to be done. - Network accessline 174
4. **[Yahoo’s “Peanut Butter” memo](https://sriramk.com/memos/garlinghouse-peanut-butter.pdf) —** Notice how clearly this identifies the problem, and includes a three-part strategy. Also, it’s clearly memorable since it’s now known as the “ - Network accessline 178
To write out a strategy, I usually start with this [company strategy template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JI73WrGplrhNE46aLyRD_B74gEynI77EPgXn1ic6WeQ/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=111613335789441259753) or a [team strategy template](http - Network accessline 198
 - Network accessline 207
[The recent flywheels post](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/flywheels-flywheels-flywheels-issue) may be useful in helping you develop a framework. [This post by the CEO of Coda on diagrams](https://coda.io/@shishir/eigenquestions-the-art-o - Network accessline 237
1. [WTF is Strategy?](https://hackernoon.com/wtf-is-a-strategy-bcaa3fda9a31) by Vince Law - Network accessline 238
2. [Applying Leverage as a Product Manager](https://blackboxofpm.com/applying-leverage-as-a-product-manager-ffad4a99db24) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 239
3. [Mission, Strategy, and Tactics](https://boz.com/articles/strategy-tactics.html) by Boz - Network accessline 240
4. [Eigenquestions: The Art of Framing Problems](https://coda.io/@shishir/eigenquestions-the-art-of-framing-problems) by Shishir Mehrotra - Network accessline 241
5. [Product Strategy](https://www.reforge.com/product-strategy) by Reforge - Network accessline 251
*Thank you [Sriram Krishnan](https://sriramk.com/) for providing early feedback on this post.* - Network accessline 255
- **Sponsored post of the week**: ✨[Senior Frontend Engineer at BodyBlock AI](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Frontend-Engineer-5e6b0934d24f449c96151cef7c5f468f) ✨ - Network accessline 256
- **Product**: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager) - Network accessline 257
- **Growth**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076601003), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever.co/hipcamp/d04821c3-fb9a-4d3f-9a7a-1b75deacc09f), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Shef](https://angel.co/company/shef-1/job - Network accessline 258
- **Design**: [Huddle](https://dribbble.com/jobs/49411-Sr-Product-Designer), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8h - Network accessline 259
- **Engineering lead**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/00505223-bc85-4c28-8e4b-31217d05c2de) - Network accessline 260
- **Frontend engineer**: [BodyBlock AI](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Frontend-Engineer-5e6b0934d24f449c96151cef7c5f468f), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Le - Network accessline 261
- **Backend engineer**: [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) - Network accessline 262
- **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [neo.tax](https://angel.co/company/neo-tax/jobs/887778-software-engine - Network accessline 263
- **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Vori](https://www.notion.so/Mobile-Engineer-Vori-c5ceccd966a04c8aa9e970f0355ca13c) - Network accessline 264
- **Community**: [Outschool](https://jobs.lever.co/outschool/449fa54a-1778-4255-a95d-a65dc28194c7) - Network accessline 268
1. **Find**: [A non-exhaustive list of Black women angel investors, for those who feel it's hard to find them](https://www.notion.so/A-non-exhaustive-list-of-Black-women-angel-investors-for-those-who-feel-it-s-hard-to-find-them-db2d71d72f44 - Network accessline 269
2. **Read**: [Sriram’s list of strategy frameworks](https://sriramk.com/strategy) - Network accessline 270
3. **Learn**: [How to sell a B2B product](https://calv.info/how-to-sell-b2b) by Calvin French-Owen - Network accessline 272
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/getting-buy-in.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and welcome to a*🔓 ***bonus free edition*** 🔓*of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing y - Network accessline 16
To help you build your getting-buy-in muscles, I pulled in Shivani Berry, the CEO and Founder of [Arise Leadership](https://d56wlb04.na1.hs-sales-engage.com/Ctc/UD+23284/d56WLB04/Jks2-6qcW69sMD-6lZ3lhN7PwN52LVkjSW8ccvkj2ZRwb0W7sPTy84z_qJSW1 - Network accessline 18
*For more from Shivani, check out the [Arise Leadership Accelerator](https://d56wlb04.na1.hs-sales-engage.com/Ctc/UD+23284/d56WLB04/Jks2-6qcW69sMD-6lZ3lhN7PwN52LVkjSW8ccvkj2ZRwb0W7sPTy84z_qJSW1bq-Vs74xMLQW6T4mY018MmdgW1B3zQg80MF-HW7N_JLH1bt - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 67
 - Network accessline 71
 - Network accessline 127
 - Network accessline 137
If you want to get your manager and team excited about your ideas and eager to implement them, definitely check out the Arise Leadership Accelerator for women, led by Shivani. To learn more about the upcoming program, [sign up here](https:/ - Network accessline 145
1. **Shift**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/2907defd-bb4b-4972-86d5-024eda23dcd6?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 146
2. **Postlight**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/c205c9c1-b4e8-4a43-a538-adaa2bfe974d?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (NYC, Remote) - Network accessline 147
3. **Noyo**: [VP of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/7e49a835-3b73-4bc2-a397-feea3e8d3e80?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 148
4. **Polygence:**[Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/55046525-1bd3-4901-8452-45fc1c643d82) (Palo Alto) - Network accessline 149
5. **Metafy:**[Principal Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3bd02acf-9da4-4769-9dd7-fed6a81045c8) (Remote) - Network accessline 150
6. **Brex:**[Senior Product Manager on Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/5a8a0c07-552b-49a0-ac12-e588280790c5) (Remote) - Network accessline 151
7. **LawnStarter:**[Founding Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/e55f36fa-2103-4ebf-bbe4-dbd4fc63fa4a) (Remote) - Network accessline 152
8. **Immuta:**[Senior Technical Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/7e71effa-1f76-4607-a9de-57ca1b07f261) (Remote) - Network accessline 153
9. **6ix:**[Project Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/5322e118-bba3-4a9f-ac38-da61d5b4cab8) (Remote/Toronto) - Network accessline 157
1. **Brex:**[Senior Product Manager on Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/5a8a0c07-552b-49a0-ac12-e588280790c5) (Remote) - Network accessline 158
2. **Free Agency:**[Community Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3445e94f-d760-4b3b-9c47-393a6f4702e8) (NYC) - Network accessline 159
3. **Coda:**[Growth Associate Program](https://pallet.xyz/job/bba22fae-9ec5-47a2-b6dd-157f498b1fba) (SF) - Network accessline 163
1. **Mage**: [Front-end engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/d41acc31-b5fa-4e68-8c5a-7973c29ad712?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Santa Clara, CA) - Network accessline 167
1. **Panther:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/fb5d0f95-eadf-44b2-8968-d2ad35ed5ab9?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 169
*Browse all open roles (and add your own) at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 173
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/getting-more-technical.md
- Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 28
1. [How programming works](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7ZmPYaXoic) - Network accessline 29
2. [The difference between front-end and back-end](https://www.codecademy.com/resources/blog/front-end-vs-back-end/) - Network accessline 30
3. [How software systems are architected](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpDnVSmNFX0&list=PLMCXHnjXnTnvo6alSjVkgxV-VH6EPyvoX) - Network accessline 31
4. [How websites work](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcRmKtL4o_4) - Network accessline 32
5. [How web apps work](https://technically.substack.com/p/whats-a-web-app) - Network accessline 33
6. [How databases and SQL work](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsjvFFKOm3c) (plus [learn the basics of SQL](https://www.codecademy.com/learn/learn-sql)) - Network accessline 34
7. [How APIs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVvTv9Hy91Q) and [Webhooks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41NOoEz3Tzc) work 8. [What libraries and frameworks are](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LimOOe6I4eo) 9. [How GitHub](https://www.yout - Network accessline 35
8. [What libraries and frameworks are](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LimOOe6I4eo) 9. [How GitHub](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrb7Gge9yoE) and [pull requests (PRs)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=For9VtrQx58) work 10. [What AWS is](h - Network accessline 36
9. [How GitHub](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrb7Gge9yoE) and [pull requests (PRs)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=For9VtrQx58) work - Network accessline 37
10. [What AWS is](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9__D53WsUs) - Network accessline 63
1. [CS50: Introduction to Computer Science](https://online-learning.harvard.edu/course/cs50-introduction-computer-science?delta=0) (free) - Network accessline 64
2. [freeCodeCamp](https://www.freecodecamp.org/) (free) - Network accessline 65
3. [Codecademy](https://www.codecademy.com/catalog) (free) - Network accessline 66
4. [Udemy](https://www.udemy.com/courses/development/web-development/) - Network accessline 67
5. [Coursera](https://www.coursera.org/search?topic=Information+Technology&index=prod_all_products_term_optimization&query=Most+Popular) - Network accessline 75
1. [Subscribe to Technically](https://technically.dev/), by Justin Gage - Network accessline 76
2. [Learn SQL](https://mode.com/sql-tutorial/) and start running your own queries - Network accessline 77
3. [Explore more videos by freeCodeCamp.org](https://www.youtube.com/c/Freecodecamp) - Network accessline 78
4. [Explore more videos by Codecademy](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5CMtpogD_P3mOoeiDHD5eQ) - Network accessline 79
5. Get the [Technical Product Manager Certification](https://www.oneweekpm.com/p/technical-product-manager) by PMHQ - Network accessline 83
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-more-technical/comments) - Network accessline 85
*Thank you to everyone who shared their suggestions in [this amazing Twitter thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1437202727877033984). Have a fulfilling and productive week*🙏 - Network accessline 89
1. **Pinpoint:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/70b2de44-b90f-4d37-a146-948144a92873) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 90
2. **Aescape:** [Product Management Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/117d35d9-a9b3-49d0-82df-b27a6c074e0f) (Brooklyn, NY) - Network accessline 91
3. **Mynd:** [Senior Growth Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c4bde52c-d66e-4b42-96fb-2ba861f72e27) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 92
4. **Mynd:** [Product Lead, Internal Tools](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/b6da1eaa-5a2b-4ad4-92f9-5ac4b9f764e5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 93
5. **CHPTR:** [Founding Back-End Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c96f89cb-0288-4028-ae4d-f380567449de) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 94
6. **Permutive:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/1ff1e376-ab34-4138-ba4a-822475672a93) (NYC) - Network accessline 95
7. **CloudTrucks:** [Product Manager-Console (Workflows & Automations)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/68d092da-db3a-4f25-8b95-2072342c18fe) (SF) - Network accessline 96
8. **Fairchain:** [Software Engineer, Full Stack](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f2963b88-7eaf-4b4d-9788-4b58f5c6b785) (NYC) - Network accessline 97
9. **HomeLight:** [Senior Product Manager, Listing Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/48c02f5e-e681-4b83-9012-fb08ae2c1e52) (SF, Phoenix, Seattle) - Network accessline 98
10. **Perfect Recall:**[Founding Fullstack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/7ac1bf05-0aa6-436e-8546-6e14c5222f7e) (Waterloo) - Network accessline 99
11. **Spatial:** [Backend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/9424b997-d1e3-4eb1-8b0a-e9f1cc622fb5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 100
12. **Maven:** [Product Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/de48b7e9-782d-4c3e-a354-6abd66fb7d0d) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 101
13. **Republic:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/da2ec715-1731-4709-9194-e4c630709ab1) (NYC, Remote-US) - Network accessline 103
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 109
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C27RVio2rOs) - Network accessline 111
2. **Read:** [The Day You Became A Better Writer](https://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/06/the_day_you_bec.html) by Scott Adams - Network accessline 112
3. **Look:** [The Winners of the 2021 Drone Photo Awards](https://kottke.org/21/09/the-winners-of-the-2021-drone-photo-awards) - Network accessline 114
 - Network accessline 118
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/growth-ideas.md
- Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 18
1. Convince an important (niche) influencer to mention you (e.g. [Tinder](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/101715830/tinder-sochi-olympics-and-return-to-college), [Twitter](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/twitter), [Clubhouse] - Network accessline 19
2. Do something controversial to get people talking about you ([here’s some advice](https://www.getflack.com/p/the-danger-of-playing-it-safe)) - Network accessline 20
3. Buy lots of billboards in a concentrated area (e.g. [Brex](https://www.wsj.com/video/the-surprising-power-of-old-school-billboards-in-driving-sales/5C27A4E7-6C48-4FBF-B5CE-3D496FC51F2B.html), [Airtable](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachi - Network accessline 21
4. Release a shareable one-off product (e.g. [Copy.ai](https://www.copy.ai/tools/cold-email-generator), [Ahrefs](https://ahrefs.com/awt), [Calm](https://www.donothingfor2minutes.com/), [UberPuppies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEwBCtO4B - Network accessline 22
5. Launch on Product Hunt and hustle to get to #1 ([guide](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7037062826099666944/), [guide](https://airinc.notion.site/airinc/How-to-win-at-Product-Hunt-9b14b5c1eb234deba3d966988e2f7847), [ - Network accessline 23
6. Publish a viral piece of content (e.g. [Clancy’s Auto Body TikTok video](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/florida-auto-shop-viral-tiktok-rcna72817), [Dropbox](https://www.reddit.com/r/startups/comments/9pgudv/how_dropbox_got_their_first_user - Network accessline 24
7. Get a popular newsletter or podcast to cover you (e.g. [Ramp and Packy](https://www.notboring.co/p/ramping-up), [Vanta and](https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/reverse-interview-with-ben-and-david-at-vanta) *[Acquired](https://www.acquired. - Network accessline 25
8. Expand to an additional location ([here’s some advice](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/31258917/geographic-expansion)) - Network accessline 26
9. Share something [remarkable](https://youtu.be/xBIVlM435Zg?t=418) about your product or company - Network accessline 27
10. Translate your product into other languages (e.g. [Facebook](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/101715830/facebook-adding-translations-and-then-mobile), [Airbnb](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/101715830/airbnb-expanding-internationa - Network accessline 28
11. Organize a high-profile launch event (e.g. [Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/what-is-dreamforce/), [Airbnb](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ0_7vGJQL8), [Spotify](https://newsroom.spotify.com/stream-on-2023/)) - Network accessline 29
12. Launch on a new platform (e.g. [Android](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/101715830/tinder-launching-their-android-appplus-see-part-below), VR) - Network accessline 30
13. Orchestrate a PR stunt (e.g. [IHOP](https://twitter.com/Adweek/status/1093531751517904896?s=20), Tinder’s “Dozens of Dopes” date stunt, [Salesforce](https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-benioff-salesforcecom-chief-has-pulled-some-crazy- - Network accessline 31
14. Create a viral video (e.g. [Descript](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl9wqNe5J8U), [Spotify](https://vimeo.com/26427650), [Blendtec](https://youtu.be/I7TK_8RiVj8), [Poo-Pourri](https://youtu.be/ZKLnhuzh9uY), [Dollar Shave Club](https:/ - Network accessline 32
15. Get your users and investors with the most followers to all post an announcement on social media at once 16. Run an ad on a large podcast, TV show, or radio show (e.g. [Eight Sleep](https://twitter.com/m_franceschetti/status/16305845983 - Network accessline 33
16. Run an ad on a large podcast, TV show, or radio show (e.g. [Eight Sleep](https://twitter.com/m_franceschetti/status/1630584598336790531?s=20), [Coinbase](https://www.theverge.com/2022/2/13/22932397/coinbases-qr-code-super-bowl-ad-app-cr - Network accessline 34
17. Run a killer contest or giveaway (e.g. [Jet](https://www.bizjournals.com/newyork/blog/techflash/2015/01/jet-com-gets-a-big-following-with-equity-giveaway.html), [Harry’s](https://tim.blog/2014/07/21/harrys-prelaunchr-email/), [Coinbase] - Network accessline 35
18. Create a limited-time deal (e.g. [Amazon Prime Day](https://www.amazon.com/primeday), [Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte](https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/starbucks-pumpkin-spice-latte-returns-on-august-30/), [more examples](https:/ - Network accessline 39
1. [Increase your product’s virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) - Network accessline 40
2. [Start investing in SEO](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-seo-ethan-smith-graphite/) - Network accessline 41
3. Hire a salesperson ([some advice here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sales-bottom-up)) - Network accessline 42
4. Run ads on Google, Facebook, TikTok 5. Add a referral program ([here’s some advice](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-16-building-a-referrals)) 6. Establish a channel partnership ([some advice here](https://review.firstround.c - Network accessline 43
5. Add a referral program ([here’s some advice](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-16-building-a-referrals)) - Network accessline 44
6. Establish a channel partnership ([some advice here](https://review.firstround.com/From-Zero-to-10000-clients-in-Two-Years-Using-Channel-Partners)) - Network accessline 45
7. Add a freemium offering ([some advice here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-steps-to-starting-your-plg-motion)) - Network accessline 46
8. Invest heavily in brand marketing (e.g. Red Bull, Apple, Airbnb) 9. Start an online community that brings value to your target audience ([some advice here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-community)) 10. Launch or acquire a c - Network accessline 47
9. Start an online community that brings value to your target audience ([some advice here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-community)) - Network accessline 48
10. Launch or acquire a content/media company (e.g. [HubSpot and The Hustle](https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/04/hubspot-acquires-media-startup-the-hustle/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANwfm - Network accessline 52
1. Encourage annual plans by offering a larger (limited-time) discount 2. Charge power users more 3. Increase your prices broadly ([some advice here](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-price-your-product-naomi-ionita-menlo-ventures/), and - Network accessline 53
2. Charge power users more 3. Increase your prices broadly ([some advice here](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-price-your-product-naomi-ionita-menlo-ventures/), and [here](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/the-art-and-science-of-pri - Network accessline 54
3. Increase your prices broadly ([some advice here](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-price-your-product-naomi-ionita-menlo-ventures/), and [here](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/the-art-and-science-of-pricing-madhavan-ramanujam-mon - Network accessline 55
4. Offer a limited-time discount if customers buy now 5. Bundle a product with a bonus (e.g. a free trip, a cool backpack, [AirPods](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky/video/7193906269806153002)) 6. Double down on expansion revenue vs. - Network accessline 56
5. Bundle a product with a bonus (e.g. a free trip, a cool backpack, [AirPods](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky/video/7193906269806153002)) - Network accessline 61
1. Make your site faster 2. Remove a step from the flow 3. Add a step to the flow (e.g. [example from Twilio](https://youtu.be/UMAmj1bciww?t=1246)) - Network accessline 62
2. Remove a step from the flow 3. Add a step to the flow (e.g. [example from Twilio](https://youtu.be/UMAmj1bciww?t=1246)) 4. Add more guidance (e.g. [example from Airtable](https://youtu.be/dLku0AiGPVA?t=823)) - Network accessline 63
3. Add a step to the flow (e.g. [example from Twilio](https://youtu.be/UMAmj1bciww?t=1246)) - Network accessline 64
4. Add more guidance (e.g. [example from Airtable](https://youtu.be/dLku0AiGPVA?t=823)) - Network accessline 72
12. Ask customer support and sales about one thing that’s blocking users 13. Add one element of personalization depending on the user persona 14. Increase [psych](https://andrewchen.com/psychd-funnel-conversion/) - Network accessline 74
14. Increase [psych](https://andrewchen.com/psychd-funnel-conversion/) - Network accessline 78
1. Manually onboard new users, to make sure they see your value 2. Let users “pause” or “snooze” instead of cancel 3. Add a level of gamification (e.g. [Duolingo](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth)) - Network accessline 79
2. Let users “pause” or “snooze” instead of cancel 3. Add a level of gamification (e.g. [Duolingo](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth)) 4. Solve one additional problem for your user - Network accessline 80
3. Add a level of gamification (e.g. [Duolingo](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth)) - Network accessline 81
4. Solve one additional problem for your user 5. Solve a more painful problem for your user 6. Increase the percentage of new users getting to your activation milestone ([here’s a bunch of ideas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a - Network accessline 82
5. Solve a more painful problem for your user 6. Increase the percentage of new users getting to your activation milestone ([here’s a bunch of ideas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate#%C2%A7what-are-the-most- - Network accessline 83
6. Increase the percentage of new users getting to your activation milestone ([here’s a bunch of ideas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate#%C2%A7what-are-the-most-common-ways-to-increase-activation)) - Network accessline 93
5. Ask your engineers what is most slowing their day-to-day work down, and improve it 6. Cancel a standing meeting and handle it async 7. Let go of underperformers ([some inspiration](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky/video/71701031599 - Network accessline 95
7. Let go of underperformers ([some inspiration](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky/video/7170103159971532074)) - Network accessline 99
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-ideas/comments) - Network accessline 103
1. [Where great roadmap ideas come from](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/where-great-product-roadmap-ideas) - Network accessline 104
2. [Common ways to increase activation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate) - Network accessline 105
3. [How to increase your retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products-retention) - Network accessline 106
4. [How to increase conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics) - Network accessline 107
5. [Increase your team’s velocity](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-velocity-issue-61) - Network accessline 108
6. [Growth inflections](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-inflections) - Network accessline 114
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 116
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[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 124
1. **Forem:** [Senior Platform Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/d01563e6-1312-4af7-8dc5-c5070ac6e8e9) (Remote) - Network accessline 125
2. **Forem:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/13f493f2-0050-48e3-aa4c-8fbcb2b7c389)(Remote) - Network accessline 126
3. **Fitmate Coach:** [Growth Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/eabfbfa5-ffdc-446d-84bb-9958bcaf1b34) (SF, Remote) - Network accessline 127
4. **Fitmate Coach:** [Product Lead](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/c6c1e81a-b2ad-4a37-b9cb-b3327ccf7247) (SF, Remote) - Network accessline 128
5. **Athena:** [Head of Growth](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/ecdd07bc-e3f0-4307-afd5-c55cbbf5ea47) (Remote) - Network accessline 130
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/02-newsletters/growth-inflections.md
- Network accessline 12
I love this question. Though I’ve written about [how to kickstart a product’s growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users), [ways to boost growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/turbo-boosts), and [what - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 34
*Thank you, [Badrul Farooqi](https://farooqib.com/) (Figma), [Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/) (Duolingo), [ChenLi Wang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenliw/) (Dropbox), [Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/ - Network accessline 38
Though Andrew Chen popularized the [Next Feature Fallacy](https://andrewchen.com/the-next-feature-fallacy-the-fallacy-that-the-next-new-feature-will-suddenly-make-people-use-your-product/)—the mistaken belief that the next new feature will - Network accessline 42
> “**The biggest inflection began with the public release of [Team Libraries](https://www.figma.com/blog/team-library-1-0/)** in 2017 (about a year after launch). The sheer amount of leverage that it provided to design teams made Figma such - Network accessline 44
> —[Badrul Farooqi](https://farooqib.com/), first PM at Figma - Network accessline 60
 - Network accessline 67
> The initial forecast of Facebook’s growth was about 400 million people, but Facebook today is an over-2-billion-user platform. If there’s anything we can learn from this, it’s that if you’re intentional about growth and you’re really tryi - Network accessline 69
> —[Gustaf Alstromer](https://youtu.be/T9ikpoF2GH0), YC Partner - Network accessline 77
> If there was a moment when Netflix stopped being a startup and became a real company, it was then.” > > ー[Marc Randolph](https://marcrandolph.com/), co-founder and first CEO - Network accessline 79
> ー[Marc Randolph](https://marcrandolph.com/), co-founder and first CEO - Network accessline 83
> “**We saw one of our biggest growth spikes when we launched our Android app.** We knew there was pent-up demand for it, and we also knew we couldn’t really expand to markets outside of the U.S., U.K., and Australia without Android. This a - Network accessline 85
> —[Jonathan Badeen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/badeen/), co-founder - Network accessline 89
 - Network accessline 90
> “**The first big growth unlock for Duolingo was the launch of the mobile apps, and betting on mobile as our main platform.** Duolingo originally launched as a website. In October 2012 we launched the iPhone app, and it quickly became the - Network accessline 92
> —[Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/), VP of Product - Network accessline 98
 - Network accessline 103
> Logistics in hand, it was time to build supply and demand. We’d already seen the value of having people on the ground, so we opened offices in eight European cities. [Co-founder and CEO] Brian [Chesky] cared about the types of people we h - Network accessline 104
> >  > - Network accessline 105
>  - Network accessline 107
> This pace might sound too fast—and it was. The night before the international launch, we were still trying to get the homepage translated! And on the home front, we were undeniably neglecting operational challenges. But it was worth it. W - Network accessline 109
> —[Jonathan Golden](https://medium.com/@jgolden/lessons-learned-scaling-airbnb-100x-b862364fb3a7), first PM - Network accessline 115
> In terms of increasing selection, the biggest early unlock was geographic expansion to the suburbs with big enterprise merchants like Cheesecake Factory, Chick-fil-A, and Chipotle, as well as local heroes (like Torchy’s Tacos and Jon & Vi - Network accessline 117
> —[Micah Moreau](https://www.linkedin.com/in/micahmoreau/), early growth leader - Network accessline 121
> “I recall three big inflections in Lyft’s early growth: > > 1. **Surge pricing**. I consider better pricing for ride hailing to be one of Lyft’s great innovations in the market. Before Lyft, there was massive consumer demand going unfulfi - Network accessline 122
> > 1. **Surge pricing**. I consider better pricing for ride hailing to be one of Lyft’s great innovations in the market. Before Lyft, there was massive consumer demand going unfulfilled, because taxis (in most cases) had flat pricing 24/7/ - Network accessline 123
> 1. **Surge pricing**. I consider better pricing for ride hailing to be one of Lyft’s great innovations in the market. Before Lyft, there was massive consumer demand going unfulfilled, because taxis (in most cases) had flat pricing 24/7/36 - Network accessline 124
> 2. **Launching our own driver applicant tracking system**. There’s always a buy-vs.-build conversation in startups, and our big one was whether to build our own onboarding system in-house or rely on something else. We’d been relying on Sa - Network accessline 125
> 3. **Remote launches**. Early in the process, we micromanaged market launches. We hired a team, opened a local office, and a Lyft staff member interviewed all drivers. This was good for the first few markets, but it meant our ability to l - Network accessline 127
> —[Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/), first PM at Lyft - Network accessline 135
 - Network accessline 138
> **Another inflection was that first return from college holiday break.** We really started growing then. I can only assume people in college went home and told their high school friends about Tinder, who then brought that info back to the - Network accessline 140
> —[Jonathan Badeen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/badeen/), co-founder - Network accessline 148
> The *SNL* clip was uploaded by a YouTube user for the purpose of only sharing. After NBC saw the upload and saw how it did, they contacted us to put the video under an account that they would create. It was also an informative moment for - Network accessline 150
> —[Steve Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevechen2/), co-founder - Network accessline 156
> At what point does Cameo break? Ronnie ended up getting booked 500 times. Three days went by and he hadn’t fulfilled any Cameos. Finally, it’s 7 p.m., they’re watching the feed (a Telegram bot of fulfilled orders). A Cameo video gets fulf - Network accessline 158
> ー[Devon Townsend](https://www.linkedin.com/in/devspinn/), co-founder - Network accessline 166
 - Network accessline 176
> In the years that followed, Discord succeeded in growing rapidly, accumulating hundreds of millions of users and close to $1 billion in funding.” > > —[Packy McCormick](https://www.notboring.co/p/discord-imagine-a-place) - Network accessline 178
> —[Packy McCormick](https://www.notboring.co/p/discord-imagine-a-place) - Network accessline 182
> “David Pierce—who I think is one of the best working journalists in tech today; he’s at *The Verge* now—he was covering personal tech for the *Wall Street Journal* early on at Notion and published a story that said this is the one work-li - Network accessline 184
> —[Camille Ricketts, on my podcast](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-notion-leveraged-community-to-build-a-10b-business-camille-ricketts-notion-first-round-capital/#transcript) - Network accessline 196
> It wasn’t one article per se but almost this sense that Slack, and specifically Stewart, had been anointed by the tech press.” > > —[Merci Grace](https://www.linkedin.com/in/merci/), first head of growth - Network accessline 198
> —[Merci Grace](https://www.linkedin.com/in/merci/), first head of growth - Network accessline 206
> - March 2021: Featured on the iOS App Store in France > - April 2021: Featured on Product Hunt (founders ask for the post to be taken down) > - May 2021: First significant publication piece in [the](https://www.ft.com/content/3570bb3b-5c7 - Network accessline 207
> - April 2021: Featured on Product Hunt (founders ask for the post to be taken down) > - May 2021: First significant publication piece in [the](https://www.ft.com/content/3570bb3b-5c79-4b20-bd11-c292cbe870b6) *[Financial Times](https://www - Network accessline 208
> - May 2021: First significant publication piece in [the](https://www.ft.com/content/3570bb3b-5c79-4b20-bd11-c292cbe870b6) *[Financial Times](https://www.ft.com/content/3570bb3b-5c79-4b20-bd11-c292cbe870b6)* gives the nod to BeReal in ‘Les - Network accessline 209
> - May 2021: Small-time blog [TwentyTwo Digital](https://www.twentytwodigital.com/post/the-rise-of-bereal) writes a post explaining how BeReal works - Network accessline 210
> - June 2021: BeReal’s subreddit created > - June 2021: Eric Newcomer [scoops BeReal’s $30m A16z-led Series A round](https://www.newcomer.co/p/scoop-a16z-accel-back-french-founders) > - June 2021: *Vogue* writes ‘[Poparazzi, BeReal: Social - Network accessline 211
> - June 2021: Eric Newcomer [scoops BeReal’s $30m A16z-led Series A round](https://www.newcomer.co/p/scoop-a16z-accel-back-french-founders) - Network accessline 212
> - June 2021: *Vogue* writes ‘[Poparazzi, BeReal: Social media’s new generation](https://www.voguebusiness.com/companies/social-media-trends-2021-poparazzi-capcut-bereal-newnew)’ - Network accessline 213
> - June 2021: Investor/creator Rex Woodbury writes ‘[The Startups Reinventing Social Media](https://digitalnative.substack.com/p/the-startups-reinventing-social-media)’ - Network accessline 215
> —[Ali Abouelatta](https://read.first1000.co/p/bereal), First 1000 - Network accessline 219
A final category, which I love seeing, is when large growth inflections come from a company leaning into their primary [growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/the-growth-engine) (e.g. SEO, virality, paid, or sales). I do - Network accessline 223
> “**One of the biggest inflection points in growth for Airtable was adding templates.** It kicked off the SEO flywheel and ended up accounting for as much as a third of total site traffic at its peak. One of the most interesting elements o - Network accessline 225
> —[Lauryn Isford](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurynisford/), Head of Growth - Network accessline 229
> “**The biggest unlock to our growth was doubling down on our entire SEO funnel, including SEO work and signup and login conversions work.** I think we were world-class at this, and SEO is Pinterest’s primary acquisition channel and one of - Network accessline 231
> —[Jeff Chang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-chang-82467459/), early growth leader - Network accessline 235
> “**In terms of percentage impact, the [Dropbox Space Race](https://blog.dropbox.com/topics/our-community/now-announcing-the-great-dropbox-space-race) dramatically elevated signups during the weeks it ran in the summer/fall of 2012**. This - Network accessline 237
> **In terms of absolute impact (area under the curve), the big growth unlock was the Samsung partnership (and to a lesser extent other PC and mobile partnerships) we did**. Samsung alone drove over 100 million new signups because Dropbox w - Network accessline 239
> —[ChenLi Wang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenliw/), early growth leader - Network accessline 247
> Below you can see how PayPal showcased their proto-referral program on their homepage in 2000: > >  > - Network accessline 249
>  - Network accessline 251
> PayPal’s referral incentives landed them a crazy viral growth rate; we’re talking a 7% to 10% daily growth rate. To be more precise, PayPal reached 100 million users.” > > —[Apostle Mengoulis](https://viral-loops.com/blog/paypal-referral- - Network accessline 253
> —[Apostle Mengoulis](https://viral-loops.com/blog/paypal-referral-program-case-study/) - Network accessline 257
> “Our first growth inflection point was signing our first national retailer and beginning our transition from a consumer company to a retailer enablement company. Signing a large national retailer helped us because it was a tipping point f - Network accessline 259
> —[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmullen/), co-founder - Network accessline 263
1. That one additional feature *can* indeed lead to a massive inflection in growth (though it usually won’t) 2. While you’re working on improving the product, it’s worth attempting to engineer an “event” that gets your product in front of a - Network accessline 265
3. Long-term, the most lasting growth inflections happen when you lean into the primary [growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/the-growth-engine) - Network accessline 269
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-inflections/comments) - Network accessline 273
1. [On inflection points](https://www.michaeldempsey.me/blog/2020/07/29/inflection-points/), by Michael Dempsey - Network accessline 274
2. [Growth engines](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/the-growth-engine) - Network accessline 275
3. [Virality is a myth (mostly)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/virality-is-a-myth-mostly) - Network accessline 281
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people, who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicati - Network accessline 283
 - Network accessline 287
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 291
1. **MetaMap:** [VP, Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/74ca739b-4b51-4d55-8727-6606327fae58) (SF, Miami, Mexico City) - Network accessline 292
2. **DX:** [Content Lead](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/d88460d1-d9e0-4f13-b939-968d22d5a85e) (Park City, UT; Remote) - Network accessline 293
3. **Surfer:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f6ebf2d0-c425-4690-95de-01b9c6568092) (Remote) - Network accessline 294
4. **Zendoor:** [Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/192a2c6c-e46c-4190-9d81-9a527273c89d)(Remote) - Network accessline 298
1. **Read:** [Who Owns the Generative AI Platform?](https://a16z.com/2023/01/19/who-owns-the-generative-ai-platform/) by a16z - Network accessline 299
2. **Watch:** [Paul McCartney composing “Get Back”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QtCxjyuA08) - Network accessline 301
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QtCxjyuA08) - Network accessline 303
3. **Watch:** [Co-Creator of Exploding Kittens | Elan Lee and Tim Ferriss](https://youtu.be/C1H3d4V655I) - Network accessline 305
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1H3d4V655I)
references/02-newsletters/gtm-motions-of-30-b2b-saas-companies.md
- Network accessline 42
*🙏 A HUGE thank-you to everyone who helped me with this post: [Ann Montgomery](https://www.linkedin.com/in/annmontgomery/), [Bri Kimmel](https://twitter.com/briannekimmel), [Brian Balfour](https://brianbalfour.com/), [Cailen D’Sa](https://w - Network accessline 54
 - Network accessline 62
> #### “Some companies (Slack, Airtable, Asana, Notion, Figma) can get pretty huge and still work with self-organization—you don’t need a VP of X to ‘roll out’ Slack and force everyone on. It just happens. But many SaaS subverticals are ‘al - Network accessline 64
> #### —[Nate Abbott](https://www.linkedin.com/in/naabbott/), Head of Product at Front - Network accessline 70
> #### However, as products proliferate through an Enterprise customer, there’s a limit to the users who want or are able to discover, use, and pay for it on their own. As the company starts to scale, relying purely on self-serve often resu - Network accessline 72
> #### —[Sarah Wang and David George](https://a16z.com/2020/12/03/adding-top-down-sales-bottom-up-enterprise-startup/), a16z - Network accessline 76
If you’re going through this transition, don’t miss [this post by Pete Kazanjy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sales-bottom-up) that walks you through the process of layering on sales. - Network accessline 90
> #### “One thing hidden from this data is many startups successfully sell to SMBs but can’t cross over to Enterprise to get big and don’t end up in Lenny’s Newsletter. It’s good to test for enterprise demand ASAP to de-risk a startup.” > > - Network accessline 92
> #### —[Jeff Chang](https://twitter.com/JeffChang30), founder and ex-growth at Pinterest - Network accessline 102
> #### “I think the reason companies go upmarket, vs. downmarket, is that starting downmarket requires you to focus on simplicity, to create the self-serve, frictionless motion. It is easier to add things to adapt to enterprise than it is t - Network accessline 104
> #### —[Brian Balfour](https://brianbalfour.com/), founder of Reforge - Network accessline 112
> #### “The conventional wisdom is you don’t go straight to Enterprise. You solve a specific problem first, and then you layer in Enterprise requirements like governance, compliance, etc. They [Enterprises] generally also move slower, so it - Network accessline 114
> #### —[ChenLi Wang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenliw), GP at WndrCo, ex-growth at Dropbox, Workday - Network accessline 120
> #### “In most markets, the SMB segment is varied enough to allow a startup to win larger and larger customers every quarter without making the leap to Mid-market or Enterprise. While it’s a long way to the top, a rapid ascent upmarket for - Network accessline 122
> #### —[Adam Fisher](https://www.bvp.com/atlas/moving-upmarket-and-the-ascent-of-smb-saas), Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners - Network accessline 132
Zooming out, it also sometimes makes sense to go straight to Enterprise. My take is that you do this **only if the pain point you’re solving is specific (or** ***far*** **more acutely felt) within Enterprise businesses**. For example, scali - Network accessline 146
> #### “Attacking everyone will pull your product in different directions, require you to build expertise in multiple channels at once, communicate to different types of customers at once, etc. It’s better to focus on one part of the market - Network accessline 148
> #### —[Brian Balfour](https://brianbalfour.com/essays/key-lessons-for-100m-growth), Reforge - Network accessline 156
> #### “If your company’s growth is driven by sales, acquisition is driven by how quickly the sales team can convert leads to customers. In other words, new customer growth is a function of how many salespeople you can hire and how quickly. - Network accessline 158
> #### —[Gokul Rajaram](https://medium.com/@gokulrajaram/self-serve-first-the-overlooked-but-essential-paradigm-underlying-great-software-companies-45a67dbec4c4), DoorDash - Network accessline 183
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gtm-motions/comments) - Network accessline 187
1. [The Transition: Layering sales onto a bottom-up self-serve product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sales-bottom-up) - Network accessline 188
2. [Growth+Sales: The New Era of Enterprise Go-to-Market](https://a16z.com/2020/07/29/growthsales-the-new-era-of-enterprise-go-to-market/) - Network accessline 189
3. [Why Most Companies Fail at Moving Up or Down Market](https://brianbalfour.com/essays/key-lessons-for-100m-growth) - Network accessline 190
4. [SaaS Go-to-Upmarket](https://future.a16z.com/podcasts/saas-go-to-upmarket/) - Network accessline 191
5. [The “$20M to $500M” Question: Adding Top Down Sales](https://a16z.com/2020/12/03/adding-top-down-sales-bottom-up-enterprise-startup/) - Network accessline 192
6. [Moving upmarket and the ascent of SMB SaaS](https://www.bvp.com/atlas/moving-upmarket-and-the-ascent-of-smb-saas) - Network accessline 193
7. [Self-serve first: the overlooked but essential paradigm underlying great software companies](https://medium.com/@gokulrajaram/self-serve-first-the-overlooked-but-essential-paradigm-underlying-great-software-companies-45a67dbec4c4) - Network accessline 194
8. [Picking a GTM Motion](https://www.field-guide.unusual.vc/field-guide-enterprise/picking-a-gtm-motion) - Network accessline 200
1. **Snackpass**: [Product Manager, Payments](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/e3813aa9-51f9-405d-ab6b-b6e3338c4397) (SF, NYC, LA, Remote) - Network accessline 201
2. **Fabulous**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/aba1b987-d8fe-4160-be34-43ea3fe18079) (Remote) - Network accessline 202
3. **Stonks**: [Backend Web Developer, Founding team](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4b47d0cb-9b97-41c8-88ab-e3c188e3c036) (Remote) - Network accessline 203
4. **Gtmhub**: [Director of Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/9a59fc25-67d1-4082-ba49-2b03c880500e) (Remote) - Network accessline 204
5. **Gearflow**: [Full Stack Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/bafacefd-3514-45a6-b88d-9e863a894fcd) (Chicago/Remote) - Network accessline 205
6. **Contra**: [Project Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/edd82d32-289f-464a-9e93-b37d1ecaa382) (SF) - Network accessline 206
7. **Otto**: [Senior Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/88e962f7-aecf-4e50-b04e-9f6cfa3e5ff4) (Remote) - Network accessline 207
8. **Jetpack Workflow:**[Product Designer (UI/UX)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/1653c4a3-0230-481c-a0fa-9b7203b2783d) (Remote) - Network accessline 209
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 213
1. **Watch**: [Building the Perfect Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder](https://www.facebook.com/MarkRoberYouTube/videos/727828361391817/) - Network accessline 215
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFZFjoX2cGg) - Network accessline 217
1. **Read**: [What Is Happening to Facebook Performance Post iOS14.5?](https://www.thesistesting.com/insights/what-is-happening-to-facebook-performance-post-ios14-5) - Network accessline 218
2. **Read:** [Stack Overflow Developer Survey 2021](https://insights.stackoverflow.com/survey/2021) - Network accessline 222
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/healing-your-co-founder-relationship.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a ✨ **once-a-month-free-edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressin - Network accessline 14
1. [14 habits of highly effective Product Managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/14-habits-of-highly-effective-product) - Network accessline 15
2. [How to make money](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/types-of-business-models) - Network accessline 16
3. [Three myths about sabbatical programs](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/three-myths-about-sabbatical-programs) - Network accessline 22
I’ve had my own trials and tribulations with my co-founder, and what I’ve learned is that, just like in marriage, issues are nearly always rooted in the soft skills of human interaction. To give you the best possible advice on this topic, I - Network accessline 24
*Thank you to [James Currier](https://twitter.com/JamesCurrier) for connecting me to Carole, and if you enjoy this post, [don’t miss Carole’s new book](https://www.amazon.com/Connect-Building-Exceptional-Relationships-Colleagues/dp/05932370 - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 38
When the relationships go awry, a good place to start is to consider what is going on for you personally. In our book *[Connect](https://connectandrelate.com/),* my co-author and I underscore the importance of understanding that we are all - Network accessline 40
It isn’t always that easy to identify our feelings. Often there may be more than one, they might be jumbled, or they might seem contradictory (for example, you love your co-founder, but there are things she does that drive you crazy). The c - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 60
 - Network accessline 79
In our new book *[Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/645809/connect-by-david-bradford-and-carole-robin/)*, David Bradford and I go into much more detail - Network accessline 87
1. **Overtime:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/4296af21-ada7-47c8-bc19-9041724f3098) (New York City) - Network accessline 88
2. **Maven:** [Course Strategy and Operations Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/24216c2e-e429-456c-add2-0ac0662e04b7) (Remote) - Network accessline 89
3. **Maven:** [White-Glove Course Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/b333db7b-c2f2-4f87-b82e-a8970ba14193) (Remote) - Network accessline 90
4. **Wrapbook:** [Senior Technical Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/dea57461-eb0d-4edb-9097-91885482ce19) (Remote) - Network accessline 91
5. **Immuta:** [Senior Technical Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/7e71effa-1f76-4607-a9de-57ca1b07f261) (Remote) - Network accessline 92
6. **LawnStarter:** [Founding Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/e55f36fa-2103-4ebf-bbe4-dbd4fc63fa4a) (Remote) - Network accessline 93
7. **Duolingo**: [Principal Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/16daa6a1-ff27-4097-89cb-41f7a1b33aa6) (NY/Seattle) - Network accessline 94
8. **Companion Labs**: [Head of / Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/f1e8cbf6-7338-48ae-ba6f-2507b3427e0e) (SF) - Network accessline 95
9. **Curology**: [Group Product Manager, Growth & Subscription](https://pallet.xyz/job/400edfd5-43fb-45d1-a679-772cb7442b6e) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 96
10. **Curology**: [Group Product Manager, Medical & Pharmacy Ops](https://pallet.xyz/job/f589c9bf-48c9-43df-8a3e-c418f92b715b) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 97
11. **Grand Rounds**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/8f22029f-7685-443c-b595-588326096967) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 98
12. **ClassDojo:** [0 to 1 Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/a207cd17-0dd5-45a3-9068-5cabd6b30193) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 99
13. **AbstractOps:** [Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/e5b97f68-c279-4830-bfda-749d54ec22bd) (Remote) - Network accessline 100
14. **Dialogue:** [Vice-President, Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/job/bd8a4d54-5b37-4de0-af2f-84ad640faa6e) (Remote) - Network accessline 101
15. **Amazon Music:** [Principal Product Manager - Tech, Podcasts](https://pallet.xyz/job/650a0b97-3d81-46ae-8986-d72b4f3639f7) (SF) - Network accessline 102
16. **Intercom:** [Senior Product Manager - Self-serve Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/fd328108-c412-40cd-91f3-0e3a324df4ad) (London/Dublin/Remote) - Network accessline 103
17. **Chime:** [Senior Product Manager, Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/e0c51de6-26f9-4b5c-a758-4d6b6ae4899f) (SF) - Network accessline 104
18. **NexHealth:** [First Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/2d8e2cad-f0dd-4a21-88fd-6003e8c7c00c) (SF) - Network accessline 105
19. **Elementl:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/7422cd00-62dc-4ccf-b538-98482a78aec8) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 106
20. **Clockwise:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/c3bac4ce-f356-49b5-918b-110ec159c769) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 110
1. **Free Agency:** [Community Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3445e94f-d760-4b3b-9c47-393a6f4702e8) (New York City) - Network accessline 111
2. **Brex:** [Growth Marketing Manager, Search (SEM+SEO)](https://pallet.xyz/job/1811f9d7-21c7-4cd0-8b81-050242749825)(Remote) - Network accessline 112
3. **OpenPhone**: [Head of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/job/102a757f-cbea-4113-9588-cf1fc98a8d7a) (Remote) - Network accessline 113
4. **neo.tax:** [Head of Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/2fd84c85-b209-47d0-9213-671e0342cff3) (Mountain View/Remote) - Network accessline 114
5. **Coda:** [Growth Associate Program](https://pallet.xyz/job/bba22fae-9ec5-47a2-b6dd-157f498b1fba) (SF) - Network accessline 115
6. **Ojo:** [Head of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/job/4fb7dc9e-52ca-4b94-8dce-1d72e643cc86) (Remote) - Network accessline 116
7. **Labelbox**: [Director of Growth and Demand Generation](https://pallet.xyz/job/c6947128-80d8-49ab-a679-728f0aaf3430) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 117
8. **Livepeer:** [Go To Market Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/3f5394b4-3104-4670-9572-c045b065119a) (Remote) - Network accessline 121
1. **Discord:**[Engineering Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/71eeec4f-6dea-4645-95b7-44b1ea38507b) (SF) - Network accessline 122
2. **G2i:**[Senior React, React Native, or Node Developer](https://pallet.xyz/job/7a1c36d5-eb4f-43e5-b93f-c83f951a1ef9) (Remote) - Network accessline 123
3. **Novi Connect:**[Senior Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/1691057a-21ac-4450-b3d6-e2189a5cebc9) (Remote) - Network accessline 124
4. **Endgame:**[Principal Frontend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/2f6285e1-d9d4-427f-9a62-3ec0e895ab7b) (Remote) - Network accessline 125
5. **Eppo:**[Backend / Infrastructure Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/2cd3039f-b44d-4079-83e0-e303debf2f00) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 126
6. **Causal:**[Full-stack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/6daf039f-a20e-4aa0-a7b0-54a8c19963b1) (Remote) - Network accessline 127
7. **Flux.ai:**[Fullstack Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/af3f67a4-e209-4b98-8a26-101c7805b207) (Remote) - Network accessline 128
8. **Coinbase:**[University Grad, Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/6ac840de-6951-42f8-a55a-051c56a3f303) (Remote) - Network accessline 132
1. **ClassDojo:**[Design Leader](https://pallet.xyz/job/d249ecad-d380-416f-a773-4650e28585cc) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 133
2. **Cameo:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/d095ea77-d995-4895-b764-59b4297a1292) (Remote) - Network accessline 134
3. **Tango:**[Product Design Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/2a6c39e6-2dea-4e92-86c9-d147bb07d783) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 135
4. **Scratchpad:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/b068e1e5-8ae3-4886-b542-fa3443f1ff9b) (Remote) - Network accessline 136
5. **Rewatch:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/68207a68-6f8b-4099-8107-197922e2d8cf) (Remote) - Network accessline 137
6. **Orbit:**[Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/9b1f634f-6900-4322-9b6f-2ff38e477b63) (Paris/SF/Remote) - Network accessline 138
7. **Imperfect Foods:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/b9cab5f0-9bcb-4caf-a0bc-2443e4768b60) (Remote) - Network accessline 139
8. **Karat**: [First Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/29a7b24a-2ba0-489e-8222-d5d2b0b68e43) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 141
*To add your open roles, [visit Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 145
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/hiring-your-early-team.md
- Network accessline 12
- **Part 1:** [How to come up with a great B2B startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) - Network accessline 13
- **Part 2:** [How to validate your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup) - Network accessline 14
- **Part 3:** [How to identify your ICP](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer) - Network accessline 15
- **Part 4**: [How to find and win your first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers) - Network accessline 16
- **Part 5:** [A guide for finding product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 18
- **Part 7:** [How to scale your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/scaling-your-b2b-growth-engine) - Network accessline 20
*A huge thank-you to **[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/)** (COO of Notion), **[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/)** (CEO of Databricks), **[Andrew Ofstad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aofstad/)** (co-fo - Network accessline 41
> “**Having four founders who could stretch across the business helped a** ***lot*** **here.** Each of us could write code, handle customer success, write product specs, and work across the stack.” —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin - Network accessline 45
> “**We could build, but we wanted the check on are we building the right thing**, given our background wasn’t in the space. The worst case would have been promising to get a company ‘secure and compliant’ and then failing to do so!” > > —[ - Network accessline 47
> —[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/), co-founder and CEO of Vanta - Network accessline 51
> “I’d say that our first hires were all fairly typical, except for hiring a Head of Recruiting at such an early stage of development. It was earlier than anticipated, but a good friend introduced me to [Kenny Mendes](https://www.linkedin.c - Network accessline 53
**Sprig** hired an AI data scientist, and **Segment** and **Amplitude** hired a customer success/support person as employee #1. Here’s [Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/) (co-founder of Segment) on why they did this: - Network accessline 69
1. Engineers continued to be the predominant function across the first three hires. Not shown in the chart, but **100% of companies hired at least one engineer among their first three hires**. 2. Interestingly, customer success/support cont - Network accessline 70
2. Interestingly, customer success/support continues to be a popular role for the first three hires. **Of the non-engineer hires, almost a quarter of them are customer success/support.** For me, this ties directly to the core lesson from pa - Network accessline 72
4. Although only 10% of hires were designers, and this isn’t shown in the pie chart above, **over 40% of companies hired a designer in their first three hires, or had a designer co-founder.** 5. **Very few companies hired a salesperson amon - Network accessline 74
6. **Three companies hired a PM within their first three hires**: Coda, Persona, and Snyk. Here’s [Guy Podjarny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypo/), founder and CEO of Snyk, on why they hired a PM so early: - Network accessline 82
And here’s [Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), founder and CEO of Persona, on hiring a PM as employee #1: - Network accessline 92
1. **Sales becomes the second most common hire**, after engineering. 2. **A quarter of companies hired a product manager** at this point. 3. **Recruiters become a surprisingly common hire.** I did not expect that. This is particularly true - Network accessline 94
3. **Recruiters become a surprisingly common hire.** I did not expect that. This is particularly true across some of the most unique startups, like Linear, Figma, Ramp, and Coda. Here’s [Jori Lallo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorilallo/), - Network accessline 120
> “We tried for a long time to hire former classmates (we were fresh out of college, so had no former colleagues), but we had pretty rotten luck. **Believe it or not, there was little appetite to join four crazy guys in a room who had been - Network accessline 122
> “We didn’t end up hiring people from our past jobs, which might be more common for others. **All of us founders worked for more established startups before Linear, and we looked for people who would do well in an early-stage environment** - Network accessline 136
Also, surprisingly, a lot of early hires were found by posting roles on public job boards—again, something every founder can do. By far the most mentioned job board was AngelList. Also mentioned were Triplebyte, Facebook groups, and VCs’ in - Network accessline 140
A final channel, which, if you recall, was also useful for [finding your early customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/115245373/start-by-reaching-out-to-your-personal-network-looking-for-people-who-match-your-icp), was tapping the ne - Network accessline 150
[I actually researched and covered this in a previous issue](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/early-stage-hiring), so go read that post. Here’s the high-level summary of what you need to get right: - Network accessline 158
> “We see the actual offer stage as a big place you can stand out. We do a Zoom to surprise the candidate with everyone from their interview panel to share why they’re excited about the candidate potentially joining.” > > —[Julianna Lamb](h - Network accessline 160
> —[Julianna Lamb](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannaelamb/), co-founder and CTO of Stytch - Network accessline 168
[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/) (founder and CEO of **Retool**) shared why he found this so valuable: - Network accessline 174
I heard exactly the same advice from [Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/) (founder and CEO of **Sprig)**, among others: - Network accessline 184
> We also didn’t know, as ex-consumer founders, what we were talking about in sales. And so we were really hopeful at the time we could find someone who could help us do that and figure it out. And we did.” > > —[Eric Glyman](https://www.li - Network accessline 186
> —[Eric Glyman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eglyman/), co-founder and CEO of Ramp - Network accessline 188
> **“We hired our first salesperson when I was consistently selling**. Basically, I hired someone to do my job versus hired someone to figure out sales. We had 200 customers already.” > > —[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathi - Network accessline 190
> —[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-collin-bb59492a/en/), founder and CEO of Front - Network accessline 194
> “The impetus for hiring a salesperson wasn’t actually a dollar amount. **What it actually was, was the sales calls were repeatable and boring: you get on, say your script, turn your brain off, get off, send the DocuSign**.I was spending a - Network accessline 196
> —[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/), co-founder and CEO of Vanta - Network accessline 200
> I felt that it would be irresponsible of me to spend all my time just doing more of these calls by myself. It’s time to go get somebody. Then you slowly fire yourself from the most simple building up to the most complex part of the sales - Network accessline 202
> —[Rujul Zaparde](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/), co-founder and CEO of Zip - Network accessline 206
> “Our first salesperson didn’t come on until, honestly, **there was more deal flow than I could deal with.** We were getting a lot of inbound. We did our launch ourself, and we were getting enough in that I was realizing I was just really - Network accessline 208
> —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), founder and CEO of Hex - Network accessline 214
This is where nearly every founder I spoke with brought in a full-time salesperson. [Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/) (CEO of Sprig) got this advice from his lead investor, [Bill Trenchard](https://firstround.com/pers - Network accessline 222
[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/) (co-founder and CEO of **Vanta)** hired her first salesperson at **$500k ARR** (her 9th employee): - Network accessline 226
[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/) (co-founder and CEO of **Amplitude)** hired his first salesperson at ~**$300k ARR** (2nd employee): - Network accessline 234
[Julianna Lamb](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannaelamb/) and [Reed McGinley-Stempel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-mcginley-stempel-17362245/) (co-founders of **Stytch**) hired their first salesperson at “**low six figures” ARR** (8th - Network accessline 238
[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/) (founder and CEO of **Databricks)** hired their first salespersonat **under $1m ARR:** - Network accessline 242
[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO of **Gusto,** alsohired his first salesperson at **under $1m** (~20th employee): - Network accessline 258
> “Initially, it was all me, up until probably $3 million or so, then I gave it to my co-founder, who ran it to $5 million, and then I think we started hiring AEs at that point.” —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), founder an - Network accessline 262
> “We brought in Casey [Bertenthal] as head of sales, and he was only salesperson for years. The second person, under him, only joined a few months ago. > > His main job has been product growth. That’s been our path to get companies, throug - Network accessline 264
> His main job has been product growth. That’s been our path to get companies, through our product. And now that we work with medium to large startups, **he’s there mainly helping them adopt Linear and navigate their internal structures and - Network accessline 276
> The first six, nine months of my journey, when I was in the support pit, was essentially when I met a lot of the sales folks. Ivan [Zhao, co-founder and CEO] and I both did a lot of these interviews together, because we were both trying t - Network accessline 278
> —[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/), co-founder and COO - Network accessline 286
> Then, as we started getting more revenue ourselves and as we got a little bit more later-stage investment, then we started thinking about marketing. Firstly, we did keyword marketing, SEM, that type of stuff, and **it’s only in the last t - Network accessline 288
> —[Cameron Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue/), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 294
> “**We hired our first salesperson before we had monetization at all.** So there was no ARR, and his job was basically just to help companies get activated. These days you’d probably call it customer success, although I would argue that fo - Network accessline 300
> Raphael honestly had no way of evaluating us, and we had very little way of evaluating him. He went on to close our first $1.5m in revenue.” > > —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/), co-founder - Network accessline 302
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/), co-founder - Network accessline 308
Here’s **Gong**’s experience, from [Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/) (co-founder and CPO): - Network accessline 318
> A lot of engineers that go to sales, it’s not that hard; it’s actually just as deep and complex as an important problem to the success of a business as the engineering. But it’s also very solvable. The best salespeople are very much like - Network accessline 320
> —[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 328
> **And actually, revenue flatlined. Revenue was growing, and then in Q2, Q3 of 2015, it started flattening. So around Q4 it was starting to become kind of clear that, okay, this product-led-growth thing—nice story, but in practice, it does - Network accessline 330
> —[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 340
[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/) (co-founder and CPO at **Gusto**) learned the same lesson early on: - Network accessline 342
> “An article I recommend all the time is Mark Leslie’s [‘The Sales Learning Curve’](https://hbr.org/2006/07/the-sales-learning-curve) in *HBR*. It teaches you that the job of a salesperson is different in a startup in three different phase - Network accessline 344
[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/) (founder and CEO of Databricks) went through this pain himself: - Network accessline 352
> “He **thought of himself as a marketer as well, loves to recruit, loves doing all the things needed to build a company**. He wanted a leadership role from the start and is still advancing at Vanta. It’s awesome. From a temperament perspec - Network accessline 356
> “We needed someone who could be boots on the ground, working deals. We wanted someone that could be autonomous and could navigate the ambiguity of an early-stage startup. This person played more of a player-coach role opening up the Europ - Network accessline 360
> “He did an incredible job scaling the early sales motion and teams.” —[Rujul Zaparde](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 364
> “**She was the enterprise account executive, selling to large companies. Very experienced.** What’s tricky for founders to consider is that you could take a star AE to be your first AE, but don’t assume they grow into a head of sales. I g - Network accessline 368
> “I hired two salespeople in quick succession, which is helpful to do a comparison, because it’s like you don’t know what you don’t know at that point when you’re managing these people.” —[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabe - Network accessline 402
For even more tactical advice, and inspiration, don’t miss my conversation with [Pete Kazanjy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazanjy/) (author of my favorite founder sales book, *[Founding Sales](https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Sales-Go-Marke - Network accessline 404
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZd5234Eem0) - Network accessline 408
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b/comments) - Network accessline 416
If you’re hiring, I can help. [Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) works with a select group of companies every month to help them make key growth and product hires. - Network accessline 420
If you’re looking for a new gig, join [here!](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome?application=true&pallet=&step=privacy) We’ll send over personalized opportunities from hand-selected companies if we think there’s a fit. Nobody gets yo - Network accessline 422
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome?application=true&pallet=&step=privacy) - Network accessline 424
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-a-traumatic-brain-injury-made-me-a-better-pm-and-person.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 12
If you’re getting this post, that means my wife’s due date is very near (😮<U+200D>💨), or our kid was just born (🥹). To give my new family my undivided attention, I’ll be taking a month or so of parental leave. To make sure you continue to receive - Network accessline 14
*For more from Amol, make sure to follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amolavasare/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/theamolavasare?lang=en). He also writes a great newsletter, [Time to Ship](https://www.timetoship.co/), w - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 18
*“The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind—the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.”* —Baz Luhrmann, [“Everybody’s Free”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI) - Network accessline 20
My life was turned upside down when I suffered a [traumatic brain injury](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/traumatic-brain-injury/symptoms-causes/syc-20378557) (TBI) during a Muay Thai sparring session in San Francisco. I imme - Network accessline 28
Most mild TBIs heal within weeks, but for [10% to 20%](https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1003652) of people, including yours truly, symptoms don’t get better and persist for a much longer time. Everyon - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 50
Have you ever felt waves of anxiety and stress before an important meeting? And what about that conversation you had with your difficult coworker that felt like pulling teeth? Did you notice your blood boiling or heart pounding as nerves or - Network accessline 57
 - Network accessline 63
 - Network accessline 83
 - Network accessline 103
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emAXGqwtPCk) - Network accessline 109
During these breaks, I disconnect from screens and focus on activities that stimulate the rest-and-digest response. For me, this has included meditation (I practice [Vipassana](https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-vipassana-insight-med - Network accessline 113
 - Network accessline 121
[Parkinson’s law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkinson%27s_law) refers to the observation that work expands to fill the time that’s available for its completion. The corollary here is that work shrinks if we’re given less time in which t - Network accessline 123
 - Network accessline 131
> *“It’s not prioritization unless it hurts.”* > > —Ami Vora, [The Hard Parts of Growth](https://amivora.substack.com/p/its-not-prioritization-until-it-hurts) - Network accessline 133
> —Ami Vora, [The Hard Parts of Growth](https://amivora.substack.com/p/its-not-prioritization-until-it-hurts) - Network accessline 135
On a tactical level, I started applying [p0/p1/p2 priorities](https://www.bluelabellabs.com/blog/a-primer-on-prioritization/) to my daily and weekly tasks. I’ve found this helpful in reorienting myself toward higher-leverage tasks, while st - Network accessline 149
 - Network accessline 159
> *“Awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally”* > > —Jon Kabat-Zinn, [Defining Mindfulness](https://www.mindful.org/jon-kabat-zinn-defining-mindfulness/#:~:text=The%20Definition%20of - Network accessline 161
> —Jon Kabat-Zinn, [Defining Mindfulness](https://www.mindful.org/jon-kabat-zinn-defining-mindfulness/#:~:text=The%20Definition%20of%20Mindfulness%3A,self%2Dunderstanding%20and%20wisdom.%E2%80%9D) - Network accessline 174
> *“True freedom is learning how to be at peace when you don’t get what you want.”* > > —Dr. Nikki Mirghafori, [Spirit Rock](https://www.spiritrock.org/nikki-mirghafori) - Network accessline 176
> —Dr. Nikki Mirghafori, [Spirit Rock](https://www.spiritrock.org/nikki-mirghafori) - Network accessline 178
With Vipassana practice, I focus on an object of attention (breath in my abdomen). When my mind gets distracted, I gently investigate my thought patterns before coming back to the breath. While I choose to sit cross-legged on the floor, the - Network accessline 186
1. **Exhaling for longer than you inhale.** Breathing in stimulates the sympathetic response, while breathing out stimulates the parasympathetic rest-and-digest response. Testing this using a heart-rate monitor will show that your heart rat - Network accessline 187
2. **Diaphragmatic “belly” breathing.** Slow diaphragmatic breathing stimulates the [vagus nerve](https://www.uclahealth.org/medical-services/gastro/wellness/wellness-approaches/relaxation-therapies), which further activates the parasympath - Network accessline 191
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZKIupBUuc) - Network accessline 197
Working with a therapist and learning to accept my lack of control played an important part here, as did a “working with fears” exercise that’s similar to Tim Ferriss’s thoughts on [fear setting](https://tim.blog/2017/05/15/fear-setting/): - Network accessline 211
This tip stems from the [classical conditioning](https://www.verywellmind.com/classical-conditioning-2794859) principle of psychology, courtesy of Pavlov’s well-known [experiment](https://www.verywellmind.com/pavlovs-dogs-2794989). In that - Network accessline 223
 - Network accessline 235
> *“Exercise is the single most potent tool we have in the health-span-enhancing toolkit—and that includes nutrition, sleep, and meds.”* > > —[Dr. Peter Attia](https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a43137717/peter-attia-outlive-exercise-longev - Network accessline 237
> —[Dr. Peter Attia](https://www.menshealth.com/fitness/a43137717/peter-attia-outlive-exercise-longevity/) - Network accessline 239
TBI [best practices](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6089233/) take the view that after an initial two- to three-day period of rest, daily cardio is the most important recovery activity for patients. In particular, brain injury - Network accessline 243
These short bursts of intense cardio increase [brain-derived neurotrophic factor](https://home.hellodriven.com/articles/neuroplasticity-why-you-should-care-about-your-bdnf/), also known as neuroplasticity. Rapidly bringing down your heart r - Network accessline 245
After my injury, I was unable to lift weights, as the movement and exertion required would trigger my symptoms. The benefits of weightlifting are [well documented](https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness/benefits-of-strength-training), so - Network accessline 249
Leading TBI [experts](https://completeconcussions.com/team/dr-cameron-marshall/) argue that TBI recovery is held back unless diet is adequately addressed, and most agree that the best bet is the [anti-inflammatory diet](https://www.arthriti - Network accessline 253
 - Network accessline 255
While acute inflammation is essential to our body’s healing process, inflammation that doesn’t go away can be a big problem. [Chronic inflammation](https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-acute-and-chronic-inflammation# - Network accessline 287
 - Network accessline 303
This slowly evolved into [Time to Ship](https://www.timetoship.co/), a short-form daily digest where I recap the latest features shipped by product teams. Writing has brought me immense joy and satisfaction, and mind-blowingly, the newslett - Network accessline 311
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 - Network accessline 337
 - Network accessline 345
*Thank you, Amol, for sharing this story with us. For more from Amol, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amolavasare/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/theamolavasare), and check out his newsletter [Time to Ship](https:// - Network accessline 349
 - Network accessline 353
**If you find this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysnewslet
references/02-newsletters/how-ai-will-impact-product-management.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Check out my **[PM recruiting service](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** (helping you hire Sr. PMs and VPs), **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more), and my * - Network accessline 16
As I often do when thinking about a question, I ran a poll on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1760091303382266154) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_activity-7166159716623056896-YKyP/) asking which c - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 28
If this sounds unlikely, remember [move 37](https://www.wired.com/2016/03/two-moves-alphago-lee-sedol-redefined-future/) in the match between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol (one of the world’s top Go players). AI saw something no human had ever seen - Network accessline 36
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzcJlKg2Rc0) - Network accessline 41
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lcy2N3YcIs) - Network accessline 44
These are arguably the smartest people in the world when it comes to AI, and they are saying that historically high-level skills like engineering and business (and game) strategy are going to be solved by AI. It’s actually already happening - Network accessline 46
On the other side, what are *people* best at? People stuff! Aligning opinionated stakeholders, unblocking blockers, pushing teams to work harder, creating amazing experiences, getting buy-in on big ideas, understanding and acting on nuance, - Network accessline 48
I once [defined](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/44031543/the-job-of-a-product-manager) the job of a product manager as to “**deliver business impact by marshaling the resources of your team to identify and solve the most impactful custo - Network accessline 52
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3Zzlgo-xZM) - Network accessline 62
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-ai-will-impact-product-management/comments) - Network accessline 64
As a framework to have this discussion, I think of the PM role as consisting of [three jobs, each of which contains a number of tasks and skills](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management): - Network accessline 66
 - Network accessline 74
- **The job:** Analyzing your market, data, customers’ needs, and insights about the future to craft a winning product strategy and vision. - **AI’s impact:** This is where AI will eventually be strongest—taking a ton of data and developing - Network accessline 76
- **Tools to explore:** [ChatGPT](https://chat.openai.com/), [Claude](https://claude.ai/), [Gemini](https://gemini.google.com/app), [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/), and [here are examples](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/1117084 - Network accessline 80
- **The job:** Picking KPIs, setting goals, drafting OKR docs, and creating dashboards to track these metrics. - **AI’s impact:** AI tooling will become increasingly smart at suggesting goals you should be optimizing for, based on your stra - Network accessline 82
- **Tools to explore:** [ChatGPT](https://chat.openai.com/), [Claude](https://claude.ai/), [Gemini](https://gemini.google.com/app), [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/) - Network accessline 86
- **The job:** Crafting PRDs/1-pagers for engineers and designers to implement new products/features. - **AI’s impact:** [This is already happening](https://x.com/clairevo/status/1775716873830797377?s=20) with tools like [ChatPRD](https://w - Network accessline 87
- **AI’s impact:** [This is already happening](https://x.com/clairevo/status/1775716873830797377?s=20) with tools like [ChatPRD](https://www.chatprd.ai/). Describe what you want in human language, get an 80% complete draft, refine it, and t - Network accessline 88
- **Tools to explore:** [ChatPRD](https://www.chatprd.ai/), [WriteMyPRD](https://writemyprd.com/), [Uizard](https://uizard.io/), and [tldraw](https://makereal.tldraw.com/) (to create mocks and prototypes) - Network accessline 92
- **The job:** Talking to customers, analyzing data, and getting input from sales and CX conversations to uncover insights about customer pain points and opportunities and inform what to build. - **AI’s impact:** Tools will make it signific - Network accessline 94
- **Tools to explore:** [Dovetail](https://dovetail.com/), [Sprig](https://sprig.com/), [Kraftful](https://www.kraftful.com/), [Notably](https://www.notably.ai/), [Viable](https://www.askviable.com/), [Maze](https://maze.co/ai/), and [a bun - Network accessline 98
- **The job:** Ideate, refine, prioritize, and get buy-in on a 3-to-6-month roadmap. - **AI’s impact:** AI tools will give you a strong first draft (taking in your strategy, user research, and goals) and help you prioritize ideas, but you’l - Network accessline 100
- **Tools to explore:** [Productroadmap.ai](https://www.productroadmap.ai/) - Network accessline 113
- **The job:** Battle-test products before they launch, to catch bugs, UX issues, and confusing copy. - **AI’s impact:** Tooling will likely become incredibly good at catching unexpected behaviors. Feed it your PRD/1-pagers, and AI will tel - Network accessline 115
- **Tools to explore:** [Rainforest](https://www.rainforestqa.com/?gad_source=1), [Katalon](https://katalon.com/), [Codium](https://www.codium.ai/), [Sapient](https://www.sapient.ai/), [Diffblue](https://www.diffblue.com/) - Network accessline 129
- **The job:** Training sales, marketing, CX, etc. ahead of launch, crafting copy, and figuring out positioning. - **AI’s impact:** This will get easier with some AI assistance, but will likely still require humans talking with other humans - Network accessline 131
- **Tools to explore:** [Copy.ai](https://www.copy.ai/), [Jasper](https://www.jasper.ai/free-trial?adgroupid=124949426633&gad_source=1) - Network accessline 144
- **The job**: Running effective standups, product reviews, kickoffs, 1:1s, etc. - **AI’s impact:** AI will assist in many ways (e.g. clarifying agendas, helping the meeting run efficiently, taking smart notes, sending along action items), - Network accessline 146
- **Tools to explore:** [Gamma](https://gamma.app/https://tome.app/), [Tome](https://tome.app/), [Fireflies](https://fireflies.ai/), [Otter](https://otter.ai/), [Rewatch](https://rewatch.com/), [Airgram](https://www.airgram.io/), [Avoma](ht - Network accessline 155
- **The job:** Getting buy-in from sales, marketing, CX, etc. for your product roadmap, timelines, and vision, and then again before your final product goes live. - **AI’s impact:** Humans will need to drive this work for quite a while. Thi - Network accessline 156
- **AI’s impact:** Humans will need to drive this work for quite a while. This generally involves a lot of soft-skills work, like making everyone feel heard, adjusting priorities based on feedback, dealing with disagreements, and communicat - Network accessline 157
- **Tools to explore:** [Gamma](https://gamma.app/https://tome.app/), [Tome](https://tome.app/), [Hume](https://x.com/hume_ai/status/1773017055974789176) - Network accessline 161
- **The job:** Getting your team’s buy-in on the vision, strategy, roadmap, goals, and timelines. - **AI’s impact:** Lots of squishy people stuff, so I expect AI will not impact this job much for a while. - **Tools to explore:** [Gamma](htt - Network accessline 163
- **Tools to explore:** [Gamma](https://gamma.app/https://tome.app/), [Tome](https://tome.app/), [Hume](https://x.com/hume_ai/status/1773017055974789176) - Network accessline 181
 - Network accessline 183
I’ll leave you with [this](https://twitter.com/tobi/status/1777433576457285881): - Network accessline 185
 - Network accessline 189
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-ai-will-impact-product-management/comments) - Network accessline 193
1. [How to use ChatGPT in your PM work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-pm-work) - Network accessline 194
2. [You should be playing with GPTs at work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/you-should-be-playing-with-gpts-at) - Network accessline 195
3. [How Do You Use ChatGPT?](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuMcoKK9mKgHtW_o9h5sGO2vXrffKHwJL) by Dan Shipper - Network accessline 196
4. [The Art of Product Management in the Fog of AI](https://tomtunguz.com/art-of-pm-in-ai/) - Network accessline 197
5. If you’re worried AI will be taking *your* job soon, [read this excellent thread by Aaron Levie](https://twitter.com/levie/status/1776673128573284523). - Network accessline 199
*Thank you, [Dan Hockenmaier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hock/overlay/about-this-profile/) and [Dan Shipper](https://twitter.com/danshipper), for pushing my thinking on this topic.* - Network accessline 205
We recently partnered with Notion to help them scale their PM team. [One role that’s particularly interesting to me](https://boards.greenhouse.io/notion/jobs/5926606003) is an opportunity to own the asynchronous collaboration experience wit - Network accessline 207
[Apply to Notion](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/onboard/v3/0153c44c-b8c4-44b6-ba42-78fbcf220033/get-referred) - Network accessline 209
*If you’re hiring and want to work with us, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apprGaxWWPYU0068E/shr2WFo5UqJjA5dQ8). Our team will reach out if we think it’s a good fit. Note, we primarily work with fast-growing U.S.-based startups.* - Network accessline 211
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-behavioral-science-can-boost-your-conversion-rates.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to a ✨ **bonus free edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing yo - Network accessline 12
> ## Q: I’m looking for ways to increase the conversion rate of our core flow. I’ve already read [your post on conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics), and it was great, but do you have any other su - Network accessline 14
I’ll be honest, I wasn’t sure what to do with your question when I first got it. But then, while catching up with my buddy [Kristen Berman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenberman), I found my answer. Kristen co-founded a company called [ - Network accessline 16
**Below, Kristen shares four stories of huge conversion wins across a handful of companies—and the behavioral science principles behind them. She then shares five behavioral design strategies you can apply to your own product immediately.** - Network accessline 18
*For more from Kristen, sign up for the [Irrational Labs email](https://irrationallabs.com/newsletter/) or follow Kristen on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/bermster).* - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 28
The field of behavioral science studies these behaviors. It sits at the crossroads of psychology and economics, looking at the effects of cognitive, emotional, and social factors on decisions and, ultimately, actions. The application of beh - Network accessline 32
A study by J. Michael McGinnis of the National Academy of Medicine found that [40% of premature deaths](https://www.prb.org/resources/up-to-half-of-u-s-premature-deaths-are-preventable-behavioral-factors-key/) are the result of our own choi - Network accessline 40
The mobile app [Steady](https://steadyapp.com/) helps gig workers track their income. To do this, it needs access to a user’s bank account—but this bank-linkage step creates friction. It’s a common drop-off moment for users: 92.9% give up d - Network accessline 42
We went through the behavioral design process with the goal of boosting the number of users who linked their bank account. By redesigning the choice architecture and creating CTAs with this in mind, [linkage jumped by 63%](https://bootcamp. - Network accessline 44
Why did this work? We used something called [forced choice](https://www.jstor.org/stable/30038845). This means we asked people to “accept” or “decline” the new feature. By asking people if they wanted to decline (which is definitive and fin - Network accessline 46
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We then applied another behavioral science principle to improve this screen even more: [goal gradient](https://home.uchicago.edu/ourminsky/Goal-Gradient_Illusionary_Goal_Progress.pdf). By focusing a user’s attention on “completing” setup, w - Network accessline 52
Why did this work? The immediate benefit to the user of taking the action should be higher than the cost of the action. This is because we tend toward [“present bias](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3909663).” In the pri - Network accessline 54
 - Network accessline 56
**The behavioral science takeaway:** Always evaluate whether the immediate benefit to your user is more compelling than the cost to them. Typically, any step is friction—and friction presents a cost. Of course, [there are exceptions.](https - Network accessline 60
Our team worked with [Livongo](https://hello.livongo.com/), a diabetes management company, to help it rethink its onboarding strategy. After they conducted the behavioral diagnosis and assessed the psychologies at play, they made one simple - Network accessline 64
 - Network accessline 66
That may sound simple, but it leveraged a key psychological insight well-known by behavioral scientists. When we feel like something is ours (the “[endowment effect](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022103109001279)”) - Network accessline 68
**The behavioral science takeaway:** Experiment with designing products that allow the user to more quickly feel [psychological ownership](https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/working-papers/psychological-ownership-intervention-imp - Network accessline 72
[EarnUp](https://earnup.com/), a fintech app, wanted to help its users pay down debt faster (thereby saving them thousands in interest). - Network accessline 76
 - Network accessline 78
[The results were impressive.](https://nextbillion.net/fintechs-elephant-seal-problem/) First, simply asking people to increase their mortgage payments led 10% of people to increase their mortgage payment by $60, saving them $8,000 in inter - Network accessline 84
In a sample of data obtained from the fintech company [Digit](https://digit.co/), 48% of users set goals that were multiples of $500, and 87% of users set goals that were multiples of $100. In a data sample obtained from the fintech company - Network accessline 86
**The behavioral science takeaway:** Lean into what people are already doing, and then make it easier for them. Peloton’s Director of Product, David Packles, is [vocal that he uses this strategy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-KatWuirn4) - Network accessline 92
To help people get credit and keep it high, Duke University’s [Common Cents Lab](https://commoncentslab.com) partnered with Latino Community Credit Union to help support borrowers with their loan repayment. - Network accessline 98
Like the prior example, this “round up” concept worked. The surprise was how well it worked—in the winning condition, [a whopping 36% of people](https://advanced-hindsight.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/2017-Common-Cents-Lab-Report-509.pdf) - Network accessline 106
**The behavioral science takeaway**: [Day 1 is the day your users have the most momentum](https://bermster.medium.com/do-this-1-thing-right-from-the-beginning-and-users-are-more-likely-to-stick-with-you-says-93ac7f76f426) they will ever hav - Network accessline 114
In other words, behavioral scientists go beyond [what users](https://www.ted.com/talks/kristen_berman_don_t_listen_to_your_customers_do_this_instead) *[say](https://www.ted.com/talks/kristen_berman_don_t_listen_to_your_customers_do_this_ins - Network accessline 116
Using [behavioral design](https://irrationallabs.com/learn/our-method/) to assess the problem, and understand every step of user behavior, we can offer a targeted solution. Here are 5 tactics you can use in your own product development proc - Network accessline 122
*[A 5-step guide to doing a literature review](https://irrationallabs.com/content/uploads/2020/04/Literature-Review-101.pdf)* - Network accessline 124
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4. **Identify the psychologies at play:** At each step, what are the underlying forces driving our behavior? At Irrational Labs, we’ve boiled down the list of biases to a simple framework—the 3Bs. To drive a key behavior, we need to reduce - Network accessline 137
 - Network accessline 139
5. **Conduct theory-based experiments:** Experimentation is the cult religion of behavioral science. While you may already run experiments, there’s likely a way to make them more strategic. For example, by changing only one thing at a time - Network accessline 141
**Want to develop your own capacity in behavioral science and drive impact? Check out our 4-week bootcamp that starts October 8. [Apply today](https://behavioraleconomicsbootcamp.com/bootcamp-lp-classic-cohort/).** - Network accessline 143
For more real-world case studies, sign up for the [Irrational Labs newsletter](https://irrationallabs.com/newsletter/). - Network accessline 147
 - Network accessline 155
1. **Aescape:** [Product Management Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/117d35d9-a9b3-49d0-82df-b27a6c074e0f) (Brooklyn, NY) - Network accessline 156
2. **Mynd:** [Senior Growth Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c4bde52c-d66e-4b42-96fb-2ba861f72e27) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 157
3. **Mynd:** [Product Lead, Internal Tools](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/b6da1eaa-5a2b-4ad4-92f9-5ac4b9f764e5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 158
4. **CHPTR:** [Founding Back-End Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c96f89cb-0288-4028-ae4d-f380567449de) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 159
5. **Permutive:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/1ff1e376-ab34-4138-ba4a-822475672a93) (NYC) - Network accessline 160
6. **CloudTrucks:** [Product Manager-Console (Workflows & Automations)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/68d092da-db3a-4f25-8b95-2072342c18fe) (SF) - Network accessline 161
7. **Fairchain:** [Software Engineer, Full Stack](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f2963b88-7eaf-4b4d-9788-4b58f5c6b785) (NYC) - Network accessline 162
8. **HomeLight:** [Senior Product Manager, Listing Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/48c02f5e-e681-4b83-9012-fb08ae2c1e52) (SF, Phoenix, Seattle) - Network accessline 163
9. **Perfect Recall:**[Founding Fullstack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/7ac1bf05-0aa6-436e-8546-6e14c5222f7e) (Waterloo) - Network accessline 164
10. **Spatial:** [Backend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/9424b997-d1e3-4eb1-8b0a-e9f1cc622fb5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 165
11. **Maven:** [Product Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/de48b7e9-782d-4c3e-a354-6abd66fb7d0d) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 166
12. **Republic:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/da2ec715-1731-4709-9194-e4c630709ab1) (NYC, Remote-US) - Network accessline 168
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 172
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/how-close-is-ai-to-replacing-product-managers.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. If you’re not a - Network accessline 12
1. *[Counterintuitive advice for building AI products](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/counterintuitive-advice-for-building)* - Network accessline 13
2. *[General management, functional, and hybrid models: Which org design works best for top companies?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/general-management-functional-and)* - Network accessline 14
3. *[When and how to run a billboard campaign](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/when-and-how-to-run-a-billboard-campaign)* - Network accessline 16
*Subscribe to get access to these posts, and every post. For more: **[Best of Lenny’s Newsletter](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter-2023)** | **[Hire your next product leader](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** | - Network accessline 18
In my quest to develop a comprehensive benchmark to measure progress toward AI replacing PMs, I teamed up with full-time prompt engineer (and past collaborator) [Mike Taylor](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjt145/) on a piece that will surely - Network accessline 20
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-close-is-ai-to-replacing-product/comments) - Network accessline 22
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To make matters more challenging, expert prompting is necessary to make responses from a model any good. **As a result, most people underestimate how close ChatGPT and other tools are to replacing the work of a human. Whenever you see the h - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 30
Thus, to realistically measure how close AI models are to replacing the work of a human—in our case, a product manager—we need to collect real-world examples of difficult PM tasks that AI tools seem to struggle with, use the best current mo - Network accessline 32
I work as a professional prompt engineer and recently published a book with O’Reilly, *[Prompt Engineering for Generative AI](https://www.amazon.com/Prompt-Engineering-Generative-Ai-Future-proof/dp/109815343X)*, so I’ll use my prompting ski - Network accessline 36
To establish a baseline of what tasks are hard for AI, [Lenny put out a call for tasks](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1785055728903897209) that PMs have tried and failed at getting ChatGPT to do: - Network accessline 38
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Prompts were run in the OpenAI Playground (which is available to anyone with a developer account). This let us set our own [system prompt](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/system-prompts) (the instructions for how the model should behave) - Network accessline 64
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We ran this as a blind test because that’s the only fair way to evaluate performance. Think of it like the [Coke vs. Pepsi challenge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepsi_Challenge): when Pepsi is in unmarked containers, people prefer the ta - Network accessline 76
One rare exception was the fantastic PM interview questions database curated by [Exponent](https://www.tryexponent.com/questions) (no affiliation; I just like their content), a website that helps people prepare for job interviews at top-tie - Network accessline 88
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This is a clever use of AI, but I feel that it sells the technology’s capabilities short. LLMs are trained on all the text available on the internet (and beyond), so the default answer you get is going to be approximately the average of the - Network accessline 96
#### [Solution A](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-KCePp5C1TWAS6zj1RyVYw3r7-qJtMjAGBKSvoxZqU0/edit?usp=sharing): - Network accessline 98
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#### [Solution B](https://docs.google.com/document/d/17jPWOESqaWHHMuSjJ2CMmt2Qs3O1mEcT5Gfspg-TVhY/edit?usp=sharing): - Network accessline 102
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The preferred solution was B, which was the AI version, with 55% of the votes (when you include tied votes)! This was a close contest, but a tie is still a win for AI, because it’s so much cheaper and quicker to have AI develop your strateg - Network accessline 108
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One thing to note is that we changed up the prompt slightly between [X](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1798412435394904447) and what we posted on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_help-me-with-one-more-ai-experiment-wh - Network accessline 128
Many of the comments we got on social media mentioned that ChatGPT had a lack of creativity in coming up with performance metrics, and, to be fair, this is a tricky topic that most humans also get wrong. I worked for over 200 startups as a - Network accessline 130
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#### [Solution A](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n8fC1RJE--r7Rn7oVAXByPw84JCqdrreB5UtGlIppZw/edit?usp=sharing): - Network accessline 140
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#### [Solution B](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JBUwbRMiisomvIljTVBjpbBkR5TZPH7BD3BnZeHmSno/edit?usp=sharing): - Network accessline 144
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The preferred solution was A, with **68%** of the votes. This was the **AI** **version**, which 70% of people guessed correctly. If you credit any tied votes to AI, it scored 86%! The human answer comes from [Anonymous Muskox’s answer](http - Network accessline 150
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Many people were fairly certain that A was AI, and they cited how comprehensive or long-winded the answer was as the obvious tell. If you’re trying to hide whether your answer was AI-generated, finding ways to get it to [quit yapping](https - Network accessline 156
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#### [Solution A](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Fj6Ja0bbWtaZsXSHiObSrTjEGf5bH-iZF5-OHVUd5tI/edit?usp=sharing): - Network accessline 182
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#### [Solution B](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i4johrJ9FqW39aGbfjfCPYIgxUQ0y3WcTjz_qXchEFo/edit?usp=sharing): - Network accessline 186
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The preferred solution was A, with **58%** of the votes, which was the **human version**. This was a very close race, with many people saying they only picked A for marginal reasons. And only 65% of people guessed correctly which was AI. Th - Network accessline 192
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We got far fewer people voting on this one; I guess I scared people away with the math! So we posted it on LinkedIn as well to get more votes. This time we kept both versions the same as what we tested on X. One of the common misconceptions - Network accessline 198
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Testing head-to-head on three tasks isn’t a comprehensive evaluation, so we want to extend these benchmarks across more types of difficult PM tasks. This section describes our suggested approach to doing so. We’d love to hear from you in th - Network accessline 212
Lenny [once defined](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management#%C2%A7the-job-of-a-product-manager) the job of a product manager as to “**deliver business impact by marshaling the resources of your team to identify and so - Network accessline 237
To go even deeper, we would explore multiple questions per category to get more diverse and robust results, and run the tests with more models (and potentially different prompting techniques). In particular, I would love to explore whether - Network accessline 239
One big problem is [data contamination](https://ehudreiter.com/2024/03/12/data-contamination-worries/), where the LLMs learn which answers are “correct” when they are trained on fresh data from the internet, which includes posts like this o - Network accessline 241
The voting mechanism we used wasn’t ideal. Posting on X and LinkedIn and then tallying the votes manually was too open to interpretation, and took too long to be able to run tests more frequently. We would need to change the methodology to - Network accessline 243
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1. Find a real-world example of a human doing the task (for example, on [Exponent](https://www.tryexponent.com/questions/2930/pick-a-product-that-you-have-been-using-over-the-past-6-months-you-are-the-new-pm-for-it-the-cpo-ask)) - Network accessline 250
2. Copy and paste the task into ChatGPT (it helps to convert to [markdown](https://word2md.com/) first) - Network accessline 281
One of the mechanisms that makes this prompt work is the instruction to “Start by listing assumptions...” AI models (and humans) tend to give better answers when they spend some time planning the answer first, which OpenAI calls “[Giving th - Network accessline 289
### [Task #1](https://platform.openai.com/playground/p/K00oiCDRAhNkL3c0HWwvHNCs): - Network accessline 401
### [Task #2](https://platform.openai.com/playground/p/GEmHeIqHCCX2jISAOCGcvEIy): - Network accessline 431
### [Task #3](https://platform.openai.com/playground/p/AcZv0zJJBqYBkiK4rURuBMO4): - Network accessline 507
*Thanks, Mike! Mike Taylor co-authored the O’Reilly book* Prompt Engineering for Generative AI *and builds AI products at [Brightpool](https://brightpool.dev/). Previously, he built a 50-person marketing agency, working with clients like Bo - Network accessline 515
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 519
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-coda-builds-product.md
- Network accessline 10
I’m often asked how to best set up a product development process, and since I’ve only had first-hand experience with a few approaches, I’ve embarked on an ongoing series to learn how the best product teams build product. Part one was on [Fi - Network accessline 12
Having spoken with many PMs from Coda over the years, plus having [Coda’s CEO, Shishir Mehrotra, on my podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-rituals-of-great-teams-shishir#details), I’ve always seen Coda as an incredibly thoughtfu - Network accessline 14
A big thank-you to [Lane Shackleton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laneshackleton/), the CPO at Coda, for sitting down with me and answering all of my (very detailed) questions—and also for sharing a dozen plug-and-play templates 🤯 - Network accessline 20
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To arrive at Big Bets, we use a strategy process that is inspired by one of my favorite strategy books, called *Good Strategy Bad Strategy*. One of the core ideas behind the book is that good strategy is an answer to a specific challenge. S - Network accessline 40
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I love the creativity our teams bring to this exercise. We commonly see fun patterns of [reactions](https://help.coda.io/en/articles/4919307-adding-reactions-to-your-docs-and-tables) where the teams will intersperse things like heart, quest - Network accessline 44
The artifact that gets produced is a two-pager, in [two-way writeup](https://coda.io/@lshackleton/two-way-writeups-coda-s-secret-to-shipping-fast) style, with two classic Coda rituals: a pulse for gathering sentiment and Dory for asking que - Network accessline 46
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Yes, though we’re always tweaking and evolving [our approach](https://coda.io/@lshackleton/quarterly-plus-okrs) to them. - Network accessline 66
At the end of the planning process, teams present an [OKR writeup](https://coda.io/@lshackleton/quarterly-plus-okrs/template-team-okrs-writeup-13) that describes where they are headed and why it matters to our Big Bets, and include a brief - Network accessline 70
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The forum we call [Catalyst](https://coda.io/@david/catalyst-meeting) starts from a few hard-earned lessons from years of running review forums. Most review forums have common problems like not having the right people, or not starting with - Network accessline 87
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We sometimes also write a [press release](https://coda.io/@lshackleton/gathering-feedback-on-product-directions-using-press-release-opt). I find that teams can quickly explore broad directions simply by writing two or three versions of a pr - Network accessline 122
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And finally, if you want to look across all upcoming launches, we have a centralized [launch calendar](https://coda.io/@codatemplates/launch-calendar-with-slack-summary). One thing we noticed early in Coda’s history is that we should have a - Network accessline 128
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We have a joint Product and Design team. PMs report to PM leads, and PM and Design leads report to me. I report to [Shishir](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-rituals-of-great-teams-shishir#details), the CEO. - Network accessline 156
Teams are structured around outcomes. For example, we have a team focused on driving revenue that is a mix of PDE and Customer roles. Within broader teams, we have investment areas (IAs) that can be focused on specific customer journeys lik - Network accessline 168
One of my favorite things about using Coda for everything, and a reason I’d never want to go back to that world, is that a team can have it all in one place. So the PM is no longer sending lots of different links to docs for specs, bug-trac - Network accessline 172
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One unexpected outcome of using team hubs for years is that it also creates a nice historical record as new people join the company. So a new person joins and says, “Why did we make that decision?” and in a world of lots of tools, you have - Network accessline 198
We’re a company that loves improving our rituals. We talk a lot about [Bing Gordon](https://www.kleinerperkins.com/people/bing-gordon/)’s definition of a company’s golden rituals. The three criteria he has for rituals are: they are named, e - Network accessline 202
- [Fun remote kickoffs](https://coda.io/@helena/remote-team-kickoff-template), since we’re a hybrid-work culture. - Network accessline 203
- [Decision logs](https://coda.io/@lshackleton/decision-log) to capture key questions and decisions as we build. - Network accessline 204
- A set of specific methodologies around research that we put into [a research kit](https://coda.io/@alissa-doose/coda-for-research-medium-study-kit). - Network accessline 209
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-coda-builds-product/comments) - Network accessline 221
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 223
 - Network accessline 227
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 231
1. **DX:** [Content Lead](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/d88460d1-d9e0-4f13-b939-968d22d5a85e) (Park City, UT; Remote) - Network accessline 232
2. **Surfer:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f6ebf2d0-c425-4690-95de-01b9c6568092) (Remote) - Network accessline 233
3. **Zendoor:** [Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/192a2c6c-e46c-4190-9d81-9a527273c89d)(Remote) - Network accessline 237
1. **Watch:** [Hania Rani live at Invalides](https://youtu.be/J5oZ80Daduc) - Network accessline 239
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5oZ80Daduc) - Network accessline 241
2. **Read:** [“Today you ... tomorrow me”](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/elal2/comment/c18z0z2/?context=3) via [Trung Phan](https://trungphan.substack.com/p/today-youtomorrow-me) - Network accessline 242
3. **Read**: [12 Assumptions for Extraterrestrial Life](https://kk.org/thetechnium/12-assumptions-for-extraterrestrial-life/) by Kevin Kelly
references/02-newsletters/how-duolingo-builds-product.md
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On the heels of what is now my second most popular post of all time ([How Duolingo reignited user growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth) by [Jorge Mazal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgemazal/) 🔥), I - Network accessline 12
This post is part three of an ongoing series on how the best product teams build product (don’t miss [Figma](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-figma-builds-product) and [Coda](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-coda-builds-product) - Network accessline 14
I sat down with [Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/), VP of Product at Duolingo, to learn about the company’s fascinating org structure, planning cadence, design review process, approach to OKRs, team rituals, goals, and much - Network accessline 16
A big thank-you to Cem for answering all of my questions. For more, make sure to follow Cem on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/cemkansu). Enjoy! - Network accessline 22
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- **The In-App Purchases team** owns the metric of in-app purchase (IAP) revenue. They are part of the Monetization area. The Monetization area owns the metric Duolingo app revenue, which is the sum of IAP, ads, and subscription revenue. - - Network accessline 46
- **The Retention team** owns the metric [current user retention](https://blog.duolingo.com/growth-model-duolingo/) (CURR) and is part of the Growth area. The Growth area owns the metric of DAUs, which is heavily influenced by CURR. - Network accessline 64
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We have an amazing group of 37 PMs, and [we’re hiring](https://careers.duolingo.com)! Here’s some of us pictured at our annual company trip in Mexico in February: - Network accessline 202
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- **The PM all-hands meeting, named Product Party.** Every other meeting name sounded too boring. At the start of every Product Party, we play a music video that someone on the team has picked and we try to guess who picked the song. - **Mo - Network accessline 209
- **Monthly happy hour called Product Pub.** Old-school in-person happy hour with no work agenda. We do this in the first week of every month. - **Kahoot trivia parties for celebrations.** [Kahoot](https://kahoot.com) is often used in class - Network accessline 210
- **Kahoot trivia parties for celebrations.** [Kahoot](https://kahoot.com) is often used in classrooms for creating educational games or quizzes, but we use it for trivia parties. For example, when the Data Science function moved from the P - Network accessline 213
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- **Our mission is at the heart of how we make product decisions.** We are here to develop the world’s best education and make it universally available. For example, we don’t charge for learning content so that Duolingo can remain accessibl - Network accessline 224
- **We are experimentation-driven and data-obsessed.** [Every product change is first tested as an A/B experiment](https://blog.duolingo.com/improving-duolingo-one-experiment-at-a-time/). We have more than 200 A/B tests running at any given - Network accessline 229
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Thanks, Cem! You can follow Cem on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/cemkansu). - Network accessline 235
1. [Duolingo’s growth model](https://blog.duolingo.com/growth-model-duolingo/) - Network accessline 236
2. [Duolingo’s experimentation methodology](https://blog.duolingo.com/improving-duolingo-one-experiment-at-a-time/) - Network accessline 237
3. [How Duolingo reignited user growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth) - Network accessline 243
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 245
 - Network accessline 249
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 253
1. **Forem:** [Senior Platform Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/d01563e6-1312-4af7-8dc5-c5070ac6e8e9) (Remote) - Network accessline 254
2. **Forem:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/13f493f2-0050-48e3-aa4c-8fbcb2b7c389)(Remote) - Network accessline 255
3. **Fitmate Coach:** [Growth Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/eabfbfa5-ffdc-446d-84bb-9958bcaf1b34) (SF, remote) - Network accessline 256
4. **Fitmate Coach:** [Product Lead](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/c6c1e81a-b2ad-4a37-b9cb-b3327ccf7247) (SF, remote) - Network accessline 257
5. **Athena:** [Head of Growth](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/ecdd07bc-e3f0-4307-afd5-c55cbbf5ea47) (Remote) - Network accessline 259
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/02-newsletters/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing - Network accessline 14
1. *[Growth inflections](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-inflections)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[How to be prepared for layoffs](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-be-better-prepared-for-layoffs)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[How Coda builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-coda-builds-product)* - Network accessline 20
I was at a small event a few months back where [Jorge Mazal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgemazal/) (former CPO of Duolingo) shared the story behind Duolingo’s growth reaccelerating. I was captivated. I’ve never seen a growth story like t - Network accessline 22
*Follow Jorge for more on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgemazal/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jorgemazal).* - Network accessline 24
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*Growth Model: Erin Gustafson (Staff Data Scientist) and Vanessa Jameson, who collaborated with me in the creation of the growth model. Learn more about how Erin is working to evolve the way Duolingo thinks about growth in her recent post: - Network accessline 205
Thank you, Jorge! You can follow Jorge for more on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorgemazal/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jorgemazal). - Network accessline 211
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 213
 - Network accessline 217
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 221
1. **Athena:** Head of Growth (Remote) 2. **MetaMap:** [VP, Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/74ca739b-4b51-4d55-8727-6606327fae58) (SF, Miami, Mexico City) - Network accessline 222
2. **MetaMap:** [VP, Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/74ca739b-4b51-4d55-8727-6606327fae58) (SF, Miami, Mexico City)
references/02-newsletters/how-figma-builds-product.md
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I’m excited to launch this series with [Figma](https://www.figma.com/), one of the most innovative, interesting, and impactful product teams today. I reached out to [Yuhki Yamashita](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuhki/), Chief Product Office - Network accessline 18
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Here’s a link to our [Roadmap Review Template](https://www.figma.com/file/PQkFgQA77plJMrxMs8PXWt/Roadmap-review-template/duplicate) on FigJam, which is essentially how we do planning: - Network accessline 30
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Product reviews are more about making decisions and debating directions. [Here’s our template](https://www.figma.com/file/m10kTJd28p5DDQC6xoCmY8/Product-Review-Template/duplicate). We have different kinds: ones where we’re trying to align o - Network accessline 60
It’s been interesting to see the evolution of the format. When I arrived, people were projecting docs and there was more of a memo culture. I switched this format to decks, mostly because I wanted to push for more of a storytelling culture - Network accessline 62
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For more about crits, our Vice President of Design [Noah Levin wrote about our process here](https://www.figma.com/blog/design-critiques-at-figma/). - Network accessline 88
Twenty-two, and [we’re hiring](https://www.figma.com/careers/#job-openings)! - Network accessline 112
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To learn more about FigJam, visit [Figma.com/FigJam](https://www.figma.com/figjam/), connect with Yuhki on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/yuhkiyam) or [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuhki/), and Figma is [hiring](https://www.figma.co - Network accessline 130
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-figma-builds-product/comments) - Network accessline 134
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 136
 - Network accessline 140
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 144
1. **Rabbithole:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/1d202cac-27f9-40fb-a31d-a8d717f468e5) (Remote) - Network accessline 145
2. **Noom:** [Head of Product Design](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8dffb755-160d-416e-947a-0f09ccc7d11e) (Remote) - Network accessline 146
3. **Equi:** [Director, Product Management](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/fb351a31-203b-47f4-8675-c9be18438c6b) (NYC) - Network accessline 147
4. **Equi:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/873a7791-0545-4fc5-a07c-4fa8a75da3fd) (NYC) - Network accessline 148
5. **Equi:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f2f82806-0fdf-461f-beb7-bdc2771d50f9) (NYC) - Network accessline 149
6. **Playbook:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/608b4297-c97d-45fc-a521-70b74f6d7d65) (NYC, Remote) - Network accessline 150
7. **Zendoor:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a060efa9-8aaf-43dd-be39-60447a4bb567) (Phoenix, Remote) - Network accessline 156
2. **Read:** [Wealth vs. Getting Wealthier](https://collabfund.com/blog/wealth-vs-getting-wealthier/) by Morgan Housel - Network accessline 157
3. **Watch:** [Russian SU-25 pilot ejects, recorded by his helmet-mounted camera](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkT7Q5EHOAc) - Network accessline 159
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkT7Q5EHOAc)
references/02-newsletters/how-givedirectly-increased-donations-by-over-3-millionyear-through-experimentati.md
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**I’m a huge fan of the work they do, so I’m [also kicking off a campaign through GiveDirectly to raise $100,000](https://www.givedirectly.org/lenny/) to bring a rural village in Kenya out of poverty.** All donations made to this campaign t - Network accessline 14
[Donate now](https://www.givedirectly.org/lenny/) - Network accessline 16
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[Donate now](https://www.givedirectly.org/lenny/) - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 29
[Donate now](https://www.givedirectly.org/lenny/) - Network accessline 33
1. ***Cash works.** It’s among the most data-driven ways to help ([more than 500 academic studies](https://www.givedirectly.org/research-on-cash-transfers/)—basically A/B tests for charity interventions), and GiveDirectly is building this e - Network accessline 39
1. *It also lends itself to innovative approaches, e.g. [using AI for targeting](https://www.givedirectly.org/hurricane-relief-2022/) to deliver emergency cash faster or even [before disasters](https://www.givedirectly.org/flood-pilots/).* - Network accessline 40
3. ***It’s respectful and anti-paternalistic.** Too often, “experts” have said people in poverty need [laptops](https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/16/17233946/olpcs-100-laptop-education-where-is-it-now?_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8xaRn9Gvc8DDjisHc2gr13NE60 - Network accessline 45
[Donate now](https://www.givedirectly.org/lenny/) - Network accessline 51
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At [GiveDirectly](https://www.givedirectly.org/), we asked: What would a better online donation experience look like? After only one year of experimenting with this one critical flow, we’ve raised $3 million more in incremental donations *p - Network accessline 69
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Of this uplift, **20%** was driven by the embedded donation form, and **15%** was driven by the new design. Because of these results, we’ve made other web pages (like [this one about extreme poverty](https://www.givedirectly.org/poverty/)) - Network accessline 148
 [tricked](https://mothership.sg/2021/02/world-vision-hong-kong-sponsor-a-child/) [when](https://win - Network accessline 158
 - Network accessline 164
1. **No choosing recipients:** You were matched with the next person in the queue to receive funds, based on our needs-based eligibility criteria. 2. **No [poverty porn](https://www.givedirectly.org/poverty-porn/):** We enrolled only adults - Network accessline 165
2. **No [poverty porn](https://www.givedirectly.org/poverty-porn/):** We enrolled only adults, got their informed consent to collect photos and quotes, and didn’t edit their stories. - Network accessline 168
 - Network accessline 172
**🤳 Gathering content:** Our teams in the field had to collect stories from recipients every quarter, which involved visiting their villages to gather photos and quotes, translating their stories, and uploading them to our content system. T - Network accessline 174
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We’ve also applied this approach to our village fundraising campaigns with partners, like what you see today at [givedirectly.org/Lenny](https://givedirectly.org/Lenny). - Network accessline 212
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[Donate now](https://www.givedirectly.org/lenny/) - Network accessline 234
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 236
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews - Network accessline 244
Kiva’s co-founder and CEO [responded](https://www.cgdev.org/blog/matt-flannery-kiva-ceo-and-co-founder-replies) that pre-disbursal of loans is better because borrowers can get their loans more quickly, and that the model they present to use
references/02-newsletters/how-gong-builds-product.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Don’t miss **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** ✨ (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more) and my new **[swag store](https://lennyswag.com/)** (great gifts for your favorite PM, or yourself!).* - Network accessline 16
[Gong](https://www.gong.io/) is one of the fastest SaaS companies in history to reach $100 million in ARR, has over 4,000 customers—including companies like Snowflake, Shopify, HubSpot, and LinkedIn—and has raised more than $500 million fro - Network accessline 18
To get an inside look at how Gong builds product, I sat down with [Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/), the co-founder and chief product officer. **Here’s what stood out to me most about Gong’s approach to product:** - Network accessline 28
To learn more about Gong, check out their [website](https://www.gong.io/), [demo page](https://www.gong.io/demo/), and new [AI platform](https://www.gong.io/product/ai/). - Network accessline 30
*For more stories of how the best product teams operate, don’t miss my deep dives into [Linear](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-linear-builds-product), [Shopify](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-shopify-builds-product), [Figma] - Network accessline 34
 - Network accessline 40
The annual process works along a “W” shape, similar to the framework Lenny suggested [here](https://review.firstround.com/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite). - Network accessline 56
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*Thank you, Eilon! Follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/) and [X](https://twitter.com/eilonreshef), and to learn more about Gong, check out their [website](https://www.gong.io/), [demo page](https://www.gong.io/d - Network accessline 246
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 250
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-linear-builds-product.md
- Network accessline 10
[Linear](https://linear.app/) is a story I’ve been wanting to tell for a long time. Not only are they [the #1 most requested startup for me to include in this series](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1705298041555780033?s=20), they’re also bui - Network accessline 19
Linear also has more cash in the bank than they’ve ever raised in VC funding, they’ve been profitable for 2+ years (before it was cool), and have spent a grand total of $35K on paid marketing in the history of the company. Only two people h - Network accessline 25
In the very beginning, when it was just us three founders, we planned by the week. We would think about the most important things to resolve and then go work on that. If you go back to the beginning of our [changelog](https://linear.app/cha - Network accessline 29
For the planning process itself, it’s a two-way approach, where we start with the founders and small leadership group to plan the direction we want to go as a company for the following 12 months. In parallel, we ask everyone on the team to - Network accessline 37
Project plans start as documents or lists where we just draft ideas. We then ask the project team to write the spec for the project. Here’s an example spec for our [Triage](https://linear.app/docs/triage) feature: - Network accessline 39
After the spec is written, we’ll add the project to the [Roadmap](https://linear.app/features/plan#roadmaps) in Linear. This is our internal working view of the “Planning & Roadmapping” workstream and how the team manages their workflow as - Network accessline 83
Well, Linear, of course. We recently shared a [blog post](https://linear.app/blog/how-we-think-about-customer-experience-at-linear) about how we use Linear to manage incoming bug reports and feature requests directly from customers. - Network accessline 97
I don’t think it would be possible to maintain the quality we have, or build some of the things we have, without this setup. Anyone who has built things knows that a lot of ideas and opportunities emerge when you actually start building som - Network accessline 119
Every product has bugs and little paper cuts that affect quality. At Linear, we fix these every week, but we also dedicate concentrated time at the end of the year to these efforts through [Polishing Season](https://linear.app/changelog/pol - Network accessline 121
*Thank you, Karri! For more from Karri, check him out on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karrisaarinen) and [X](https://twitter.com/karrisaarinen/), and learn more about Linear at [Linear.app](https://linear.app/). Also, [they’re hir - Network accessline 123
*For more stories of how the best product teams operate, don’t miss my interviews with [Figma](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-figma-builds-product), [Notion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-notion-builds-product), [Shopify](h - Network accessline 129
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 133
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 135
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-long-it-takes-to-find-product-market-fit.md
- Network accessline 14
To illustrate the second point, take a look at [the a16z Marketplace 100 in 2020](https://a16z.com/2020/02/18/marketplace-100/) vs. [2021](https://a16z.com/marketplace-100/). Notice how many marketplaces have slowed, dropped out, or gone un - Network accessline 22
1. The average time from launch to PMF is around 1.5 years. This doesn’t even include the time it takes to build the v1, which is often another 1+ years of work. So expect to put in at least two years before you get to the feeling of “This - Network accessline 23
2. The amount of time it takes for a marketplace to find PMF is no different from the [timelines for non-marketplace startups](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1398729270550142977). Except for [the occasional consumer social apps](https: - Network accessline 24
3. Just like [in my previous post on PMF](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-it-feels-like-when-youve-found), getting to PMF is generally described as (1) a clear and sudden inflection in growth, (2) steady and compounding growth/reten - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 132
1. [What it feels like when you've found product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-it-feels-like-when-youve-found) - Network accessline 133
2. [How to know if you've got product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket#:~:text=%E2%80%9CHere's%20my%20simple%20definition%20of,can%20efficiently%20bring%20them%20in%E2%80%9D) - Network accessline 134
3. [How to Kickstart and Scale a Marketplace Business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 135
4. [Why marketplaces fail](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-marketplaces-fail) - Network accessline 136
5. [Evaluating a (marketplace) business idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/evaluating-a-marketplace-business) - Network accessline 144
1. **Polygence:** [Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/55046525-1bd3-4901-8452-45fc1c643d82) (Palo Alto) - Network accessline 145
2. **Metafy:** [Principal Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3bd02acf-9da4-4769-9dd7-fed6a81045c8) (Remote) - Network accessline 146
3. **Brex:** [Senior Product Manager on Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/5a8a0c07-552b-49a0-ac12-e588280790c5) (Remote) - Network accessline 147
4. **LawnStarter:** [Founding Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/e55f36fa-2103-4ebf-bbe4-dbd4fc63fa4a) (Remote) - Network accessline 148
5. **Immuta:** [Senior Technical Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/7e71effa-1f76-4607-a9de-57ca1b07f261) (Remote) - Network accessline 149
6. **Wrapbook:** [Senior Technical Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/dea57461-eb0d-4edb-9097-91885482ce19) (Remote) - Network accessline 150
7. **Overtime:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/4296af21-ada7-47c8-bc19-9041724f3098) (NYC) - Network accessline 151
8. **6ix:** [Project Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/5322e118-bba3-4a9f-ac38-da61d5b4cab8) (Remote/Toronto) - Network accessline 155
1. **Brex:** [Senior Product Manager on Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/5a8a0c07-552b-49a0-ac12-e588280790c5) (Remote) - Network accessline 156
2. **Free Agency:** [Community Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3445e94f-d760-4b3b-9c47-393a6f4702e8) (NYC) - Network accessline 157
3. **Brex:** [Growth Marketing Manager, Search (SEM+SEO)](https://pallet.xyz/job/1811f9d7-21c7-4cd0-8b81-050242749825) (Remote) - Network accessline 158
4. **OpenPhone**: [Head of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/job/102a757f-cbea-4113-9588-cf1fc98a8d7a) (Remote) - Network accessline 159
5. **neo.tax:** [Head of Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/2fd84c85-b209-47d0-9213-671e0342cff3) (Mountain View/Remote) - Network accessline 160
6. **Coda:** [Growth Associate Program](https://pallet.xyz/job/bba22fae-9ec5-47a2-b6dd-157f498b1fba) (SF) - Network accessline 164
1. **Cable:** [Backend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/8f3f617d-07ba-412f-87f5-6a8ad1d0fe35) (Remote) - Network accessline 165
2. **Eppo:**[Data Infrastructure Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/fa7f68a5-8153-4928-8aff-20a87e3c6d84) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 166
3. **Transform:**[Data Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/bb8679fc-e2cb-4a83-a9d6-b71795c096e5) (Remote) - Network accessline 170
1. **ClassDojo:** [Design Leader](https://pallet.xyz/job/d249ecad-d380-416f-a773-4650e28585cc) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 171
2. **Cardless**: [Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/4befe144-b63d-4a5c-9626-11a533a8fdd3) (SF) - Network accessline 172
3. **Karat**: [First Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/29a7b24a-2ba0-489e-8222-d5d2b0b68e43) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 176
1. **Panther:** [Director of Operations](https://pallet.xyz/job/fb5d0f95-eadf-44b2-8968-d2ad35ed5ab9) (Remote) - Network accessline 177
2. **Maven:** [Course Strategy and Operations Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/24216c2e-e429-456c-add2-0ac0662e04b7) (Remote) - Network accessline 178
3. **Maven:** [White-Glove Course Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/b333db7b-c2f2-4f87-b82e-a8970ba14193) (Remote) - Network accessline 179
4. **Maven:** [Instructor Sales & Partnership Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/9dc74ed0-b098-4313-8be3-050bf057c4bd) (Remote) - Network accessline 180
5. **Free Agency:** [Community Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3445e94f-d760-4b3b-9c47-393a6f4702e8) (NYC) - Network accessline 182
*Browse all open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 186
1. **Watch:** [1000 Musicians Play Rock Songs From Nirvana, Queen, etc.](https://kottke.org/21/05/1000-musicians-play-rock-songs-from-nirvana-queen-etc) - Network accessline 188
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JozAmXo2bDE) - Network accessline 190
2. **Read**: [The Anxiety of Influencers](https://harpers.org/archive/2021/06/tiktok-house-collab-house-the-anxiety-of-influencers/) by Barrett Swanson - Network accessline 191
3. **Listen**: [Modern Finance](https://www.modern.finance/) by Kevin Rose - Network accessline 195
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/how-marketplaces-win.md
- Network accessline 10
> ## Q: I read your post on [why marketplaces fail](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-marketplaces-fail), but I’m curious about the flip side—how do marketplaces *win*? What do new marketplaces need to get right in order to succeed? - Network accessline 22
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For example, [Thumbtack](https://thumbtack.com/) aggregated thousands of plumbers, electricians, DJs, etc. and made it infinitely easier to find, evaluate, and book one (vs. randomly Googling or looking through the yellow pages). [UrbanSitt - Network accessline 38
The purest example is [Pinduoduo](https://en.pinduoduo.com/), a $100B company based in China that enables group buying of everyday necessities. It won in large part because it was able to offer the cheapest way to buy certain goods, made po - Network accessline 46
A third, and maybe the most interesting, route to building a successful marketplace is to **unlock desirable supply** and then build a market around it. [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/) is a classic example of this, having unlocked the sup - Network accessline 48
[Hipcamp](https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US) and [Rover](https://rover.com/) didn’t create the market for camping and dog sitting, respectively, but they did unlock exclusive supply that made the experience for customers much more convenient th - Network accessline 50
If you can find untapped “supply” that people didn’t know they wanted, but do, you’ll have a real shot at building a transformative marketplace. [Kevin Kwok’s excellent piece on underutilized fixed assets](https://kwokchain.com/2020/01/23/u - Network accessline 56
1. Although most marketplaces take one of these three routes to success, other routes exist. [Snackpass](https://snackpass.com/) and [Whatnot](https://whatnot.com/), for example, seem to have succeeded going a fourth, rarely seen, route: ma - Network accessline 75
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 - Network accessline 95
1. [Why marketplaces fail](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-marketplaces-fail) - Network accessline 96
2. [Evaluating (marketplace) business ideas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/evaluating-a-marketplace-business) - Network accessline 97
3. [How long it takes to find product-market Fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-to-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 98
4. [Kickstarting supply in a labor marketplace](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/labor-marketplace-supply-growth) - Network accessline 99
5. [How to kickstart and scale a marketplace business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 105
1. **Stonks:** [Backend Web Developer, Founding team](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4b47d0cb-9b97-41c8-88ab-e3c188e3c036) (Remote) - Network accessline 106
2. **Gtmhub:** [Director of Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/9a59fc25-67d1-4082-ba49-2b03c880500e) (Remote) - Network accessline 107
3. **Gearflow.com:** [Full Stack Software Engineer, Buyer Experience](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/bafacefd-3514-45a6-b88d-9e863a894fcd) (Chicago/Remote) - Network accessline 108
4. **Contra:** [Project Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/edd82d32-289f-464a-9e93-b37d1ecaa382) (SF) - Network accessline 109
5. **Otto:** [Senior Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/88e962f7-aecf-4e50-b04e-9f6cfa3e5ff4) (Remote) - Network accessline 110
6. **Jetpack Workflow:** [Product Designer (UI/UX)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/1653c4a3-0230-481c-a0fa-9b7203b2783d) (Remote) - Network accessline 111
7. **Pallet:** [Full Stack Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4fafcda8-cfb9-4e51-9173-04dc72382ea9) (NYC/Remote) - Network accessline 112
8. **Runway Financial:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/0601f0a1-96ee-4dc5-b9fb-d613f6e212bc) (Remote) - Network accessline 113
9. **SwagUp:**[Director, Product Management (Dashboard)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/943ab014-bcb4-4d79-8bdb-2c18f7fc0fa0) (Remote) - Network accessline 114
10. **Whatnot:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/c9d0007f-e954-4306-8776-11d994395e67) (Remote) - Network accessline 115
11. **Evisort:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f643aa41-7b02-48a7-8bb9-8319e0a32270) (Remote) - Network accessline 116
12. **Truework:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/288da35c-9090-4186-8d57-e269611288f3) (SF) - Network accessline 117
13. **Staffy Inc.:** [Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/ed0b504b-4fa3-48bc-9716-684750df3e80) (Toronto) - Network accessline 118
14. **Quidax:** [Product Director](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/fd33811d-4b9d-40e5-b041-46db566f2d95)(Toronto) - Network accessline 120
*Browse many more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 126
2. **Read**: [Travel Is No Cure for the Mind](https://moretothat.com/travel-is-no-cure-for-the-mind/) - Network accessline 127
3. **Read**: [Penniless: Why a Victoria man has gone two decades without money](https://www.capitaldaily.ca/news/penniless-two-decades-without-money) - Network accessline 131
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/how-miro-builds-product.md
- Network accessline 10
Varun Parmar’s [podcast appearance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=furNg4njlsg) about Miro’s unique approach to product got so much love that I knew I needed to go deeper. In part four of an ongoing series on how the best product teams bui - Network accessline 22
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Thank you, [Varun](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vparmar/), for taking the time to answer so many of my questions! Enjoy. - Network accessline 28
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 - Network accessline 90
AMPED is about 700 people, including over 50 PMs ([and we’re hiring](https://miro.com/careers/open-positions/?searchTerm=&selectedTeam=Product&selectedLocation=¤tPage=1)!). Geographically, the Product organization is based in Europe, - Network accessline 92
 - Network accessline 104
 - Network accessline 128
Each stage has a defined template outlining the type of information the team should bring (e.g. [for P0 product alignment stage](https://miro.com/blog/product-management-at-miro/)). Large initiatives are discussed in a sync meeting with pre - Network accessline 132
During the meeting, we use the full power of [interactive presentations](https://miro.com/presentations/interactive-presentations/) to share slides, relevant data from dashboards, and [Talktracks](https://miro.com/blog/improve-collaboration - Network accessline 134
, [product reviews](https://miro.com/miroverse/product-alignment-document-template/), [retros](ht - Network accessline 144
 - Network accessline 152
 - Network accessline 174
 - Network accessline 178
 - Network accessline 183
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voVzAZ9qpEk)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucbRSZXEPls)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl4pXNKgOIU)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= - Network accessline 185
*Thank you, Varun! And don’t forget, [they’re hiring](https://miro.com/careers/open-positions/?searchTerm=&selectedTeam=Product&selectedLocation=¤tPage=1). Have a fulfilling and productive week 🙏* - Network accessline 189
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-miro-builds-product/comments) - Network accessline 193
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 195
 - Network accessline 199
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 203
1. **Mindbloom:** [Creative Producer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/389f9fcf-65bb-4852-836e-f3a732203212) (Canada, remote U.S.) - Network accessline 204
2. **Mindbloom:** [Acquisition Growth PM](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c74c7805-4b6c-42fa-a989-070e49a48898) (Canada, remote U.S.) - Network accessline 205
3. **Wingspan:** [Product Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/02f1d98a-a58e-427b-a46e-9e8b1fd52295) (NY, remote) - Network accessline 206
4. **Wingspan:** [Senior Software Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/e42afaf7-f323-441d-8f4c-cf7a252e9ca3) (Remote) - Network accessline 207
5. **Wingspan:** [Technical Account Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b8d36434-9885-4d23-80bf-9ac3847e37de) (Remote) - Network accessline 209
**If you find this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysnewslet
references/02-newsletters/how-much-do-us-product-managers-really-make.md
- Network accessline 12
1. *[Why no productivity hack will solve your overwhelm](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-no-productivity-hack-will-solve)* - Network accessline 13
2. *[A PM’s guide to influence](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-pms-guide-to-influence)* - Network accessline 14
3. *[State of the product job market, part 2](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/state-of-the-product-job-market-part)* - Network accessline 15
4. *[Why cash is king](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-cash-is-king)* - Network accessline 19
*For more: **[Lenny and Friends Summit](https://lennyssummit.com/)** | **[Hire your next product leader](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** | **[Top Maven courses](https://maven.com/lenny)** | **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Podcast] - Network accessline 21
I’m thrilled to share part two of the Lenny’s Newsletter Compensation survey results. I suspect this is the edition most of you have been waiting for: in-depth compensation benchmarks for product manager roles by level. Also, a few surprise - Network accessline 23
 - Network accessline 27
We recently analyzed over 5,000 survey responses from Lenny’s Newsletter subscribers to answer the question: “How much do U.S. product managers really make?” We are focusing on U.S. product managers at all levels as they are one of the larg - Network accessline 29
We uncovered a number of insights in the data, but the biggest and perhaps most unexpected theme is **the rise of the IC career path.** As product managers move up the ranks, salaries predictably increase, especially for individual contribu - Network accessline 45
 - Network accessline 51
**Why?** [Many companies now recognize and value experienced ICs who can drive substantial impact](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-super-ic-pm-tal-raviv). One senior IC, Tal Raviv, who appeared on a recent podcast with Lenny, offered - Network accessline 55
 - Network accessline 67
 - Network accessline 81
 - Network accessline 87
, domain experts in the compensation space, to share data (including equity and bonus benchmarks) and trends related to this segment and others. Make sure you’re subscrib - Network accessline 115
*Thanks, [Louise](https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-beryl-13225833/)! Have a fulfilling and productive week 🙏* - Network accessline 121
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 123
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-much-product-managers-make-in-the-us-europe-and-canada.md
- Network accessline 12
This data is courtesy of [Pave](https://www.pave.com/), which gets its data by integrating with human resources information system (HRIS) software and equity management systems at over 7,500 top companies to build real-time compensation ben - Network accessline 47
 - Network accessline 49
*For more, [check out this detailed explanation of levels](https://support.pave.com/hc/en-us/articles/4430985339799-Job-Levels) and how they may map to your organization.* - Network accessline 55
 - Network accessline 63
5. The median VP of product makes **$707,000** in total comp, and the 90th percentile makes over **$2,000,000**. 6. The biggest salary jump happens going from L4 to L5 and M3 to M4. And then from VP to CPO. 7. At [Meta](https://www.levels.f - Network accessline 65
7. At [Meta](https://www.levels.fyi/companies/facebook/salaries/product-manager?country=254) (the highest comp of the Magnificent 7), the average M6 makes over **$2,000,000** in total comp, and an entry-level (non-associate product manager, - Network accessline 71
 - Network accessline 78
4. Unsurprisingly, lower base salaries at private companies are made up for by more equity, especially when things go well. 90th-percentile IC PMs at private companies earn nearly **$600,000** in equity/year (vs. **$250,000** at public comp - Network accessline 80
6. At [Tesla](https://www.levels.fyi/companies/tesla/salaries/product-manager), [Microsoft](https://www.levels.fyi/companies/microsoft/salaries/product-manager?country=254), [Nvidia](https://www.levels.fyi/companies/nvidia/salaries/product- - Network accessline 88
 - Network accessline 99
 - Network accessline 108
 - Network accessline 118
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-much-product-managers-make-in/comments) - Network accessline 122
*Thank you, [Pave](https://www.pave.com/), for providing this data, [Ben](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhawkins0/) for design, [Rebecca](https://www.rebeccaackermann.com/) for editing, and Ricardo and Dennis for providing feedback on early - Network accessline 126
**[Bounce](https://bounce.com/)** is hiring for a Head of Growth based out of San Francisco. As their Head of Growth, you'll be expected to: - Network accessline 138
If you’d like to get your profile sent directly to their team, just fill out [this quick form](https://airtable.com/appTNAXC72V74HqPS/pagCczxszIZPdd00t/form). All submissions from my readers get priority (but no guarantees beyond that). - Network accessline 140
*If you’d like to get your role featured here, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apphKJD0wLIHfPcZu/pag09IdQYrMpolMa5/form). If you’re interested in working with my white-glove recruiting service specializing in senior product roles (e.g. Di - Network accessline 142
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 144
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-notion-builds-product.md
- Network accessline 10
Last week I was working in my home office, and I heard my wife in the other room yell, “I love Notion!” I know what she means. With over 20 million people and hundreds of thousands of teams using Notion around the world to organize their wo - Network accessline 12
I’m excited to finally deliver, and it’s been worth the wait. A huge thank-you to [Michael Manapat](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mlmanapat/), Notion’s Chief Product and Technology Officer, and the whole Notion team, for answering my many que - Network accessline 16
1. The amount of iteration they’re going through as they scale through hypergrowth 2. How few PMs (and designers) they have ([similar to Ramp](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/122125031/how-many-pms-are-there-at-this-point)!)—and how long - Network accessline 17
2. How few PMs (and designers) they have ([similar to Ramp](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/122125031/how-many-pms-are-there-at-this-point)!)—and how long they waited to hire their first product manager - Network accessline 18
3. Their four-point product review process 4. How interconnected all of the products are, and how that impacts their org design 5. Their twice-yearly planning cycles, two-week sprints, and quarter-plus planning cadence ([similar to Coda](ht - Network accessline 19
4. How interconnected all of the products are, and how that impacts their org design 5. Their twice-yearly planning cycles, two-week sprints, and quarter-plus planning cadence ([similar to Coda](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-coda-b - Network accessline 20
5. Their twice-yearly planning cycles, two-week sprints, and quarter-plus planning cadence ([similar to Coda](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-coda-builds-product)!) - Network accessline 24
Also, as you’ll see below, Notion is launching **Notion Projects** tomorrow, May 31. Notion Projects combines project management with your docs, knowledge base, and AI in one connected workspace. [Learn more about it here](https://ntn.so/le - Network accessline 26
*For more from Michael, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mlmanapat/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mlmanapat). And for more stories of how the best product teams operate, don’t miss my other deep dives into [Figma](h - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 44
 - Network accessline 52
One thing that’s interesting about Notion is that no part of the product can really be isolated. At [Stripe](https://stripe.com/), there were a number of essentially completely independent product lines. In the group that I managed, the pro - Network accessline 58
 - Network accessline 87
I personally really like this, because you get a lot of crosstalk and exposure to what’s going on with all of those people in the same room. If you go back a year, [Janna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/janna-bray-a4046a25/), who leads user re - Network accessline 89
But now everyone has visibility into what the organization overall is working on, and [Fatemeh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fatemeh-alavizadeh/), who manages our Core Product engineering group here [who Lenny also worked with at Airbnb!]), - Network accessline 95
 - Network accessline 97
And then below that there are Notion-wide systems, like search, notifications, the sidebar, and so forth, with a PM lead—[Ekin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eoflazer/)—who oversees all of these. And then below that is Infrastructure. That’s - Network accessline 103
We use Notion for almost everything—writing, project management, presentations, etc. And we hope at least for product teams that it really can be (almost) everything for them. The “almost” here is a reference to the fact that some important - Network accessline 105
 - Network accessline 107
Unsurprisingly, project management is a big deal for us, both in terms of how we run projects internally and how Notion can enable users to run projects as part of a connected workspace with their other knowledge (their docs, wikis, meeting - Network accessline 109
 - Network accessline 113
 - Network accessline 135
When we were just a few dozen people, Elad Gil published his book *[High Growth Handbook](https://www.google.com/search?q=High+Growth+Handbook&ie=UTF-8),* and there was a chapter on Claire Johnson (also a former colleague of mine from Strip - Network accessline 137
 - Network accessline 143
*For more from Michael, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mlmanapat/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mlmanapat). And if this post resonates, [Notion is hiring](https://www.notion.so/careers)! Have a fulfilling and prod - Network accessline 147
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 149
 - Network accessline 153
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 157
1. **Thoughtful:** [Technical Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6062e014-eda9-4781-a3bc-3a1fe309fefc) (SF, Austin) - Network accessline 158
2. **Thoughtful:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b6c37021-7a1d-4201-8ff4-e35ee0085bc4) (NYC, SF, Austin) - Network accessline 159
3. **Splash Sports:** [Director of Growth](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/473f331a-d082-445e-8c7f-69089828732a) (SF, Denver, Boston) - Network accessline 160
4. **Zinc:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a5525e7d-cf8e-46b6-a602-772144ae12df) (London) - Network accessline 161
5. **Zinc:** [Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f6c53038-8192-4e08-8576-15c4abbbdea1) (London) - Network accessline 162
6. **Wingspan:** [Product Design Lead](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6122b947-a5e1-44c9-a45e-30e305394589) (NYC) - Network accessline 163
7. **Mindbloom:** [Creative Producer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/389f9fcf-65bb-4852-836e-f3a732203212) (Canada, remote U.S.) - Network accessline 164
8. **Mindbloom:** [Acquisition Growth PM](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c74c7805-4b6c-42fa-a989-070e49a48898) (Canada, remote U.S.) - Network accessline 166
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/02-newsletters/how-people-discover-new-products.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and welcome to this month’s* ✨ ***free edition*** ✨ *of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stre - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 36
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 38
[In a previous post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) I covered this topic in depth, including a look which products grew primarily through this channel: - Network accessline 40
 - Network accessline 44
- Your product is innately better with friends or colleagues (e.g., Snapchat, Slack) - Your product is innately fun to share (e.g., travel photos, homes for sale, crime nearby) - [Your product is remarkable](https://youtu.be/xBIVlM435Zg)—so - Network accessline 46
- [Your product is remarkable](https://youtu.be/xBIVlM435Zg)—something worth remarking about. - Network accessline 56
Products that grew primarily through this channel include Clubhouse (people on Twitter talking about it), [e.l.f. Cosmetics](https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2020/12/04/21-viral-things-people-love-tiktok-worth-money-ordinary- - Network accessline 60
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fi6MATONwsE) - Network accessline 72
, this channel is most effective if: - Network accessline 83
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 - Network accessline 128
Large enterprise companies grow primarily through this channel (e.g., Oracle, Workday, and ADP each have outbound sales teams reaching out to people daily), as well as all the telemarketing- and door-to-door-driven businesses like Cutco and - Network accessline 133
- That require hand-holding to be successful - That are just getting started and looking for their initial customers - That began through bottom-up-driven sales motion and are ready to [layer on sales](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sal - Network accessline 135
- That began through bottom-up-driven sales motion and are ready to [layer on sales](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sales-bottom-up) - Network accessline 149
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-people-discover-new-products/comments) - Network accessline 153
1. [A Customer Acquisition Playbook for Consumer Startups](https://review.firstround.com/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playbook-for-consumer-startups) - Network accessline 154
2. [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) - Network accessline 155
3. [Getting your first 1,000 users in B2C](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got) - Network accessline 156
4. [Getting your first 10 customers in B2B](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses) - Network accessline 157
5. [How to increase virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) - Network accessline 165
1. **Postlight**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/c205c9c1-b4e8-4a43-a538-adaa2bfe974d?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (NYC, Remote) - Network accessline 166
2. **Noyo**: [VP of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/7e49a835-3b73-4bc2-a397-feea3e8d3e80?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 167
3. **Polygence:** [Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/55046525-1bd3-4901-8452-45fc1c643d82) (Palo Alto) - Network accessline 168
4. **Metafy:**[Principal Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3bd02acf-9da4-4769-9dd7-fed6a81045c8) (Remote) - Network accessline 169
5. **Brex:**[Senior Product Manager on Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/5a8a0c07-552b-49a0-ac12-e588280790c5) (Remote) - Network accessline 170
6. **LawnStarter:**[Founding Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/e55f36fa-2103-4ebf-bbe4-dbd4fc63fa4a) (Remote) - Network accessline 171
7. **Immuta:**[Senior Technical Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/7e71effa-1f76-4607-a9de-57ca1b07f261) (Remote) - Network accessline 172
8. **6ix:**[Project Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/5322e118-bba3-4a9f-ac38-da61d5b4cab8) (Remote/Toronto) - Network accessline 176
1. **Brex:**[Senior Product Manager on Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/5a8a0c07-552b-49a0-ac12-e588280790c5) (Remote) - Network accessline 177
2. **Free Agency:**[Community Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3445e94f-d760-4b3b-9c47-393a6f4702e8) (NYC) - Network accessline 178
3. **Coda:**[Growth Associate Program](https://pallet.xyz/job/bba22fae-9ec5-47a2-b6dd-157f498b1fba) (SF) - Network accessline 182
1. **Mage**: [Front-end engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/d41acc31-b5fa-4e68-8c5a-7973c29ad712?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Santa Clara, CA) - Network accessline 186
1. **Panther:** [Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/fb5d0f95-eadf-44b2-8968-d2ad35ed5ab9?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 188
*Browse all open roles (and add your own) at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 192
1. **Watch**: [Man uses Tesla coils to play a-ha's Take on me](https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/nq5ecm/man_uses_tesla_coils_to_play_ahas_take_on_me/?context=3) (via Simon) - Network accessline 193
2. **Read**: [Elad Gil on getting your metrics (and your story) straight to succeed in SaaS](https://mixpanel.com/blog/elad-gil-on-getting-your-metrics-and-your-story-straight-to-succeed-in-saas//) - Network accessline 194
3. **Watch**: [The Craft of Writing Effectively](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtIzMaLkCaM) by Larry McEnerney - Network accessline 196
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtIzMaLkCaM) - Network accessline 200
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/how-perplexity-builds-product.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 14
1. *[The secret to Duolingo’s exponential growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-secret-to-duolingos-growth)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[How to accelerate growth by focusing on the features you already have](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-accelerate-growth-by-focusing)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[How AI will impact product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-ai-will-impact-product-management)* - Network accessline 17
4. *[How to make an impact in your first 90 days](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-make-an-impact-in-your-first)* - Network accessline 21
Founded less than two years ago, [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/) has become a many-times-a-day-use product for me, replacing many of my Google searches—and I’m not alone. With fewer than 50 employees, the company has a user base th - Network accessline 23
I sat down with [Johnny Ho](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hjohnny/), the company’s co-founder and head of product, to give you an inside look at how Perplexity builds product—which to me feels like what the future of product development will - Network accessline 25
1. **AI-first:** They’ve been asking AI questions about every step of the company-building process, including “How do I launch a product?” Employees are encouraged to ask AI before bothering colleagues. 2. **Organized like slime mold:** The - Network accessline 26
2. **Organized like slime mold:** They optimize for minimizing coordination costs by parallelizing as much of each project as possible. 3. **Small teams:** Their typical team is two to three people. Their AI-generated (highly rated) [podcas - Network accessline 27
3. **Small teams:** Their typical team is two to three people. Their AI-generated (highly rated) [podcast](https://www.perplexity.ai/podcast) was built and is run by just one person. - Network accessline 31
*For more, check out [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/). And [they’re hiring](https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/careers)! For more stories of how the best product teams operate, don’t miss my deep dives into [Linear](https://www.lennysnew - Network accessline 33
*P.S. I’m collaborating with Perplexity on a deep dive into how product managers use Perplexity, and we’d love to hear from you. Fill out [this short survey](https://perplexity.typeform.com/to/gh54lgJh) if you use Perplexity regularly, and - Network accessline 37
 - Network accessline 43
 - Network accessline 55
 - Network accessline 57
Typical projects we work on only have one or two people on it. The hardest projects have three or four people, max. For example, [our podcast](https://www.perplexity.ai/podcast) is built by one person end to end. He’s a brand designer, but - Network accessline 59
 - Network accessline 81
My goal is to structure teams around minimizing “coordination headwind,” as described by [Alex Komoroske](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-komoroske-6597336/) in [this deck on seeing organizations as slime mold](https://komoroske.com/slime- - Network accessline 83
Instead, what you want to do is keep the overall goals aligned, and parallelize projects that point toward this goal by sharing reusable guides and processes. Especially with the advance of AI, it’s possible to minimize coordination costs b - Network accessline 87
 - Network accessline 97
 - Network accessline 105
 - Network accessline 113
 - Network accessline 117
 - Network accessline 133
[Linear](https://linear.app/). For AI products, the line between tasks, bugs, and projects becomes blurred, but we’ve found many concepts in Linear, like Leads, Triage, Sizing, etc., to be extremely important. A favorite feature of mine is - Network accessline 135
The primary tool we use to store sources of truth like roadmaps and milestone planning is [Notion](https://www.notion.so/). We use Notion during development for design docs and RFCs, and afterward for documentation, postmortems, and histori - Network accessline 137
[Unwrap.ai](https://www.unwrap.ai/) is a tool we’ve also recently introduced to consolidate, document, and quantify qualitative feedback. Because of the nature of AI, many issues are not always deterministic enough to classify as bugs. Unwr - Network accessline 143
The best examples of bottom-up ideas can be seen in Perplexity’s Discovery, Collection, and Sharing experiences. For example, as I shared above, our brand designer Phi builds [the Discover Daily podcast](https://www.perplexity.ai/podcast) a - Network accessline 153
 - Network accessline 155
*Thank you, [Johnny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hjohnny/)! Also, a big thank-you to [Phi Hoang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/phi-hoang-a8689741/) for helping with visuals.* - Network accessline 157
*For more, check out [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/), and [they’re hiring](https://www.perplexity.ai/hub/careers)!* - Network accessline 165
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 169
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-ramp-builds-product.md
- Network accessline 12
In part five of an ongoing series on how the best product teams build product (don’t miss [Figma](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-figma-builds-product), [Coda](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-coda-builds-product), [Duolingo](h - Network accessline 16
1. Velocity, velocity, velocity. 2. Their unique product strategy framework, including this [template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vQiTmIghKhCjlFU0HtdTmRNsyKmwv9gs/edit#heading=h.gjdgxs). - Network accessline 17
2. Their unique product strategy framework, including this [template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vQiTmIghKhCjlFU0HtdTmRNsyKmwv9gs/edit#heading=h.gjdgxs). - Network accessline 26
*For more from Geoff, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrey-charles/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/geoffintech).* - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 52
 - Network accessline 64
[Here’s a template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vQiTmIghKhCjlFU0HtdTmRNsyKmwv9gs/edit#heading=h.gjdgxs) of our planning doc. - Network accessline 66
 - Network accessline 71
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We have 14 PMs at Ramp today (and we’re [hiring](https://ramp.com/careers)!). - Network accessline 155
1. **Speed is a competitive advantage.** I wrote more about this [here](https://geoffcharles.medium.com/how-to-increase-product-velocity-8d0979a67c22). Everything we do is around velocity. This means high-velocity decision-making, keeping t - Network accessline 161
1. A critical user **experience** is dependent on it. Our payments PM understands what each line of an ACH payment file [represents](https://achdevguide.nacha.org/ach-file-overview#:~:text=An%20ACH%20file%20is%20a,must%20follow%20a%20specif - Network accessline 165
5. **Take the bets with asymmetric upside.** If an outcome has a 98% chance of failure and a 2% chance of massive benefits for the business, take the [bet](https://ramp.com/blog/making-big-bets-in-business). That’s ultimately why startups a - Network accessline 197
 and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/geoffintech). And [Ramp is hiring](https://ramp.com/careers)!* - Network accessline 207
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 209
 - Network accessline 213
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 217
1. **Wingspan:** [Product Design Lead](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6122b947-a5e1-44c9-a45e-30e305394589) (NYC) - Network accessline 218
2. **Mindbloom:** [Creative Producer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/389f9fcf-65bb-4852-836e-f3a732203212) (Canada, remote U.S.) - Network accessline 219
3. **Mindbloom:** [Acquisition Growth PM](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c74c7805-4b6c-42fa-a989-070e49a48898) (Canada, remote U.S.) - Network accessline 221
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/02-newsletters/how-shopify-builds-product.md
- Network accessline 10
Shopify has always done things a bit differently. They’ve been remote-friendly long before Covid, recently [canceled all of their recurring meetings](https://www.fastcompany.com/90888605/shopify-exec-this-is-what-happened-when-we-canceled-a - Network accessline 12
The business has been an unprecedented success story, too. Shopify now powers over 10% of all U.S. e-commerce, hosts a large swath of the world’s biggest e-commerce businesses, including Supreme, Glossier, Mattel, Vuori, Gymshark, and Allbi - Network accessline 14
To learn from Shopify’s experience scaling and optimizing their product org, I sat down with [Glen Coates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/glcoates/), VP of Product, responsible for the core Shopify product—the largest product team within the c - Network accessline 26
Glen is also going to be announcing a swath of product updates to the Shopify platform tomorrow morning as part of the [Shopify Editions Summer ’23 launch](https://www.shopify.com/editions). For more from Glen, follow him on [LinkedIn](http - Network accessline 30
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Instead now, once a year, [Tobi](https://twitter.com/tobi) [Shopify’s founder and CEO] sets themes for the year. This year there were six that reflect top-level priorities. They’re always written from the point of view of the merchant. We t - Network accessline 38
One of the themes that Tobi added this year was “Shopify keeps me on the cutting edge.” Which is an amorphous thing, “the cutting edge”—what does that mean? Is it developer tooling? Is it AI? Is it evolving regulations like [ATT](https://de - Network accessline 42
That turns into a rough six-month roadmap. This aligns with our twice-yearly releases, [Shopify Editions](https://www.shopify.com/ca/editions/all), which are our big releases with hundreds of improvements, features, and products. - Network accessline 44
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Tobi is the head of R&D (and also CEO) at Shopify, and there are two people who report to him, who all the PMs report to. One of them is me and the other is [Kaz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kasranejatian/?originalSubdomain=ca). About half - Network accessline 92
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This org structure that we’re in right now, it has downsides to it (e.g. very large teams that require a lot of centralized coordination), but the big upside is that the org chart and the actual product are very close to the same thing (e.g - Network accessline 115
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When I got here, some people were using Jira, some people were using GitHub Issues, some people were using Asana. It was just chaos. I ran a 50-person startup when we were acquired by Shopify called [Handshake](https://www.linkedin.com/comp - Network accessline 141
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*Thank you, Glen! For more from Glen, check him out on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/glcoates/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/glencoates?lang=en), and don’t miss the [Shopify Editions Summer ’23 launch](https://www.shopify.com/ - Network accessline 177
*For more stories of how the best product teams operate, don’t miss my interviews with [Figma](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-figma-builds-product), [Coda](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-coda-builds-product), [Duolingo](http - Network accessline 181
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 183
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[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 189
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/02-newsletters/how-should-you-monetize-your-ai-features.md
- Network accessline 14
To answer your questions in the most comprehensive way possible, I teamed up with [Palle Broe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallebroe/) to analyze how leading tech companies are approaching AI pricing and, from that, create a framework to he - Network accessline 18
*For more from Palle, make sure to subscribe to his newsletter, [Rule of Thumb](https://palle.substack.com/), where he provides tangible pricing advice to operators, and follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallebroe/).* - Network accessline 20
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*Thank you, Palle. For more from Palle, make sure to subscribe to his newsletter, [Rule of Thumb](https://palle.substack.com/), where he provides tangible pricing advice to operators, and follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in - Network accessline 173
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 177
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-snowflake-builds-product.md
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This type of success doesn’t just happen, so I’ve been hankering to get an inside peek at how Snowflake builds product. They’re by far the biggest company I’ve chronicled in this series, so I approached this interview a bit differently. Ins - Network accessline 21
4. Their hiring team’s focus on finding “drivers” instead of “passengers” 5. How the data science organization is embedded in the product org 6. Their “Snowvation” hackathon weeks ☃<U+FE0F> and [Snowflake Summit](https://www.snowflake.com/summit/) - Network accessline 23
6. Their “Snowvation” hackathon weeks ☃<U+FE0F> and [Snowflake Summit](https://www.snowflake.com/summit/)’s—one just wrapped up last week with over 12,000 attendees 🤯 - Network accessline 25
*For more from Jeff, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhollan/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jeffhollan), and for more on Snowflake, check out <https://www.snowflake.com/>. And for more on how the best product te - Network accessline 29
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At the start of every year, Snowflake’s leadership team identifies 6 to 10 “big boulders” for us to focus on as a company. For example, in FY ’24, two of our boulders are “[Snowflake application development](https://www.snowflake.com/en/dat - Network accessline 41
If a prioritization decision ever has to be made, we consider customer value, i.e. how we can make our customer experience better. I know this may sound like the “classic PM answer,” but it’s really ingrained in all of us at Snowflake. We h - Network accessline 45
 (worksheets provide a powerful and versatile method for running SQL queries o - Network accessline 57
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The focus on and attention to data is something we see led from the top down as well. One of the products I help lead right now is called [Snowpark](https://www.snowflake.com/en/data-cloud/snowpark/), which enables developers to build in th - Network accessline 61
To measure success, we also look at various metrics like product revenue, net revenue retention rate, impressions, active usage, engagement, customer satisfaction/Net Promoter Score (NPS), and more. Snowflake even [publishes its annual NPS - Network accessline 71
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We use a lot of tools across our product teams, but Google Docs is the tool I spend the most time in. Having discussions, learnings, and designs captured in documents makes them more shareable and discoverable as we work to stay in sync as - Network accessline 99
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Teams form to go solve and build something interesting around anything they are passionate about, all using Snowflake. Have a great idea for a new Snowflake feature that could delight our users? Want to try out some new Snowflake features c - Network accessline 107
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*Thanks, Jeff! For more, follow Jeff on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffhollan/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/jeffhollan).* - Network accessline 135
**If you find this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysnewslet
references/02-newsletters/how-tech-workers-really-feel-about-work-right-now.md
- Network accessline 18
*P.S. If you prefer, you can listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www. - Network accessline 33
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1. Monitor your burnout. [Take our burnout survey](https://theburnoutcheck.com/) and consider making changes if you don’t like what you see. - Network accessline 263
2. Try working at a smaller company. 3. [Or start your own company!](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/t/startups) 4. Become better at [managing up](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-up) (or become a manager and [learn to do it bet - Network accessline 264
3. [Or start your own company!](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/t/startups) - Network accessline 265
4. Become better at [managing up](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-up) (or become a manager and [learn to do it better](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pQei75-auE2c2bxHkOuIRBC9Udd2oOzAEo--m0KbhP8/edit?usp=sharing)). - Network accessline 267
6. If you’re lacking career clarity and especially if you’re mid-career, [“offsite” with yourself](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xzOCH0Tnyg8kPoFa_811SJL0rpKJeMA57QjBMR2apew/edit?usp=sharing) and figure out your future. - Network accessline 281
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-techs-most-resilient-workers-handle-burnout.md
- Network accessline 10
Three weeks ago, we shared the results of our first-ever large-scale [tech worker sentiment survey](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-tech-workers-really-feel-about). The post generated [tons of conversations](https://www.linkedin.com/ - Network accessline 18
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*P.S. If you prefer, you can listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www. - Network accessline 30
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Burnout conquerors overcommunicate how to best work with them and how they like to communicate, receive feedback, and make decisions. Set the foundations of those conversations with a “How I Work” document. Find a template [here](https://lg - Network accessline 78
Burnout conquerors create consistent time-based (e.g. “I’m ending the day at 6 p.m. to be with my kids”) or task-based (e.g. “I’ll focus on 3 to 5 essential and urgent tasks each day”) hard stops. Anything beyond that time or list gets push - Network accessline 84
#### **2. [Get comfortable saying no](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-say-no)** - Network accessline 102
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In one of my interviews, I spoke to [Joshua Herzig-Marx](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaherzigmarx/). He told me that for him, partner or spouse involvement is crucial for managing burnout. His partner is a sounding board and collaborato - Network accessline 228
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If you’d like to assess your burnout, take our burnout check [here](https://theburnoutcheck.com/). - Network accessline 236
*Thank you, Noam! You can find Noam on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/noamsegal/) and [X](https://x.com/noamseg).* - Network accessline 240
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got-their-first-1000-users.md
- Network accessline 10
# 👉 [Updated version of this post here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users) 👈 - Network accessline 12
Hello, and welcome to a **free monthly edition** of my newsletter. I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out at - Network accessline 16
1. [How To Know If You've Got Product/Market Fit](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) - Network accessline 17
2. [How to Kickstart and Scale a Marketplace Business](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 18
3. [How To Get Into Product Management (And Thrive)](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-get-into-product-management) - Network accessline 24
Considering *every* startup confronts this question at some point, I was surprised by how little has been written about it. Particularly anything actionable. So I decided to do my own digging. I spent the past month personally reaching out - Network accessline 26
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1. **Just seven strategies** account for *every* consumer apps’ early growth. 2. Most startups found their early users **from just a single strategy**. A few like Product Hunt and Pinterest found success using a handful. No one found succes - Network accessline 31
2. Most startups found their early users **from just a single strategy**. A few like Product Hunt and Pinterest found success using a handful. No one found success from more than three. 3. The most popular strategies involve **going to your - Network accessline 32
3. The most popular strategies involve **going to your user directly** — online, offline, and through friends. [Doing things that don’t scale](https://paulgraham.com/ds.html). - Network accessline 33
4. To execute on any of these strategies, it’s important to **first narrowly define your target user**. [Andy Johns recently shared some great advice](https://twitter.com/ibringtraffic/status/1258817333096673281) about this. - Network accessline 36
If you have any additional insights, stories, or feedback to share, [don’t hesitate to DM me](https://twitter.com/lennysan). Otherwise, let’s dive into the strategies. - Network accessline 44
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> Whitney Wolfe and Justin Mateen would basically **run around USC** pitching Tinder to sororities and fraternities. The hook of seeing other single people on campus for the first time (and knowing if they’re interested in you) went viral. - Network accessline 47
> — [Jeff Morris Jr.](https://twitter.com/jmj) - Network accessline 49
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> The very first iteration of DoorDash was a website called paloaltodelivery.com with PDF'd menus of restaurants in Palo Alto.Tony and the team printed a **bunch of flyers charging $6 for delivery and put them all over Stanford University** - Network accessline 52
> — [Micah Moreau](https://www.linkedin.com/in/micahmoreau/) - Network accessline 56
 - Network accessline 57
> **We asked everyone on our team to give us their list of contacts at startups** and we contacted them to ask their permission to come by with a free Bi-Rite ice cream sundae dropoff for their employees. They basically all said yes, becaus - Network accessline 59
> — [Emily Castor Warren](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycwarren/) - Network accessline 61
> **There was a very significant use of street teams** early on at Uber. They went to places like the **Caltrain station** and handed out referral codes. There are stories about how **Travis went to Twitter HQ personally** and handed out re - Network accessline 63
> — [Andrew Chen](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5) - Network accessline 69
> Evan was willing to try anything to get users. When he was home in Pacific Palisades, **he would go to the shopping mall and hand out flyers advertising Snapchat.** “I would walk up to people and say, ‘Hey would you like to send a disappe - Network accessline 71
> — [How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars, The Snapchat Story](https://www.amazon.com/How-Turn-Down-Billion-Dollars/dp/1250108616) by Billy Gallagher - Network accessline 75
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> That neighborhood is known as Lorelei. Nestled close to the Bay on streets shaded by trees, the neighborhood was close-knit and small yet vibrant, with the longest-standing homeowner’s association in the state of California. The community - Network accessline 80
> — [Sarah Leary](https://blog.nextdoor.com/2017/05/22/celebrating-lorelei-americas-first-nextdoor-neighborhood/) - Network accessline 84
 - Network accessline 85
> Etsy decided to actually **go into all these fairs across the United States**, having people travel to all these craft fairs and recruit sellers because the sellers would eventually recruit their own buyers to the website instead of just - Network accessline 87
> — [Thales Teixeira](https://hbr.org/podcast/2019/04/the-right-way-to-get-your-first-1000-customers) - Network accessline 91
> We did all kinds of pretty desperate things, honestly. I used to walk by the Apple store on the way home. **I’d go in and change all the computers to say Pinterest**. Then just kind of stand in the back and be like, “Wow, this Pinterest t - Network accessline 93
> — [Ben Silbermann](https://blog.ycombinator.com/ben-silbermann-at-startup-school/) - Network accessline 103
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy9nSnalvPc) - Network accessline 104
> Drew created a simple video, demoing the product, and **published it on April 2007 [on Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8863)** with the title "My YC app: Dropbox – Throw away your USB drive. That video brought the first - Network accessline 106
> — [John Popel](https://www.reddit.com/r/startups/comments/9pgudv/how_dropbox_got_their_first_users/) - Network accessline 110
> There was a secret in the app store. You could make the application name really really long. And the search engine on the App Store gives more weight to the application name rather than the keybookwords defined. So we put a really long ap - Network accessline 112
> — [Alex Zhu](https://news.greylock.com/productsf-2016-b753fa9159b8) - Network accessline 119
> - **21k+**: we introduced our referral system ($5 in credits for every coworker you refer up to $50) > > — [Shahed Khan](https://twitter.com/_shahedk/status/1252353316861820929) - Network accessline 121
> — [Shahed Khan](https://twitter.com/_shahedk/status/1252353316861820929) - Network accessline 127
> He'd realized, early on, that **the only way to find DVD owners was in the fringe communities of the internet: user groups, bulletin boards, web forums, and all of the other digital watering holes where enthusiasts met up**. **Corey's pla - Network accessline 129
> — [That Will Never Work](https://www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530204/ref=nodl_) by Marc Randolph (Netflix) - Network accessline 131
> **Solely through guest blogging we’ve acquired around 100,000 users** within the first 9 months of running Buffer. Here is more on this number, a bit before we hit the 100,000. It’s been something that was very gradual though. Within the - Network accessline 133
> — [Leo Widrich](https://www.searchenginewatch.com/2012/07/26/how-guest-posting-propelled-one-site-from-0-to-100000-customers/) (Buffer) - Network accessline 141
> **Inviting people from our network (mostly former coworkers from PayPal) drove our initial users**. We asked all our network to invite their friends, and being startup people who wanted to help us, they obliged, so two-degrees out we prob - Network accessline 143
> — [Russel Simmons](https://www.linkedin.com/in/russel-simmons-9562/) - Network accessline 147
 - Network accessline 148
> Before the waitlists came **personal email invites to our friends,** like the one above. > > — [Emily Castor Warren](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycwarren/) - Network accessline 150
> — [Emily Castor Warren](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycwarren/) - Network accessline 154
> Thefacebook.com went up on Wednesday, February 4, 2004. “It was a normal night in the dorm,” Moskovitz recalled. “When Mark finished the site, **we told a couple of friends. And then one of them suggested putting it on the Kirkland House - Network accessline 156
> — [New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/05/15/me-media) - Network accessline 160
> Quora launched in January 2010 with a user base largely composed of D'Angelo's and Cheever's **college and high-school friends**, meaning there was a lot of early Quora information on the best places to eat in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, wh - Network accessline 162
> — [Wired](https://www.wired.co.uk/article/q-and-a-quora) - Network accessline 166
> Reid intentionally **seeded the product with successful friends and connections** recognizing that cultivating an aspirational brand was crucial to drive mainstream adoption. (The entire company would have been doomed if there had been ma - Network accessline 168
> — [Keith Rabois](https://www.quora.com/LinkedIn-product-1/How-did-LinkedIn-product-get-its-initial-traction) - Network accessline 174
> The pattern was to share Slack with progressively larger groups. We amplified the feedback we got at each stage by adding more teams. > > — [Stewart Butterfield](https://firstround.com/review/From-0-to-1B-Slacks-Founder-Shares-Their-Epic- - Network accessline 176
> — [Stewart Butterfield](https://firstround.com/review/From-0-to-1B-Slacks-Founder-Shares-Their-Epic-Launch-Strategy/) - Network accessline 180
> **So we released the app and I did probably what everyone does–emailed all my friends and kind of hoped that it would to take off**. And no one really got it, to be totally honest with you. […] **But there was a small group of people that - Network accessline 182
> — [Ben Silbermann](https://blog.ycombinator.com/ben-silbermann-at-startup-school/) - Network accessline 199
> - High-quality referrals from initial seed users > > — [Todd Goldberg](https://twitter.com/toddg777/status/1252333336485195776) - Network accessline 201
> — [Todd Goldberg](https://twitter.com/toddg777/status/1252333336485195776) - Network accessline 205
> **And because they shared to Twitter, it created this tension, of like “When is this thing launching, when’d do I get to play with it?” and that’s the day when we actually launched, it had that springboard affect.** > > — [Kevin Systrom]( - Network accessline 207
> — [Kevin Systrom](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-C0wApn1vI&feature=emb_logo) (Instagram) - Network accessline 209
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> **Pinterest started as an invite-only community**. The first users were design bloggers Silbermann recruited. He advised these invitees to only extend admission to people they knew with unique ideas and creative minds. The exclusive commu - Network accessline 212
> — [Entreprenuer](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/307104) - Network accessline 216
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> Mailbox, the email inbox management app for iPhone that was released in beta this week, currently has around 700,000 users queuing up for access, at the time of this writing […] It’s ostensibly a mechanism to help Mailbox’s servers manage - Network accessline 219
> — [Darrell Etherington](https://techcrunch.com/2013/02/09/mailboxs-virtual-queue-succeeds-in-the-waiting-game-where-peter-molyneuxs-curiosity-stumbles/) - Network accessline 224
> 2. What were your pet peeves about it? > > — [Rahul Vohra](https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/superhuman) - Network accessline 226
> — [Rahul Vohra](https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/superhuman) - Network accessline 228
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> And I'm looking at the analytics — I see a lot of traffic, or the majority of it, coming from Hacker News. And I open up Hacker News, and I see No. 1: "Chinese Land Spaceship on the Moon," No. 2: "Google acquires Boston Dynamics, the Robo - Network accessline 237
> — [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/robinhood-app-vlad-tenev-founder-free-stock-trading-valuation-2017-7) - Network accessline 243
> **The invitation-only element was a vital part of the platform’s rise**. Not only did it help manage the growth level of Spotify, but it also helped create a viral element to the service, with users each having 5 invites at first to share - Network accessline 245
> — [TNW](https://thenextweb.com/eu/2011/07/14/spotify-the-story-so-far/) - Network accessline 253
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> This is the day-by-day chart for the initial launch. The first public mention of the service I can find is [on Evan William's blog late on July 13th](https://evhead.com/2006/07/twttr-is-alive.asp), but you can see that even on the 12th th - Network accessline 256
> A recurring theme is **the power of that initial publicity in driving the early users**, and the feeling that it was a way to connect with an interesting group of people. Evan's high-profile and Om's endorsement must have been a big help - Network accessline 258
> — [Pete Warden](https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6505/The-March-Of-Twitter-Analysis-of-How-And-Where-Twitter-Spread.aspx) - Network accessline 262
 - Network accessline 263
> **Once we identified an influencer, Nathan or myself sent a personal email**, inviting them to contribute and linking to the PandoDaily or Fast Company articles, to tell our story. A manual process indeed, but an effective way to recruit - Network accessline 265
> — [Ryan Hoover](https://www.fastcompany.com/3024472/how-we-got-our-first-2000-users-doing-things-that-dont-scale) - Network accessline 273
> When Instagram launched to the public on October 6, 2010, it **immediately went viral thanks to shares from people like Dorsey**. It reached number one in camera applications in the Apple app store. > > — [No Filter: The Inside Story of I - Network accessline 275
> — [No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram](https://www.amazon.com/No-Filter-Inside-Story-Instagram/dp/1982126809), by Sarah Frier - Network accessline 283
> The best way to do it is to pick one or two events a year where you can insert yourself into the cultural zeitgeist. For us, one such event was when Mailbox was being shut down. It was the perfect narrative, “I’m over here, come look at m - Network accessline 285
> — [Rahul Vohra](https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/superhuman) - Network accessline 289
 - Network accessline 290
> I wrote guest posts on tech publications (like [this article on FastCo](https://www.fastcompany.com/3024472/how-we-got-our-first-2000-users-doing-things-that-dont-scale)) to drive awareness. **In the early days, press was effective in dri - Network accessline 292
> — [Ryan Hoover](https://twitter.com/rrhoover) - Network accessline 296
 - Network accessline 307
> The founders sent boxes to hundreds of the most well-known tech bloggers, hoping that they would proudly display them on their desks and that they, or their colleagues, would eventually write their story. Shortly thereafter, they started - Network accessline 309
> — [Pando](https://pando.com/2013/01/10/brian-chesky-i-lived-on-capn-mccains-and-obama-os-got-airbnb-out-of-debt/) - Network accessline 315
> The big lesson here: Don't underestimate the power of traditional media when you launch. > > — [Stewart Butterfield](https://firstround.com/review/From-0-to-1B-Slacks-Founder-Shares-Their-Epic-Launch-Strategy/) - Network accessline 317
> — [Stewart Butterfield](https://firstround.com/review/From-0-to-1B-Slacks-Founder-Shares-Their-Epic-Launch-Strategy/) - Network accessline 321
> They also **contacted the press directly rather than using a PR firm**, and Kevin notes that this went down very well. A good product, pitched by the passionate creators themselves, and as it happens they secured a load of good coverage f - Network accessline 323
> — [TNW](https://thenextweb.com/video/2011/09/18/kevin-systrom-on-instagrams-meteoric-rise-and-when-is-it-coming-to-android-interview/) - Network accessline 337
> By the end of the week, we had 100 users and felt ready to share Product Hunt with the world. > > — [Ryan Hoover](https://www.fastcompany.com/3024472/how-we-got-our-first-2000-users-doing-things-that-dont-scale) - Network accessline 339
> — [Ryan Hoover](https://www.fastcompany.com/3024472/how-we-got-our-first-2000-users-doing-things-that-dont-scale) - Network accessline 343
> The founders of Stack Overflow (Joel Spolsky & Jeff Atwood) both had large communities of existing followers from their previous online endeavors (Joel On Software and Coding Horror respectively). They invited members of those communities - Network accessline 345
> — [Jon](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/76126/how-did-stack-overflow-get-started) - Network accessline 371
That’s it for this week! [Hit me up](https://twitter.com/lennysan) if you have any stories, feedback, or insights to share. Otherwise, see you next week! - Network accessline 373
*Image sources: [Tinder](https://medium.com/the-mission/how-tinder-obtained-more-than-50-million-users-through-word-of-mouth-5d6105d24280), [DoorDash](https://vator.tv/news/2019-01-04-when-doordash-was-young-the-early-years), [Lyft](https:/ - Network accessline 375
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups-came-up-with-their-original-idea.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 14
1. [How today’s top consumer brands measure marketing’s impact](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-todays-top-consumer-brands-measure) - Network accessline 15
2. [How Shopify builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-shopify-builds-product) - Network accessline 16
3. [What is good free-to-paid conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-free-to-paid-conversion) - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 24
This series builds on my two previous playbooks—for [consumer businesses](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer) and [marketplace businesses](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-m - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 28
- **Part 1:** How to come up with a great B2B startup idea *← This post* - **Part 2:** [How to validate your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup) - Network accessline 29
- **Part 2:** [How to validate your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup) - Network accessline 30
- **Part 3:** [How to identify your ICP](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer) - Network accessline 31
- **Part 4:** [How to find and win your first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers) - Network accessline 32
- **Part 5:** [How to find product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 33
- **Part 6:** [How, and when, to hire your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - Network accessline 34
- **Part 7:** [How to scale your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/scaling-your-b2b-growth-engine) - Network accessline 50
*A huge thank-you to **[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/)** (COO of Notion), **[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/)** (CEO of Databricks), **[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/)** - Network accessline 52
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There need to be a lot of people willing to spend a lot of money to solve the problem. Most startups fail not because the idea isn’t good but because the market for the solution is just too small. If you want to build a venture-scale busine - Network accessline 66
Hunter Walk has a great framework called [LUV](https://hunterwalk.com/2017/04/12/why-i-care-about-problem-size-more-than-market-size/). Also, [here’s my take on what makes a venture-scale idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/your-startu - Network accessline 70
Existing solutions need to be doing a subpar job of solving the problem. The founder of CRED, [Kunal Shah](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunalshah1/), has a great framework for evaluating potential new solutions, called Delta-4: - Network accessline 77
This also means that if the existing solution gets a 6 or higher, it’ll be very hard to replace (e.g. Excel). Here’s what you’d love to see, as shared by [Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder of Gusto: - Network accessline 85
> *“There are actually a lot of good ideas out there. It’s kind of the weird part, especially if you’re searching for one; it feels like it’s not the case, but there are so many different markets that are underserved. The more important thi - Network accessline 87
> *If you are, let’s say, three to four years in on an idea that you hate, you’re just going to burn out and you’re going to quit. It won’t feel good and you’ll be hating life. Don’t just go for an idea because it’s kind of working. Go for - Network accessline 91
“*It’s essential to work on something you’re deeply interested in. Interest will drive you to work harder than mere diligence ever could. When in doubt, optimize for interestingness.” —*[Paul Graham](https://paulgraham.com/greatwork.html#f1 - Network accessline 92
—*[Paul Graham](https://paulgraham.com/greatwork.html#f1n) - Network accessline 104
 - Network accessline 120
> He left Sisense and looked around to see if anybody was addressing this problem. I was on sabbatical doing nothing, learning deep learning, so we figured: let’s try to come up with a system that takes the stuff from salespeople’s heads, c - Network accessline 122
> —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/?originalSubdomain=il), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 126
> “Perhaps a little-known fact is that I had actually started a couple of other companies and products before Retool. And every time the team built any of these products, we had to go build our own tools for it. **Eventually, when you build - Network accessline 128
> —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 138
> Separately, Karri at Airbnb had created a Chrome extension to re-skin their Jira, and Tuomas was building developer tools at Uber, using Fabricator. We all had similar experiences of ‘This doesn’t feel right and we should do something abo - Network accessline 140
> ***—***[Jori Lallo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorilallo/), co-founder - Network accessline 144
> “**I worked on identity over at Square for a fair bit of time. We actually used to joke as a collective team over on Square, ‘I’m sure in 10 years there will be someone who does this well for us.’** Importantly, while we were building it, - Network accessline 146
> —[Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 152
> I didn’t set out to be a founder. There are a lot of people out there who are like, ‘I want to be a founder. I just need an idea and a co-founder.’ I was almost the opposite. The idea was very obvious to me. I had two great co-founders th - Network accessline 154
> —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), co-founder of Hex - Network accessline 174
> We were also excited about computational photography for a bit, but quickly realized that with photos, that ends up leading to a consumer sort of application. And the entire purpose of WebGL was to be in the browser. Why would you do anyt - Network accessline 176
> —[Dylan Field](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanfield/), co-founder and CEO, [via Elad Gil](https://blog.eladgil.com/p/transcript-and-video-fireside-w-dylan?publication_id=1119759&post_id=103105470&isFreemail=true) - Network accessline 178
**Vanta**’s [Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/) similarly narrowed down her thinking to two spaces that felt ripe for opportunity that she was excited about (security and collaboration), and kept talking to customer - Network accessline 192
> When I tell founders this, sometimes they’re like, ‘Well, how did you know security was going to work?’ You don’t. If you know the answer to that, go for it. But it’s only obvious if you look back.” > > —[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.l - Network accessline 194
> —[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 198
> “Early Notion was basically a no-code website builder. [Some of the videos actually exist in YouTube](https://youtu.be/FPYl7nIKRbA?t=305). It didn’t go anywhere for years. It was very unstable, the tech stack we had used in the early iter - Network accessline 200
> The turning point was in early 2017 (four years in), when we launched Notion 1.0, focused around just docs and wikis. At the same time, we made a few different templates ourselves so that you can click a button and start using the product - Network accessline 202
> —[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari), co-founder and COO - Network accessline 204
For **Zip**, [Rujul Zaparde](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/) and [Lu Cheng](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lu-cheng-973b7830/) went through a variety of ideas, looking for a big and underserved market they were excited about. They eventua - Network accessline 210
> And then we thought back to this problem at Airbnb. In hindsight, we both adjacently ran into it a couple of times, but we didn’t realize it until later.” > > —[Rujul Zaparde](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/) and [Lu Cheng](https://ww - Network accessline 212
> —[Rujul Zaparde](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/) and [Lu Cheng](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lu-cheng-973b7830/), co-founders - Network accessline 214
For **Databricks**,[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/)noticed a new technology emerging that was underutilized and kept talking to users until he realized how to turn it into a real company: - Network accessline 218
> Our initial thought was, ‘Can we just take what we’re seeing over there, open source it, and publish the research, and then the whole world will adopt it and we’ve changed the world?’ We didn’t really intend to start a company. But then o - Network accessline 220
> —[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 238
> We tried out tons of products on the market. I remember Flurry, Google Analytics, Adobe, Kissmetrics, and others. And none of them were able to answer the questions I just posed. And so we said, ‘All right, well, we’ve got to build it our - Network accessline 240
> —[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 242
**Sprig** followed a very similar story—[Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/) was building one product, but then noticed a side project seeing much more pull: - Network accessline 244
> “<U+200B><U+200B>I was exploring a startup idea, but I wasn’t quite getting the pull I expected. I went back to what I knew, which is product management, and I started asking users tough questions, like ‘Would you pay for this?’ and ‘Why do you not use - Possible obfuscationline 244
> “<U+200B><U+200B>I was exploring a startup idea, but I wasn’t quite getting the pull I expected. I went back to what I knew, which is product management, and I started asking users tough questions, like ‘Would you pay for this?’ and ‘Why do you not use - Network accessline 248
> **I shared this with other founders that I knew who were also trying to get their business off the ground, and gave them this spreadsheet of quality, usability, functionality, using this framework. And they were like, ‘Wow, I’m learning s - Possible obfuscationline 248
> **I shared this with other founders that I knew who were also trying to get their business off the ground, and gave them this spreadsheet of quality, usability, functionality, using this framework. And they were like, ‘Wow, I’m learning s - Network accessline 250
> —[Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/), co-founder of Sprig - Network accessline 258
> A month later, we launched on Product Hunt and had thousands of people who’d downloaded the extension by day’s end. That made it clear to us that we should double down on this new direction, and we’ve never looked back.” > > —[Shahed Khan - Network accessline 260
> —[Shahed Khan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahedkhan/), co-founder - Network accessline 270
> We’re split on the decision. Peter thinks it’s the worst idea he’s ever heard and that there’s zero chance a company could be made from 100 lines of JavaScript. **We all agreed to build it for a week and launch it on Hacker News. That day - Network accessline 272
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/), co-founder of Segment - Network accessline 288
> This interesting dynamic happened. By the time we shut down the game, again there were 45 people at the company, we had been in operation for three and a half years, and we had a companywide email list. After more than three years, it onl - Network accessline 290
> —[Stewart Butterfield, founder, via](https://www.businessinsider.com/slack-ceo-stewart-butterfield-interview-2015-4) *[Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/slack-ceo-stewart-butterfield-interview-2015-4)* - Network accessline 324
### Next: [How to validate your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup) - Network accessline 332
**Snyk**’s [Guy Podjarny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypo/) noticed a couple of emerging trends and pain points in two previous jobs and began tinkering with the idea: - Network accessline 343
> So after leaving Akamai, I set out to build a developer tooling company that tackled security.” > > —[Guy Podjarny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypo/?originalSubdomain=uk), founder and CEO - Network accessline 345
> —[Guy Podjarny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypo/?originalSubdomain=uk), founder and CEO - Network accessline 353
> When I met Mel and Cliff [Obrecht, co-founder and COO] in 2012, the idea of unlocking design and creativity really captured all of our imaginations, and so we decided to band together in July 2012 and start building that first product. We - Network accessline 355
> —[Cameron Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue/?originalSubdomain=au), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 365
> So December 2019 was the coffee. We had left our jobs at Plaid and Very Good Security at end of April, early May, I want to say, to go full-time on this. And we raised our seed round in June of 2020.” > > —[Reed McGinley-Stempel](https:// - Network accessline 367
> —[Reed McGinley-Stempel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-mcginley-stempel-17362245/), co-founder - Network accessline 375
> This is the point we realized we could [build] a new type of data warehouse system . . . that would master the elasticity of the cloud. [What we built ran] 10 times faster than any other system for the same cost [and freed] users from any - Network accessline 377
> —[Benoit Dageville](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benoit-dageville-3011845/), co-founder, [via Yahoo Finance](https://finance.yahoo.com/news/snowflake-co-founder-reveals-multi-100000340.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZHJpZn - Network accessline 391
> There was only so much we could do inside of Capital One, and we helped what was Capital One Shopping become a thing and grow, and now it’s a big part of what they do, but we also concluded we couldn’t quite do what we were hoping to do i - Network accessline 393
> —[Eric Glyman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eglyman/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 397
**Coda**’s [Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/) had been thinking about this idea for years: - Network accessline 401
> I had a good friend, Alex [DeNeui, eventual Coda co-founder], who was busy starting a company and had decided to pivot to a new idea. He asked me for help brainstorming what he should work on, and we ended up talking about the core ideas - Network accessline 403
> —[Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 413
> We learned that a third of companies make payroll mistakes every year, and they get fines for it every year. That’s insane. The system is incredibly broken, so that’s where the idea came from.” > > —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com - Network accessline 415
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 417
For **Census**,[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/) noticed a big pain point at his previous job and couldn’t stop thinking about it: - Network accessline 425
> Looking back, sitting in a room and trying to come up with a great startup is really bad. We played that exercise for a month, and it’s just bad because we should have been talking to people who had problems. What I realized was all our i - Network accessline 427
> —[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/), co-founder of Census - Network accessline 431
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 433
 - Network accessline 437
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 439
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-accelerate-growth-by-focusing-on-the-features-you-already-have.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Check out my **[PM recruiting service](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** (helping you hire Sr. PMs and VPs), **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more), and my * - Network accessline 14
Every major tech company, including [Facebook](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URiIsrdplbo), [Amazon](https://arc.net/l/quote/exmunezx), [Netflix](https://netflixtechblog.com/its-all-a-bout-testing-the-netflix-experimentation-platform-4e1ca - Network accessline 16
Below, guest author [Ken Rudin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenrudin/) shares his home-grown **ARIA framework**. Ken’s background is bonkers: He was the first SVP of Products and Engineering at **Salesforce**, led the Growth and Analytics t - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 34
I’ve applied the approach of focusing on increasing engagement with existing key features many, many times—with several Google products (including Search, YouTube, Google Cloud, and Google Ads), at [ThoughtSpot](https://www.thoughtspot.com/ - Network accessline 46
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As product people, our features are our creations. We’re proud of all of them, and we’d like to see them all thrive. (OK, I admit that I have a few that I’d like to forget about. 😬) But given that you always have limited resources, you need - Network accessline 60
A *correlation analysis* will tell you how strongly the use of a feature is related to the movement of your various growth metrics. There are many popular, easy-to-use tools (including some free ones) for quickly doing a correlation analysi - Network accessline 64
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*Thank you, Ken! For more from Ken, make sure to follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenrudin/).* - Network accessline 222
We recently partnered with Notion to help them scale their PM team. [One role that’s particularly interesting to me](https://boards.greenhouse.io/notion/jobs/5926606003) is an opportunity to own the asynchronous collaboration experience wit - Network accessline 224
[Apply to Notion](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/onboard/v3/0153c44c-b8c4-44b6-ba42-78fbcf220033/get-referred) - Network accessline 226
*If you’re hiring and want to work with us, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apprGaxWWPYU0068E/shr2WFo5UqJjA5dQ8). Our team will reach out if we think it’s a good fit. Note, we primarily work with fast-growing U.S.-based startups.* - Network accessline 228
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-activate-your-investor-network.md
- Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 14
Of his many superpowers, [Sam Corcos](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samcorcos/) (CEO of [Levels](https://www.levelshealth.com/)) is in a league of his own when it comes to leveraging his investor network to help him build his company. I’ve ne - Network accessline 16
Note, I’m an angel investor in Levels, which is how I uncovered this superpower. If you’d like to go deeper, Levels [shares their previous investor updates and all-hands meetings publicly](https://www.levelshealth.com/inside-the-company), a - Network accessline 18
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The place we should start is at a higher level of abstraction, and think about networks and graphs in general. The way you structure a network has significant implications for how the network performs. We’ll only cover the high-level concep - Network accessline 51
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There’s a lot of evidence that this is true, both from personal experience and academia. For a deeper dive on this, I recommend reading the classic 1973 paper by Mark Granovetter, “[The Strength of Weak Ties](https://www.jstor.org/stable/27 - Network accessline 97
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As a founder, **you should always know what you and your team need**. I have a snippet in [TextExpander](https://textexpander.com/) called “asks” that I paste in anytime someone says, “How can I be helpful?” in an email, which I then pare d - Network accessline 123
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- **Targeted:** Only send them to the people who are relevant - **Time-bounded:** Ideally, executing the request should take less than a minute - **Specific:** Be specific in your request, and limit the scope of the request (see [chunking b - Network accessline 135
- **Specific:** Be specific in your request, and limit the scope of the request (see [chunking bias](https://thebehavioursagency.com/chunking-bias/)) - Network accessline 141
I find it helpful to ask each investor what kinds of things they typically help with and write them down (I was impressed with one investor in particular who maintains [a Notion doc with everything he can help with](https://www.notion.so/cc - Network accessline 143
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One of our investors, [Katie Biber Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiebiber/), has led legal teams at a number of tech companies and also has a strong network of other general counsels. - Network accessline 161
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7. When we were putting together our [medical advisory group](https://www.levelshealth.com/#medical_header), we knew that we wanted to get Dr. Sara Gottfried on board, so we reached out to a bunch of our investors who we thought might be ab - Network accessline 181
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As anyone who’s followed our journey knows, [we’re pretty rigorous about tracking things](https://review.firstround.com/an-exact-breakdown-of-how-one-ceo-spent-his-first-two-years-of-company-building). 😆 I keep track of all the requests I’v - Network accessline 217
This also significantly under-reports the number of requests from our company, because this does not include people who directly responded to the asks on our [monthly investor updates](https://www.levelshealth.com/inside-the-company), and i - Network accessline 221
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*You can follow Sam on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/samcorcos) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samcorcos/), and [definitely check out Levels Health](https://www.levelshealth.com/). Thanks, Sam!* - Network accessline 247
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 249
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 251
 - Network accessline 255
1. **Pogo:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/1d236a59-399d-4a81-8dcd-664d76f06cae) (Remote) - Network accessline 256
2. **Antimatter:** [Head of Design / Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6c4bd650-9652-481c-93d0-33c2bba88125) (NYC) - Network accessline 257
3. **Graphite:** [Sr. Director of Product—B2B SaaS](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8fbce839-966c-496b-bd08-48f297febd76) (Remote, U.S.) - Network accessline 258
4. **Teal:** [Sr. Growth Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/97200c8c-3264-4768-b135-3a91f8dd3d32) (Remote, U.S.) - Network accessline 259
5. **Rabbithole:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/1d202cac-27f9-40fb-a31d-a8d717f468e5) (Remote) - Network accessline 260
6. **Equi:** [Director, Product Management](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/fb351a31-203b-47f4-8675-c9be18438c6b) (NYC) - Network accessline 261
7. **Noom:** [Head of Product Design](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8dffb755-160d-416e-947a-0f09ccc7d11e) (Remote) - Network accessline 262
8. **Equi:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f2f82806-0fdf-461f-beb7-bdc2771d50f9) (NYC) - Network accessline 263
9. **Equi:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/873a7791-0545-4fc5-a07c-4fa8a75da3fd) (NYC) - Network accessline 264
10. **Zendoor:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a060efa9-8aaf-43dd-be39-60447a4bb567) (Phoenix, AZ, Remote) - Network accessline 265
11. **Playbook:**[Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/608b4297-c97d-45fc-a521-70b74f6d7d65) (NYC, Remote) - Network accessline 269
1. **Read:** [52 things I learned in 2022](https://medium.com/magnetic/52-things-i-learned-in-2022-db5fcd4aea6e) by Tom Whitwell - Network accessline 270
2. **Generate:** [Prompt Engineering 101: Generate Sick Stable Diffusion Images](https://lol.framer.website/notes/prompt-engineering-101-sd) by Jeffrey - Network accessline 271
3. **Tip:** [A Guide to Holiday Tipping This Year](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/17/your-money/holiday-tipping-guide.html) by the *New York Times*
references/02-newsletters/how-to-be-prepared-for-layoffs.md
- Network accessline 14
Not being in this situation myself but with the benefit of a large audience of insightful readers, I went to [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1625951498755772417) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_q-i - Network accessline 26
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-be-better-prepared-for-layoffs/comments) - Network accessline 28
*Thank you to [Matt Quinn](https://twitter.com/Mqsley) for encouraging me to write about this topic, and to everyone who contributes their advice 🙏* - Network accessline 34
, [guide 2](https://twitter.com/UpasnaGautam/stat - Network accessline 44
 - Network accessline 48
1. Who are your 5 most talented friends and former colleagues who work at other interesting companies? Casually ping them to see how things are going. 2. Start participating in a community *(hint: the Friends of Lenny’s Newsletter Slack com - Network accessline 49
2. Start participating in a community *(hint: the Friends of Lenny’s Newsletter Slack community is a great place to start—if you’re a paid subscriber and haven’t gotten an invite, reply and let me know)* 3. Participate in a hackathon (brows - Network accessline 50
3. Participate in a hackathon (browse [here](https://devpost.com/hackathons) and [here](https://www.eventbrite.com/d/online/hackathon/)) - Network accessline 58
 - Network accessline 62
1. Capture your accomplishments (see Step 1 above) 2. Put together a V1 resume. Some templates to get you started: [template 1](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dk58qH8JtXwocmbZnI3LIi1X1Wh34H2bxYwjWnkYSCk/edit?mode=html#heading=h.gjdgxs) - Network accessline 63
2. Put together a V1 resume. Some templates to get you started: [template 1](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dk58qH8JtXwocmbZnI3LIi1X1Wh34H2bxYwjWnkYSCk/edit?mode=html#heading=h.gjdgxs), [template 2](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1 - Network accessline 64
3. Ask your successful friends/colleagues for feedback 4. Share it in an online community that you’re (hopefully) involved in, and ask for feedback 5. Explore resume review services like [this one](https://www.tryexponent.com/resume?src=nav - Network accessline 66
5. Explore resume review services like [this one](https://www.tryexponent.com/resume?src=nav) - Network accessline 74
1. Cancel unnecessary subscription services and memberships (I use [Rocket Money](https://www.rocketmoney.com/) for this) - Network accessline 75
2. Track your spending and/or create a budget using apps like [Copilot](https://copilot.money/), [You Need A Budget](https://www.youneedabudget.com/), and [Simplifi](https://www.quicken.com/simplifi/) - Network accessline 76
3. Try an automatic savings app, like [Digit](https://digit.co/), [Chime](https://www.chime.com/), or [Qapital](https://www.qapital.com/) - Network accessline 77
4. Put money into a [high-yield savings account](https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/best-high-yield-interests-savings-accounts/) - Network accessline 78
5. Learn about about [FIRE](https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/02/22/getting-rich-from-zero-to-hero-in-one-blog-post/) (financial independence, retire early) - Network accessline 84
 - Network accessline 89
2. Get inspiration: [7 Side Hustles You Can Start in 2023](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-dlPuqFguo) with Ali Abdaal - Network accessline 90
3. Listen to the [My First Million podcast](https://www.mfmpod.com/); they talk about this a lot - Network accessline 96
 - Network accessline 104
. - Network accessline 116
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people, who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicati - Network accessline 118
 - Network accessline 122
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 126
1. **MetaMap:** [VP, Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/74ca739b-4b51-4d55-8727-6606327fae58) (SF, Miami, Mexico City) - Network accessline 130
1. **Watch:** [Fireside chat with Dylan Field and Elad Gil](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qaKpFcX7gM) - Network accessline 132
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qaKpFcX7gM) - Network accessline 134
2. **Listen:** [From Bing to Sydney](https://open.spotify.com/episode/5xmEvZFZuAN3vy3hGjetUo?si=hMxv8A1jSoCejbAbbAax9A) by Ben Thompson - Network accessline 136
3. **Read:** [Americans Have Found Their Happy Place](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-12-23/the-happiest-place-on-earth-hawaii-and-the-rest-of-america-too?cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-view&sref=htOHjx5Y) by Tyler Cowen
references/02-newsletters/how-to-become-a-supermanager-with-ai.md
- Network accessline 10
[Last week’s guest post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-is-an-unfair-role) about tactics for becoming a “super IC” is on track to being my most popular post of all time, so I’m thrilled to bring you a follow-up that’s de - Network accessline 12
*[Hilary Gridley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarygridley/) is the director of product management at WHOOP, where she oversees the core product team, including AI, Health, and Coaching initiatives, specializing in combining AI with eviden - Network accessline 14
*For more from Hilary, check out her [newsletter](https://hils.substack.com/), and follow her on [X](https://x.com/yourgirlhils) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarygridley/).* - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 22
This year, I fully embraced AI as a management tool, and the results have been transformative. Our team’s performance, productivity, and NPS have all reached all-time highs. One PM on the team, [Alexa](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-j-mu - Network accessline 40
To scale myself, I distilled my most common writing feedback into a GPT called “The Executive Editor” (try it [here](https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67328e9be4988190baa9b07a00b2628c-hilary-s-executive-editor)). This tool allows my team to paste in - Network accessline 42
. If you don’t know what makes writ - Network accessline 46
And while this may sound like a chore (who enjoys being graded?), my team has found it invaluable. Previously, in order to avoid becoming a bottleneck, I could review only high-stakes communications, like emails to the CEO or all-hands pres - Network accessline 58
*You can use The Executive Editor [here](https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67328e9be4988190baa9b07a00b2628c-hilary-s-executive-editor), find the prompt I wrote for it [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PyfwLZcSxENRc3CGptPKRWS7k33vf2h_ELG4lA2A - Network accessline 64
The good news is that anyone can learn the logical reasoning skills needed to build a solid argument. I created a GPT specifically designed to help product managers strengthen these skills through scenario-based simulations that mirror real - Network accessline 68
 and find the prompt I wrote for this GPT [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PyfwLZcSxENRc3CGptPKRWS7k33vf2h - Network accessline 88
1. **Write a prompt that articulates the specific goals of the summary.** I loaded [this prompt](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PyfwLZcSxENRc3CGptPKRWS7k33vf2h_ELG4lA2AZD4/edit?usp=sharing) into a custom GPT that my team uses, which I’ - Network accessline 105
3. **Teach the model to think like you.** Start gathering examples of “before” and “after” work, where your input has improved the final product. Or simply identify a few examples of best-in-class work in your eyes. Use the AI to analyze th - Network accessline 107
5. **Create and share the GPT.** [Follow these instructions to create your own GPT](https://zapier.com/blog/custom-chatgpt/). Load your prompt in, and add any helpful documents to the knowledge base. If you’ve written any blog posts on this - Network accessline 109
This practice doesn’t just scale your skills—it also challenges you to articulate exactly how you approach things, making you a more reflective and effective leader. For more inspiration, check out more examples of custom GPTs [here](https: - Network accessline 117
As a result, we’ve all become better problem solvers. We now use AI as a thinking partner that challenges our assumptions, sharpens our communication, and helps us make well-informed decisions and recommendations. [Anjali](https://www.linke - Network accessline 119
Here are some examples of micro-assignments from the program. You can find the full program, including prompts, [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zJ4rbi9YcQuGqGxc6-AQD0-44oT9l4Eyono0AdpgJbA/edit?gid=0#gid=0). - Network accessline 152
*For more from Hilary, check out her [newsletter](https://hils.substack.com/), and follow her on [X](https://x.com/yourgirlhils) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilarygridley/).* - Network accessline 160
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 162
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-build-a-killer-sales-pitch.md
- Network accessline 10
I suck at selling. I bet you do too. But if you’re building a startup, or leading a product team, you need to build this muscle. We saw in [last week’s post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/135973645/always-start-with-founder-led-sales) - Network accessline 20
*For more from April, do not miss her new book,* [Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win](https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Pitch-Craft-Story-Stand/dp/1999023021/)*—it just came out this week! April also has a [new podcast](https - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 24
In Matthew Dixon and Ted McKenna’s new book, *[The JOLT Effect](https://www.amazon.com/JOLT-Effect-Performers-Overcome-Indecision/dp/0593538102/)*, they analyzed over 2 million sales calls looking for patterns that could teach us what works - Network accessline 56
At IBM, our pitch structure was very specifically designed for IBM deals (which were gigantic, highly technical, and took an eternity to close), and some of the components were heavily influenced by *[The Challenger Sale](https://www.amazon - Network accessline 68
 - Network accessline 78
[Help Scout](https://www.helpscout.com/) provides a customer service solution for modern digital businesses. Their point of view is that customer service is a growth driver, not a cost center. Traditional help-desk software treats service a - Network accessline 124
 - Network accessline 152
[Postman](https://www.postman.com) has a free version that individual developers can use to develop and test APIs. The full Postman product, however, is a complete platform for managing the entire API lifecycle, including development, testi - Network accessline 200
I’ve recently released a book, called *[Sales Pitch](https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Pitch-Craft-Story-Stand/dp/1999023021/)*, that dives into the details of how a team might use this structure. It builds on the positioning process I describe - Network accessline 206
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-build-trust-in-a-marketplace.md
- Network accessline 14
> #### “Throughout human history, we have distrusted people outside our clan, our tribe. We believe strangers will do us harm. Why? In deep time, hominids outside the family group were likely to be a raiding party.” —[Gordon H. Orians](http - Network accessline 18
To give you a comprehensive answer, I got in touch with the founders and early growth leaders at a dozen of today’s most successful marketplaces, including [Lyft](https://www.lyft.com/), [Thumbtack](https://thumbtack.com/), [Rover](https:// - Network accessline 29
*Thank you to [Alvin Salehi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvinsalehi/) (Shef), [Archie Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/archie-abrams-b6aa8b6/) (Udemy), [Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/) (Lyft), [Lauren McDevitt](htt - Network accessline 37
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16cM-RFid9U) - Network accessline 39
[Alvin Salehi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvinsalehi/) (co-founder of [Shef](https://shef.com/)) shared a similar lesson: - Network accessline 43
 - Network accessline 45
[Matt Bendett](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bendett/) (co-founder of [Peerspace](https://peerspace.com/)) had the same experience building Peerspace, but with a twist: - Network accessline 49
Same for [Thumbtack](https://thumbtack.com/), as [Sander Daniels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sander-daniels/) (co-founder) shared with me: - Network accessline 53
[Lauren McDevitt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmcdevitt/), co-founder of [Good Dog](https://gooddog.com/), found that traditional reviews alone weren’t enough, so they made them more personal: - Network accessline 57
 - Network accessline 59
And at [Udemy](https://www.udemy.com), [Archie Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/archie-abrams-b6aa8b6/) (early growth leader) found that the volume of reviews created an unexpected tension: - Network accessline 63
 - Network accessline 71
For [GOAT](https://www.goat.com/) (and [StockX](https://stockx.com/)), verifying supply was the core of their entire strategy. Here’s Eddy Lu’s early thinking (via *[Input](https://www.inputmag.com/style/goat-ceo-eddy-lu-interview-sneaker-a - Network accessline 77
> #### “If you want to sell sneakers or any apparel on GOAT, for instance, you first have to be approved by a team that looks into your personal Twitter or Instagram account to ensure you’re an actual person and that you have a history of s - Network accessline 81
> #### “Vetting a source for a dog requires expertise that most people looking for a dog don’t have. What signals should you look for when assessing a dog breeder, shelter, or rescue to ensure you’re getting a dog from a source with respons - Network accessline 83
> #### —[Lauren McDevitt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmcdevitt/), co-founder - Network accessline 85
For [Thumbtack](https://thumbtack.com/), verifying its supply (aka their “pros”) through background checks was instrumental in its early success, as co-founder [Sander Daniels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sander-daniels/) shared: - Network accessline 89
As it was for [Rover](https://www.rover.com): - Network accessline 97
> #### There’s lots of other stuff we do, but those two we’ve been doing for most of Rover’s history, and are likely the most impactful.” > > #### —[Philip Kimmey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipkimmey/), co-founder - Network accessline 99
> #### —[Philip Kimmey](https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipkimmey/), co-founder - Network accessline 101
You can read about how Rover does this [here](https://support.rover.com/hc/en-us/articles/206693486-How-does-the-sitter-profile-review-process-work-). - Network accessline 109
For example, [Snackpass](https://snackpass.com/): - Network accessline 111
> #### “We primarily built trust by piggybacking on social proof and authority. We partnered with names that people were already familiar with—university sports teams, student clubs, frats and sororities, flagship restaurants.” > > #### —[K - Network accessline 113
> #### —[Kevin Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhuangtan/), CEO - Network accessline 117
> #### **“For instructors, the** key tactic was making a few instructors a ton of money (i.e. $1mm+) and then leveraging that as social proof for other instructors. This did have some trust-draining effects for instructors who didn’t achiev - Network accessline 119
> #### —[Archie Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/archie-abrams-b6aa8b6/), early growth leader - Network accessline 121
In a sense, reviews are a form of social proof, as [Matt Bendett](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bendett/) (Peerspace) rightfully pointed out: - Network accessline 131
For Airbnb, free high-quality professional photos of homes, along with host profile photos, contributed to an immediate feeling of trust for new visitors, as Joe Gebbia [shared with Guy Raz](https://www.npr.org/transcripts/478563991): - Network accessline 139
While working on this post, I came across [a study](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261517716300127) that looked into the impact of just profile photos on conversion. As expected, here was their takeaway: - Network accessline 143
[Alvin Salehi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvinsalehi/) (co-founder of [Shef](https://shef.com/)) shared the same lesson from his experience building Shef: - Network accessline 147
 - Network accessline 151
> #### **“For students, price** was an important trust signal. We **purposely** had instructors set their prices very high ($199). High prices signal value—‘If it’s this much, I can trust it!’ Then we discounted it down to $10. Because we s - Network accessline 153
> #### —[Archie Abrams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/archie-abrams-b6aa8b6/) - Network accessline 157
> #### “We’ve found science-backed, easy to understand educational content to be incredibly powerful for building trust. As an example, I recently had a friend tell me that Good Dog helped him **not** get a dog. He said that thanks to us he - Network accessline 159
> #### —[Lauren McDevitt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmcdevitt/), co-founder - Network accessline 161
 - Network accessline 169
Airbnb famously introduced a [$1 million Host Guarantee](https://allthingsd.com/20120522/airbnb-will-now-cover-up-to-1m-worth-of-property-damage/) after a guest had a [horrible experience](https://allthingsd.com/20110729/airbnbs-rental-nigh - Network accessline 171
> #### “Early on, we found many hosts wanted peace of mind when it came to transacting with strangers online. After a lot of searching, we partnered with a forward-thinking insurance company to build a custom policy that protected suppliers - Network accessline 173
> #### —[Matt Bendett](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bendett/), co-founder - Network accessline 187
> #### That’s why in the early days we focused above all on building liquidity in the marketplace. The more the supply and demand in the marketplace, the more trusted we were.” > > #### —[Sander Daniels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sander-d - Network accessline 189
> #### —[Sander Daniels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sander-daniels/), co-founder - Network accessline 197
> #### Now all of those things have been solved for and are known. In the early days, though, just providing most of them—live location, ETA, driver rating, vehicle, a contact method—was a huge step up for everyone and gave riders a huge se - Network accessline 199
> #### —[Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/), first PM - Network accessline 211
> #### 2. Payments were optional. Obviously most people paid 100% or more of the suggested amount, but it was truly optional to pay, and that helped make it feel like a different kind of ride.” > > #### —[Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.c - Network accessline 213
> #### —[Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/) - Network accessline 219
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-build-trust-in-a-marketplace/comments) - Network accessline 223
1. [How Airbnb designs for trust, by Joe Gebbia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16cM-RFid9U) - Network accessline 225
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16cM-RFid9U) - Network accessline 227
2. [Why marketplaces fail](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-marketplaces-fail?s=w) - Network accessline 229
3. [Four Paths to Marketplace Success](https://a16z.com/2020/02/20/marketplace-engagement/) by D’Arcy Coolican - Network accessline 235
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 237
 - Network accessline 241
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 245
1. **Ashby:** [First Lead UX Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/3f84ab83-6078-4607-b55b-d107a3674e1f) (LA, SF, West Vancouver, Austin, Texas, Tribeca) - Network accessline 246
2. **Wethos:** [Director, Growth Product Marketing](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a8779353-bfa9-4f10-9ab7-d96ec87ae733) (Remote) 3. **Scratchpad:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c4039341-f2c6-4ac9-bc69-7b52c457f - Network accessline 247
3. **Scratchpad:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c4039341-f2c6-4ac9-bc69-7b52c457f621) (Remote) 4. **Net32:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b4a61fe4-0676-469c-8131-af743ca536bc) (Remote - Network accessline 248
4. **Net32:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b4a61fe4-0676-469c-8131-af743ca536bc) (Remote, Cary NC) - Network accessline 249
5. **Joby Aviation:** [Air Taxi Product Manager-Operations](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6e99a528-2443-435f-bd43-a86d437f6ff2) (Santa Cruz) - Network accessline 250
6. **Firstbase.io:** [Business Lead, Fintech](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/06fe3597-dd58-4979-93d7-03ee8a0dbe24) (Remote, NYC, Sao Paulo) - Network accessline 251
7. **Weights & Biases:** [Growth Project Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c0dab35d-dbb5-47a5-92cc-df0cde2ca009) (Remote EU) - Network accessline 255
1. **Read:** [Marketplace retention benchmarks](https://future.com/gmv-retention-marketplace-metric/) by Olivia Moore of a16z - Network accessline 256
2. **Watch:** [Trending TikTok videos](https://ads.tiktok.com/business/creativecenter/inspiration/popular/pc/en?from=001114) via [Benedict Evans](https://www.ben-evans.com/) - Network accessline 257
3. **Listen:** [Julie Zhuo on my podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/julie-zhuo-on-accelerating-your-career-impostor-syndrome/id1627920305?i=1000565522448)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-build-your-pm-second-brain-with-chatgpt.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey there, I’m Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podca - Network accessline 12
*Annual subscribers get **19 premium products for free for one year**: [Lovable, Replit, Gamma, n8n, Bolt, Devin, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, PostHog, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, ChatPRD + Strip - Network accessline 16
*For more, follow Amir on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amir-klein-9b8444189/). You can also listen to this post in convenient podcast form on [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcas - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 28
My good friend Tal taught us [how to think with AI](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/build-your-personal-ai-copilot). I’m building on Tal’s post by showing what happens when AI becomes an extension of your mind—when it carries your contex - Network accessline 34
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*For more, follow Amir on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amir-klein-9b8444189/).* - Network accessline 197
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-communicate-tradeoffs-so-leaders-will-listen.md
- Network accessline 12
[Newsletter Fellow](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/meet-your-lennys-newsletter-fellows) **[Tara Seshan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarstarr)** knows a thing or two about explaining tough choices to higher-ups. She spent seven years as - Network accessline 16
*Tara is currently working on a new startup in the creative-tools space within [Sutter Hill Ventures](https://shv.com/), co-hosts a podcast called [The Red Queen](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/red-queen-podcast/id1744818916), and wr - Network accessline 18
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In your OSR, every discrete project is sequenced according to its priority, its resourcing, and its outcomes. It is complementary to your OKRs, which might be at a higher level and less numerous. With an OSR, it is clear when a specific pro - Network accessline 54
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In order to steelman a request, you have to collaborate closely with the requester. Faire CPO Ami Vora, [in this clip from her podcast episode with Lenny](https://youtu.be/6UHAop9fhNU?si=GF3amwVxFLKxZqeo&t=595), suggests approaching request - Network accessline 70
An excellent example of this is from a [PM at Amazon](https://www.reddit.com/r/ProductManagement/comments/kwrtlz/a_product_lesson_when_i_got_a_from_jeff_bezos/) who once received the dreaded “?” email from Jeff Bezos, in reference to why sc - Network accessline 72
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When I was Head of Product at Watershed, which helps companies measure and report on their carbon emissions, a PM leader on my team named [Steve](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shind/) was frustrated that measuring a carbon footprint involved - Network accessline 117
Presenting an opinionated decision can sometimes be tricky. In order to persuade leadership, I like to hammer home my point with a dedicated document and a meeting. I frame it using “[SCQA](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-p - Network accessline 127
[Here’s a template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQDH0AX5FGuXrDLX3e7cT6KGo3dJAxm1IYFYRVs-MyCCqM6o1gC2EtqaVobaZ02CTuGxjm56IwHLXdt/pub) you can use for that tradeoff document, heavily based on SCQA. - Network accessline 139
Imagine an executive asks you to build this very exciting feature—it shouldn’t take the team more than a couple days to make, and it seems fun. You, brimming with optimism, add it to the list. However, even a small ask is never as small as - Network accessline 147
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Instead, you should prioritize requests based on their importance to the business first. Once you agree on priorities and tradeoffs, you should then ask for the capacity to execute on those specific priorities. A better answer with regard t - Network accessline 178
- [Harrison Metal: Executive Communication](https://www.heavybit.com/library/video/executive-communication/) - Network accessline 179
- [Lucy Spence: A Devilish Approach to Tradeoffs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNfoSKIobK8) - Network accessline 181
*Thanks, Tara! For more from Tara, check out her newsletter, [Working Assumptions](https://worktopia.substack.com/), and follow her on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarstarr) and [X](https://x.com/tarstarr).* - Network accessline 189
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 193
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews - Network accessline 213
. Tamara is a product leader at Pinterest, and in her awesome newsletter, [Half Moon Hustle](https://halfmoonh - Network accessline 12
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When I was pregnant with my first child, I was grateful that my company offered a generous parental leave. I knew I needed to write a coverage plan, but I didn’t know where to start. When I realized there were no templates available, I did - Network accessline 28
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If you’re the first person taking parental leave at your company, here is a great [resource](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ycmPpaeUXwYkkXpR_K8kvQF2wCJ4eFZFfejwy56qGg4/edit#gid=0) to help you advocate for the time you deserve. In t - Network accessline 56
- **Split or all at once?** For birthing parents, front-loading their leave tends to be more popular due to the physical recovery needed after birth. Some people stack their leave with their partner to maximize coverage (e.g. birthing paren - Network accessline 57
- **Start leave before the baby is born?** For birthing parents, some states will allow you to receive benefits for up to four weeks before the delivery date (see, for example, [California](https://edd.ca.gov/en/Disability/FAQ_DI_Pregnancy# - Network accessline 60
Ultimately, when deciding on your timeline, I encourage you to optimize for what is best for your family and then be super-clear about the dates you’ll be gone (see “Timeline” [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1exzxuP_SvI_HExQGt3uJk - Network accessline 64
This section is the heart of your coverage document (see “Coverage plan” [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1exzxuP_SvI_HExQGt3uJkpQ6JJ49lx2Xb2TtvMjtoyk/edit#heading=h.vcmw9xy2gh6y)). It should cover your primary responsibilities and - Network accessline 87
Consider the additional set of responsibilities that will require coverage, and incorporate them into the “People management” section [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1exzxuP_SvI_HExQGt3uJkpQ6JJ49lx2Xb2TtvMjtoyk/edit#), if applicab - Network accessline 97
Now that you’ve identified coverage for yourself and your team, you can be strategic about who you share your contact information with. You get to decide who can get in touch with you, how, and for what reasons (see “Contact information” [h - Network accessline 143
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**If you find this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysnewslet
references/02-newsletters/how-to-describe-your-business-as-an-equation.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 14
1. *[What to do if your product isn’t taking off](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-to-do-if-your-product-isnt-taking)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[First-principles thinking](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/first-principles-thinking)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Inspiration for the year ahead](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inspiration-for-the-year-ahead)* - Network accessline 26
To help you flesh out your own business equation, [Dan Hockenmaier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hock/) and I put together example equations for the most common tech business models: - Network accessline 58
*A huge thank-you to [Abi Noda](https://www.linkedin.com/in/abinoda/) ([DX](https://getdx.com/)), [Alex Bilmes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bilmes/) ([Endgame](https://www.endgame.io/)), [Alexa Grabell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexagrab - Network accessline 60
*Also, don’t miss [Dan Hockenmaier’s newsletter](https://www.danhock.co/), which is a must-read for anyone working on growth and marketplaces.* - Network accessline 74
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- Direct (e.g. word of mouth, virality) - Referral (e.g. G2, social, articles) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 87
- Referral (e.g. G2, social, articles) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - **Conversion to trial/freemium** - Network accessline 88
- [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 136
 - Network accessline 148
- Direct (e.g. WOM, virality) - Referral (e.g. G2) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 149
- Referral (e.g. G2) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - **Conversion to trial/freemium** - Network accessline 150
- [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 202
 - Network accessline 222
- Referrals (e.g. G2, backlink, social mentions) - Direct (e.g. signs up for demo on website) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 223
- Direct (e.g. signs up for demo on website) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - **Indirect** - Network accessline 224
- [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 275
 - Network accessline 285
- Direct/WOM - Referrals (i.e. invites) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 286
- Referrals (i.e. invites) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - **Visit to trial/freemium conversion** - Network accessline 287
- [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 307
 - Network accessline 320
- Organic social - Referrals (i.e. invites) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 321
- Referrals (i.e. invites) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - **Conversion** - Network accessline 322
- [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 364
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- Direct/WOM - Referrals (i.e. invites) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 375
- Referrals (i.e. invites) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - **Returning customers** - Network accessline 376
- [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 402
 - Network accessline 418
- Direct/WOM - Referrals (i.e. invites) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 419
- Referrals (i.e. invites) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Outbound - Network accessline 420
- [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 455
 - Network accessline 466
- SEO - Direct (e.g. WOM, virality) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 467
- Direct (e.g. WOM, virality) - [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - **Returning traffic** - Network accessline 468
- [Turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 503
For certain business models, especially marketplaces, this equation gets more complicated. See “problem #2” in [this essay](https://www.danhock.co/p/the-new-problems-every-marketplace) for an explanation of how to calculate payback periods - Network accessline 507
1. [The ultimate guide to product-led sales, with Elena Verna](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-product-led-sales-elena-verna/) - Network accessline 508
2. [The SaaS Metrics That Matter, by David Sacks](https://sacks.substack.com/p/the-saas-metrics-that-matter) - Network accessline 509
3. [The Burn Multiple, by David Sacks](https://sacks.substack.com/p/the-burn-multiple-51a7e43cb200) - Network accessline 510
4. [Drive Growth by Picking the Right Lane—A Customer Acquisition Playbook for Consumer Startups, by Dan Hockenmaier and Lenny Rachitsky](https://review.firstround.com/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playbook-f - Network accessline 511
5. [How to kickstart and scale a consumer business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer) - Network accessline 512
6. [How to kickstart and scale a marketplace business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 513
7. [How to kickstart and scale a B2B business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) - Network accessline 521
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 525
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-determine-your-activation-metric.md
- Network accessline 10
> ## Q: Learned a lot from your post on [what is a good activation rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate). But can you dive deeper into how to quantitatively determine your activation milestone? I’m buildin - Network accessline 12
In our [post on activation rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate) (which is currently the [fourth most popular post of all time](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/archive?sort=top) 😮), [Yuriy](https://www.li - Network accessline 14
Below, I’ll share a three-step process for finding your activation metric, with real-life examples from a dozen companies. As a bonus, I’ll expand on activation milestones for multi-player SaaS products with help from [Merci Grace](https:// - Network accessline 16
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-determine-your-activation/comments) - Network accessline 18
*Thank you to [Yuriy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuriytimen/) for reviewing this post, and to everyone who shared their stories 🙏* - Network accessline 24
1. Brainstorm, and explore your product usage data, for some potential “aha” moments in the user journey. 2. Run a [regression analysis](https://hbr.org/2015/11/a-refresher-on-regression-analysis) to see if there’s an inflection in retentio - Network accessline 25
2. Run a [regression analysis](https://hbr.org/2015/11/a-refresher-on-regression-analysis) to see if there’s an inflection in retention when someone hits any of those moments, to establish a correlative relationship between some potential a - Network accessline 40
> “We have a lot of qualitative data from our users because we do interviews on a weekly basis with them. So when we asked this question, we already knew about some candidates for the activation milestone. > > **We focused on when the users - Network accessline 41
> > **We focused on when the users were getting value from our product. Then, once we had some candidates, we used data to see which of them were correlated with long-term retention. [Mark Roberge has a really good process on how to do this - Network accessline 42
> **We focused on when the users were getting value from our product. Then, once we had some candidates, we used data to see which of them were correlated with long-term retention. [Mark Roberge has a really good process on how to do this]( - Network accessline 91
#### [Ben Williams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben96/?originalSubdomain=uk) (VP of Product at Snyk) - Network accessline 109
#### [Lauryn Isford](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurynisford) (Head of Growth at Airtable) - Network accessline 128
#### [Merci Grace](https://www.linkedin.com/in/merci/) (former Head of Growth at Slack, CEO of [Panobi](https://panobi.com/)) - Network accessline 142
#### [Badrul Farooqi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/farooqib/) (first PM at Figma) - Network accessline 152
#### [Jackie Bavaro](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackiebavaro) (first PM at Asana) - Network accessline 167
#### **[Rachel Wang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/wangrachelr/) (Product Lead at Sprig)** - Network accessline 179
#### And finally, a contrarian take from [Karri Saarinen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karrisaarinen/) (CEO of Linear) - Network accessline 193
1. [What is a good activation rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate) - Network accessline 194
2. [Reforge: Retention and Engagement](https://www.reforge.com/retention-engagement-series) - Network accessline 195
3. [How to pick your activation metric](https://rows.com/blog/post/how-to-pick-your-activation-metric) by Henrique Cruz - Network accessline 201
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 203
 - Network accessline 207
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 211
1. **Noom:** [Head of Product Design](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8dffb755-160d-416e-947a-0f09ccc7d11e) (Remote) - Network accessline 212
2. **Equi:** [Director, Product Management](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/fb351a31-203b-47f4-8675-c9be18438c6b) (NYC) - Network accessline 213
3. **Equi:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/873a7791-0545-4fc5-a07c-4fa8a75da3fd) (NYC) - Network accessline 214
4. **Equi:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f2f82806-0fdf-461f-beb7-bdc2771d50f9) (NYC) - Network accessline 215
5. **Playbook:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/608b4297-c97d-45fc-a521-70b74f6d7d65) (NYC, Remote) - Network accessline 216
6. **Zendoor:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a060efa9-8aaf-43dd-be39-60447a4bb567) (Phoenix, Remote) - Network accessline 220
1. **Read:** [A 2023 planner for anyone in your life who overthinks their plans](https://www.amazon.com/Overthinking-This-2023-Engagement-Calendar/dp/1797216708/ref=sr_1_2) (My wife’s latest release with Chronicle Books) - Network accessline 221
2. **Vote:** [Here’s a handy voting guide if you’re in the Bay Area](https://sig.gy/sfendorsements/) and [a polling place locator if you’re anywhere in the U.S.](https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/) - Network accessline 222
3. **Listen:** [Lex Fridman and Andrej Karpathy: Tesla AI, Self-Driving, Optimus, Aliens, and AGI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdiD-9MMpb0) - Network accessline 224
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdiD-9MMpb0)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-develop-product-sense.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to a ✨ **monthly free edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s - Network accessline 14
1. [Freemium vs. trial](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/freemium-trials-free?s=w) - Network accessline 15
2. [What is good waitlist conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-waitlist-conversion?s=w) - Network accessline 16
3. [What is good monthly churn](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/monthly-churn-benchmarks?s=w) - Network accessline 22
To help you build your product sense, I’ve asked [Jules Walter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswalter/), a longtime PM at Slack and YouTube who’s also a prominent leader in the broader PM community, to share his hard-earned wisdom with us - Network accessline 24
*You can follow Jules on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/julesdwalt) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswalter).* - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 28
Product sense is not only one of the most important PM skills (see chart below from [Lenny’s survey of ~1,000 PMs](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-survey?s=w#:~:text=Being%20a%20Product%20Manager))—it’s also the most v - Network accessline 30
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Another approach to developing empathy is to observe *yourself* using everyday products. I spend one or two hours a month trying out new products and deconstructing them. The goal is to strengthen my intuition about why some products work w - Network accessline 110
If you want to go deeper in your understanding of a product, I recommend also looking at other products in the same category and comparing and contrasting them. For example, to better understand a product like [Cash App](https://cash.app/), - Network accessline 112
 - Network accessline 128
One bonus practice I recommend for improving your empathy and observation skills is meditation. I’ve been meditating for years, and it’s helped me become more perceptive—not just of other people’s feelings but also of my own. If you are new - Possible obfuscationline 130
<U+200B><U+200B>The more frequently and closely you observe people (and yourself), the more insight you will gain into their motivations and needs, and the more your empathy will grow. - Network accessline 132
 - Network accessline 146
 - Network accessline 150
Another lesson I learned from Stewart is to spend time understanding user problems and framing them in a way that sets strong constraints for the team. Many PMs jump into solution-finding before they truly understand the problem. This leads - Network accessline 152
 - Network accessline 156
If, on the other hand, you don’t work at a company with strong product thinkers, look for external mentors and read articles or interviews from people such as [Julie Zhuo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b78zq-kimVs), [Stewart Butterfield]( - Network accessline 172
- Cash App decided to support Bitcoin transactions, and as a result, 76% (nearly $4.6 billion) of its 2020 revenues came from Bitcoin. For more examples of products that benefited from new trends, see Lenny’s article [Why now](https://www.l - Network accessline 180
- Watch annual developer conferences from major tech companies to understand what areas they see as promising (e.g. [Google](https://io.google/2021/?lng=en), [Apple](https://developer.apple.com/wwdc21/), [Meta](https://developers.facebook.c - Network accessline 181
- Read commentary from industry analysts (e.g. [Ben Thompson](https://stratechery.com/)). - Network accessline 182
- Follow tech founders and investors on Twitter (e.g. [Naval Ravikant](https://twitter.com/naval?), [Elad Gil](https://twitter.com/eladgil?), [Balaji Srinivasan](https://twitter.com/balajis)) and pay attention to trends they’re bullish on. - Network accessline 187
As Paul Graham said in [How to Get Startup Ideas](https://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html), “Live in the future, then build what’s missing.” Living in the future is also an effective approach to developing your product sense. - Network accessline 204
1. [The First Secret of Great Design](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uOMectkCCs): 16-minute TED talk with Tony Fadell about how keeping a beginner’s mind led to the creation of Nest - Network accessline 205
2. *[Inspired](https://www.amazon.com/Inspired-Create-Products-Customers-Love/dp/0981690408/ref=sr_1_2?)*: Book by Marty Cagan about creating products people love - Network accessline 206
3. [Intro to the Design of Everyday Things](https://www.udacity.com/course/intro-to-the-design-of-everyday-things--design101): Two-week course with Don Norman on applying design principles - Network accessline 210
*For more, follow Jules on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/julesdwalt) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswalter).* - Network accessline 214
1. **Perfect Venue:** [Founding Team Full Stack Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/461940f7-6f12-42af-a0d7-8fca71b2c693) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 215
2. **Snackpass:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/3e5c5552-cb71-4b23-9773-95f21ab14dfc) (NYC, LA, SF) - Network accessline 216
3. **Silo Finance:** [Technical Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/dceac63a-d817-47e7-a4a5-5f653f298bdd) (Remote-Global, Remote-EU) - Network accessline 217
4. **Donut:** [First Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/6259d930-475f-4ed4-82a3-fea29273b40a) (Remote-US, Remote-EU) - Network accessline 218
5. **Mindbloom:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/0db1f9c0-266c-4d77-9852-df27b58f8779) (Remote-US, Remote-Canada) - Network accessline 219
6. **Finch Care Inc.:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/18311f14-d482-48a1-808e-3716a7f1aabe) (Remote) - Network accessline 220
7. **Mos:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/86e76563-7237-4a39-8465-3682823f7506) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 221
8. **Airhouse:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/1739a7ee-41ab-43fb-8ac9-788738baad22)(SF, Oakland) - Network accessline 222
9. **CommerceHub:** [Director of Product Management, Delivery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/5e4c79e3-9c75-4cd3-aa6f-0b9fc40636bf) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 223
10. **CommerceHub:** [Sr. Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/125eafba-2e93-41ee-98aa-abaae84c1b35) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 224
11. **Elevate Labs:** [Senior Product Manager, Balance](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/54802bbd-3ad4-4abf-bd0f-308e86d52586) (Remote) - Network accessline 225
12. **Oath Care:** [UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/0e35e470-6b81-4dae-a706-33139219fa68) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 227
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).*
references/02-newsletters/how-to-do-linear-regression-and-correlation-analysis.md
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*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 14
1. *[How to use ChatGPT in your PM work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-pm-work)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[Discussion: How and where are you finding the best job opportunities?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/discussion-how-and-where-are-you/comments)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[What jury duty taught me about product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-jury-duty-taught-me-about-product)* - Network accessline 24
To help us out, making her [return appearance](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/measuring-cohort-retention), I’ve pulled in [Olga Berezovsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgaberezovsky/), author of the wonderful [Data Analysis Journal](ht - Network accessline 26
*You can find Olga on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgaberezovsky/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/OlgaBerezovsky), and [subscribe to her newsletter](https://dataanalysis.substack.com/) for all kinds of great, actionable advice - Network accessline 28
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To demonstrate both of these analyses, I’ll share some of the work my team did at [MyFitnessPal](https://www.myfitnesspal.com/). We set out to prove that encouraging users to log more foods soon after signup would improve overall user reten - Network accessline 99
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For my analysis, I will be using “food logging events” to measure and analyze user engagement ([see my previous guest post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/70174617/step-define-active) for advice on how to pick your “active” user metric) - Network accessline 120
In Amplitude, you can click into the *Analysis* section and pick the [Compass](https://help.amplitude.com/hc/en-us/articles/235147347-The-Compass-chart-discover-your-users-a-ha-moments) chart. Follow these steps to run a correlation analysi - Network accessline 126
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In Mixpanel, you can use the [Signal](https://help.mixpanel.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004567503-Signal-Report) feature to confirm the relationship and connection between user activity and any of your metrics. To access this feature, click on - Network accessline 149
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. Once it’s downloaded, from the Data menu - Network accessline 186
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Here’s a quick template to help you get started: [Correlation and Linear regression template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1T4LAcBx9HHhDydMW0NPr1jOaEzx5GtZ9CTrcjeTrFZ8/edit#gid=1443729456). - Network accessline 198
Alternatively, you can upload the same input data into online calculators such as [DATAtab](https://datatab.net/statistics-calculator/regression), [Statistics Kingdom](https://www.statskingdom.com/linear-regression-calculator.html), or [Soc - Network accessline 202
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*[Learn more about outliers in linear regression](https://www.statisticshowto.com/probability-and-statistics/regression-analysis/find-a-linear-regression-equation/#definition)* - Network accessline 206
To understand which outliers should be removed, you have to see the whole distribution of your data points. As a rule of thumb, the closer outliers are to your average, the less likely they affect the regression. The further outliers fall f - Network accessline 208
That’s why running linear regression on your own in Excel can be tricky. It’s safer to leverage online tools and statistical applications that can build the regression for you. If you need help with exploring outliers, different types of re - Network accessline 210
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1. A fun, quick [video walk-through](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QzY4roUb3HM) on the differences between correlation and regression, from 365 Data Science - Network accessline 230
2. [A Refresher on Regression Analysis](https://hbr.org/2015/11/a-refresher-on-regression-analysis) - Network accessline 231
3. [A Visual Introduction To (Almost) Everything You Should Know](https://mlu-explain.github.io/linear-regression/) - Network accessline 232
4. [The Compass chart: discover your users’ “a-ha” moments](https://help.amplitude.com/hc/en-us/articles/235147347) - Network accessline 233
5. [Mixpanel Signal Report](https://help.mixpanel.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004567503-Signal-Report#build-a-query-in-signal) - Network accessline 234
6. [Linear Regression: Simple Steps, Video. Find Equation, Coefficient, Slope](https://www.statisticshowto.com/probability-and-statistics/regression-analysis/find-a-linear-regression-equation/#definition) - Network accessline 235
7. [What Statistics Are Used In Data Analysis?](https://dataanalysis.substack.com/p/what-statistics-are-used-in-data) - Network accessline 236
8. [Behold! How You Can Handle Missing Data](https://dataanalysis.substack.com/p/behold-how-you-can-handle-missing) - Network accessline 237
9. [Causality, correlation and regression](https://datatab.net/tutorial/causality) - Network accessline 239
*Thanks, Olga! You can find Olga on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgaberezovsky/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/OlgaBerezovsky), and [subscribe to her newsletter](https://dataanalysis.substack.com/) for all kinds of great, act - Network accessline 245
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 247
 - Network accessline 251
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 255
1. **Wingspan:** [Product Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/02f1d98a-a58e-427b-a46e-9e8b1fd52295) (NY, remote) - Network accessline 256
2. **Wingspan:** [Senior Software Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/e42afaf7-f323-441d-8f4c-cf7a252e9ca3) (Remote) - Network accessline 257
3. **Wingspan:** [Technical Account Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b8d36434-9885-4d23-80bf-9ac3847e37de) (Remote)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-find-and-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers.md
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- **Part 1:** [How to come up with a great B2B startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) - Network accessline 15
- **Part 2:** [How to validate your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup) - Network accessline 16
- **Part 3:** [How to identify your ICP](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer) - Network accessline 17
- **Part 4**: How to find and win your first 10 customers *← This post* - **Part 5:** [How to find product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit) - **Part 6:** [How, and when, to hire your early team](htt - Network accessline 18
- **Part 5:** [How to find product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 19
- **Part 6:** [How, and when, to hire your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - Network accessline 20
- **Part 7:** [How to scale your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/scaling-your-b2b-growth-engine) - Network accessline 24
*A huge thank-you to **[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/)** (COO of Notion), **[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/)** (CEO of Databricks), **[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/)** - Network accessline 26
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> “**The early batch of alpha customers were just mostly friends, and friends of friends, of Dylan.** Dylan’s the kind of guy who’s always been a mover and shaker, with connected people in the industry ever since he was a teenager. He’s jus - Network accessline 68
> —[Sho Kuwamoto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/), VP of Product - Network accessline 72
> “**All of the first dozen customers were some sort of personal connection, either through [CEO Amit Bendov] or myself or other people we later brought on.** Our third or fourth employee was a part-time contractor out of the Bay Area, and - Network accessline 74
> —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/?originalSubdomain=il), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 80
> Then we recruited our next set of customers. We called those the ‘Alpha 2’ customers. One was a jewelry shop run by one of our employee’s wives. Another was a tech company that my co-founder, Alex [DeNeui], started. Box, which was an earl - Network accessline 82
> —[Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 88
> **The other half was people who I knew. People who were doing B2B that I knew living in the Valley for a while.** Fivetran is one of our earliest customers. They were in the first 10, and the co-founders of Fivetran and I went through Y C - Network accessline 90
> —[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/), co-founder - Network accessline 94
> “**A few of our first 10 customers were from our network. It was people I knew in the data space.** It’s one of the many reasons why I am always so confused by founders who start something that’s far outside their wheelhouse, especially i - Network accessline 96
> —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), co-founder - Network accessline 100
> **“We reached out to our networks, folks we knew in IT from Salesforce and past jobs.** We networked aggressively on LinkedIn with our alma mater networks etc. We asked our angel investors and combed their LinkedIn networks. I had a targe - Network accessline 102
> —[Frederic Kerrest](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fkerrest), COO and co-founder - Network accessline 106
> **“Gusto’s first 10 customers came from friends we knew who were just starting their businesses in California.** **Mostly new tech startups from our YC batch, but also non-tech small businesses** (like a children’s swimming camp) that we - Network accessline 108
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 112
> “We got our first 10 customers any way we could, really. The first one was an early employee of our last startup. And they were like, ‘All right, as long as you don’t screw up my business and I can run it, I can make payments, rent it on - Network accessline 113
> > You knew that you had us—we personally were going to go and obsess over saving your company money—and it was small enough scale and they had backups, that it was okay to do it. Later on, a lot of this came from co-building. Candid was o - Network accessline 114
> You knew that you had us—we personally were going to go and obsess over saving your company money—and it was small enough scale and they had backups, that it was okay to do it. Later on, a lot of this came from co-building. Candid was one - Network accessline 116
> The next 40 came from a combination of friends, entrepreneurs, different people we met in the city, different finance teams, but also some level of cold or semi-cold outreach. Also, VC introductions and co-building. That was the story of - Network accessline 118
> —[Eric Glyman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eglyman/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 124
> Figma was an early user of Notion, and we were also heavy users of Figma. Dylan and Ivan [Zhao, co-founder and CEO] and I have been long friends, so I know Ivan was sort of a crazy power user of Figma, giving them a ton of early feedback, - Network accessline 126
> —[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari), co-founder and COO - Network accessline 134
> “We recognized for design software, there’s no choice but to go bottom-up. You cannot go top-down with designers. Designers are the ultimate arbiters of what makes a good design tool. You’re not going to tell a musician, hey, don’t use yo - Network accessline 135
> > **So Dylan actually [built a custom script to find the most influential designers on Twitter](https://twitter.com/zoink/status/1566566649712431105?s=20) and cold-DM’d them to show them Figma. That’s how it started.”** > - Network accessline 136
> **So Dylan actually [built a custom script to find the most influential designers on Twitter](https://twitter.com/zoink/status/1566566649712431105?s=20) and cold-DM’d them to show them Figma. That’s how it started.”** - Network accessline 138
> —[Sho Kuwamoto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/), VP of Product - Network accessline 148
> We learned a lot from this outbounding exercise. That’s how we got DoorDash as our customer; that’s how we got Rappi (a few-thousand-person company) as well. Then we got Brex as a customer in this same way.” > > —[David Hsu](https://www.l - Network accessline 150
> —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 158
> Our first customer was a company called Deserve. There were 80 people. And I remember we did a bunch of calls with the CFO, and we were in YC approaching demo day, and we were like, ‘Dude, we really need the revenue.’ And he just felt bad - Network accessline 160
> —[Rujul Zaparde](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/) and [Lu Cheng](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lu-cheng-973b7830/), co-founders - Network accessline 164
> “We had a swimming instructor’s company who heard about us from her brother, who was in a startup that we knew. Also, a flower shop that Eddie [Kim, co-founder and CTO] went to buy at and asked her, ‘Hey, what are you using for payroll?’ - Network accessline 166
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO of Gusto - Network accessline 168
> “We would build anything for anybody. The initial milestone we had was ‘As long as it has something to do with identity, we will do anything.’ I used to joke with Charles [Yeh, co-founder], ‘If we get one customer paying us anything, I’d - Network accessline 170
> —[Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), co-founder and CEO of Persona - Network accessline 180
> I went through the list of old YC companies, worked with our partner to prioritize them, and wrote outbound emails to the founders. I went through Bookface, the YC internal forum, and emailed anyone who’d ever said the word ‘compliance’ o - Network accessline 182
> —[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 188
> The very first community we got word of mouth in was the ex-Zynga product managers who had gone on to build their own companies. Matt Ocko, who is an investor in us through Data Collective, introduced us to this guy Bret Terrill, who is t - Network accessline 190
> —[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 196
> This is also where I love First Round Capital. I’ll sing their praises for the rest of my life. They have an SDR program (they don’t call it that; they call it a customer discovery program), but they basically have someone who is sending - Network accessline 198
> —[Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/), CEO - Network accessline 202
> “Our very early customers came from two places: > > 1. **The angel investors in our company:** Andy Palmer from [Tamr](https://www.tamr.com/) was an investor in eShares [now Carta] and brought it into his company early on. - Network accessline 203
> > 1. **The angel investors in our company:** Andy Palmer from [Tamr](https://www.tamr.com/) was an investor in eShares [now Carta] and brought it into his company early on. > 2. **Sister portfolio founders**: We had this personal connecti - Network accessline 204
> 1. **The angel investors in our company:** Andy Palmer from [Tamr](https://www.tamr.com/) was an investor in eShares [now Carta] and brought it into his company early on. - Network accessline 207
> Other than that, it was just working the network.” > > —[Josh Merrill](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshio/), ex-CPO - Network accessline 209
> —[Josh Merrill](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshio/), ex-CPO - Network accessline 219
> Therefore, we initially launched a freemium beta product, promoted it across open-source project maintainers and in dev communities, and didn’t have a paid version for nearly a year. **The first** ***users*** **of the product came from me - Network accessline 221
> —[Guy Podjarny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypo/?originalSubdomain=uk), founder and CEO - Network accessline 225
> “We mostly grew through word of mouth in the developer and product manager community. **We invested in meeting founders of fintech companies, learning their problems, and seeing how Plaid could help. Lots of time spent on forums, IRC, mee - Network accessline 227
> —[Zach Perret](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zperret/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 231
> **“In the early Berkeley days, we would put on these events where we would say, ‘Come and do a hackathon with us and use our open source software.’ And we would sort of handhold them and say, ‘Oh, if you want to try to do machine learning - Network accessline 233
> —[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 239
> **Some of our other early customers came through First Round. We would go to every one of their events, and whoever seemed they had some identity needs, we pitched them. Urban Sitter came through this. I had met them at one of these First - Network accessline 241
> —[Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 249
> “We ultimately had 3,000 people signing up for our beta (mostly B2B). My approach was to inundate the market with content—write interesting content, post on Hacker News, post on Twitter, etc.) and see who signs up.” > > —[Mathilde Collin] - Network accessline 251
> —[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-collin-bb59492a/en/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 255
> “A couple of our first 10 customers were through friends, but really, most of our early growth was building a wait list through Twitter. When we went full-time on the idea, we put out an announcement on Twitter to a landing page with an e - Network accessline 257
> —[Jori Lallo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorilallo/), co-founder - Network accessline 265
> Also, at some point, we saw this tastemaker effect where there were certain people who started using the product who would tell people, and so other people started using it. If we got some of the right people using it, we would get sort o - Network accessline 267
> —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), co-founder - Network accessline 275
> “Soon after, we did a TechCrunch launch in early 2014, and we got a handful of customers through that. Keepsafe came through that. Normally PR is a terrible channel. You need to grow through communities and customers hearing about you thr - Network accessline 277
> —[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/), CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 281
> “We had a fair bit of press based on our very first funding round. Press loved writing about funding, so anytime you can talk about funding, it was easy to get a story.” > > —[Cameron Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue/), co- - Network accessline 283
> —[Cameron Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue/), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 287
> **“**With help from an impressive press blitz (based largely on the team’s prior experience—i.e. use whatever you’ve got going for you), they welcomed people to request an invitation to try Slack. On the first day, 8,000 people did just t - Network accessline 289
> —[Stewart Butterfield](https://www.linkedin.com/in/butterfield/), co-founder and former CEO (via [First Round Review](https://firstround.com/review/From-0-to-1B-Slacks-Founder-Shares-Their-Epic-Launch-Strategy/)) - Network accessline 297
> “We just launched on HN. [You can still read the post](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4912076). In the early days, we got a lot of engineers trying out the product on their side projects. They told us what they’d need to bring it in - Network accessline 299
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/), co-founder - Network accessline 305
> After that, we were approaching launch and somebody was about to leak the story on us, so we just ended up publishing on our blog that we had raised the seed. Chetan [Puttagunta], our partner at Benchmark, retweeted it, and we started get - Network accessline 307
> —[Reed McGinley-Stempel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-mcginley-stempel-17362245/) and [Julianna Lamb](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannaelamb/), co-founders - Network accessline 311
> “**We launched on Product Hunt and had thousands of people who downloaded the extension by day’s end.”** > > —[Shahed Khan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahedkhan/), co-founder - Network accessline 313
> —[Shahed Khan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahedkhan/), co-founder - Network accessline 331
> We were quite fortunate in that our early user base was a very talkative user base, so the people who were using Canva and the people who we had user-tested with and built community up with were social media managers and bloggers, so peop - Network accessline 333
> —[Cameron Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue/?originalSubdomain=au), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 339
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Here’s [Sho Kuwamoto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/)’s take on the importance of trust for **Figma**’s early customers: - Network accessline 351
Same story for **Ramp** from [Eric Glyman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eglyman/) (co-founder and CEO): - Network accessline 357
And **Census**, from [Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/) (co-founder and CEO): - Network accessline 361
And Salesforce, from Marc Benioff, founder and CEO ([source](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2013/09/marc-benioff-win-customers.html)): - Network accessline 363
> **“It was challenging to convince prospects to try our service, and it was especially challenging to convince the first one**. Most people don’t want to be the first to take a giant risk. Realizing that truism was pivotal. We finessed our - Network accessline 365
> That first pioneer came in the form of [Blue Martini Software](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Martini_Software), one of the small software companies in which I had previously invested. I knew I was asking for a favor when I called the - Network accessline 367
And finally, [Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/), co-founder and CEO of Coda, who shares a strong perspective on targeting friends early on: - Network accessline 371
This problem is especially hard for certain spaces, as [Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/) found when starting **Persona**: - Network accessline 385
### Next: [A guide for finding product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 391
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 393
 - Network accessline 397
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 399
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-find-the-perfect-name.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Welcome to Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter. - Network accessline 12
*P.S. Annual subscribers get a **free year** of 15+ premium products: **[Lovable, Replit, Bolt, n8n, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, Gamma, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, and ChatPRD](https://www.lenny - Network accessline 14
Vercel, Azure, Pentium, PowerBook, Sonos, Swiffer, BlackBerry, Impossible Foods—if you recognize these names, you know [David Placek](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-placek-05a82/)’s work. Over 40 years, David and his team at [Lexicon Bra - Network accessline 16
*You can also listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@le - Network accessline 18
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*For more, check out [Lexicon Branding](https://www.lexiconbranding.com/). And Lexicon is hiring! Reach out to [careers@lexiconbranding.com](mailto:careers@lexiconbranding.com).* - Network accessline 133
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-get-better-at-influence.md
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If you’re not familiar with *[The Lord of the Rings](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings)*, Frodo is a very unassuming character (he’s like 3 feet tall), without any superpowers of any kind. In spite of that, he was entruste - Network accessline 20
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In one real-life example, I was leading the launch of the [Superhost program](https://airbnb.com/superhost) at Airbnb, and I had to convince the search team to be OK with adding a Superhost badge to the listing cards (see top left below). - Network accessline 40
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Why did [Samwise Gamgee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samwise_Gamgee) leave everything behind and risk his life to help Frodo? Because Frodo’s trust battery was off the charts. Frodo has helped Sam his whole life. When Frodo needed help, t - Network accessline 89
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[Stephen Covey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Covey) (author of *[The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People](https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful/dp/0743269519)*) teaches, “With people, slow is fast and fast - Network accessline 97
This is how [Gandalf](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandalf) influenced Frodo to take on this harrowing mission. He didn’t force Frodo to go. Instead, he sat there for days, explaining to Frodo why the world is in such peril, why he is the - Network accessline 99
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[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cg-q8AxFkdI) - Network accessline 147
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However, revamping the review system was a huge risk because it was a time-intensive project, could destroy credibility in the review system, and have unintended second effects. To convince ourselves, and then the execs, we pulled together - Network accessline 173
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A final strategy for increasing your influence is simply to be likable. It may sound trivial, but it turns out it’s one of the most powerful ways to build your influence. As [Robert Cialdini](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Cialdini) ( - Network accessline 193
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 - Network accessline 226
 - Network accessline 230
 - Network accessline 244
1. *[Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion](https://www.amazon.com/Influence-Psychology-Persuasion-Robert-Cialdini/dp/006124189X)* by Robert B. Cialdini - Network accessline 245
2. *[How to Win Friends and Influence People](https://www.amazon.com/How-Win-Friends-Influence-People-ebook/dp/B0B9ZW9QJS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=how+to+win+friends+and+influence+people&qid=1663537856&s=books&sprefix=how+to+win+friends+an%2Cstr - Network accessline 246
3. *[Great at Work: The Hidden Habits of Top Performers](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074ZKB2QT/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1)* by Morten T. Hansen - Network accessline 247
4. [Tobi Lütke: The Trust Battery](https://fs.blog/knowledge-project-podcast/tobi-lutke/) by The Knowledge Project - Network accessline 253
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 255
 - Network accessline 259
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 263
1. **Slab:** [Frontend Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/900e2226-f222-4108-90a8-285824523cec) (Remote) - Network accessline 267
1. **Listen:** [Bill Gates on Progress, Food Technology, and the Battle Between Climate Change and Innovation](https://open.spotify.com/episode/5jE3KgEv7oCCWLi5EGtpTN) by Derek Thompson - Network accessline 269
2. **Read:** [The 5 Phases of Figma’s Community-Led Growth: From Stealth to Enterprise](https://review.firstround.com/the-5-phases-of-figmas-community-led-growth-from-stealth-to-enterprise#introduction#leave-perfect-at-the-door#whens-the-ri - Network accessline 270
3. **Read:** [Stoicism: The Ancient Remedy to the Modern Age](https://gurwinder.substack.com/p/stoicism-the-ancient-remedy-to-the) by Gurwinder
references/02-newsletters/how-to-get-into-product-management.md
- Network accessline 10
 - Network accessline 12
The role of product manager (PM) is the most fascinating role within tech teams right now. PMs are closest to the center of the action, have a disproportionate amount of influence over key decisions, and often go on to start their own compa - Network accessline 14
Seven years ago, after [joining](https://medium.com/s/please-advise/what-seven-years-at-airbnb-taught-me-about-building-a-company-e1d035d49c56) Airbnb, I decided to take the leap myself and transitioned from engineering into product (becomi - Network accessline 50
Based on my experience, and the many experiences [shared](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1123576007405993986) with me, here are how most people get their first shot at product management: - Network accessline 52
1. **Internal transition at a large company** — Generally the easiest and quickest route, but requires three things aligning — an internal transfer process of some kind, having a chance to demonstrate the skills outlined below, and most imp - Network accessline 54
 - Network accessline 55
2. **Finding a junior PM role at a large company** — Likely the most common route, but is limited to companies with [APM](https://medium.com/pminsider/product-management-digest-apm-3c2631683139) or [internship](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs - Network accessline 57
 - Network accessline 58
3. **Joining a startup with a burning need** — The key to this route is having connections with startup founders, showing a lot of hustle, and delivering success when you are given the chance. Look for jobs at startups ([HN](https://news.yc - Network accessline 60
 - Network accessline 63
 - Network accessline 65
Though this career transition often seems mysterious and random, it should give you comfort that every product manager working today has gone through this transition in one form or another. If you are still skeptical that you can make this - Network accessline 69
The role of product management [varies](https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/high-tech/our-insights/product-managers-for-the-digital-world) by company and by team, but in my experience the following seven skills (in order of importance) are - Network accessline 75
> A good strategy is a set of actions that is credible, coherent, and focused on overcoming the biggest hurdle(s) in achieving a particular objective. > > — [Richard Rumelt](https://goodbadstrategy.com/) - Network accessline 77
> — [Richard Rumelt](https://goodbadstrategy.com/) - Network accessline 81
- Ask the best PMs you know to talk you through the vision and strategy they developed for a recent product initiative (they’ll be excited to share, trust me) - Take a problem your current company (or friend) is having and come up with a [f - Network accessline 82
- Take a problem your current company (or friend) is having and come up with a [framework](https://www.producttalk.org/2016/08/opportunity-solution-tree/) that breaks the problem into solvable chunks - Network accessline 83
- Learn about [the difference between vision, mission and strategy](https://boz.com/articles/strategy-tactics.html) - Network accessline 84
- Read [WTF is Strategy?](https://hackernoon.com/wtf-is-a-strategy-bcaa3fda9a31) by [Vince Law](https://medium.com/@vincelawco) - Network accessline 85
- Read [How to Become a Strategic Leader](https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-to-become-a-strategic-leader/) by [Julie Zhuo](https://medium.com/@joulee) - Network accessline 86
- Read [Applying Leverage as a Product Manager](https://blackboxofpm.com/applying-leverage-as-a-product-manager-ffad4a99db24) by [Brandon Chu](https://medium.com/@brandonmchu) - Network accessline 87
- Read [A Three-Step Framework For Solving Problems](https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-solve-problems-6bf14222e424) by me 🙃 - Network accessline 88
- Read about and practice [Amazon’s working backwards strategy](https://www.quora.com/What-is-Amazons-approach-to-product-development-and-product-management) - Network accessline 89
- Buy and read [Good Strategy, Bad Strategy](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004J4WKEC/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) by [Richard Rumelt](https://www.anderson.ucla.edu/faculty-and-research/strategy/faculty/rumelt) - Network accessline 95
> Executing well is like captaining a tight, smooth-sailing ship. You need to make sure that everyone knows what they need to do and then does it, that the crew hums together in unison, [and] that you estimated the journey well enough to ha - Network accessline 97
> — [Julie Zhuo](https://twitter.com/joulee) - Network accessline 101
- You’ll only learn how to execute by doing. Find a friendly PM and ask to take on the “[project management](https://medium.com/paymo/product-manager-vs-project-manager-b4ac603d872a)” duties for one of their projects (pro tip: don’t ever ca - Network accessline 102
- Pay attention to people around you that are good at shipping — how do they run meetings, how do they address issues as they arise, what systems do they use to keep their team aligned? - Learn about OKRs and goal setting by reading [Measur - Network accessline 103
- Learn about OKRs and goal setting by reading [Measure What Matters](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078FZ9SYB/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) by [John Doerr](https://medium.com/u/9ee9b0ebeddf) - Network accessline 104
- As [Sachin Rekhi](https://medium.com/u/bb06de487a5b) [suggests](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/how-am-i-going-to-move-my-product-forward-today), regularly ask yourself “how am I going to move my product forward today?” - Network accessline 105
- Read [Building Products](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/building-products-91aa93bea4bb) by [Julie Zhuo](https://medium.com/@joulee) - Network accessline 106
- Read [A Product Manager’s Job](https://medium.com/@joshelman/a-product-managers-job-63c09a43d0ec) by [Josh Elman](https://medium.com/@joshelman) - Network accessline 107
- Read about [Sheryl Sandberg’s Career Advice](https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/sheryl-sandberg-just-gave-some-brilliant-career-ad.html) - Network accessline 111
Engineers code, designers produce designs, and product managers …communicate. Everything you do as a product manager is done through writing, speaking, and meetings. As [Boz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Bosworth) puts it, “[communi - Network accessline 113
> The burden of communicating among teams, in between departments, and being the go-to get-it-done-guy/gal for CEOs and managers — it all tends to fall heavily on the Product Manager’s shoulders. Product Managers are the linchpins of their - Network accessline 115
> — [Nichole Elizabeth DeMeré](https://twitter.com/NikkiElizDemere) - Network accessline 117
**Some recommendations for developing your communication skill (borrowed from my [previous](https://medium.com/s/please-advise/what-seven-years-at-airbnb-taught-me-about-building-a-company-e1d035d49c56) post):** - Network accessline 119
- **Emails**: Force yourself to look at your email at least once before sending it. There’s always something you can cut or clarify. [Here’s an email strategy](https://hbr.org/2016/11/how-to-write-email-with-military-precision) I love, cour - Network accessline 120
- **Docs**: Always ask for feedback from at least one person before sharing a doc widely. Focus on clean and consistent formatting. Close out comments before sharing with execs. Make it easy to scan. Keep pushing yourself to learn to write - Network accessline 121
- **Meetings**: Include the primary goal of the meeting in your invite, ideally along with an agenda. If you attend a meeting that doesn’t feel productive, point it out. Invite as few people as possible. Leave with clear action items. Follo - Network accessline 123
- **Storytelling**: This is a meta-skill that will make you better at all of the above. [This](https://speakingsherpa.com/how-to-tell-a-business-story-using-the-mckinsey-situation-complication-resolution-scr-framework/) framework is an exce - Network accessline 129
> [A great product manager] is both trusting and trustworthy. She knows the difference between trust and blind faith, and invests in building a working environment where people have each others’ backs. She sets an example with her own behav - Network accessline 131
> — [Lawrence Ripsher](https://hackernoon.com/what-makes-a-great-product-manager-3c1d03b90356) - Network accessline 136
- Find a small project that you can lead, ideally working closely with a PM mentor - Foster culture within whatever team you are on. Establishing fun rituals and customs, plan outings, and create a lasting identity for your team. - Read [Th - Network accessline 137
- Foster culture within whatever team you are on. Establishing fun rituals and customs, plan outings, and create a lasting identity for your team. - Read [The Most Underrated Product Management Skill: Influence Without Authority](https://ww - Network accessline 138
- Read [The Most Underrated Product Management Skill: Influence Without Authority](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/the-most-underrated-product-management-skill-influence-without-authority) by [Sachin Rekhi](https://medium.com/@sachinrekhi) - Network accessline 139
- Read [10 Traits of Great PMs](https://medium.com/@noah_weiss/10-traits-of-great-pms-a7776cd3d9cd) by [Noah Weiss](https://medium.com/@noah_weiss) - Network accessline 140
- Read [What Makes a Great Product Manager](https://hackernoon.com/what-makes-a-great-product-manager-3c1d03b90356) by [Lawrence Ripsher](https://medium.com/@ripsher) - Network accessline 141
- Read [What distinguishes the Top 1% of product managers from the Top 10%?](https://www.quora.com/What-distinguishes-the-Top-1-of-product-managers-from-the-Top-10/answer/Ian-McAllister?srid=3wR&st=ns) by [Ian McAllister](https://medium.com - Network accessline 142
- Read [Product Management skills NO ONE talks about](https://hackernoon.com/product-management-skills-no-one-talks-about-5d50debfb815) by [Taruna Manchanda](https://medium.com/@Taruna2309) - Network accessline 143
- Read [The Job of Leadership](https://medium.com/@ev/the-job-of-leadership-757e4bc3e539) by [Ev Williams](https://medium.com/@ev) - Network accessline 147
Teams generally look to the PM to help them reach decisions. Expect to be making dozens of decisions on behalf of the team daily. Your best friend in making decisions is a clear set of [principles](https://medium.com/the-mission/this-princi - Network accessline 149
> The decisions PMs make are the ones that unblock their team so they can continue to build. They don’t need to make every decision, but they are responsible for ensuring a decision gets made — whether by them, their team, or their stakehol - Network accessline 151
> — [Brandon Chu](https://blackboxofpm.com/making-good-decisions-as-a-product-manager-c66ddacc9e2b) - Network accessline 155
- Study how successful companies make decisions through experimentation ([Airbnb](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/experiments-at-airbnb-e2db3abf39e7), [Uber](https://eng.uber.com/xp/), [Netflix](https://medium.com/netflix-techblog/its - Network accessline 156
- Watch successful leaders around you make decisions — how quickly are they making decisions, what do they ask about before making a decision, how do they communicate their reasoning? - Always have a perspective on a decision (your own POV) - Network accessline 157
- Always have a perspective on a decision (your own POV), but also be ready to change your mind given new information - Read about [Type-1 and Type-2 decisions](https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-this-is-how-successful - Network accessline 158
- Read about [Type-1 and Type-2 decisions](https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-this-is-how-successful-people-make-such-smart-decisions.html) - Network accessline 159
- Read [Making Good Decisions as a Product Manager](https://blackboxofpm.com/making-good-decisions-as-a-product-manager-c66ddacc9e2b) by [Brandon Chu](https://medium.com/@brandonmchu) - Network accessline 160
- Read [The Art of Decision Making as a Product Manager](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/the-art-of-decision-making-as-a-product-manager) by [Sachin Rekhi](https://medium.com/@sachinrekhi) - Network accessline 161
- Read [The Agony and Ecstasy of Building with Data](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/the-agony-and-ecstasy-of-building-with-data-56215764d67c) by [Julie Zhuo](https://medium.com/@joulee) - Network accessline 162
- Read [Your Job is Not to Make Every Possible Customer Happy](https://thinkgrowth.org/your-job-is-not-to-make-every-possible-customer-happy-f59a59595af) by [Steve Blank](https://medium.com/@sgblank) - Network accessline 163
- Read [Product strategy means saying no](https://www.intercom.com/blog/product-strategy-means-saying-no/) by [Des Traynor](https://medium.com/@destraynor) - Network accessline 169
> Product intuition is a skill: it is the observation of human behavior, trained by data, and applied to software. > > — [Merci Victoria Grace](https://twitter.com/merci?lang=en) - Network accessline 171
> — [Merci Victoria Grace](https://twitter.com/merci?lang=en) - Network accessline 175
- Find a way to build a product yourself or with friends, and get it out into the world. Find a small problem and try to solve it for someone (or yourself). There’s absolutely no better way to learn than to do it yourself. - Learn to notice - Network accessline 176
- Learn to notice what makes you like and not like a product. Consider keeping notes about what makes products good and bad. - Learn about [design thinking](https://www.ideou.com/pages/design-thinking) - Read [Building Products](https://med - Network accessline 177
- Learn about [design thinking](https://www.ideou.com/pages/design-thinking) - Network accessline 178
- Read [Building Products](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/building-products-91aa93bea4bb) by [Julie Zhuo](https://medium.com/@joulee) - Network accessline 179
- Read [How to Work with Designers](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/how-to-work-with-designers-6c975dede146) and [Engineers](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/how-to-work-with-engineers-a3163ff1eced) by [Juli - Network accessline 180
- Read [Training your product intuition](https://medium.com/@merci/training-your-product-intuition-276a7f8965b6) by [Merci Victoria Grace](https://medium.com/@merci) - Network accessline 181
- Read [How to Master The Discipline of Product Management](https://medium.com/evergreen-business-weekly/how-to-master-the-discipline-of-product-management-not-the-job-of-product-manager-28d2c493d445) by [Eric Jorgenson](https://medium.com/ - Network accessline 182
- Read [Top 11 Frameworks Every Product Manager Should Know](https://blog.usejournal.com/top-11-frameworks-every-product-manager-should-know-aad46dd37b62) by [Abhishek Shah](https://medium.com/@abhishekshah) - Network accessline 188
> [Great PMs] say what they’ll do, and then do what they say. Their follow-through is impeccable, and they don’t let details slip. When they join a team, quality and pace seems to dramatically improve overnight. > > — [Noah Weiss](https://t - Network accessline 190
> — [Noah Weiss](https://twitter.com/noah_weiss?lang=en) - Network accessline 194
- *Never* come to a meeting without spending at least a few minutes preparing and collecting your thoughts - Keep a high bar for everything you do — re-read the recommendations in item #3 above (Communication) - Build your “spidey sense.” L - Network accessline 195
- Keep a high bar for everything you do — re-read the recommendations in item #3 above (Communication) - Build your “spidey sense.” Look ahead and around corners. What could go wrong and how can you prepare? Plan for contingencies. Read [Th - Network accessline 196
- Build your “spidey sense.” Look ahead and around corners. What could go wrong and how can you prepare? Plan for contingencies. Read [The Score Takes Care of Itself](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002G54Y04/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF - Network accessline 197
- Find people around you that are very well organized and learn from them. What are they concretely doing to stay on top fo things? Ask them. - Read [Top Hacks from a PM Behind Two of Tech’s Hottest Products](https://firstround.com/review/T - Network accessline 198
- Read [Top Hacks from a PM Behind Two of Tech’s Hottest Products](https://firstround.com/review/Top-Hacks-from-a-PM-Behind-Two-of-Techs-Hottest-Products/) by [First Round](https://medium.com/@firstround) - Network accessline 199
- Read [Time Management: Tips for Product Managers](https://medium.com/@johnpcutler/time-management-tips-for-product-managers-925e4ac5efa9) by [John Cutler](https://medium.com/@johnpcutler) - Network accessline 212
If I missed anything, if you disagree with anything, or if you have any questions — don’t hesitate to **[tweet me](https://twitter.com/lennysan)**. 🥳 - Network accessline 216
[Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) - Network accessline 218
*Big thank you to [Yelena](https://twitter.com/yelenart?lang=en), [Ben](https://twitter.com/byosko), [Isabel](https://twitter.com/isabeltewes), [Godfrey](https://twitter.com/Godfrey_Okeke), [Galen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/galen-mcandrew
references/02-newsletters/how-to-get-promoted.md
- Network accessline 56
As [Tara Jaye Frank](https://tarajayefrank.com/) so accurately puts it, “People don’t get promoted for doing their jobs really well. They get promoted by demonstrating their potential to do more.” At many companies, you get promoted only af - Network accessline 77
1. In your very next 1:1, push your manager to articulate which 2-3 skills/behaviors/attributes are most keeping you from the next level. 2. Put together 3-10 concrete actions you (and your manager) can take over the next six months to impr - Network accessline 79
3. Align on this list with your manager and put them into an [action plan spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12Z8euSULYHGSKgJMR47QuK2cEyHm0B-6hAmanqtVqQ0/edit#gid=0), like so: - Network accessline 81
 - Network accessline 86
Broadly, what you need to do is to get crystal clear about your gaps, keep both of you accountable to making progress on addressing these gaps, and stay aligned on how it’s going. [Read more](https://review.firstround.com/the-power-of-perfo - Network accessline 106
There’s a reason no two [company career ladders](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager#:~:text=Public%20examples%20of%20career%20ladders) are alike. Explicitly or implicitly, every company prioritizes different skills a - Network accessline 108
 - Network accessline 128
1. [What most contributed to you getting your last promotion?](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1486861610895360000) - Network accessline 129
2. [Do You Want to Get Promoted?](https://hbr.org/2021/05/do-you-want-to-get-promoted) by HBR - Network accessline 130
3. [Becoming a senior PM](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/senior-product-manager) by Jackie Bavaro - Network accessline 131
4. [Ask Women in Product: How do I get promoted to Senior PM?](https://womeninproduct.medium.com/ask-wip-how-do-i-get-promoted-to-senior-pm-794be2d2e00f) - Network accessline 132
5. [How to Get Promoted — The Complete Guide to Moving Up](https://www.linkedin.com/business/learning/blog/productivity-tips/how-to-get-promoted) - Network accessline 138
1. **Superjoi:** [UI/UX Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/9710eb14-bc72-46a5-b75b-2949c5c1bfa7) (LA, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 139
2. **Superjoi:** [Full Stack Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4111e336-604a-43c7-90b4-8cf03952800b) (LA, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 140
3. **HireArt:** [Senior Full-Stack Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/fd0b1a53-7741-4a2b-8739-a976d2482afe) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 141
4. **Universe:** [Product Lead - Commerce Tools](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/38cfa180-37e3-4882-99ae-3a6d35a04d32) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 142
5. **Universe:** [Product Lead - Creation Tools](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/5b414879-8180-4651-bc80-39610ee206f2) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 143
6. **Clubhouse:** [Growth Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/ed55d82e-f9b6-47b7-837d-b8f29b9e2b41) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 144
7. **Earthly Technologies:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/958ba7ed-1571-4249-a103-2e58dfcc40bd) (Remote-US, Remote-Canada) - Network accessline 145
8. **Otta:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/896bc872-ef34-44a5-85bd-74784e9bea89) (London) - Network accessline 146
9. **Sonar:** [Product Manager, Integrations](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/d830dd44-5885-452a-a0fc-681a667d20c5) (ATL, Remote-US) - Network accessline 147
10. **LiveAuctioneers:** [Senior Product Manager, Platform](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4550e1ee-d35a-4975-9bb1-ec28725672cc) (NYC, Lehi UT) - Network accessline 149
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 153
1. **Watch:** [Are you an ideal team player?](https://youtu.be/PRh80RyT74I) - Network accessline 155
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRh80RyT74I) - Network accessline 157
2. **Listen:** [Lex Fridman and Dan Carlin](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lex-fridman-podcast/id1434243584?i=1000497016023) - Network accessline 158
3. **Read:** [Does Not Compute](https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/does-not-compute/) by Morgan Housel
references/02-newsletters/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-product-pass-part-1.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) |** **[How I AI](h - Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 14
After [introducing the product pass](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass) a couple of months ago, the most common question I get—other than “Wait, is this for real??”—is how I and others use these tools. So I’ve put together a sh - Network accessline 16
This week I’ll cover [Replit](https://replit.com/), [Warp](https://go.warp.dev/lenny), [Linear](https://linear.app/), [Wispr Flow](https://wisprflow.ai/), [Gamma](https://gamma.app/partners/lenny), [Magic Patterns](https://magicpatterns.lin - Network accessline 18
My goal here isn’t to sell you the products ([you already get them for free](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass)!) but to help you get the most possible value out of your paid subscription. - Network accessline 22
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-product/comments) - Network accessline 24
# 1. **[Replit](https://replit.com/)** - Network accessline 28
A leading vibe-coding platform that takes a plain English description of what you want to create and builds a production-ready app. It includes a native database, user authentication, security scan, and hosting. It also supports most progra - Network accessline 36
The entire (surprisingly sophisticated) [product pass workflow](https://lennysproductpass.com/) is hosted on Replit. - Network accessline 40
1. [Coming up with startup ideas](https://x.com/daniel_mac8/status/1966260595143094534) - Network accessline 41
2. [Vibe-coding automations](https://x.com/omarsar0/status/1966949907149058551) - Network accessline 42
3. [Building a social networking platform (in 193 minutes)](https://x.com/anthropiast/status/1966109218479714593) - Network accessline 43
4. [Building a fully featured website for Saastr](https://x.com/jasonlk/status/1967408276825575753) - Network accessline 44
5. [Taking on Upwork projects](https://x.com/niconley/status/1966505076849074618) - Network accessline 48
Check out their [website](https://replit.com/) and their [PM-specific use cases](https://replit.com/usecases/product-managers). - Network accessline 50
# 2. **[Warp](https://go.warp.dev/lenny)** - Network accessline 62
I’ve used it to download YouTube videos to convert them to MP3s (for my son’s [Yoto](https://us.yotoplay.com/)), analyze all of my locally-saved podcast transcripts to find the most-mentioned books, and install gnarly packages with a bunch - Network accessline 64
 - Network accessline 68
1. [Building a Strava clone](https://youtu.be/cmHheGcDWTQ) - Network accessline 69
2. [Converting MRI imaging files to jpegs](https://x.com/aaronwhite/status/1958281839333794057?s=46) - Network accessline 70
3. [Dad teaching kids how to build websites](https://x.com/some_user123/status/1950443062016041377) - Network accessline 74
Visit their [website](https://go.warp.dev/lenny) or check out their many tutorials at [warp.dev/university](https://warp.dev/university). - Network accessline 76
# **3. [Linear](https://linear.app/)** - Network accessline 92
1. [Linear using Linear to manage their own customer feedback](https://linear.app/now/how-we-think-about-customer-experience-at-linear) - Network accessline 93
2. [Claire at ChatPRD building an agent in Linear](https://linear.app/integrations/chatprd) - Network accessline 94
3. [Commure building dashboards to monitor their team’s progress](https://linear.app/now/commure-dashboards) - Network accessline 98
Check out their [website](https://linear.app/) and this [library](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP9v0Y4zla9vG7k8e279bSz5hUl0oXlMH) of how-to videos, and here’s [my podcast conversation with Nan Yu](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n - Network accessline 100
# **4. [Wispr Flow](https://wisprflow.ai/)** - Network accessline 112
I’ve always preferred typing over talking, so I’ve never gotten into transcription apps, but Wispr Flow changed how I work. Since it’s so good, I’ve found myself using it constantly, especially on my [phone](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/wi - Network accessline 116
1. [Talking to chatbots](https://x.com/MatthewGattozzi/status/1967952481419403609) - Network accessline 117
2. [Vibe coding](https://x.com/tankots/status/1891138380404060298) - Network accessline 118
3. [Getting “voicepilled”](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/reidhoffman_i-am-voicepilled-a-major-step-forward-in-activity-7373713536096780289-lUb7/?rcm=ACoAAAQVbqEB-UADeCu9ymhPGPUQCNHXfB6TcEU) - Network accessline 119
4. [Doctors transcribing their notes](https://x.com/RutaB_/status/1956099269544567236) - Network accessline 120
5. [Slow typers using it to speed up their workflows](https://x.com/rywiggs/status/1937991165217017879) - Network accessline 124
Check out their [website](https://wisprflow.ai/). - Network accessline 126
# **5. [Gamma](https://gamma.app/partners/lenny)** - Network accessline 130
An AI-powered document creation tool that generates polished presentations, landing pages, and documents from a simple prompt. Describe what you want, upload the raw data, and get back a compelling deck/doc/website. And just last week, [the - Network accessline 134
If Cursor is making engineers faster, Gamma is doing the same for PMs. Creating decks and docs is one of the most time-consuming and annoying parts of most builders’ jobs. I also just love [the story of Gamma](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/0 - Network accessline 138
Most recently, I’ve been experimenting with using Gamma to create shareable summaries of my podcast episodes. Here’s [Ethan Smith’s episode on AEO](https://gamma.app/docs/Mastering-Answer-Engine-Optimization-n4gxgak9z9tpzhc), [Ben Horowitz’ - Network accessline 142
1. [Generating custom decks for each sales outreach](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/yonathan-cohen_gamma-30-just-dropped-i-built-a-29-reply-activity-7373718410439942144-sKqM/) - Network accessline 143
2. [Creating landing pages](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/charlie-hills_how-to-make-a-landing-page-in-5-minutes-activity-7321473049843621888-BTLe/) - Network accessline 144
3. [Turning meeting notes into a deck and follow-up email](https://x.com/riyazmd774/status/1967978262015160802) ([here’s how to do this with Zapier](https://zapier.com/templates/details/meeting-notes-to-presentations-granola-gamma)) - Network accessline 145
4. [Creating a unique resume](https://suchita-kaundin-bsb2sbo.gamma.site/) - Network accessline 146
5. [Turning PRDs into decks](https://x.com/clairevo/status/1968002491724988923) - Network accessline 150
Check out [their website](https://gamma.app/partners/lenny). - Network accessline 152
# **6. [Magic Patterns](https://magicpatterns.link/lpp1)** - Network accessline 160
I’ve been playing with all of the popular prototyping tools, and I find that Magic Patterns most often produces the highest-quality, most useful, and most correct results. It’s especially great at quick iterations and ideation because it on - Network accessline 164
I’ve used it to create [this thumbnail preview tool](https://project-youtube-podcast-title-and-thumbnail-previewer-348.magicpatterns.app), and other internal tools I’m tinkering with that I’m not ready to show the world 👀 - Network accessline 168
1. [Copy-and-pasting PRDs, creating a Magic Patterns prototype, and then](https://magicpatterns.link/llp1x) sharing with engineering - Network accessline 169
2. [Creating personalized customer demos](https://magicpatterns.link/lpp1lu) - Network accessline 170
3. [Skipping Figma entirely](https://magicpatterns.link/llp1jh) when prototyping - Network accessline 171
4. [More examples here](https://www.magicpatterns.com/catalog?dub_id=0vANFES1HwRsFVsd) and [tutorial videos here](https://www.magicpatterns.com/docs/documentation/ai-prototyping-course/introduction) - Network accessline 175
Check out their [website](https://magicpatterns.link/lpp1), and build something! - Network accessline 177
# **7. [Descript](https://descript.com/lenny)** - Network accessline 181
An AI-powered editor that gives everyone (including product managers!) the power to create and edit professional videos. Use it to make launch videos, design walk-throughs, for LinkedIn posts, etc. You edit videos like you edit Google Docs - Network accessline 189
I use Descript basically every day. I use it to record my podcast ads and intros to each episode, and my production team uses it exclusively to take my raw podcast recordings and turn them into the videos you see on [YouTube](https://www.yo - Network accessline 193
1. [Creating YouTube shorts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rXZkt6YkZw) - Network accessline 194
2. [Adding big juicy text to videos](https://youtube.com/shorts/phEBSCJP8xw?feature=shared) - Network accessline 195
3. [Creating rough cuts with AI](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RtC7_wQ1Arg) - Network accessline 196
4. [Creating avatar-based demos](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/burkhauser_guys-now-on-descript-you-can-instantly-create-activity-7320888554761453568-Eex_?rcm=ACoAAABAwBcBhqY8pjVXMxROG-p1CJMLG1fMBWU) - Network accessline 197
5. [Creating ads](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvBGR5cSeNw) - Network accessline 201
Check out their [website](https://descript.com/lenny). - Network accessline 203
# **8. [Mobbin](https://mobbin.com/lenny)** - Network accessline 219
1. [Getting design inspiration](https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3px5ESAwxA/) - Network accessline 220
2. [Copy-and-pasting best-in-class flows into your Figma](https://youtu.be/E4idM0hC_AY?si=tJA95mUdzSmya0Wa&t=1537) - Network accessline 221
3. [Designing a viral app](https://youtu.be/T64X2GUoDwc?si=8f98NKkKPygr9QHS&t=360) - Network accessline 222
4. [Elevating your design taste](https://youtu.be/8mMH6Pq8qnE?si=xCt-KLIZsOhxrV-v&t=533) - Network accessline 223
5. [Studying the best](https://x.com/rexan_wong/status/1967789508717650388) - Network accessline 227
Check out their [website](https://mobbin.com/lenny). - Network accessline 231
Part 2 is coming next month. [Subscribe](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe) if you haven’t yet to get access to all of these tools! - Network accessline 235
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-get-your-entire-team-prototyping-with-ai.md
- Network accessline 10
[Colin Matthews](https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinmatthews-pm/) holds the distinct honor of having not one but *two* posts in my top 10 [most popular posts of all time](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/?sort=top). Today he’s back with a pos - Network accessline 14
*For more from Colin, check out his [free 45-minute live online class](https://maven.com/p/becb6f/product-development-lifecycle-with-ai-prototyping) coming up on July 8th, and his course [AI Prototyping for Product Managers](https://maven.c - Network accessline 16
*P.S. If you prefer, you can listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www. - Network accessline 18
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Since I first shared a [guide to AI prototyping for product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-guide-to-ai-prototyping-for-product) in January, AI prototyping tools have become immensely popular. It’s now more common than not fo - Network accessline 29
In this post, I’ll walk you through three ways to create component libraries that consistently create great mocks; team workflows to reduce rework; and a step-by-step guide on how prototypes should be used. I’ll also give you plenty of time - Network accessline 33
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Once you have your component library complete, pause! You’ll want to create a fork of the project and start to use your components in a new project. Your forked project will automatically reuse your components to assemble your design like L - Network accessline 106
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The next option for creating component libraries is to use Chrome extensions. As of today, [Magic Patterns](https://www.magicpatterns.com/) is the only tool that supports extracting components from a webpage directly. - Network accessline 116
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Another way to leverage code to get more accurate components is with the new [Figma MCP server](https://www.figma.com/blog/introducing-figmas-dev-mode-mcp-server/) (which just launched last week!). In case you’re unfamiliar, MCP is a protoc - Network accessline 149
Here’s a quick side-by-side of a Figma [design library](https://www.figma.com/community/file/1267195373409722424/design-system) and the same components reproduced in code. - Network accessline 153
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Creating the initial page with my component library took me about 20 minutes, mostly ironing out all the little details to make the prototype really look like Airbnb (see my [previous guide](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-guide-to-ai- - Network accessline 191
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One last tip: If you need some realistic images for your prototype, just ask the AI tool to grab them from [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/), which does a reasonably good job at picking relevant images. Here’s the Airbnb example once more, - Network accessline 461
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*For more from Colin, check out his [free 45-minute live online class](https://maven.com/p/becb6f/product-development-lifecycle-with-ai-prototyping) coming up on July 8th, and his course [AI Prototyping for Product Managers](https://maven.c - Network accessline 475
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-get-your-marketing-team-to-drive-more-impact.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you - Network accessline 14
1. *[How to get better at influence](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-better-at-influence)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[When to sunset a feature](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/when-to-sunset-a-feature)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Open thread: What’s your team’s communication rhythm?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/open-thread-whats-your-teams-communication/comments)* - Network accessline 22
While building and leading marketing teams at [Asana](https://asana.com/), [Carta](https://carta.com/), [Ticketfly](https://www.eventbrite.com/blog/ticketfly-moving-eventbrite/), and [Astro](https://slack.com/blog/news/slack-acquires-astro- - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 28
*You can follow Emily on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/EmilyKramer) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykramer/), and definitely [subscribe to her newsletter](https://mkt1.substack.com/) (my #1 favorite marketing newsletter). Al - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 32
My biggest secret to running an effective marketing team isn’t my depth of marketing expertise and skills. [It’s this simple 5-part marketing brief](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n8juNQVrs0tfM5dTpmsfp6SoQ2KCmf8xHnarTBDkJ_4/edit#). The - Network accessline 55
When you are brainstorming a campaign, writing a blog post, planning an event, or creating anything longer than a tweet, you probably need a GACCS. Before you start the marketing project, write out a GACCS to give your work focus, set conte - Network accessline 59
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For more time-consuming work, just having a distribution plan isn’t enough. You need to make sure you can get “mileage” out of your ideas and work. [Mileage](https://mkt1.substack.com/p/high-impact-content) is my term for taking one content - Network accessline 103
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1. **Goals:** [Set OKRs](https://mkt1.substack.com/p/goals), define KPIs, and map your funnel to be able to set goals faster. - Network accessline 112
2. **Audience:** Do [audience analysis](https://mkt1.substack.com/p/weve-been-defining-product-marketing) through customer and prospect interviews, define your ideal customer personas, and do competitive analysis to make it easier to know w - Network accessline 113
3. **Creative:** [Write your brand story](https://mkt1.substack.com/p/perceptions-our-favorite-marketing), define your brand attributes or values, and [define content pillars](https://mkt1.substack.com/p/high-impact-content) so you know the - Network accessline 114
4. **Channels:** Make a checklist of all your [distribution channels](https://mkt1.substack.com/p/content-roadmap) so you have a clear inventory to reference and don’t have to start from scratch every time. - Network accessline 115
5. **Stakeholders**: Make an [areas of responsibility list](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TYB3N8Q8IzMfi7lJc04VLX2i6KIQ1flxPv6fUzhXMbY/edit#gid=0) (AORs) for marketing and marketing collaborators (see the bottom of this newsletter) - Network accessline 121
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[Start using GACCS](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n8juNQVrs0tfM5dTpmsfp6SoQ2KCmf8xHnarTBDkJ_4/edit#heading=h.8o7wyg5ixh8w) on your next project, and you won’t look back. - Network accessline 152
Here’s [a spreadsheet template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1TYB3N8Q8IzMfi7lJc04VLX2i6KIQ1flxPv6fUzhXMbY/edit#gid=0) for making an AORs list with many early- and growth-stage marketing responsibilities listed out, although it wor - Network accessline 154
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For more on building effective B2B marketing functions, check out the [MKT1 Newsletter](https://mkt1.substack.com) or register for an upcoming [MKT1 101 course](https://maven.com/mkt1/building-marketing). We also run a [job board](https://m - Network accessline 173
1. [‘Give Away Your Legos’ and Other Commandments for Scaling Startups](https://review.firstround.com/give-away-your-legos-and-other-commandments-for-scaling-startups) by Molly Graham, First Round Review - Network accessline 174
2. [How to Select a Target Market](https://www.aprildunford.com/post/startup-market-segmentation-how-to-select-a-target-market) by April Dunford - Network accessline 175
3. [RACI model](https://review.firstround.com/how-this-head-of-engineering-boosted-transparency-at-instagram) by James Everingham, First Round Review - Network accessline 176
4. [DACI: Make Better Decisions with This Framework](https://www.loom.com/blog/daci) - Network accessline 177
5. [How Asana uses AORs](https://wavelength.asana.com/workstyle-aors/#close) - Network accessline 178
6. [Crash Course in Marketing Goal Setting](https://mkt1.substack.com/p/goals) by Emily Kramer (me) - Network accessline 184
[Join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to get bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 186
 - Network accessline 190
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 194
**Slab:** [Frontend Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/900e2226-f222-4108-90a8-285824523cec) (Remote)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-hire-your-first-growth-team.md
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This is a question that’s been asked and answered many times but, tbh, never super-well. To get you a full, complete, and lasting answer, I brought in the big guns—[Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/) (legendary growth adv - Network accessline 16
*Elena is a growth advisor and angel investor—you can find her on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ElenaVerna), and don’t miss her amazing newsletter, [Elena’s Growth Scoop](https://elena - Network accessline 18
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We decided to leverage our experience and the expertise of top growth practitioners, including [Adam Fishman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/) (Lyft, Patreon), [Adam Grenier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akgrenier/) (Eventbrite, Ub - Network accessline 28
> “*Most product and marketing teams are built to create or expand the core value provided to customers. Growth is connecting more people to the existing value.*” —*[Casey Winters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters/) (ex-Eventbrite, - Network accessline 71
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> *We also established a dedicated product analytics team within growth, significantly improving productivity. Lastly, adding a ‘Head of Online Sales’ role in the sales organization helped align growth and sales efforts. For any B2B PLG gro - Network accessline 121
> *—[Hila Qu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaqu/), growth advisor and former Director of Growth at GitLab* - Network accessline 123
> *“Snyk formed a dedicated growth organization later in its journey, initially focusing on building the necessary foundation for growth work at scale and early growth hypotheses. The org was predominantly centralized, with multiple cross-f - Network accessline 125
> *—[Ben Williams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/semanticben/), growth advisor and former Head of Growth at Snyk [P.S. Read more about Ben’s take on PLG org structure [here](https://plgeek.substack.com/p/a-best-in-class-plg-org)]* - Network accessline 127
> *“At Uber we were product-led and reported directly to Travis [Kalanick], the CEO. That included things like paid media, lifecycle, and SEO, where we opted to run them more like product sprints and experiment-to-build instead of experimen - Network accessline 129
> *—[Adam Grenier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akgrenier/), VP of Growth at Eventbrite, ex-Uber* - Network accessline 139
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> *“At Pinterest, we started with growth product and engineering teams reporting into the head of product and the head of engineering, respectively. A couple years after forming, the decision was made to move the growth team into Marketing. - Network accessline 151
> *—[John Egan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwegan/), former Head of Growth Engineering at Pinterest* - Network accessline 153
> *“At Twilio, we had a growth product team focused on driving activation and monetization through efficient self-serve experiences. We evolved the team’s composition to suit our objectives, first targeting activation, then engagement and m - Network accessline 155
> *—[Laura Schaffer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraschaffer/), Head of Growth at Amplitude, ex-Twilio* - Network accessline 181
> *“Different structures are effective at varying times. Teams may transition between reporting to multiple functions, a single person, or back to a distributed approach. Success depends on whether the structure addresses the root cause at - Network accessline 183
> *—[Adam Fishman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/), advisor and former Head of Growth at Lyft, Patreon* - Network accessline 187
> *“At Webflow, we recently centralized all growth teams (e.g. Product Growth, Growth and Lifecycle Marketing) under one unified growth team, which has been very empowering for the team and has enabled better alignment and accountability. W - Network accessline 189
> *—[Melissa Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissamtan/), Head of Self-Serve at Webflow, ex-Dropbox* - Network accessline 191
[Lauryn Isford](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurynisford/), Head of Growth at Notion, ex Airtable, also called out the need for revisiting the growth team structure as the business evolves: - Network accessline 207
1. Elena Verna: [Six rules of hiring for growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-growth) - Network accessline 208
2. Reforge: [Growth Leadership course](https://www.reforge.com/programs/growth-leadership) - Network accessline 209
3. Reforge: [How to pick your ideal growth team structure](https://www.reforge.com/previews/growth/growth-team-structure) - Network accessline 210
4. Adam Fishman: [Hiring your first Growth employee—part 1](https://www.fishmanafnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-first-growth-employeepart) - Network accessline 211
5. Andrew Chen: [Hiring a Head of Growth](https://andrewchen-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/andrewchen.com/hiring-head-of-growth/amp/) - Network accessline 215
*Andrea is a partner at General Catalyst who loves helping companies think about growth strategy; Elena is an angel investor and growth advisor. If you are interested in chatting about your challenges and learning how we can help, feel free - Network accessline 221
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 223
 - Network accessline 227
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 229
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer-profile-icp.md
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- **Part 1:** [How to come up with a great B2B startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) - Network accessline 15
- **Part 2:** [How to validate your idea](https://open.substack.com/pub/lenny/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup) - Network accessline 16
- **Part 3:** How to identify your ICP *← This post* - **Part 4:** [How to find and win your first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers) - **Part 5:** [How to find product-market fit](https - Network accessline 17
- **Part 4:** [How to find and win your first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers) - Network accessline 18
- **Part 5:** [How to find product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 19
- **Part 6:** [How, and when, to hire your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - Network accessline 20
- **Part 7:** [How to scale your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/scaling-your-b2b-growth-engine) - Network accessline 24
*A huge thank-you to **[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/)** (COO of Notion), **[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/)** (CEO of Databricks), **[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/)** - Network accessline 26
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“We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-collin-bb59492a/en/), co-founder and CEO of Front - Network accessline 31
—[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-collin-bb59492a/en/), co-founder and CEO of Front - Network accessline 53
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To identify your own ICP, go through the list below and take your best guess at picking the three most *unique* and *important* characteristics of your potential ideal customer ([here’s a template to get you started](https://docs.google.com - Network accessline 86
> Today Gusto handles the bulk of what HR teams do, as well as some work of finance teams—payroll, insurance, benefits, onboarding, performance reviews, state registrations, tax credits, and more—for over 300,000 businesses with 1 to 500 em - Network accessline 88
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 100
> And then of course, over time, we went wider, adding phone calls versus video conferencing, and then different company categories and geographies.” > > —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/?originalSubdomain=il), co-fou - Network accessline 102
> —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/?originalSubdomain=il), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 110
> The initial problem Snyk set out to solve was specific too: tracking and securing dependencies in the Node ecosystem. The community there would often discuss the inadequacies of the NPM dependency management capabilities. At the time, Nod - Network accessline 112
> —[Ben Williams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/semanticben/), former VP of Product - Network accessline 116
> “Looker was a technical product, created right at the very start of data moving to the cloud and large, event style data being treated as business critical for analysis. So in 2013-2015, our core ICP was technical data teams—not end users - Network accessline 118
> —[Keenan Rice](https://www.linkedin.com/in/keenanrice/), founding team - Network accessline 122
Here’s [Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/), co-founder and CEO of **Databricks (**which is now worth over $30B) on their complete lack of an ICP early on: - Network accessline 126
And [Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), co-founder and CEO of Persona: - Network accessline 132
> “I didn’t think about ICPs whatsoever. However, looking back, that’s part of the reason PMF took so much time.” —[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/), co-founder and CEO of Census - Network accessline 134
> “We did not think about ICP. I wish we did earlier on. It’s one of my biggest mistakes.” —[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-collin-bb59492a/en/), co-founder and CEO of Front - Network accessline 138
> “We didn’t focus on ICP at all, but once we did our public launch, we started getting a flood of different people coming in. Filtering through the leads spurred me into putting a much tighter definition around qualification for deals.” —[ - Network accessline 142
For **Canva**, here’s[Cameron Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue/?originalSubdomain=au), co-founder and CPO, sharing their path to identifying an ICP: - Network accessline 148
For **Sprig**,[Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/), founder and CEO, on narrowing in on their unusual initial segment: - Possible obfuscationline 152
> Our first customer, Thunkable, had millions of users. Square and Robinhood—also two of our early customers—had millions of users. I was getting very strong pull with companies like these. **The larger the user base, the more excited they - Network accessline 160
> **We started to recognize this once it started to be noticeable that the data persona was just much more of a fan of Census. They were just getting much more** ***enthused*****.** The ICP shifted to that persona, and that’s when things st - Network accessline 162
> —[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/), co-founder and CEO of Census - Network accessline 170
> My belief was, what if you focus on just a narrow ICP, then you keep specializing towards them and you build your platform entirely around them? And then you’re always like, oh, eventually I’ll spread off and branch off in different niche - Network accessline 172
> —[Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), co-founder and CEO of Persona - Network accessline 180
> We kept both of those personas as our ICP for a while because we signed some pretty significant deals with the growth product persona, but then **we realized we had a only 5% to 10% conversion rate with those types of ICPs, versus a 40% t - Network accessline 182
> —[Julianna Lamb](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannaelamb/), co-founder and CTO, and [Reed McGinley-Stempel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-mcginley-stempel-17362245/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 188
> The CTO or VP of Engineering at a fast-growing, operations-heavy company being a good buyer for us is an example of a hypothesis that we didn’t know was going to be right. In fact, we probably had about as much traction from those teams a - Network accessline 190
> —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 200
> To find this ICP, I just talked to everybody for a while, probably most of three or four months. In those days, you’re just so glad if anybody ever answers your email. We worked closely with a few larger companies, like AppDynamics, Segme - Network accessline 202
> —[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 210
> Something I thought we did really well, looking back, was the sign-up flow asked a bunch of key questions that helped us figure out who to go after. We asked what’s the size of your company, what’s your role, and which tools are you using - Network accessline 212
> —[Jori Lallo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorilallo/), co-founder - Network accessline 218
> I actually wouldn’t go and try to retrofit the ICP, like, ‘Hey, this person bought us, so could we find more people with that role who resemble them?’ I think what was much more useful was actually being able to think through, ‘Hey, what - Network accessline 220
> —[Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 228
> Over time, we started seeing this mix shift: once you started getting into the Series A, B, and later-stage startups, the needs were different. They’d say, ‘Points aren’t going to change my business. I am spending too much. I want to be m - Network accessline 229
> >  > - Network accessline 230
>  - Network accessline 236
> What we actually were competing against wasn’t a credit card. It was ‘I hate Expensify or Concur. Or bill payment software. I can’t close my books on time.’ So we could compete in a different way and grow differently.” > > —[Eric Glyman]( - Network accessline 238
> —[Eric Glyman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eglyman/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 250
> Twitter was another early company that wanted to use Figma seriously from the beginning, and after a few of these conversations, you build a sense when someone reaches out to you, if they’re serious. If they are trying to deploy this acro - Network accessline 252
> —[Sho Kuwamoto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/), VP of Product - Network accessline 262
> **I distinctly remember that I was looking for a specific type of nod.** I’d be talking to them, doing my pitch: ‘We see a lot of customers who have this problem where they’re sharing primarily by screenshotting charts and pasting it in a - Network accessline 264
> —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 270
> It’s just much purer to pay attention to signal from pure outbound, with no other incentives attached.” > > —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 272
> —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 280
> Eventually, we created a category out of this space (‘intake to procure’) and identified our ICP persona (finance and procurement), which is what we sell today. But it took us those six months to know even what to say. For a long time we - Network accessline 282
> —[Rujul Zaparde](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/) and [Lu Cheng](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lu-cheng-973b7830/), co-founders - Network accessline 290
> Our focus now, as we think about it in terms of landing inside companies and inside usage, is the product engineering, design, data world. It doesn’t mean that’s the only end users we support, but we found those people to be the early cha - Network accessline 292
> —[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/), co-founder and COO - Network accessline 300
> Recently, our ICP has become big enterprises focused on doing ‘digital transformation,’ often via a core innovation group. Think 21st Century Fox trying to move to streaming or Anheuser-Busch trying to figure out more D2C options.” > > —[ - Network accessline 302
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/), co-founder of Segment - Network accessline 310
> It’s all about just getting customers to pay something and as soon as possible, and then prioritizing your time in that way.” > > —[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/), co-founder and CEO of Amplitude - Network accessline 312
> —[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/), co-founder and CEO of Amplitude - Network accessline 332
> “We kept both of those personas as our ICP for a while because we signed some pretty significant deals with the growth product persona, but then we realized we had only a 5% to 10% conversion rate with those types of ICPs versus a 40% to - Network accessline 334
> “We found out that outreach to CTOs was much more successful. Once we noticed that, we just iterated on the pitch and approach from there.” —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), founder and CEO of **Retool** - Network accessline 338
> “We started to recognize this once it started to be noticeable that the data persona was just much more of a fan of Census. They were just getting much more *enthused*.” —[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/), co-founder - Network accessline 340
> “Through the conversations that we had with people, we began to see a certain segment really get excited about it. These social media managers, these people who were (a) figuring out what social media actually was, and then (b) having to - Network accessline 344
> “Robinhood agreed to a large contract even though we were early. They’re like, ‘We love it. We’ll install tomorrow.’ They installed it as we were building the first version.” So that told us to go after these larger companies, with millio - Network accessline 348
> “**It was the people who, when we’d talk about the pain we were solving, would nod their heads and salivate. Those are the people we really wanted to spend time with. I distinctly remember that I was looking for a specific type of nod.** - Network accessline 350
“You have to change the audience to whom you target the product, to try to find who is desperate for what you do.” **—[Andy Rachleff](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachleff/)** - Network accessline 354
1. Start by taking your best shot at picking the three most *unique* and *important* characteristics of your potential ideal customer [using this template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DAajOv4KKm_cVMFgA694sP7mfFvieAPasWZVK_9TOcg/ - Network accessline 376
As a bonus, for inspiration, [here’s an ever-evolving doc](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1DAajOv4KKm_cVMFgA694sP7mfFvieAPasWZVK_9TOcg/edit#gid=691141091) showing the initial ICPs of every B2B startup I can get my hands on: - Network accessline 378
 - Network accessline 382
1. [Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QZ8sNT7aP3TWHDsrK8k1vN_HDohxQUQaPok1BfVh0Uo/edit#gid=0) by Patrick Campbell - Network accessline 383
2. [Find your HXC](https://review.firstround.com/what-i-learned-from-developing-branding-for-airbnb-dropbox-and-thumbtack#:~:text=global%20mobility%20services.%E2%80%9D-,Find%20Your%20HXC,-It%E2%80%99s%20no%20exaggeration) by Julie Supan - Network accessline 384
3. [Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): How to Create a Comprehensive Customer Profile](https://www.mykpono.com/ideal-customer-profile-icp-how-to-create-a-comprehensive-customer-profile/) by Myk Pono - Network accessline 385
4. [GTM nirvana](https://www.carolineclark.xyz/gtm-nirvana) by Caroline Clark - Network accessline 387
### Next: [How to win your first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers) - Network accessline 393
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 395
 - Network accessline 399
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 401
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/02-newsletters/how-to-increase-virality.md
- Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 16
You should only invest in virality if you are confident that virality will be your primary growth engine for your product. As opposed to (1) performance marketing, (2) content, or (3) sales. [As I’ve written about previously](https://firstr - Network accessline 45
You can read more about this concept of “growth engines” in [a recent post I co-authored for Reforge](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) and [this First Round piece](https://firstround.com/review/drive-growth-by-picking- - Network accessline 51
 - Network accessline 55
Virality of often measured by something called the “[K-factor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-factor_(marketing))” which is a fancy term for measuring the number of *new* users that each *existing* user drives: - Network accessline 83
 - Network accessline 112
1. [Tinder](https://tinder.com/): Users tell their friends about Tinder after finding great single people on it - Network accessline 113
2. [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/): Guests share their travel stories/pictures, mention they stayed in an Airbnb - Network accessline 114
3. [Zillow](https://www.zillow.com/): Homeowners tell their homeowner friends that you can track the price of your home on the site for free - Network accessline 115
4. [Clubhouse](https://www.joinclubhouse.com/): Users [constantly posting](https://twitter.com/search?q=clubhouse&src=typed_query) about what they heard in a room - Network accessline 116
5. [Levels](https://www.levelshealth.com/): Customers [constantly posting](https://twitter.com/search?q=%40levels&src=typed_query) about what they learned about their body - Network accessline 132
1. [Pinduoduo](https://en.pinduoduo.com/): The more friends you invite, the higher the discount - Network accessline 133
2. [Uber](https://uber.com/), [Lyft](https://www.lyft.com/), [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/): Free credits for referring new users - Network accessline 134
3. [Robinhood](https://robinhood.com/us/en/): Move up the waitlist by inviting friends - Network accessline 135
4. [Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/h): Free storage space for you and your friend - Network accessline 136
5. [PayPal](https://www.paypal.com/): Free money for inviting new users - Network accessline 153
1. [Slack](https://slack.com/), [Figma](https://www.figma.com/files/recent), [Datadog](https://www.datadoghq.com/): Colleagues invite colleagues to get work done - Network accessline 154
2. [Snapchat](https://www.snapchat.com/), [WhatsApp](https://www.whatsapp.com/), [Signal](https://signal.org/en/): Friends invite friends to communicate in this new way - Network accessline 155
3. [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/), [Instagram](https://instagram.com/): Friends invite friends to share content - Network accessline 156
4. [Venmo](https://venmo.com/), [Paypal](https://paypal.com/), [Cash app](https://cash.app/): Friends invite friends to be able to send/get money - Network accessline 157
5. [Reclaim](https://reclaim.ai/), [Clockwise](https://www.getclockwise.com/): Colleagues invite colleagues to optimize their calendars. - Network accessline 158
6. [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/): Allowing you to add guests to an itinerary so that they can all see the details. - Network accessline 174
1. [Calendly](https://calendly.com/) - Network accessline 175
2. [Zoom](https://zoom.us/) - Network accessline 176
3. [Google Hangouts](https://hangouts.google.com/) - Network accessline 177
4. [DocuSign](https://www.docusign.com/) - Network accessline 178
5. [Clerky](https://www.clerky.com/) - Network accessline 192
1. [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/) videos (with a watermark or link to TikTok) - Network accessline 193
2. [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/?hl=en) photos, hosted on Instagram - Network accessline 194
3. [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/) videos, hosted on YouTube - Network accessline 195
4. [Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/) boards, hosted on Pinterest - Network accessline 196
5. [Spotify Wrapped,](https://open.spotify.com/genre/2020-page?locale=en) pointing to Spotify - Network accessline 197
6. [Reface](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/reface-face-swap-videos/id1488782587), with a watermark - Network accessline 198
7. [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/) listing, pointing to Airbnb - Network accessline 204
1. How might you enable your users to create remarkable content, e.g. TikTok creator tools 2. How might you create remarkable content for your users yourself, e.g. Spotify Wrapped 3. How might you make it easier to share the content you alr - Network accessline 205
2. How might you create remarkable content for your users yourself, e.g. Spotify Wrapped 3. How might you make it easier to share the content you already have, e.g. share buttons, [Twitch clips](https://twitter.com/williamwaiwong/status/135 - Network accessline 206
3. How might you make it easier to share the content you already have, e.g. share buttons, [Twitch clips](https://twitter.com/williamwaiwong/status/1350187418960293889?s=20), Spotify Wrapped adding a "share to Instagram Story" feature - Network accessline 214
1. [Citizen](https://citizen.com/): A notification comes up about something happening nearby, which you show your friends. - Network accessline 215
2. [Hotmail](https://outlook.live.com/owa/), [iPhone](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/mail/id1108187098), [Superhuman](https://superhuman.com/): A signature in the emails, e.g. “sent by iPhone“ - Network accessline 216
3. [Tinder](https://tinder.com/): A match appears while you’re hanging out, and you ask your friends for their opinion. - Network accessline 217
4. [Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/): You and your friends watch a show together at someone’s house. - Network accessline 218
5. [Uber](https://uber.com/), [Lyft](https://www.lyft.com/): Sending your friends your ETA in-app, and Lyft pink mustaches. - Network accessline 219
6. [Spotify](https://www.spotify.com/us/): Sharing “What I'm listening to” to your Facebook feed - Network accessline 220
7. [Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/h): Making it easy to share a URL to a local file - Network accessline 233
To explore increasing conversion of your invited potential users, [check out this previous post](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics) that dives deep into all of the ways to increase conversion. - Network accessline 243
1. [Facebook’s People You May Know](https://marker.medium.com/the-untold-history-of-facebooks-most-controversial-growth-tool-2ea3bfeaaa66), which increased the engagement of both users - Network accessline 244
2. [Facebook letting you to tag friends in photos](https://www.facebook.com/help/227499947267037), which pulled those friends back into Facebook - Network accessline 245
3. [TikTok duets feature](https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/feature-highlight-new-layouts-for-duet#:~:text=Find%20a%20video%20you'd,preferred%20layout%2C%20and%20start%20recording!), making it easier to create multi-player content - Network accessline 246
4. [Venmo social feed](https://venmo.com/), keeping users checking the app - Network accessline 251
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality/comments) - Network accessline 255
1. [A Customer Acquisition Playbook for Consumer Startups](https://firstround.com/review/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playbook-for-consumer-startups/) - Network accessline 256
2. [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) - Network accessline 257
3. [The Five Types of Virality](https://news.greylock.com/the-five-types-of-virality-8ba42051928d) - Network accessline 258
4. [Generating Buzz](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/creating-buzz-at-launch) - Network accessline 259
5. [My tweet thread asking about virality](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1350142883634978816) - Network accessline 263
> **[Senior/Group Product Manager at Earnin](https://www.earnin.com/jobs?gh_jid=2267207)** - Network accessline 265
> [Earnin](https://www.earnin.com/jobs?gh_jid=2267207) is fighting unfairness in the financial system by helping 100M+ people, who live paycheck to paycheck, get paid every day and save money in a fun and rewarding way. All this without any - Network accessline 269
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4313154003), [Kudo](https://kudo.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=32), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/63270A44BB/), [Rocketplace](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Rock - Network accessline 270
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC98C5FDFB/), [SpaceX Starlink](https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5032353002?gh_jid=5032353002&gh_src=seek - Network accessline 271
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Office Hours](https://jobs.lever.co/office-hours/13d73541-b5b7-405a-9 - Network accessline 272
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 273
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 274
6. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-Backend-6d954206f00b446289f18bf51960ca34), [Transform](https://trans - Network accessline 275
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Alloy](https://apply.workable.com/alloy-automation/j/27639ECE80/), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9 - Network accessline 276
8. **iOS engineer**: [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://jobs.lever.co/stytch/d3bf3860-4aaa-4a23-8e28-dad20957be44) - Network accessline 280
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/how-to-increase-your-products-retention.md
- Network accessline 10
*Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a**🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒**of my newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out at - Network accessline 14
If you read [my previous post about what good retention looks like](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) and came away thinking “On no, my retention is too low! What should I do?” – this post is for you. - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 24
Why is that? Well, because people are busy and don’t want to spend more money. As Marc Andreesen once said, “people’s time is already fully allocated.” This is why most startups fail – they simply don’t end up creating something enough peop - Network accessline 36
 - Network accessline 40
1. **Whether your retention is increasing or decreasing over time** — just skim down any column and see if the numbers are trending up to down. In this example, retention is trending down 😭 2. **Whether something went very wrong, or very ri - Network accessline 42
3. **Most importantly, whether your retention rate** ***flattens*** — if it flattens, or stops decreasing over time, that means there is a group of users who continue to find value in your product. This is important because it happens to be - Network accessline 46
 - Network accessline 48
In this case, the curve flattens at about 10%, which means only 10% of your users stick around long-term. This is generally [a bad retention rate](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29). But at least it flattens. - Network accessline 50
If you use popular analytics tools like [Amplitude](https://help.amplitude.com/hc/en-us/articles/230543327-Retention-Analysis), [Mixpanel](https://help.mixpanel.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004546883-Retention-Report-Basics), [Google Analytics] - Network accessline 100
 - Network accessline 122
Superhuman is famous for [their 1:1 onboarding strategy](https://twitter.com/rahulvohra/status/1159611299740803073?lang=en), but in reality, many companies (particularly B2B) start with a hands-on onboarding. Why? Because it’s a lot easier - Network accessline 128
> “The first principle we learned at Pinterest is that we should get people to the core product as fast as possible — but not faster.” > > — [Casey Winters](https://news.greylock.com/why-onboarding-is-the-most-crucial-part-of-your-growth-st - Network accessline 130
> — [Casey Winters](https://news.greylock.com/why-onboarding-is-the-most-crucial-part-of-your-growth-strategy-8f9ad3ec8d5e), former head of growth at Pinterest - Network accessline 138
> “The users of your product don’t want to make choices, especially when they are in the first mile. The default options you provide, like which tab they land on and pre-populating fields with suggested selections, make all the difference i - Network accessline 140
> — [Scott Belsky](https://medium.com/positiveslope/crafting-the-first-mile-of-product-7ed25e8f1027) - Network accessline 182
 - Network accessline 188
 - Network accessline 194
 - Network accessline 200
[![Facebook's account deactivation confirmation page](https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/76cb6de3-d0ac-466d-983a-810a58c9f3bf_1920x1262.jpeg "Facebook's account deactivation confirmation pa - Network accessline 206
[](https://blog.chartmogul.com/churn-prediction-m - Network accessline 224
Along the same lines, you may also find that your early target users/customers just don’t need your product badly enough. It happens. Instead of giving up, zero in on the users who *do* retain. What makes then different? What do they find v - Network accessline 230
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zyiU! - Network accessline 234
1. [Do You Have Product-Market Fit? It's All About Retention](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpnYFG1-rdk&feature=emb_logo) by Casey Winters - Network accessline 235
2. [Why Retention Is The Silent Killer](https://www.reforge.com/blog/retention-engagement-growth-silent-killer) by Brian Balfour - Network accessline 236
3. [What Is Good Retention: An Exhaustive Benchmark Study with Lenny Rachitsky](https://caseyaccidental.com/what-is-good-retention) by Casey Winters - Network accessline 237
4. [Retention is King](https://andrewchen.co/retention-is-king/) by Jamie Quint - Network accessline 238
5. [Crafting The First Mile Of Product](https://medium.com/positiveslope/crafting-the-first-mile-of-product-7ed25e8f1027) by Scott Belsky - Network accessline 239
6. [Why Onboarding is the Most Crucial Part of Your Growth Strategy](https://caseyaccidental.com/startup-onboarding) by Casey Winters - Network accessline 240
7. [From conversion to retention: industry experts on improving your onboarding](https://www.intercom.com/blog/podcasts/expert-advice-improving-user-onboarding/) - Network accessline 244
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products-retention/comments) - Network accessline 250
- **Product**: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), [Uptime2020](https://jobs.all-hands.us/companies/uptime2020/jobs/product-manager-2-5943a3d1-9819-417b-aee9-fc6a563b276e) - Network accessline 251
- **Growth**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076601003), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever.co/hipcamp/d04821c3-fb9a-4d3f-9a7a-1b75deacc09f), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth) - Network accessline 252
- **Design**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Invest Like The Best](https://investorfieldguide.com/hiring_design/), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Runway] - Network accessline 253
- **Engineering leader**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/00505223-bc85-4c28-8e4b-31217d05c2de) - Network accessline 254
- **Frontend engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product - Network accessline 255
- **Backend engineer**: [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) - Network accessline 256
- **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [Invest Like The Best](https://investorfieldguide.com/hiring_engineer/ - Network accessline 257
- **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Vori](https://www.notion.so/Mobile-Engineer-Vori-c5ceccd966a04c8aa9e970f0355ca13c) - Network accessline 258
- **Sales/BD**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4105169003), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/649855-vice-president-of-sales), [Swayable](https://angel.co/company/swayable/jobs/808347-director-of-sales - Network accessline 259
- **Ops**: [Levels](https://levels.link/ops) - Network accessline 260
- **Community**: [Outschool](https://jobs.lever.co/outschool/449fa54a-1778-4255-a95d-a65dc28194c7) - Network accessline 261
- **Content**: [Levels](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mk1d389BL8bQExZXxLgj2LX5uvRWy4l5ei0ladQ0Feo/edit) - Network accessline 262
- **HR**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4125981003) - Network accessline 268
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AnG04qnLqI) - Network accessline 270
2. **Listen:** [M83's Midnight City, but with Nelson Muntz's laugh from The Simpsons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzEWGGKmqlA) (via [Kottke](https://kottke.org/)) - Network accessline 272
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzEWGGKmqlA) - Network accessline 274
3. **Read**: [Anxiety Is the Dizziness of Freedom](https://onezero.medium.com/anxiety-is-the-dizziness-of-freedom-b5ab45cae2a5) by Ted Chiang — One free chapter from his incredible book [Exhalation](https://www.amazon.com/Exhalation-Stories - Network accessline 276
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/how-to-increase-your-retention.md
- Network accessline 10
*Below is a peek at what paid subscribers received this week. If you’d like to read the full post, [consider upgrading](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/subscribe). Many subscribers expense this newsletter to their team’s learning and develop - Network accessline 14
If you read [my previous post about what good retention looks like](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) and came away thinking “On no, my retention is too low! What should I do?” – this post is for you. - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 24
Why is that? Well, because people are busy and don’t want to spend more money. As Marc Andreessen once said, “people’s time is already fully allocated.” This is why most startups fail – they simply don’t end up creating something enough peo - Network accessline 36
 - Network accessline 40
1. **Whether your retention is increasing or decreasing over time** — just skim down any column and see if the numbers are trending up to down. In this example, retention is trending down 😭 2. **Whether something went very wrong, or very ri - Network accessline 42
3. **Most importantly, whether your retention rate*****flattens*** — if it flattens, or stops decreasing over time, that means there is a group of users who continue to find value in your product. This is important because it happens to be - Network accessline 46
 - Network accessline 48
In this case, the curve flattens at about 10%, which means only 10% of your users stick around long-term. This is generally [a bad retention rate](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29). But at least it flattens. - Network accessline 50
If you use popular analytics tools like [Amplitude](https://help.amplitude.com/hc/en-us/articles/230543327-Retention-Analysis), [Mixpanel](https://help.mixpanel.com/hc/en-us/articles/115004546883-Retention-Report-Basics), [Google Analytics] - Network accessline 100
 - Network accessline 122
Superhuman is famous for [their 1:1 onboarding strategy](https://twitter.com/rahulvohra/status/1159611299740803073?lang=en), but in reality, many companies (particularly B2B) start with a hands-on onboarding. Why? Because it’s a lot easier - Network accessline 128
> “The first principle we learned at Pinterest is that we should get people to the core product as fast as possible — but not faster.” > > — [Casey Winters](https://news.greylock.com/why-onboarding-is-the-most-crucial-part-of-your-growth-st - Network accessline 130
> — [Casey Winters](https://news.greylock.com/why-onboarding-is-the-most-crucial-part-of-your-growth-strategy-8f9ad3ec8d5e), former head of growth at Pinterest - Network accessline 132
[Continue reading full post 👉](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products-retention)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-interview-product-managers.md
- Network accessline 12
I can understand why so many people are befuddled by interviewing product managers—the role is so endlessly undefined, how can non-PMs possibly know what to interview for? As [Gergely Orosz](https://twitter.com/GergelyOrosz/) (ex-Uber, Micr - Network accessline 14
In my [chat with Harry Stebbings last week](https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/lenny-rachitsky/), I shared a bit of advice on this, but it was quite brief. So let’s get much deeper. Below, I’ll share suggestions for: - Network accessline 30
1. **Recruiter phone screen [30 minutes, optional]:** Make sure the candidate meets the minimum requirements for the role and is likely to be a fit for the organization. Focus on their expectations for the role, basic skill questions, perso - Network accessline 40
To benchmark a typical hiring funnel, I asked [Benji Encz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminencz/), CEO of the recruiting platform [Ashby](https://ashbyhq.com/), to share stats he had on conversion rates at each step, and wow, did he del - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 43
> #### “Many early-stage teams underestimate how many candidates they need to speak to to make one hire. In our data we also saw that only 13% of inbound applicants even make it to the first screen. You will either need a lot of inbound, or - Network accessline 45
> #### —[Benji Encz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminencz/), CEO of [Ashby](https://ashbyhq.com/) - Network accessline 47
I would be remiss if I didn’t plug my new [Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) here, which is quickly becoming the single best place to find and hire product managers—and help you find your next dream gig. [Learn more her - Network accessline 51
There are [10 core skills of product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager?s=w), but assuming you’re interviewing an IC PM (i.e. not a manager), you can whittle it down to these six: - Network accessline 60
 - Network accessline 62
Interestingly, product sense isn’t ever on PM career ladders, but [it is something that companies interview for](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management?s=w#:~:text=The%20most%20important%20PM%20skills%20when%20intervi - Network accessline 64
 - Network accessline 68
I wrote a whole post sharing [my favorite PM interview questions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-interview-questions?s=w), so definitely go read that, but here’s a sampling: - Network accessline 77
[This full post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-interview-questions?s=w) includes what to look for in the answers, red flags, and a ton more great interview questions to inspire you. Seriously, go check it out. - Network accessline 79
And don’t forget to keep your questions consistent, with predefined good and bad answers, to [avoid bias](https://hbr.org/2016/04/how-to-take-the-bias-out-of-interviews). - Network accessline 89
> #### “Years later I can see that the performance on the project was closely related to their success at Slack over the course of years.” > > #### —[Merci Grace](https://twitter.com/merci), former Head of Growth at Slack - Network accessline 91
> #### —[Merci Grace](https://twitter.com/merci), former Head of Growth at Slack - Network accessline 100
I did [an informal survey on Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1499452039541112833), and the majority (maybe two-thirds) of hiring managers prefer Option 1—to give the candidate the project ahead of time. I personally prefer Opti - Network accessline 109
> #### “At Slack, we gave projects to be done on their own time. I’ve heard the reasons people have not to do this, but it works. It worked for the IC product writing and UX research roles I hired and managed as well. I hired a diverse team - Network accessline 111
> #### “On their own time allows them to do research if they don’t have too much background on industry or space. Plus, preparation shows care and commitment.” —[Kosta Kolev](https://twitter.com/Kosta_kolev), founder - Network accessline 113
> #### “For candidates who are more interested in the domain and the problem you are solving (the ‘missionaries’), the assignment can actually generate additional excitement about the opportunity. These candidates will likely find working o - Network accessline 120
> #### “We found take-homes have high friction vs. signal, and the best candidates have multiple offers.” —[David Cheng](https://twitter.com/DavidPCheng/status), Senior GPM at Chime - Network accessline 122
> #### “During the day of the interview, to truly equalize amount of time spent (2 hours) by each candidate.” —[Ketki Duvvuru](https://twitter.com/k3tk1/), Product Lead at Superhuman - Network accessline 124
> #### “I have done it in their own time in the past but have since moved to doing it during the interview. Many reasons why, and still today kinda on the fence/grapple with it, but mainly I choose to do it as I believe it’s more equitable. - Network accessline 136
In the same [informal Twitter survey](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1499452039541112833), the majority of hiring managers go with Option 1 or 2—a hypothetical problem, related to, or based on, their actual product. - Network accessline 138
> #### “Closely resemble what their day-to-day work would look like.” —[Marissa Goldberg](https://twitter.com/mar15sa), founder of Remote Work Prep - Network accessline 140
> #### “I typically use a case that is in the domain but doesn’t require specific product knowledge, to prevent bias.” —[David Cheng](https://twitter.com/DavidPCheng/status), Senior GPM at Chime - Network accessline 142
> #### “I want the person to learn about what we do and get excited about it. Interviews are two-way.” —[Fareed Mosavat](https://twitter.com/far33d), CDO at Reforge, ex-Slack, Instacart - Network accessline 144
> #### “Our prompt is venture-specific, but we explain the venture pieces. We don’t expect people to have that domain knowledge, and we generally overlook ‘mistakes’ that are simply related to that. It’s a good litmus test, though, to see w - Network accessline 154
#### **[David Cheng](https://twitter.com/DavidPCheng), Senior GPM at Chime** - Network accessline 183
#### [Merci Grace](https://twitter.com/merci), former Head of Growth at Slack - Possible obfuscationline 199
> *The most successful Slack team creators are able to get several people to create accounts on their team a<U+200B>nd<U+200B> have a meaningful conversation within the product in the first day or so. Inviting people to a new product is fairly straightfo - Network accessline 219
#### [Kevin Yien](https://twitter.com/kevinyien), former product lead at Square, currently Head of Product & Design at Mutiny - Network accessline 262
#### **[Ronnie Regev](https://twitter.com/RonnieRegev),** former product leader at **Procore, AppFolio** - Network accessline 282
Finally, after you’ve found the person you want to hire, the final step is convincing them to take your offer. I wrote [about winning at hiring](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/early-stage-hiring?s=w), which has a bunch of great advice f - Network accessline 284
1. [Julianna Lamb](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannaelamb/) (CTO of [Stytch](https://stytch.com/)): “**We see the actual offer stage as a big place you can stand out.** We do a Zoom to surprise the candidate with everyone from their inte - Network accessline 285
2. [Siqi Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/siqic/) (CEO of [Runway](https://runway.com/)): “**We treat closing a candidate almost exactly the same as closing an investor.** In fact, we’ve found the best candidates will do even more diligenc - Network accessline 286
3. [Sam Corcos](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samcorcos/) (CEO of [Levels](https://www.levelshealth.com/)): “**Be prepared to commit ~100 hours for each hire you make.** Interview a lot of people. Ask your network for introductions. Reach out - Network accessline 290
1. [My favorite PM interview questions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-interview-questions?s=w) - Network accessline 291
2. [Constructing an effective phone screen](https://kevinyien.com/blog/phone-screen.html) - Network accessline 292
3. [Winning at early-stage hiring](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/early-stage-hiring?s=w) - Network accessline 293
4. [Product management career ladders](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager?s=w) - Network accessline 294
5. [What is product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management?s=w) - Network accessline 295
6. [A Twitter thread with dozens of PM interview process examples](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1443264202831896578) - Network accessline 296
7. [Product Interviewing by Hadar Dor](https://www.hadardor.com/product-interviewing) - Network accessline 297
8. [Take-home assignments for product management candidates](https://www.jefago.com/product-leadership/homework-for-product-manager-candidates/) - Network accessline 298
9. [Bias in Interviews: Eliminate It Fast with These 6 Easy Strategies](https://codesubmit.io/blog/eliminate-bias-in-interviews/) - Network accessline 299
10. [10 Ways to Reduce Interviewer Bias](https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog/talent-strategy/ways-to-reduce-interviewer-bias) - Network accessline 305
1. **Fractal Software:** [CEO/Founder](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/bbb7f335-4841-48fc-aff8-702a83f26f35) (SF, NYC) - Network accessline 306
2. **Perfect Venue:** [Founding Team Full Stack Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/461940f7-6f12-42af-a0d7-8fca71b2c693) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 307
3. **Snackpass:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/3e5c5552-cb71-4b23-9773-95f21ab14dfc) (NYC, LA, SF) - Network accessline 308
4. **Silo Finance:** [Technical Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/dceac63a-d817-47e7-a4a5-5f653f298bdd) (Remote-Global, Remote-EU, Remote-US) - Network accessline 309
5. **Donut:** [First Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/6259d930-475f-4ed4-82a3-fea29273b40a) (Remote-US, Remote-EU) - Network accessline 310
6. **Mindbloom:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/0db1f9c0-266c-4d77-9852-df27b58f8779) (Remote-US, Remote-Canada) - Network accessline 311
7. **Finch Care Inc.:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/18311f14-d482-48a1-808e-3716a7f1aabe) (Remote) - Network accessline 312
8. **Mos:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/86e76563-7237-4a39-8465-3682823f7506) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 313
9. **Airhouse:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/1739a7ee-41ab-43fb-8ac9-788738baad22)(SF, Oakland) - Network accessline 314
10. **CommerceHub:** [Director of Product Management, Delivery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/5e4c79e3-9c75-4cd3-aa6f-0b9fc40636bf) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 315
11. **CommerceHub:** [Sr. Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/125eafba-2e93-41ee-98aa-abaae84c1b35) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 316
12. **Elevate Labs:** [Senior Product Manager, Balance](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/54802bbd-3ad4-4abf-bd0f-308e86d52586) (Remote) - Network accessline 317
13. **Oath Care:**[UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/0e35e470-6b81-4dae-a706-33139219fa68) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 319
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 323
1. **Listen:** [20 Product: Lenny Rachitsky and Harry Stebbings](https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/lenny-rachitsky/?v=2) - Network accessline 325
1. **Read:** [Can’t cook, won’t cook? Here are the tips that saved me from a life of terrible meals](https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/mar/02/cant-cook-wont-cook-here-are-the-tips-that-saved-me-from-a-life-of-terrible-meals) by Elle Hun - Network accessline 326
2. **Watch:** *[The Rescue](https://www.disneyplus.com/movies/the-rescue/6u1VV7RFRiRz)*. From the Oscar-winning team behind *Free Solo*, it chronicles the daring rescue of 12 boys and their soccer coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Th - Network accessline 328
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raVceiFQSjw)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-business-step-2-identify-your-super-specif.md
- Network accessline 10
 - Network accessline 14
- **[Step 1: INSIGHT: Come up with your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer)** - Network accessline 15
- **Step 2: AUDIENCE: Identify your super-specific who** ←This post - **[Step 3: HOOK: Craft your pitch](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer)** - **[Step 4: REACH: Find your early adopters by doing thing - Network accessline 16
- **[Step 3: HOOK: Craft your pitch](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer)** - Network accessline 17
- **[Step 4: REACH: Find your early adopters by doing things that don’t scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users)** - Network accessline 18
- **[Step 5: RETAIN: Iterate until enough people stick around](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-9c8)** - Network accessline 19
- **[Step 6: SCALE: Build your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-engines)** - Network accessline 25
 - Network accessline 33
Ben started to realize that maybe tech people had no interest in what he was building. But there was an unexpected demographic that seemed to get it, as Ben shared at a [talk at Startup School](https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/ben-silberman - Network accessline 43
As [Andy Johns](https://twitter.com/ibringtraffic/status/1258817334342381575?s=20) (former growth leader at Facebook, Twitter, Wealthfront, and Quora) put it: - Network accessline 49
[Michael Seibel](https://www.michaelseibel.com/) shared the same lesson from his time at Justin.TV (60-second clip): - Network accessline 51
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C27RVio2rOs) - Network accessline 53
As did [Andy Rachleff](https://mixergy.com/interviews/wealthfront-with-andy-rachleff/) (co-founder of Benchmark): - Network accessline 57
As did [Paul Graham](https://www.paulgraham.com/): - Network accessline 61
[April Dunford](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning) (author of *Obviously Awesome*) calls this your “customers who care”: - Network accessline 65
And [Julie Supan](https://review.firstround.com/what-i-learned-from-developing-branding-for-airbnb-dropbox-and-thumbtack) (GTM advisor to YouTube, Airbnb, Dropbox, Discord, and Thumbtack) calls this your “high-expectation customer”: - Network accessline 73
 - Network accessline 79
> #### “Early on, we found that females ages 25 to 35 were the most active Yelp users. It’s not because we chose to focus on them—more like that’s who Yelp most strongly resonated with in the early months. We were neutral in our initial out - Network accessline 81
> #### —[Russel Simmons](https://www.linkedin.com/in/russel-simmons-9562/), co-founder and ex-CTO of Yelp - Network accessline 85
> #### “The way the company started was [Steven](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevengalanis) and [Martin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/martin-blencowe-b1768114a) were chatting at a funeral, and Martin was talking about how he recently became - Network accessline 87
> #### This evolved into what Cameo is today, starting with Cassius and some former Duke athletes we knew. We quickly went into additional verticals, but now that we’ve had time to tune the platform and develop the brand, athletes are again - Network accessline 89
> #### —[Devon Townsend](https://www.linkedin.com/in/devspinn), co-founder and CTO of Cameo - Network accessline 93
> #### “[We’d] realized, early on, that the only way to find DVD owners was in the fringe communities of the internet: user groups, bulletin boards, web forums, and all of the other digital watering holes where enthusiasts met up.” > > #### - Network accessline 95
> #### —[Marc Randolph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Randolph), co-founder of Netflix, from *[That Will Never Work](https://www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530204/ref=nodl_)* - Network accessline 99
> #### “The founders picked their first users carefully, courting people who would be good photographers—**especially designers who had high Twitter follower counts**. Those first users would help set the right artistic tone, creating good - Network accessline 101
> #### —[Kevin Systrom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Systrom), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 107
> #### We also learned that employees of enterprise software companies were not good targets because they were older than people who worked at consumer internet companies.” > > #### —[Andy Rachleff](https://mixergy.com/interviews/wealthfron - Network accessline 109
> #### —[Andy Rachleff](https://mixergy.com/interviews/wealthfront-with-andy-rachleff/), co-founder - Network accessline 113
> #### “Discord’s initial wedge was quite narrow: a tool for Final Fantasy XIV gamers—an MMORPG with only 4 million registered players.” —[Olivia Moore](https://readlaunched.substack.com/p/-how-discord-dominated-gaming) - Network accessline 117
> #### “It all started with Bill Bishop, author of [Sinocism](https://sinocism.com/), who I knew from my days as a reporter in Hong Kong (and later, a visiting reporter in China). He had been publishing Sinocism as a free newsletter for fiv - Network accessline 119
> #### —[Hamish McKenzie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishmckenzie/), co-founder and COO - Network accessline 129
> #### And then lots of people came to your country, and you grow the population, you grow the economy.” > > #### —[Alex Zhu](https://news.greylock.com/productsf-2016-b753fa9159b8), co-founder of Musical.ly and ex-president of TikTok - Network accessline 131
> #### —[Alex Zhu](https://news.greylock.com/productsf-2016-b753fa9159b8), co-founder of Musical.ly and ex-president of TikTok - Network accessline 135
> #### “If you can find a market that really wants your product—if the dogs are eating the dog food—then you can screw up almost everything in the company and you will succeed.” > > #### —[Andy Rachleff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_R - Network accessline 137
> #### —[Andy Rachleff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Rachleff) - Network accessline 149
> #### “Some prospects will say, ‘Yeah, your stuff is cool,’ but others will jump out of their chair and yell, ‘That’s *amazing* — I need that right now!’ You are going for the second group.” > > #### —[April Dunford](https://www.aprildunfo - Network accessline 151
> #### —[April Dunford](https://www.aprildunford.com/post/startup-market-segmentation-how-to-select-a-target-market), author of *Obviously Awesome* - Network accessline 155
 - Network accessline 156
> #### “Who are the most desperate customers?” —[Michael Seibel](https://www.michaelseibel.com), head of Y Combinator - Network accessline 158
Let’s get even more concrete. Take out a piece of paper (or [make a copy of this template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/19k7oXAYb9qkra6FTUMPljW75YZfUfWEr0eTITZvDe6s/edit)) and write your best guesses of these six attributes of your su - Network accessline 169
- **[Wealthfront](https://wealthfront.com/):** (1) 25-to-35-year-old, (2) engineers, (3) at a pre-IPO tech company - Network accessline 170
- **[Yelp](https://yelp.com/):** (1) 25-to-35-year-old, (2) women, (3) in cities - Network accessline 171
- **[Cameo](https://www.cameo.com/):** (1) B-list, (2) football players, (3) in Chicago - Network accessline 172
- **[Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/):** (1) Designers, (2) interested in photography, (3) with a large Twitter following - Network accessline 173
- **[PayPal](https://paypal.com/):** (1) Small to medium businesses, (2) on eBay, (3) who are power sellers - Network accessline 174
- **[Strava](https://www.strava.com/)**: (1) Pro and serious amateur, (2) cyclists, (3) who want to visualize their activities - Network accessline 175
- **[Atlys](https://www.atlys.com/)**: (1) Non-U.S. citizens, (2) living in the U.S., (3) going to Europe for a vacation - Network accessline 179
[Again, here’s the simple template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/19k7oXAYb9qkra6FTUMPljW75YZfUfWEr0eTITZvDe6s/edit?mode=html) (which includes pieces from future posts) to help you consolidate your thoughts: - Network accessline 181
 - Network accessline 185
1. [Find your HXC](https://review.firstround.com/what-i-learned-from-developing-branding-for-airbnb-dropbox-and-thumbtack#:~:text=global%20mobility%20services.%E2%80%9D-,Find%20Your%20HXC,-It%E2%80%99s%20no%20exaggeration) by Julie Supan - Network accessline 186
2. [Ideal Customer Profile (ICP): How to Create a Comprehensive Customer Profile](https://www.mykpono.com/ideal-customer-profile-icp-how-to-create-a-comprehensive-customer-profile/) by Myk Pono - Network accessline 187
3. [Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QZ8sNT7aP3TWHDsrK8k1vN_HDohxQUQaPok1BfVh0Uo/edit#gid=0) by Patrick Campbell - Network accessline 188
4. [GTM nirvana](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1M_j0F-IuqgaGfHPfvOh1ssBudpA_Wyp6VoHA46uOr80/edit#slide=id.ga6fcfd8bcf_2_93) by Caroline Clark - Network accessline 200
> #### After we manually created some successful courses and we had proven the value of teaching a course in the first place, we then went to some experts in programming, technology, and entrepreneurship and convinced them to teach courses. - Network accessline 202
> #### —[Gagan Biyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani/), co-founder of Udemy - Network accessline 212
> #### It was at this point that we dug deeper into our data and decided to focus our GTM strategy on specific personas with specific JTBD [jobs to be done]. We realized that our most valuable persona in terms of usage and LTV was a markete - Network accessline 214
> #### —[Cristina Apple Georgoulakis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/claki/), ex-Global Head of Customer Engagement at Typeform - Network accessline 226
1. [My simple B2C GTM template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/19k7oXAYb9qkra6FTUMPljW75YZfUfWEr0eTITZvDe6s/edit?mode=html) - Network accessline 227
2. *[Crossing the Chasm](https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-Marketing-High-Tech-Mainstream/dp/0060517123)* by Geoffrey A. Moore - Network accessline 228
3. [Positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning) by April Dunford - Network accessline 229
4. [The High-Expectation Customer](https://review.firstround.com/what-i-learned-from-developing-branding-for-airbnb-dropbox-and-thumbtack) by Julie Supan - Network accessline 230
5. [Ben Silbermann at Startup School](https://blog.ycombinator.com/ben-silbermann-at-startup-school/) by YC - Network accessline 231
6. [The Sharp Startup: When PayPal Found Product-Market Fit](https://medium.com/craft-ventures/the-sharp-startup-when-paypal-found-product-market-fit-5ba47ad35d0b) by David Sacks - Network accessline 232
7. [The “thin edge of the wedge” strategy](https://cdixon.org/2010/12/26/the-thin-edge-of-the-wedge-strategy) by Chris Dixon - Network accessline 234
*A big thank-you to [Cristina Apple Georgoulakis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/claki/) (Typeform), [Devon Townsend](https://www.linkedin.com/in/devspinn) (Cameo), [Gagan Biyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani/) (Udemy), [Hamish McKe - Network accessline 242
[Join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 244
 - Network accessline 248
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 250
### **🔥 [Featured job openings](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs)** - Network accessline 252
1. **Fountain:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/d1cac1a4-674a-4342-82b9-43373ea1c283) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 253
2. **Render:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/e948aaae-136d-4de6-954b-58985e9643e0) (Remote) - Network accessline 254
3. **Mine’d:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/2dbd9fc9-b2df-4567-82bd-7941760549b1) (N.Y., Remote) - Network accessline 255
4. **OpenStore:** [Product Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8a65b820-6d69-4a43-a46f-0d96b67b0b37) (Miami) - Network accessline 256
5. **Ashby:** [First Lead UX Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/3f84ab83-6078-4607-b55b-d107a3674e1f) (L.A., S.F., Vancouver, Austin, Tribeca)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-business-step-3-craft-your-pitch.md
- Network accessline 10
 - Network accessline 14
- **[Step 1: INSIGHT: Come up with your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer)** - Network accessline 15
- **[Step 2: AUDIENCE: Identify your super-specific who](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-super-specific-who)** - Network accessline 16
- **Step 3: HOOK: Craft your pitch** ← This post - **[Step 4: REACH: Find your early adopters by doing things that don’t scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users)** - **[Step 5: RETAIN: Iterate until enou - Network accessline 17
- **[Step 4: REACH: Find your early adopters by doing things that don’t scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users)** - Network accessline 18
- **[Step 5: RETAIN: Iterate until enough people stick around](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-9c8)** - Network accessline 19
- **[Step 6: SCALE: Build your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-engines)** - Network accessline 25
 - Network accessline 31
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBIVlM435Zg) - Network accessline 32
> #### “Competition is so fierce that you have to create something remarkable in order to succeed. Something remarkable is worth talking about. Worth noticing. Exceptional. New. Interesting. The opposite of remarkable is very good.” > > ### - Network accessline 34
> #### —Seth Godin, author of *[Purple Cow](https://www.amazon.com/Purple-Cow-New-Transform-Remarkable/dp/1591843170)* - Network accessline 42
Similarly, when Scott Belsky first tried to convince designers to put their portfolio on [Behance](https://www.behance.net/), he had a really hard time. - Network accessline 60
 - Network accessline 68
Before you start, make sure you’ve come up with your [super-specific who](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-super-specific-who). Also don’t overthink the difference between a hook, a pitch, a value prop, a tagline, and po - Network accessline 75
You can use this [simple B2C GTM template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/19k7oXAYb9qkra6FTUMPljW75YZfUfWEr0eTITZvDe6s/edit?mode=html) that I introduced in the previous post to capture your ideas. - Network accessline 85
 - Network accessline 89
 - Network accessline 97
 - Network accessline 99
[Arielle Jackson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ariellerjackson) shares a bunch of great examples of finding a “foil” in [this excellent First Round Review piece](https://review.firstround.com/great-startups-deserve-great-brands-build-a-stron - Network accessline 101
 - Network accessline 103
Here are a bunch more examples courtesy of [Julian Shapiro](https://www.demandcurve.com/playbooks/above-the-fold#2b792zvigbgm724x4udiri), comparing a bad alternative and good alternative, to isolate the differentiating element: - Network accessline 105
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 - Network accessline 123
If you’re not familiar with the [Jobs-to-Be-Done framework](https://uxdesign.cc/8-things-to-use-in-jobs-to-be-done-framework-for-product-development-4ae7c6f3c30b), the basic premise is that your users are “hiring” your product to do a job f - Network accessline 129
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[Here’s a guide](https://uxdesign.cc/8-things-to-use-in-jobs-to-be-done-framework-for-product-development-4ae7c6f3c30b) to help you think through the jobs to be done for your product. - Network accessline 149
 “Learn a new language [for free!] while simultaneously translating the web.” Bold! - Network accessline 153
 - Network accessline 155
[Everydae](https://www.everydae.com/) pitched acing the SAT with just 10 minutes of studying a day. How could a student not pay attention to that? - Network accessline 157
 - Network accessline 161
 - Network accessline 167
1. [A quick-start guide to positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning) by April Dunford - Network accessline 168
2. [Positioning Your Startup Is Vital—Here’s How to Nail It](https://review.firstround.com/Positioning-Your-Startup-is-Vital-Heres-How-to-Do-It-Right) by Arielle Jackson - Network accessline 169
3. [How to Write a Value Proposition in 5 Simple Steps](https://jacobmcmillen.com/how-to-write-a-value-proposition/) by Jacob McMillen - Network accessline 170
4. [Above the fold](https://www.demandcurve.com/playbooks/above-the-fold#2b792zvigbgm724x4udiri) by Julian Shapiro - Network accessline 171
5. [My step-by-step guide to landing pages that convert](https://marketingexamples.com/conversion/landing-page-guide) by Marketing Examples - Network accessline 172
6. [For the love of God, please tell me what your company does](https://hackernoon.com/for-the-love-of-god-please-tell-me-what-your-company-does-c2f0b835ab92) by Kasper Kubica - Network accessline 173
7. [Emphasizing Emotional Instead Of Functional Benefits In Your Early Messaging](https://review.firstround.com/great-startups-deserve-great-brands-build-a-strong-foundation-by-avoiding-these-mistakes#mistake-3-not-carefully-considering-you - Network accessline 174
8. [Shopify’s Slogan Maker](https://www.shopify.com/tools/slogan-maker) - Network accessline 194
As we saw in [last week’s post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-super-specific-who), Ben at Pinterest spent a lot of time pitching the wrong people. People who didn’t care or need the product. But once he found the righ - Network accessline 200
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhNnkPsdohY)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C27RVio2rOs)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1hHMwLxN6EM) - Network accessline 214
[Join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 216
 - Network accessline 220
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 222
### **🔥 [Featured job openings](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs)** - Network accessline 224
1. **Fountain:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/d1cac1a4-674a-4342-82b9-43373ea1c283) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 225
2. **Render:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/e948aaae-136d-4de6-954b-58985e9643e0) (Remote)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-business-step-4-find-your-early-adopters-b.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you - Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 14
Welcome to part four (maybe my favorite!) of our six-part series on kickstarting and scaling a consumer business. At this point, you have [your startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer), a good se - Network accessline 18
- **[Step 1: INSIGHT: Come up with your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer)** - Network accessline 19
- **[Step 2: AUDIENCE: Identify your super-specific who](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-super-specific-who)** - Network accessline 20
- **[Step 3: HOOK: Craft your pitch](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer)** - Network accessline 21
- **Step 4: REACH: Find your early adopters by doing things that don’t scale**← This post - **[Step 5: RETAIN: Iterate until enough people stick around](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-9c8)** - **[St - Network accessline 22
- **[Step 5: RETAIN: Iterate until enough people stick around](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-9c8)** - Network accessline 23
- **[Step 6: SCALE: Build your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-engines)** - Network accessline 27
This post is an updated and fully revised take on [my previous post on this subject](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got?s=w) (my single most popular post of all time). Again, an important disclaimer: follow - Network accessline 29
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*Thank you to [Alexa Mateen Abdi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-mateen-843a6587/) and [Jonathan Badeen](https://twitter.com/badeen) (Tinder) [Alyssa Ravasio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-ravasio-23114717/) (Hipcamp), [Andrew Chen] - Network accessline 98
> “**Inviting people from our network (mostly former coworkers from PayPal) drove our initial users.** We asked all our network to invite their friends, and being startup people who wanted to help us, they obliged, so two degrees out, we pr - Network accessline 100
> —[Russel Simmons](https://www.linkedin.com/in/russel-simmons-9562/), co-founder - Network accessline 102
 - Network accessline 106
> “Before we launched the Lyft waitlist, we first sent **personal email invites to our friends**.” > > —[Emily Castor Warren](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycwarren/), early employee - Network accessline 108
> —[Emily Castor Warren](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycwarren/), early employee - Network accessline 110
 - Network accessline 114
> “**[Mark]** **Zuckerberg’s friends made up most of the 10 first Facebook sign-ups, after which the social network expanded to friends of friends across campus**. Eventually it swept all Ivy League colleges, the nation, and then the world. - Network accessline 116
> ー*[Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/the-first-20-people-to-sign-up-for-facebook-2011-5)* - Network accessline 118
 - Network accessline 122
> “We started with friends and asked them to invite a few friends. We got to about 100 with direct friends, and then it spread to about 1,000 by the end of the first 12 months by word of mouth.” > > —[Michael Horvath](https://www.linkedin.c - Network accessline 124
> —[Michael Horvath](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtkhorvath/), CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 130
> During the first seven days, most of the 12,000-odd people who signed up were either 1st degree (e.g. directly knew someone on the founding team) or 2nd degree (‘friend of a friend’ of someone on the founding team) connections. So virtual - Network accessline 132
> ー[Lee Hower](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehower/), founding team, via [Quora](https://www.quora.com/LinkedIn-product-1/How-did-LinkedIn-product-get-its-initial-traction) - Network accessline 134
 - Network accessline 138
> “**It all started with Bill Bishop, author of [Sinocism](https://sinocism.com/), who I knew from my days as a reporter in Hong Kong (and later, a visiting reporter in China)**. He had been publishing Sinocism as a free newsletter for five - Network accessline 140
> —[Hamish McKenzie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishmckenzie/), co-founder - Network accessline 144
> “**Quora launched in January 2010 with a user base largely composed of [Adam] D’Angelo’s and [Charlie] Cheever’s college and high-school friends**, meaning there was a lot of early Quora information on the best places to eat in Pittsburgh - Network accessline 146
> —*[Wired](https://www.wired.co.uk/article/q-and-a-quora)* - Network accessline 150
> “**He demoed WhatsApp to some friends, but none of them liked it.** Moreover, issues like battery draining, crashing of the app, etc. made Koum so disappointed that he lost all hope and started to look for a new job.” > > —[Aashish Pahwa] - Network accessline 152
> —[Aashish Pahwa](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aashishpahwa/), via [Feedough](https://www.feedough.com/history-of-whatsapp/) - Network accessline 158
> So we made a list of like 40 or so creators we knew, people who have local, small followings, folks who I thought, like, ‘Hey, you’re in the same boat that I’m in right now; do this, I think this could be valuable to you.’ **We made an Ex - Network accessline 160
> —[Sam Yam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samyam/), co-founder, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2021/01/08/954876726/patreon-jack-conte-and-sam-yam) - Network accessline 174
> “**The founders hired $10/month interns to DM talent on Instagram and Twitter**. The bet was that they could bring on celebrities and influencers who would message to their audience that they could be booked on Cameo, driving user growth. - Network accessline 176
> —[Stefan Heinrich Henriquez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanheinrichhenriquez/), early employee - Network accessline 180
> “For the entirety of the summer of 2005, it was a lot of experimentation—**going after bloggers, video bloggers, photographers, pets communities, etc**. It was a lot of trial and error in guessing what type of content creators were lookin - Network accessline 182
> —[Steve Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevechen2/), co-founder - Network accessline 184
 - Network accessline 188
> “**Direct sales was critical to get the first listings on the platform**, especially in immature markets without critical mass. It enabled us to pick and choose different supply types and build the right mix of homes. The local teams were - Network accessline 190
> —[Georg Bauser](https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgdanielbauser/), early employee - Network accessline 192
 - Network accessline 196
> “In the beginning it was me going door to door to convince restaurants to join. Thinking about how to convince them to join. I don’t think there was anything else that could be substituted for that.” > > —[Tony Xu](https://www.linkedin.co - Network accessline 198
> —[Tony Xu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/xutony/), co-founder - Network accessline 200
 - Network accessline 204
> “We used email marketing to get our first 1,000 users. We found email addresses of local service professionals and messaged them letting them know we existed. If they registered with Thumbtack, we would start sending them job leads. The n - Network accessline 206
> —[Sander Daniels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sander-daniels/), co-founder - Network accessline 210
> “For us, for supply growth, it was direct sales/field sales—no question!” > > —[Gokul Rajaram](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gokulrajaram1/), early employee - Network accessline 212
> —[Gokul Rajaram](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gokulrajaram1/), early employee - Network accessline 216
> “Uber Black was initially ops- and phone-driven. They would call limo companies to pitch them. A lot of limo companies were sole proprietorships, and the pitch was ‘While you are waiting for trips, we’ll guarantee you a minimum level of i - Network accessline 218
> —[Andrew Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchen/), early growth leader - Network accessline 220
 - Network accessline 226
> So basically: Reach out to specific celebrities/influencers directly -> Celebrities/influencers engage their fans and bring their demand -> Celebrities get $ > They share this with their celebrity/influencer friends > use likeness to prom - Network accessline 228
> —[Stefan Heinrich Henriquez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanheinrichhenriquez/), early employee - Network accessline 230
 - Network accessline 234
> “I searched for top newsletter writers through old media stories about the most interesting TinyLetters, etc. (which is how I found [Griefbacon](https://griefbacon.substack.com/), one of the original Substacks). The more quality writers w - Network accessline 236
> —[Hamish McKenzie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishmckenzie/), co-founder - Network accessline 240
> “After we manually created some successful courses, we had proven the value of teaching a course in the first place. We then went to some experts in programming, technology, and entrepreneurship and convinced them to teach courses. These - Network accessline 242
> —[Gagan Biyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani/), co-founder - Network accessline 246
 - Network accessline 249
> That neighborhood is known as Lorelei. Nestled close to the Bay on streets shaded by trees, the neighborhood was close-knit and small yet vibrant, with the longest-standing homeowner’s association in the state of California. The community - Network accessline 251
> —[Sarah Leary](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahleary/), co-founder, via [Nextdoor](https://blog.nextdoor.com/2017/05/22/celebrating-lorelei-americas-first-nextdoor-neighborhood/) - Network accessline 255
> “**We got our first 100 users by contacting the 100 designers and artists we admired most and asked if we could interview them for a blog on productivity in the creative world.** Nearly all of them said yes. After asking a series of quest - Network accessline 257
> —[Scott Belsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbelsky/), founder - Network accessline 263
> We found our first shefs by asking where our friends were purchasing their authentic dishes, then onboarded those shefs. They had their favorite neighborhood cooks who they were already ordering from (usually using WhatsApp or WeChat), an - Network accessline 265
> —[Joey Grassia](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeygrassia/), co-founder - Network accessline 279
> “**We realized early on the only way to find DVD owners was in the fringe communities of the internet: user groups, bulletin boards, web forums, and all of the other digital watering holes where enthusiasts met up**.... Posing as a home t - Network accessline 280
> —[Marc Randolph](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcrandolph/), via *[That Will Never Work](https://www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530204)* - Network accessline 282
 - Network accessline 286
> “**The model we used in our mind was this hub-and-spoke model. Who are the hubs that have access to all of these spokes—the spokes being the people we want reading our newsletter? What we decided was this was professors of business classe - Network accessline 288
> —[Alex Lieberman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-lieberman/) and [Austin Rief](https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-rief/), founders, via [How I Built This](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-built-this-with-guy-raz/id1150510297? - Network accessline 296
> That one comment was a miniature inflection point. More users flowed in, and Discord had figured out a grassroots distribution model. ” > > —[Packy McCormick](https://www.linkedin.com/in/packym/), via [Not Boring](https://www.notboring.co - Network accessline 298
> —[Packy McCormick](https://www.linkedin.com/in/packym/), via [Not Boring](https://www.notboring.co/p/discord-imagine-a-place) - Network accessline 304
> The community team went to a different show every single weekend all across the U.S. and Canada. Most sellers I knew did not have any other kind of online presence or activity on other sites.” > > ー[Danielle Maveal](https://www.linkedin.c - Network accessline 306
> ー[Danielle Maveal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellexo/), via [Quora](https://www.quora.com/How-did-Etsy-get-its-first-batch-of-independent-sellers-when-it-started) - Network accessline 308
 - Network accessline 314
> By the time we launched the site (roughly two months after conception), we had thousands of sellers excited to register and try it out. The ball started rolling almost immediately (especially since we offered fee-free listing for the firs - Network accessline 316
> ー[Chris Maguire](https://www.linkedin.com/in/revolvingdork/), co-founder, via [Quora](https://www.quora.com/How-did-Etsy-build-its-brand-name-among-independent-sellers-early-on) - Network accessline 322
> I remember sending tons of ‘I noticed your work on MySpace/DeviantArt/etc. and thought you’d enjoy showcasing your work on Behance’ type of emails. The more personal these emails were, the better they converted. And I figured, for every * - Network accessline 324
> —[Scott Belsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbelsky/), founder - Network accessline 328
> “**We asked everyone on our team to give us their list of contacts at startups, and we contacted them to ask their permission to come by with a free Bi-Rite ice cream sundae drop-off for their employees.** They basically all said yes, bec - Network accessline 330
> —[Emily Castor Warren](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilycwarren/), early employee - Network accessline 332
 - Network accessline 336
> “**There was a very significant use of street teams early on at Uber. They went to places like the Caltrain station and handed out referral codes.** There are stories about how Travis [Kalanick] went to Twitter HQ personally and handed ou - Network accessline 338
> —[Andrew Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchen/), early growth leader - Network accessline 342
> “**We started with the early adopters intentionally—who are the people who are actively looking for something like this? They tend to be people who hang out on HN or Reddit.** Getting your files on multiple computers was a niche problem. - Network accessline 344
> —[Drew Houston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drew_Houston), co-founder, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2020/11/06/932199300/dropbox-drew-houston) - Network accessline 348
> The HN post was in April 2007 and the Digg/Reddit posts were in March 2008; we launched publicly/out of closed beta in September 2008. We hit a million sign-ups in May 2009, and it felt like we were celebrating new big numbers (2m, 5m, 10 - Network accessline 350
> ー[Drew Houston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drew_Houston), co-founder - Network accessline 354
 - Network accessline 361
> And I’m looking at the analytics—I see a lot of traffic, or the majority of it, coming from Hacker News. And I open up Hacker News, and I see No. 1: ‘Chinese Land Spaceship on the Moon,’ No. 2: ‘Google acquires Boston Dynamics, the Roboti - Network accessline 363
> —*[Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/robinhood-app-vlad-tenev-founder-free-stock-trading-valuation-2017-7)* - Network accessline 367
> “**The site went viral within Harvard after a message was sent to a mailing list of 300 Harvard students.** New users were encouraged to invite friends, which helped build critical mass within that segment. More users within a segment imp - Network accessline 369
> ー[Sean Ellis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanellis/), growth leader, via [Quora](https://www.quora.com/What-tactics-did-Facebook-use-to-drive-its-user-acquisition-growth) - Network accessline 371
, via [Red - Network accessline 377
> —[John Popel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpopel/), via [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/r/startups/comments/8b0u5m/how_whatsapp_got_their_first_users/) - Network accessline 381
> “**Evan [Spiegel]’s mom tells her niece, who’s in high school in Orange County—so this is Evan’s cousin, who’s a high schooler in Orange County—about this app that Evan is working on, and her niece downloads it and thinks it’s really cool - Network accessline 383
> —[David Rosenthal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamesrosenthal/), via [Acquired](https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/episode-12-snapchat) - Network accessline 385
 - Network accessline 397
[Credential-related source omitted] - Access to secretsline 397
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 399
> —[Alexa Mateen Abdi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexa-mateen-843a6587/), founding team and the head of US expansion - Network accessline 401
 - Network accessline 407
> And me and my early team members—the girls are at my office right now; they’re still with us—we went in there, and we took pizza boxes with stickers on it and offered a piece of pizza to the fraternity boys that would get on [the app]. We - Network accessline 409
> —[Whitney Wolfe Herd](https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-wolfe-herd-1791a299/), co-founder, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2019/04/12/712909267/bumble-whitney-wolfe) - Network accessline 411
 - Network accessline 417
> So we did this beta test, I’ll never forget, with Adam D’Angelo of Quora and a few people at Quora, and the beta test we did of the seminar to eight people was 80% education and 20% selling. At the end of the seminar, Adam said, ‘Andy, yo - Network accessline 419
> —[Andy Rachleff](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Rachleff), co-founder, via [Starting Greatness](https://medium.com/starting-greatness/andy-rachleff-and-startup-lessons-of-greatness-you-need-a-breakthrough-insight-ae846196ba7) - Network accessline 423
> “We did all kinds of pretty desperate things, honestly. **I used to walk by the Apple Store on the way home. I’d go in and change all the computers to say Pinterest**, then just kind of stand in the back and be like, ‘Wow, this Pinterest - Network accessline 425
> —[Ben Silbermann](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Silbermann), co-founder, via [YC Startup School](https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/ben-silbermann-at-startup-school/) - Network accessline 429
> “**I think our first 100 or so users came from sitting at a fold-up table in front of REI and handing out stickers.** We’d have them test the website and make sure they added their email to the newsletter field. Then they told friends!” > - Network accessline 431
> —[Alyssa Ravasio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-ravasio-23114717/), co-founder - Network accessline 435
> “**We held trial trunk shows on college campuses**, met with everyone we could talk to in order to gather feedback and suggestions, and adapted along the way.” > > —[Jennifer Fleiss](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-fleiss-18577314/), - Network accessline 437
> —[Jennifer Fleiss](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-fleiss-18577314/), co-founder, via *[Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2013/04/01/rent-the-runway-brings-the-catwalk-to-your-closet/?sh=669a54191f4a)* - Network accessline 451
> “I think the biggest thing overall was that as we were prototyping and testing [Instagram], **we gave it to a few folks who had a very large Twitter following. Not necessarily a large following overall, but a very large following within a - Network accessline 453
> —[Kevin Systrom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Systrom), co-founder, via [Stanford Technology Ventures Program](https://stvp.stanford.edu/blog/tag/instagram) - Network accessline 455
 - Network accessline 459
> “In the early days, although everyone focuses on our on-campus guerrilla marketing, the fact is that we used Instagram, in the early days before Instagram really had an advertising product. **We were reaching out to prominent Instagrammer - Network accessline 461
> ー[Dinesh Moorjani](https://www.crunchbase.com/person/dinesh-moorjani), co-founder, via [HBS](https://startupguide.hbs.edu/sales-marketing-pr/b2c/tinders-co-founder-shares-b2c-marketing-strategies/) - Network accessline 465
> **“Once we identified an influencer, Nathan [Bashaw] or myself sent a personal email**, inviting them to contribute and linking to the PandoDaily or *Fast Company* articles, to tell our story. A manual process indeed, but an effective way - Network accessline 467
> —[Ryan Hoover](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanrhoover/), founder, via *[Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/3024472/how-we-got-our-first-2000-users-doing-things-that-dont-scale)* - Network accessline 469
 - Network accessline 473
> “**[[Mark Zuckerberg] wrote about Spotify](https://www.google.com/search?q=mark+zuckerberg+spotify+facebook+post&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS915US915&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiK_-qwypftAhWPvJ4KHbr1AqkQ_AUoAnoECA8QBA&biw=1440&bih=789), Sean Parker rea - Network accessline 475
> —[Sriram Krishnan](https://www.notion.so/sriramkri/Sriram-Krishnan-5a434396fb9d43bfaebce6aa5c1f5e01), early growth leader - Network accessline 481
> At what point does Cameo break? Ronnie ended up getting booked 500 times. Three days went by and he hadn’t fulfilled any Cameos. Finally, it’s 7 p.m., they’re watching the feed (a Telegram bot of fulfilled orders). A Cameo video gets fulf - Network accessline 483
> ー[Devon Townsend](https://www.linkedin.com/in/devspinn/), co-founder - Network accessline 491
> The bloggers really get into it, and they of course all have their small but rabid fan bases of their blogs. Their audiences love it, they start using Pinterest, and lo and behold, things start to turn around. The company starts to work.” - Network accessline 493
> ー[David Rosenthal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamesrosenthal/), via [Acquired](https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/the-pinterest-ipo) - Network accessline 497
> “This is the day-by-day chart for the initial launch. The first public mention of the service I can find is on [co-founder] Evan Williams’s blog late on July 13th, but you can see that even on the 12th there was a mini-boom in registratio - Network accessline 499
> A recurring theme is **the power of that initial publicity in driving the early users**, and the feeling that it was a way to connect with an interesting group of people. Evan’s high profile and Om’s endorsement must have been a big help - Network accessline 501
> —[Pete Warden](https://petewarden.com/), via [Dharmesh Shah](https://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/6505/The-March-Of-Twitter-Analysis-of-How-And-Where-Twitter-Spread.aspx) - Network accessline 503
![Image f - Network accessline 507
> “**[Paul Graham] forced their hand to launch when he referenced Reddit in his famous [‘What I Did This Summer](https://www.paulgraham.com/sfp.html)’ essay, where he unleashed YC into the world.** Just like that, Reddit was launched (witho - Network accessline 509
> —[Ali Abouelatta](https://twitter.com/abouelatta_ali), via [First 1000](https://read.first1000.co/p/-reddit?s=r) - Network accessline 511
* - Network accessline 531
> “Anytime we’d launch a feature or [add a new retailer](https://thenextweb.com/news/instacart-adds-costco-to-its-same-day-grocery-delivery-service-and-you-dont-need-a-membership) to our marketplace, we’d make a big announcement, and we got - Network accessline 533
> **PR is an untapped growth channel for early-stage consumer startups.** Founders underestimate the novelty their products and companies represent to the average consumer, and in turn they don’t leverage earned media enough.” > > —[Max Mul - Network accessline 535
> —[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmullen/), co-founder - Network accessline 549
> The founders sent boxes to hundreds of the most well-known tech bloggers, hoping that they would proudly display them on their desks and that they, or their colleagues, would eventually write their story. Shortly thereafter, they started - Network accessline 551
> —[PandoDaily](https://pandodaily.com/2017/01/13/brian-cheskys-unbelievable-journey) - Network accessline 553
 - Network accessline 557
> “**Our first 10,000 registered came directly from our initial press launch**. [You can read about the whole process here](https://blog.udemy.com/udemy-launch/).” - Network accessline 559
> —[Gagan Biyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani/), co-founder - Network accessline 561
 - Network accessline 565
> “For each country launch of Spotify, **we relied on PR to acquire the initial users**.” > > —[Sriram Krishnan](https://www.notion.so/sriramkri/Sriram-Krishnan-5a434396fb9d43bfaebce6aa5c1f5e01), early growth lead - Network accessline 567
> —[Sriram Krishnan](https://www.notion.so/sriramkri/Sriram-Krishnan-5a434396fb9d43bfaebce6aa5c1f5e01), early growth lead - Network accessline 571
> “**We were very successful with PR at the beginning**, because Steve [Hafner] was one of the founders of Orbitz, and then we had Terry [Jones] from Travelocity, and Greg Slyngstad from Expedia. People in the industry were like, what’s goi - Network accessline 573
> —[Paul English](https://paulenglish.com/), co-founder, via [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2012/03/30/founder-stories-kayaks-paul-english-discusses-big-wins-important-strategic-alliances-tctv/) - Network accessline 577
> “I wrote guest posts on tech publications ([like this article for](https://www.fastcompany.com/3024472/how-we-got-our-first-2000-users-doing-things-that-dont-scale) *[Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/3024472/how-we-got-our-first- - Network accessline 579
> —[Ryan Hoover](https://twitter.com/rrhoover), founder - Network accessline 583
> “**PR was key for growth in the early days.** We had pieces in *[Wired](https://www.wired.com/story/email-is-broken-can-anyone-fix-it/)*, [TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2017/08/18/rapportive-founders-new-startup-superhuman-is-what-gm - Network accessline 585
> —[Rahul Vohra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulvohra/), co-founder - Network accessline 587
 - Network accessline 591
> “They also contacted the press directly rather than using a PR firm, and Kevin [Systrom] notes that this went down very well. A good product, pitched by the passionate creators themselves, and as it happens they secured a load of good cov - Network accessline 593
> —[TNW](https://thenextweb.com/video/2011/09/18/kevin-systrom-on-instagrams-meteoric-rise-and-when-is-it-coming-to-android-interview/) - Network accessline 595
 - Network accessline 609
> “Before Duolingo launched as a website, we had a splash page where people could sign up to be invited to the private beta. The splash page had a very clear message: unlike other language-learning software that costs hundreds of dollars, D - Network accessline 610
> > **At around that time, Luis [von Ahn], our CEO, gave [this TED talk](https://www.ted.com/talks/luis_von_ahn_massive_scale_online_collaboration?language=en) about the idea for Duolingo in 2011, which went viral.** This got more than 300, - Network accessline 611
> **At around that time, Luis [von Ahn], our CEO, gave [this TED talk](https://www.ted.com/talks/luis_von_ahn_massive_scale_online_collaboration?language=en) about the idea for Duolingo in 2011, which went viral.** This got more than 300,00 - Network accessline 613
> —[Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/), VP of Product - Network accessline 615
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ht4qiDRZE8) - Network accessline 619
> “The plan was: I’ll put up a YouTube video on my YouTube channel, send my fans over to Patreon. And that’s kind of how we’ll start. > > [At the end of the ‘Pedals’ video](https://youtu.be/mZ02alEkbLw?t=237), I put a vlog where I told peop - Network accessline 620
> > [At the end of the ‘Pedals’ video](https://youtu.be/mZ02alEkbLw?t=237), I put a vlog where I told people about [Patreon], and I said, ‘Hey, I’m building this new thing, and I don’t think it’s just going to help me. I think it could help - Network accessline 621
> [At the end of the ‘Pedals’ video](https://youtu.be/mZ02alEkbLw?t=237), I put a vlog where I told people about [Patreon], and I said, ‘Hey, I’m building this new thing, and I don’t think it’s just going to help me. I think it could help a - Network accessline 623
> —[Jack Conte](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-conte-a15a3686/), co-founder, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2021/01/08/954876726/patreon-jack-conte-and-sam-yam) - Network accessline 625
 - Network accessline 629
> “I like to write high-quality longform pieces that will stand the test of time (i.e. will be relevant 5+ years from now). **These pieces helped drive much of our early growth**: > > 1. [RIP Mailbox, or: Founders, how to stop worrying and - Network accessline 630
> > 1. [RIP Mailbox, or: Founders, how to stop worrying and love being acquired](https://medium.com/swlh/rip-mailbox-or-founders-how-to-stop-worrying-and-love-being-acquired-261da4f6d566) > 2. [How Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product - Network accessline 631
> 1. [RIP Mailbox, or: Founders, how to stop worrying and love being acquired](https://medium.com/swlh/rip-mailbox-or-founders-how-to-stop-worrying-and-love-being-acquired-261da4f6d566) - Network accessline 632
> 2. [How Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product Market Fit](https://firstround.com/review/how-superhuman-built-an-engine-to-find-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 633
> 3. [Game Design, Not Gamification, for Great Products](https://a16z.com/2020/01/13/game-design-not-gamification/) - Network accessline 635
> —[Rahul Vohra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulvohra/), co-founder - Network accessline 639
> “[Alex Tew] created a website that was basically just some waves lapping on the beach, and it was called donothingfortwominutes.com. And you literally had to just stare at these waves for two minutes and not move your mouse or tap on the - Network accessline 641
> —[Sam Parr](https://www.linkedin.com/in/parrsam/), via [Trends](https://trends.co/articles/the-making-of-a-meditation-empire/) - Network accessline 643
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS3QLiD7HQ0) - Network accessline 647
> “It helped a lot that we published our founding essay, [‘A better future for news](https://blog.substack.com/p/a-better-future-for-news),’ before we had even started building the first version of the product. NiemanLab picked up on that e - Network accessline 649
> —[Hamish McKenzie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishmckenzie/), co-founder - Network accessline 663
> “What we learned about our customers is that they didn’t care about DoorDash; they cared about the restaurant. **So what we did was was print out tens of thousands of flyers that said ‘Dubar delivers, get hummus delivered!’ We stuffed the - Network accessline 665
> —[Tony Xu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/xutony/), co-founder - Network accessline 667
 - Network accessline 671
> “**One offline hack that worked was that we produced reusable grocery bags with our logo on them and delivered the groceries in them.** Hard to say the magnitude, but the bags may have given customers a physical reminder of us and reminde - Network accessline 673
> —[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmullen/), co-founder - Network accessline 675
 - Network accessline 679
> “**We did in-store signage, but we copied it from Yelp, which was the first with their ‘People love us on Yelp!’ stickers.** We did Open/Closed signs, sandwich boards, printed menus, business cards with promos on it, delivery bags. You na - Network accessline 681
> —[Casey Winters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters/), early growth lead - Network accessline 683
 - Network accessline 687
> “I had to get really crafty. When I landed at Southern Methodist University, I took a picture of [a female friend] and then I took a picture of one of my guy friends on campus, and I dropped them into the match like the Tinder screens. An - Network accessline 689
> —[Whitney Wolfe Herd](https://www.linkedin.com/in/whitney-wolfe-herd-1791a299/), co-founder, via [How I Built This](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bumble-whitney-wolfe/id1150510297?i=1000436036734) - Network accessline 703
 - Network accessline 707
 - Network accessline 730
> By the end of the week, we had 100 users and felt ready to share Product Hunt with the world.” > > —[Ryan Hoover](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanrhoover/), co-founder - Network accessline 732
> —[Ryan Hoover](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanrhoover/), co-founder - Network accessline 736
> “Jack [Conte] obviously had a huge plan to launch to his whole audience. And on top of that, he had this whole network of artists and creators, and we were going to be launching on day one with just millions of fans and artists talking ab - Network accessline 738
> —[Sam Yam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samyam/), co-founder, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2021/01/08/954876726/patreon-jack-conte-and-sam-yam) - Network accessline 742
> “The founders of Stack Overflow (Joel Spolsky and Jeff Atwood) both had large communities of existing followers from their previous online endeavors (Joel on Software and Coding Horror, respectively). They invited members of those communi - Network accessline 744
> —[Jon](https://meta.stackexchange.com/users/25111/jon), via [Stack Exchange](https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/76126/how-did-stack-overflow-get-started) - Network accessline 750
> “Restaurants did a lot of the marketing for us. They would actually print placards and stickers and put them up in the restaurant, without our help and often without us knowing. Stickers on the windows worked extremely well. Restaurant ow - Network accessline 752
> —[Micah Moreau](https://www.linkedin.com/in/micahmoreau/), early growth leader - Network accessline 756
> “**Sellers were doing their own grassroots marketing**, and that became a big growth driver. Etsy pushed sellers to promote their shops to their communities in order to drive growth of their shops, which in turn drove growth of the market - Network accessline 758
> —[Nickey Skarstad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickeyskarstad/) and [Dan McKinley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcfunley/) - Network accessline 762
> “Ronnie Radke was a particular inflection point. The team went on famousbirthdays.com, and Steven [Galanis] looked up the most famous person on his birthday. It was Ronnie Radke. Steven got Ronnie Radke to respond and buy in. Ronnie said, - Network accessline 764
> ー[Devon Townsend](https://www.linkedin.com/in/devspinn/), co-founder - Network accessline 770
> “Noom’s first product (way before my time) was the fourth app in the Android store when it launched, and as a result got a lot of organic downloads. Artem [Petakov] had a connection at Google at the time, which helped getting placed. The - Network accessline 772
> —[Nikhil Jhunjhnuwala](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhiljhunjhnuwala/), early growth leader and now VP of Growth - Network accessline 776
> “There was a secret in the App Store. You could make the application name really, really long. And the search engine on the App Store gives more weight to the application name rather than the keywords defined. So we put a really long appl - Network accessline 778
> —[Alex Zhu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/keepsilence/?originalSubdomain=cn), founder, via [Greylock](https://news.greylock.com/productsf-2016-b753fa9159b8) - Network accessline 784
> ‘At some point it sort of became instant messaging,’ says Fishman. ‘We started using it as “Hey how are you?” And then someone would reply.’ Jan watched the changing statuses on a Mac Mini at his town house in Santa Clara and realized he’ - Network accessline 786
> —*[Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/02/19/exclusive-inside-story-how-jan-koum-built-whatsapp-into-facebooks-new-19-billion-baby/?sh=4c661d082fa1)* - Network accessline 790
 - Network accessline 795
> [We had an] open bar—Tito’s vodka just like shipped us a bunch of alcohol for free. We had a DJ, we had an art exhibition, we had photo booths and a dance party, and everyone had to download the app to get in the door.” > > —[Justin McLeo - Network accessline 797
> —[Justin McLeod](https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcleod-b43156134/), co-founder, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2021/03/19/979188827/hinge-justin-mcleod) - Network accessline 801
1. [60 ideas to boost your growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 802
2. [Generating buzz](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/creating-buzz-at-launch) - Network accessline 803
3. [How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got) - Network accessline 813
[Join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 815
 - Network accessline 819
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-business-step-5-retain-iterate-until-enoug.md
- Network accessline 10
 - Network accessline 14
- **[Step 1: INSIGHT: Come up with your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer)** - Network accessline 15
- **[Step 2: AUDIENCE: Identify your super-specific who](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-super-specific-who)** - Network accessline 16
- **[Step 3: HOOK: Craft your pitch](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer)** - Network accessline 17
- **[Step 4: REACH: Find your early adopters by doing things that don’t scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users)** - Network accessline 19
- **[Step 6: SCALE: Build your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-engines)** - Network accessline 32
*Big thank-you to [Alyssa Ravasio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-ravasio-23114717/) (Hipcamp), [Amir Nathoo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirnathoo/) (Outschool), [Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/) (Duolingo), [Chris Be - Network accessline 36
 - Network accessline 38
Building something people want, and making money doing it at scale, is extraordinarily hard. [Ninety percent of all startups fail](https://explodingtopics.com/blog/startup-failure-stats), [75% of venture-backed startups don’t return cash to - Network accessline 40
> #### “If failure is defined as failing to see the projected return on investment—say, a specific revenue growth rate or date to break even on cash flow—then more than 95% of start-ups fail.” > > #### —*[Wall Street Journal](https://www.ws - Network accessline 42
> #### —*[Wall Street Journal](https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443720204578004980476429190)* - Network accessline 44
I’m opening with these dire stats because (1) I want to discourage people who are scared by this from starting a company and, (2) if you can’t *not* start a company, to help you stay laser-focused on finding product-market fit. As venture c - Network accessline 62
 - Network accessline 70
 - Network accessline 74
 - Network accessline 78
However, to build a durable business, you’ll need this curve to flatten a lot higher. **Based on [my research](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29?s=w), here’s what is considered good and great user retention - Network accessline 84
[Read more about this here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29?s=w). And to measure cohort-based retention, you can use popular analytics tools like [Amplitude](https://help.amplitude.com/hc/en-us/articles/23 - Network accessline 92
[Read more here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/465580/disclaimer-why-it-may-be-ok-for-your-retention-to-be-low). - Network accessline 94
Broadly, as [Casey Winters](https://twitter.com/onecaseman/status/1230533020727304192) wisely put it: - Network accessline 106
> #### People can buy growth and they do it all the time, and I’m always amazed that people fall for it and that they kid themselves into thinking they have product-market fit because they bought it. The only way to know is if that you have - Network accessline 108
> #### —[Andy Rachleff](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/andy-rachleff-on-how-to-know-if-youve-got-product-market-fit/id1488560647?i=1000458416917), founder of Benchmark and Wealthfront - Network accessline 110
> #### “You can always feel product-market fit when it’s happening. **The customers are buying the product just as fast as you can make it—or usage is growing just as fast as you can add more servers**. Money from customers is piling up in - Network accessline 112
> #### —[Marc Andreessen](https://pmarchive.com/guide_to_startups_part4.html), investor - Network accessline 114
> #### “The only way you know if you’ve built what customers want is because **they are using it in an explosive and destructive way**. If you are not getting explosive usage, you are not building what customers want, or there aren’t that m - Network accessline 116
> #### — [Michael Seibel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBOLk9s9Ci4&feature=youtu.be), head of Y Combinator - Network accessline 118
> #### “I think the right initial metric is ‘**Do any users love our product so much they spontaneously tell other people** to use it?’ “ > > #### — [Sam Altman](https://blog.samaltman.com/before-growth), ex-head of Y Combinator - Network accessline 120
> #### — [Sam Altman](https://blog.samaltman.com/before-growth), ex-head of Y Combinator - Network accessline 122
> #### “**Are people grabbing the product out of your hands** saying: I want it, or I’m using it, or I’m buying it, or I’m downloading it, or I’m giving you my email address?” > > #### —[Steve Blank](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PR-8_6A - Network accessline 124
> #### —[Steve Blank](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PR-8_6AzP8), creator of the lean startup movement - Network accessline 126
> #### “Pushing a boulder: don’t have product-market fit. Chasing a boulder: have product-market fit. Both are very demanding but feel totally different. If you’re still pushing the boulder, you don’t have it yet.” > > #### —[Emmett Shear]( - Network accessline 128
> #### —[Emmett Shear](https://twitter.com/eshear/status/1155180521485242368), CEO of Twitch, partner at Y Combinator - Network accessline 130
> #### “Organic growth is the key indicator of product/market fit. People love to seem smart and cool. They want to recommend something great to their friends. They don’t need a share button to do it. If they love your product, they will te - Network accessline 132
> #### —[Merci Grace](https://mercigrace.co/about), ex-Head of Growth at Slack - Network accessline 138
> “**For me there was a visceral sense of your thing taking on a life of its own and lurching forward, like getting pressed into the back of your seat by a fast car or a plane taking off.** The most standout moment for me was our demo video - Network accessline 140
> —[Drew Houston](https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewhouston/), CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 144
> **“The rise of Tinder was really fast, and there were very, very few changes to the product before it had already taken off.** The swipe had been added within weeks of launching in August or September 2012. I think we were working on the - Network accessline 146
> ー[Jonathan Badeen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/badeen/), co-founder and CSO - Network accessline 150
> “Uber never really had a product-market fit problem—**zero marketing budget and we were growing like a weed. Word of mouth was uncontrollable**, and especially as regulatory heat started, it’s all anyone could talk about (is how it felt). - Network accessline 152
> —[Ryan Graves](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanashtongraves/), first CEO, founding team - Network accessline 156
> “We spent about two months building Instagram post burbn, launched it quickly and it was an immediate success. **Loads of people signing up immediately and we never looked back.**” > > —[Kevin Systrom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_ - Network accessline 158
> —[Kevin Systrom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Systrom), CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 162
> “Up until that point, we never really had an idea of what success, at least in the consumer space, was like. **That was sort of the first moment where we built something that actually worked. We ended up getting 10,000 sign-ups that first - Network accessline 164
> ー[Vlad Tenev](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlad-tenev-7037591b/), CEO and co-founder, via [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/robinhood-app-vlad-tenev-founder-free-stock-trading-valuation-2017-7) - Network accessline 168
> “I knew we had PMF when users and orders kept growing without real effort to spread the word. **In other words, word of mouth started taking off.**” > > —[Kevin Tan](https://www.kevintan.me/), CEO - Network accessline 170
> —[Kevin Tan](https://www.kevintan.me/), CEO - Network accessline 176
Initially developed by [Sean Ellis](https://www.seanellis.me/), and more recently popularized by [Rahul Vohra](https://review.firstround.com/how-superhuman-built-an-engine-to-find-product-market-fit), this survey asks your users how disappo - Network accessline 178
> #### “After benchmarking nearly a hundred startups with his [customer development survey](https://pmfsurvey.com/), Ellis found that the magic number was 40%. Companies that struggled to find growth almost always had less than 40% of users - Network accessline 182
For more advice on interviewing your users around PMF, [don’t miss this great post by Matt Gallivan](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/interviewing-users-for-product-market) (Sr. Director of Product Research at Slack), and for much more, r - Network accessline 184
 - Network accessline 190
> #### “**The real metric for both consumer apps and enterprise is—do someone’s pupils dilate when they use your stuff?** Whether you’re handing them a demo or if you drew something on the whiteboard, do they say, ‘You’re not leaving’ or ‘W - Network accessline 192
> #### —[Steve Blank](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-blank-great-entrepreneurship-is-artistry/id1488560647?i=1000459113604) - Network accessline 194
> #### “At the end of your free trial, you should pull the trial. **If the customer doesn’t scream, you don’t have PMF**. Because if they aren’t going to buy it at the end of the 30 days, they aren’t desperate. And if they aren’t desperate, - Network accessline 196
> #### — [Andy Rachleff](https://greatness.floodgate.com/episodes/andy-rachleff-on-how-to-know-if-youve-got-product-market-fit-XxGvX8DH/transcript) - Network accessline 200
 [suggests](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v0v5TLZKzA) a related signal: - Network accessline 208
[Sarah Leary](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahleary/), co-founder of Nextdoor, shared a story along these lines about when she felt Nextdoor found PMF: - Network accessline 220
 - Network accessline 238
 - Network accessline 242
 - Network accessline 244
*Shoutout to [Alex Ross](https://twitter.com/AreteRoss/status/1556367453554413569) ([Greg app](https://greg.app/)) and [Hayley Barna](https://firstround.com/person/hayley-barna/#mystory) ([First Round Capital](https://firstround.com/)) for - Network accessline 252
> “We spent about two months building Instagram post-Burbn [earlier app], **launched it quickly, and it was an immediate success. Loads of people signing up immediately, and we never looked back.** Of course there were chapters where things - Network accessline 254
> —[Kevin Systrom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Systrom), CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 258
> **“The rise of Tinder was really fast, and there were very, very few changes to the product before it had already taken off.** The swipe had been added within weeks of launching in August or September 2012. I think we were working on the - Network accessline 260
> ー[Jonathan Badeen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/badeen/), co-founder and CSO - Network accessline 264
> “**We felt we had PMF right after we launched with [co-founder] Jack [Conte]’s music video on YouTube and patrons and creators started writing in. I’d never seen that level of passion and immediate resonance,** and our launch was particul - Network accessline 266
> —[Samuel Yam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samyam/), co-founder and CTO - Network accessline 274
> We ended up getting 10,000 sign-ups that first day, over 50,000 the first week, and almost 1 million in the first year.” > > ー[Vlad Tenev](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlad-tenev-7037591b/), CEO and co-founder, via [Business Insider](https - Network accessline 276
> ー[Vlad Tenev](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vlad-tenev-7037591b/), CEO and co-founder, via [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/robinhood-app-vlad-tenev-founder-free-stock-trading-valuation-2017-7) - Network accessline 280
> “**For me there was a visceral sense of your thing taking on a life of its own and lurching forward, like getting pressed into the back of your seat by a fast car or a plane taking off.** The most standout moment for me was our demo video - Network accessline 282
> —[Drew Houston](https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewhouston/), CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 294
> If there was a moment when Netflix stopped being a startup and became a real company, it was then.” > > ー[Marc Randolph](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcrandolph/), first CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 296
> ー[Marc Randolph](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcrandolph/), first CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 300
> “One year in, we had obvious virality, and thus we felt we had PMF. When you’re putting almost no effort into growth but it’s clear the product itself is becoming ‘word of mouth’ viral, you know you have something really special. Then all - Network accessline 302
> —[Ryan Graves](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanashtongraves/), first CEO, founding team - Network accessline 310
> **We did a lot of experimentation during the summer of 2005. Video bloggers. Auction videos. Embeds of videos on message boards. It ended up being MySpace embeds that drove the true virality of the service and the spread of the brand.”** - Network accessline 312
> —[Steve Chen](https://twitter.com/stevechen), co-founder - Network accessline 318
> But that fall Snapchat began to exhibit a pulse. As user numbers approached 1,000, an odd pattern emerged: App usage peaked between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.—school hours. Spiegel’s mother had told her niece about the app, and the niece’s Orange - Network accessline 320
> —[J.J. Colao, Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jjcolao/2014/01/06/the-inside-story-of-snapchat-the-worlds-hottest-app-or-a-3-billion-disappearing-act/?sh=da02e4267d27) - Network accessline 330
> In the years that followed, Discord succeeded in growing rapidly, accumulating hundreds of millions of users and close to $1 billion in funding.” > > —[Packy McCormick](https://www.notboring.co/p/discord-imagine-a-place) - Network accessline 332
> —[Packy McCormick](https://www.notboring.co/p/discord-imagine-a-place) - Network accessline 344
> Initial signs of product-market fit feel a bit like a calm breeze, while true product-market fit feels like a powerful wind at your back, accelerating you forward and compounding over time.” > > ー[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/m - Network accessline 346
> ー[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmullen/), co-founder - Network accessline 354
> We were pretty unsure of whether this would really work outside of S.F. It took weeks to months of hard marketplace design work, better marketing, referrals, etc. for it to really start taking off in L.A. Once we figured out what made it - Network accessline 356
> —[Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/), started Lyft’s product team - Network accessline 362
> **But it took a long time to feel confident that we had created a long-lasting brand and business.** Each round of funding was a step-function change in our confidence that Cameo would last. Lightspeed’s Series A in November 2018 (1.5 yea - Network accessline 364
> —[Devon Townsend](https://www.linkedin.com/in/devspinn/), co-founder and CTO - Network accessline 370
> The biggest specific moment of realizing we had PMF, though, actually occurred just when I had arrived at a conference. Before I’d left, I’d asked our Head of Growth to update all our analytics. **What we saw was that every single metric - Network accessline 372
> —[Rahul Vohra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulvohra/), CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 374
 - Network accessline 378
> “**Product Hunt is unusual in that there were clear signs of PMF very early on, with a specific audience.** I started with very modest confidence, but it grew quickly as the newsletter (and eventually the site) became more popular. As cli - Network accessline 380
> —[Ryan Hoover](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanrhoover/), founder - Network accessline 388
> We did have retention curves that looked pretty good from early on, especially for paying readers, and writers with paying readers. > > ー[Chris Best](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjgbest/), CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 390
> ー[Chris Best](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjgbest/), CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 394
> “We definitely didn’t feel like we had PMF immediately. Lots of days of small volumes and slow growth in the beginning. **At six months, there were finally sufficient volumes where metrics that suggest PMF (retention, order frequency, spe - Network accessline 396
> —[Tony Xu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Xu), founder and CEO - Network accessline 406
> 3. New users and retention going up created sustainable DAU growth. This made team feel good about having product market fit.” > > —[Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/), VP of Product - Network accessline 408
> —[Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/), VP of Product - Network accessline 412
> “We spent two years prototyping and iterating to get to v1 release. It was six months after launch that we knew we had initial PMF based on growth and cohort retention.” > > —[Amir Nathoo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirnathoo/), co-foun - Network accessline 414
> —[Amir Nathoo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirnathoo/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 418
> “At 9-12 months, it felt like organic customer and sitter acquisition was taking off on its own in Seattle, and we were able to raise our Series B (which was really an A).” > > —[David Rosenthal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamesrose - Network accessline 420
> —[David Rosenthal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjamesrosenthal), board member - Network accessline 424
> “When my mom booked her first Airbnb, I said to myself, I think we got something here!” > > —[Joe Gebbia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Gebbia), co-founder - Network accessline 426
> —[Joe Gebbia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Gebbia), co-founder - Network accessline 432
> “**It took us five years to get to a place where we felt like we had PMF.** We spent the first two years focused on nothing but building supply, then the next two years focused on nothing but building demand, and finally one year building - Network accessline 434
> —[Sander Daniels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sander-daniels/), co-founder - Network accessline 440
> So we went about the process. Basically had to get like a bank partnership payment rails, basic exchange functionality, all that stuff. **And the minute we launched that feature, where you could just click buy, and it showed up in your ac - Network accessline 442
> —[Brian Armstrong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Armstrong_(businessman)), CEO, via [Lex Friedman Podcast](https://youtu.be/VBPTFlpv31k?t=1377) - Network accessline 448
> **If you ask our board or other internal team members about how long it took us to find PMF, you might hear something like 2-3 years. Many people did not really feel confident in the business until we had raised our Series B, which was ov - Network accessline 450
> —[Gagan Biyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani/), co-founder - Network accessline 458
> PMF Part III: We had a form of PMF for the demand side of the equation the day we launched the website. We knew it was a superior way to make a reservation, and our diner feedback was positive. However, absent enough supply, the actual be - Network accessline 460
> —[Mike Xenakis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/xenakismike/), ex-SVP - Network accessline 466
> I knew we had something when I went to meet one of our first landowners, who immediately handed me a letter from a land development company trying to buy her land. She told me she hates these letters because she’s afraid one day she’ll ha - Network accessline 468
> —[Alyssa Ravasio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-ravasio-23114717/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 484
 - Network accessline 486
[Michael Seibel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBOLk9s9Ci4&t=521s), co-founder of Justin.tv (aka Twitch), shared a perfect illustration of this trifecta (or lack thereof): - Network accessline 492
Brian Balfour calls this [the four fits](https://brianbalfour.com/four-fits-growth-framework). [Elizabeth Yin](https://twitter.com/dunkhippo33) describes it like so: - Network accessline 494
Companies like [Shyp](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shyp), [Cherry](https://techcrunch.com/2012/12/23/cherry-car-wash-shut-down/), and [Exec](https://justinkan.com/feed/what-i-learned-about-online-to-offline) found great product-market fit - Network accessline 534
> 4. Emails (Duolingo was only on web at first, so didn’t have push notifications back then)” > > —[Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/), VP of Product - Network accessline 536
> —[Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/), VP of Product - Network accessline 542
> **I get on the phone with five of these folks and I was like, Why didn’t you come back? And the guy was like, Well, the app was OK for a beta, but I don’t have any Bitcoins, so I didn’t really know what to do with it. I remember this ligh - Network accessline 544
> —[Brian Armstrong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Armstrong_(businessman)), CEO, via [Lex Fridman Podcast](https://youtu.be/VBPTFlpv31k?t=1377) - Network accessline 552
> Probing further, we found some less obvious and more interesting requests: integrations, attachment handling, calendaring, unified inbox, better search, read receipts, and so on into the long tail. For example, as an early-stage company, - Network accessline 554
> —[Rahul Vohra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulvohra/), CEO - Network accessline 558
> “We spent nine months iterating on the product. We added essential features like a mobile app and rewards, plus we added more restaurant and promotion options.” > > —[Kevin Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhuangtan/), CEO - Network accessline 560
> —[Kevin Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhuangtan/), CEO - Network accessline 566
> Ultimately we created a marketplace where most customers can shop from their favorite stores, and as a result, customers have a great experience using Instacart and want to share it with their family and friends. > > —[Max Mullen](https:/ - Network accessline 568
> —[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmullen/), co-founder - Network accessline 572
> “**It took weeks to months of hard marketplace design work, better marketing, referrals, etc. for it to really start taking off in L.A.** Once we figured out what made it work there, we replicated it in other cities in much better fashion - Network accessline 574
> —[Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/), started Lyft’s product team - Network accessline 578
> “It took months and months of trying things out to finally get to our first signs of PMF. The most impactful iterations were **(1) deciding that we would charge for courses, (2) videotaping live in-person lectures instead of trying to con - Network accessline 580
> —[Gagan Biyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani/), co-founder - Network accessline 584
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LNQxT9LvM0)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhNnkPsdohY)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C27RVio2rOs) - Network accessline 594
> “We did a lot of experimentation during the summer of 2005. Video bloggers. Auction videos. Embeds of videos on message boards. **It ended up being MySpace embeds that drove the true virality of the service and the spread of the brand.**” - Network accessline 596
> —[Steve Chen](https://twitter.com/stevechen), co-founder - Network accessline 604
> In the years that followed, Discord succeeded in growing rapidly, accumulating hundreds of millions of users and close to $1 billion in funding.” > > —[Packy McCormick](https://www.notboring.co/p/discord-imagine-a-place) - Network accessline 606
> —[Packy McCormick](https://www.notboring.co/p/discord-imagine-a-place) - Network accessline 612
Although changes in onboarding only came up a couple of times in my conversations with founders, onboarding goes hand in hand with PMF. Why? If retention is the ultimate measure of PMF, [onboarding is one of the best ways to improve your re - Network accessline 614
> #### “When people talk about growth, they usually assume the discussion is about getting more people to your product. When we really dig into growth problems, we often see that enough people are actually coming to the products. The real g - Network accessline 616
> #### —[Casey Winters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters/), ex-Pinterest, GruhHub, and CPO at Eventbrite - Network accessline 618
> #### “You can often attribute month 1-3 churn to be failure of activation/onboarding. > > #### —[ChenLi Wang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenliw/), ex-growth at Dropbox - Network accessline 620
> #### —[ChenLi Wang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenliw/), ex-growth at Dropbox - Network accessline 622
Pulling from [my previous post on the subject](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/854784/-improve-your-onboarding), some tactical advice for improving your onboarding conversion: - Network accessline 624
1. **Try manually onboarding users:** Superhuman is famous for [their 1:1 onboarding strategy](https://twitter.com/rahulvohra/status/1159611299740803073?lang=en), but in reality, many companies (particularly B2B) start with a hands-on onboa - Network accessline 631
A final path, and generally underexploited, is to change your target audience. As we saw in [Step 2](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-super-specific-who), Ben Silbermann was struggling to get anyone to care about Pintere - Network accessline 633
If you’re struggling to find PMF, spend some time with this thought: Is there a different [super-specific who](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-super-specific-who) that may benefit from this product that I haven’t yet ex - Network accessline 637
 - Network accessline 645
1. [The Lean Startup Playbook for Achieving Product-Market Fit](https://leanstartup.co/a-playbook-for-achieving-product-market-fit/) by Dan Olsen - Network accessline 646
2. [Why Too Many Startups (er) Suck](https://steveblank.com/2012/09/21/why-too-many-startups-er-suck/) by Bob Dorf - Network accessline 647
3. [How to Find Product-Market Fit](https://youtu.be/0LNQxT9LvM0) by David Rusenko - Network accessline 648
4. [The Never-Ending Road to Product-Market Fit](https://brianbalfour.com/essays/product-market-fit) by Brian Balfour - Network accessline 649
5. [The Only Thing That Matters](https://pmarchive.com/guide_to_startups_part4.html) by Marc Andreessen - Network accessline 650
6. [How Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product/-Market Fit](https://firstround.com/review/how-superhuman-built-an-engine-to-find-product-market-fit/) by Rahul Vohra - Network accessline 651
7. [How to Justify “Non-Sexy” Product Investments](https://caseyaccidental.com/non-sexy-projects) by Casey Winters - Network accessline 652
8. [Why Onboarding Is the Most Crucial Part of Your Growth Strategy](https://caseyaccidental.com/startup-onboarding) by Casey Winters - Network accessline 656
[Share Lenny's Newsletter](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/?action=share) - Network accessline 660
[Join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to get bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 662
 - Network accessline 666
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 670
1. **TaskRabbit:** [Director of Product, New Ventures](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6c0915d0-3ac3-4ba8-b53e-4684948711a6) (Remote) - Network accessline 671
2. **Credit Karma:** [Senior Product Manager - Recommendation Systems](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a2999f74-7e88-458c-bbd3-781b7ce48a3e) (Oakland, CA) - Network accessline 672
3. **Fountain:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/d1cac1a4-674a-4342-82b9-43373ea1c283) (Remote)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-business.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you - Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 18
From TikTok to Reddit to Uber to Airbnb, I’ve had the opportunity to study the growth stories of hundreds of companies. I’ve explored how these companies [acquired their first users](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-biggest-consum - Network accessline 26
- **Step 1: INSIGHT: Come up with your idea** ← This post - **[Step 2: AUDIENCE: Identify your super-specific who](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-super-specific-who)** - Network accessline 27
- **[Step 2: AUDIENCE: Identify your super-specific who](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-super-specific-who)** - Network accessline 28
- **[Step 3: HOOK: Craft your pitch](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer)** - Network accessline 29
- **[Step 4: REACH: Find your early adopters by doing things that don’t scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users)** - Network accessline 30
- **[Step 5: RETAIN: Iterate until enough people stick around](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-9c8)** - Network accessline 31
- **[Step 6: SCALE: Build your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-engines)** - Network accessline 37
 - Network accessline 41
> #### “I myself used to believe ideas didn’t matter that much, but I’m very sure that’s wrong now.” > > #### —[Sam Altman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Altman) - Network accessline 43
> #### —[Sam Altman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Altman) - Network accessline 70
You can see the analysis I did in this [Google Sheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ixkFXc8S2lZCTdqJjxQKK514a-4RTd8gOoWecGlk41Q/edit#gid=0). - Network accessline 84
 - Network accessline 114
 - Network accessline 115
> “**I got really sick of having to carry my thumb drive everywhere, and if it wasn’t a bus ride I was getting on, I was about to put in the washing machine—it’s always one step away from disaster.** And then I was on a ride from Boston to - Network accessline 117
> —[Drew Houston](https://www.linkedin.com/in/drewhouston/), CEO and co-founder, via [foundr](https://foundr.com/articles/podcast/drew-houston-dropbox) - Network accessline 121
 - Network accessline 126
> And when I initially started Etsy, my thinking was I’ll build the marketplace where I’d like to sell what I’m making, and then I’ll get right back to making these things.” > > —[Rob Kalin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkalin/), co-fou - Network accessline 128
> —[Rob Kalin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertkalin/), co-founder, via [From Scratch](https://www.npr.org/2015/06/15/414682318/rob-kalin-founder-of-etsy) - Network accessline 134
> They decided to start a company where for X dollars you can do Y activity with Z athlete. For example, go golfing with Michael Jordan, invite Serena Williams to your daughter’s birthday, etc. **The specific problem that Cameo was solving - Network accessline 136
> —[Devon Townsend](https://www.linkedin.com/in/devspinn/), CTO and co-founder - Network accessline 140
 - Network accessline 145
> When we came up with this idea, I remember telling my mom, like, ‘I’m now an entrepreneur.’ And she said, ‘No, actually you’re unemployed.’ ” > > —[Brian Chesky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Chesky), CEO and co-founder, via [The Jo - Network accessline 147
> —[Brian Chesky](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Chesky), CEO and co-founder, via [The Jordan Harbinger Show](https://www.jordanharbinger.com/brian-chesky-lessons-airbnb-learned-to-survive-the-pandemic/) - Network accessline 151
 - Network accessline 152
> “**I didn’t want to pay to use somebody else’s computer, so I decided to design my own**. I wanted to have it all in one place, and I already had a terminal, so I was partway there.” > > —[Steve Wozniak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stev - Network accessline 154
> —[Steve Wozniak](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Wozniak), co-founder, via [Byte magazine](https://archive.org/details/byte-magazine-1984-12/page/n463/mode/2up?view=theater) - Network accessline 162
> We were both readers of Stratechery and had heard Ben Thompson saying the model was working great for him and he didn’t know why more people weren’t trying it. We wondered what might happen if it were far easier for any writer to try to d - Network accessline 164
> —[Hamish McKenzie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishmckenzie/), co-founder - Network accessline 184
> The idea behind Uber was crystallising in Camp’s mind.” > > —*[The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/29/uber-app-changed-how-world-hails-a-taxi-brad-stone)* - Network accessline 186
> —*[The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jan/29/uber-app-changed-how-world-hails-a-taxi-brad-stone)* - Network accessline 190
 - Network accessline 195
> I learned how to program later that year. That June, I launched a very, very beta version of the website.” > > —[Alyssa Ravasio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-ravasio-23114717), CEO and founder - Network accessline 197
> —[Alyssa Ravasio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-ravasio-23114717), CEO and founder - Network accessline 201
 - Network accessline 206
> Suddenly, he jumped up, and rushed down the hall to see if Evan [Spiegel] was around. Bursting into Evan’s room, Reggie exclaimed, ‘Dude, I have an awesome idea!’ Even before Reggie finished explaining his idea, Evan lit up. He was immedi - Network accessline 208
> —Billy Gallagher, *[How to Turn Down a Billion Dollars](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073Z7XL5D/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1)* - Network accessline 225
> We knew we could use technology to solve many of the existing problems, and with the knowledge we already had in the space, we would have an additional edge. We also decided it was important for us to find an industry that serves a passio - Network accessline 227
> —[Daishin Sugano](https://www.crunchbase.com/person/daishin-sugano), co-founder, via [Matrix Partners](https://viewpoints.matrixpartners.com/goat-from-pivot-to-a-pair-of-sneakers-59c290e2fc44) - Network accessline 233
> Koum spent days creating the backend code to synch his app with any phone number in the world, poring over a Wikipedia entry that listed international dialing prefixes—he would spend many infuriating months updating it for the hundreds of - Network accessline 235
> —[Alex Fishman](https://twitter.com/fishmanalex) via *[Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2014/02/19/exclusive-inside-story-how-jan-koum-built-whatsapp-into-facebooks-new-19-billion-baby/)* - Network accessline 243
> We knew that Neil [co-founder] had spent a number of years working for an eyewear nonprofit and probably knew a lot more about this than we did. And so we were all in the computer lab one day and started asking Neil a bunch of questions, - Network accessline 245
> —[Dave Gilboa](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davegilboa/) and [Neil Blumenthal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nblumenthal/), co-founders, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2018/03/26/586048422/warby-parker-dave-gilboa-neil-blumenthal - Network accessline 257
> About a year later, we’re playing video games and he said the guy that has calm.com wants to to sell it and he’s willing to to do a deal. We were able to buy it for much, much less… So we bought calm.com, and that was kind of the starting - Network accessline 259
> —[Michael Acton Smith](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelactonsmith/?originalSubdomain=uk), co-founder, via [The Diary of a CEO](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAVw-yQRUjE&t=2630s) - Network accessline 293
 - Network accessline 298
> **Imagine if you could unlock the level of innovation or the kind of trust in security that a society like the U.S. has**, but put that into 190 countries, just because they have good internet access, a cell phone, and now they have crypt - Network accessline 300
> —[Brian Armstrong](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barmstrong/), CEO and founder, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2021/11/12/1055432035/coinbase-brian-armstrong) - Network accessline 304
 - Network accessline 307
> It proved a productive course of study. Page noticed that while it was trivial to follow links from one page to another, it was nontrivial to discover links back. In other words, when you looked at a web page, you had no idea what pages w - Network accessline 309
> —[John Battelle,](https://www.wired.com/2005/08/battelle/) *[Wired](https://www.wired.com/2005/08/battelle/)* - Network accessline 313
> “Initially, the idea for OpenSea stemmed from our interest in CryptoKitties. While marketplaces for digital goods have existed for quite some time, they tend to be self-contained ecosystems: individual marketplaces for specific games, mar - Network accessline 315
> We validated the idea by joining the various communities for the new ERC721 project […] and shipped the first version of OpenSea within a couple of months, in order to get a product out there in the wild and start testing with early adopt - Network accessline 317
> —[Devin Finzer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dfinzer/), CEO and co-founder, via [DeFi Prime](https://defiprime.com/opensea) - Network accessline 321
> “I was on Caltrain one day, from San Francisco to Mountain View, and it was crowded by teens. Observing their behavior, 50 percent were listening to music and the other 50 percent were taking photos and videos with their speaker on top to - Network accessline 323
> —[Alex Zhu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/keepsilence?originalSubdomain=cn), CEO and co-founder, via *[Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/mnewlands/2016/06/10/the-origin-and-future-of-americas-hottest-new-app-musical-ly/?sh=13e56f3d5b07)* - Network accessline 331
> So we went off and built a prototype in two weeks and showed it to everyone in Odeo. They really dug it. We knew when Jack told us the idea it was a cool idea, but we built it and showed it to the team and everyone started using it. I thi - Network accessline 333
> —[Biz Stone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biz_Stone), co-founder, via [MediaShift](https://mediashift.org/2007/05/twitter-founders-thrive-on-micro-blogging-constraints137/) - Network accessline 337
 - Network accessline 338
> “About two weeks after Sean [co-founder] started work, he participated in a hackathon. Sean had been talking about potentially building out a dating product for a while, so the two [Sean and Joe Muñoz] were paired together based on the co - Network accessline 340
> —[Jordan Crook, TechCrunch](https://techcrunch.com/2014/07/09/whitney-wolfe-vs-tinder/) - Network accessline 344
> “The whole thing started as an academic project at Carnegie Mellon between me and my PhD student Severin Hacker. I had just sold my second company to Google, and we both wanted to work on something related to education. Education is very - Network accessline 346
> —[Luis Von Ahn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_von_Ahn), co-founder, via [Quora](https://www.quora.com/What-made-Luis-Von-Ahn-start-Duolingo/answer/Luis-Von-Ahn) - Network accessline 354
> **Rich had amazing vision and saw the potential of what I was doing. He tried to persuade me to do an app—a very new thing at the time—which I thought was such a bad plan, so we launched Headspace as an events series in 2010. After receiv - Network accessline 356
> —[Andy Puddicombe](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andy_Puddicombe), co-founder, via [Soho House](https://www.sohohouse.com/en-us/house-notes/issue-4/headspace-how-i-launched) - Network accessline 364
> **And it was like a light-bulb moment for me, because I realized I was having a conversation with my sister about the experience of wearing an amazing dress, of walking into a party, feeling self-confident and feeling beautiful. And that’ - Network accessline 366
> —[Jenn Hyman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jennifer_Hyman), CEO and co-founder, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2017/09/21/541686055/rent-the-runway-jenn-hyman) - Network accessline 374
> In December of 2011 I had my aha moment, and by early March, I picked out a name, registered the business, and raised capital. In June 2011 I opened the doors.” > > —[Julie Wainwright](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Wainwright), CEO - Network accessline 376
> —[Julie Wainwright](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julie_Wainwright), CEO and co-founder, via *[Marin Magazine](https://marinmagazine.com/style/fashion/ceo-julie-wainwright-on-the-realreal-her-luxury-consignment-business/)* - Network accessline 411
 - Network accessline 418
> One day, Mike, my co-founder, and I sat down, and we were like, ‘All right, we have to change something, because no one knows what we’re doing.’ We were like, ‘You know what? **Let’s do what everyone’s doing on our service anyway. Let’s c - Network accessline 420
> —[Kevin Systrom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Systrom), CEO and co-founder, via [Startups.com](https://www.startups.com/library/founder-stories/kevin-systrom) - Network accessline 426
> I remember trying to recruit users to come to YouTube for that reason. We quickly realized that a dating platform wasn’t in demand of videos as the media type so we opened up the app to go after all types of content creators.” > > —[Steve - Network accessline 428
> —[Steve Chen](https://twitter.com/stevechen), co-founder - Network accessline 436
> **The Uber black-car experience was starting to take off, and then we saw Sidecar announce that they were going to launch that exact product we were thinking about. That was the kick in the rear we needed to hit the metaphorical gas.** Th - Network accessline 438
> —[Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/) and [Adam Fishman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/), early Lyft employees - Network accessline 442
 - Network accessline 445
> So a year after launching Tote, Silbermann pivoted to offer people a visually appealing way to display all their collections—whether they were books, adorable dog images, or women’s clothes—on the same site. […] Six months after its launc - Network accessline 447
> —*[Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/3001984/pinterest-pivot)* - Network accessline 463
> Despite frustration, the team responded to the product's strong market feedback and shifted focus to the incipient email product.” > > —[Jimmy Soni,](https://www.amazon.com/Founders-Paypal-Entrepreneurs-Shaped-Silicon/dp/1501197266/ref=as - Network accessline 465
> —[Jimmy Soni,](https://www.amazon.com/Founders-Paypal-Entrepreneurs-Shaped-Silicon/dp/1501197266/ref=asc_df_1501197266/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=509360428472&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5254135810215129175&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev - Network accessline 469
> “I started ‘Into the Gloss’ [a community she formed] because I wanted to create a space where people could celebrate beauty and share their routines. The women I was interviewing and the community that formed around the site had so much t - Network accessline 471
> —[Emily Weiss](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Weiss), CEO and founder, via *[Irish Tatler](https://irishtatler.com/beauty/your-complete-guide-to-being-a-glossier-girl-with-founder-ceo-emily-weiss)* - Network accessline 475
 - Network accessline 482
> After talking to users and seeing the data, the team realized its problem: Discord was better than Skype, certainly, but it still wasn’t very good. Calls would fail; quality would waver. Why would people drop a tool they hated for another - Network accessline 484
> —[David Pierce,](https://www.protocol.com/discord) *[Protocol](https://www.protocol.com/discord)* - Network accessline 498
> TwitchTV (later shortened to Twitch) has outpaced its predecessor. Meanwhile, Justin.tv’s star has faded.” > > —[Eric Johnson,](https://www.vox.com/2014/7/5/11628568/how-twitchs-founders-turned-an-aimless-reality-show-into-a-video) *[Vox] - Network accessline 500
> —[Eric Johnson,](https://www.vox.com/2014/7/5/11628568/how-twitchs-founders-turned-an-aimless-reality-show-into-a-video) *[Vox](https://www.vox.com/2014/7/5/11628568/how-twitchs-founders-turned-an-aimless-reality-show-into-a-video)* - Network accessline 512
> #### “From mobile to social to crypto, there’s so many examples where people failed to imagine what a couple years of compounding developments would look like, in terms of technology speed improving, costs dropping, or adoption increasing - Network accessline 514
> #### —[Elad Gil](https://review.firstround.com/future-founders-heres-how-to-spot-and-build-in-nonobvious-markets), founder and investor - Network accessline 528
> “**I realized that you can never legislate away from piracy. The only way to solve the problem was to create a service that was better than piracy** and at the same time compensates the music industry. That gave us Spotify.” > > —[Daniel - Network accessline 530
> —[Daniel Ek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Ek), CEO and founder, via *[Fast Company](https://www.fastcompany.com/90205527/the-definitive-timeline-of-spotifys-critic-defying-journey-to-rule-music)* - Network accessline 534
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWRbTnE1PEM) - Network accessline 537
> I made a list of like 20 different products that you might be able to sell, and books were great as the first product because books are incredibly unusual in one respect—that is that there are more items in the book category than there ar - Network accessline 539
> —[Jeff Bezos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos), founder and CEO, via [YouTube](https://youtu.be/rWRbTnE1PEM) - Network accessline 547
> So I got lucky with this idea of, why do I need Stanford? Why do I need Pfizer to go and do all this research? I can just allow all these people to learn about their genome. It’s so cool. Learn about your genetics. And then we’re going to - Network accessline 549
> —[Anne Wojcicki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Wojcicki), CEO and co-founder, via [Talks at Google](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDoALM0q1LA&t=473s) - Network accessline 555
> Once I had that insight in April 2012, I was on a warpath to start this company, and I started telling my smartest friends about the idea and getting their feedback. By luck, one of them was Brandon, who introduced me to Apoorva in June 2 - Network accessline 557
> —[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmullen), co-founder - Network accessline 565
> The part of me that loves data knew it could be used to create a better experience with apparel.” > > —[Katrina Lake](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmlake/), founder, via [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2018/05/stitch-fixs-ceo-on- - Network accessline 567
> —[Katrina Lake](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kmlake/), founder, via [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2018/05/stitch-fixs-ceo-on-selling-personal-style-to-the-mass-market) - Network accessline 579
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDXkpJw16os) - Network accessline 589
> We threw so many ideas at the wall over the course of a year. The first one that stuck was an aggregator for all of one’s online financial accounts. We drafted our business plan ... then a couple weeks later, Mint.com launched and won Tec - Network accessline 591
> —[Sander Daniels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sander-daniels/), co-founder - Network accessline 603
> **I had no idea what would work and what wouldn’t. In 1997, all I knew was that I wanted to start my own company, and that I wanted it to involve selling things on the internet. That was it.”** > > —[Marc Randolph](https://en.wikipedia.or - Network accessline 605
> —[Marc Randolph](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Randolph), CEO and co-founder, author of *[That Will Never Work](https://www.amazon.com/That-Will-Never-Work-Netflix/dp/0316530204)* - Network accessline 615
> It took us a couple of months, maybe a month and a half or so, to really zero in on an idea. Eventually I said to [Russ], you know, what if you asked me a question, like who’s a good doctor in San Francisco—I love to be the expert, I love - Network accessline 617
> —[Jeremy Stoppelman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Stoppelman), CEO and co-founder, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2019/06/21/734865142/yelp-jeremy-stoppelman) - Network accessline 629
> We hadn’t figured out functionality, but we knew the old model for news aggregation, when it was printed on a dead tree, wasn’t suited for the internet age. In fact, the vision was best crystallized by Paul Graham in that very meeting: ‘T - Network accessline 631
> —[Alexis Ohanian](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexis_Ohanian), CEO and co-founder, via [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/user/kn0thing/comments/6fg6zw/how_reddit_went_from_mobilefoodordering_service/) - Network accessline 635
 - Network accessline 642
> I remember the moment he said it. ‘Oh, that’s super interesting.’ And then we started to ... like, well, you have Facebook for friends and family, people you know. LinkedIn for your professional contacts. But people who live around you, h - Network accessline 644
> —[Sarah Leary](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahleary/), CEO and co-founder, via [Mike Maples, Jr.](https://greatness.floodgate.com/episodes/nextdoor-co-founder-sarah-leary-the-moment-you-know-youve-created-something-valuable-55JiUgue/tra - Network accessline 648
 - Network accessline 651
> **Delivery first came up at a macaron shop. We were wrapping up an interview when we overheard the manager turn down a delivery order. If there was a light-bulb moment, this was it—why couldn’t businesses send things across town, on deman - Network accessline 652
> > We tested just the consumer part first. We made a static HTML page at https://paloaltodelivery.com with a Google Voice number and a few PDF menus from local restaurants, offering delivery for $6. We launched a small AdWords campaign to - Network accessline 653
> We tested just the consumer part first. We made a static HTML page at https://paloaltodelivery.com with a Google Voice number and a few PDF menus from local restaurants, offering delivery for $6. We launched a small AdWords campaign to se - Network accessline 657
> We quickly had trouble keeping up. I remember running out of class to answer the phone more than a few times. We probably took ‘Do things that don’t scale’ too far.” > > —[Evan Moore](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanmoore/), co-founder, v - Network accessline 659
> —[Evan Moore](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanmoore/), co-founder, via [Twitter](https://twitter.com/evancharles/status/1336835867768279040?s=20&t=eo6AZsa-nhu8nI_v3yqvVg) - Network accessline 663
 - Network accessline 664
> “I received an email from [Andrey Andreev](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrey_Andreev)—we’d met back in 2013, and he’d always said he wanted to speak to me when I had my next step after [Tinder](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tinder_(app - Network accessline 670
> We decided to flip the script and empower people through connections, reducing rejections on the man’s side and empowering women to make the first move and be confident. That was the beginning of Bumble. And here we are, five years later, - Network accessline 672
> —[Whitney Wolfe Herd](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_Wolfe_Herd), CEO and co-founder, via [ThoughtEconomics](https://thoughteconomics.com/whitney-wolfe-herd/) - Network accessline 678
> There were several ideas that he had actually prototyped and, to some extent, had built early versions of. One of the things was about this very simple transactional platform to sell tickets to any kind of event. […] And that became, that - Network accessline 680
> —[Julia Hartz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliahartz/), CEO and co-founder, via [How I Built This](https://www.npr.org/2020/02/14/806106473/eventbrite-julia-hartz) - Network accessline 730
 - Network accessline 744
> **DoorDash:** “We tested just the consumer part first. We made a static HTML page at https://paloaltodelivery.com with a Google Voice number and a few PDF menus from local restaurants, offering delivery for $6. We launched a small AdWords - Network accessline 750
Don’t miss [Todd Jackson’s in-depth post on validating your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/validating-your-startup-idea?s=w). - Network accessline 770
> #### “Don’t worry about failure. You only have to be right once.” > > #### **—[Drew Houston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drew_Houston)** - Network accessline 772
> #### **—[Drew Houston](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drew_Houston)** - Network accessline 774
> #### “The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true - Network accessline 776
> #### —[Nolan Bushnell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nolan_Bushnell) - Network accessline 778
*A big thank-you to [Alyssa Ravasio](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alyssa-ravasio-23114717/) (Hipcamp), [Chris Best](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjgbest/) and [Hamish McKenzie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamishmckenzie/) (Substack), [Devon T - Network accessline 782
1. [How to get startup ideas](https://paulgraham.com/startupideas.html) by Paul Graham - Network accessline 783
2. [How to get and test startup ideas](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDXkpJw16os&t=86s) by Michael Seibel - Network accessline 784
3. [How to validate your startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/validating-your-startup-idea?s=w) by Todd Jackson - Network accessline 785
4. [How to start a startup](https://startupclass.samaltman.com/) by Sam Altman and Dustin Moskovitz - Network accessline 786
5. [How to build a breakthrough](https://medium.com/@m2jr/how-to-build-a-breakthrough-3071b6415b06) by Mike Maples, Jr. - Network accessline 787
6. [12 frameworks for finding startup ideas](https://review.firstround.com/12-frameworks-for-finding-startup-ideas-advice-for-future-founders) by First Round Capital - Network accessline 788
7. [Finding the right idea](https://pioneer.app/codex/idea) by Pioneer - Network accessline 789
8. [The hidden backstory of 5 startup pivots that grew to $43B](https://www.jasonshen.com/115/) by Jason Shen - Network accessline 795
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 797
 - Network accessline 801
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 803
### **🔥 [Featured job openings](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs)** - Network accessline 805
1. **Fountain:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/d1cac1a4-674a-4342-82b9-43373ea1c283) (Remote) - Network accessline 806
2. **Render:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/e948aaae-136d-4de6-954b-58985e9643e0) (Remote) - Network accessline 807
3. **Mine’d:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/2dbd9fc9-b2df-4567-82bd-7941760549b1) (N.Y., Remote) - Network accessline 808
4. **OpenStore:** [Product Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8a65b820-6d69-4a43-a46f-0d96b67b0b37) (Miami) - Network accessline 809
5. **Ashby:** [First Lead UX Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/3f84ab83-6078-4607-b55b-d107a3674e1f) (L.A., S.F., Vancouver, Austin, Tribeca) - Network accessline 810
6. **Wethos:** [Director, Growth Product Marketing](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a8779353-bfa9-4f10-9ab7-d96ec87ae733) (Remote) - Network accessline 811
7. **Scratchpad:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c4039341-f2c6-4ac9-bc69-7b52c457f621) (Remote) - Network accessline 812
8. **Joby Aviation:** [Air Taxi Product Manager-Operations](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6e99a528-2443-435f-bd43-a86d437f6ff2) (San Carlos, CA)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-business---part-2-cracking-the-chicken.md
- Network accessline 16
The response to the first edition of this series has significantly more enthusiastic than I anticipated (who knew so many people are interested in marketplace growth 🥳), so I’m excited to jump right into part two. To be honest, [part one](h - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 96
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?) - Network accessline 100
- **[Part 1:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace)** [Constrain the marketplace 🔬](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 101
- **Part 2: Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐** ***(this post)*** - **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911)** [Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter. - Network accessline 102
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911)** [Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 103
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5)** [Drive initial demand 👋](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-business---part-3-cracking-the-chicken.md
- Network accessline 20
- **[Part 1:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace)** [Constrain the marketplace 🔬](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 21
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee)** [Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 23
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5)** [Drive initial demand 👋](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5) - Network accessline 25
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?) - Network accessline 29
As we saw in the last post, the vast majority of marketplaces start off supply-constrained. Interestingly, most marketplaces *continue* to stay supply constrained throughout most of their history (which we’ll spend more time on later). Why - Network accessline 33
 - Network accessline 91
> “Referrals and ambassador programs were big for us early on. **Double digits of %’s of new supply early on came from these programs**. We went after students because our primary audience was younger and millennial. Some students made so m - Network accessline 249
> “**To launch a city, we’d travel there and hold a meetup**. Here in San Francisco, it’s not a big deal to meet a founder. In other places, that’s pretty novel. They would get so excited that they met us that they’d tell their friends. The - Network accessline 251
> — Brian Chesky ([source](https://medium.com/cs183c-blitzscaling-class-collection/cs183c-session-18-brian-chesky-d680da55f80c)) - Network accessline 273
> “**One of the most effective early levers for supply growth was building the Etsy community**, offline. After spending years going to craft fairs every weekend promoting the brand we launched a program called **Etsy street teams that orga - Network accessline 281
1. PLEASE let me know if I got anything wrong. I’ll correct it in the next post. Just reply to this email or DM me [@lennysan](https://twitter.com/lennysan). - Network accessline 284
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-business---part-4-cracking-the-chicken.md
- Network accessline 18
- **[Part 1:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace)** [Constrain the marketplace 🔬](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 19
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee)** [Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 20
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911)** [Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 23
As planned, this will be the final post in “Phase 1”. **In the next phase, I’ll explore how these companies** ***scaled*** **their marketplaces — including which growth levers continue to be most effective at scale, how they maintained mark - Network accessline 25
*P.S. If you’re finding this content valuable, consider clicking the little gray heart below the headline at the top of this post, and/or [sharing this newsletter with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/). 💛* - Network accessline 31
1. **Supply growth is coming easily** — people are signing up without much convincing. 2. **Your supply is heavily underutilized** — they have a ton of availability and few bookings. 3. **You have yet to prove that you are solving a problem - Network accessline 33
3. **You have yet to prove that you are solving a problem for people** — have you seen that potential customers actually find value in your “supply”? This alone is a deep topic that deserves its own post, but a simple heuristic you can use - Network accessline 37
 - Network accessline 127
> “One day my co-founder Jonathan was in a bar in San Francisco and by chance sat down next to one of the world’s top SEO experts. They started chatting about Thumbtack. At that point, we had never even heard of SEO, but he soon became a bo - Network accessline 219
> “In the early days, we targeted a lot of events: the DNC, the Presidential Inauguration, music festivals, the World Cup, Olympics, etc. **Events and PR were the main way we bootstrapped the network in the early days**.” > > — Brian Chesky - Network accessline 221
> — Brian Chesky ([source](https://medium.com/cs183c-blitzscaling-class-collection/scaling-airbnb-with-brian-chesky-class-18-notes-of-stanford-university-s-cs183c-3fcf75778358)) - Network accessline 458
> “We had this Silicon Valley mentality that you had to solve problems in a scalable way because that's the beauty of code. Right? You can write one line of code that can solve a problem for one customer, 10,000 or 10 million. For the first - Network accessline 460
> — Joe Gebbia ([source](https://firstround.com/review/How-design-thinking-transformed-Airbnb-from-failing-startup-to-billion-dollar-business/)) - Network accessline 500
*P.S. If you work at any of the companies I looked into, or any large marketplace company, and have additional insights or feedback, please let me know! Just reply to this email or DM me [@lennysan](https://twitter.com/lennysan).* - Network accessline 506
- **[Part 1](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace)**[: Constrain the marketplace 🔬](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 507
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee)** [Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 508
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911)** [Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 513
- **[Part 1:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand)** [Determine if you are supply or demand constrained 🤹<U+200D>♂<U+FE0F>](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand) - Network accessline 514
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase)** [Scale growth levers 🔥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase) - Network accessline 515
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting)** [Maintain quality 🏅](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting) - Network accessline 516
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)** [What would you have done differently if you did it again](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)**[🔮](https://ww - Network accessline 518
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-business.md
- Network accessline 24
- **Part 1**: Constrain the marketplace 🔬 *(this post)* - **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee)** [Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter - Network accessline 25
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee)** [Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 26
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911)** [Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 27
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5)** [Drive initial demand 👋](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5) - Network accessline 31
- **[Part 1:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand)** [Determine if you are supply or demand constrained 🤹<U+200D>♂<U+FE0F>](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand) - Network accessline 32
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase)** [Scale growth levers 🔥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase) - Network accessline 33
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting)** [Maintain quality 🏅](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting) - Network accessline 34
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)** [What would you have done differently if you did it again](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)**[🔮](https://ww - Network accessline 36
This work would not have been possible without the enormous generosity of countless people, all willing to share their precious time, stories, and insights with me simply because I asked. The readiness to share so openly and transparently s - Network accessline 70
 - Network accessline 78
 - Network accessline 96
> **“We created a playbook for opening up a new market**, which got set by the Launcher team (led by [Austin Geidt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-geidt-bb173b20/)). The first thing they would do when they launched market is to figure o - Network accessline 154
- Part 1: Constrain the marketplace 🔬 *(this post)* - [Part 2: Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 155
- [Part 2: Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 156
- [Part 3: Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 157
- [Part 4: Drive initial demand 👋](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5) - Network accessline 159
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-know-if-youre-doing-a-good-job-as-a-product-manager.md
- Network accessline 12
There was a period a few years into my PM career when I was certain that if I made a single mistake, people would see how little I knew and everything would come tumbling down. I’ve since learned that this was [classic impostor syndrome](ht - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 66
 - Network accessline 70
1. [Ten jobs of a product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager) - Network accessline 71
2. [14 habits of highly effective product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/14-habits-of-highly-effective-product) - Network accessline 72
3. [A comprehensive survey of product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-survey) - Network accessline 73
4. [Becoming a senior product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/senior-product-manager) - Network accessline 74
5. [Overcoming impostor syndrome](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-overcoming-impostor-syndrome) - Network accessline 80
1. **Squarespace:** [Senior Product Manager/Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/84d30ce6-d293-4de6-a1bc-b9b7f0656440?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (NYC) - Network accessline 81
2. **Piñata Farms:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/9f90d5d9-288a-477d-b14b-8b4a9c589a87?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (LA) - Network accessline 82
3. **Properly:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/beefb83d-8775-4052-96e6-72d8f62ca3ef?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Toronto, Remote) - Network accessline 83
4. **Clearco**: [Product Manager - Capital Partnerships](https://pallet.xyz/job/82497ce0-6faa-4aa7-a321-86d525a23cd7?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 84
5. **Frame.io:** [Sr. Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/4846ad99-c62d-4b4f-979a-a558342d6a68?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 85
6. **SnapStream Media**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/8bec1419-8512-4c77-b7a9-3351dfea8afe?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 86
7. **Gitpod**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/85a37e65-b9b3-4a93-acf6-e6a6d1f28fa4?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 87
8. **Shift**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/2907defd-bb4b-4972-86d5-024eda23dcd6?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 88
9. **Postlight**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/c205c9c1-b4e8-4a43-a538-adaa2bfe974d?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (NYC, Remote) - Network accessline 89
10. **Noyo**: [VP of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/7e49a835-3b73-4bc2-a397-feea3e8d3e80?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 90
11. **Polygence:**[Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/55046525-1bd3-4901-8452-45fc1c643d82) (Palo Alto) - Network accessline 91
12. **Mage:** [Front-end engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/d41acc31-b5fa-4e68-8c5a-7973c29ad712?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Santa Clara, CA) - Network accessline 92
13. **Pragli:** [Product Designer #1](https://pallet.xyz/job/75075700-7078-4664-a498-df280d166a9e?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 94
*Browse many more open roles (or add your own) at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 98
1. **Read**: [The Power of Product Thinking](https://future.a16z.com/product-thinking/) by Julie Zhou - Network accessline 101
3. **Watch**: [Simone Biles, Mesmerizing in Slow Motion](https://kottke.org/21/06/simone-biles-mesmerizing-in-slow-motion) - Network accessline 103
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmRHT4LdyMk) - Network accessline 107
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand-constrained----phase-2-of-kickstarting-and.md
- Network accessline 23
Again, thank you to everyone who has sent me encouragement, new insights, and suggestions for future posts — [keep them coming](https://twitter.com/lennysan)! And for those of you tired of posts about marketplaces 🤷<U+200D>♂<U+FE0F>, I’ll soon go back to - Network accessline 27
- **[Part 1:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace)** [Constrain the marketplace 🔬](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 28
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee)** [Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 29
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911)** [Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 30
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5)** [Drive initial demand 👋](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5) - Network accessline 40
 - Network accessline 44
1. You believe that you have PMF. Again, read [this](https://abovethecrowd.com/2012/11/13/all-markets-are-not-created-equal-10-factors-to-consider-when-evaluating-digital-marketplaces/) and listen to [this](https://tim.blog/2019/11/25/start - Network accessline 54
 - Network accessline 58
About 40% of the companies I talked to started off supply-constrained and then *continued* to be supply-constrained throughout all of their history. For these companies, the ROI of adding new supply greatly outweighed investing in driving n - Network accessline 136
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?) - Network accessline 142
- **[Part 1](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace)**[: Constrain the marketplace 🔬](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 143
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee)** [Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 144
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911)** [Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 145
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5)** [Drive initial demand 👋](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5) - Network accessline 149
- **Part 1:** Determine if you are supply or demand constrained 🤹<U+200D>♂<U+FE0F> (this post) - **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase)** [Scale growth levers 🔥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating- - Network accessline 150
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase)** [Scale growth levers 🔥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase) - Network accessline 151
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting)** [Maintain quality 🏅](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting) - Network accessline 152
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)** [What would you have done differently if you did it again](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)**[🔮](https://ww
references/02-newsletters/how-to-know-if-youve-got-product-market-fit.md
- Network accessline 12
I’ve noticed that most people (including myself) have only a vague grasp on what product-market fit actually is. And even fewer people are going after it in a systematic way. For my own benefit if nothing else, last year I began collecting - Network accessline 14
**Below, I’ve put together my favorite (and most actionable) definitions of product/market fit, broken up into pre-product and post-product, and sorted from the most concrete to least concrete.** I’ve also added my favorite guides for *find - Network accessline 22
> “The real metric for both consumer apps and enterprise is — **do someone’s pupils dilate when they use your stuff**? Whether you’re handing them a demo or if you drew something on the whiteboard. Do they say, ‘You’re not leaving’ or ‘Wher - Network accessline 24
> — [Steve Blank (at 1:30m](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/steve-blank-great-entrepreneurship-is-artistry/id1488560647?i=1000459113604)) - Network accessline 26
> “You have very strong customer feedback, even from a small group of people. For example, at Color early on, we were **getting literal love letters** from customers.” > > — [Elad Gil](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v0v5TLZKzA) - Network accessline 28
> — [Elad Gil](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v0v5TLZKzA) - Network accessline 38
> “Plot the % active users over time (for various cohorts) to create a retention curve. **If it flattens off at some point, you have probably found product/market fit** for some market or audience. > > — [Brian Balfour](https://brianbalfour - Network accessline 40
> — [Brian Balfour](https://brianbalfour.com/essays/product-market-fit) - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 43
> “Do a cohort analysis. Look at a group of people that tried your product in a period of time (e.g. during one month). Then look at how many of those people continue to use your product later (e.g. 12 months later). You will have a fairly - Network accessline 45
> — [Casey Winters](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpnYFG1-rdk) - Network accessline 49
> Different types of products have different points of product market fit, so it’s important to find the retention rate of some comparable products that have been able to significantly grow to find the right benchmark for you.” > > — [Jeff - Network accessline 51
> — [Jeff Chang](https://www.growthengblog.com/blog/the-best-metric-for-determining-quantitative-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 53
 - Network accessline 57
> “Survey your users and ask them ‘How would you feel if you could no longer use the product?’ and measure the percent who answer ‘very disappointed.’ **If that percentage is over 40%, you have PMF**.” > > — [Sean Ellis / Rahul Vohra](https - Network accessline 59
> — [Sean Ellis / Rahul Vohra](https://firstround.com/review/how-superhuman-built-an-engine-to-find-product-market-fit/) - Network accessline 61
> “For enterprise businesses, at the end of your free trial, you should pull the trial. **If the customer doesn’t scream, you don’t have PMF**. Because if they aren’t going to buy it at the end of the 30 days, they aren’t desperate. And if - Network accessline 63
> — [Doug Leone / Andy Rachleff](https://greatness.floodgate.com/episodes/andy-rachleff-on-how-to-know-if-youve-got-product-market-fit-XxGvX8DH/transcript) - Network accessline 67
> “For consumer apps, you start to experience **‘exponential organic growth’**, driven by word of mouth.” > > — [Andy Rachleff (starting at 3:00](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/andy-rachleff-on-how-to-know-if-youve-got-product-market - Network accessline 69
> — [Andy Rachleff (starting at 3:00](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/andy-rachleff-on-how-to-know-if-youve-got-product-market-fit/id1488560647?i=1000458416917)) - Network accessline 71
> “The only way you know if you’ve built what customers want is because **they are using it in an explosive and destructive way**. If you are not getting explosive usage you are not building what customers want, or there aren’t that many cu - Network accessline 73
> — [Michael Seibel](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBOLk9s9Ci4&feature=youtu.be) - Network accessline 75
> “I think the right initial metric is ‘**do any users love our product so much they spontaneously tell other people** to use it?’ > > — [Sam Altman](https://blog.samaltman.com/before-growth) - Network accessline 77
> — [Sam Altman](https://blog.samaltman.com/before-growth) - Network accessline 79
> “**Organic growth is the key indicator of product/market fit**. People love to seem smart and cool. They want to recommend something great to their friends. They don’t need a share button to do it. If they love your product, they will tel - Network accessline 81
> — [Merci Victoria Grace](https://medium.com/@merci/wtf-is-product-market-fit-8fd9df41c573) - Network accessline 83
> “If you’re a SaaS company and **you have major brands finding and using you organically, and paying for your product, that’s a sign of PMF**. Examples of that would be PagerDuty, which had Apple as an early customer. Zeplin, which had Fac - Network accessline 85
> — [Elad Gil](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v0v5TLZKzA) - Network accessline 93
> This is a Measure of Product-Market Fit. The startup that generates $1M million in ARR by burning $2M is more impressive than one that does it by burning $5M. **In the former case, it appears that the market is pulling product out of the - Network accessline 95
> — [David Sacks](https://medium.com/craft-ventures/the-burn-multiple-51a7e43cb200) - Network accessline 97
> “For enterprise businesses, look at the contribution margin of a sales team, divided by the total cost to field the sales team… A sales team may cost on the order of $500k - $600k. **When a company gets to a sales yield of greater than 1. - Network accessline 99
> — [Andy Rachleff (starting at 4:30](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/andy-rachleff-on-how-to-know-if-youve-got-product-market-fit/id1488560647?i=1000458416917)) - Network accessline 103
> “You have found product/market fit when you can **repeatably acquire customers for a lower cost than what they are worth to you**.” > > — [Elizabeth Yin](https://twitter.com/dunkhippo33/status/1153779854614990848) - Network accessline 105
> — [Elizabeth Yin](https://twitter.com/dunkhippo33/status/1153779854614990848) - Network accessline 107
> “Here’s my simple definition of product/market fit: **The value of each user is greater than the cost of bringing them into the product**. It means there are enough customers out there and you can efficiently bring them in” > > — [Nikhyl - Network accessline 109
> — [Nikhyl Singhal](https://firstround.com/review/how-to-craft-your-product-team-at-every-stage-from-pre-product-market-fit-to-hypergrowth/) - Network accessline 111
> “You have PMF when you see retention that creates enough $ or content/virality to drive sustainable acquisition.” > > — [Casey Winters](https://twitter.com/onecaseman/status/1230533020727304192) - Network accessline 113
> — [Casey Winters](https://twitter.com/onecaseman/status/1230533020727304192) - Network accessline 117
> “You can always feel product/market fit when it's happening. **The customers are buying the product just as fast as you can make it -- or usage is growing just as fast as you can add more servers**. Money from customers is piling up in yo - Network accessline 119
> — [Marc Andreessen](https://pmarchive.com/guide_to_startups_part4.html) - Network accessline 121
> “**Are people grabbing the product out of your hands** saying I want it, or I'm using it, or I'm buying it, or I’m downloading it, or I'm giving you my email address.” > > — [Steve Blank](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PR-8_6AzP8) - Network accessline 123
> — [Steve Blank](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PR-8_6AzP8) - Network accessline 127
> Pushing a boulder: don’t have product/market fit. Chasing a boulder: have product/market fit. Both are very demanding, but feel totally different. If you’re still pushing the boulder, you don’t have it yet.” > > — [Emmett Shear](https://t - Network accessline 129
> — [Emmett Shear](https://twitter.com/eshear/status/1155180521485242368) - Network accessline 133
> “**If your product is broken and people are still using it**, if you have high retention with a broken product, that’s a clear sign you have PMF. When Twitter was constantly going down in the fail whale days, and no one moved off of Twitt - Network accessline 135
> — [Elad Gil](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v0v5TLZKzA) - Network accessline 137
> “A great measure of product/market fit, particularly in consumer, is **when a company is growing quickly despite poor execution and management**.” > > — [Brett Berson](https://twitter.com/brettberson/status/1207182947582767106) - Network accessline 139
> — [Brett Berson](https://twitter.com/brettberson/status/1207182947582767106) - Network accessline 147
1. [The Lean Startup Playbook for Achieving Product-Market Fit](https://leanstartup.co/a-playbook-for-achieving-product-market-fit/) by Dan Olsen - Network accessline 148
2. [The Never-Ending Road To Product Market Fit](https://brianbalfour.com/essays/product-market-fit) by Brian Balfour - Network accessline 149
3. [The Only Thing That Matters](https://pmarchive.com/guide_to_startups_part4.html) by Marc Andreesen - Network accessline 150
4. [How To Find Product Market Fit](https://youtu.be/0LNQxT9LvM0) by David Rusenko - Network accessline 151
5. [How Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product/Market Fit](https://firstround.com/review/how-superhuman-built-an-engine-to-find-product-market-fit/) by Rahul Vohra - Network accessline 157
> “**Product/market fit isn’t a one-time, discrete point in time** that announces itself with trumpet fanfares. Competitors arrive, markets segment and evolve, and stuff happens—all of which often make it hard to know you’re headed in the r - Network accessline 159
> — [Ben Horowitz](https://blog.pmarca.com/2010/03/20/the-revenge-of-the-fat-guy/)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-know-when-to-stop.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to a ✨ **monthly free edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s - Network accessline 14
1. *[How to interview product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-interview-product-managers?s=w)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[The most important marketplace metrics to track](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-marketplace-metrics?s=w)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Open thread: What is your product development process like?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/open-thread-what-does-your-product/comments)* - Network accessline 18
When [Andy Johns](https://twitter.com/ibringtraffic) (growth legend via Facebook, Twitter, Wealthfront, and Quora) [began opening up](https://twitter.com/ibringtraffic/status/1499898173875048448) about his mental health journey, it caught m - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 24
Below, you’ll find what I genuinely believe to be one of the most important posts this newsletter has ever seen. The stories, the transparency, and the incredibly actionable advice (including templates and worksheets!) is like nothing you’l - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 47
 at the age of 47. It also required that I step back and ma - Network accessline 65
Stemming from my heart attack scare—a clear sign that I was overloaded—I began creating a plan to keep myself out of extended periods of unsustainable stress. That’s when I rediscovered the [concept of a range of tolerance](https://www.khan - Network accessline 75
 - Network accessline 85
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The second category of indicators of unmanageable stress is [physiological](https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/body). Our natural bodily functions are interrupted, including the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrinal, gastr - Network accessline 89
Lastly, we may adopt destructive behavioral patterns to soothe our emotional discomfort. We may develop [addictions or compulsive activities](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2732004/) as a coping mechanism due to excess stress. - Network accessline 101
Based on what I learned through therapy, and in conjunction with comprehensive research on the subject of [chronic stress](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579396/), I created [a simple questionnaire](https://docs.google.com/sp - Network accessline 103
 - Network accessline 107
There are also publicly available tests that are clinically used and approved and can be taken for free. The [Beck Depression Inventory](https://www.ismanet.org/doctoryourspirit/pdfs/Beck-Depression-Inventory-BDI.pdf) is widely used, as is - Network accessline 111
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajo3xkhTbfo) - Network accessline 115
 - Network accessline 129
The doctors gave me a half-assed guess that “maybe it was genetic,” but every part of my ass knew that it was the by-product of excess stress on my nervous system, beginning with [the PTSD](https://andyjohns.substack.com/p/opening-up-about- - Network accessline 131
Being not a complete idiot, and in deference to the substantial amount of research showing [the connection between PTSD and cardiovascular disease](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21792377/), I listened to my doctors and stepped away from w - Network accessline 147
Holding these beliefs can lead to further negative behaviors, such as [withdrawal, avoidance, or even self-harm](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2011-04021-003).<U+FEFF> - Possible obfuscationline 147
Holding these beliefs can lead to further negative behaviors, such as [withdrawal, avoidance, or even self-harm](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2011-04021-003).<U+FEFF> - Network accessline 163
Here’s a [table for creating your list](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/166FaMHwGrXKa39K_MS_kmeY5addiKXO1VFKFIshOTS0/edit#gid=304341923). It is broken down into each major category of life to ensure that it is thorough and inclusive - Network accessline 165
 - Network accessline 167
As an example, [here’s the current list that I use](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/166FaMHwGrXKa39K_MS_kmeY5addiKXO1VFKFIshOTS0/edit?usp=sharing) to organize my life. I tend to update it every 6-12 months, but this is the list that - Network accessline 171
Once you have the list complete, [transpose it into the tolerance target](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1UdWE9T-b4jOWYrxwAEMSge83vutQG9LvscF7iO8pnic/edit?usp=sharing), which is a visual representation of the list you created: - Network accessline 173
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 - Network accessline 257
In biology, there is a concept called hormesis. What it refers to is that all organisms have adaptive mechanisms that kick in when the organism is put under a *reasonable* amount of stress, and those mechanisms are adaptations that [may imp - Network accessline 269
 - Network accessline 277
 - Network accessline 281
 - Network accessline 285
 - Network accessline 313
 - Network accessline 332
Hot sauna and hot yoga are mainstay techniques for me. The reason for that is I find them effective at [lowering my baseline heart rate](https://pressemitteilungen.pr.uni-halle.de/index.php?modus=pmanzeige&pm_id=3102) without the wear and t - Network accessline 336
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaLd5w6zF7A) - Network accessline 342
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk3KVu23FPY) - Network accessline 346
The good news is that by [drafting your tolerance list](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/166FaMHwGrXKa39K_MS_kmeY5addiKXO1VFKFIshOTS0/edit?usp=sharing) and turning it into a [tolerance target](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1U - Network accessline 358
*Thank you, Andy 🙏 For more, subscribe to [Andy’s Newsletter](https://andyjohns.substack.com/) and [follow him on Twitter](https://twitter.com/ibringtraffic). And if there’s anyone in your life who would benefit from this post, you can easi - Network accessline 364
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of hand-curated product and growth people open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 366
 - Network accessline 370
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 372
#### **🔥 [Featured job openings](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** - Network accessline 374
1. **WorkWhile:** [Head of Product](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/8be3c844-7997-4d22-9edd-28ae8e541860) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 375
2. **Clipboard Health:** [Engineering Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/299a6ac5-8435-4596-8262-b29c15c7613f) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 376
3. **Brilliant.org:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a9f29cee-d7b7-42ce-b1dc-05d6d29ecec7), Growth (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 377
4. **Fractal Software:** [CEO/Founder](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/bbb7f335-4841-48fc-aff8-702a83f26f35) (NYC, SF) - Network accessline 378
5. **Perfect Venue:** [Founding Team Full Stack Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/461940f7-6f12-42af-a0d7-8fca71b2c693) (Remote-US)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-learn-the-most-about-a-candidate-from-a-single-interview-question.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Don’t miss **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more), my **[PM recruiting service](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** (helping you hire Sr. PMs and VPs), my **[s - Network accessline 20
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-learn-the-most-about-a-candidate/comments) - Network accessline 22
*Thank you to [Jeremy Jerschina](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremy-jerschina/) for encouraging me to write this post, [Gün Karagöz](https://medium.com/@GunKaragoz/essential-takeaways-from-lennys-podcast-interview-episode-exploring-effectiv - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 34
> “I look for people being brutally honest about how bad it was and why it failed. The rest of the interview, they’re trying to tell you all the wonderful things they did and all the accomplishments they had. And so I think the rawer the an - Network accessline 36
> —[Annie Pearl](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/behind-the-scenes-of-calendlys-rapid-growth-annie-pearl-cpo/), corporate vice president at Microsoft, ex-CPO at Calendly - Network accessline 40
> “I want to understand what hard means for them. I want to understand why it was hard. I want to understand how they overcame that difficulty, how they worked with other people to overcome that difficulty, and how much agency they had in o - Network accessline 42
> —[Geoff Charles](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/velocity-over-everything-how-ramp-became-the-fastest-growing-saas-startup-of-all-time-geoff-charl/), VP of product at Ramp - Network accessline 48
> I look for people who look for structure and a way forward through the ambiguity. Also, I look for people who seek help, seek inputs, versus ‘This is the way.’ ” > > —[Jiaona Zhang (JZ)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-minimum-lova - Network accessline 50
> —[Jiaona Zhang (JZ)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-minimum-lovable-products-stories-from-wework-and-airbnb-and-thriving-as-a-pm-jiaona-zha/), head of product at Linktree, ex-SVP of product at Webflow - Network accessline 52
[](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky/ - Network accessline 54
[@lennyrachitsky](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky)[Pause it and try before she reveals what she’s looking for! #productmanager #productmanagement #jobinterview #interviewquestions #interviewtips best job interview questions, job inte - Network accessline 56
Tiktok failed to load. - Access to secretsline 58
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 62
> “It’s really revealing, because if they can explain this conflict and understand why this problem was really important—and represent both sides such that you can understand why that conflict existed in the first place—and they can do it i - Network accessline 64
> —[Yuhki Yamashita](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/an-inside-look-at-how-figma-builds-product-yuhki-yamashita-cpo-of-figma/), CPO of Figma - Network accessline 68
> “The question gets at when the product failed, and when something about the team didn’t work, because that’s what happens when you’re doing this work. What are people’s mindset? I look at the way they talk about it and the way they relate - Network accessline 70
> —[Paige Costello](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-ask-the-right-questions-project-confidence-and-win-over-skeptics-paige-costello-asana-i/), co-head of product management and head of AI at Asana - Network accessline 74
> “It tells me you have some humor, you’re humble, and you can point out when you’ve made a mistake. You’ve done enough to be able to confidently say, of course I’ve made a mistake. Because none of us are perfect. And you know how to spot t - Network accessline 76
> —[Maggie Crowley](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/mastering-product-strategy-and-growing-as-a-pm-maggie-crowley-toast-drift-tripadvisor/), VP of product at Toast - Network accessline 80
> “You want to look for people who have backbone but can also disagree and commit. That’s what I’m normally looking for.” > > —[Ethan Evans](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/taking-control-of-your-career-ethan-evans-amazon/), retired VP at Ama - Network accessline 81
> > —[Ethan Evans](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/taking-control-of-your-career-ethan-evans-amazon/), retired VP at Amazon > - Network accessline 82
> —[Ethan Evans](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/taking-control-of-your-career-ethan-evans-amazon/), retired VP at Amazon - Network accessline 84
> “It showcases a lot about your character and if you are willing to stand your ground and push up when you need to. What is that influential communication skill that you have?” > > —[Inbal Shani](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-future-of - Network accessline 86
> —[Inbal Shani](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-future-of-ai-in-software-development-inbal-shani-cpo-of-github/), CPO of GitHub - Network accessline 90
The strongest and most valuable candidates are people who are good at self-reflection and can approach problems differently. They break norms, they challenge assumptions, and they think [from first principles](https://www.lennysnewsletter.c - Network accessline 98
> Sometimes I’ll ask a manager, ‘Look, you’ve managed hundreds of people in your career. What’s conventional wisdom that you bet against, that you have found is actually inaccurate?’ You could do that for ‘What do people think about AI that - Network accessline 100
> —[Nikhyl Singhal](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-a-long-and-meaningful-career-nikhyl-singhal-meta-google/), VP of product at Meta - Network accessline 102
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0Kq8QEijO4) - Network accessline 106
> “When I say ‘unfair’ or ‘secret,’ I mean not something that you read on Medium. I’m looking for what you learned, how you learned it, how it works, and how you apply it.” > > —[Noah Weiss](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-10-traits-of-gr - Network accessline 108
> —[Noah Weiss](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-10-traits-of-great-pms-how-ai-will-impact-your-product-and-slacks-product-development-process/), CPO at Slack - Network accessline 112
> “I’m trying to tease out introspection. Are you a person who is reflective about the decisions you made, why they worked, and why they did not? And do you incorporate that into your model so you make different decisions?” > > —[Ayo Omojol - Network accessline 114
> —[Ayo Omojola](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/frameworks-for-product-differentiation-team-building-and-thinking-from-first-principles-ayo-omoj/), CPO of Carbon Health - Network accessline 118
> “This reveals the deep, deep level of their thinking. If you should expect that result based on what they described, then they are not thinking deeply enough. They are not understanding the customer enough.” > > —[Hila Qu](https://www.len - Network accessline 120
> —[Hila Qu](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-adding-a-plg-motion-hila-qu-reforge-gitlab/), growth advisor - Network accessline 128
> “To understand everything from the situation to the result, and everything they did in between, who they influenced, how they’d influenced, what decisions they had to make, what roadblocks they encountered.” > > —[Bill Carr](https://www.l - Network accessline 130
> —[Bill Carr](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/unpacking-amazons-unique-ways-of-working-bill-carr-author-of-working-backwards/), ex-Amazon VP, author of *Working Backwards* - Network accessline 134
> “This helps you learn more about their frameworks, not just their outcomes—how they build products, how they know if they’re going to succeed, and how they approach building.” > > —[Laura Schaffer](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/career-fra - Network accessline 136
> —[Laura Schaffer](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/career-frameworks-ab-testing-mistakes-counterintuitive-onboarding-tips-selling-to-developers-l/), VP of growth at Amplitude - Network accessline 140
> “The ability to actually define something specific and tangible in itself is a really, really, really good sign. I think a lot of people definitely get startled by that question sometimes, because it requires you to know what it is you pu - Network accessline 142
> —[Upasna Gautam](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/an-inside-look-at-how-cnn-builds-product-upasna-gautam/), Sr. PM at CNN - Network accessline 146
> “I’m looking for someone to help me understand how they define impact and what it means to them. I think a good answer for a growth practitioner is intrinsic motivation about having an impact on the business.” > > —[Lauryn Isford](https:/ - Network accessline 148
> —[Lauryn Isford](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/mastering-onboarding-lauryn-isford-head-of-growth-at-airtable/), head of growth at Notion - Network accessline 152
> “The thought experiment for me is always, coming out of that, do I feel compelled to work on that problem? Right? No matter how boring it sounds on the surface, I think a really great product manager casts something. It’s like, ‘Well, thi - Network accessline 154
> —[Yuhki Yamashita](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/an-inside-look-at-how-figma-builds-product-yuhki-yamashita-cpo-of-figma/), CPO of Figma - Network accessline 156
[lennyspodcast](https://instagram.com/lennyspodcast) - Network accessline 158
[](https://instagram.com/p/CtXwoCLp0-v) - Network accessline 160
A post shared by [@lennyspodcast](https://instagram.com/lennyspodcast) - Network accessline 164
> “The reason I ask that is because it helps me understand their taste and their judgment, what motivates them, what work they view as good and as a good outcome. It also helps me understand a little bit about what they like to do and where - Network accessline 165
> > —[Katie Dill](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-beautiful-products-with-stripes-head-of-design-katie-dill-stripe-airbnb-lyft/), head of design at Stripe > - Network accessline 166
> —[Katie Dill](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-beautiful-products-with-stripes-head-of-design-katie-dill-stripe-airbnb-lyft/), head of design at Stripe - Network accessline 168
> “It gives you a little bit of indication what the person values and how they think about things.” > > —[Karri Saarinen](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/inside-linear-building-with-taste-craft-and-focus-karri-saarinen-co-founder-designer-ceo - Network accessline 170
> —[Karri Saarinen](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/inside-linear-building-with-taste-craft-and-focus-karri-saarinen-co-founder-designer-ceo/), CEO of Linear - Network accessline 172
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhASMW6X4AY) - Network accessline 186
> What’s funny is that people are rarely, given my reference checks, accurate about what the critiques are, but they are usually pretty accurate about what their strengths are.” > > —[Andrew Bosworth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bosw - Network accessline 188
> —[Andrew Bosworth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-bosworth-8247a01/), CTO at Meta - Network accessline 192
> “You can’t say ‘luck.’ I always kind of want to know how self-aware are you, basically, and how curious are you. I think if people have really gone back and reflected on why they are where they are today, that really says a lot about how - Network accessline 194
> —[Eeke de Milliano](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-foster-innovation-and-big-thinking-eeke-de-milliano-retool-stripe/), ex-Retool, Stripe, co-founder of Constellate - Network accessline 196
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hneuz4rHSgc) - Network accessline 200
> “I find you can learn so much about a person’s motivations, about their work ethic, about what they care about, what good looks like to them, and I think those are all really important things to understand about a person if you’re going t - Network accessline 202
> —[Camille Hearst](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/monetizing-passions-scaling-marketplaces-and-stories-from-a-creator-economy-vet-camille-hearst/), head of fan monetization at Spotify - Network accessline 206
> “A lot of people will default to telling you about where they aspire to be in terms of role or title. I’m really looking for signals of humility, of self-awareness around areas of personal and professional growth; people who can be open a - Network accessline 208
> —[Ben Williams](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-snyk-built-a-product-led-growth-juggernaut-ben-williams-vp-of-product-at-snyk/), product and growth advisor - Network accessline 210
[lennyspodcast](https://instagram.com/lennyspodcast) - Network accessline 212
[](https://instagram.com/p/CsXcodXgYOL) - Network accessline 214
A post shared by [@lennyspodcast](https://instagram.com/lennyspodcast) - Network accessline 218
> “I’m trying to figure out if, left to their own devices, what do they go to naturally because it rewards them? Because I think it’s really important to find the highest, best use of everyone you hire. And sometimes you can get to the bott - Network accessline 220
> —[Tom Conrad](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/billion-dollar-failures-and-billion-dollar-success-tom-conrad-quibi-pandora-petscom-snap-ze/), CEO of Zero - Network accessline 224
> “This is as people always tell you why they want to join Wise, or join whatever company you’re coming to, and that’s not that interesting. But what’s interesting is what they’re running away from. And usually there’s something broken ther - Network accessline 226
> —[Nilan Peiris](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-drive-word-of-mouth-nilan-peiris-cpo-of-wise/#transcript), CPO of Wise - Network accessline 232
> “It’s a very simple question, and it’s a coded [Eigenquestion](https://coda.io/@shishir/eigenquestions-the-art-of-framing-problems/eigenquestions-3) test. Interestingly, all of a sudden the sharp product managers, engineers—basically ever - Network accessline 234
> **—**[Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-rituals-of-great-teams-shishir-mehrotra-coda-youtube-microsoft/), co-founder and CEO of Coda - Network accessline 236
[](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky/ - Network accessline 238
[@lennyrachitsky](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky)[Pause and try! Are you getting the job at google? #google #founder #tech #productmanagement #startup #vctok #vc #softwareengineer](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky/video/713365 - Network accessline 240
Tiktok failed to load. - Access to secretsline 242
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 246
> “I’ve been using that one forever, whether I am interviewing somebody or being interviewed, because the person is an expert in themselves. And if you say, ‘What question should I have asked you?’ a lot of times they’ll be like, ‘Oof.’ The - Network accessline 248
> —[Christina Wodtke](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-okrs-christina-wodtke-stanford/), Stanford University professor - Network accessline 252
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-learn-the-most-about-a-candidate/comments) - Network accessline 256
1. [How to pass any first-round interview (even in a terrible talent market)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-pass-any-first-round-interview) - Network accessline 257
2. [Adding a work trial to your interview process](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/adding-a-work-trial-to-your-interview) - Network accessline 258
3. [Preparing for a PM interview](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/preparing-for-a-pm-interview) - Network accessline 259
4. [My favorite PM interview questions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-interview-questions) - Network accessline 260
5. [How to interview product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-interview-product-managers) - Network accessline 261
6. [Podcast episode: My favorite interview questions from 100+ guests](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-interview-questions-from) - Network accessline 267
We recently partnered with Notion to help them scale their PM team. [One role that’s particularly interesting to me](https://boards.greenhouse.io/notion/jobs/5841932003) is an opportunity to own the end-to-end Project Management experience - Network accessline 269
[Apply to Notion](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/onboard/v3/0153c44c-b8c4-44b6-ba42-78fbcf220033/get-referred) - Network accessline 271
*If you’re hiring and want to work with us, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apprGaxWWPYU0068E/shr2WFo5UqJjA5dQ8). Our team will reach out if we think it’s a good fit. Note, we primarily work with fast-growing U.S.-based startups.* - Network accessline 273
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-make-an-impact-in-your-first-90-days.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Check out my **[PM recruiting service](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** (helping you hire Sr. PMs and VPs), **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more), and my * - Network accessline 12
Today’s post, by [returning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-led-marketing) [collaborator](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-free-to-paid-conversion) [Kyle Poyar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/), is one o - Network accessline 14
Kyle has spent the past 14 years working with and advising top startups as a consultant at Simon-Kucher turned VC operating partner at OpenView. He shares tactical insights about how to grow faster in his newsletter, [Growth Unhinged](https - Network accessline 16
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 - Network accessline 34
> Also, look for opportunities that might turn pre-existing assumptions on their head. The team was optimizing traffic coming from paid marketing channels because they’ve historically converted better. Yet, the bigger opportunity is in prof - Network accessline 36
> —[Jiaona Zhang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiaona/), CPO at Linktree - Network accessline 40
> With the changes in keyword searches happening from AI, take a look at your YouTube channel—at any startup, it could probably use some love, and when you are competing in an early market where buyers are still learning, it’s a great place - Network accessline 42
> —[Cate Lochead](https://www.linkedin.com/in/clochead/), CMO at Snorkel AI - Network accessline 48
> ‘Safe’ marketing and positioning kills companies. ‘Consensus’ messaging created by committees is never any good. Be the forcing function to grow a backbone, stand for something, and make a splash in the market.” > > —[Kyle Coleman](https: - Network accessline 50
> —[Kyle Coleman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyletcoleman/), CMO at Copy.ai - Network accessline 56
> It creates a ‘peek behind the curtain’ effect, making users want to see what lies beneath. Form-over-UI taps into the curiosity bias, increasing conversion rates.” > > —[Tom Orbach](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomorbach/?originalSubdomain - Network accessline 58
> —[Tom Orbach](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomorbach/?originalSubdomain=il), head of growth marketing at Wiz and author of [Marketing Ideas](https://www.marketingideas.com/) - Network accessline 62
> “In a freemium product, you can lose a *lot* of users in the first few minutes before and after account creation. Even before a user can make an assessment of your product’s core value, they are immediately making assessments of product a - Network accessline 64
> —[Christopher Miller](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwilliammiller/), VP of product, growth, and AI at HubSpot - Network accessline 70
> We did it at Wiz, and the *Happy Birthday*, *Happy Holidays*, and *1 Year Anniversary* GIFs with our logos have around 1M views each. Not bad for 20 minutes of work!” > > —[Tom Orbach](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomorbach/?originalSubdom - Network accessline 72
> —[Tom Orbach](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomorbach/?originalSubdomain=il), head of growth marketing at Wiz and author of [Marketing Ideas](https://www.marketingideas.com/) - Network accessline 74
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> “Identify the highest point of leverage where there’s drop-off in the funnel and check to see whether there are obvious calls to action (CTAs). If the product has a large free user base but there isn’t an obvious ‘Upgrade’ CTA in the free - Network accessline 80
> —[Hila Qu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilaqu/), growth advisor and former director of growth at GitLab - Network accessline 92
> The goal? To instill a sense of urgency (the trial begins now!) and enhance the perceived value of paid plans (by driving usage) to trigger an upgrade.” > > —[Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/), interim head of growth a - Network accessline 94
> —[Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/), interim head of growth and data at Dropbox - Network accessline 100
> When you publish pricing, lead with the monthly price point on an annual deal. It’s an easy hack—but I still see companies not doing it.” > > —[Madhavan Ramanujam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavan-ramanujam-1533063/), senior partner a - Network accessline 102
> —[Madhavan Ramanujam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavan-ramanujam-1533063/), senior partner at Simon-Kucher - Network accessline 104
> “Emphasizing the monthly price on an annual deal not only improves conversion, but is also one of the easiest and most impactful growth hacks to improve retention and LTV. This single initiative of driving more annual plans was one of the - Network accessline 106
> —[Melissa Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissamtan/), former head of growth at Webflow and Dropbox - Network accessline 112
> Feature packaging can be a pain, but if there are features that are completely gated behind a paywall, aren’t driving meaningful monetization, and aren’t heavily used by paying customers, then it might make sense to consider making them f - Network accessline 114
> —[Christopher Miller](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherwilliammiller/), VP of product, growth, and AI at HubSpot - Network accessline 118
> “Let users get a taste of your premium features on a free plan or upgraded plan for free, especially in a consumption-based pricing model. Then focus on overages for both feature use and usage/consumption. At Heroku, we allowed users to u - Network accessline 120
> —[Rajan Sheth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajansheth/), general partner and go-to-market advisor at HyperGrowth Partners - Network accessline 124
> “Many sellers are just giving a discount and not getting anything back for it. What are the list of concessions that you can get back when you offer a discount? Do you get references, product feedback, a longer commitment? A no-brainer co - Network accessline 126
> —[Madhavan Ramanujam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/madhavan-ramanujam-1533063/), senior partner at Simon-Kucher - Network accessline 136
> To solve for higher shipping velocity, I introduced Demo Power Hour, which helped everyone feel ownership and pride in their work. To solve for transparency and accountability, I introduced Scorecard. And to solve for alignment and workin - Network accessline 138
> —[Jiaona Zhang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiaona/), CPO at Linktree - Network accessline 144
> I also like to build a ‘personal’ data dashboard of metrics that matter to your success. This helps you learn the data tools, think about your goals, and get in the habit of looking at performance regularly.” > > —[Claire Vo](https://www. - Network accessline 146
> —[Claire Vo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/clairevo/), CPO at LaunchDarkly - Network accessline 153
> 2. A clear document about what the highest priorities are for the team:Writing this forces you to understand the space, pull information from people’s heads, and synthesize well, but, most importantly, align the team. Often people are too - Network accessline 155
> —[Geoff Charles](https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrey-charles/), VP of product at Ramp - Network accessline 164
> In growth, everyone needs to be rowing in the same direction and they need to get into formation ASAP. At Dropbox and Webflow, some of the strongest rapports I built happened when I shared feedback in the first week of working together. I - Network accessline 166
> — [Melissa Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissamtan/), former head of growth at Webflow and Dropbox - Network accessline 176
> All signups are not created equal. Yes, it’s good that your CEO cares about marketing, but it’s our job to drive non-linear growth in the business metrics. Only 20% to 30% of the signups actually matter in most products. Find out which se - Network accessline 178
> —[Rajan Sheth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajansheth/), general partner and go-to-market advisor at HyperGrowth Partners - Network accessline 182
> “When you’re looking at ROI from ads and other marketing activities, look beyond signups and even conversions, all the way to retained customers. PLG customers tend to have higher churn, so if you ignore retention, you could be paying for - Network accessline 184
> —[Jessica Gilmartin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicagilmartin/), CRO at Calendly - Network accessline 188
> “As a general rule of thumb, 50% of signups will not activate (meaningfully use your product even once), and 40% of users who activate for the first time will drop within seven days. Focus on that 40% churn first. Don’t go after volume or - Network accessline 190
> —[Rajan Sheth](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajansheth/), general partner and go-to-market advisor at HyperGrowth Partners - Network accessline 194
> “Run a simple correlation analysis for customers who grew their usage—by going on higher plans or adding users—to identify which features drove that. This analysis can then be used for sales conversations, as well as how you bundle your p - Network accessline 196
> —[Haresh Bajaj](https://www.linkedin.com/in/haresh0712/), VP of product growth at Pleo - Network accessline 200
> “When I start a new role, I typically look for quick ways to improve the product experience. For example, in my first months at Slack, I realized that user onboarding on mobile performed worse than on web, resulting in hundreds of thousan - Network accessline 202
> —[Jules Walter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswalter/), product leader for Gemini at Google - Network accessline 208
> Overshare this profile with your marketing and product leaders—the fastest path to better conversion, higher monetization, and stronger retention is focusing acquisition and product optimization efforts on the segment of your users that n - Network accessline 210
> —[Amaan Nathoo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaannathoo/), head of growth at Durable - Network accessline 220
> You’ll find the answers often break out from feature gripes and into the problems customers are facing that they wish you were solving better. Armed with this intel, you can confidently share firsthand insights with the team (during a tim - Network accessline 222
> —[Paige Costello](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigecostello/), head of AI at Asana - Network accessline 226
> “Nothing beats going out into the field, talking to prospects—even cold-calling—and existing customers to understand their pain points, what is working and not working to solve these pain points, and making the sale happen yourself. This - Network accessline 228
> —[Haresh Bajaj](https://www.linkedin.com/in/haresh0712/), VP of product growth at Pleo - Network accessline 234
> My quick win is to add a survey to your checkout flow to get context on which payment providers your users want to pay with. This data will help build a case to present to the infrastructure and billing team.” > > —[Francesca Krihely-Pric - Network accessline 236
> —[Francesca Krihely-Price](https://www.linkedin.com/in/krihely/), head of marketing at Oso - Network accessline 240
> “Improving our win rate is a company key result. While product continues to build features that support that, our sales and marketing teams work on initiatives to make sure no deal is left behind. This includes campaigns like engaging tho - Network accessline 242
> —[Andrea Kayal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakayal/), CRO at Help Scout - Network accessline 252
> “One of the biggest pieces of advice we give folks starting at Canva is to take the time to just be new. Soak it all in, ask questions, build relationships, but don’t try and ‘do’ too much early on. People often feel like they need to imm - Network accessline 254
> —[Zach Kitschke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zachkitschke/), chief marketing officer at Canva - Network accessline 256
*Thanks, Kyle! For more from Kyle, don’t miss [Growth Unhinged](https://www.growthunhinged.com/) and his [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/).* - Network accessline 258
*A huge thank-you to [Amaan Nathoo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaannathoo/) (head of growth at Durable), [Andrea Kayal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreakayal/) (CRO at Help Scout), [Cate Lochead](https://www.linkedin.com/in/clochead/) ( - Network accessline 264
We recently partnered with Notion to help them scale their PM team. [One role that’s particularly interesting to me](https://boards.greenhouse.io/notion/jobs/5926606003) is an opportunity to own the asynchronous collaboration experience wit - Network accessline 266
[Apply to Notion](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/onboard/v3/0153c44c-b8c4-44b6-ba42-78fbcf220033/get-referred) - Network accessline 268
*If you’re hiring and want to work with us, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apprGaxWWPYU0068E/shr2WFo5UqJjA5dQ8). Our team will reach out if we think it’s a good fit. Note, we primarily work with fast-growing U.S.-based startups.* - Network accessline 270
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-measure-cohort-retention.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you - Network accessline 14
1. *[All the ways to grow your product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/all-the-ways-to-grow-your-product)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[How to kickstart and scale a consumer business—Step 5: Finding product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-9c8)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Kickstarting and scaling a consumer business—Step 6: Building your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-engines)* - Network accessline 24
To help us out, I’ve tapped [Olga Berezovsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgaberezovsky/), author of the wonderful [Data Analysis Journal](https://dataanalysis.substack.com/) newsletter, to get deep into the weeds of retention. Below, she - Network accessline 26
*You can follow Olga on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/olgaberezovsky/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/OlgaBerezovsky), and [subscribe to her newsletter here](https://dataanalysis.substack.com/).* - Network accessline 28
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On every team I was a part of over my 10+ year tenure as an analyst, I would continually work on our retention reporting. As one example, at [Change.org](https://www.change.org/), I was part of the Petition Starters squad, and by monitoring - Network accessline 34
**In this post, I’ll share the methods, tools, and strategies I’ve developed over the years to help you calculate cohort retention and understand the nuances of reporting on retention. For a primer on retention, make sure to read two of Len - Network accessline 38
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1. **Visit:** Too broad; you will overcount users, most likely having a challenge with unauthenticated and not registered users. Only relevant for the web. 2. **Session starts:** You’ll possibly overcount users by pulling in unauthenticated - Network accessline 47
2. **Session starts:** You’ll possibly overcount users by pulling in unauthenticated IDs. You will also need to limit the session length to a specific time range that should be unique to your product usage. If you don’t do this, you are lik - Network accessline 48
3. **Login or app opens:** Same as above, as you will need a way to exclude new users with their first app open event for cohorted retention and exclude unauthenticated users and duplicates. 4. **Web page views or screen views:** Too broad; - Network accessline 50
5. **Main user action** (e.g. item view, search, log an exercise, transaction, etc.): Too narrow, and easy to miss active users who don’t do the main activity you expect but keep using the app ([adjacent users](https://andrewchen.com/the-ad - Network accessline 56
 - Network accessline 70
> #### “A customer is defined as the person/group who is paying you. A user is a person using the product. In subscription products, oftentimes there are multiple users associated with a single customer. Or people are users before they are - Network accessline 74
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To make things easy, Amplitude, Mixpanel, Kissmetrics, Google Analytics, Adobe Analytics, and others are integrated via SDK with the client side (browser, app, device) and pass you client data, which is usually user and app activity. While - Network accessline 131
Assuming you have needed events loaded in the product analytics tool, you can read the guidance on how to approach retention graphs in [Amplitude](https://help.amplitude.com/hc/en-us/articles/230543327-Retention-Analysis#create-a-new-retent - Network accessline 133
❗Heads-up: Amplitude, Mixpanel, or similar analytics by default report N-day retention. Read more about N-day or unbounded retention differences in Amplitude: [3 Ways to Measure User Retention](https://amplitude.com/blog/3-ways-measure-user - Network accessline 170
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Find more SQL solutions for retention types [here](https://gist.github.com/ks--ks/446e6d78e8a49048d4eabf55c3363309). - Network accessline 220
There are many ways to visualize a retention report. I won’t be going into depth here, because the most common data visualization tools ([Tableau](https://www.tableau.com/), [Power BI](https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/)) require meaningf - Network accessline 224
If you are looking for a quick template for a cohorted retention graph, I recommend using [Christoph Janz’s cohort analysis template](https://www.dropbox.com/s/cbegrp1ohchgtj5/ChristophJanz_SaaSCohortAnalysisb.xlsx). If you have new custome - Network accessline 226
Regarding retention visualization format, quite often I see a line chart or a stacked line chart. Product analytics tools like [Amplitude](https://amplitude.com/) and [Mixpanel](https://mixpanel.com/) by default create line charts similar t - Network accessline 228
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[🗄<U+FE0F>](https://emojipedia.org/file-cabinet/) **Getting retention data via SQL is not straightforward** either, and your SQL code will be different depending on your underlying data structure and format. Create the foundation metrics tables fi - Network accessline 258
Given that retention includes so many elements of activity, it’s not the right metric to use for weekly reporting or as a baseline for an A/B test. Too often I have seen how product analytics teams evaluate experimentation against retention - Network accessline 264
Thank you for reading! If you want to learn more about analyzing, measuring, or reporting user behavior, product metrics, or A/B tests, subscribe to my [Data Analysis Journal](https://dataanalysis.substack.com/), a weekly newsletter about p - Network accessline 268
1. [Everything You Need to Know About Retention (Rates)](https://chartmogul.com/blog/retention-rate) from ChartMogul - Network accessline 269
2. [Lecture 6: Growth](https://genius.com/Alex-schultz-lecture-6-growth-annotated) from Alex Schultz, VP of Analytics, Meta - Network accessline 270
3. [3 Things Your User Retention Rate Is Hiding](https://mode.com/blog/what-user-retention-hides/) from Mode - Network accessline 271
4. [Cohort Analysis That Helps You Look Ahead](https://mode.com/blog/cohort-analysis-helps-look-ahead/) from Mode - Network accessline 272
5. [How to increase your retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-retention-issue) - Network accessline 273
6. [What is good retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 274
7. [User Engagement and Activity Histogram Analysis](https://dataanalysis.substack.com/p/user-engagement-and-activity-histogram) from Olga - Network accessline 275
8. [Day of the Week Analysis in SQL](https://dataanalysis.substack.com/p/day-of-the-week-analysis-in-sql-issue) from Olga - Network accessline 276
9. [Excel template for cohort analyses in SaaS](https://christophjanz.blogspot.com/2013/10/excel-template-for-cohort-analyses-in.html) from Christoph Janz - Network accessline 277
10. [How Cohort Analysis Improves Retention & Reduces Churn](https://heap.io/topics/how-cohort-analysis-improves-retention-reduces-churn) from Heap - Network accessline 283
[Join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to get bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 285
 - Network accessline 289
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 293
1. **Walmart:** [Sr./Principal Product Manager (Store No8 incubator)](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/22be805a-9d53-46f9-ac69-ddf6b158c2fb) (S.F., Manhattan, San Diego, Seattle)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-pass-any-first-round-interview-even-in-a-terrible-talent-market.md
- Network accessline 14
1. *[The unconventional Palantir principles that catalyzed a generation of startups](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-unconventional-palantir-principles)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[What 5 years at Reddit taught us about building for a highly opinionated user base](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-5-years-at-reddit-taught-us)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[How a traumatic brain injury made me a better PM—and person](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-a-traumatic-brain-injury-made)* - Network accessline 17
4. *[How to create an exceptional coverage plan for your parental leave](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-create-an-exceptional-coverage)* - Network accessline 21
This week’s post comes from the amazing [Coach Erika](https://coacherika.co/). Since 2020, Erika has coached 200+ job seekers on how to land their dream jobs. In today’s post, she shares a step-by-step guide for passing your first-round int - Network accessline 23
For more, follow Coach Erika on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/egemzer/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ErikaCoaches/), and definitely check out her newsletter, [The Career Whispers](https://thecareerwhispers.substack.com/). - Network accessline 25
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1. Paste the job description into a doc, then highlight keywords and concepts. 2. Put the keywords into a table (one row per keyword or concept). Then add a column to the right. [Here’s a template to get you started](https://docs.google.com - Network accessline 137
2. Put the keywords into a table (one row per keyword or concept). Then add a column to the right. [Here’s a template to get you started](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/16rMkstp5LsN99TEGALCBE4_bM7KqxpOW35swrIRzyD8/copy). - Network accessline 144
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Everything we discussed today is available in greater detail in my Substack, [The Career Whispers](https://thecareerwhispers.substack.com/). Useful deep-dive posts are linked below: - Network accessline 497
1. *Craft a Strategic and Compelling Career Story* using The Career Whispers issue #001 [here](https://thecareerwhispers.substack.com/p/001). - Network accessline 498
2. *Walk Down Memory Lane* with The Career Whispers issue #002 [here](https://thecareerwhispers.substack.com/p/002). - Network accessline 499
3. *Master Behavioral Interview Questions* in The Career Whispers issue #003 [here](https://thecareerwhispers.substack.com/p/003). - Network accessline 500
4. *Formulate G-R-R-REAT High-Signal Questions for Interviewers* in The Career Whispers issue #004 [here](https://thecareerwhispers.substack.com/p/004). - Network accessline 506
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/02-newsletters/how-to-run-seo-experiments.md
- Network accessline 12
Experimentation and SEO have been a hot topic with readers lately, so let’s spend one more week on it. If you look [into how companies grow](https://firstround.com/review/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playboo - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 20
But good news! Returning guest author [Brian Ta](https://twitter.com/fanfavorite_bta) generously offered to tackle this question for us this week. Brian led SEO efforts at five different companies, including Airbnb, Strava, and now AngelLis - Network accessline 38
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For this exercise, let’s pretend that we’re a Growth Product Manager at Figma on the Community team, and we want to grow the organic traffic coming into the [Community pages](https://www.figma.com/community). - Network accessline 122
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From looking at their [Community File page](https://www.figma.com/community/file/858143367356468985), I can see that they constructed their title tags with the following structure: - Network accessline 210
1. [Jeff Chang’s Growth Blog](https://www.growthengblog.com/blog/2018/4/15/scaling-new-growth-opportunities-series-seo-basics): Jeff is one of the original growth engineers at Pinterest and was the Growth Tech Lead there. Airbnb’s experimen - Network accessline 211
2. [Airbnb SEO Data Scientist Blog](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/experimentation-measurement-for-search-engine-optimization-b64136629760): This is written by our data scientist on the SEO team, Brian de Luna, who was absolutely ama - Network accessline 212
3. [Pinterest Engineering Blog](https://medium.com/pinterest-engineering/demystifying-seo-with-experiments-a183b325cf4c): An original blog post from Pinterest about their SEO experimentation framework. Airbnb’s experimentation framework is - Network accessline 214
*You can follow Brian on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/fanfavorite_bta) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianta626/).* - Network accessline 218
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/managing-up/comments) - Network accessline 222
**✨ Group Product Managers at Quora**: [Subscriptions](https://grnh.se/7c4200392us) and [Moderation](https://grnh.se/35dbcae12us) **(**sponsored**) ✨** - Network accessline 224
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4124465003), [Descript](https://jobs.lever.co/descript-2/08f9b563-c3e6-49a4-be07-82fafc1868af), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), - Network accessline 225
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC98C5FDFB/) - Network accessline 226
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8Cvl - Network accessline 227
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 228
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 229
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 230
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4188 - Network accessline 231
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://job - Network accessline 235
1. **Listen**: [Does Advertising Actually Work?](https://freakonomics.com/podcast/advertising-part-1/), by Freakonomics podcast - Network accessline 236
2. **Read**: [The Unusual Signs of a Billion Dollar Company](https://www.nfx.com/post/unusual-signs-billion-dollar-companies/), by Elad Gil - Network accessline 241
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/how-to-ship-like-a-startup.md
- Network accessline 10
[Mihika Kapoor](https://x.com/mihikapoor) is one of my all-time favorite podcast guests. Her passion, hustle, and ability to get sh\*t done have inspired so many listeners and readers to think bigger and bring more joy to their work. In fac - Network accessline 12
Mihika was one of the early leads on FigJam, Figma’s first-ever new product launch, and most recently, she pitched and launched Figma’s latest product, Figma Slides, which [in my recent survey of readers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/ - Network accessline 16
*Check out Mihika on [X](https://x.com/mihikapoor) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihikakapoor/), and, if you’re interested in more, she recently launched a live cohort-based course on Maven—[Product Storytelling: Pitch & Build - Network accessline 18
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[Figma Slides](https://www.figma.com/slides/) was a bottom-up initiative that came to life through a mixture of prototyping, camaraderie, and optimism bordering on delusion. Evangelizing the idea at hackathons, vision pitches, and product r - Network accessline 26
When Figma Slides debuted at Config 2024, Figma’s annual user conference, it proved to be a huge hit. Since the launch, we’ve seen people create millions of Figma Slides decks, and, as of last week, [it’s out of beta and available for all F - Network accessline 28
 to quickly get to a first draft, the barrier to getting started i - Network accessline 60
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*Thank you, Mihika! For more from Mihika, check her out on [X](https://x.com/mihikapoor), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihikakapoor/), and [her Maven course](https://bit.ly/3RgoNjk). Have a fulfilling and productive week 🙏* - Network accessline 264
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-spot-a-top-1-startup-early.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey there, I’m Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podca - Network accessline 12
*Annual subscribers get a **free year of 19 premium products**: [Lovable, Replit, Gamma, n8n, Bolt, Devin, PostHog, Linear, Wispr Flow, Descript, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, ChatPRD + Stripe Atlas - Network accessline 16
*For more from [Terrence Rohan](https://trohan.com/) (i.e. one of my absolute favorite seed investors), find him on [X](https://x.com/tmrohan?lang=en) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrencerohan/). Also, don’t miss his previous - Network accessline 18
*P.S. You can listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@le - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 114
Sean told us that **“in the earliest days of Slack, it was rough around the edges**. **To quote Stewart [Butterfield, co-founder], [it was a giant piece of shit](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RaFX5rnKKtY).** The bulk of the vision was ther - Network accessline 146
Cristina met Stripe’s Patrick Collison at a barbecue. Rasmus got a cold call from Spotify’s Daniel Ek in 2006. Soleio was invited to Palo Alto after winning an online design award. Bob already knew half of Palantir’s founding team from PayP - Possible obfuscationline 146
Cristina met Stripe’s Patrick Collison at a barbecue. Rasmus got a cold call from Spotify’s Daniel Ek in 2006. Soleio was invited to Palo Alto after winning an online design award. Bob already knew half of Palantir’s founding team from PayP - Network accessline 160
*Thanks, Terrence! For more, find [Terrence](https://trohan.com/) on [X](https://x.com/tmrohan?lang=en) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrencerohan/). Also, don’t miss his previous guest post: [Raising a seed round 101](https:/ - Network accessline 164
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-successfully-launch-on-product-hunt-when-its-right-for-your-startup.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Don’t miss **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more), my **[PM recruiting service](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** (helping you hire Sr. PMs and VPs), and my - Network accessline 16
Over the past few months, I’ve been polling startups that have done well on PH about their secret to winning. One name kept coming up: Leo Bosuener. Leo stays relatively under the radar (he doesn’t have a LinkedIn or Twitter profile), but h - Network accessline 20
**I ran this guide by [Rajiv Ayyangar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajiv-ayyangar) (CEO of Product Hunt), asking him what’s missing or wrong about this advice, and his response was, “This is honestly really great.” Rajiv went further and sh - Network accessline 22
*A huge thank-you to Leo for sharing his hard-earned wisdom. If you want to chat with Leo about your launch, [learn more about his service here](https://www.socialgrowthlabs.co/), and [grab a time to chat with him here](https://www.socialgr - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 30
On average, startups that do well on PH invest 50 to 120 hours preparing for launch. Though some startups hit #1 investing very little time, your odds go up significantly if you put in the time. The number of hours required to prepare for a - Network accessline 38
A few startups that have shared their metrics publicly include [Twinr](https://www.producthunt.com/discussions/1000-signups-after-the-product-hunt-launch-ask-me-anything), a no-code mobile app builder that won Product of the Day. Twinr rece - Network accessline 49
Finally, B2C products often see more signups than B2B products, thanks to a broader target market. The average B2B startup might get 50 to 300 signups and consider it a great success, whereas [B2C productivity tools](https://www.producthunt - Network accessline 59
First things first—set a conversion goal for your product. It’s great to aim for the top spot on Product Hunt, but what actually matters are your business KPIs: website visits, new signups, and trial conversions to paid. These are the metri - Network accessline 61
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[Here’s a template](https://socialgrowthlab.notion.site/Email-templates-to-engage-your-network-ba26eafaa9804c5db961c556286e7d6e?pvs=4) I use with my clients to help them craft these early outreach messages. - Network accessline 77
 - Network accessline 85
For a full launch preparation agenda, [see our Notion template here](https://socialgrowthlab.notion.site/Engaging-your-network-for-a-PH-Launch-fc37ed8746ba46ee914bc24e46d92dbd?pvs=4). - Network accessline 87
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As D-Day approaches, make sure you have a detailed plan for what you’re going to do throughout the day. [Here’s a template](https://socialgrowthlab.notion.site/Launch-Day-Timeline-40bfd3e9858a480e94533f200b1a142c?pvs=4) to create your launc - Network accessline 107
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> **Pro tip from [Rajiv Ayyangar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajiv-ayyangar) (CEO of Product Hunt):** “On launch day, don’t forget to use [an embed on your web page](https://help.producthunt.com/en/articles/2731371-how-to-add-a-product-hun - Network accessline 118
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Source: <https://compile.blog/product-hunt/best-time-to-post/> - Network accessline 143
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> **Pro tip from [Rajiv Ayyangar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajiv-ayyangar) (CEO of Product Hunt):** “A common failure mode is trying to make a tagline seem grander but in the process losing clarity (e.g. ‘An AI platform to turbocharge... - Network accessline 176
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> **Pro tip from [Rajiv Ayyangar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajiv-ayyangar) (CEO of Product Hunt):** “To be even more explicit: Show the UI. The PH community wants to know what your product looks like!” - Network accessline 196
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[Here’s an example](https://www.producthunt.com/products/attio#attio-2) of a simple but powerful demo walkthrough created by the maker team: - Network accessline 204
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAm5qHUOFes) - Network accessline 216
[Here’s a great example](https://www.producthunt.com/products/daydream-3#daydream-3): - Network accessline 218
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A prominent figure in the tech community hunting your product can give you a visibility boost, but it’s not a make-or-break factor. Success on Product Hunt comes down to the product itself, the story you tell, and how you engage with the co - Network accessline 268
> **Closing thoughts from [Rajiv Ayyangar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rajiv-ayyangar) (CEO of Product Hunt):** “Ultimately, a successful launch is about the market resonating with your product and positioning. Think of the market like a gu - Network accessline 272
1. [Templates for engaging your network for a Product Hunt launch](https://socialgrowthlab.notion.site/Engaging-your-network-for-a-PH-Launch-fc37ed8746ba46ee914bc24e46d92dbd?pvs=4) - Network accessline 273
2. [Launch-day template agenda](https://socialgrowthlab.notion.site/Launch-Day-Timeline-40bfd3e9858a480e94533f200b1a142c) - Network accessline 274
3. [Product Wars 2](https://pw2.akkio.com/)—The best new way to monitor your launch day on Product Hunt - Network accessline 276
*If you want to chat with Leo about your Product Hunt launch, [learn more here](https://www.socialgrowthlabs.co/), and [grab a time to chat with him here](https://www.socialgrowthlabs.co/schedule-a-call/).* - Network accessline 282
We recently partnered with Notion to help them scale their PM team. [One role that’s particularly interesting to me](https://boards.greenhouse.io/notion/jobs/5841932003) is an opportunity to own the end-to-end Project Management experience - Network accessline 284
[Apply to Notion](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/onboard/v3/0153c44c-b8c4-44b6-ba42-78fbcf220033/get-referred) - Network accessline 286
*If you’re hiring and want to work with us, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apprGaxWWPYU0068E/shr2WFo5UqJjA5dQ8). Our team will reach out if we think it’s a good fit. Note, we primarily work with fast-growing U.S.-based startups.* - Network accessline 288
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-pm-work.md
- Network accessline 14
Though I don’t believe PMs will be displaced by GPT-4/5/6/n, I do believe that, as with most knowledge work, learning to work alongside AI will quickly become table stakes. Just like [Grammarly](https://www.grammarly.com/) became for writin - Network accessline 16
Importantly, as Dan Shipper suggested in [his recent guest post on building the Lenny Chatbot](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/i-built-a-lenny-chatbot-using-gpt), **“the best way to prepare for this fast-approaching future is to dive in - Network accessline 18
To follow along, [go sign up for ChatGPT](https://chat.openai.com/auth/login) (seriously, go do that now), and try at least one prompt you find below. Even if you don’t find it useful today, it’ll plant a seed. - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 93
2. [Come up with product name suggestions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/come-up-with-product-name-suggestions) - Network accessline 94
3. [Strengthen your argument](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/strengthen-your-argument) - Network accessline 95
4. [Inspire roadmap ideas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/inspire-roadmap-ideas) - Network accessline 96
5. [Come up with customer interview questions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/come-up-with-customer-interview-questions) - Network accessline 97
6. [Inspire PRDs and user stories](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/inspire-prds-and-user-stories) - Network accessline 98
7. [Improve your writing](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/improve-your-writing) - Network accessline 99
8. [Do market research](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/do-market-research) - Network accessline 100
9. [Ask technical questions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/ask-technical-questions) - Network accessline 101
10. [Create a v1 landing page](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/create-a-v-landing-page) - Network accessline 102
11. [Create a v1 pitch deck](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/create-a-v-pitch-deck) - Network accessline 103
12. [Say no](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/111708404/and-maybe-most-importantly-help-you-say-no) - Network accessline 109
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-pm-work/comments) - Network accessline 113
1. [A native Mac app](https://github.com/vincelwt/chatgpt-mac) that I’ve found handy - Network accessline 114
2. [Write My PRD](https://writemyprd.com/) - Network accessline 115
3. [How to use ChatGPT in product management](https://bootcamp.uxdesign.cc/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-product-management-f96d8ac5ee6f) - Network accessline 116
4. [45 ChatGPT Use Cases for Product Managers](https://aatir.substack.com/p/45-chatgpt-use-cases-for-product) - Network accessline 120
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf1o0TQzry8) - Network accessline 126
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 128
 - Network accessline 132
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 136
1. **BioRender:** [Product Manager, Growth](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/2ebe3227-5d14-4dd1-bfce-6a03eb3a1eee) (Toronto, remote) - Network accessline 137
2. **BioRender:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/96f22fb3-100d-4f39-9782-d4efb80fe3bc) (Toronto, remote) - Network accessline 138
3. **BioRender:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6e874b72-2779-40e2-a135-c5beb7cc89dc) (Toronto, remote) - Network accessline 140
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/02-newsletters/how-to-use-perplexity-in-your-pm-work.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 14
1. *[On saying no](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-say-no)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[The art of the pivot, part 1: The definitive list of successful pivots](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-of-the-pivot-part-1-the-definitive)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[The art of the pivot, part 2: How, why, and when to pivot](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-of-the-pivot-part-2-how-why)* - Network accessline 17
4. *[In defense of feature team PMs](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/in-defense-of-feature-team-product)* - Network accessline 19
*Subscribe to get access to these posts, and every post. For more: **[Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) | [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Swag](https://lennyswag.com/) | [Best of Lenny’s Newsletter](https://www.len - Network accessline 21
Chatbot tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are quickly becoming de facto co-pilots for product managers. I ran this poll on [X](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1795512255427268746) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_b - Network accessline 23
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[Robert Bye,](https://x.com/RobertJBye/) a PM at Figma, shared a common sentiment: - Network accessline 27
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Interestingly, Perplexity was the second most mentioned chatbot, behind ChatGPT. I’m not surprised. I recently did a [deep dive on how Perplexity builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-perplexity-builds-product), and while w - Network accessline 42
This collection builds on [How PMs use ChatGPT to do their work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-pm-work) (currently my [fourth most viewed](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/archive?sort=top) post) and expands - Network accessline 50
1. [Explain growth accounting to a product manager](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Explain-growth-accounting-amwLSoSSRQujWzA07eEi7Q) - Network accessline 52
 - Network accessline 54
2. [Walk through the evolution of Dropbox’s referral program. Why did it work?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Walkthrough-the-evolution-ncXVojGVT4ClsNidaprqaQ) - Network accessline 56
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3. [How are the app store top charts calculated?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/How-are-the-NrPJ0.v4Tz.OfbgrgqkYSQ) - Network accessline 60
4. [Give me examples of a reverse trial that led to an increase in conversion rate](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Examples-of-a-1z75apuSSHK7Z_GubTUwzw) - Network accessline 62
5. [Incrementality test designs for advertising campaigns](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Incrementality-test-designs-oJlPmO_1SrK49JtQ_sFpyA) - Network accessline 64
6. [Google Play and Apple App Store optimization techniques](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Google-Play-and-S_1cAbynS2i3wuHGM7YWxQ) - Network accessline 68
7. [What is the average open rate for push notifications on Android and iOS?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-is-the-36oOjPRcS9ix5_3TQdMDrg) - Network accessline 70
 - Network accessline 72
8. [Using Lenny’s Newsletter research, what is good retention for a consumer product?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Using-Lennys-Newsletter-jX4jUkNkTIOJ4DGrX__W5Q) - Network accessline 74
 - Network accessline 76
9. [What is CSAT and how is it calculated? Include CSAT scores from top technology companies.](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-is-CSAT-37_RX93cQGG2JFVNZjgREA) - Network accessline 78
10. [What is Net Promoter Score and how is it calculated? Include NPS scores from top technology companies.](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-is-Net-dKTr8KBaQOqInehtzv..pQ) - Network accessline 80
11. [Explain the product-market-fit survey by Rahul Vohra](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Explain-the-product-DnY9tJpdQ_Cmz7WVp3bMRg) - Network accessline 84
12. [Notion’s AI go-to-market strategy](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Notions-AI-gotomarket-pLAJwSwNTqaqYj7bbfJaIA) - Network accessline 86
 - Network accessline 88
13. [Provide a detailed overview of Deel’s go-to-market strategy](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Provide-a-detailed-DQDUqd5rSF.fDIRNb_dINw) - Network accessline 90
 - Network accessline 92
14. [How many rides does the average ridesharing user take per month?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/How-many-rides-LmKa2NMBQmWsSHyNGcL0hg) - Network accessline 94
15. [How does Airtable upsell users to an Enterprise plan?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/How-does-Airtable-A83kBON8RiCSKgdiJl4i0g) - Network accessline 98
16. [List of brainstorming techniques for product managers](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/List-of-brainstorm-pxZqk0SGR6ubuM64XMiZgg) - Network accessline 100
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17. [How did Spotify use the Jobs to Be Done framework?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/How-did-Spotify-ekSWR9OQQT6tf0k3ChEDaA) - Network accessline 104
 - Network accessline 106
18. [Walk through the evolution of Slack’s personalized user onboarding experience](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Walkthrough-the-evolution-gcxHoBwKSYyxVzIo5A6ylA) - Network accessline 110
19. [Compare and contrast product analytics tools: Amplitude, Mixpanel, and Posthog. Include key features, existing customers, differentiation points, and user reviews.](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Compare-and-contrast-yJ40YkoBS2CPN6DW - Network accessline 112
 - Network accessline 114
20. [Compare and contrast Zendesk, Drift, and Intercom. Include key features, existing customers, differentiation points, and user reviews.](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Compare-and-contrast-yJ40YkoBS2CPN6DWO8_u4g) - Network accessline 116
21. [What is the difference between Segment and Freshpaint?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-is-the-a138wLCHRHilDnl52RHwzg) - Network accessline 118
22. [Weather APIs by developer preference](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Weather-APIs-by-0XyQFoO7QNupxaw7DKfmjQ) - Network accessline 120
23. [Most popular tools for in-app localization](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Most-popular-tools-GDK8VhgVTASEgU20cyWgmQ) - Network accessline 124
24. [Explain what DAU/MAU means](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/Explain-what-DAUMAU-QfYWRw3ITPWC2ccd8oQ4yA) - Network accessline 126
 - Network accessline 128
25. [What is Kubernetes?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-is-Kubernetes-_yDOXAyXSS6JSfP9QUY8TA) - Network accessline 130
 - Network accessline 132
26. [What is the difference between GraphQL and REST?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-is-the-a_NLmDn_QmaMQBjOKsg0nw) - Network accessline 134
27. [What is the difference between follow and no follow backlinks?](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/What-is-the-KR5MJrlHQwyu7Wxsh6090w) - Network accessline 136
For more, check out [this slick landing page](https://www.perplexity.ai/productmanagers) the Perplexity team put up. - Network accessline 140
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-perplexity-in-your-pm/comments) - Network accessline 150
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 154
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup-idea.md
- Network accessline 10
 - Network accessline 14
- **Part 1:** [How to come up with a great B2B startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) - Network accessline 15
- **Part 2:** How to validate your idea *← This post* - **Part 3:** [How to identify your ICP](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer) - **Part 4:** [How to find and win your first 10 customers](https://www.l - Network accessline 16
- **Part 3:** [How to identify your ICP](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer) - Network accessline 17
- **Part 4:** [How to find and win your first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers) - Network accessline 18
- **Part 5:** [How to find product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 19
- **Part 6:** [How, and when, to hire your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - Network accessline 20
- **Part 7:** [How to scale your growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/scaling-your-b2b-growth-engine) - Network accessline 24
*A huge thank-you to **[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/)** (COO of Notion), **[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/)** (CEO of Databricks), **[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/)** - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 28
Forty percent (nearly half!) of the companies I spoke with went through at least one failed idea before discovering something that worked. Some went through 10. As [Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo) eloquently put i - Network accessline 58
4. **Cold inbound interest:** You’re seeing cold inbound interest in your product 6. *Every* prosumer collaboration product, including Figma, Notion, Coda, Airtable, Miro, and Slack, spent *three to four years* wandering in the dark until t - Network accessline 60
7. As I mentioned, about 40% of startups pivoted at least once before landing on their winning idea—oftentimes more than once. This rate is a lot higher than [in B2C](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/48316625/high-level-takeaways), where - Network accessline 62
 - Network accessline 73
If you look closely, all four paths are just different ways to validate the same things we focused on in [part 1](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups)—*pull* and *pain*—with varying degrees of up-front in - Network accessline 92
> **And then we got an email from an old Dropbox colleague who was like, ‘I hear you guys have become SOC 2 consultants. That’s super-weird. I thought you were going to do other things with your life. But also, can you come do this for my c - Network accessline 94
> —[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo), founder and CEO - Network accessline 102
> One of the early aha moments there was a company that was legitimately spending money on seven different project management tools. They were growing so fast that they had forgotten to cancel the subscriptions. They had adopted Basecamp an - Network accessline 104
> —[Eric Glyman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eglyman/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 116
> **We also had a very stringent list of, I think, 16 criteria for the idea we were going to work on. And this idea actually met all of them.** > >  > - Network accessline 118
>  - Network accessline 120
> But we were very honest with ourselves. We worked on a bunch of terrible ideas before, and if there’s anything we had learned, it’s that today will be the easiest day to kill the idea and do something better. It’ll always be harder tomorr - Network accessline 122
> —[Rujul Zaparde](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/) and [Lu Cheng](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lu-cheng-973b7830/), co-founders - Network accessline 128
> **We specifically didn’t go the design partner route, and instead focused on getting a self-serve product out as soon as possible, specifically an email magic links product.** > > [Chetan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chetanputtagunta) (ou - Network accessline 129
> > [Chetan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chetanputtagunta) (our lead investor at Benchmark) gave us advice that selling authentication to large companies would take a long time, since they’d need a lot of features. The advice we had gotten - Network accessline 130
> [Chetan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chetanputtagunta) (our lead investor at Benchmark) gave us advice that selling authentication to large companies would take a long time, since they’d need a lot of features. The advice we had gotten wa - Network accessline 132
> —[Julianna Lamb](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannaelamb/) and [Reed McGinley-Stempel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-mcginley-stempel-17362245/), co-founders - Network accessline 142
> **What you’re looking for is really, really deep emotion.** So, what I heard from people was extreme frustration with their current payroll providers. The moment you just asked them the simple question of ‘What do you feel about your curr - Network accessline 144
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 152
> DevOps founders were quite supportive of the idea, and agreed with both the need and the opportunity. They’ve all seen or run companies that disrupted incumbents by embracing a DevOps approach. The few security people I spoke to were skep - Network accessline 154
> —[Guy Podjarny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypo/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 158
> “**Before we shipped a single card, we talked to over 100 finance and founder teams.** We’d reach out to old YC batch-mates, or old friends who left companies and went to other companies; also the founders in the New York tech ecosystem.” - Network accessline 160
> —[Eric Glyman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eglyman/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 168
> Some of them used it, but were they interested in paying money? Hell, no. I think in retrospect, I should have continued dedicating half of my time to going out and talking to customers. But that’s in retrospect. In the end, though, it wo - Network accessline 170
> —[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/), CEO and co-founder - Network accessline 176
[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/) at **Retool** relied on his past experience building internal tools at multiple companies, but still wanted to validate his thinking along the way: - Network accessline 184
> “We realized when you sell to YC batch-mates, or people that you have some relationship with, it’s very easy to delude yourself into thinking that you have product-market fit, because everyone is always kind of interested. It’s like, ‘Oh - Network accessline 186
> —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 190
> “We made an active decision to focus on cold outbound, versus friends. We wanted to know if this was a shitty idea or a good idea. And **if we sell to friends, they might buy it because they feel bad or whatever. It’ll confuse us. So we h - Network accessline 192
> —[Rujul Zaparde](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rujulz/) and [Lu Cheng](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lu-cheng-973b7830/), co-founders - Network accessline 200
> **But then once you hear both sides so often, you start to realize there’s no way of convincing the people who don’t feel the pain to overcome that unless they overcome it themselves. So let’s just focus on the people who feel the pain an - Network accessline 202
> ***—***[Jori Lallo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorilallo/), co-founder - Network accessline 208
> During the beta process, we had a bunch of systems that recorded the users’ screens using Gong. And we were watching these like maniacs, every day. I would probably spend two hours watching people interact with the system, reverse enginee - Network accessline 210
> —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 212
With **Sprig**,[Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/) worked with just four companies that were immediately excited—and again, paid the most attention to cold outbound as a signal of true pull: - Network accessline 220
> I got a meeting with Thunkable. They came over to our office, I did a demo, they installed our SDK. A week later I came back and they wanted help figuring out all these issues, and usability, and how much it costs, and they ended up being - Network accessline 222
> —[Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 224
With **Hex**,[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/) also had a strong sense of what needed to be built, because of his previous experience, and was able to validate it quickly with just two design partners: - Network accessline 228
> It was one customer for us in particular that early on started using it for real. When they started sharing stuff and asking for features proactively from us—that’s when I knew we were on the right track. I wasn’t so worried about like, ‘ - Network accessline 230
> —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 247
> What convinced us to commit, frankly, was desperation. We were running out of money and ‘would have to find real jobs’ in the next few months if this didn’t work out. We decided to launch and give it our best shot. Our backup plan was to - Network accessline 249
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/), co-founder - Network accessline 255
> Once we launched, every new sign-up was prompted with a welcome email coming from one of us founders. We were so eager to talk to anyone who was using Loom. We closed out our first month with around six to eight thousand users, and for ou - Network accessline 257
> —[Shahed Khan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahedkhan/), co-founder - Network accessline 263
> I’d say our product was probably driven by 70% vision and 30% user feedback along the way. We were strongly building towards our vision, but as we had prototypes, we would put them in front of people and get their reaction. Once we had a - Network accessline 265
> —[Cameron Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/themaninblue/), co-founder and CPO - Network accessline 269
> “We were in the special category, different from most companies, which is the open source category. Open source companies have intrinsic advantages and disadvantages. **The advantage of open source companies like ours is that by the time - Network accessline 271
> —[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 297
> The final shot at it was essentially that Ivan and Simon [Last, co-founder] moved to Japan for a few months and rebuilt everything from the ground up. And they did that because they kept their burn very low. Funny enough, they were able t - Network accessline 299
> —[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/), co-founder and COO - Network accessline 303
> “When I joined, they were still in stealth mode and the company had existed for three years at that point, building in the dark. I was like, dude, you can’t be in stealth mode for three years. People were getting stressed and going crazy, - Network accessline 305
> —[Sho Kuwamoto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/), VP of Product - Network accessline 309
> “From inception to Coda 1.0, it took us four and a half years. Longer than Figma. You’re going to have to extend all your charts for us. It’s what we expected right from the onset. Coda is displacing a set of legacy productivity surfaces - Network accessline 311
> —[Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 315
> “In the frenetic world of tech, where the ruling ethos is to move fast and break things, Howie Liu moves at a glacial pace. With Andrew Ofstad and Emmett Nicholas, he launched Airtable in 2013. They wanted to create a spreadsheet with the - Network accessline 317
> —*[Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbertoni/2018/11/15/move-slow-and-make-things-airtables-howie-liu-built-a-1b-software-giant-emphasizing-substance-over-speed/?sh=319a46c21f20)* - Network accessline 331
> In our case, Alex [DeNeui] and I had a quite high bar for committing to an idea, because both of us had reasonably high opportunity costs, plenty of other things to go and do. But actually the thing that probably pushed us over the edge i - Network accessline 333
> —[Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/), co-founder and CEO of Coda - Network accessline 345
> This person was the accountant of the company called Bump back in the day. We sat down and ate Thai food in Mountain View, and we just said: ‘We’re thinking about building a new payroll product, a new payroll company.’ We didn’t even star - Network accessline 347
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO of Gusto - Network accessline 357
> **These two conversations weren’t PMF, in that we can build a business, but for me, it was founder-motivation fit. I know these people can be more empowered, and they’re only going to get there if we bring it to them. It’s going to take a - Network accessline 359
> —[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/), co-founder and CEO of Census - Network accessline 365
> “**The way I articulate it to people is that it was just this snowball of momentum, where at a certain point it just seemed inevitable that we were going to do it.** There were a lot of conversations leading up to that of being in my head - Network accessline 367
> —[Julianna Lamb](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannaelamb/), co-founder and CTO of Stytch - Network accessline 371
> “For me, it was just a leap of faith. I did not allow myself to doubt too much. I think I had enough conviction that it was a problem worth solving, through people signing up to the landing page and conversations with potential customers. - Network accessline 373
> —[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-collin-bb59492a/en/), co-founder and CEO of Front - Network accessline 377
> “I knew it was time to commit when Segment allowed us to be a ‘SOC 2 consultant’ and spend time with their engineering team to put together a gap assessment for them.” > > —[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/), fou - Network accessline 379
> —[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/), founder and CEO of Vanta - Network accessline 383
> “Frankly, it was desperation. We were running out of money and would have to ‘find real jobs’ in the next few months if this didn’t work out. We decided to launch and give it our best shot. Our backup plan was to try and launch a group-tr - Network accessline 385
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/), co-founder of Segment - Network accessline 389
> “It was a weird cosmic coincidence that my co-founder [Glen Takahashi] and I both were going to have to move to support our significant others’ jobs. We were both living in New York, and both of our significant others had gotten really co - Network accessline 391
> —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), co-founder and CEO of Hex - Network accessline 397
> “As soon as Dylan [Field] and Evan [Wallace] got the Thiel Fellowship, they were like, ‘Hey, we’ve got this money that gives us a runway to try stuff. So let’s just try stuff.’ **They were committed to building a company from the beginnin - Network accessline 399
> —[Sho Kuwamoto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/), VP of Product of Figma - Network accessline 413
> To Curtis [Liu]’s credit, my co-founder at Amplitude, he was like, ‘I want to do it, but I want to stay at Google for a year first.’ I’m like, ‘If he goes to Google, he’s never coming out of that thing.’ So, we’d worked together on side p - Network accessline 415
> —[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates/), co-founder and CEO of Amplitude - Network accessline 419
> “**My first decision was to leave Akamai and start another company. I loved the startup experience, and I wanted to prove to myself Blaze wasn’t a fluke and that I can do it again.** Moreover, I wanted to build something bigger than Blaze - Network accessline 421
> —[Guy Podjarny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypo/?originalSubdomain=uk), co-founder and CEO of Snyk - Network accessline 423
### Next: [How to identify your ideal customer profile (ICP)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer) - Network accessline 429
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 431
 - Network accessline 435
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 437
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/how-to-validate-your-startup-idea.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to a ✨ **monthly free edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s - Network accessline 14
1. *[What is a good growth rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-growth-rate?s=w)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[Preparing for a PM interview](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/preparing-for-a-pm-interview?s=w)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Open thread: How is your product org organized?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/open-thread-how-is-your-product-org/comments?s=w)* - Network accessline 22
To help you navigate this critical time, [Todd Jackson](https://twitter.com/tjack) (partner at First Round Capital) spent 2+ months researching, interviewing, and synthesizing lessons from some of today’s most exciting companies to understa - Network accessline 24
In his nearly 20-year career, Todd has helped build some of the biggest products in tech that hundreds of millions of people use every day, from Gmail’s UX and Facebook’s Newsfeed, to Twitter’s timeline and Dropbox’s bottom-up revenue engin - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 28
As a seed-stage investor at [First Round Capital](https://firstround.com/), I get to meet a lot of founders who are exploring and validating their ideas. It’s an exciting time for them and, as a former founder myself, I relate to the thrill - Network accessline 30
While there’s no single right way to get started or build a business—and timing, luck, and grit often play an outsize role—over the years, I’ve observed a few commonalities in how strong businesses got their start. From my own startup ideas - Network accessline 34
1. [Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/), CEO and co-founder of **[Vanta](https://www.vanta.com/)** - Network accessline 35
2. [Ryan Petersen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rpetersen/), CEO and founder of **[Flexport](https://www.flexport.com/)** - Network accessline 36
3. [Mahima Chawla](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahimachawla1/), CEO and co-founder of **[Cocoon](https://www.meetcocoon.com/)** - Network accessline 37
4. [Josh Wais](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwais/) and [Lauren McDevitt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmcdevitt/), co-founders of **[Good Dog](https://www.gooddog.com/)** - Network accessline 38
5. [Kevin Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhuangtan/), CEO and founder of **[Snackpass](https://www.snackpass.co/)** - Network accessline 39
6. [Nick Fajt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasfajt/), CEO and co-founder of **[Rec Room](https://recroom.com/)** - Network accessline 40
7. [Edith Harbaugh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/edithharbaugh/), CEO and co-founder of **[LaunchDarkly](https://launchdarkly.com/)** - Network accessline 41
8. [Kurtis Lin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtislin/), CEO and co-founder of **[Pinwheel](https://www.pinwheelapi.com/)** - Network accessline 43
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[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo/) is the CEO and co-founder of [Vanta](https://www.vanta.com/), an automated security monitoring platform that helps companies get SOC 2, HIPAA, or ISO 27001 certified quickly. Laun - Network accessline 81
They started by developing a [gap assessment](https://www.vanta.com/industry-topics/how-to-identify-and-close-gaps-in-soc-2-compliance) similar to what a SOC 2 consultant would create, with the goal of confirming they understood the require - Network accessline 95
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 - Network accessline 114
[Mahima Chawla](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahimachawla1/) is the CEO and co-founder of [Cocoon](https://www.meetcocoon.com/), an employee-leave platform designed to empower companies to better support their team members through life’s mos - Network accessline 118
Mahima and her co-founders, [Amber Feng](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberfeng/) and [Lauren Dai](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurendai/), started by exploring pivotal life moments, particularly around the significant transition to becoming - Network accessline 138
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 - Network accessline 159
[Josh Wais](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshwais/), CEO, and [Lauren McDevitt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenmcdevitt/), Chief Experience Officer, co-founded [Good Dog](https://www.gooddog.com/) to make it simple to get a dog responsibl - Network accessline 177
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[Kevin Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhuangtan/) is the CEO and founder of [Snackpass](https://www.snackpass.co/), a social commerce platform that focuses on mobile order pickup at local restaurants. Founded in 2016, Snackpass has ra - Network accessline 223
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[Nick Fajt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasfajt/) is the CEO and co-founder of [Rec Room](https://recroom.com/), an online universe that enables users to play and create games with friends. Founded in 2016, Rec Room has raised $294M. - Network accessline 276
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We followed that approach, made a [slick video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chUtv1kWIg8), and sent it to all the big Android blogs (Android Central, Phandroid, Android Police, etc.) the night before launch. When we woke up the next day, - Network accessline 336
 - Network accessline 350
> #### “The biggest advice is simple—look for an audience that is large (or will become large) but is currently underserved, and then really take the time to dig in and understand their needs. Ask them questions, then another round of quest - Network accessline 354
1. Seek out both functional *and* emotional needs from your users to make sure you build something that’s must-have, not nice-to-have (more on that [here](https://review.firstround.com/after-15-years-as-a-product-leader-ceo-and-now-vc-heres - Network accessline 364
 - Network accessline 366
[Edith Harbaugh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/edithharbaugh/) is the CEO and co-founder of [LaunchDarkly](https://launchdarkly.com/), a feature management platform that allows software development teams to deliver to their customers. Started - Network accessline 374
 - Network accessline 378
Edith partnered with [John Kodumal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkodumal/), a college friend who had been at Atlassian (which also had an internal solution to the problem). He started building a solution while Edith began talking to people - Network accessline 392
The growing sales had a snowball effect as current customers became references for new customers, and the business took off. While Edith was convinced her idea was sound from the beginning, she acknowledges it took a lot longer to get going - Network accessline 398
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 - Network accessline 414
[Kurtis Lin](https://www.pinwheelapi.com/) is the CEO and co-founder of [Pinwheel](https://www.pinwheelapi.com/), the market-leading payroll data connectivity platform building the income layer to power a fairer financial system. Pinwheel h - Network accessline 418
Kurt and his co-founders, [Curtis Lee](https://www.linkedin.com/in/curtisylee/) and [Anish Basu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anishb/), went through multiple early pivots in their founder journey and, along the way, built a framework for dev - Network accessline 422
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[Ryan Petersen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rpetersen/) is the CEO of [Flexport](https://www.flexport.com/), a full-service global freight forwarder and logistics platform using modern software to fix the user experience in global trade. Fo - Network accessline 534
**Trap #1: Asking the wrong questions.** It seems really easy to just start talking to people, but if you don’t approach customer conversations correctly, there’s a good chance you’ll come away with useless or misleading information. Humans - Network accessline 560
I’d love to give you tidy answers on when to raise various rounds of funding, but it’s not an exact science and there’s no one set of metrics to achieve for each raise. For general guidance, you should check out [Lenny’s recent article on g - Network accessline 566
 - Network accessline 580
*You can email Todd at todd.jackson@firstround.com, and follow him on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/tjack) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddj0/).* - Network accessline 586
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 588
 - Network accessline 592
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 594
#### **🔥 [Featured job openings](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** - Network accessline 596
1. **Roofstock:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/89098663-b9f7-414b-b374-b76111d93917) (Remote) - Network accessline 597
2. **Clipboard Health:** [Growth Strategy and Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/82ed8c6a-418a-44e3-9b37-fff54792ba6f) (Remote) - Network accessline 598
3. **Around:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/942a7802-9e65-40ed-bced-cb939e6cfa32) (Remote) - Network accessline 599
4. **Karate Combat:** [Founding Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/bb059354-70d4-41de-a0b0-77b51067a817) (Remote) - Network accessline 600
5. **Balance Homes:** [Founding Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b9e8f81a-ae8c-427b-8072-71097b7c3197) (Remote) - Network accessline 601
6. **Ellis:** [Software Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/dbba97cd-8552-4e1f-96d2-f6092bdff5a5) (Remote) - Network accessline 602
7. **WorkWhile:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8be3c844-7997-4d22-9edd-28ae8e541860) (Remote) - Network accessline 603
8. **Clipboard Health:** [Engineering Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/299a6ac5-8435-4596-8262-b29c15c7613f) (Remote)
references/02-newsletters/how-to-win-in-consumer-subscription.md
- Network accessline 12
Think about it: When was the last time you (1) installed, (2) paid for, and (3) continued to pay for, a new app? I bet you it’s been a while. For me, it was upgrading to [Twitter Blue](https://help.twitter.com/en/using-twitter/twitter-blue) - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 16
It’s brutal out there. But it’s not hopeless. There are a number of consumer apps that have stood the test of time, including some of my favorites: [Grammarly](https://www.grammarly.com/), [Duolingo](https://www.duolingo.com/), [Noom](https - Network accessline 24
*Thank you, [Alex Ross](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexross8/) ([Greg](https://greg.app/)), [Andres Ugarte](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andresugarte/) ([Copilot](https://copilot.money/)), [Artem Petakov](https://twitter.com/artemon) ([Noom - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 34
At Grammarly, [Yuriy Timen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuriytimen/) (ex-Head of Growth) shared a similar story: - Network accessline 38
Same with Noom, as [Artem Petakov](https://www.linkedin.com/in/artem-petakov-745a62b/) (co-founder) shared: - Network accessline 42
[Nikhil Jhunjhnuwala](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhiljhunjhnuwala/) (VP of Growth at Noom) went deeper: - Network accessline 50
And at [Future](https://www.future.co/), as [Rishi Mandal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rmandal/) (CEO) shared: - Network accessline 66
> #### “Grammarly’s product strategy was to sit across all your apps and writing environments (i.e. mobile keyboard, browser extension), so that immediately informed our rapid funnel and creative experimentation.” —[Yuriy Timen](https://www - Network accessline 74
> #### Duolingo created a great free user experience, where no user had to pay to learn a language. It offered all of its learning content for free and only monetized additional features (like no ads, unlimited health etc.). Since the produ - Network accessline 76
> #### —[Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/), VP of Product at Duolingo - Network accessline 80
> #### “The bar for freemium models at the time was Skype, which converted about 7% of their users to pay at least something—maybe a dollar. We hit that in a few months, but it just continued from there. Past 10%, 15%, 20%—and we realized t - Network accessline 82
> #### —Gustav Söderström, chief R&D officer, via [Spotify: A Product Story](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7oB1UYZtOiKqY1Gj3niptG) - Network accessline 92
But be forewarned, the paid growth channel is very different these days, as [James Li](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lijames/) (founder of [Mighty Health](https://www.mightyhealth.com/), an exercise and nutrition app for adults 50+) pointed o - Network accessline 94
> #### “The paid acquisition landscape is more challenging than ever. With a saturated B2C app market, CPMs were already trending higher, but last year’s iOS 14 changes were the proverbial nail in the coffin. We’ve observed founder friends - Network accessline 98
> #### “One noteworthy tailwind that’s helping to offset some of the increase in CAC for earlier-stage subscription apps is that the cuts App Store and Play Store take are coming down, which boosts gross margins. Most big apps that are oper - Network accessline 100
> #### —[Alex Ross](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexross8/), CEO of [Greg](https://greg.app/) - Network accessline 116
> #### “Learning a language is hard, especially since it’s self-motivated learning. So we knew we had to create a fun experience in order to create a sticky product with good retention. We gamified language learning through many product fea - Network accessline 124
> #### If you’re going to try to tear people out of an existing habit that already works for them, you need to be 10 times better—especially if that existing habit happens to be free, while you’re planning to charge $120 per year for it!” > - Network accessline 126
> #### —Gustav Söderström via [Spotify: A Product Story](https://open.spotify.com/episode/7oB1UYZtOiKqY1Gj3niptG) - Network accessline 138
For [Future](https://www.future.co/), it was figuring out how to crack churn in a historically high-churn market: - Network accessline 148
For [Greg](https://greg.app/) (a plant care app), it’s about getting users to that “aha” moment as quickly as possible: - Network accessline 154
Most important of all, across growth and product, is to figure out what’s *different* about your product or distribution very early on, as [Andres Ugarte](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andresugarte/) (CEO of [Copilot](https://copilot.money/)) - Network accessline 160
> #### “To have a successful subscription consumer app, you need to become a part of your users’ daily habits. A good way to measure this is DAU/WAU and DAU/MAU. Very early on, we iterated quickly on the feature set to find hooks that would - Network accessline 162
> #### —[Andres Ugarte](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andresugarte/), CEO of Copilot - Network accessline 176
[Flo](https://flo.health/) had a similar philosophy, as [Nick Lisher](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lish/) (CMO) shared with me: - Network accessline 180
[James Li](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lijames/) ([Mighty Health](https://mightyhealth.com/)) also shared how important constant optimization has been for his company: - Network accessline 184
Similarly, Ulf Schwekendiek (CEO of [Centered](https://www.centered.app/)) recently saw massive improvement from a small update to the website: - Network accessline 188
But as [Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/) (VP of Product at Duolingo) reminds us, it’s important to think long-term: - Network accessline 202
> “One of our biggest wins came from going from monthly to four-month plans, and offering add-ons right after signups when motivation is the highest for our customers. Interestingly, money is a strong lever for us. Even paying $1 up front w - Network accessline 204
> —[Nikhil Jhunjhnuwala](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhiljhunjhnuwala/), Noom - Network accessline 216
> You have much more freedom to price-test by driving users to a web-based funnel than within the iOS subscription framework (where every pricing change needs to be approved and displayed).” > > —[James Li](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lijam - Network accessline 218
> —[James Li](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lijames/), Mighty Health - Network accessline 222
> “By taking the SaaS product from single-player to multi-player, we increased our K factor organically.” > > —[Ulf Schwekendiek](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sulfme/), Centered - Network accessline 224
> —[Ulf Schwekendiek](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sulfme/), Centered - Network accessline 228
> “It’s critical to have a good understanding of what makes users churn; otherwise you’re going to have a leaky bucket that will become a problem once you start growing faster. But not all churn is created equal. You don’t have to make ever - Network accessline 230
> —[Andres Ugarte](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andresugarte/), Copilot - Network accessline 234
> “An interesting distribution strategy I’ve seen emerge is B2B2C. I think Calm and Headspace leveraged this by distributing their app through employee wellness groups. [Klima](https://klima.com/blog/the-next-big-update/) is testing that no - Network accessline 236
> —[Alex Ross](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexross8/), Greg - Network accessline 242
1. [2020 Consumer Subscription Software Insights](https://docsend.com/view/fn3udv2wxzqrirw4?__hssc=45195259.1.1599757901297&__hstc=45195259.0547c74be4e12ea2c32fa878c57a99ed.1599757901297.1599757901297.1599757901297.1&__hsfp=3942711842&hsCta - Network accessline 243
2. [What is a good payback period](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/payback-period?s=w) - Network accessline 244
3. [What is good retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29?s=w) - Network accessline 245
4. [From Onboarding to Healthy Habits, Noom’s Growth Is Powered by Psychology](https://breakoutgrowth.net/2021/02/02/podcast-from-onboarding-to-healthy-habits-nooms-growth-is-powered-by-psychology/) - Network accessline 246
5. [Spotify: A Product Story](https://open.spotify.com/show/3L9tzrt0CthF6hNkxYIeSB) podcast - Network accessline 247
6. [Consumer Subscription KPI Benchmarks: Retention, Engagement, and Conversion Rates](https://medium.com/parsa-vc/consumer-subscription-kpi-benchmarks-retention-engagement-and-conversion-rates-9ac13b57c3d3) by Parsa Saljoughian - Network accessline 248
7. [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) - Network accessline 254
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 256
 - Network accessline 260
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 264
1. **Wethos:** [Director of Fintech Product Operations](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a9a10752-0952-4ca7-9116-924dd0a4d0ca) (Remote) - Network accessline 265
2. **Roofstock:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/89098663-b9f7-414b-b374-b76111d93917) (Remote) - Network accessline 266
3. **Clipboard Health:** [Growth Strategy and Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/82ed8c6a-418a-44e3-9b37-fff54792ba6f) (Remote) - Network accessline 267
4. **Around:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/942a7802-9e65-40ed-bced-cb939e6cfa32) (Remote) - Network accessline 268
5. **Karate Combat:** [Founding Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/bb059354-70d4-41de-a0b0-77b51067a817) (Remote) - Network accessline 269
6. **Balance Homes:** [Founding Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b9e8f81a-ae8c-427b-8072-71097b7c3197) (Remote) - Network accessline 270
7. **Ellis:** [Software Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/dbba97cd-8552-4e1f-96d2-f6092bdff5a5) (Remote) - Network accessline 271
8. **Clipboard Health:** [Engineering Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/299a6ac5-8435-4596-8262-b29c15c7613f) (Remote) - Network accessline 275
**1. Listen:** [Jeff Jordan—Building & Investing in Marketplaces, with Patrick O’Shaughnessy](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jeff-jordan-building-investing-in-marketplaces/id1154105909?i=1000560238242) - Network accessline 277
2. **Watch:** [Geometry](https://www.instagram.com/p/CcdXnTVFnLB/) via Tim Ferriss - Network accessline 279
[geometriasagrada](https://instagram.com/geometriasagrada) - Network accessline 281
[](https://instagram.com/p/CcdXnTVFnLB) - Network accessline 283
A post shared by Geometria Sagrada ([@geometriasagrada](https://instagram.com/geometriasagrada))
references/02-newsletters/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses-found-their-first-ten-customers.md
- Network accessline 10
*Hello, and welcome to a **free monthly edition**of my weekly newsletter. I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, and working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing y - Network accessline 12
P.S. Don’t miss the follow-up to this post: [How today's fastest-growing B2B startups turned their early users into paying customers](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-startups) - Network accessline 28
Why first *ten* customers? Because that’s when you’re most scrappy and [doing things that don’t scale](https://paulgraham.com/ds.html). In follow-up posts, I’m also going to look into how these companies approached their first 100, and then - Network accessline 30
I hadn’t actually planned on digging into this topic, but immediately after publishing [a piece about early consumer app growth](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got), I began getting this question from B2B fou - Network accessline 36
 - Network accessline 40
1. **Only** ***three*** **sourcing strategies** account for every B2B company’s very early growth (unlike the [seven strategies for consumer apps](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got)). Thus, your choices are - Network accessline 54
[](https://web - Network accessline 55
> **“We begged and cajoled our friends** at other companies to try it out and give us feedback. We had maybe six to ten companies to start with that we found this way. The pattern was to share Slack with progressively larger groups. We ampl - Network accessline 57
> — Stewart Butterfield, CEO ([source](https://firstround.com/review/From-0-to-1B-Slacks-Founder-Shares-Their-Epic-Launch-Strategy/)) - Network accessline 61
[](https://web - Network accessline 64
> As that continues, we'll continue to roll the alpha product out gradually to more and more people. There probably won't be any particular floodgate moment, more of a steady influx of new users.” > > — Justin Rosenstein, CPO and co-founder - Network accessline 66
> — Justin Rosenstein, CPO and co-founder ([source](https://www.quora.com/When-will-Asana-open-up-its-beta-to-more-users)) - Network accessline 70
[](https://web. - Network accessline 71
> “**It was challenging to convince prospects to try our service, and it was especially challenging to convince the first one**. Most people don’t want to be the first to take a giant risk. Realizing that truism was pivotal. We finessed our - Network accessline 72
> > **That first pioneer came in the form of [Blue Martini Software](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Martini_Software), one of the small software companies in which I had previously invested**. I knew I was asking for a favor when I call - Network accessline 73
> **That first pioneer came in the form of [Blue Martini Software](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Martini_Software), one of the small software companies in which I had previously invested**. I knew I was asking for a favor when I called - Network accessline 75
> **We did not have a formal sales organization at this time so in our quest for early customers, everyone on the salesforce.com team was encouraged to contact anyone he or she knew in any industry, or at any start-up**. Diane Mark, our pro - Network accessline 77
> — Marc Benioff, CEO ([source](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2013/09/marc-benioff-win-customers.html)) - Network accessline 81
[](https://web. - Network accessline 82
> “Our very early customers came from two places: > > 1. **The angel investors in our company:** Andy Palmer from [Tamr](https://www.tamr.com/) was an investor in eShares, and brought it into his company early on. - Network accessline 83
> > 1. **The angel investors in our company:** Andy Palmer from [Tamr](https://www.tamr.com/) was an investor in eShares, and brought it into his company early on. > 2. **Sister portfolio founders**: We had this personal connection to them - Network accessline 84
> 1. **The angel investors in our company:** Andy Palmer from [Tamr](https://www.tamr.com/) was an investor in eShares, and brought it into his company early on. - Network accessline 93
[](https://web - Network accessline 100
[](https://vator - Network accessline 101
> “At YC we use the term *Collison installation* for the technique they invented. More diffident founders ask *Will you try our beta?* and if the answer is yes, they say *Great, we'll send you a link.* But the Collison brothers weren't goin - Network accessline 103
> — Paul Graham [(source](https://paulgraham.com/ds.html)) - Network accessline 107
> **What indicated to us that there was something interesting here was that our friends who were using it** asked if they could invite their friends, and those people invited their friends, and it spread through word of mouth process.” > > - Network accessline 109
> — Patrick Collison, CEO ([source](https://techzinglive.com/page/939/168-tz-interview-patrick-collison-stripe)) - Network accessline 113
[](https://web - Network accessline 120
[](https://web. - Network accessline 121
> “Workday's earliest customers consisted mostly of midsize-company **CEOs who knew the founders**. They bought the friendship, not the software.” > > — Dave Duffield, ex-CEO ([source](https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2013/09/16/sn - Network accessline 123
> — Dave Duffield, ex-CEO ([source](https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2013/09/16/snubbed-by-oracle-workdays-duffield-and-bhusri-hit-jackpot/#6aa64f01412a)) - Network accessline 127
[](https://web - Network accessline 137
[](https://web - Network accessline 146
[](https://sub - Network accessline 157
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yzrV!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progre - Network accessline 158
> — Des Traynor, CSO and co-founder ([source](https://www.intercom.com/blog/how-intercom-got-our-first-customers/)) - Network accessline 166
[](https://web - Network accessline 167
> “When I built [SnowDevil](https://www.snowdevil.ca/) (my online snowboard store), **some colleagues in the Ruby On Rails developer community asked if I’d license the code from our store**. That pointed me to building Shopify. - Network accessline 175
[](https://web - Network accessline 178
> Rails developers are known for adopting the latest technologies, and passionately supporting products that rock, while brutally and vocally criticizing products don't meet their high standards. **We were not the first product to target th - Network accessline 180
> — Lew Cirne, CEO ([source](https://www.quora.com/How-did-New-Relic-get-initial-traction)) - Network accessline 184
[](https://web - Network accessline 191
[](https://web - Network accessline 200
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4VYq! - Network accessline 201
> “Jack 100% tapped his personal network to get ‘Clubhouse’-type people on Square, **but they didn't really create repeat usage or become real customers**. [Cheri Mims](https://squareup.com/us/en/townsquare/meet-cheri-mims-of-lilybelle-flow - Network accessline 207
[](https://web - Network accessline 214
[](https://news - Network accessline 215
> “At the very beginning **we actually launched as an open-source library on Hacker News**. It took off there, blew up basically over night. **Our first customers were the folks hanging out on Hacker News**. It was basically small companies - Network accessline 217
> — Peter Reinhardt, CEO ([source](https://blog.ycombinator.com/peter-reinhardt-on-finding-product-market-fit-at-segment/)) - Network accessline 221
[](https://sub - Network accessline 230
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xy9nSnalvPc) - Network accessline 231
> “Drew created a simple video, demoing the product, and **published it on April 2007 [on Hacker News](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8863)** with the title "My YC app: Dropbox – Throw away your USB drive. That video brought the first - Network accessline 233
> — John Popel ([source](https://www.reddit.com/r/startups/comments/9pgudv/how_dropbox_got_their_first_users/)) - Network accessline 241
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FZGN7BCs6k) - Network accessline 242
> "Because we had some high profile investors we’d been fortunate to **receive a bit of press** around our ‘stealth startup’ and had 50k people signed up on our waiting list. We desperately wanted to ensure they liked our product when we la - Network accessline 244
> — Melanie Perkins, CEO ([source](https://medium.com/canva/21-questions-from-aussie-startups-highs-lows-lessons-learned-during-canvas-journey-so-far-da07723ff545)) - Network accessline 248
[](https://web - Network accessline 249
> In November 2008, Twilio **[launched](https://techcrunch.com/2008/11/20/twilio-powerful-api-for-phone-services-that-can-recreate-grandcentral-in-15-lines-of-code/) on TechCrunch** in private beta. A couple days before the news, Dave McClu - Network accessline 255
> The big lesson here: Don't underestimate the power of traditional media when you launch.” > > — Stewart Butterfield, CEO ([source](https://firstround.com/review/From-0-to-1B-Slacks-Founder-Shares-Their-Epic-Launch-Strategy/)) - Network accessline 257
> — Stewart Butterfield, CEO ([source](https://firstround.com/review/From-0-to-1B-Slacks-Founder-Shares-Their-Epic-Launch-Strategy/)) - Network accessline 273
That’s it for this week! [Hit me up](https://twitter.com/lennysan) if you have any stories, feedback, or insights to share. Otherwise, see you next week! - Network accessline 275
[Don’t miss the follow-up to this post: [How today's fastest-growing B2B startups turned their early users into paying customers](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-startups)] - Network accessline 279
[Andreas Birnik](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreasbirnik/?originalSubdomain=sg), [Cailen D’Sa](https://twitter.com/cailen), [Cameron Walters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceedub/), [ChenLi Wang](https://twitter.com/chenliw), [Dennis Yang]( - Network accessline 281
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses-turned-their-early-users-into-paying-c.md
- Network accessline 10
*This is a peek at this week’s* 🔓 ***subscriber-only newsletter*** 🔓 If you’d like to read the full post you can [become a subscriber](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/subscribe), or enjoy [the first part in this series](https://www.lennyrach - Network accessline 12
## **Q: I loved your post about [how B2B companies](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses)*****[found](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses)*****[their early users]( - Network accessline 18
Once you’ve [found your early users](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses), how do you get them to pay? I’m dedicating this post to the strategies that today’s fastest-growing B2B businesses relied on t - Network accessline 26
[](https: - Network accessline 51
> I think this helped us quite a bit. We first had to nail the onboarding experience and value users might get from the product before spending a bunch of time on building out the billing systems. > > It also helped us when it came to under - Network accessline 52
> > It also helped us when it came to understanding how to price the v1. We sent our users the [Van Westendorp survey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Westendorp%27s_Price_Sensitivity_Meter) to get a good feel for what they thought was a - Network accessline 53
> It also helped us when it came to understanding how to price the v1. We sent our users the [Van Westendorp survey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Westendorp%27s_Price_Sensitivity_Meter) to get a good feel for what they thought was a fa - Network accessline 54
> > [](http - Network accessline 55
> [](https: - Network accessline 61
[](https: - Network accessline 78
[](https: - Network accessline 93
[](https: - Network accessline 108
[](https: - Network accessline 117
> “It very much spread through a word of mouth process. That was surprising to us because it’s a payment system not a social network so it’s not something you’d think would have any virality whatsoever. But it became clear that everything e - Network accessline 119
> — Patrick Collison, CEO ([source](https://techzinglive.com/page/939/168-tz-interview-patrick-collison-stripe)) - Network accessline 121
[](https: - Network accessline 134
[](https:/ - Network accessline 143
[](https: - Network accessline 152
[](https:/ - Network accessline 161
[](https: - Network accessline 176
[Subscribe To Read Full Post](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/subscribe)
references/02-newsletters/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-startups-turned-their-early-users-into-paying-cus.md
- Network accessline 12
## Q: I loved your post about [how B2B companies](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses) *[found](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses)* [their early users](https:// - Network accessline 18
Once you’ve [found your early users](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses), how do you get them to pay? I’m dedicating this post to the strategies that today’s fastest-growing B2B businesses relied on t - Network accessline 26
[](https:// - Network accessline 51
> I think this helped us quite a bit. We first had to nail the onboarding experience and value users might get from the product before spending a bunch of time on building out the billing systems. > > It also helped us when it came to under - Network accessline 52
> > It also helped us when it came to understanding how to price the v1. We sent our users the [Van Westendorp survey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Westendorp%27s_Price_Sensitivity_Meter) to get a good feel for what they thought was a - Network accessline 53
> It also helped us when it came to understanding how to price the v1. We sent our users the [Van Westendorp survey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Westendorp%27s_Price_Sensitivity_Meter) to get a good feel for what they thought was a fa - Network accessline 54
> > [](https: - Network accessline 55
> [](https:// - Network accessline 61
[](https:// - Network accessline 78
[](https:// - Network accessline 93
[](https:// - Network accessline 108
[](https:// - Network accessline 117
> “It very much spread through a word of mouth process. That was surprising to us because it’s a payment system not a social network so it’s not something you’d think would have any virality whatsoever. But it became clear that everything e - Network accessline 119
> — Patrick Collison, CEO ([source](https://techzinglive.com/page/939/168-tz-interview-patrick-collison-stripe)) - Network accessline 121
[](https:// - Network accessline 134
[](https://w - Network accessline 143
[](https:// - Network accessline 152
[](https://w - Network accessline 161
[](https:// - Network accessline 178
> Once we worked through the kinks and felt good enough to launch self-serve, that's when we launched a split test to throttle demand. **The first 1k-ish customers either signed up through me or self-serve (routed to me if they had question - Network accessline 179
> > **The first 10 customers were all inbound and mostly SMB or business unit within a larger enterprise** (i.e. one of our early customers was the core design team for Mint via Intuit). I believe our very first customer was [Queen Mary Uni - Network accessline 180
> **The first 10 customers were all inbound and mostly SMB or business unit within a larger enterprise** (i.e. one of our early customers was the core design team for Mint via Intuit). I believe our very first customer was [Queen Mary Unive - Network accessline 184
[](https://w - Network accessline 193
[](https://w - Network accessline 223
[](https:// - Network accessline 240
[](https://w - Network accessline 257
[](https://s - Network accessline 285
> Again, **our lead generation I think primarily coming from our organic leads**. Our existing happy customers refer to other customers. A lot of freemium product also gives a lot of qualifying leads.” > > — Eric Yuan, CEO ([source](https:/ - Network accessline 287
> — Eric Yuan, CEO ([source](https://www.saastr.com/eric-yuan-founder-ceo-zoom-get-100m-arr-burning-almost-nothing-6-learnings-6-years-video-transcript/)) - Network accessline 289
[](https:// - Network accessline 306
[](https:// - Network accessline 319
[](https:// - Network accessline 332
[](https:// - Network accessline 341
> “Every day I’d email people to tell them about Intercom, show them what Intercom might look like for them, and hear their feedback. I did this 100% by hand and if I was to do it all again today I’d still do it by hand. Honestly.” > > — De - Network accessline 343
> — Des Traynor, CSO and co-founder ([source](https://www.intercom.com/blog/how-intercom-got-our-first-customers/)) - Network accessline 345
[](https:// - Network accessline 358
[](https:// - Network accessline 367
> “Jack 100% tapped his personal network to get ‘Clubhouse’-type people on Square, but they didn't really create repeat usage or become real customers. [Cheri Mims](https://squareup.com/us/en/townsquare/meet-cheri-mims-of-lilybelle-flowers- - Network accessline 371
[](https:// - Network accessline 386
[](https://w - Network accessline 395
> “**That first [customer] came in the form of [Blue Martini Software](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Martini_Software), one of the small software companies in which I had previously invested**. I knew I was asking for a favor when I ca - Network accessline 397
> **We did not have a formal sales organization at this time so in our quest for early customers, everyone on the salesforce.com team was encouraged to contact anyone he or she knew in any industry, or at any start-up**. Diane Mark, our pro - Network accessline 399
> — Marc Benioff, CEO ([source](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2013/09/marc-benioff-win-customers.html)) - Network accessline 401
[](https://w - Network accessline 421
1. [Distribution by Ben Horowitz](https://a16z.com/2017/06/09/distribution-model-sales-channels/) - Network accessline 422
2. [Building a Bottom-Up Sales Motion For The Enterprise with Darcy Doyle and Yasmin Razavi](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/village-globals-venture-stories/id1316769266?i=1000477915899) - Network accessline 423
3. [A Clinic on All Things Sales with Peter Kazanjy](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-clinic-on-all-things-sales-with-peter-kazanjy/id1316769266?i=1000477549410) - Network accessline 424
4. [How David Sacks built the first bottom-up playbook for enterprise](https://wfh.substack.com/p/how-david-sacks-built-the-first-bottom) - Network accessline 425
5. [The Cadence: How to Operate a SaaS Startup](https://medium.com/craft-ventures/the-cadence-how-to-operate-a-saas-startup-436aa8099e8) - Network accessline 426
6. [Freemium vs Free Trial: Which is Better for SaaS Startups?](https://medium.com/craft-ventures/freemium-vs-free-trial-which-is-better-for-saas-startups-97b9ac737597) - Network accessline 430
[Dan Hockenmaier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hock/), [Cailen D’Sa](https://twitter.com/cailen), [Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo), [Cameron Walters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceedub/), [ChenLi Wang](https://t - Network accessline 432
That’s it for this week! [Hit me up](https://twitter.com/lennysan) if you have any stories, feedback, or insights to share. Otherwise, see you next week! - Network accessline 434
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/how-todays-top-consumer-brands-measure-marketings-impact.md
- Network accessline 10
You won’t succeed at growth long-term without deeply understanding and operationalizing attribution and incrementality. You risk endlessly spending money on seemingly good ideas that have exactly zero impact. [Michael Kaminsky](https://www. - Network accessline 12
*[Michael Kaminsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-the-data-guy-kaminsky/) previously built the data team at the men’s shaving brand [Harry’s](https://www.harrys.com/en/us) and is the co-founder of marketing analytics firm [Recast](htt - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 24
We’ve built a database of 42 top consumer brands, such as Uber, Amazon, and Airbnb, providing unique insights into their measurement methods. These case studies present inventive and thoughtful approaches to marketing measurement and will h - Network accessline 28
 - Access to secretsline 34
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 48
Digital tracking is measuring marketing performance through UTM codes or tracking pixels. When tracking is discussed, “last touch” or “last click” attribution is always mentioned as the default form of measurement on the internet. Last touc - Network accessline 50
 - Network accessline 52
How this works technically is that the analytics tool or advertising platform drops a cookie (a unique identifier) in your browser so it can track your behavior across the website, and even across multiple websites or devices. Marketers add - Network accessline 56
Outside of Google Analytics, there are a variety of vendors in this space, including [Rockerbox](https://www.rockerbox.com/), [Northbeam](https://www.northbeam.io/), and [Triple Whale](https://www.triplewhale.com/), and many companies have - Network accessline 60
This is by far the most ubiquitous method, and because most new startups are online, it’s usually the predominant method they use to measure marketing in the early growth stages. Paradoxically, because it’s so common, there are comparativel - Network accessline 62
 - Network accessline 68
> **[DoorDash](https://doordash.engineering/2021/08/10/predicting-marketing-performance-from-early-attribution-indicators/): “Currently, DoorDash uses a several-day last-touch attribution system for all digital marketing channels, which pro - Network accessline 72
> **[Airbnb](https://www.singular.net/blog/experts-from-airbnb-stitch-fix-and-bark-box-on-multi-touch-attribution-incrementality/): “‘Some teams look at MTA as a way to re-slice the pie,’ he said. ‘It kind of makes one channel look better, - Network accessline 76
> **[Uber](https://www.uber.com/en-GB/blog/euclid-marketing-engineering/): “When a user sees a social network ad, then searches ‘Uber’ on the web, clicks a search ad, and later signs up with Uber, it’s not fair to give all the credit to the - Network accessline 82
Digital tracking, despite its issues, is a good starting point for brands that are primarily online. Start with a [tracking plan](https://www.reforge.com/blog/why-most-analytics-efforts-fail), which details what you want to track and when t - Network accessline 84
Once you’ve agreed on your tracking plan, you should implement a tag manager, which lets you record data once and then push it to where you need it. Google provides a free product called [Google Tag Manager](https://tagmanager.google.com/#/ - Network accessline 86
Now set up tracking pixels for each ad platform, and choose your analytics software. Google Analytics 4 is a good default for the web, although not everyone finds the interface to their liking. Mobile tracking is more complicated, because t - Network accessline 88
Whatever stack you use, you’ll find more advanced use cases necessitate setting up a data warehouse that pulls in all your analytics data, as well as your advertising spend data via a provider like [Supermetrics](https://supermetrics.com/) - Network accessline 92
Before we had the internet, how did marketers measure ads? You can’t click on a TV ad or tap on a newspaper to get to a website. [In the 1960s](https://getrecast.com/econometrics-history/) a technique called marketing mix modeling (MMM), a - Network accessline 94
 - Network accessline 96
The method involves building an advanced statistical model, which correlates spikes and dips in sales with events and actions in marketing. So for example, if every time you increase paid advertising your organic sales rise, MMM can pick th - Network accessline 98
The big divide in methods is whether you use a traditional vendor like [Nielsen](https://www.nielsen.com/solutions/marketing-optimization/marketing-mix-modeling/) or one of the more modern techniques. This is an important departure, because - Network accessline 102
We have the most case studies on this method because we built the [database](https://airtable.com/shrzPkZvLTZtcsnbI) for a blog post on [who’s talking about MMM](https://getrecast.com/mmm-examples/) in case studies. If we tried to collect c - Network accessline 104
 - Network accessline 108
> **[Uber](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2106.03322.pdf): “Recent consumer privacy initiatives (e.g., Apple’s announcement of no-IDFA 1 in iOS 14) further underscores the strategic importance of future-proofing any marketing measurement game plan w - Network accessline 112
> **[HelloFresh](https://engineering.hellofresh.com/bayesian-media-mix-modeling-using-pymc3-for-fun-and-profit-2bd4667504e6): “The MMM is especially helpful in quantifying the impact of offline channels like television, billboards, or radio - Network accessline 116
> **[Resident (Nectar mattresses)](https://www.facebook.com/business/success/resident): “The optimization efforts have achieved a 20% increase in revenue with the same blended cost per acquisition. Five days to implement the Robyn model (co - Network accessline 126
If you plan to build a model in-house, either [Meta’s Robyn](https://getrecast.com/facebook-robyn/) or [Google’s LightweightMMM](https://getrecast.com/google-lightweightmmm/) would be a good solid base, but they obviously have their limitat - Network accessline 132
Most people don’t know that marketers were using [randomized controlled trials](https://marketingmemetics.com/essays/scientific-marketing) before the first double-blind study was published in medicine! Claude Hopkins, who wrote the book *Sc - Network accessline 134
Nowadays the power of split testing, or A/B testing, is commonly known among marketers and product managers for landing page and [creative testing](https://marketingmemetics.com/performance-branding), but it can also be used for marketing m - Network accessline 136
 - Network accessline 142
There were relatively fewer case studies in this domain, perhaps because there aren’t as many vendors that offer it. Usually, in our experience, lift studies are done in-house using an open source library like [Meta’s GeoLift model](https:/ - Network accessline 144
 - Network accessline 146
In the [database](https://airtable.com/shrzPkZvLTZtcsnbI) we found 16 instances of top brands talking about experiments/CLS in case studies, which is 38% of the brands featured. Here are a few select quotes we found interesting, to highligh - Network accessline 148
> **[Netflix](https://netflixtechblog.com/quasi-experimentation-at-netflix-566b57d2e362): “Usually we’d like to run a classic individual-level randomized experiment, but randomizing which individuals see a billboard ad, as an example, is no - Network accessline 152
> **[Uber](https://papers.adkdd.org/2020/papers/adkdd20-barajas-advertising.pdf): “We measure a 6.57% decrease of conversions (statistically significant) when UAC spend is suspended. To our knowledge, our work is one of the earliest studies - Network accessline 154
This case study from Uber is the bread and butter of experimentation: determining the incremental value of a channel. Knowing that 6.57% of their conversions were attributable to UAC (Google’s Universal App Campaigns) helps them clearly cal - Network accessline 156
> **[McDonald’s](https://www.warc.com/newsandopinion/opinion/mmm-and-experiments-the-new-paradigm-to-measure-marketing-effectiveness/en-gb/5694): “In 2019, we used the Meta Marketing API to build a geo-test solution switching on and off Met - Network accessline 164
If you don’t trust the platform to grade their own homework, or want to test a channel that doesn’t offer in-platform testing, the most common method is a geo-region test. If you’re planning to run these experiments in-house, Meta’s team op - Network accessline 170
We like to say that marketing measurement is like the parable of the [blind men and the elephant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_men_and_an_elephant): every different marketing measurement method gives you a different view of true perf - Network accessline 182
 - Network accessline 196
 - Network accessline 204
Marketing measurement is a huge topic, and we’re only just scratching the surface. If you’re keen to learn more, we recommend diving into the various links in the [database](https://airtable.com/shrzPkZvLTZtcsnbI), which we’ll keep updating - Network accessline 206
If you spot an interesting case study on MTA, MMM, or CLS, [please add it to the database](https://airtable.com/shrFVy4pMcAxjltBe), so we can make this the definitive place to look for marketing measurement insights. - Network accessline 210
1. [The Attribution Stack: How to Make Budget Decisions in a Post-iOS 14 World](https://www.reforge.com/blog/marketing-attribution-stack-after-ios14)—a piece we wrote for Reforge on how these methods work, and their strengths and weaknesses - Network accessline 211
2. [Operationalizing Modern MMM for Your Brand](https://getrecast.com/operationalizing-mmm-for-modern-brands/)—an e-book we collaborated on that walks through the entire end-to-end process for implementing MMM - Network accessline 212
3. [What’s the impact of TV ads?](https://app.vexpower.com/sim/whats-the-impact-of-tv-ads/)—an introductory-level course where you see the outputs of a simple MMM and learn how decisions are made based on the results - Network accessline 213
4. [How can Facebook drive negative sales?](https://app.vexpower.com/sim/how-can-facebook-drive-negative-sales/)—an online course we both worked on that teaches how to code your own simple Bayesian MMM, to understand how it works - Network accessline 214
5. [Validation through testing](https://getrecast.com/validation-through-testing/)—a blog post on using lift tests and experimentation to validate MMM results - Network accessline 220
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/02-newsletters/i-built-a-lenny-chatbot-using-gpt-3-heres-how-to-build-your-own.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and working with humans.* - Network accessline 14
1. *[Five steps to starting your product-led growth motion, part 2](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-steps-to-starting-your-product)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[How Coda builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-coda-builds-product)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Discussion: What’s one change you’ve made to your product development process in the past year that’s had the most impact on your team’s success?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/discussion-whats-one-change-that/comments)* - Network accessline 20
Last month, [Dan Shipper](https://twitter.com/danshipper) (co-founder and CEO of [Every](https://every.to/)) [launched](https://twitter.com/danshipper/status/1602126357953142784) a chatbot trained on the Huberman Lab podcast, and I was blow - Network accessline 26
*You can find Dan Shipper on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/danshipper), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danshipper/), and his [Every newsletter](https://every.to/subscribe?v=3) where he shares his ongoing research into all things AI, - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 40
 - Network accessline 44
[Try the Lenny Chatbot](https://www.LennyBot.com) - Network accessline 46
AI technologies like GPT-3 are still in their infancy, but they’re going to be everywhere soon. Staying on top of how they work is going to be crucial to your career in tech, and especially in building product. The best way to prepare for a - Network accessline 58
ChatGPT is a version of GPT-3 that’s been turned into a friendly, inoffensive extrovert. Basically, it’s been specifically trained to be good at holding conversations. OpenAI does this by repeatedly holding conversations with the model and - Network accessline 64
We’ll do it in two ways: using [OpenAI’s Playground](https://platform.openai.com/playground) to start, and with a little bit of code after that. The Playground is a web app that lets you prompt GPT-3 directly and get responses back, making - Network accessline 74
Below is a simple example in the [GPT-3 Playground](https://platform.openai.com/playground?model=text-davinci-003). The non-green text is what I typed in as a prompt, and the green text is what GPT-3 returned as the completion: - Network accessline 76
 - Network accessline 82
 - Network accessline 88
It can do this because it’s been [trained by analyzing the statistical probabilities of sentences from basically the entire internet](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPT-3#Training_and_capabilities), so it has a lot of data to learn from. (Al - Network accessline 90
If you want to learn more about how this works from a technical perspective, I recommend checking out Andrej Karpathy’s [videos](https://www.youtube.com/@AndrejKarpathy). - Network accessline 100
 - Network accessline 106
 - Network accessline 110
 - Network accessline 116
If we go back through Lenny’s archive, we find in his post “[What is a good activation rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate)” that the average activation rate across different kinds of products is about 34 - Network accessline 120
 - Network accessline 124
Once we start really probing the bot, this kind of problem only gets bigger. For example, if we ask it who Substack’s first publisher was—a topic Lenny covered in “[How to kickstart and scale a consumer business, Step 4](https://www.lennysn - Network accessline 126
 - Network accessline 128
This answer sounds confident, but it is incorrect. (The correct answer is [Bill Bishop](https://sinocism.com/).) This isn’t an isolated incident. For example, if I ask, “Is it best for consumer startup ideas to come from founders who are tr - Network accessline 130
 - Network accessline 132
This is confident—and also wrong. As Lenny covered in “[How to kickstart and scale a consumer business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer),” less than a third of consumer startup ideas came from founders - Network accessline 136
1. **GPT-3 tends to “hallucinate.”** [Hallucination](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallucination_(artificial_intelligence)) is a technical term that refers to the model’s propensity to return nonsensical or false completions depending on wh - Network accessline 157
 - Network accessline 184
This is simple to do with a library called [GPT Index](https://gpt-index.readthedocs.io/en/latest/), an open-source library created by [Jerry Liu](https://twitter.com/jerryjliu0). It’s completely separate from OpenAI but built to help with - Network accessline 194
You can access and run the code from this article in a Google Colab file [here](https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1p2AablavDkSXly6H-XNLoSylMtoz7NDG?usp=sharing). Colab is a cloud-based programming environment that will let you run eve - Network accessline 208
 - Network accessline 210
When we run this function, we’ll have created a file called index.json that contains chunks of Lenny’s articles converted into a format that makes them easily searchable. These are called [embeddings](https://platform.openai.com/docs/guides - Network accessline 218
 - Network accessline 232
 - Network accessline 248
[Try the Lenny Chatbot](https://www.LennyBot.com) - Network accessline 250
You can also [access the full source code for this article in this Colab notebook](https://colab.research.google.com/drive/1p2AablavDkSXly6H-XNLoSylMtoz7NDG?#scrollTo=4gHdfdtsSGEW). - Network accessline 290
If you’re really into this and want to go deeper, I write a column over at Every where I unpack my AI experiments and explorations. Check it out [here.](https://every.to/subscribe?v=3) - Network accessline 294
1. [But what is a neural network?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aircAruvnKk&list=PLZHQObOWTQDNU6R1_67000Dx_ZCJB-3pi) - Network accessline 295
2. [Neural networks and deep learning](https://neuralnetworksanddeeplearning.com/) - Network accessline 296
3. [Transformers, explained](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZorAJ4I-sA&t=143s) - Network accessline 297
4. [Let’s build GPT: from scratch, in code, spelled out](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCc8FmEb1nY&t=4511s) - Network accessline 298
5. [The end of organizing](https://every.to/chain-of-thought/the-end-of-organizing) - Network accessline 299
6. [GPT-3 is the best journal I’ve ever used](https://every.to/chain-of-thought/gpt-3-is-the-best-journal-you-ve-ever-used) - Network accessline 300
7. [6 new theories about AI](https://every.to/napkin-math/6-new-theories-about-ai) - Network accessline 302
*Thanks, Dan! You can find Dan Shipper on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/danshipper), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danshipper/), and especially make sure to [subscribe to Every](https://every.to/subscribe?v=3), where he shares his - Network accessline 308
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 310
 - Network accessline 314
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 318
1. **MetaMap:** [VP, Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/74ca739b-4b51-4d55-8727-6606327fae58) (SF, Miami, Mexico City) - Network accessline 319
2. **DX:** [Content Lead](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/d88460d1-d9e0-4f13-b939-968d22d5a85e) (Park City, UT; Remote) - Network accessline 320
3. **Surfer:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f6ebf2d0-c425-4690-95de-01b9c6568092) (Remote) - Network accessline 321
4. **Zendoor:** [Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/192a2c6c-e46c-4190-9d81-9a527273c89d)(Remote)
references/02-newsletters/ideal-sprint-length-designer-vs-pm-roles-running-pm-team-meetings-running-post-m.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of ✨**Community Wisdom** ✨ — a weekly email highlighting the most helpful advice from our subscriber Slack community. As always, a b<U+200B>i<U+200B>g thank you to [Kiyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiyanibam - Possible obfuscationline 10
*👋 Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of ✨**Community Wisdom** ✨ — a weekly email highlighting the most helpful advice from our subscriber Slack community. As always, a b<U+200B>i<U+200B>g thank you to [Kiyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiyanibam - Network accessline 39
**[Wayne Vernon](https://twitter.com/wplusv)**: It depends! I’ve worked with 1 and 2-week iterations, though never at a 2-3 person scale, so take this with a grain of salt. - Network accessline 51
**[Aadil Maan](https://twitter.com/aadilmaan)**: @Wayne Vernon literally read my mind. Love this stance. Moneyball. - Network accessline 57
**Soumya Santhanakrishnan**: That's super helpful, thank you! I'm leaning towards not even thinking in terms of sprints. At [www.souffle.club](https://www.souffle.club) we’re building a fun Q&A space for the most insightful takes on tech to - Network accessline 59
**[Tyler Wince](https://productsolving.com)**: FWIW, we ditched Scrum in our 20 person engineering team (3-4 engineers per product team) and just do Kanban now. Everyone is more aligned, attends fewer meetings, and we have more flexibility - Network accessline 61
**[Josh](https://twitter.com/herzigma)**: We're also in the process of ditching formal 2-week sprints and moving to Kanban. Also about 20 engineers so keeping up regular rituals of prioritizing, grooming, standups and retros. Also very inte - Network accessline 65
**[Aadil Maan](https://twitter.com/aadilmaan)**: This thread is magical because engineering teams often equate being agile to 2wk sprints and hearing many of you are ditching it. - Network accessline 71
**[Josh](https://twitter.com/herzigma)**: @Aadil Maan I'd love to hear more about 6-week sprints - fell in love with that unicorn after reading [Shape Up: Stop Running in Circles and Ship Work that Matters](https://basecamp.com/shapeup) and - Network accessline 73
**[Aadil Maan](https://twitter.com/aadilmaan)**: I have lived with 6wks and it’s the magical number. iOS and macOS are developed over 4 back to back sprints 8wks in size. 6wks of development with 2wks of convergence during which no feature - Network accessline 77
**Scott Stenback**: For those of you using Kanban, I was inspired by [Lean from the Trenches](https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/lean-from-the/9781941222935/) a few years ago and created the version below for one of my teams. - Network accessline 83
 - Network accessline 85
**[Wayne Vernon](https://twitter.com/wplusv)**: Amazing conversation! I’m really happy to see more people moving away from what’s “normal” and to what works best for *their* situation. - Network accessline 95
> **Q: On your teams, where does a product manager’s job ‘end’ and where does the product designer ‘begin’?** > > **– [Tal Raviv](https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv/)** - Network accessline 97
> **– [Tal Raviv](https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv/)** - Network accessline 99
**[Josh](https://twitter.com/herzigma)**: I'm no longer allowed to use Figma. - Network accessline 103
**[Jeff](https://twitter.com/jfedor)**: I like to think of it as co-design. Product brings the context of the problem we're solving and why it matters. Together with Design and Eng, a range of solutions are explored. Eng provides options th - Network accessline 109
**[Wayne Vernon](https://twitter.com/wplusv)**: Varies quite a bit with the experience, skillset, and interests of the product designer. As well as with the product and the type of design work it demands. And with the scale of your org. - Network accessline 115
**[Archisman Das](https://twitter.com/archismandas)**: Jeff has articulated it really well. I think the job doesn't end, but the roles that PM and Design/Engineering play reverses depending upon the stage you are in. During the Customer Dis - Network accessline 135
> **I'd love to hear about other agenda items that have been beneficial in increasing the output of PMs ;- ) Thanks!** > > **– [Tank](https://www.linkedin.com/in/takehiro-tank-mori-a3083487/)** - Network accessline 137
> **– [Tank](https://www.linkedin.com/in/takehiro-tank-mori-a3083487/)** - Network accessline 139
**[Alex Dou](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexdou/)**: I have a manager friend who has instituted “BB Time” (BB in honor of Brené Brown). The purpose of this time is to be vulnerable and let down the mien/mask of “everything is going smoothl - Network accessline 145
**[Tank](https://www.linkedin.com/in/takehiro-tank-mori-a3083487/)**: Nice, thanks @Alex! How long are the meetings btw? I'm also curious to hear what the outcomes of those discussions are -- does it result in senior PMs mentoring more juni - Network accessline 147
**[Josh](https://twitter.com/herzigma)**: @Alex that's a great model. One (similar) thing I did was start by opening it up for anyone to speak. It gave me a chance to model open listening and we could all practice responding without judgmen - Network accessline 149
**[Amit](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitjklein/)**: Are you talking about a cross-functional PM meeting (many PMs?) or a weekly product team meeting led by PM (with eng/design/etc...)? - Network accessline 151
**[Tank](https://www.linkedin.com/in/takehiro-tank-mori-a3083487/)**: A cross-functional PM meeting with many PMs. - Network accessline 153
**[Amit](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitjklein/)**: For business as usual meetings (no major changes upcoming). One way we've done this in the past is a monthly meeting where we: - Network accessline 161
**[Michael Kellar](https://linkedin.com/in/michael-kellar)**: I think these are awesome opportunities both for cross-functional sharing, as you referenced, but also team building/trust. As @Josh said, one of the best things he accomplished - Network accessline 165
**[Tank](https://www.linkedin.com/in/takehiro-tank-mori-a3083487/)**: Nice, that's a great point actually. Our team hasn't really talked too much about establishing psychological safety, but I definitely feel that that is important for a pr - Network accessline 169
**[Jonah](https://app.slack.com/team/U01GA3RA69F)**: PMing requires strong writing. We've allocated part of our weekly meeting to review a team member's product brief and provide immediate feedback. It has very quickly elevated everyone's c - Network accessline 171
**[Alex Dou](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexdou/)**: @Tank meetings were short. This “what’s hard” line item was budgeted with maybe ~5-10 minutes, with an option (as always) to spin off into a separate thread to avoid ballooning this meet - Network accessline 175
- Blockers are identified early and loudly - this was during our PM staff meetings, so it was a kind of [Chatham House Rules](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chatham_House_Rule#:~:text=Since%20its%20most%20recent%20refinement,other%20particip - Network accessline 176
- Stronger team self-worth/self-esteem - I oftentimes feel pressure to “know everything” (as an aside, one of the things I think is hard about PM is an implicit pressure/assumption to always “be the guy/gal” nb. this is a specific manifesta - Network accessline 177
- Increased *espirit de corps* - this is closest to what you were talking about. It was a good opportunity for spontaneous brainstorming and mentorship (not just Srs mentoring Jrs, but also folks with [differently spikey radar charts](https - Network accessline 179
And @Josh, I love that. I think this is one of those tricky things where it has to be modeled by the team lead, otherwise, it’s *just* on this side of “too weird”. But it really helps Team Leads/Heads of/VPs by fostering that psychological - Network accessline 183
**[Tank](https://www.linkedin.com/in/takehiro-tank-mori-a3083487/)**: These are all great resources, thanks @Alex Dou! - Network accessline 187
**[Michael Kellar](https://linkedin.com/in/michael-kellar)**: I do not recall the first time, but I’d also say it was a practice that changed as the team grew. In the beginning we were very small, just a few people, so I think it was almost - Network accessline 198
> - **Do you communicate minutes/decisions with the rest of the organization?** > > **– [Ben Kaye](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkaye/)** - Network accessline 200
> **– [Ben Kaye](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkaye/)** - Network accessline 202
**[Aishwarya](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aishwaryab)**: We went through a bit of this in late 2019. As a leadership team, you want to typically have 2 “types” of meetings: - Network accessline 213
**Rohit Gupta**: [Flows.co](https://flows.co/) helps you run well-managed meetings and stick to agendas and is currently on LTD -[Flows - Reinvent Your Meetings details](https://pitchground.com/products/flows) - Network accessline 215
**[Zainab Ghadiyali](https://zainabghadiyali.substack.com/)**: The number one goal for a leadership meeting is alignment. Everyone in that group needs to be in lockstep - it is very easy to get misaligned very quickly. - Network accessline 225
> **Q: Can anyone recommend any articles or just advice in general on how to run a really great post-launch post-mortem for a product?** > > **– [Adam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aorshan/)** - Network accessline 227
> **– [Adam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aorshan/)** - Network accessline 229
**[Tal Raviv](https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv/)**: Great question! - Network accessline 237
**[Wayne Vernon](https://twitter.com/wplusv)**: As @Tal Raviv suggested, I’d try to offload some of the thinking and brainstorming as homework. - Network accessline 243
**[Walter Budzian](https://linkedin.com/in/walterbudzian)**: I’ll piggyback on what Tal is saying about creating a blameless culture. A great piece to read on this is “The Blame Bias” chapter from a book called Primed to Perform. - Network accessline 255
**[Nishi Patel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishipatel/)**: Agree as well on all of the above. We’ve created retro playbooks in the past to help drive the concept of it being blameless and to help foster a psychologically safe environment. - Network accessline 257
**[Adam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aorshan/)**: Thanks so much, everyone! A few of you mentioned circulating materials beforehand. Are there any particular questions or jump-off points you’ve found to be particularly effective when includ - Network accessline 259
**[Tal Raviv](https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv/)**: One tiny tactical thing that helps me is to say the quote “A bad system will beat a good person every time” (attributed to Edward Deming) and emphasize we’re here to fix the system. - Network accessline 267
**[Adam Waxman](https://twitter.com/ajwaxman)**: I’ve had a great experience with Donna Lichaw: [Donna Lichaw — Leadership and Executive Coaching](https://www.donnalichaw.com/) - Network accessline 269
**Jacob Sussman**: I have a call with [Leah Feuer](https://www.leahfeuer.com/) next week - she previously worked as a head of product / product advisor before focusing on coaching. - Network accessline 271
**Julia Lipton**: As promised, [here's the list](https://airtable.com/shrJgawZtGQBv7Xb1/tblKZKSYaUcbbY7UP). Feedback welcome! For context, this list is shared with VCs, founders, and friends. Feel free to share it publicly! Also "feature re - Network accessline 273
You can also [nominate a coach](https://airtable.com/shr1HSVTdFDonR75g). It should take less than 1 min. The fields are optional, the only info I really need are their skills, your vouch, and your email. The rest I can pull. - Network accessline 279
**[Josh](https://twitter.com/herzigma)**: Another great one from David Sacks: **[Simple Math to Set Up a Sales Team](https://sacks.substack.com/p/simple-math-to-set-up-a-sales-team)**. - Network accessline 283
**[Tal Raviv](https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv/)**: Founder of Segment on simple lessons - I feel these apply to product teams just as much as a startup [Lessons for early stage founders](https://calv.info/early-stage-lessons) - Network accessline 287
**[Yaakov Cohney](https://twitter.com/YaakovCohney)**: Every Stripe product announcement is incredible on its own, but today's Stripe Capital launch is one that I am sure will lead to many more 'How Can I Invest in Stripe" requests. Anyway, - Network accessline 291
**[Jeff](https://twitter.com/jfedor)**: Simple approach to how and why product discovery is a critical Product Org skillset [A 4-step guide for day-to-day product discovery](https://sophiahoefling.medium.com/a-4-step-guide-for-day-to-day-pr - Network accessline 295
**[Wayne Vernon](https://twitter.com/wplusv)**: Wrote a [Twitter thread](https://twitter.com/wplusv/status/1334270158412673026?s=21) with my takeaways from *Are Your Lights On?,* inspired by @Shreyas Doshi. Until I saw @Lenny Rachitsky’s an - Network accessline 301
Tiago Forte’s [progressive summarization](https://fortelabs.co/blog/progressive-summarization-a-practical-technique-for-designing-discoverable-notes/) technique is a great tool for capturing, filtering, and writing about what you read. - Possible obfuscationline 305
*If there’s anyone in your life who would benefit from this newsletter or community, consider giving them a<U+200B> <U+200B>g<U+200B>i<U+200B>f<U+200B>t subscription*💞
references/02-newsletters/in-defense-of-feature-team-product-managers.md
- Network accessline 10
After my [conversation with SVPG founder Marty Cagan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N4ZgNaWvI0) (currently the fifth most popular episode of the podcast and still growing), I saw many reactions to Marty’s difficult-to-hear advice. The st - Network accessline 14
[Ben Erez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/) is a longtime product builder who has worked at almost every stage of a company. He’s been a founder, a first PM at three different startups, and held senior PM roles at Facebook and Attentiv - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 18
This past March, Marty Cagan joined Lenny on the [podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-KVGHoQ_98) to talk about his new book, *Transformed*. I’ve been a longtime fan of Marty’s and enjoyed his previous books, *Empowered* and *Inspired - Network accessline 22
At one point, Lenny asked Marty for his response to [a LinkedIn post I wrote](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/benerez_i-used-to-think-the-feature-factory-was-activity-7168978777966891008-jh75) about why feature factories—businesses that focu - Network accessline 37
“Feature factory” is a term that, I believe, [John Cutler coined in 2016](https://cutle.fish/blog/12-signs-youre-working-in-a-feature-factory) (shout-out, John, for being awesome) to describe a process focused on rapidly producing and shipp - Network accessline 143
> So transformation is hard and improbable without the right team. But not impossible.” > > —[Ronnie Varghese](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronnievarghese/), product coach and advisor - Network accessline 145
> —[Ronnie Varghese](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronnievarghese/), product coach and advisor - Network accessline 168
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/in-defense-of-feature-team-product/comments) - Network accessline 170
A big thank-you to [John Cutler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnpcutler/), [Melissa Perri](https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissajeanperri/), and [Joshua Herzig-Marx](https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuaherzigmarx/) for reviewing early drafts o - Network accessline 172
*Thanks, Ben! For more from Ben, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/) and check out his [podcast](https://suprainsider.substack.com), [newsletter](https://benerez.substack.com/), and upcoming [Maven course](https:/ - Network accessline 180
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 184
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/increasing-team-velocity.md
- Network accessline 16
So how do you help your team move faster? I spoke to a number of founders, reflected on my own experience, and [took this question to Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1339738147949662208). Below, you’ll find twelve concrete ways - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 56
Form cross-functional teams, with all of the resources necessary to ship, and [empower them to drive outcomes](https://svpg.com/product-vs-feature-teams/). - Network accessline 60
“After years of research, Google discovered the secret weapon to building a great team was creating a sense of psychological safety.” — [Inc](https://www.inc.com/justin-bariso/after-years-of-research-google-discovered-secret-weapon-to-build - Network accessline 88
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-velocity-issue-61/comments) - Network accessline 94
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8. **iOS engineer**: [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://jobs.lever.co/stytch/d3bf3860-4aaa-4a23-8e28-dad20957be44) - Network accessline 109
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references/02-newsletters/inspiration-for-the-year-ahead.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Don’t miss **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** ✨ (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more) and my new **[swag store](https://lennyswag.com/)** (great gifts for your favorite PMs, or yourself!). - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 20
> “This changed my life, really. When I was in fourth grade, a teacher—and I don’t remember which teacher it was, which kills me—when I was having a bad day, the teacher said to me, ‘Listen, a positive mental attitude will be your key to su - Network accessline 21
> > I am a relentlessly positive—my wife says I’m an offensively positive—person. She’s like, ‘You know what? Some days you can have a bad day.’ And I said, ‘I just don’t. Because a positive mental attitude is my key to success.’ And it’s r - Network accessline 22
> I am a relentlessly positive—my wife says I’m an offensively positive—person. She’s like, ‘You know what? Some days you can have a bad day.’ And I said, ‘I just don’t. Because a positive mental attitude is my key to success.’ And it’s rea - Network accessline 24
> *—**[Matthew Dicks](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-dicks-84a95711/)** is a best-selling author, columnist, blogger, podcaster, playwright, and teacher. He wrote my all-time favorite book on storytelling,* [Storyworthy](https://www.am - Network accessline 28
> “I love this quote because he was going through issues with his legs and was going to potentially lose them, and then wrote this quote. The last two lines, ‘I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul,’ is literally my Twitter - Network accessline 30
> *—**[Ebi Atawodi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebiatawodi/)** is a director of product management at YouTube, former head of product at Uber, and a former director of product at Netflix.* - Network accessline 34
> “It’s a great motto for people and also for companies. It’s something that guides me in my life.” [[Full clip](https://youtu.be/aJWSn-tz3jQ?si=9haWFAHAxxrse02x&t=4193)] - Network accessline 36
> *—**[Itamar Gilad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/itamargilad/)**, the author of* [Evidence-Guided: Creating High-Impact Products in the Face of Uncertainty](https://evidenceguided.com/)*. He’s also a product coach, author, and speaker with - Network accessline 40
> “I used to think my insecurity was a downfall and I would just hide it and try to pretend it’s not there. And then someone that I really look up to told me this, and I’m like, okay, so I’m not the only one. I think the world is run by a b - Network accessline 42
> *—**[Meltem Kuran Berkowitz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/meltem-kuran-berkowitz-4721114b)** is the head of growth at Deel, which went from $0 to $300m in ARR in three years (the fastest company in history to do so). Meltem joined Deel ear - Network accessline 46
> “I’m sure there’s mottos I could say that would be aspirational mottos, but the real one is ‘If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well.’ From being in sports to going to school to being in product, in my opinion, if you’re going to do so - Network accessline 48
> *—**[Maggie Crowley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-crowley-42a97112/)** is VP of product at Toast, previously vice president and head of product at Charlie Health, senior director of product management at Drift, and a PM at Tripadvis - Network accessline 52
> “I believe the origins of this one are actually from the Marine Corps for the Scout Snipers, so not trying to promote that particular craft, but the point of it is that—and we did this a lot at Amazon—to really go fast, you actually need - Network accessline 53
> > *—**[Bill Carr](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-carr/)** is the co-author of* [Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595)*. Dur - Network accessline 54
> *—**[Bill Carr](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bill-carr/)** is the co-author of* [Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/Working-Backwards-Insights-Stories-Secrets/dp/1250267595)*. Durin - Network accessline 56
> Variations of this same idea from other guests: > > 1. **Go slow to go fast.** “Sometimes people have a tendency to rush into things, and especially, I think, in startups, but other places too. I think urgency is important, but then somet - Network accessline 57
> > 1. **Go slow to go fast.** “Sometimes people have a tendency to rush into things, and especially, I think, in startups, but other places too. I think urgency is important, but then sometimes you have too much urgency and you are rushing - Network accessline 58
> 1. **Go slow to go fast.** “Sometimes people have a tendency to rush into things, and especially, I think, in startups, but other places too. I think urgency is important, but then sometimes you have too much urgency and you are rushing t - Network accessline 59
> 2. **Slow down.** “My main thing I tell people is ‘Slow down.’ I think what I’ve found has been happening is, we’re so convinced that speed is the way you’re going to find the right answer that I just don’t think we slow down to develop m - Network accessline 63
> “You can’t be a product person without having an eye-rolly Charles Eames quote that’s at the center of your existence. I just really absolutely believe that the devil is in the details when you’re a product designer, and be uninterested i - Network accessline 65
> *—**[Tom Conrad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomconrad/)** is the CEO of Zero Longevity Science and a Sonos board member. He began his career in engineering at Apple, was the VP of product at Snap, the chief technology officer at Pandora, - Network accessline 69
> “I’m somebody who has had, and continues to have, a radical amount of love and support in my life. When I was young, I started with nothing and I got thrown out of school. And I didn’t know until I was 21, because when I was young, learni - Network accessline 71
> *—**[Christopher Lochhead](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopherlochhead/)** is a 14-time best-selling author, top podcaster, and former 3x public tech company CMO, and has been an advisor to over 50 VC-backed tech startups. He is best - Network accessline 75
> “I don’t say this out loud, but I’ve had it as a post-it in my jewelry box and I see it regularly. ‘Tomorrow is today.’ And what I mean by that is that so often I will in my head be like, ‘I’ll do that tomorrow. I’ll eat better tomorrow. - Network accessline 77
> *—**[Katie Dill](https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-dill-79168b3/)** is the head of design at Stripe. Previously, she was the head of experience design at Airbnb and head of design at Lyft. Katie was named one of* Business Insider*’s “10 p - Network accessline 81
> “I have a post-it on my monitor that says, ‘Only work on what matters most.’ It sometimes falls off and I have to write it again. I go into work, someone emails me, and I’m like, ‘Oh god.’ But then I’m like, ‘Only work on what matters mos - Network accessline 82
> > The second one is ‘Stop worrying about things you can’t control.’ I have these two on post-its. It just reduces the temperature. Life lessons learned. I sent a lot of dumb emails in my past, like, red energy, ‘Oh my god, what are they t - Network accessline 83
> The second one is ‘Stop worrying about things you can’t control.’ I have these two on post-its. It just reduces the temperature. Life lessons learned. I sent a lot of dumb emails in my past, like, red energy, ‘Oh my god, what are they thi - Network accessline 85
> *—**[Paul Adams](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauladams/)** is the longtime chief product officer at Intercom, where he leads the product management, product design, data science, and research teams. Before Intercom, Paul was the global he - Network accessline 89
> “It’s something I keep coming back to. I’m default skeptical of chasing achievement, and I use this to remind myself that it is about personal energy versus extrinsic outcomes. I’m very convinced from my own life experience that the extri - Network accessline 91
> *—**[Paul Millerd](https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmillerd/)** spent several years working in strategy consulting and on the “default path” before deciding to pursue an alternative approach to work. His book* [The Pathless Path](https://t - Network accessline 95
> “This is particularly meaningful to me right now because I’m going through a really tough moment because I have long Covid and lost my taste and smell, and it might be long-term. ‘This too shall pass’ is something I say to myself a lot. > - Network accessline 96
> > The second one is also not particularly motivational, but I really believe in it, which is ‘Fake it till you make it.’ That’s something I’ve held onto for a long time, and even today. I don’t mean lie. I don’t mean pretend to be somethi - Network accessline 97
> The second one is also not particularly motivational, but I really believe in it, which is ‘Fake it till you make it.’ That’s something I’ve held onto for a long time, and even today. I don’t mean lie. I don’t mean pretend to be something - Network accessline 99
> *—**[Gina Gotthilf](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginafrombrazil/)** is the co-founder and COO of Latitud, a startup platform supporting the next generation of iconic tech startups in Latin America. Previously, Gina led growth and marketing - Network accessline 103
> “This is something someone told me on the streets of Manhattan. It’s actually the origin story of *Radical Candor*. I was walking my dog, almost got hit by a cab, and this man, a perfect stranger, looked at me and he said, ‘I can tell you - Network accessline 105
> *—**[Kim Scott](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimm4/)** is the author of* Radical Candor*, currently the #1 most recommended book on this podcast. The book has sold over 1 million copies and has been translated into 23 languages. Before wri - Network accessline 109
> “My father would always tell me: Show up. Show up, and you’re ahead of 80% of the people in the free world. Show up on time, and you’re ahead of 85% of the people in the free world. Show up on time with a plan, and you’re ahead of 90% of - Network accessline 111
> *—**[Christian Idiodi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cidiodi/)** is a partner at Silicon Valley Product Group. After a long product career and founding multiple companies, he now spends his time working closely with product leaders at compa - Network accessline 115
> “I don’t always live up to it, but basically, I try to worry less. There’s a great Tom Petty lyric—I can’t remember which song it’s in [‘Crawling Back to You’], but I think it’s on the *Wildflowers* album—‘Most of the things you worry abo - Network accessline 116
> > *—**[Jason Fried](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/)** is the co-founder and CEO of 37signals, the maker of Basecamp and HEY.* > - Network accessline 117
> *—**[Jason Fried](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-fried/)** is the co-founder and CEO of 37signals, the maker of Basecamp and HEY.* - Network accessline 119
> Variations from other guests: > > 1. **What’s the worst that can happen?** “To me, when I get scared about something or try to do something, or even interpersonal reactions, where I’m like, ‘God, I have to have this hard conversation with - Network accessline 120
> > 1. **What’s the worst that can happen?** “To me, when I get scared about something or try to do something, or even interpersonal reactions, where I’m like, ‘God, I have to have this hard conversation with this person,’ I try to tell mys - Network accessline 121
> 1. **What’s the worst that can happen?** “To me, when I get scared about something or try to do something, or even interpersonal reactions, where I’m like, ‘God, I have to have this hard conversation with this person,’ I try to tell mysel - Network accessline 122
> 2. **Nothing’s a big deal.** “My thing lately is, and maybe this is just an old-person thing, but my thing lately is: nothing’s a big deal. You’ll have stuff that you think is a really big deal, positive or negative, and you’ll be like, w - Network accessline 126
> “Even if you’re having a bad day, even if you’re doing something boring or you’re stressed, that’s still your life and you should enjoy it.” [[Full clip](https://youtu.be/1gXNOJEWajU?si=8JAMm157QUukE5aA&t=3809)] - Network accessline 128
> *—**[Maya Prohovnik](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayaprohovnik/)** is Spotify’s head of podcast product. She was employee #1 at Anchor, which was acquired by Spotify in 2019 and now powers more than 80% of all new podcasts created in the - Network accessline 132
> “It’s about honing in on who you’re building your product for, who your persona is. And then with my children: try to be everyone’s friend, but it may not happen.” [[Full clip](https://youtu.be/9VdixM9KPN4?si=fFl6GS9BKiAyvaQj&t=4445)] - Network accessline 134
> *—**[Denise Tilles](https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisetilles/)** is the CPO at Grocket, a seasoned product leader, and the co-author of* [Product Operations: How successful companies build better products at scale](https://www.productoper - Network accessline 138
> “I’ve taken to saying that there’s more knowledge outside my head than inside it. And this is a plea for curiosity. I have three main things that are my North Star: originality, curiosity, and wisdom. And so this idea about there’s more k - Network accessline 140
> *—**[Oji Udezue](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ojiudezue/)** is the chief product officer at Typeform and has held leadership roles at Twitter (head of product for creation and conversation), Calendly (CPO), and Atlassian (head of product f - Network accessline 144
> “This is the thing that I keep coming back to and the thing that I keep finding the value that I resonate with the most. It’s even what we try to build Reforge around. We’re trying to build Reforge around the people that have been in the - Network accessline 146
> *—**[Brian Balfour](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbalfour/)** is the founder and CEO of Reforge. Prior to Reforge, he was the VP of growth at HubSpot and co-founded three other startups.* - Network accessline 161
1. [Jocko Willink: “GOOD”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdTMDpizis8) - Network accessline 162
2. [Kara Lawson: Handle hard better](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oDzfZOfNki4) - Network accessline 163
3. [Rick Rubin interviews <U+200B><U+200B>Steven Pressfield](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgJ_dxf2Hkg) - Possible obfuscationline 163
3. [Rick Rubin interviews <U+200B><U+200B>Steven Pressfield](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgJ_dxf2Hkg) - Network accessline 164
4. [Tyler Cowen interviews Paul Graham](https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/paul-graham/) - Network accessline 165
5. [Becoming a magician](https://autotranslucence.com/2018/03/30/becoming-a-magician/) - Network accessline 166
6. [How to do great work by Paul Graham](https://www.paulgraham.com/greatwork.html) - Network accessline 167
7. [Infinite chocolate bar trick](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tRr49qZfo) 🤯 - Network accessline 168
8. [Strategies for becoming less distracted and improving focus with Nir Eyal](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/strategies-for-becoming-less-distracted-and-improving-focus-nir-eyal-author-of-indistractable-and/) ←Most recent podcast episode - Network accessline 176
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 180
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/introducing-core-4-the-best-way-to-measure-and-improve-your-product-velocity.md
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I talk a lot on my podcast and in this newsletter about the correlation between successful companies and an obsession with velocity. So I’ve been on the hunt for a framework that actually helps you measure and increase your velocity. I’ve f - Network accessline 16
[Laura Tacho](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauratacho/) *is the CTO at [DX](https://getdx.com/), has taught over 1,000 tech leaders through [her course on developer productivity metrics](https://lauratacho.com/developer-productivity-metrics- - Network accessline 18
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And executing quickly means getting to market faster and, as a result, learning what your customers need faster. “If we can learn faster than every other company, we’re going to win,” Mark Zuckerberg said in [a recent interview](https://www - Network accessline 40
- **[DORA metrics](https://dora.dev/guides/dora-metrics-four-keys/)** are widely accepted “starter metrics” because of their popularity and focused scope. These metrics focus on software delivery capabilities (deployment frequency, lead tim - Network accessline 41
- **[The SPACE framework of developer productivity](https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3454124)** offers a robust definition of developer productivity covering five dimensions: satisfaction and well-being, performance, activity, communicat - Network accessline 42
- **[The DevEx framework](https://queue.acm.org/detail.cfm?id=3595878)** ties developer experience to three key dimensions: cognitive load, feedback loops, and flow. This framework is correlated with higher productivity but is somewhat disc - Network accessline 48
Core 4 is a set of metrics that unifies the principles behind DORA, SPACE, and DevEx. The framework was co-authored by [Abi Noda](https://www.linkedin.com/in/abinoda/), a co-author of the DevEx framework, and me, in collaboration with [Nico - Network accessline 52
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A few design choices are important to mention. First is the inclusion of PR throughput, measured by pull/merge requests per engineer, which can be controversial. We have seen that companies like Meta, Microsoft, and Uber have [successfully - Network accessline 58
“While this is an extremely hard metric to evaluate in isolation, it’s very easy to look at your organization’s diffs per engineer against peer companies’ diffs per engineer and make an informed judgment about whether things are going well - Network accessline 68
Here’s a [template for a survey](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1brKPLRJ9DDQAAFr1GM4hcFZg9zGUAGplQw2OkVx52Ls/edit?usp=sharing) you can send to your team to get a baseline on the key metrics in the Core 4 framework. You can use any s - Network accessline 70
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Depending on your company’s size, you may want to collect certain demographic information, such as team identity and tenure, in order to analyze the results. There are some considerations to take into account, which I elaborate on in [this - Network accessline 78
- For **Speed**, **Quality**, and **Impact**, find the average value for each question’s responses. - For **Effectiveness**, calculate the percent of favorable responses (also called a [Top 2 Box score](https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/top-2 - Network accessline 79
- For **Effectiveness**, calculate the percent of favorable responses (also called a [Top 2 Box score](https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/top-2-box-scores/)) across all Effectiveness responses. See the example in the template. - Network accessline 83
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[Ongoing research](https://getdx.com/research/the-one-number-you-need-to-increase-roi-per-engineer/) continues to show a correlation between developer experience and efficiency, looking at data from 40,000 developers across 800 organization - Network accessline 126
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You can also [download full benchmarking data](https://getdx.com/research/benchmarks/), including segments on company size, sector, and even benchmarks for mobile engineers. - Network accessline 180
- Reassess recurring meetings and build a habit of regularly trimming meetings that accumulate over time. - Prioritize. Plan for engineers to focus on one project or priority at a time. [“Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.”](ht - Network accessline 181
- Prioritize. Plan for engineers to focus on one project or priority at a time. [“Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing.”](https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/10149245-never-half-ass-two-things-whole-ass-one-thing) - Limit the number - Network accessline 201
Many teams struggle with documentation, which impacts the developer experience globally. DORA’s research has [highlighted the importance of documentation](https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/devops-sre/deep-dive-into-2022-state-of-devops - Network accessline 213
- Share this summary [slide deck about Core 4](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/15RQzf8UtXjhdq9AA6dxRUk9940vQzfta7dfHs9cy9mM/edit?usp=sharing), why it was designed, and how it can be used with the rest of your leadership team. - Network accessline 220
*Thanks, Laura! For more, you can follow her on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauratacho/) and her [blog](https://lauratacho.com).* - Network accessline 226
[Delphi](https://www.delphi.ai/) is hiring for a [Lead Product Manager](https://delphi-ai.notion.site/Delphi-Product-Manager-13fa9fbe9ec880218413f1b4f73322c4) based out of SF. As their Lead PM, you'd get the opportunity to collaborate direc - Network accessline 230
1. Delphi powers [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)! They allow anyone to upload their content to create a digital representation of not only their knowledge base, but also their way of thinking. - Network accessline 235
If you’d like to get your profile sent directly to their team, just fill out this [quick form](https://airtable.com/apppne9fUg8CKw6s2/pag2vapuCgpIGh6WB/form). All submissions from my readers get priority (but no guarantees beyond that). - Network accessline 241
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 243
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/introducing-drice-a-modern-prioritization-framework.md
- Network accessline 16
Below, [Darius Contractor](https://www.darius.com) and [Alexey Komissarouk](https://alexeymk.com) share a brand-new framework that will make you significantly better at prioritizing. They also include plug-and-play templates, real-life case - Network accessline 18
*[Darius Contractor](https://www.darius.com) is the former head of growth at Dropbox, Facebook, Airtable, and Vendr and is currently Chief Growth Officer at [Otter.ai](https://otter.ai/). You can find him on [X](https://twitter.com/dariusmc - Network accessline 40
In short, [RICE](https://www.intercom.com/blog/rice-simple-prioritization-for-product-managers/)-ing is the process of T-shirt scoring (i.e. S/M/L) your ideas according to their: - Network accessline 65
- **Effort: medium.** Will need to integrate PayPal through the [Braintree API](https://developer.paypal.com/braintree/docs/guides/drop-in/overview/javascript/v3/). - Network accessline 80
The process above works well with two ideas, but what if we have tens of ideas to score and rank? A spreadsheet keeps things organized. Here’s a [minimalistic template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1trzJaf37kh6C5Cprcnmj20LX0RKxeZ1 - Network accessline 86
At this stage, these estimates are meant to be low-fidelity and directional [SWAGs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scientific_wild-ass_guess) anyway. Rather than nailing the categories, compare between items—do all the M’s truly feel smaller - Network accessline 90
**Reach** is relatively straightforward to estimate: either your users will experience the change or they won’t. **Effort** estimates come with experience on the engineering side. Always strive to run the laziest test possible[,](https://pa - Network accessline 181
*We originally thought we’d have to integrate the Braintree API, but these days, you [can integrate PayPal directly from Stripe](https://stripe.com/docs/payments/paypal). This eliminates the bulk of the expected back-end work, leaving us:* - Network accessline 201
Here’s a [DRICE template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1J5j2g6ACKxDFjALPR1DgQIn7tABAycOFQDW8beQIfh0/copy) to use when making your own estimates. - Network accessline 255
[HIPPO](https://jeffgothelf.com/blog/highest-paid-persons-opinion/), the Highest-Paid Person’s Opinion, is the default mode of planning for many teams. It’s better than random—there’s a reason the PM is in their position—but it’s far from o - Network accessline 265
*Thank you, Darius and Alexey! For more, find Darius on [X](https://twitter.com/dariusmc) and [Darius.com](https://Darius.com/), and Alexey is a [growth engineering advisor](https://alexeymk.com/growth-eng) in the process of writing [a book - Network accessline 271
If you’re hiring, I can help. [Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) works with a select group of companies every month to help them make key growth and product hires. - Network accessline 275
If you’re looking for a new gig, join [here!](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome?application=true&pallet=&step=privacy) We’ll send over personalized opportunities from hand-selected companies if we think there’s a fit. Nobody gets yo - Network accessline 277
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome?application=true&pallet=&step=privacy) - Network accessline 279
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/introducing-the-foundation-sprint-from-the-creators-of-the-design-sprint.md
- Network accessline 10
Everyone working in product today knows about the Design Sprint—a five-day method for teams to design, prototype, and test new products. The process goes back to 2010, when [Jake Knapp](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-knapp/) came up with - Network accessline 12
I’m honored to share an exclusive excerpt from his new book, ***Click***, the anticipated sequel to *Sprint* that will hit bookshelves in April***.*** But this is not just an excerpt. Jake and his co-author [John Zeratsky](https://www.linke - Network accessline 14
If you [pre-order](https://www.theclickbook.com/) the book before January 31st, you’ll get instant access to a bunch of resources, including detailed guides and tools for running your own Foundation Sprint. Pre-order and claim these bonuses - Network accessline 16
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Use our “[Note-and-Vote](https://www.character.vc/note-and-vote)” technique for all of the above steps, and throughout the sprint: For each question, give everyone five minutes to think in silence and write answers on separate sticky notes. - Network accessline 158
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Here’s how JZ and I do it with the startups in our portfolio: After a **Foundation Sprint**,we run **Design Sprints** to answer the questions on the scorecard and prove—or disprove—the Founding Hypothesis. Every week, founders test prototyp - Network accessline 298
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Click *comes out in April, but if you [order now](https://theclickbook.com), you’ll get instant access to free guides, templates, and resources that will show you exactly how to run a Foundation Sprint, step-by-step. [Order](https://theclic - Network accessline 308
 - Network accessline 314
[Delphi](https://www.delphi.ai/) is hiring for a [Lead Product Manager](https://delphi-ai.notion.site/Delphi-Product-Manager-13fa9fbe9ec880218413f1b4f73322c4) based out of San Francisco. As their Lead PM, you’d get the opportunity to collab - Network accessline 318
1. Delphi powers [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)! They allow anyone to upload their content, to create a digital representation of not only their knowledge base but also their way of thinking. - Network accessline 323
If you’d like to get your profile sent directly to their team, just fill out this [quick form](https://airtable.com/apppne9fUg8CKw6s2/pag2vapuCgpIGh6WB/form). All submissions from my readers get priority (but no guarantees beyond that). - Network accessline 329
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 331
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/introducing-the-gain-framework-for-feedback-an-evidence-based-approach-to-giving.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey there, I’m Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podca - Network accessline 12
*Annual subscribers get a **free year** of 15+ premium products: **[Lovable, Replit, Bolt, n8n, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, Gamma, Superhuman, Granola, Warp, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, and ChatPRD](https://www.lennysnews - Network accessline 18
I was introduced to [Jack Cohen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackadamcohen/) by (frequent collaborator) [Tal Raviv](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-is-an-unfair-role), who told me, “Jack is the single biggest influence on - Network accessline 24
*For more, Jack teaches a highly rated course, [ManagerGPT: The AI Tools and Human Systems to Scale Yourself and Your Team Fast](https://bit.ly/3VK5fGt), focused on helping high-growth leaders build their individual operating systems and in - Network accessline 26
*You can also listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@le - Network accessline 28
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Another client, startup veteran [Brian Martin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-e-martin-50575a2b/), described his experience this way: “After I gave feedback once or twice in this new way and saw people actually listen and change and driv - Network accessline 79
As Brian notes, people start to realize that the function of feedback isn’t just for behavior change. When shared with skill and engaged with vulnerability, a substantive feedback conversation builds immense trust, meaningful connection, an - Network accessline 93
First, let’s look at communication in the most sensitive domain: marriage. Watching just three minutes of a conversation, marriage researcher [John Gottman](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1999-01159-003) was able to predict with 93% accurac - Network accessline 95
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The GAIN framing not only leads to behavior change, it can also elicit better decisions. [One study](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7070445/) by Amos Tversky and colleagues showed that doctors given data with an *avoid* framing (“The morta - Network accessline 99
This dynamic plays out elsewhere in the workplace as well (and in a way I keep thinking about as leaders fret over AI adoption strategies). Amy Edmonson’s [research](https://med.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/CME/documents/Edmondson-20Amy-20C. - Network accessline 157
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You can download the GAIN template [here](https://maven.com/p/ad08cc/the-gain-feedback-template), with prompts to guide you. - Network accessline 161
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 from Stanford tested the impact of integrating these two qualities using the sentence “I’m giving you these comments because I have very high exp - Network accessline 189
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Even if this seems obvious, it becomes challenging when we’re annoyed and feeling justified in our annoyance (“Product just threw this over the wall; they don’t care about our time!”). [Our judgments feed our emotions](https://speakerdeck.c - Network accessline 211
Fortunately, recognizing and translating our judgments is a skill easily developed with practice, one even more easily practiced now with AI. To do so, you can use this [custom GPT](https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68821735dc108191a1829abc763ad284-d - Network accessline 217
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The “rockstar PM” worries about maintaining that image if she fails, turning challenges into threats rather than opportunities to learn and grow. Carol Dweck’s [mindset research](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9686450/) explains why: **If - Network accessline 235
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By contrast, observations of people’s actions and impacts point them to what is within their control—the actions they can change or keep doing and the potential impacts of those actions. They see how to increase their own ability to create - Network accessline 243
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To support this feeling, make it easy for them to say no to or edit the request. A [meta-analysis](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344807911_The_effectiveness_of_the_But-you-are-free_technique_Meta-analysis_and_re-examination_of_th - Network accessline 289
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While many people fear AI will erode human connection, I see the opposite happening with clients and in [our workshops](https://maven.com/actionablefeedback/managergpt): **People are using AI as a tool for expanding interpersonal skills and - Network accessline 329
You can build custom GPTs that [give feedback for you](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-become-a-supermanager-with) in some situations. But when you can’t replace yourself with it, AI can help you prepare much higher quality feedba - Network accessline 331
You can overcome this by asking for it specifically in your prompt. You can also use [FeedbackGPT](https://actionablewisdom.beehiiv.com/p/feedbackgpt-b453), a custom GPT I created using the GAIN principles, which takes you step by step thro - Network accessline 333
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The single greatest growth catalyst I have seen in clients and workshop participants comes when they practice, we give them immediate feedback and coaching on their practice, and then they do it again. This is now possible for everyone with - Network accessline 349
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One founder I coach, [Nischal Nadhamuni](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishchaln/), summarized both sides of the feedback equation: On one hand, “The key to everyone’s growth is buried in someone else’s head—and they know it.” On the other ha - Network accessline 371
What’s more, the level of depth and connection that comes from sharing feedback skillfully can be electric. Here’s what two co-founders said after their whole executive team gave them feedback in a [Live 360](https://actionablewisdom.beehii - Network accessline 373
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, and for a demo of both GAIN feedback and the AI tool Jack built to support it, check ou - Network accessline 383
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/ive-launched-a-podcast.md
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FWIW, I tried to call it something more creative, but [y’all convinced me](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1518359053595934722) to go with the obvious choice 😛 - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 26
, [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMDg0NS5yc3M), [Amazon](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/83671d19-a1c5-4351-9cde - Network accessline 32
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[Listen to Julie Zhuo](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-2-julie-zhuo/id1627920305?i=1000565522448) - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 42
[Listen to Shreyas Doshi](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-3-shreyas-doshi/id1627920305?i=1000565522145) - Network accessline 46
, [Google Podcasts](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9hcGkuc3Vic3RhY2suY29tL2ZlZWQvcG9kY2FzdC8xMDg0NS5yc3M), [Amazon](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/83671d19-a1c5-4351-9cde-eba687a34 - Network accessline 54
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/ive-launched-a-podcast/comments) - Network accessline 58
*Thank you to [Melissa Perri](https://produxlabs.com/product-thinking), [James Beshara](https://belowthelinepod.com/), and [Hanne Winarsky](https://twitter.com/omnivorousread) for a bunch of podcasting guidance, [Jess Nguyen](https://www.li - Network accessline 62
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 64
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[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 70
#### **🔥 [Featured job openings](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** - Network accessline 72
1. **Scratchpad:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c4039341-f2c6-4ac9-bc69-7b52c457f621) (Remote) - Network accessline 73
2. **Net32:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b4a61fe4-0676-469c-8131-af743ca536bc) (Remote) - Network accessline 74
3. **Joby Aviation:** [Air Taxi Product Manager-Operations](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6e99a528-2443-435f-bd43-a86d437f6ff2) (Santa Cruz, CA) - Network accessline 75
4. **Firstbase.io:** [Business Lead, Fintech](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/06fe3597-dd58-4979-93d7-03ee8a0dbe24) (Remote) - Network accessline 76
5. **Weights & Biases:** [Growth Project Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c0dab35d-dbb5-47a5-92cc-df0cde2ca009) (Remote EU) - Network accessline 77
6. **Wethos:** [Director of Fintech Product Operations](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a9a10752-0952-4ca7-9116-924dd0a4d0ca) (Remote) - Network accessline 78
7. **Roofstock:** [Senior Product Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/89098663-b9f7-414b-b374-b76111d93917) (Remote)
references/02-newsletters/joining-as-the-first-product-manager.md
- Network accessline 10
***If you find this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/)*** - Network accessline 12
[Share Lenny's Newsletter](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/?action=share) - Network accessline 14
> ## **Q: I'll soon be starting a new role at a startup (Series A, 40 people) as their first product hire. [I've read your past advice](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/q-and-a-must-reads-on-growth-what)** on what to focus on as new PM**, h - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 20
I’ve been getting this question often recently, so I’m excited to dive in. Since I personally haven't been the first PM at a company, I used this as an excuse to do some new research. I reached out to a bunch of smart friends and friends of - Network accessline 36
**[Ken Norton](https://www.kennorton.com/newsletter/2016-02-12-product-manager-zero.html) (early PM at Google):** - Network accessline 46
**[Jonathan Golden](https://medium.com/@jgolden/when-and-how-to-make-your-first-product-hire-809ebce6cda4) (first PM at Airbnb):** - Network accessline 56
**[Tim Wood](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjwood) (first PM at Patreon):** - Network accessline 66
> **“The amount of ambiguity facing a 1st time PM is tremendous**. Often the founders/execs are still extremely hands on and aren’t comfortable sharing ownership. So there’s a lot of tension. Your job is to bring clarity and focus (i.e. dec - Network accessline 68
> ー [Ben Erez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/) (first PM at Abstract) - Network accessline 70
> “**Roll up your sleeves, be a team player**. I had to wear many hats – QA, user research, API documentation, marketing, BD – to move the team fwd. While in other companies, you have someone in each role, you have to do it all at early sta - Network accessline 72
> — [Karan Ahuja](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahujakaran/) (first PM at Tally) - Network accessline 80
> **“First, take time to observe, listen, learn how & why things are done**. You have but a short time to just *be there* before you need to *do things.* Make the most of it!” > > ー [Ketki Duvvuru](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ketkiwarudkar/ - Network accessline 82
> ー [Ketki Duvvuru](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ketkiwarudkar/) (first PM at Superhuman) - Network accessline 87
> - Who has been serving as the PM to date? Was it solely the CEO, or has an engineer or salesperson been calling some of the shots without a PM in place?” > > ー [Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/) (first PM at Lyft, Char - Network accessline 89
> ー [Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/) (first PM at Lyft, Chariot) - Network accessline 95
> While many of those things initially will come to pass, **instead of focusing on what isn't going right, look to what is working and why**: can you build upon those process and make them slightly better/more efficient? Can you expand into - Network accessline 97
> — [Nate Abbott](https://www.linkedin.com/in/naabbott/) (Head of Product at Front) - Network accessline 101
> “As for any product manager, **invest deeply in getting to know your customer** really really well” > > — [Ketki Duvvuru](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ketkiwarudkar/) (first PM at Superhuman) - Network accessline 103
> — [Ketki Duvvuru](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ketkiwarudkar/) (first PM at Superhuman) - Network accessline 105
> “Understand your product, your customers and your competition. **Within 3 months, you should know about all the nooks and crannies of your product, and you should know it better than anyone else at the company**. Talk to your product’s to - Network accessline 107
> ー [Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/) (first PM at Lyft, Chariot) - Network accessline 109
> **“OWN the product... live in it**. Live with the support staff, observe customers using it, help with QA and test it. Know it better than everyone else.” > > ー [Mark Leck](https://www.linkedin.com/in/markleck/) - Network accessline 111
> ー [Mark Leck](https://www.linkedin.com/in/markleck/) - Network accessline 115
> **“Don't assume, validate**.” > > ー [Ayo Jimoh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayojimoh/) (first PM at Visibly) - Network accessline 117
> ー [Ayo Jimoh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ayojimoh/) (first PM at Visibly) - Network accessline 119
> **“One of the biggest mistakes I made as a PM at Zimride was not pushing earlier to identify the need for Lyft’s product to exist**, as I was too in the Zimride weeds and too focused on growing our existing product. It really took our CEO - Network accessline 121
> ー [Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/) (first PM at Lyft, Chariot) - Network accessline 123
> **“Internalize the CEO's vision** before developing your own” > > — [Colin James Belyea](https://colinjam.es/) - Network accessline 125
> — [Colin James Belyea](https://colinjam.es/) - Network accessline 129
> “Like a parent sending their child off to kindergarten, your CEO is going to have a tough time turning over control of their baby — their product — to you. **Start exercising responsibility and control over the product slowly at first, an - Network accessline 131
> ー [Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/) (first PM at Lyft, Chariot) - Network accessline 133
> “Do jam sessions with the founders. Have frequent chats/debates about the product vision, strategy, competition, etc. These sessions **give a window into each other's thought processes, principles, values, and are key to building alignmen - Network accessline 135
> — [Karan Ahuja](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahujakaran/) (first PM at Tally) - Network accessline 137
> “Train the CEO how a good PM organization should run. After a month of transition, **I like to pitch back the role and define it clearly**. Help them learn the new, lean process you put in place. Don’t be afraid to stand your ground if th - Network accessline 139
> ー [Drake Rehfeld](https://www.linkedin.com/in/drakerehfeld/) (CEO) - Network accessline 143
> “The company grew without a PM. **You need to show they'll benefit from having one**.” > > ー[Anand Samuel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anand-george-samuel-10838218/) - Network accessline 145
> ー[Anand Samuel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anand-george-samuel-10838218/) - Network accessline 147
> “**Build trust & invest in relationships from day one**. Ask questions about what's worked/not worked, ask people about their hopes/fears, listen, get to know everyone. Don't be a ‘know-it-all’ person and try to change things immediately. - Network accessline 149
> — [Karan Ahuja](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ahujakaran/) (first PM at Tally) - Network accessline 151
> **“Ship something**. Could be a spec or something as small as solving a customer query.” > > ー [Sai Girish](https://twitter.com/sai_grsh) - Network accessline 153
> ー [Sai Girish](https://twitter.com/sai_grsh) - Network accessline 157
> “**Be sure to understand how the founders define product management**. It's ok if they don't have a detailed sense of a PM's role, but it's important that you are all aligned on the responsibilities you will have and the value you can bri - Network accessline 159
> — [Tim Wood](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tjwood) (first PM at Patreon) - Network accessline 161
> "**Ensure a clear understanding of the PM role across the org**. Set expectations, discuss how you can help, and what you need to do that. Especially important since first Product person is the CEO." > > ー [Nina](https://twitter.com/wooed - Network accessline 163
> ー [Nina](https://twitter.com/wooedbywords) - Network accessline 165
> “As the first PM at a company, many teammates likely will have never even worked with a product manager before, and may question the need for the role. **Regularly, and repeatedly, explain what a PM does and how this will be better, not w - Network accessline 167
> ー [Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/) (first PM at Lyft, Chariot) - Network accessline 171
> **“Biggest learning was to balance desire to ship (quick wins, credibility) w/ time spent learning the product** and developing customer empathy.” > > ー [Isaac Souweine](https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacsouweine/) (first PM at Frank & Oak - Network accessline 173
> ー [Isaac Souweine](https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacsouweine/) (first PM at Frank & Oak, and Sonder) - Network accessline 175
> “For starters, an early PM should **be particularly attuned to the balance between chasing growth and getting the overall product in a stable position**. Making this tradeoff of resources is often contentious, but startups can ignore over - Network accessline 177
> ー [Jonathan Golden](https://medium.com/@jgolden/when-and-how-to-make-your-first-product-hire-809ebce6cda4) (first PM at Airbnb) - Network accessline 183
1. [This twitter thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1250870043216232448) - Network accessline 184
2. [When and How to Make Your First Product Hire](https://medium.com/@jgolden/when-and-how-to-make-your-first-product-hire-809ebce6cda4) by Jonathan Golden - Network accessline 185
3. [Product Manager Zero](https://www.kennorton.com/newsletter/2016-02-12-product-manager-zero.html) by Ken Norton - Network accessline 186
4. [Our 6 Must Reads If You're Hiring a Product Manager](https://firstround.com/review/our-6-must-reads-if-youre-hiring-a-product-manager/) by First Round - Network accessline 187
5. [Why Founders Fail: The Product CEO Paradox](https://a16z.com/2013/10/04/why-founders-fail-the-product-ceo-paradox/) by a16z - Network accessline 188
6. [When should you hire a Product Manager?](https://medium.com/once-upon-a-team/when-should-you-a-hire-a-product-manager-91e393862150) by Ellen Chisa - Network accessline 189
7. [Seeking Captain America & Not Captain Crap: Hiring Your First Product Manager](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20121127191851-7298-seeking-captain-america-not-captain-crap-hiring-your-first-product-manager/?trk=mp-author-card) by Hunter - Network accessline 190
8. [Hiring your first Product Manager](https://medium.com/@gokulrajaram/the-biggest-mistake-ceos-make-when-looking-for-their-first-product-manager-347aaeb15a75) by Gokul Rajaram - Network accessline 194
1. **Watch**: Constraints breeding creativity (via [@bhaugh](https://twitter.com/bhaugh)) - Network accessline 196
2. **Listen**: Tingles (via [@MikePLewis](https://twitter.com/MikePLewis)) - Network accessline 198
3. **Follow**: [The Breeze](https://thebreeze.substack.com/) — A new’ish newsletter by my buddy [Tommy Leep](https://twitter.com/leepnet), where he shares unique insights about the climate tech space. - Network accessline 202
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer-business-step-6-scale-build-your-growth-engi.md
- Network accessline 10
 - Network accessline 14
- **[Step 1: INSIGHT: Come up with your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer)** - Network accessline 15
- **[Step 2: AUDIENCE: Identify your super-specific who](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-super-specific-who)** - Network accessline 16
- **[Step 3: HOOK: Craft your pitch](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer)** - Network accessline 17
- **[Step 4: REACH: Find your early adopters by doing things that don’t scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users)** - Network accessline 18
- **[Step 5: RETAIN: Iterate until enough people stick around](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-9c8)** - Network accessline 31
*A big thank-you to [Adam Fishman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/) (Lyft, Patreon), [Casey Winters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters/) (Grubhub), [Cem Kansu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cemkansu/) (Duolingo), [Gagan Biyan - Network accessline 33
 - Network accessline 34
> #### “A startup is a company designed to grow fast. Being newly founded does not in itself make a company a startup. Nor is it necessary for a startup to work on technology, or take venture funding, or have some sort of ‘exit.’ The only e - Network accessline 40
When you’re just starting out, as we saw in [step four of our series](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users), there are only seven reliable ways to kickstart your growth (i.e. get your first 1,000 users): - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 46
 - Network accessline 50
 - Network accessline 56
A common pitfall of early-stage startups is trying to invest in too many engines at once and not nail any. At scale, in order to win a market, you have to become world-class at your primary growth engine. To quote Dan Hockenmaier and myself - Network accessline 62
Over time, most companies layer on an additional engine (usually paid growth, sometimes SEO) in order to continue to grow while their initial growth engine plateaus ([learn about S-curves](https://www.rocketsource.co/blog/s-curve-of-busines - Network accessline 66
Your job as a founder looking to grow your product is to (1) creatively execute two to three kickstarting tactics and (2) become world-class at one primary growth engine. That’s essentially your high-level GTM strategy. [Here’s a link to th - Network accessline 72
 - Network accessline 80
> “If you look at the composition of growth of Airbnb, **WOM was by far the biggest driver early on. Way over 50% on the guest side and way over 70% on the host side.**” > > —[Gustaf Alströmer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustafalstromer/), - Network accessline 82
> —[Gustaf Alströmer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gustafalstromer/), first head of growth - Network accessline 86
> “What showed up in our data was that **we had strong word-of-mouth growth (people would report hearing about us from a friend, or they would use our referral program with their first order)**.” > > —[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/i - Network accessline 88
> —[Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmullen/), co-founder - Network accessline 92
> “**Over 90% of our courses were created organically**—which means word spread quickly. People started to realize the value of Udemy and clearly wanted to come.” > > —[Gagan Biyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani/), co-founder - Network accessline 94
> —[Gagan Biyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani/), co-founder - Network accessline 98
> “**We had a year of deep focus on viral spread**—syncing Twitter, FB, and other social media accounts to automate sharing every time a member posted a new project, new reasons to share projects even when they weren’t yours, and making sur - Network accessline 100
> —[Scott Belsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbelsky/), co-founder - Network accessline 106
> Within the first day, 25,000 people were using Instagram. Within the first week, it was 100,000, and [co-founder Kevin] Systrom had the surreal experience of seeing a stranger scrolling through the app on a San Francisco bus. He and [co-f - Network accessline 108
> ー*[No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram](https://www.amazon.com/No-Filter-Inside-Story-Instagram/dp/1982126809)*, by Sarah Frier - Network accessline 114
> LinkedIn deployed an Outlook contact uploader (very painful to build/support) to allow viral spread among professionals. Even today, nobody else has invested energy in this direction despite the 5-10x distribution per inviter you get from - Network accessline 116
> —[Keith Rabois](https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith/) and [Lee Hower](https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehower/), members of founding team, via [Quora](https://www.quora.com/LinkedIn-product-1/How-did-LinkedIn-product-get-its-initial-traction) - Network accessline 120
> “Pinduoduo’s model was simple: buy everyday items and receive discounts of up to 90% by completing in-app actions or inviting friends to buy them as well. Prices were set by suppliers, and a user’s very first purchase was almost always su - Network accessline 122
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 130
> **For the first three months, almost nothing. And then a trickle of traffic. At six months, there still wasn’t much traffic, but there was at least enough to start analyzing. At 18 months, it became a meaningful share of consumer traffic - Network accessline 132
> —[Sander Daniels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sander-daniels/) and [Dan Hockenmaier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hock/) via [First Round Review](https://review.firstround.com/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisiti - Network accessline 136
> “We had surprise success with organic search traffic. Mostly we’d ensure the site was SEO-friendly, but that was relatively minor. Mostly traffic came because we actually had quality review content and a decent page for each business.” > - Network accessline 138
> —[Russel Simmons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russel_Simmons), co-founder - Network accessline 142
> “The company was spending ‘next to nothing’ on customer acquisition. This trend remained fairly consistent as the company continued to grow, as revealed in their recent S-1. Since 2011, organic channels have represented 87% to 91% of Etsy - Network accessline 144
> —[GrowthHackers](https://community.growthhackers.com/posts/the-story-of-etsys-crafty-growth-to-ipo-and-a-2-billion-valuation) - Network accessline 148
> “**SEO was and continues to be an important channel for us.** We took advantage of our PR and content groups to drive traffic and links to our site and created the most comprehensive database of homes, with deep details of every home in t - Network accessline 150
> —[Nate Moch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/natemoch/), early growth leader - Network accessline 154
> “The most obvious things were SEO (and some SEM). In particular on the SEO side, we adamantly refused to build things that were meant primarily for search-engine indexing. Instead I focused on the idea that the SEO landing pages should be - Network accessline 155
> —[Mike Evans](https://mikeevans.com/), co-founder - Network accessline 169
> This small team continued to run the program even past $100m in spend. We started paid search in 2004, and in 2008 it was the biggest source of growth.” > > —[Arthur Kosten](https://twitter.com/ajknws), early CMO, via [First Round Review] - Network accessline 171
> —[Arthur Kosten](https://twitter.com/ajknws), early CMO, via [First Round Review](https://review.firstround.com/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playbook-for-consumer-startups#approach-1-determine-which-lane-i - Network accessline 175
> “**The end state for Uber was around 50% paid growth and 50% virality (**15% referrals, 35% WOM). Early days, the mix was closer to 30% referrals, 50%-60% WOM, and the rest was PR and other random things.” > > —[Andrew Chen](https://www.l - Network accessline 177
> —[Andrew Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchen/), head of driver growth - Network accessline 187
> **“Supply growth was all sales—door to door, walking into restaurants during their downtime, talking to owners.** It was very sales-driven. What we did was take every excuse they had for not using Grubhub and removed it as an obstacle. Fa - Network accessline 189
> —[Casey Winters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters/), first head of growth - Network accessline 199
> - This created an engine of course acquisition that we still use today.” > > —[Gagan Biyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani/), co-founder - Network accessline 201
> —[Gagan Biyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaganbiyani/), co-founder - Network accessline 205
> “On the restaurant side, unfortunately, there were no easy levers in the early days. **It was hire a direct sales force on the street.** **People on the street knocking on doors, carrying the software.** Demo’ing it and showing them how i - Network accessline 207
> —[Mike Xenakis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/xenakismike/), early growth leader - Network accessline 211
> “The main thing that I believe really worked was **recruiting sellers in person at craft fairs** and elsewhere. This was a small activity in terms of human effort, but it scaled beyond that since the sellers marketed themselves.” > > —[Da - Network accessline 213
> —[Dan McKinley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcfunley/), early employee - Network accessline 217
> “For us, for supply growth, it’s direct sales/field sales—no question!” > > —[Gokul Rajaram](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gokulrajaram1), head of Caviar - Network accessline 219
> —[Gokul Rajaram](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gokulrajaram1), head of Caviar - Network accessline 229
> “**Restaurants did a lot of the marketing for us.** They would actually print placards and stickers and put them up in the restaurant, without our help and often without us knowing. Stickers on the windows worked extremely well. **Restaur - Network accessline 231
> —[Micah Moreau](https://www.linkedin.com/in/micahmoreau/), VP and GM - Network accessline 235
> “**Sellers were doing their own grassroots marketing**, and that became a big growth driver. Etsy pushed sellers to promote their shops to their communities in order to drive the growth of their shops, which in turn drove the growth of th - Network accessline 237
> —[Nickey Skarstad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickeyskarstad/) and [Dan McKinley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mcfunley/), early employees - Network accessline 241
> “Due to the nature of organizing events, most **event organizers had some built-in demand that they brought with them.**” > > —[Tamara Mendelsohn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaramendelsohn/), CMO - Network accessline 243
> —[Tamara Mendelsohn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaramendelsohn/), CMO - Network accessline 247
> “For us these days, it’s 50% restaurant-driven users and 50% word of mouth from users.” > > —[Kevin Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhuangtan/), Snackpass - Network accessline 249
> —[Kevin Tan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhuangtan/), Snackpass - Network accessline 251
[Learn more about kickstarting and scaling your marketplace here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace). - Network accessline 261
1. Your users produce lots of public content (e.g. Glassdoor, Quora, Reddit, Pinterest) 2. You have proprietary data that you can use to generate thousands of pages (e.g. Yelp, Grubhub, Thumbtack, Tripadvisor) 3. Your competitors are having - Network accessline 263
3. Your competitors are having success with SEO—check [Similarweb](https://www.similarweb.com/) - Network accessline 267
1. You generate revenue directly from new users (e.g. purchasing a product), with a [short enough payback](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/payback-period), which you can then use to fund more ads - Network accessline 276
How do you truly know if an engine is going to work for you? Pulling from [this previous piece](https://review.firstround.com/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playbook-for-consumer-startups#approach-1-determine- - Network accessline 280
As cheaply as possible, validate that a given lane is right for your business. There are two approaches to validating this. One, determining which lane is a natural fit for your business model. Two, [looking at your data](https://review.fir - Network accessline 295
1. [Drive Growth by Picking the Right Lane—A Customer Acquisition Playbook for Consumer Startups](https://review.firstround.com/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playbook-for-consumer-startups) by [Dan Hockenmaie - Network accessline 296
2. [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) by [Dan Hockenmaier](https://twitter.com/danhockenmaier) and myself - Network accessline 297
3. [Winning at SEO](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/crafting-an-seo-strategy-issue-34) by Brian Ta - Network accessline 298
4. [Content-driven growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/content-driven-growth-strategy) - Network accessline 299
5. [How to increase virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) - Network accessline 300
6. [Building a referral program](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-16-building-a-referrals) - Network accessline 301
7. [How to win in consumer subscription](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/winning-at-consumer-subscription?s=w) - Network accessline 305
Finally, a helpful (and fun) framework for thinking about your growth strategy broadly, as I shared in [this Reforge post](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework), is the **Racecar Growth Framework**. Here’s the idea: The sam - Network accessline 307
 - Network accessline 318
These are essentially the same seven tactics we looked at when talking about [kickstarting growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users)—unscalable short-term boosts of growth—plus a few additional tactics ( - Network accessline 320
> “Our growth has been nearly 100% WOM. But we had a large boost when Jamie Kennedy did an interview that included Tinder at the Sochi Olympics. We essentially doubled down on that by going hard on press to talk about Tinder at Sochi.” —[Jo - Network accessline 324
> “For Calm it was basically profitable and hyper-disciplined paid user acquisition, coupled with amazing brand campaigns like [Naomi Osaka/Calm](https://www.businessinsider.com/naomi-osaka-french-open-press-appearance-fine-calm-app-2021-6) - Network accessline 336
> The team still thinks the fans are all going to be really upset. The reviews start coming in an hour or two later, and they’re ... positive. They say things like, ‘Oh my god, I’ve been a fan of you my whole life, this is amazing.’ They re - Network accessline 338
> —[Devon Townsend](https://www.linkedin.com/in/devspinn), co-founder - Network accessline 340
Don’t sleep on turbo boosts, especially when your primary growth engine is virality. [Here are 60 examples](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/turbo-boosts) of creative (and successful) turbo boosts. - Network accessline 348
1. **Conversion:** Increasing the percentage of users who get through your flows. [Read more about increasing conversion here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics). - Network accessline 349
2. **Retention:** Improving the percentage of customers who continue to use your product. [Read more about increasing retention here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-retention-issue). - Network accessline 353
Of these three, retention is by far the most important*,* as we saw in [last week’s post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-9c8). - Network accessline 363
For much more on this topic, [check out the full post Dan Hockenmaier and I wrote on this framework for Reforge](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework). - Network accessline 367
As I said at the [beginning of this series](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer), starting a company is like being lost in the wilderness, in the dark, with only a vague sense of where you’re heading—imagi - Network accessline 369
 - Network accessline 373
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-engines/comments) - Network accessline 377
 by [Dan Hockenmaie - Network accessline 382
2. [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) by [Dan Hockenmaier](https://twitter.com/danhockenmaier) and myself - Network accessline 383
3. [Reforge Growth Series](https://www.reforge.com/growth-series) - Network accessline 391
[Join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to get bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 393
 - Network accessline 397
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 401
1. **TaskRabbit:** [Director of Product, New Ventures](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6c0915d0-3ac3-4ba8-b53e-4684948711a6) (Remote) - Network accessline 402
2. **Credit Karma:** [Senior Product Manager - Recommendation Systems](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a2999f74-7e88-458c-bbd3-781b7ce48a3e) (Oakland, CA)
references/02-newsletters/kickstarting-supply-in-a-labor-marketplace.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and welcome to this month’s*✨ ***free edition*** ✨ *of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stres - Network accessline 14
1. *[Finding your distribution advantage](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/distribution-advantages)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[How to know if you're doing a good job as a product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/doing-a-good-job-product-manager)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Winning at early-stage hiring](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/early-stage-hiring)* - Network accessline 18
*Subscribers also get [access to a private Slack community](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1413559565354819588), fireside chats with folks like [Teresa Torres](https://mobile.twitter.com/ttorres), [the full archive of past posts](https - Network accessline 22
I’ve spent a lot of time [thinking about marketplaces](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace), but I’ve never dug deeply into labor marketplaces specifically. What makes labor marketplaces interesting i - Network accessline 24
For example, [The Mom Project](https://themomproject.com/) connects mothers who are returning to the workforce with flexible job opportunities. [Roo](https://roo.vet/) connects on-demand veterinarians with understaffed veterinary hospitals. - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 36
*Huge thank-you to [Allison Esposito Medina](https://twitter.com/techladyallison), [Allison Robinson](https://twitter.com/mrsrobinson_a?lang=en), [Dave Lu](https://twitter.com/davelu?lang=en), [Eric Vishria](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric - Network accessline 44
 - Network accessline 45
> “**Our customers tell us they use job boards when looking for work**, so we go where our customers go: job boards (like [Indeed](https://Indeed.com)). In the early days, we got a major portion of supply this way.” —Wei Deng, [Clipboard He - Network accessline 47
> “**We used [Indeed.com](https://Indeed.com) and [simplyhired.com](https://simplyhired.com)** to get started on supply growth.” —Sander Daniels, [Thumbtack](https://www.thumbtack.com/) - Network accessline 49
> “**Job boards like [Indeed](https://Indeed.com), [ZipRecruiter](https://www.ziprecruiter.com/)**, and others provided approximately 50% of our supply early on.” —Peter Faist, [Staffy](https://staffy.com/) - Network accessline 51
> “**We used job boards** like [Craigslist](https://craigslist.org) to find supply. Honestly, we tried [Indeed](https://Indeed.com) and other sites, but Craigslist was by far the best for us.” —Dave Lu, [Pared](https://www.pared.com/) - Network accessline 53
> “**In the early days, we were able to leverage job boards** to recruit candidates at scale. But as we became more of a known player in the space, these relationships became more restricted/complicated. As you can imagine, many job boards - Network accessline 61
> “**We acquired most of our early Pros through direct outreach, often in person**. For example, we would visit San Francisco restaurants in the morning and in the late evening, waiting outside the back door to recruit cooks, dishwashers, a - Network accessline 63
 - Network accessline 64
> “**We started with the nurses in our network (family and friends, and friends of friends)** and asked each of them to refer 5 more nurses, and asked those for 5 more etc. That got us to the first 100-200. We did it that way so we could st - Network accessline 66
> “A successful growth channel for us in the early days was me **personally reaching out to moms via social channels** with a personalized invite.” —Allison Robinson, [The Mom Project](https://themomproject.com/) - Network accessline 68
> “**Early on, it was a lot of direct reach-out.** Scrapping LinkedIn, GitHub, etc. for lists of engineers and then reaching out directly to get them on the platform.” —Sarah Holmes, [Vettery](https://blog.vettery.com/) - Network accessline 70
> “**We’d first focus on our network of vets** that my co-founders or colleagues may know in that city and then rely immediately upon word of mouth and referrals, getting them to start talking to others in the beginning.” —Lisa Hu, [Roo](ht - Network accessline 72
> “There are 800 US Military bases in the world and they each have initiatives to help service members transition to civilian life. **We identified the top 100 bases and personally reached out** to offer sharing back successful outcomes and - Network accessline 80
> “**Word of mouth has been by far the biggest driver** of growth for us.” —Iman Abuzeid, [Incredible Health](https://www.incrediblehealth.com/) - Network accessline 82
> “**A lot of our supply came from word of mouth.** The flywheel started to happen when they would go work at a restaurant and other workers would find out about it. Later, we had a two-sided referral program where if supply referred new su - Network accessline 84
> “**Word of mouth is huge in B2B labor marketplaces** (i.e. a vet will tell his/her friends about Roo) so we ensure that the vet shift user experience on our platform is excellent, which helps to naturally have active vets tell other vets - Network accessline 86
> We also couple that with referral promos/bonuses to try to further incentivize (e.g. ‘Refer a vet and once that vet completes her first shift, you get $300!’ type of referral promos).” —Lisa Hu, [Roo](https://roo.vet/) - Network accessline 88
> “We built some really clever components here, including the **ability to look at a given user’s contacts and suggest which ones to invite** based on their probability of also being a great candidate for our platform (e.g. an engineer).” — - Network accessline 98
> “**Paid social was extremely effective** for us early on. Particularly LinkedIn Sponsored Updates and Text Ad placements, targeting by role/company/etc. Also, Facebook custom audience targeting. We scaled this up by spreading budget acros - Network accessline 100
> We also sponsored a ton of newsletters and eventually built a decent process for event lead gen, but that worked better for the demand side.” —Jamie Getto, [Vettery](https://blog.vettery.com/) - Network accessline 102
> “**We saw a lot of success with ads on LinkedIn, FB, and Google.** Also niche podcasts and newsletters. Surprisingly effective and low CAC.” —Ryan Mapes, [Hired](https://hired.com/) - Network accessline 112
> “**We built cohort-based courses for transitioning service members** ([Navigating Next](https://www.shift.org/navigating-next) to figure out your goals with supportive peers) and experienced veterans ([Career Accelerator](https://shift.or - Network accessline 116
> “**For us, we started by building a community**. We started as a meet-up like 6 years ago and then I kept running into issues in my own career in tech like sexual harassment and being underpaid etc., so at first I was like: I need to make - Network accessline 118
> And then it grew to be a huge community, and this is back when every tech company said they had a pipeline problem, but we just kept growing, so we were like—we have the pipeline right here. Then we built the product for hiring from the c - Network accessline 122
> **“We learned that to get the initial supply activated, we actually need to have some solid high-quality hospital shifts (demand) listed first to attract vet interest**. So even before we recruit the supply, we get some demand drumming (s - Network accessline 126
> “**In the early days, we saw a lot of success pitching the stories of our users to press.** When we launched the business, [the](https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-mom-project-0420-biz-20160419-story.html) *[Chicago Tribune](https - Network accessline 130
> “**Candidates only had to submit partial information and then someone like me would build out their profile on a 20-minute call.** After that, they did not have to do anything but accept interview requests.” —Sarah Holmes, [Vettery](https - Network accessline 134
> “**Focused heavily on a select set of geos and roles**—this was key for establishing supply/demand density … which we could later leverage through lifecycle campaigns. I can’t overstate this point enough. This aligned both the supply and - Network accessline 138
> “I learned from [James Currier](https://www.nfx.com/team/james-currier/) that everything starts with language. We set up landing pages and Facebook ads but didn’t do it randomly. We used the Wayback Machine and studied the messaging used - Network accessline 142
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/labor-marketplace-supply-growth/comments) - Network accessline 148
1. **Pine Park Health:** [Senior Product Manager](https://jobs.lever.co/pineparkhealth/dc86eb02-bf53-4340-a31f-5b65845a226c) (Berkeley, CA) - Network accessline 149
2. **Quidax:** [Product Director](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/fd33811d-4b9d-40e5-b041-46db566f2d95) (Toronto) - Network accessline 150
3. **Cord:**[Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/67d8080e-c51b-4574-ade8-cab0693984a5) (London) - Network accessline 151
4. **Rally:**[Founding Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/55e10d59-13ea-461a-bdaa-fe8ad989b41b) (Remote—Global) - Network accessline 152
5. **Crusoe Energy Systems:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4bd3b894-fa7b-4f31-9022-04ca611ceaeb) (SF, Denver) - Network accessline 153
6. **Squarespace:**[Senior Product Manager/Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/84d30ce6-d293-4de6-a1bc-b9b7f0656440?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (NYC) - Network accessline 154
7. **Piñata Farms:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/9f90d5d9-288a-477d-b14b-8b4a9c589a87?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (LA) - Network accessline 155
8. **Properly:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/beefb83d-8775-4052-96e6-72d8f62ca3ef?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Toronto, Remote—US) - Network accessline 156
9. **Clearco**: [Product Manager - Capital Partnerships](https://pallet.xyz/job/82497ce0-6faa-4aa7-a321-86d525a23cd7?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 157
10. **Frame.io:**[Sr. Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/4846ad99-c62d-4b4f-979a-a558342d6a68?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—Global) - Network accessline 158
11. **SnapStream Media**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/8bec1419-8512-4c77-b7a9-3351dfea8afe?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—Global) - Network accessline 159
12. **Pragli:**[Product Designer #1](https://pallet.xyz/job/75075700-7078-4664-a498-df280d166a9e?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 161
*Browse many more open roles (or add your own) at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 165
1. **Watch**: [The 5 things that kill startups after their seed rounds](https://youtu.be/Dgmmje5WHWA) by Michael Seibel, CEO of Y Combinator - Network accessline 167
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dgmmje5WHWA) - Network accessline 169
2. **Learn**: [How to get better at design feedback](https://twitter.com/joulee/status/1407902488838119431) by Julie Zhou - Network accessline 171
3. **Read**: [How do you ask good questions?](https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2021/06/how-do-you-ask-good-questions.html) by Tyler Cowen - Network accessline 175
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/leading-a-pm-team-meeting---issue-19.md
- Network accessline 10
Hello and welcome to another edition of my weekly newsletter! My name is [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out a - Network accessline 12
**If you find this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with a friend](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) 🤜🤛** - Network accessline 16
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SUDX!,f_au - Network accessline 72
1. **Listen**: [The Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eXT60rbBVk) adjusting to their new reality — warning: you may tear up (via Omaira, my mother-in-law) - Network accessline 74
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eXT60rbBVk) - Network accessline 75
2. **Watch**: [This commentator’s got no live sport so he’s commentating on everyday life](https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2020/03/20/this-commentators-got-no-live-sport-left-so-hes-commentating-on-everyday-life-and-its-brilliant/) (via [my siste - Network accessline 76
3. **Read:** [Coronavirus pandemic leading to huge drop in air pollution](https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/mar/23/coronavirus-pandemic-leading-to-huge-drop-in-air-pollution) — “Largest scale experiment ever” shows what is possib - Network accessline 78
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.** - Network accessline 80
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/leading-your-company-through-a-pandemic---issue-20.md
- Network accessline 10
Hello and welcome to another edition of my weekly newsletter! My name is [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out a - Network accessline 12
**If you find this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with a friend](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) 🤜🤛** - Network accessline 20
> **Let’s just acknowledge: This shit is hard**. If you are sitting there thinking, oh man this feels so much easier for everyone else than it does for me — it’s just not true. If you are stressing, just know everyone else is too. Ask for h - Network accessline 22
> — [Brian Balfour](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbalfour), CEO of Reforge - Network accessline 24
To that point, below you’ll find advice from folks at [Reforge](https://app.livestorm.co/reforge-1/growth-in-turbulent-times-foundersceo-edition/live?s=688d30aa-8663-49ed-9b62-488913d23f5e#/chat), [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2 - Network accessline 28
As [Leo Polovets half-joked](https://twitter.com/lpolovets/status/1244064010799992832?s=19), this virus has been the [Thanos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanos) of business — companies that were thriving just a few weeks ago are on the v - Network accessline 38
> Figure out which bucket you are in. > > — [Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/) - Network accessline 40
> — [Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/) - Network accessline 44
[](https://www.slideshare.net/McK_CMSO - Network accessline 46
[Kevin Barry](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-lord-barry-91a85b18/) (founder of [Right Percent](https://www.rightpercent.com/)) [shares](https://twitter.com/kevinwlordbarry/status/1243323711761059840) some stats about how many of his (B2B - Network accessline 54
Until you have a better sense of where the market is heading, [Dan Hockenmaier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hock/) (founder of [Basis One](https://www.basisone.com/)) [wrote an incredibly insightful take](https://danhock.com/covid-19-sc - Network accessline 62
Similarly, [David Rhodes and Daniel Stelter at HBR](https://hbr.org/2009/02/seize-advantage-in-a-downturn) suggest: - Network accessline 68
And finally, [Sequoia offers a handy matrix to think through your scenarios](https://medium.com/sequoia-capital/the-matrix-for-covid-19-c25bd5195f46): - Network accessline 70
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$ - Network accessline 74
Operationally, [Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/) (growth advisor) advises that every company create an “incident response team” with the following attributes: - Network accessline 83
The [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2020/02/lead-your-business-through-the-coronavirus-crisis) has a similar, broader recommendation: - Network accessline 89
And if you’re fortunate enough to be in a good spot, [Cyan Banister](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyanb/) (Partner at Long Journey Ventures) encourages you to think ahead: - Network accessline 95
From [Sequoia](https://medium.com/sequoia-capital/coronavirus-the-black-swan-of-2020-7c72bdeb9753): - Network accessline 102
From [David Rhodes and Daniel Stelter at HBR](https://hbr.org/2009/02/seize-advantage-in-a-downturn): - Network accessline 112
[Kamo Asatryan](https://medium.com/@goprimer/how-to-strengthen-facebook-advertising-amid-the-coronavirus-4d454e40ce77) (CEO of Primer) shares: - Network accessline 122
And [Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/) suggests: - Network accessline 134
The folks at [Social Fulcrum put together amazing data](https://socialfulcrum.com/blog/whats-going-on-out-there/) about the big shifts they are seeing in social ads: - Network accessline 148
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$ - Network accessline 150
Similarly, the folks at [Primer are seeing](https://medium.com/@goprimer/how-to-strengthen-facebook-advertising-amid-the-coronavirus-4d454e40ce77) CPM costs go down as well: - Network accessline 156
[Russell Glass](https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellglass/) (CEO of Ginger) offers a couple of suggestions for keeping your customers happy and onboard: - Network accessline 161
[Patrick Campbell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickccampbell/) (CEO of ProfitWell) shares a few more suggestions: - Network accessline 167
And [Brian Balfour](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbalfour) (CEO of Reforge) shares an analogy (originally inspired by [Chris O’Donnell](https://www.profitwell.com/blog/recur-chris-odonnell)) about Lakes and Rivers: - Network accessline 169
> Lakes are your free active subscribers, your freemium users. Generally, you send them down the stream to convert into paid users. **If you have cash, now is the time to fill the lakes**. Remove all of the friction you can to fill these la - Network accessline 171
> For example, [Loom](https://www.loom.com/) massively expanded what you get in the free plan, and cut cost of the paid plan in half. What they are doing is removing friction to build habit with the product now, and as this settles down, th - Network accessline 177
> **Clear communication internally** is critically important. Any thoughts you’re having in your head — more than likely someone else in the company is thinking about it. Not talking about it creates more uncertainty and stress. > > — [Russ - Network accessline 179
> — [Russell Glass](https://www.linkedin.com/in/russellglass/) (CEO of Ginger) - Network accessline 181
> Employees will likely be exposed to conflicting information and feel anxious or confused about the best course of action. **Be sure to communicate policies promptly, clearly, and in a balanced manner**. Furthermore, communicate contextual - Network accessline 183
> — [Harvard Business Review](https://hbr.org/2020/02/lead-your-business-through-the-coronavirus-crisis) - Network accessline 189
> And if you are benefiting from this timing, **consider doing some social good**. This is the time to offer free offerings to schools and non-profits that are dealing with Covid-19. These are always good brand marketing opportunities, but - Network accessline 191
> — [Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/) - Network accessline 195
To close, one additional snippet from [Dan’s invaluable post](https://danhock.com/covid-19-scenario-planning/) about how the recovery may look. - Network accessline 197
> **The recovery will not be evenly distributed** > > [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fe - Network accessline 199
> [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetc - Network accessline 203
> **First, have many of your customers actually churned, or just gone dormant?** > > The more it is the former, the more like you are to see a U or even L-shaped scenario. This is the unfortunate reality for many businesses that serve SMBs, - Network accessline 204
> > The more it is the former, the more like you are to see a U or even L-shaped scenario. This is the unfortunate reality for many businesses that serve SMBs, for example, because [many of them](https://www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/inst - Network accessline 205
> The more it is the former, the more like you are to see a U or even L-shaped scenario. This is the unfortunate reality for many businesses that serve SMBs, for example, because [many of them](https://www.jpmorganchase.com/corporate/instit - Network accessline 215
- [Reforge - Growth in Turbulent Times - Founder/CEO Edition](https://app.livestorm.co/reforge-1/growth-in-turbulent-times-foundersceo-edition/live?s=688d30aa-8663-49ed-9b62-488913d23f5e#/chat) - Network accessline 216
- [Reforge - Growth in Turbulent Times - B2C Edition](https://app.livestorm.co/reforge-1/growth-in-turbulent-times-b2c-edition/live?email=lennysan%40gmail.com&key=6908&s=bcf5da95-5b0d-4c32-82d0-f8651d97bbfd) - Network accessline 217
- [How to scenario plan for Covid-19](https://danhock.com/covid-19-scenario-planning/) - Network accessline 218
- [Social Fulcrum - What’s Going On Out There?!](https://socialfulcrum.com/blog/whats-going-on-out-there/) - Network accessline 219
- [How Will Things Be Different When It’s All Over?](https://bcghendersoninstitute.com/how-will-things-be-different-when-its-all-over-513900bfb0af) - Network accessline 220
- [Lead Your Business Through the Coronavirus Crisis](https://hbr.org/2020/02/lead-your-business-through-the-coronavirus-crisis) - Network accessline 221
- [Seize Advantage in a Downturn](https://hbr.org/2009/02/seize-advantage-in-a-downturn) - Network accessline 222
- [The Matrix for COVID-19](https://medium.com/sequoia-capital/the-matrix-for-covid-19-c25bd5195f46) - Network accessline 223
- [McKinsey survey: US consumer sentiment during the coronavirus crisis](https://www.slideshare.net/McK_CMSOForum/mckinsey-survey-us-consumer-sentiment-during-the-coronavirus-crisis-230935775) - Network accessline 224
- [COVID-19 and the Creative Economy: Takeaways from Patreon’s Data Science Team](https://blog.patreon.com/covid-19-creative-economy-patreon-data-science) - Network accessline 225
- [The Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on Foot Traffic](https://www.safegraph.com/dashboard/covid19-commerce-patterns) - Network accessline 226
- [BCG consumer spend pulse #1: COVID-19 impact on US vs. Seattle](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/covid-19-impact-us-vs-seattle-consumer-spend-mark-abraham/) - Network accessline 232
[michellerial](https://instagram.com/michellerial) - Network accessline 234
[](https://instagram.com/p/B-Nc_4BH_IF) - Network accessline 244
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.** - Network accessline 246
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/lennys-holiday-gift-guide.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to a ✨ **special edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Normally I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out at th - Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 18
**1. [Centered](https://centered.app/):** My main to-do app, and probably my most-used app period. It combines a simple task list with flow-inducing music, distraction reminders, and a community of fellow-concentrators. Use code FLOWWITHLEN - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 22
**2. [Taika Matcha Latte](https://taika.co/products/matcha-latte/):** My go-to drink when I want to focus. Delicious, effective, and goes great with Centered. It’s made from organic ceremonial-grade matcha, a blend of adaptogens and functio - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 26
**3. [Magic Mind](https://magicmind.co/):** My other favorite focus-inducing drink, made by my buddy [James Beshara](https://jamesbeshara.com/). Pairs well with green tea. Use code LENNY23 for 23% off. - Network accessline 28
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**4. [Jabra Elite 85h Wireless Noise-Canceling Headphones](https://www.amazon.com/Jabra-Wireless-Noise-Canceling-Headphones-Copper/dp/B07RS8CFJZ/ref=asc_df_B07RS8CFJZ/?tag=hyprod-20&tag=&linkCode=df0&hvadid=343288438787&hvadid=343288438787& - Network accessline 32
:** A Gmail plugin that batches your incoming email and keeps your lizard brain from getting distracted by the endless trickle of new email. It’s a game-changer. Use code LENNY for 50% off an annual - Network accessline 36
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plUJmdJ-Ohk) - Network accessline 40
**1. [Topo Designs Global Briefcase](https://topodesigns.com/products/global-briefcase?variant=39897590071349):** My favorite travel bag. Fits 3-4 days of clothes, has plenty of room for electronics, and includes a special slot for a laptop - Network accessline 42
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**2. [Alaska Bear Pro Contoured Sleep Mask](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074MQ2CG9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&th=1):** For anyone who has trouble falling (or staying) asleep when there’s light outside. I’ve tried a lot - Network accessline 46
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**3. [Combo Lightning and Micro USB charging cable](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015STFVU6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1):** Never make the mistake of bringing the wrong charging cables again. - Network accessline 50
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**4. [Vacu Vin Wine Saver Pump](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZTXD1R6/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1):** Removes air from your wine bottle to keep wine tasting new for a few extra days. - Network accessline 54
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**5**. **[Atlys:](https://www.atlys.com/)** Get a visa for 195+ countries in minutes (not days).\* - Network accessline 58
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**6. [K9 dog backpack](https://www.amazon.com/K9-Sport-Sack-Adjustable-Veterinarian/dp/B075ZG46SY?th=1):** For any dog owner in your life. Here’s our little guy in action: - Network accessline 62
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**1.** ***[Am I Overthinking This?](https://www.michellerial.com/)*** **[and](https://www.michellerial.com/)** ***[Maybe This Will Help](https://www.michellerial.com/)*** **by Michelle Rial:** An unofficial box set—my wife’s bestselling fir - Network accessline 68
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**2.** ***[The Cold Start Problem: How to Start and Scale Network Effects](https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Start-Problem-Andrew-Chen/dp/0062969749/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0)*** **by Andrew Chen:** After three years of work, Andrew’s book is coming o - Network accessline 72
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**3.** ***[A Short History of Nearly Everything](https://www.amazon.com/Short-History-Nearly-Everything/dp/076790818X)*** **by Bill Bryson:** My current obsession. I’ve learned more about the world per-page than from any other book. A great - Network accessline 76
**3.** ***[The War of Art](https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=)*** **by Steven Pressfield:** For anyone in your life doing creative work. - Network accessline 78
**4.** ***[Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar](https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Beautiful-Things-Advice-Sugar/dp/0307949338)*** **by Cheryl Strayed:** For anyone in your life going through real-life sh\*t. - Network accessline 80
**5.** ***[Ready Player One](https://www.amazon.com/Ready-Player-One-Ernest-Cline/dp/0307887448/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1637785838&sr=1-1)*** **by Ernest Cline:** For anyone in your life trying to understand how the coming m - Network accessline 82
**6.** ***[Finite and Infinite Games](https://www.amazon.com/Finite-Infinite-Games-James-Carse/dp/1476731713)*** **by James Carse:** A mind-bending (and short) book that changed the way I looked at life. - Network accessline 84
**7.** ***[Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives](https://www.amazon.com/Sum-Forty-Afterlives-David-Eagleman-ebook/dp/B001TKA0VO/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=sum&qid=1637786189&s=books&sr=1-1)*** **by David Eagleman:** Short, hilarious, and infinitel - Network accessline 88
**1. [Drawing Links](https://drawinglinks.substack.com/) by Edith Zimmerman**: A comics newsletter with short illustrated stories about her life. - Network accessline 90
**2. [Letters from an American](https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/) by Heather Cox Richardson:** A newsletter about the history behind today’s politics. - Network accessline 92
**3. [2pm](https://2pml.com/) by Web Smith:** Analyzing the intersection of media and commerce and how those principles are applied elsewhere. - Network accessline 96
**1. [iOttie wireless fast-charging stand for iPhone](https://www.amazon.com/iOttie-Wireless-Charging-Charger-Qi-Certified/dp/B07GT2G5B3/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Ottie+Ion+Wireless+Fast+Charging+Stand%2C+Qi-Certified+Charger+iphone&qid=163778203 - Network accessline 98
:** Seriously, try this floss. - Network accessline 102
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**3. [Magnetic Measuring Spoons](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001GAQKKW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1):** Love these friggin’ spoons. Easy to keep together, easy to use, easy to wash. - Network accessline 106
**4. [U-Taste cooking tongs](https://www.amazon.com/U-Taste-Heat-Resistant-Non-Stick-Silicone-Stainless/dp/B083SGH6CY?th=1&psc=1):** Useful for mixing, grabbing, dropping, turning—basically, everything. - Network accessline 108
**5. [Italic](https://italic.com/referral):** High-quality products from the same manufacturers as top brands, but without the brand name and for 50%-80% less. Great for sheets, towels, sunglasses, jackets, shoes, and so much more. Almost t - Network accessline 112
**1. [Writer.com](https://writer.com/):** A browser extension that helps you write better. Has completely replaced Grammarly for me.\* - Network accessline 114
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a47PbSO5k5g) - Network accessline 116
**2.** ***[On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction](https://www.amazon.com/Writing-Well-30th-Anniversary-Nonfiction-ebook/dp/B0090RVGW0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1637786344&sr=1-1)*** **by William Zinsser:** T - Network accessline 118
**3. [MUJI gel ink ballpoint pens](https://www.amazon.com/Muji-Point-Black-0-38mm-Japan/dp/B01N8QNC59/ref=sr_1_5?gclid=CjwKCAiA4veMBhAMEiwAU4XRr3Q1q3HqaoVkYlq3bj3q8kgXLB4ZHUZLnBlJ7LwNY-Iegmad6GrazxoCxp8QAvD_BwE&hvadid=178329398298&hvdev=c&h - Network accessline 122
**1. [Hand Mirror](https://handmirror.app/):** See what you look like on camera before you start your Zoom. - Network accessline 124
:** Magically identify plants just by taking a picture of them. - Network accessline 128
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**3. [Mem](https://mem.ai/):** My go-to note-taking app—and so much more. “As simple as Apple Notes. As powerful as Google Search for your mind.”\* - Network accessline 132
**4. [Rocket](https://matthewpalmer.net/rocket/):** Easiest way to use emojis on a Mac. - Network accessline 134
5. **[AllTrails](https://www.alltrails.com/):** An unbeatable gift for your outdoorsy friends. - Network accessline 138
**1. [Katie Gong](https://katiegong.com/)** - Network accessline 140
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**2. [Meghan Shimek](https://www.meghanshimek.com/)** - Network accessline 144
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3. **[Tricia Choi](https://www.roaringartistgallery.com/tricia-choi)** - Network accessline 148
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**4. [Molly Kars](https://mollykars.com/)** - Network accessline 152
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**5. [Nicole Lavelle](https://buyolympia.com/Item/nicole-lavelle-doing-it-anyway)** - Network accessline 156
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**6. [Donate on someone’s behalf to DrawTogether](https://www.gofundme.com/f/draw-together-classrooms):** Art kits to boost kids’ creativity. - Network accessline 160
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Each month I’ve been [donating a portion](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1457072555160838145) of my [job board](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)’s revenue to a nonprofit that helps underrepresented groups learn tech skills (to eventually f - Network accessline 166
1. **[BlackGirlsCode](https://wearebgc.org/)**: Building pathways for young women of color to embrace the current tech marketplace as builders and creators by introducing them to skills in computer programming and technology. - Network accessline 168
2. **[Hidden Genius Project](https://www.hiddengeniusproject.org/programs/)**: Training and mentoring Black male youth in tech, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills. - Network accessline 170
3. **[/dev/color](https://devcolor.org/):** A global career accelerator for Black software engineers, technologists, and executives. - Network accessline 172
**4. [Techtonica](https://techtonica.org/):** Partnering with tech companies to provide free tech training, laptops, living stipends, and job placement to women and nonbinary adults in need in the Bay Area. - Network accessline 174
**5. [Code2040](https://www.code2040.org/):** Increasing the participation and leadership of Black and Latinx people in the innovation economy. - Network accessline 180
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lennys-holiday-gift-guide/comments)
references/02-newsletters/lennys-newsletter-holiday-gift-guide-2022.md
- Network accessline 10
Last year, I experimented with a [holiday gift guide](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lennys-holiday-gift-guide), and it proved to be quite popular (and really fun to do). So here we go again 🎁 🎉 🥳 - Network accessline 12
The items below are products that I’ve used and found to be amazing, along with a bunch sprinkled in that I discovered through [this killer Twitter thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1592290156002054144?s=20&t=4N3kAJ6nfXIzSlRfww7mg - Network accessline 18
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lennys-newsletter-holiday-gift-guide/comments) - Network accessline 22
As a bonus, you can enter to win a grab bag of products chosen from the gift guide below, valued at $500. Simply subscribe or follow Lenny’s Podcast on [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-podcast-product-growth-career/id162 - Network accessline 28
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1. **[WAOAW Sleep Mask](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09712FSLY)**: Originally discovered through [Tim Ferriss](https://tim.blog/), now an every-night staple. My wife and I have tried a dozen sleep masks, and this one has stuck. I suggested it - Network accessline 34
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2. **[Future](https://www.future.co/):** After years of rarely working out at all, I now work out three times a week and am the strongest and fittest I’ve been in a long time. Future matches you with a coach who designs custom workouts for - Network accessline 38
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3. **[Withings Body+ Smart Wi-Fi bathroom scale](https://www.amazon.com/Withings-Smart-Wi-Fi-bathroom-scale/dp/B071XW4C5Q/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=withings+scale&qid=1669400397&sprefix=withing%2Caps%2C195&sr=8-6&ufe=app_do%3Aamzn1.fos.fa474cd8-6 - Network accessline 42
4. **[Waking Up gift subscription](https://app.wakingup.com/purchase-gift-card)**: Give the gift of mindfulness 🧘 - Network accessline 44
5. **Water bottles**: Gotta stay hydrated. I don’t have just one personal favorite, so here are a few great options: [Takeya](https://www.amazon.com/Takeya-Originals-Vacuum-Insulated-Stainless-Steel-Bottle/dp/B0188QBELG), [Zojirushi](https: - Network accessline 48
1. **[Opal](https://opalcamera.com/):** My go-to webcam. DSLR quality in a beautifully compact webcam. Use code “Lenny” to get past the waitlist. *[Disclaimer: I’m an investor, but only because I love the camera so much.]* - Network accessline 50
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2. **[Shure MV7 USB Microphone](https://www.amazon.com/Shure-Microphone-Podcasting-Voice-Isolating-Technology/dp/B08G7RG9ML)**: My go-to mic for podcasting, and now all the things. Don’t forget to grab a tripod or boom arm. - Network accessline 54
3. **[Anker Nano II 65W USB C Charger](https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Anker-Adapter-Foldable-Compact/dp/B08T5QN2TR/ref=sr_1_3?crid=365CEU5CRZLSF&keywords=nano+ii+65w&qid=1669400042&sprefix=Nano+II++%2Caps%2C135&sr=8-3)**: A compact (i.e. gr - Network accessline 56
4. **[Double](https://www.withdouble.com/):** Get your colleague (or partner) a virtual executive assistant. I recently got an EA through Double, and it’s been a total game changer. - Network accessline 58
5. **[Vuori](https://vuoriclothing.com/) joggers ([men’s](https://vuoriclothing.com/collections/joggers?configure%5BclickAnalytics%5D=true&configure%5BuserToken%5D=anonymous-dc4a5211-c61a-4460-958f-c075cb8ba2fd&configure%5Bdistinct%5D=true& - Network accessline 60
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6. **[Lenny’s Newsletter](https://lennysnewsletter.com/cybermonday2022)**: Makes a great fit for cross-functional colleagues, friends looking to get into product, and founders. [Get 20% off a 1-year gift subscription using this Cyber Monday - Network accessline 66
1. **[Goodr sunglasses](https://goodr.com/collections/top-sellers):** Discovered via [@jess](https://twitter.com/jess/status/1592295735076483073?s=20&t=4N3kAJ6nfXIzSlRfww7mgg) and now my favorite sunglasses. Affordable, polarized, great for - Network accessline 68
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2. **[Herschel Tech Daypack](https://herschel.com/shop/backpacks/tech-daypack?showSales=1&v=10888-00001-OS):** I was gifted this earlier this year, and I’ve never come across a more well-thought-through laptop backpack. Makes you want to tr - Network accessline 72
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3. **[JBL Charge 5 Portable Bluetooth Speaker](https://www.amazon.com/JBL-CHARGE-Portable-Bluetooth-Waterproof/dp/B08X4YMTPM):** Best portable Bluetooth speaker I’ve owned. People also like these [Wonderbooms](https://www.ultimateears.com/e - Network accessline 76
4. **[AllTrails Pro subscription](https://www.alltrails.com/gift):** A thoughtful gift for your outdoorsy friends. I’ve been a paid subscriber for 5+ years now. Inspired by[@skonomics2k](https://twitter.com/skonomics2k/status/15923411089648 - Network accessline 78
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5. **[Kindle Paperwhite](https://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Paperwhite-adjustable-Ad-Supported/dp/B08KTZ8249/ref=sr_1_5?crid=LCP30M5XCGJN&keywords=Kindle+Paperwhite+waterproof&qid=1669399013&s=amazon-devices&sprefix=kindle+paperwhite+waterproo%2 - Network accessline 82
6. **[GCI Outdoor Roadtrip Rocker Collapsible Rocking Chair](https://www.amazon.com/GCI-Outdoor-Roadtrip-Rocker-Rocking/dp/B07N6ZL6J3/ref=sr_1_2?crid=3B37UDH78LQ7C&keywords=camping+chair+rocker&qid=1669403304&s=books&sprefix=camping+chair+r - Network accessline 84
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1. **[ZWILLING Personal Smoothie Blender](https://www.amazon.com/ZWILLING-Innovative-Engineering-High-Quality-Household/dp/B085XLS8GS):** My wife got us one of these a few months ago, and we’re now making shakes almost every day. Many peopl - Network accessline 90
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2. **[Kyocera 8” Ceramic Chef’s Knife](https://www.amazon.com/Kyocera-FK-200WH-BK-Revolution-Ceramic/dp/B00JBA447A/ref=psdc_284507_t1_B00QYCBYJO):** Ceramic knives are sharper, lighter, dishwasher-safe, and stay sharp for longer than steel - Network accessline 94
 - Network accessline 96
3. **[Brightland olive oil](https://brightland.co/products/the-duo)**: Often recommended by my foodie friends. - Network accessline 98
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4. **[Bierfilzl Merino Wool Felt Square Coaster](https://graflantz.com/collections/coasters/products/6-pack-square-felt-coasters-9?variant=39665697849453)**: The one coaster in our home I find myself actively seeking out when I sit down for - Network accessline 102
5. **[Dlyfull Universal Battery Tester](https://www.amazon.com/Dlyfull-Universal-Battery-Resistance-Batteries/dp/B081JGZ554/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=dlyfull+battery+tester&qid=1669400694&sprefix=dryful%2Caps%2C140&sr=8-6)**: Thanks to this thing - Network accessline 108
1. **[Cindy Hsu Zell](https://cindyzell.com/)** - Network accessline 110
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2. **[Hallie Bateman](https://www.halmart.shop/)** - Network accessline 114
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3. **[Bobblegifts](https://www.bobblegifts.com/):** Custom bobbleheads of your friends, partner, or pet. I got one of our dog, and it’s incredible. - Network accessline 118
4. ***[Our America: A Photographic History](https://www.amazon.com/Our-America-Photographic-Ken-Burns/dp/0385353014)*****[, by Ken Burns](https://www.amazon.com/Our-America-Photographic-Ken-Burns/dp/0385353014):** This just came out earlier - Network accessline 120
*****:** If you don’t have my wife’s book yet, it’s not too late. It’s now on its - Network accessline 124
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6. ***[Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice from Dear Sugar](https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Beautiful-Things-10th-Anniversary/dp/0593685210)*** **[(10th Anniversary Edition)](https://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Beautiful-Things-10th-Anniversary/dp/0593685210 - Network accessline 128
*****[, by Matt Mochary](https://www - Network accessline 134
9. ***[The Overstory,](https://www.amazon.com/Overstory-Novel-Richard-Powers/dp/039335668X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1A8IIDWYBMCLO&keywords=the+overstory&qid=1669571586&sprefix=the+overstory%2Caps%2C830&sr=8-1)*** **[by Richard Powers](https://www.am - Network accessline 136
10. ***[The Carbon Almanac: It’s Not Too Late,](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593542517/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8)*** **[by Seth Godin](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0593542517/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=U - Network accessline 142
1. **[Whitstable Handmade Leather Wallets](https://whitstablecraftco.com/en-us/products/castle)**: Mine is arriving in a few days 😍 Use code “LENNY” for 20% off. - Network accessline 144
 - Network accessline 146
2. **[Kiva gift card](https://www.kiva.org/gifts/kiva-cards)** - Network accessline 148
3. **[Silver Mushroom Disco Ball](https://www.etsy.com/listing/1168967179/the-original-silver-mushroom-disco-ball?click_key=8d4e15f12ad8120783a10544c9cae5688001bdf4%3A1168967179&click_sum=ffa178f7&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&g - Network accessline 152
Background by artist Showmemars from Society6](https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ba563307-2b2c-4a99-bee6-22022313c4ae_794x727.jpeg) - Network accessline 154
4. **[Hitish Corner Floor Lamp](https://www.amazon.com/Hitish-Changing-Lighting-Bluetooth-Dimmable/dp/B09DFQRNL8/)** via [@marilynika](https://twitter.com/marilynika/status/1592312088797777920?s=20&t=nk4IZp6vDtj40yH7Q35AaQ) - Network accessline 156
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5. **[Xiaomi Portable Electric Air Compressor for bikes and balls](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XZCLGVQ/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A4C8ZXE9ZJZEPhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB07XZCLGVQ%2Fref%3Dox_sc_act_title_1%3Fsmi - Network accessline 160
6. **[OXO Tot Grape Cutter](https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Tot-Grape-Cutter-Navy/dp/B08SZBXL45)** via [@hellojohnpaul](https://twitter.com/hellojohnpaul/status/1592337751843954688) - Network accessline 162
7. **[KitchenAid Classic Fruit Slicer](https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KE305OHERA-Classic-Fruit-Slicer/dp/B07Q2W18KS/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=kitchenaid+fruit+slicer&qid=1669401202&sr=8-1)** via[@thechadwiki](https://twitter.com/thechadwiki/st - Network accessline 164
8. **[Panini Press by Cuisinart](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002YD99Y4/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_apa_gl_i_X3TAZF83K2A4DWG888KJ?linkCode=ml2)** via [@lpolovets](https://twitter.com/lpolovets/status/1592296138975199232?s=20&t=nk4IZp6vDtj40yH7Q35AaQ) - Network accessline 166
9. **[Fellow Electric Kettle for coffee](https://www.amazon.com/Fellow-Electric-Pour-over-Temperature-Stopwatch/dp/B077JBQZPX/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2742AR2FM9BJD&keywords=Fellow+kettle&qid=1669570282&sprefix=fellow+kettle%2Caps%2C1053&sr=8-5&ufe= - Network accessline 168
10. **[Pizza Steel Pro](https://hansgrill.shop/products/pizza-steel-pro)** via [@alxwestner](https://twitter.com/alxwestner/status/1592340809248288768?s=20&t=46MWQJSf3R4CGw4UANdF4g) - Network accessline 170
11. **[Whiskware Pancake Batter Dispenser](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JG57JJ4/ref=cm_sw_r_api_i_X50JZ6W1FVXW80GSQEEZ_0)** via [@NkemNwan](https://twitter.com/amyneurons/status/1592377780372922368?s=20&t=46MWQJSf3R4CGw4UANdF4g) - Network accessline 172
12. **[Aeropress](https://www.amazon.com/AeroPress-Coffee-Espresso-Maker-Bitterness/dp/B0047BIWSK)** via [@lewisvrobinson](https://twitter.com/lewisvrobinson/status/1592307723739496448?s=20&t=46MWQJSf3R4CGw4UANdF4g) - Network accessline 174
13. **[Deiss PRO Lemon Zester & Heavy Duty Cheese Grater & Vegetable Grater](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0738C7RXF/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9kZXRhaWwp13NParams)** via my editor - Network accessline 176
14. **[Aesop A Rose By Any Other Name Body Cleanser](https://www.aesop.com/us/p/body-hand/body/a-rose-by-any-other-name-body-cleanser/)** via my editor - Network accessline 178
15. **[Outer Shell Mini Saddlebag](https://outershell.com/shop/mini-saddlebag)** via my editor - Network accessline 182
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lennys-newsletter-holiday-gift-guide/comments) - Network accessline 188
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 190
 - Network accessline 194
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 198
1. **Pogo:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/1d236a59-399d-4a81-8dcd-664d76f06cae) (Remote) - Network accessline 199
2. **Antimatter:** [Head of Design / Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6c4bd650-9652-481c-93d0-33c2bba88125) (NYC) - Network accessline 200
3. **Graphite:** [Sr. Director of Product—B2B SaaS](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8fbce839-966c-496b-bd08-48f297febd76) (Remote, U.S.) - Network accessline 201
4. **Teal:** [Sr. Growth Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/97200c8c-3264-4768-b135-3a91f8dd3d32) (Remote, U.S.) - Network accessline 202
5. **Rabbithole:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/1d202cac-27f9-40fb-a31d-a8d717f468e5) (Remote) - Network accessline 203
6. **Equi:** [Director, Product Management](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/fb351a31-203b-47f4-8675-c9be18438c6b) (NYC) - Network accessline 204
7. **Noom:** [Head of Product Design](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8dffb755-160d-416e-947a-0f09ccc7d11e) (Remote) - Network accessline 205
8. **Equi:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f2f82806-0fdf-461f-beb7-bdc2771d50f9) (NYC) - Network accessline 206
9. **Equi:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/873a7791-0545-4fc5-a07c-4fa8a75da3fd) (NYC) - Network accessline 207
10. **Zendoor:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a060efa9-8aaf-43dd-be39-60447a4bb567) (Phoenix, AZ, Remote) - Network accessline 208
11. **Playbook:**[Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/608b4297-c97d-45fc-a521-70b74f6d7d65) (NYC, Remote) - Network accessline 212
1. **Watch:** [We spent 24 hours with MrBeast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjoTYJNr8DA) by Colin and Samir - Network accessline 214
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjoTYJNr8DA) - Network accessline 216
2. **Read**: [The “je ne sais quoi” of TikTok](https://daniel.do/article/the-je-ne-sais-quoi-of-TikTok/) - Network accessline 217
3. **Read:** [50 ways to be ridiculously generous—and feel ridiculously good](https://www.youcangetitdone.com/post/50-ways)
references/02-newsletters/lennys-newsletter-holiday-gift-guide-2024.md
- Network accessline 12
1. *[Product manager is an unfair role. So work unfairly.](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-is-an-unfair-role)* - Network accessline 13
2. *[How to become a supermanager with AI](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-become-a-supermanager-with)* - Network accessline 14
3. *[Five proven prompt engineering techniques (and a few more-advanced tactics)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-proven-prompt-engineering-techniques)* - Network accessline 15
4. *[On being funny at work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/on-being-funny-at-work)* - Network accessline 17
*Subscribe to get access to these posts, and every post. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) | [Hire your next product leader](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** | **[My favori - Network accessline 23
The list below is a combination of practical and fun ideas. As in my newsletter, I’m indexing on useful, timeless, and high-quality things. I’ve included products I regularly use and love, products my podcast guests [have recommended](https - Network accessline 27
P.S. Don’t sleep on [my swag store](https://www.lennyslightninground.com/products/) for that special PM or growth friend in your life! - Network accessline 29
 - Network accessline 33
1. **[Aarke stainless-steel hot water kettle](https://www.amazon.com/Aarke-Kettle-Stainless-Steel-Swivel/dp/B0CWHK6XZP):** Plastic-free, beautiful, and fast. I love it. - Network accessline 35
 - Network accessline 36
2. **[HOTO portable tire inflator](https://www.amazon.com/HOTO-Inflator-Portable-Compressor-Motorcycle/dp/B0CQ1RCJV7):** You’ll never want to inflate your bike tires, car tires, or balls any other way. HOTO has [all kinds of other cool stuf - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 40
3. **[Corrugated-cardboard cutter](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008RIS0UY?th=1):** Makes breaking down those Amazon boxes a breeze. It’s one of those small things that once you try it, you’ll want to give one to everyone you know. Somebody on - Network accessline 41
4. **[Glerups slippers](https://www.glerups.com/collections/slip-ons):** My favorite slippers. Cozy, cute, and durable. I buy extra pairs for when visitors come over. These are also loved by both Wirecutter and Tim Ferriss. Not cheap, but t - Network accessline 42
5. **[Quarterly ceramic cup club](https://www.cloutierceramics.com/limited-edition/cup-club-2025):** From Bay Area artist Julie Cloutier. Receive four unique handmade ceramic mugs over the course of a year. [Thanks for the tip, Rebecca!] - Network accessline 43
6. **[Talbot and Yoon Goober Candle](https://www.areaware.com/products/goober-candle?variant=1001524658180&country=US¤cy=USD&sc=ppc001)**: Delightful on any bookshelf. [This other candle](https://www.dsanddurga.com/products/big-sur-af - Network accessline 45
 - Network accessline 49
1. **[Teenage Engineering choir](https://teenage.engineering/products/choir):** “Wooden dolls made to serenade you with a repertoire of choral classics as well as perform your own original compositions through MIDI over BLE. Each member has - Network accessline 51
 - Network accessline 53
2. **[Daylight](https://daylightcomputer.com/)\*:** Kindle meets iPad meets laptop. Elegant and practical. - Network accessline 55
 - Network accessline 57
3. **[Nimbot wireless label maker](https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09CM7Q3F7):** Print quick labels from your phone. For home organization, food containers, keeping track of documents, and so on. [Thanks for the tip, [Laurence Molloy](https:// - Network accessline 58
4. **[Aura frames](https://auraframes.com/gifting):** A beautiful smart digital picture frame. Easy to update the photos using your phone. A perfect gift for grandparents. - Network accessline 59
5. **[Elgato Stream Deck Neo](https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Stream-Deck-Neo-Customizable/dp/B0CVY4566H?th=1):** Originally designed for Twitch streamers but so handy for launching my favorite apps, controlling speaker volume, and adjusting - Network accessline 61
 - Network accessline 63
4. **[Shure MV7 USB mic](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CTJ7PVN1?th=1):** A nice gift for that friend who’s thinking about starting a podcast—or is stuck on Zoom calls all day. It sounds great and works with USB. This was my first mic; I upgra - Network accessline 64
5. **[Anker Prime 100W USB C charger](https://www.amazon.com/Anker-Charger-Compact-MacBook-Pixelbook/dp/B0C4DGBHY2?crid=1OAEJV5UFCBNK&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.nTU1XqQtYYRyuW0xOzHGWpoic3aP814FF38aO-VRTAupsUGuS6EBYMtbr1YMZUJbyJ_JA40VC6DGAzhRFWFXo_KLd - Network accessline 65
6. **[Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses](https://www.ray-ban.com/usa/ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses):** Feels like this platform will become a big deal in the coming years. You can get these as sunglasses, prescription glasses, or just clear lenses. - Network accessline 69
I sent a draft of this list to my [wife](https://www.amazon.com/stores/Michelle-Rial/author/B07PGC1PSX?qid=1732557697&sr=1-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true) and she said, “You need more cute shit”—so behold, some cute shit - Network accessline 71
1. **[Pigeon Toe tumbler](https://pigeontoeceramics.com/collections/drinkware/products/biggie-tumbler?variant=37416293695676):** Cozy, cute cups for tea or coffee. - Network accessline 73
 - Network accessline 75
2. **[Bathing Culture Cosmic Rainbow hand towel](https://bathingculture.com/collections/towels/products/organic-cosmic-rainbow-towel?variant=40445088235609):** For the friend whose bathroom only has soggy bath towels to dry your hands on. - Network accessline 77
 - Network accessline 79
3. **[Studio Inko cutting boards](https://www.studioinko.com/cuttingboards):** For the friend who has a display cutting board and a cutting-cutting board. - Network accessline 81
 - Network accessline 83
4. **[Secondhand Heath Ceramics](https://passtheplate.heathceramics.com/):** The Bay Area’s favorite ceramics, at a discount. - Network accessline 84
5. **[Public Goods hand soap and refill set](https://www.publicgoods.com/products/hand-soap-refill-bundle?variant=43538961629322):** For the grandma who waters down her hand soap. - Network accessline 85
6. **[Everyday Oil](https://everydayoil.com/products/everyday-oil-mainstay-blend?variant=7540908227):** For your essential-oils friend. - Network accessline 87
 - Network accessline 89
7. **[East Fork x Field Notes: The Dreamers’ Bundle](https://www.eastfork.com/products/the-dreamers-bundle?variant=42263298703439):** An Asheville, N.C.–based company donating their Black Friday sales to disaster relief. - Network accessline 91
 - Network accessline 93
8. **[“You’ll Think of Something” camp flag](https://oxfordpennant.com/products/youll-think-of-something-camp-flag):** For your artist friend who is out of ideas. - Network accessline 95
 - Network accessline 97
9. **[Esqueleto gift card](https://www.shopesqueleto.com/products/gift-card):** For your cute-shit-loving partner ;-) - Network accessline 98
10. **[Segundo Madre tea towels](https://www.madrelinen.com/collections/tea-towels-1/products/segundo-madre-tea-towels?variant=44335785246881):** 100% linen, Oeko-Tex-certified, woven in a mill that runs on green energy. - Network accessline 99
11. **[Franca color-block pillar vase](https://www.francanyc.com/shop/pillar-vase-color-block):** For the friend who puts fresh flowers in a Nalgene. - Network accessline 101
 - Network accessline 103
[Credential-related source omitted] - Access to secretsline 103
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 105
 - Network accessline 109
1. [“It’s a Miracle We Ever Met” by Hallie Bateman](https://buyolympia.com/Item/hallie-bateman-its-a-miracle-we-ever-met-print) - Network accessline 110
2. [“Hobbies” by Hiller Goodspeed](https://buyolympia.com/Item/hiller-goodspeed-hobbies-golden-screenprint) - Network accessline 111
3. [“Advice from the Beatles” by Michelle Rial](https://buyolympia.com/Item/michelle-rial-beatles-advice-color-print) (my wife!) - Network accessline 112
4. [Custom song painting by Kristin Texeira](https://www.kristintexeira.com/song-paintings/custom-song-painting) - Network accessline 113
5. [“Things Will Work Out” by Carissa Potter](https://www.peopleiveloved.com/collections/prints/products/things-will-work-out-print) (also comes in [card form](https://www.peopleiveloved.com/collections/cards/products/things-will-work-out-c - Network accessline 114
6. [La Slow Galerie](https://www.slowgalerie.com/en/14-eshop) (quirky original art, prints that aren’t from the poster club) - Network accessline 117
1. *[Commune: Made in California](https://communedesign.shop/products/commune-made-in-california)*: For friends with an empty coffee table. - Network accessline 118
2. *[The Art Book for Children](https://www.amazon.com/Art-Book-Children-Ferren-Gipson/dp/1838667873)*: I learned a lot myself from this kids’ art book. - Network accessline 119
3. *[The Creative Act](https://sites.prh.com/thecreativeact)* [by Rick Rubin](https://sites.prh.com/thecreativeact): Everyone loves this book. - Network accessline 123
1. **[Cocofloss](https://www.amazon.com/COCOFLOSS-Coconut-Oil-Delicious-Dentist-Designed-Cruelty-Free/dp/B082BF4TYW?th=1):** Once you go Cocofloss, you won’t go back. The most luxurious floss you’ve ever tried. Feels good and tastes good. A - Network accessline 125
 - Network accessline 127
2. **[WAOAW sleep mask](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09712FSLY):** Will change your sleep, and thus your life. My wife and I both wear these to sleep every night, and it feels crazy to sleep without one. This has been a staple of my gift guid - Network accessline 128
3. **[JOCO Flask Velvet Grip](https://www.amazon.com/JOCO-Flask-Velvet-600ml-Amberlight/dp/B088BBL41B?th=1) or [Owala FreeSip insulated stainless-steel water bottle](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C59B9VJ4):** I’m still looking for the - Network accessline 129
4. **[Malin + Goetz shampoo](https://www.amazon.com/Malin-Goetz-Shampoo-Peppermint-16/dp/B00FA3QLUA?crid=1BI12YXOE57V5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bmsilCeMHUja_64b68ztVU0vxrfrNUKPoiUsEllURIPuNF7RT-dJjX5MK6bgz-bvatD8pX-1GHJf_jToEw2huhcN4HCUqovR-7nb8WaN - Network accessline 130
5. **[America the Beautiful National Parks pass](https://shop.usparkpass.com/products/america-the-beautiful-national-park-pass):** Give the gift of nature. For people over age 62, the pass is good for life. [Thanks for the tip, [Helen](http - Network accessline 134
1. **[Owala Kids insulated stainless-steel tumbler](https://www.amazon.com/Owala-Lian-Li-LANCOOL-MESH/dp/B0C768CWDF?th=1):** My favorite cup for our toddler. - Network accessline 136
 - Network accessline 138
2. **[Uncle Goose wooden alphabet blocks](https://www.bellalunatoys.com/products/uncle-goose-classic-wooden-alphabet-abc-blocks):** Thecutest friggin’ blocks. The sides include letters, numbers, and animals. And they feel really nice in you - Network accessline 140
 - Network accessline 142
3. ***[Animals](https://www.amazon.com/Animals-stylish-picture-Walker-Studio/dp/1406371742https://www.amazon.com/Animals-stylish-picture-Walker-Studio/dp/1406371742)*** **[by Ingela P. Arrhenius](https://www.amazon.com/Animals-stylish-pictu - Network accessline 143
4. ***[Ditty Bird](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076Q4CW5H?th=1)*** **[musical books for toddlers](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076Q4CW5H?th=1):** Our kid loves these little music books. So many varieties. [These are great too](https://www.amazo - Network accessline 144
5. **[Noble organic utility suit](https://shopnoble.com/products/noble-organic-utility-suit-in-frutas):** Matching jumpsuits for you and your kids. Cuteness overload. - Network accessline 146
 - Network accessline 148
6. **[Dreamegg portable sound machine](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D4QFVDC3?th=1):** My favorite portable sound machine. The shushing sound is 👌. - Network accessline 149
7. ***[Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Parenting Challenges](https://www.amazon.com/Listen-Simple-Everyday-Parenting-Challenges/dp/0997459301)*****:** A podcast guest [(Joe Hudson](https://www.artofaccomplishment.com/about)) - Network accessline 150
8. **[“Friend” baby onesie](https://jessicahische.shop/products/friend-baby-onesie):** Get one for your baby’s friends. Created by podcast guest [Jessica Hische](https://jessicahische.is/). - Network accessline 152
[jessicahischeandfriends](https://instagram.com/jessicahischeandfriends) - Network accessline 154
[](https://instagram.com/p/CybzlW7yDUk) - Network accessline 156
A post shared by [@jessicahischeandfriends](https://instagram.com/jessicahischeandfriends) - Network accessline 158
9. **[“Love Your Mother” ringer tee](https://www.thebeeandthefox.com/collections/kids/products/love-your-mother-kids-ringer):** Melt your wife or mom’s heart. - Network accessline 159
10. **[Honest Company organic cotton onesies](https://www.amazon.com/HonestBaby-Non-Slip-One-Piece-Jumpsuit-Zip-Front/dp/B0CP2YLCCS?th=1):** These have become our go-to kid pj’s. Lots of different patterns. - Network accessline 160
11. **[Classic wooden play kitchen](https://www.bellalunatoys.com/products/bella-luna-custom-kitchen?tw_source=google&tw_adid=&tw_campaign=17870025074):** The easiest, most nontoxic way to get the kitchen of your dreams. - Network accessline 164
1. **[Maui Nui venison stick](https://mauinuivenison.com/products/kama%CA%BBaina-sugar-free-pepper-stick-24-pack)\*:** 10 grams of protein in a delicious sugar-free, gluten-free meat stick. Makes a great snack I can throw in my backpack, an - Network accessline 165
2. **[Magic Mind mental performance gummies](https://www.magicmind.com/lenny)\*:** I’ve been a big fan of [Magic Mind](https://magicmind.com/pages/mental-performance-shots-holiday-sale) for a while, but I’ve now completely switched to these - Network accessline 166
3. **[Vital Proteins collagen peptides](https://www.amazon.com/Vital-Proteins-Nutrition-Collagen-Peptides/dp/B083LDJNPK):** Huberman [convinced me](https://ai.hubermanlab.com/s/oE_hLR5V) that taking collagen peptides daily was worth doing, - Network accessline 170
1. **[Kindle Unlimited](https://www.amazon.com/gp/kindle/ku/gift_landing):** Givethe gift of reading. - Network accessline 171
2. **[Future](https://www.future.co/?code=basbn0&rdrorigin=%2Fbasbn0)\*:** Give the gift of workout accountability. (Use this link to get a month free.) - Network accessline 172
3. **[AllTrails](https://www.alltrails.com/gift):** Give the gift of hiking. - Network accessline 173
4. **[Duolingo](https://www.duolingo.com/gift):** Give the gift of learning a new language. - Network accessline 174
5. **[Happier](https://my.happierapp.com/gifts) or [Waking Up](https://app.wakingup.com/purchase-gift-card):** Give the gift of meditation. - Network accessline 175
6. **[ChatGPT](https://openai.com/chatgpt/pricing/)/[Claude](https://claude.ai/login?returnTo=%2F%3F)/[Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/pro):** Give the gift of AI. (These don’t have gift options, so giving them isn’t as easy as the ab - Network accessline 179
1. **[Matic floor cleaning robot](https://maticrobots.com/):** A futuristic robot vacuum and mop with Tesla-FSD-level intelligence. Quiet, private, and good with kids and pets. - Network accessline 180
2. **[Bird Buddy smart bird feeder](https://mybirdbuddy.com/):** AI-powered smart bird feeder. Captures photos and videos of local birds as they visit 🐦. - Network accessline 181
3. **[Brick](https://getbrick.app/):** A device that temporarily removes distracting apps (and their notifications) from your phone. - Network accessline 182
4. **[Wildly Virgin olive oil](https://wildlyvirgin.com/):** Small-batch extra-virgin olive oil from Portugal, by a family who have been making it for generations, harvesting by hand. Created by two product people who moved to Portugal to h - Network accessline 188
 - Network accessline 190
Finally, a gift that’s close to my heart: A dear friend, [Enrique Allen](https://www.designerfund.com/page/RememberingEnriqueAllen), passed away last week from an aggressive form of cancer. He was the best of us; the strongest, happiest, mo - Network accessline 192
In the spirit of his generosity and dedication to personal growth, if you’d like to give me a gift, his family is raising money for [his son’s 529 plan college education](https://digital.fidelity.com/prgw/digital/familygifting/mlgLandingPag - Network accessline 200
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/lennys-product-pass-20-free-premium-products-available-exclusively-for-paid-annu.md
- Network accessline 10
 - Network accessline 16
1. **Research:** [Manus](https://www.manus.im/campaign/lenny), [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/pro) - Network accessline 17
2. **Design:** [Canva Business](https://www.canva.com/canva-business/)\*, [Framer](https://framer.link/RmH3UwE), [Gamma](https://gamma.app/partners/lenny)\*, [Mobbin](https://mobbin.com/lenny) - Network accessline 18
3. **Build:** [Lovable](https://lovable.dev/lenny)\*, [Replit](https://replit.com/)\*, [Bolt](https://bolt.new/)\*, [n8n](https://n8n.io/), [Amp](https://ampcode.com/), [Factory](https://factory.ai/product/ide), [Devin](https://devin.ai/)\* - Network accessline 19
4. **Scale:** [Railway](https://railway.com/) - Network accessline 20
5. **Track:** [PostHog](https://posthog.com/) - Network accessline 21
6. **Collaborate:** [Linear](https://linear.app/), [Wispr Flow](https://wisprflow.ai/), [Granola](https://www.granola.ai/), [ChatPRD](https://www.chatprd.ai/lenny) - Network accessline 22
7. **Incorporating your startup:** [Stripe Atlas](https://stripe.com/atlas)\* - Network accessline 24
*\* These products are available for [Insider-tier](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?plan=founding) subscribers only* - Network accessline 26
**→ Already a paid subscriber?** [Grab your free products here](https://lennysproductpass.com/). - Network accessline 27
**→ Not yet a subscriber?** [Subscribe](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe) and then [grab your free products here](https://lennysproductpass.com/). - Network accessline 53
1. **You must be a new customer of the products** to take advantage of the free year. If you’ve already paid for one of the products before (monthly or yearly), or redeemed a code from our previous bundle, you won’t be able to get a free ad - Network accessline 54
2. **You must get an** **Annual or Insider subscription** **to Lenny’s Newsletter** to be eligible for this offer. Monthly subscribers aren’t eligible. 3. **Both existing and new subscribers** of Lenny’s Newsletter are eligible for this dea - Network accessline 55
3. **Both existing and new subscribers** of Lenny’s Newsletter are eligible for this deal. Existing subscribers can [redeem the offer here](https://lennysproductpass.com/). - Network accessline 56
4. **We may run out of codes for a product at any time**. Your code is only secured once you [claim it](https://lennysproductpass.com/). You need to claim each code individually, so hop on the products you are most excited about. - Network accessline 68
**Over $25,000 in value for just $350/year—without the stress.** Many readers expense this subscription out of their workplace’s learning and development budget. [Here’s an email to send to your manager](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1 - Network accessline 72
- **Step 1:** [Get an Annual or Insider subscription](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lennysnewsletter.com%2Fsubscribe%3F=) to Lenny’s Newsletter. - Network accessline 73
- **Step 2:** [Redeem your codes here](https://lennysproductpass.com/). - Network accessline 84
*If you’ve already got a subscription, consider [gifting a subscription](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?gift=true) to a colleague or [purchasing a group subscription](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) for yo
references/02-newsletters/lessons-from-140-angel-investments.md
- Network accessline 12
Over the past five years, I’ve angel invested in over [140 companies](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/investing). Twelve have grown into unicorns, 10 more are on track to get there this year, and I suspect many more will get there eventually - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 16
I’ve invested my own cash, [scout checks](https://superscout.co/programs), with the [Airbnb alumni syndicate](https://airangels.co/), and the [Airbnb alumni fund](https://www.wsj.com/articles/airbnb-alums-raise-early-stage-venture-capital-f - Network accessline 42
> #### “VCs like to pretend that they’re really smart, but ultimately it’s just math. A single 100x or 1,000x deal will return your fund. But it’s nearly impossible to know which deal that will be. The important thing is to invest in enough - Network accessline 44
> #### —[Julia Lipton](https://twitter.com/JuliaLipton), investor - Network accessline 46
> #### “Conventional investing wisdom tells us that VCs should pass on most deals they see. But our research indicates otherwise: At the seed stage, investors would increase their expected return by broadly indexing into every credible deal - Network accessline 48
> #### —[Abe Othman](https://www.angellist.com/blog/venture-returns), Head of Data Science, AngelList Venture - Network accessline 50
Angel investing is much more about [not missing the big winners](https://www.angellist.com/blog/what-angellist-data-says-about-power-law-returns-in-venture-capital) than it is about avoiding losers. And as [AngelList found](https://www.ange - Network accessline 58
 - Network accessline 65
> #### “You can’t be a great investor if you don’t see any deals. Being a friendly collaborator with other investors is one of the best ways to see more investment opportunities. You essentially multiply the surface area of what you see. An - Network accessline 67
> #### —[Daniel Rumennik](https://linkedin.com/in/rumennik/), GP at AirAngels - Network accessline 69
> #### “The best way to get deal access isn’t to be great with founders—it’s to have other investors think you’re great with founders. Build a high NPS with investors, since they have meaningfully more reach than an operator. But of course, - Network accessline 71
> #### —[Aaron Schwartz](https://linkedin.com/in/aaroncharlesschwartz), investor, 3x founder - Network accessline 73
Special shoutout to [Sriram](https://www.notion.so/sriramkri/Sriram-Krishnan-5a434396fb9d43bfaebce6aa5c1f5e01), [Dan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rumennik/), [Jamie](https://twitter.com/jamiequint), [Todd](https://toddgoldberg.com/), [Siqi] - Network accessline 79
> #### “It’s advantageous (and fun) to be collaborative as an angel investor. Sharing deals with other investors keeps you top of mind for when they’re investing in something. I personally try to only send deals when I’m investing (or very - Network accessline 81
> #### —[Todd Goldberg](https://twitter.com/toddg777), entrepreneur and investor - Network accessline 83
> #### “By default, investors mostly share the deals they’re asked to share by founders. Or they share the deals that need help being filled. That has adverse selection (but there are always exceptions, of course, like when founders want ‘s - Network accessline 85
> #### —[Julian Shapiro](https://twitter.com/Julian), writer and investor - Network accessline 98
> #### “As an angel investor, it’s more important to be swimming in a pool of good potential investments than to be an exceptionally good picker. Obviously if you’re able to be both, it’s better :) but if you had to choose between being in - Network accessline 100
> #### —[Jack Altman](https://twitter.com/jaltma), investor and CEO of Lattice - Network accessline 102
> #### “Judgment is important but overrated.” > > #### —[Naval](https://venturehacks.com/11-lessons), investor and co-founder of AngelList - Network accessline 104
> #### —[Naval](https://venturehacks.com/11-lessons), investor and co-founder of AngelList - Network accessline 108
> #### “There are so many incredible founders building great companies today that one of the hardest things to do is to stand above the noise. Even exceptional products need help telling their story and reaching customers and potential hire - Network accessline 110
> #### —[Packy McCormick](https://twitter.com/packyM), writer and investor - Network accessline 112
> #### “With the perfect levels of information that exist today on different firms and investors, the question LPs must ask of investors they evaluate is: Is this investor an aspirational source of capital that the very best founders consis - Network accessline 114
> #### —[Harry Stebbings](https://twitter.com/HarryStebbings), podcaster and investor - Network accessline 116
> #### “I hate when people think investing is all about picking winners. This presupposes that as an angel you can get into any deal you want to. Definitely not true! Ask yourself—what is your right to invest in a deal? Working at a16z taug - Network accessline 118
> #### —[Louis Beryl](https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisberyl/), investor and 3x founder - Network accessline 132
> #### “Money is cheap now, so you have to have something other than money to get access. The best thing to have is unique expertise that founders want access to. In my case, it’s my experiences and lessons learned from working on growth ea - Network accessline 134
> #### —[Jamie Quint](https://twitter.com/jamiequint), investor - Network accessline 136
> #### “You will differentiate yourself as an investor if you understand which of your skills are most valuable to founders and inform them of your experiences in those areas. What’s helped me the most are referrals from founders and invest - Network accessline 138
> #### —[Jules Walter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswalter/), investor and PM at YouTube - Network accessline 140
**2. Audience:** Build an audience that founders can someday rely on to amplify the startup’s story (e.g. [Packy](https://twitter.com/packyM), [Harry](https://twitter.com/HarryStebbings?), [Erik](https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg), [Sahil]( - Network accessline 142
> #### “Building an audience today is more crucial than ever. Why? In compressed fundraising timelines, content allows you to build a ‘pre-sales’ relationship with founders where they know you and how you think, well before meeting you in a - Network accessline 144
> #### —[Harry Stebbings](https://twitter.com/HarryStebbings) - Network accessline 146
**3. Signal:** Build status as an investor such that your being on the cap table becomes a strong signal (e.g. [Elad](https://twitter.com/eladgil), [Cyan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyanb/), [Naval](https://twitter.com/naval)). - Network accessline 154
> #### “Founder NPS scores matter a lot. You may not see the value of being a service-oriented investor in the short run, but over the long run it compounds and the results show up in the most unexpected ways. And founders don’t forget. You - Network accessline 156
> #### —[Sriram Krishnan](https://www.notion.so/sriramkri/Sriram-Krishnan-5a434396fb9d43bfaebce6aa5c1f5e01), investor - Network accessline 160
> #### “The bar is surprisingly low for actually being value-add. If you help a founder find and hire an engineer, as an example, you’re already in the top 0.01% of investors for them in terms of value-add.” > > #### —[Charley Ma](https://t - Network accessline 162
> #### —[Charley Ma](https://twitter.com/charleyma), investor and GM at Alloy - Network accessline 164
> #### “It’s surprising to me that often founders do not get practical, sometimes basic, execution and ops advice from their VC partners, but that’s where angels can really help.” > > #### —[Varsha Rao](https://www.linkedin.com/in/varsharao - Network accessline 166
> #### —[Varsha Rao](https://www.linkedin.com/in/varsharao/), investor, former Head of Ops at Airbnb, and CEO of Nurx - Network accessline 168
> #### “Be helpful to as many people as you can at every stage of their journey. You don’t know where your biggest investment returns will come from. Mine came from helping a founder sell his prior startup to someone in my network. Even tho - Network accessline 170
> #### —[Christopher Fong](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cfong), investor and founder of Xoogler - Network accessline 176
> #### **“For companies that get to the finish line, it’s not unusual for me to spend 2-3 weeks getting to know the founder and their business. Now, this is partially due to my strategy—only invest in 2-5 companies per year and spend a lot - Network accessline 178
> #### —[Ann Miura-Ko](https://twitter.com/annimaniac), GP at Floodgate - Network accessline 180
> #### “The amount of time I spend on diligence varies a lot depending on how familiar we are with a sector. If it’s a sector we know well, we can offer to invest after a few meetings over the course of a few days. If a sector is new to us, - Network accessline 182
> #### —[Leo Polovets](https://twitter.com/lpolovets), GP at Susa Ventures - Network accessline 188
> #### However, in private markets the price of the deal stays relatively fixed until the entire round is done. So it’s advantageous to be a late, credible mover.” > > #### —[Naval](https://spearhead.co/social-proof) - Network accessline 190
> #### —[Naval](https://spearhead.co/social-proof) - Network accessline 194
**Takeaway:** As an angel, most of your investments should probably go into rounds led by [top-tier funds](https://www.forbes.com/midas/). But place maybe 30% of your bets on low-signal startups that you’re very excited about or have unique - Network accessline 200
> #### “It’s not about all your deals being winners, but instead a few mega-winners that drive all the returns. So do you believe that these founders have the talent, the resources, the vision, and mostly the will to try and build not a $1 - Network accessline 202
> #### —[Louis Beryl](https://www.linkedin.com/in/louisberyl/), investor and 3x founder - Network accessline 204
> #### “A few companies will generate most of your returns; the power law has been super-real for me. One company represents 85% of my gains, and the top 10 represent 95% of my gains (though most of my investments are early from the past 1- - Network accessline 206
> #### —[Daniel Rumennik](https://linkedin.com/in/rumennik/), GP at AirAngels - Network accessline 218
> #### “Telling your smartest friends you believe in them so much you would write a check almost regardless of what they do goes a long way and also makes them remember you when they’re fundraising. Being a founder is scary and riddled with - Network accessline 220
> #### —[Jonah Greenberger](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonahgreenberger/), investor and CEO of Bright - Network accessline 228
Sign up for a bunch of [AngelList syndicates](https://www.angellist.com/syndicates). There’s no money up-front, you can invest small amounts, and you get to see how investors evaluate each deal and start to see what good deals look like. - Network accessline 230
> #### “The quickest way to get access to deals is to join AngelList syndicates. Nowadays, you'll see top syndicate leads invest at the same terms as tier one funds, and share their allocation with operator angels. Bonus points for syndicat - Network accessline 232
> #### —[Brian Nichols](https://www.linkedin.com/in/briannichols11/), investor - Network accessline 236
My three favorites are [First Round Angel Track](https://angeltrack.firstround.com/), [Hustle Fund Angel Squad](https://www.hustlefund.vc/angelsquad), and [On Deck Angels](https://www.beondeck.com/angels). Also, check out platforms like [St - Network accessline 242
> #### “When you know of strong founders starting a company, don’t wait for them to raise money, apply to an accelerator program, etc. Get into the company as quickly as you can via a standard SAFE. They’ll appreciate your conviction in the - Network accessline 244
> #### —[Cristina Cordova](https://twitter.com/cjc), angel investor and advisor - Network accessline 246
> #### “When sourcing deals, cold outreach works. Founders are excited to hear from angels who are excited about what they are building and will usually take your call. Be proactive!” > > #### —[Alexis Zhu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexi - Network accessline 248
> #### —[Alexis Zhu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexiszhu/), investor and head of payments partnerships at Stripe - Network accessline 264
As a bonus, I asked my friends in the [First Round Angel Track](https://angeltrack.firstround.com/) program and other angel friends for their biggest surprises and learnings about angel investing so far. Here’s what they shared: - Network accessline 268
> #### “It’s so much easier to start angel investing than I had realized. I thought about it for years before doing anything about it, and I was amazed by how accessible it is. I feel silly in hindsight. There is so much content out there. - Network accessline 270
> #### —[Sharrifah Lorenz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharrifah-lorenz/), investor and head of partnerships at Loom - Network accessline 272
> #### “Don’t be afraid to start with little/no money. I started angel investing too late because I assumed I didn’t know enough, or didn’t think anyone would take small investors. My first few checks were $3K and $5K, and that’s only after - Network accessline 274
> #### —[Daniel Rumennik](https://linkedin.com/in/rumennik/), GP at AirAngels - Network accessline 276
> #### “Keep your early checks very small. Your first checks should be viewed as learning experiences. Write a detailed memo on why you invested and what you loved about the team. These will be invaluable as you start to understand what mak - Network accessline 278
> #### —[Austin Rief](https://twitter.com/austin_rief), investor and CEO of Morning Brew - Network accessline 280
> #### “Deal throughput is key. The more deals you see, the more you’ll be able to tune and home in on the opportunities that make sense for your investing criteria. At first you may feel the pressure to invest in a lot of what comes throug - Network accessline 282
> #### —[Andrew Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewfchen), investor and SVP at GlobalE - Network accessline 286
> #### “By far the best source of investment opportunities for me have been people I’ve had the chance to work with. This isn’t just former coworkers starting companies themselves but also connecting me with their former coworkers starting - Network accessline 288
> #### —[David Breger](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbreger), investor and Director of Product at Google - Network accessline 290
> #### “A significant portion of my deal flow comes from existing founders in my portfolio who are referring other founders in their network to me. Many founders reach out to friends asking, ‘Who are the angel investors you took money from - Network accessline 292
> #### —[Cristina Cordova](https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinajcordova/) - Network accessline 296
> #### “It takes at least 8 to 10 years for companies to realize their potential. Startups that are perceived to be early winners might flame out. Startups that you’ve written down to zero might end up doing well. It’s extremely hard to jud - Network accessline 298
> #### —[Sriram Krishnan](https://www.notion.so/sriramkri/Sriram-Krishnan-5a434396fb9d43bfaebce6aa5c1f5e01) - Network accessline 300
> #### “When starting on the angel investing journey, many times (and in my case), your losing bets materialize much faster than your winning portfolio companies. Thus, it’s hard to keep conviction and continue investing as self-doubt rises - Network accessline 302
> #### —[Jeff Kozloff](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-kozloff-4004662/), investor and CEO of TrialScope - Network accessline 306
> #### “Co-founder chemistry, prior working relationship, and trust are more important than anything else (market, TAM, product-market fit, etc.) in the early stages.” > > #### —[Sriram Krishnan](https://www.notion.so/sriramkri/Sriram-Krish - Network accessline 308
> #### —[Sriram Krishnan](https://www.notion.so/sriramkri/Sriram-Krishnan-5a434396fb9d43bfaebce6aa5c1f5e01) - Network accessline 310
> #### “When evaluating opportunities, angel investors should focus on the next 18 months—not the next 18 years. This may seem counterintuitive, as investing is a game of casting into the future, envisioning what might be and trying to spot - Network accessline 312
> #### —[Brett Berson](https://firstround.com/person/brett-berson/), Partner at First Round Capital - Network accessline 314
 - Network accessline 315
> #### “Most of the big winners in B2C are not ‘hot’ at the seed stage; there is low predictability.” > > #### —[Jeff Chang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-chang-82467459/), investor and advisor - Network accessline 317
> #### —[Jeff Chang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-chang-82467459/), investor and advisor - Network accessline 321
> #### “I’ve found the angel investing community to be refreshingly welcoming and collaborative. Adding value for early companies or other investors via perspective, expertise, and/or deal flow always seems to come back to you in spades.” > - Network accessline 323
> #### —[Dan Becker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/becker513/), designer and investor - Network accessline 325
> #### “I genuinely find founders and other angels to be nice to one another. When you’re a small check, founders and other angels generally want to find ways to work you—we all want to work with great people!” > > #### —[David Breger](http - Network accessline 327
> #### —[David Breger](https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbreger) - Network accessline 363
> #### “You’re living inside the gold mine—people are digging up gold next to you. The returns in this industry are higher than anything else. You understand it so well, and you have specific knowledge. If you’re in the tech industry, you s - Network accessline 365
> #### —[Naval](https://nav.al/angel-1) - Network accessline 371
1. [How to Angel Invest, Part 1](https://nav.al/angel-1) by Naval - Network accessline 372
2. [How to Angel Invest, Part 2](https://nav.al/angel-2) by Naval - Network accessline 373
3. [How to be an angel investor](https://www.paulgraham.com/angelinvesting.html) by Paul Graham - Network accessline 374
4. [Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups](https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Invest-Technology-Startups-Timeless-Investor/dp/0062560700) by Jason Calacanis - Network accessline 375
5. [Reading Social Proof Is an Art Form](https://spearhead.co/art) by Naval - Network accessline 376
6. [Investing in Public: Non-Obvious Lessons from 100+ Angel Investments](https://sacerdoti.medium.com/investing-in-public-non-obvious-lessons-from-100-angel-investments-a5951985593e) by Tod Sacerdoti - Network accessline 377
7. [The 11 Lessons Dharmesh Shah Learned From 80+ Angel Investments](https://thehustle.co/11-lessons-dharmesh-shah-learned-from-80-angel-investments/) - Network accessline 383
1. **Clubhouse:** [Growth Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/ed55d82e-f9b6-47b7-837d-b8f29b9e2b41) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 384
2. **Earthly Technologies:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/958ba7ed-1571-4249-a103-2e58dfcc40bd) (Remote-US, Remote-CANADA) - Network accessline 385
3. **Otta:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/896bc872-ef34-44a5-85bd-74784e9bea89) (London) - Network accessline 386
4. **Sonar:** [Product Manager, Integrations](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/d830dd44-5885-452a-a0fc-681a667d20c5) (ATL, Remote-US) - Network accessline 387
5. **LiveAuctioneers:** [Senior Product Manager, Platform](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4550e1ee-d35a-4975-9bb1-ec28725672cc) (NYC, Lehi UT) - Network accessline 388
6. **Writer:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/2da796a4-bd41-4797-b052-3224fc5adbf2) (SF, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 389
7. **Shortwave:** [Growth Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/f67128c7-7420-4e94-8548-5c9bfdfbe66e) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 391
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).*
references/02-newsletters/lessons-from-going-freemium-a-decision-that-broke-our-business.md
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*P.S. Don’t miss [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/), my AI chatbot that’s trained on every newsletter post and every podcast interview.* - Network accessline 12
I’m increasingly on the lookout for stories of failures, because failure can hold the most enduring lessons. So when [Bobby Pinero](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbypinero/) (CEO of [Equals](https://equals.com/)) [tweeted](https://x.com/bob - Network accessline 16
*For more from Bobby Pinero, follow him on [X](https://twitter.com/bobbypinero) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbypinero/), and check out [Equals](https://equals.com/). And a big thank you to [Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin - Network accessline 18
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First, some context. What is Equals? It’s a [next-generation spreadsheet](https://equals.com/)—one that allows you to query, analyze, and report on live data. Think business intelligence, but in the familiar and flexible form of a spreadshe - Network accessline 44
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When we [announced our Series A](https://x.com/bobbypinero/status/1590374986836897792?s=20), we opened up Equals to the world: - Network accessline 90
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Many [still](https://twitter.com/Patticus/status/1719819631953588298?s=20) [believe](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=134z2mHgaLs) it’d work for Equals. - Network accessline 210
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*Thank you, Bobby! For more from Bobby Pinero, follow him on [X](https://twitter.com/bobbypinero) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbypinero/), and check out [Equals](https://equals.com/).* - Network accessline 226
*For more on this topic, check out Bobby’s related posts on [Every](https://every.to/p/how-freemium-almost-killed-my-business), and [the Equals blog](https://wraptext.equals.com/the-fallacy-of-freemium-in-saas/).* - Network accessline 234
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 238
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/lessons-learned-from-a-startup-that-didnt-make-it.md
- Network accessline 12
1. *[A guide for finding product-market fit in B2B](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit)* - Network accessline 13
2. *[How Linear builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-linear-builds-product)* - Network accessline 14
3. *[How to build a killer sales pitch](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-build-a-killer-sales-pitch)* - Network accessline 15
4. *[Hiring your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b)* - Network accessline 16
5. *[Scaling your B2B growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/scaling-your-b2b-growth-engine)* - Network accessline 17
6. *[The Magic Loop](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-magic-loop)* - Network accessline 23
Recently, in the process of shutting down his startup, [Jake Fuentes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakefuentes/) (co-founder and CEO of [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/)) jotted down his biggest lessons from the journey. I found them incred - Network accessline 25
For more from Jake, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakefuentes/) and [X](https://twitter.com/jakefuentes). He also advises companies considering acquisitions or other strategic options. Learn more and get in touch [on - Network accessline 37
From the beginning, we knew we needed to define a good ideal customer profile (ICP). There are [many](https://medium.com/racecapital/defining-your-ideal-customer-profile-icp-41b7b58107de) [approaches](https://www.unusual.vc/articles/what-is - Network accessline 53
We knew that horizontal tools often must survive a [very long](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit), [uncertain journey](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup#%C2%A7bonus-prosumer-comp - Network accessline 83
If you’re hiring, I can help. [Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) works with a select group of companies every month to help them make key growth and product hires. - Network accessline 87
If you’re looking for a new gig, join [here!](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome?application=true&pallet=&step=privacy) We’ll send over personalized opportunities from hand-selected companies if we think there’s a fit. Nobody gets yo - Network accessline 89
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 91
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/lessons-on-building-a-viral-consumer-app-the-story-of-saturn.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Don’t miss [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/), my AI chatbot that’s trained on every newsletter post and podcast interview.* - Network accessline 12
I recently heard about an app called [Saturn](https://www.joinsaturn.com/) that reached the top of the App Store charts—and stayed there. This is incredibly rare. As I dug in and chatted with the founders, I was blown away by how methodical - Network accessline 16
Below, co-founders [Dylan Diamond](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylancdiamond/) and [Max Baron](https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-baron-saturn/) share their biggest lessons on building a viral social consumer app, including: - Network accessline 26
*For more on Saturn, check out [joinsaturn.com](https://www.joinsaturn.com/).* - Network accessline 28
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Chris Dixon wrote about this in a 2015 [piece](https://cdixon.org/2015/01/31/come-for-the-tool-stay-for-the-network) called “Come for the tool, stay for the network,” observing that “starting a network from scratch is very hard. Think of si - Network accessline 50
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For context on D30 retention, all of Snap, TikTok, Twitter, and Facebook have D30 new-user retention between 28% and 40% ([source](https://a16z.com/do-you-have-lightning-in-a-bottle-how-to-benchmark-your-social-app/)).Ours is currently in t - Network accessline 80
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*Thank you, [Max](https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-baron-saturn/) and [Dylan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylancdiamond/)! For more on Saturn, visit [joinsaturn.com](https://joinsaturn.com/).* - Network accessline 185
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 189
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/li-jin-launches-atelier-ventures-her-debut-fund-to-invest-in-the-passion-economy.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and welcome to a* **✨ special edition ✨** *of my weekly newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressi - Network accessline 12
In 2019, while still working at a16z, Li Jin wrote a provocative essay titled “[The Passion Economy and the Future of Work](https://a16z.com/2019/10/08/passion-economy/).” In it, she defined and highlighted an emerging trend she called the - Network accessline 24
[Atelier](https://www.atelierventures.co/) is focused on companies that support a “human-centered vision of the future of work,” says Li, including platforms that broaden access to new forms of work, lower the barriers to entrepreneurship, - Network accessline 26
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It’s clear what Atelier’s differentiation is, even in a crowded venture capital landscape. Li is now widely considered to be the godmother of the passion economy, with incisive writing and thinking that sway the strategies of all sorts of b - Network accessline 34
Beyond just talking and writing about the passion economy, she is also an active participant in it, with creative side projects including a [podcast](https://pod.link/1527481453); newsletters ([free](https://li.substack.com) and [paid](http - Network accessline 42
“Atelier” is French for an artist’s studio or workshop. I was deliberate in choosing a name that reflected my background as an artist ([li-jin.co/art](https://li-jin.co/art)) and that also felt more feminine and distinct from most VC names. - Network accessline 44
 - Network accessline 52
I elaborated on these ideas in a December [essay](https://hbr.org/2020/12/the-creator-economy-needs-a-middle-class) in *Harvard Business Review*. Why do we build and invest in technology? Technology platforms result in productivity growth a - Network accessline 54
I also plan to do things differently! I’m compiling a [database](https://airtable.com/shrL2zwMQm48oBloQ) of creators — including YouTube and TikTok creators — who are interested in working with startups, either for content partnerships or a - Network accessline 78
1. **Largely, it’s a people bet**. Specific traits that I really value are resilience and grit (when they’re facing a million obstacles, will they keep going?), a propensity for action, and how deeply they’ve thought about the market. Did t - Network accessline 80
3. **I’m drawn to markets that may appear small at first glance, but that can actually be expanded.** I think the creator space is emerging and nascent, and TAM analysis can [belie the actual size of markets](https://li.substack.com/p/four- - Network accessline 90
For work, people are going [direct-to-consumer](https://li.substack.com/p/unbundling-work-from-employment) in offering services and products and monetizing individuality at scale, supported by digital platforms. That’s clearly not limited t - Network accessline 110
Also, check out [Side Hustle Stack](https://sidehustlestack.co/), a website that I built with Lila Shroff and Brandon Handoko to help folks find flexible, platform-based work. Flexible work is way more than just gig work now, and there are - Network accessline 116
1. **What kids do for fun today will become the new creator professions of the future**. I think back on my own childhood: the activities that gave me the most joy (but which adults thought were a waste of time) were blogging on platforms l - Network accessline 117
2. **Education changes dramatically to equip creators rather than training employees for traditional jobs.** There’s a dearth of creator-focused education today, and many creators tell me they’re figuring things out as they go through trial - Network accessline 118
3. **Some form of [Universal Creative Income](https://li.substack.com/p/building-the-middle-class-of-the) (UCI) will become prevalent across social platforms** as the arms race to attract creators heats up. Platforms will compete with each - Network accessline 119
4. **More financing options emerge to help creators invest in their businesses**, and for investors/supporters to share in the upside of creators’ success. I’m also really inspired by new crypto business models like what [Mirror](https://mi - Network accessline 120
5. **There will be new models that provide an option between being an employee and being a solo creator**. We’re already seeing this with [Forbes](https://www.axios.com/forbes-paid-newsletter-subscriptions-ab423ae1-0b90-4863-acad-40a373adce - Network accessline 128
- Follow [Atelier](https://twitter.com/atelierventures) and [Li](https://twitter.com/ljin18) on Twitter - Network accessline 129
- Atelier’s website: [atelierventures.co](https://www.atelierventures.co/) - Network accessline 130
- Li’s newsletter: [li.substack.com](https://li.substack.com/) - Network accessline 131
- Side Hustle Stack: [sidehustlestack.co](https://sidehustlestack.co/) - Network accessline 132
- Li’s art portfolio: [li-jin.co/art](https://li-jin.co/art/)
references/02-newsletters/magical-growth-loops.md
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Here’s an example from [Cameo](https://www.cameo.com/), a marketplace where fans purchase short videos from celebrities to surprise and delight their friends. - Network accessline 33
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#### **[DoorDash](https://www.doordash.com/)** - Network accessline 59
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#### **[Faire](https://www.faire.com/)** - Network accessline 67
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#### **[Etsy](https://www.etsy.com/)** - Network accessline 75
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#### **[Cameo](https://www.cameo.com/)** - Network accessline 83
#### **[Instacart](https://www.instacart.com/)** - Network accessline 91
#### **[Substack](https://substack.com/)** - Network accessline 99
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#### **[Kickstarter](https://www.kickstarter.com/)** - Network accessline 109
#### **[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/)** - Network accessline 115
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#### **[Ritual](https://ritual.co/)** - Network accessline 123
#### **[Product Hunt](https://www.producthunt.com/)** - Network accessline 129
#### **[OpenTable](https://www.opentable.com/)** - Network accessline 141
#### **[Faire](https://www.faire.com/)** - Network accessline 147
 - Network accessline 149
#### **[AngelList syndicates](https://angel.co/)** - Network accessline 157
#### **[Uber](https://www.uber.com/) / [Lyft](https://www.lyft.com/)** - Network accessline 163
#### **[Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/)** - Network accessline 175
#### **[Figma](https://figma.com/)** - Network accessline 183
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#### **[Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/h)** - Network accessline 198
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#### **[Whatsapp](https://www.whatsapp.com/)** - Network accessline 210
#### [Dropbox](https://www.dropbox.com/h) - Network accessline 218
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#### **[Zoom](https://zoom.us/)** - Network accessline 228
#### **[PayPal](https://www.paypal.com/us/home)** - Network accessline 234
#### **[Intercom](https://www.intercom.com/)** - Network accessline 240
#### **[Superhuman](https://superhuman.com/)** - Network accessline 246
#### **[Google Docs](https://www.google.com/docs/about/)** - Network accessline 254
#### **[Instagram](https://instagram.com/)** - Network accessline 266
#### **[Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/) (also Uber, Lyft)** - Network accessline 274
#### **[Typeform](https://www.typeform.com/) (also Survey Money, Mailchimp)** - Network accessline 280
#### **[Eventbrite](https://www.eventbrite.com/)** - Network accessline 286
#### **[Substack](https://substack.com/)** - Network accessline 292
#### **[Facebook Marketplace](https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/)** - Network accessline 298
#### **[Product Hunt](https://www.producthunt.com/)** - Network accessline 308
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/magical-growth-loops/comments) - Network accessline 312
1. **Product**: [Aavia](https://aavia.io/pages/aavia-head-of-product-career), [ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731), [Descript](https://jobs.lever.co/descript-2/08f9b563-c3e6-49a4-be07-82fafc1868af), [KUDO](https: - Network accessline 313
2. **Growth**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC9 - Network accessline 314
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8Cvl - Network accessline 315
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 316
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 317
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 318
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4188 - Network accessline 319
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://job - Network accessline 323
1. **Learn**: [Julian Shapiro](https://twitter.com/Julian) (growth-expert and community member) tracked down ex-LinkedIn employees and Product Hunt experts and got them to share how the LinkedIn and Product Hunt algorithm ranks organic cont - Network accessline 325
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 326
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 327
2. **Watch**: A group of Swedish skiers and snowboarders travel by train and boat from Stockholm, through Russia, to Japan, all in search of deep powder (via [The Viewer](https://theviewer.is/graph-ski-menshevik-origin-stellar/)) - Network accessline 329
1. **Listen:** Miley Cyrus - Midnight (via [Hunter](https://twitter.com/hunterwalk)) - Network accessline 331
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxZl2cFvjRs) - Network accessline 335
[Give a free month, get a free month](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/account/referrals)
references/02-newsletters/maintaining-quality--phase-2-of-kickstarting-and-scaling-a-marketplace-business.md
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- **[Part 1](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace)**[: Constrain the marketplace 🔬](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 258
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee)** [Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 259
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911)** [Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 260
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5)** [Drive initial demand 👋](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5) - Network accessline 264
- **[Part 1:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand)** [Determine if you are supply or demand constrained 🤹<U+200D>♂<U+FE0F>](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand) - Network accessline 265
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase)** [Scale growth levers 🔥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase) - Network accessline 267
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)** [What would you have done differently if you did it again](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)**[🔮](https://ww
references/02-newsletters/make-product-management-fun-again-with-ai-agents.md
- Network accessline 10
Tal Raviv’s [last guest post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-is-an-unfair-role) on working “unfairly” as a PM is my fourth most popular of all time, and [his podcast episode](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFhurV1l6Jk) - Network accessline 12
*For more from Tal, check out his [63 free video tutorials](https://talraviv.co/) on using AI agents at work, and his other guest post on [building your AI thinking partner](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/build-your-personal-ai-copilot) - Network accessline 14
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[Productivity hacks](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-is-an-unfair-role) and [cultivating self-reliant teams](https://youtu.be/wFhurV1l6Jk?si=YFpjMnVgEl262Oi5&t=1672) can help, but with tech orgs flattening, more of these - Network accessline 28
After interviewing founders of AI agent platforms, running numerous usability sessions with PMs building their first agents, and gathering insights from a [hands-on workshop](https://maven.com/p/50b3a6/build-6-pm-ai-agents-in-56-minutes) fo - Network accessline 34
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1. [Create a Zapier account](https://zapier.com/sign-up) and navigate to “Zapier Agents.” - Network accessline 71
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At the same time, we’ve been spoiled with [AI prototyping tools](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-guide-to-ai-prototyping-for-product) that let us build with natural language conversations. - Network accessline 260
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 to make the right decision. - Network accessline 346
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- Jacob Bank ([Relay App](https://www.relay.app/)) - Network accessline 432
- Justin Fineberg and Jake Rosenthal ([Cassidy AI](https://www.cassidyai.com/)) - Network accessline 433
- Max Brodeur-Urbas ([Gumloop](https://www.gumloop.com/)) - Network accessline 434
- Flo Crivello ([Lindy AI](https://lindy.ai/)) - Network accessline 435
- Bryce Vernon ([Zapier Agents](https://zapier.com/agents)) - Network accessline 437
*Thank you, Tal! For more, check out his [AI PM course](https://bit.ly/42Mfr4j) and his upcoming free 45-minute lightning lesson, “[How AI PMs Slice Open Great AI Products](https://maven.com/p/b1789c/how-ai-p-ms-slice-open-great-ai-products - Network accessline 441
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/managing-up.md
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You can also highlight material changes to your priorities from the prior week to make it even easier for your manager (h/t to [Nishi Patel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishipatel/) for the idea). - Network accessline 40
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-up/comments) - Network accessline 44
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4124465003), [ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), [Hipcamp](https: - Network accessline 45
2. **Growth**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4188468003), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://le - Network accessline 46
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), - Network accessline 47
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 48
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 49
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 50
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4473700002), - Network accessline 51
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Vori](https://www.n - Network accessline 55
1. **VOTE** (if you’re in the US): [Polling place locator](https://www.vote.org/polling-place-locator/) - Network accessline 57
2. **Watch**: Line Rider - Waltz No. 2 (via [The Viewer](https://theviewer.is/nostalgia-idiom-space-monster-line/)) - Network accessline 59
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UI01jKiVRY) - Network accessline 61
3. **Read**: [Falling in love with problems](https://stationhq.com/blog/falling-in-love-with-problems) by Julien Berthomier - Network accessline 65
[Refer a friend, give them a free month](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/account/referrals)
references/02-newsletters/marketplace-city-expansion-strategy.md
- Network accessline 32
*A HUGE thank-you to these wonderful people who so generously shared their insights with us: [Casey Winters](https://caseyaccidental.com/) (Grubhub), [Kevin Tan](https://www.kevintan.me/) (Snackpass), [Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/i - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 98
And even more-so with newer marketplaces like [Jokr](https://www.jokr.com/), which from what I understand launched in three markets immediately. - Network accessline 106
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Again, a HUGE thank-you to [Casey Winters](https://caseyaccidental.com/), [Kevin Tan](https://www.kevintan.me/), [Max Mullen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxmullen), [Mike Xenakis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/xenakismike), [Matt Bendett](ht - Network accessline 266
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/marketplace-city-expansion/comments) - Network accessline 272
1. **CloudTrucks:** [Product Manager-Console (Workflows & Automations)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/68d092da-db3a-4f25-8b95-2072342c18fe) (SF) - Network accessline 273
2. **Fairchain:** [Software Engineer, Full Stack](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f2963b88-7eaf-4b4d-9788-4b58f5c6b785) (NYC) - Network accessline 274
3. **HomeLight:** [Senior Product Manager, Listing Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/48c02f5e-e681-4b83-9012-fb08ae2c1e52) (SF, Phoenix, Seattle) - Network accessline 275
4. **Perfect Recall:** [Founding Fullstack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/7ac1bf05-0aa6-436e-8546-6e14c5222f7e) (Waterloo) - Network accessline 276
5. **Spatial:** [Backend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/9424b997-d1e3-4eb1-8b0a-e9f1cc622fb5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 277
6. **Maven:**[Product Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/de48b7e9-782d-4c3e-a354-6abd66fb7d0d) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 278
7. **Republic:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/da2ec715-1731-4709-9194-e4c630709ab1) (NYC, Remote-US) - Network accessline 279
8. **Snackpass:** [Product Manager, Payments](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/e3813aa9-51f9-405d-ab6b-b6e3338c4397) (SF, NYC, LA, Remote) - Network accessline 281
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 285
1. **Read:** [The Return to Workplace Index](https://envoy.com/content/return-to-workplace-index/) by Envoy - Network accessline 287
 - Network accessline 289
2. **Read:** [The Growing Specialization of Product Management](https://www.reforge.com/blog/product-specializations) by Adam Fishman - Network accessline 290
3. **Read:** [How to Achieve Sustainable Remote Work](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/how-to-achieve-sustainable-remote-work) by Cal Newport - Network accessline 294
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/meet-your-lennys-newsletter-fellows.md
- Network accessline 10
When I announced [the launch of my fellowship program](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1777829703799418964) three months ago, I had no clue how this idea would land—much less how popular it would turn out to be. The caliber of applicants and - Network accessline 12
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**I’m excited to share the inaugural Lenny’s Newsletter Fellows: [Tara Seshan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tarstarr/), [Natalie Rothfels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nrothfels/), and [Jules Walter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswalter/). - Network accessline 18
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**Tara Seshan** has spent the past 10 years building software to solve hard problems in health care, finance, and climate. She spent two years as Head of Product at Watershed, seven years as an early PM and Business Lead at Stripe, and foun - Network accessline 22
**Natalie Rothfels** is an executive coach working with co-founders and leadership teams to strengthen their relationships and build less toxic organizations. After a decade of building ed-tech products at Khan Academy and Quizlet, she felt - Network accessline 24
**Jules Walter** is a product leader at Google working on Gemini. Previously he was at YouTube, where he launched Primetime Channels with more than 40 streaming packages, such as NFL Sunday Ticket. Prior to Google, Jules spent four years as - Network accessline 28
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/meet-your-lennys-newsletter-fellows/comments)
references/02-newsletters/mission--vision--strategy--goals--roadmap--task.md
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[I’ve written about getting better at strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy), and, to boil it down, a strategy is essentially a short description of your plan, with 3 to 5 concrete investments that, - Network accessline 63
1. **Tesla:** Build a high-priced sports car → Use that revenue to build an affordable car → Use that revenue to build an even more affordable car → While doing so, also provide zero-emission electric power 2. **Uber:** Launch Uber Black → - Network accessline 65
3. **[Substack](https://on.substack.com/p/one-million-strong):** Build powerful publishing tools for writers → Help writers become better writers through value-add services → Grow their audience through network effects - Network accessline 69
1. **[GitLab](https://about.gitlab.com/company/strategy/)**: Notice the clear mission, vision, and three-part strategy. - Network accessline 70
2. **[Salesforce](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2013/04/how-to-create-alignment-within-your-company.html)**: Simple, but tells you exactly what needs to be done. - Network accessline 71
3. **[Yahoo’s “peanut butter” memo](https://sriramk.com/memos/garlinghouse-peanut-butter.pdf):** Notice how clearly this identifies the problem, and includes a three-part strategy. (Also, it’s obviously memorable since it’s now known as the - Network accessline 72
4. **[Tesla](https://www.tesla.com/blog/master-plan-part-deux)**: Notice the narrative style, the detailed identification of the problems, and the very simple, ambitious yet clear four-step strategy at the end. - Network accessline 74
[Teresa Torres’s opportunity solution tree](https://www.producttalk.org/opportunity-solution-tree/) framework is a great way to think through, and communicate, your strategy: - Network accessline 76
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[Here’s my advice on setting goals](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/403468/how-to-set-goals) and on [choosing your North Star metric](https://future.com/north-star-metrics/). - Network accessline 92
And finally, once you have your goals, you can align around and prioritize a **roadmap**. [Here’s a template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zlx3RuidNOW40Zf7gh07p2SqoR53Ungv9JFT-PhHwxI/edit#gid=184965050) you can use. - Network accessline 94
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P.S. If you haven’t seen the movie, [it’s on Netflix](https://www.netflix.com/title/60021783). - Network accessline 146
1. [Getting better at product strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) - Network accessline 147
2. [Prioritizing](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing) - Network accessline 148
3. [Setting goals](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/415982/how-to-set-goals) - Network accessline 149
4. [My favorite product management templates](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37) - Network accessline 155
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 157
 - Network accessline 161
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 165
1. **Read:** [50 ways to be ridiculously generous—and feel ridiculously good](https://www.youcangetitdone.com/post/50-ways) - Network accessline 166
2. **Read:** [Stay in the Game](https://www.albertbridgecapital.com/post/stay-in-the-game) - Network accessline 167
3. **Read:** [Rules for SaaS Pricing](https://earlygtm.substack.com/p/rules-for-saas-pricing)
references/02-newsletters/moving-from-ic-product-manager-to-manager-of-product-managers.md
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[](https://unsplash.com/ph - Network accessline 125
1. [Craft a winning strategy](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) and get buy-in from leaders - Network accessline 126
2. [Align around ambitious and clear goals](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/setting-goals-issue-23), and hit them - Network accessline 139
[I asked on Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1312817763774128128) what new PM managers wished they knew when they moved into management. Here are the top five most common pieces of advice: - Network accessline 153
1. [Crossing the Canyon: Product Manager to Product Leader](https://www.reforge.com/blog/crossing-the-canyon-product-manager-to-product-leader) by Fareed Mosavat & Casey Winters - Network accessline 154
2. [Applying Leverage as a Product Manager](https://blackboxofpm.com/applying-leverage-as-a-product-manager-ffad4a99db24) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 157
1. [The Making of a Manager](https://www.amazon.com/Making-Manager-What-Everyone-Looks/dp/0735219567/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3EQRJFF2WFOAY&dchild=1&keywords=making+of+a+manager&qid=1601843586&s=books&sprefix=making+of+a+manager%2Cstripbooks%2C225&s - Network accessline 158
2. [Quiet Leadership](https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Leadership-Steps-Transforming-Performance/dp/0060835915/ref=sr_1_2?crid=373XOZP4JJ4YR&dchild=1&keywords=quiet+leadership+by+david+rock&qid=1601843612&s=books&sprefix=quiet+lead%2Cstripbooks - Network accessline 159
3. [Radical Candor](https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kim-Scott/dp/B01KTIEFEE) by Kim Scott - Network accessline 160
4. [Drive](https://www.amazon.com/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates-ebook/dp/B004P1JDJO/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1ILQNR7RB1FFY&dchild=1&keywords=drive+daniel+pink&qid=1601843740&s=digital-text&sprefix=drive+dan%2Cdigital-text%2C214&sr=1-1) by D - Network accessline 161
5. [High Output Management](https://www.amazon.com/High-Output-Management-Andrew-Grove/dp/0679762884) by Andy Grove - Network accessline 167
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4124465003), [ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever.co/hipcamp/d04821c3-fb9a-4d3f-9a7a-1b75deacc09f), [Product Hun - Network accessline 168
2. **Growth**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Shef](https://angel.co/company/shef-1/jobs/8832 - Network accessline 169
3. **Design**: [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8hL-FyCrmAes/edit), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product-Des - Network accessline 170
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 171
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/ca - Network accessline 172
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) - Network accessline 173
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4473700002), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [Iggy](htt - Network accessline 174
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Vori](https://www.n - Network accessline 178
3. **Read**: [The GEM Model](https://medium.com/@gibsonbiddle/9-the-gem-model-65c89face5de) by Gibson Biddle
references/02-newsletters/my-all-time-favorite-reads-on-product-growth-leadership-writing-investing-and-mu.md
- Network accessline 14
Access to [this collection](https://coda.io/@lennysan/lennys-newsletter-community-resources) has been a perk of your paid subscription, but many of you didn’t know it existed, aren’t sure how to find it, and honestly, it’s gotten a bit stal - Network accessline 26
I’m certain I’ve missed many great pieces of content. You can [nominate](https://coda.io/form/Nominate-a-resource_dzwJdExoJuW) your favorite posts to be added or just reply and share it with me—seriously, please do that 🙏. You can also [vis - Network accessline 34
 - Network accessline 40
1. [Startup = growth](https://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html) by Paul Graham - Network accessline 41
2. [Growth wins](https://www.reforge.com/blog/growth-wins) by Casey Winters, Brian Balfour, and Kevin Kwok - Network accessline 42
3. [Growth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_yHZ_vKjno) by Alex Schultz - Network accessline 43
4. [Growing a startup](https://www.julian.com/guide/growth/intro) by Julian Shapiro - Network accessline 47
1. [Growth loops are the new funnels](https://www.reforge.com/blog/growth-loops) by Brian Balfour - Network accessline 48
2. [Four fits for $100m+ growth](https://brianbalfour.com/four-fits-growth-framework) by Brian Balfour - Network accessline 49
3. [Distribution](https://a16z.com/2017/06/09/distribution-model-sales-channels/) by Ben Horowitz - Network accessline 50
4. [The power user curve](https://andrewchen.com/power-user-curve/) by Andrew Chen - Network accessline 51
5. [The racecar growth framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) by Dan Hockenmaier and myself - Network accessline 52
6. [Drive growth by picking the right lane](https://review.firstround.com/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playbook-for-consumer-startups) by Dan Hockenmaier and myself - Network accessline 56
1. [Founding sales](https://www.foundingsales.com/) by Pete Kazanjy - Network accessline 57
2. [Fear of sales](https://blog.eladgil.com/2019/10/fear-of-sales.html) by Elad Gil - Network accessline 58
3. [The “$20M to $500m” question: Adding top down sales](https://a16z.com/2020/12/03/adding-top-down-sales-bottom-up-enterprise-startup/) by a16z - Network accessline 59
4. [B2B SaaS marketing guide](https://www.kracov.co/writing/b2b-saas-marketing-guide) by Alex Kracov - Network accessline 60
5. [How I’ve approached founder-led sales](https://www.kracov.co/writing/founder-sales) by Alex Kracov - Network accessline 61
6. [The greatest sales pitch I’ve seen all year](https://medium.com/the-mission/the-best-sales-pitch-ive-seen-all-year-7fa92afaa248) by Andy Raskin - Network accessline 62
7. [Simple math to set up a sales team](https://sacks.substack.com/p/simple-math-to-set-up-a-sales-team) by David Sacks - Network accessline 63
8. [Positioning your startup is vital—here’s how to nail it](https://review.firstround.com/Positioning-Your-Startup-is-Vital-Heres-How-to-Do-It-Right) by Arielle Jackson - Network accessline 64
9. [Positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning) by April Dunford - Network accessline 68
1. [The modern GTM](https://www.field-guide.unusual.vc/chapters-enterprise/the-modern-go-to-market) by Unusual Ventures - Network accessline 69
2. [GTM nirvana](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YoaOOX6a2SR7exE4roSg1AxYOxFykCEUS6roYyUtydU/edit) by Caroline Clark - Network accessline 70
3. [The market curve](https://medium.com/sequoia-capital/the-market-curve-44097b626f6d) by Mike Vernal - Network accessline 71
4. [This GTM-leader-turned-investor crowdsources early lessons from Stripe, Figma & more](https://review.firstround.com/this-gtm-leader-turned-investor-crowdsources-early-lessons-from-stripe-figma-and-more#lesson-3-beware-of-abandoning-foun - Network accessline 75
1. [Introduction to PLG (product-led growth)](https://www.field-guide.unusual.vc/field-guide-enterprise/introduction-to-plg-product-led-growth) by Sandhya Hegde - Network accessline 76
2. [Picking a GTM motion](https://www.field-guide.unusual.vc/field-guide-enterprise/picking-a-gtm-motion) by John Vrionis - Network accessline 77
3. [How David Sacks built the first bottom-up playbook for enterprise](https://wfh.substack.com/p/how-david-sacks-built-the-first-bottom) by Bri Kimmel - Network accessline 78
4. [The Transition: Layering sales onto a bottom-up self-serve product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sales-bottom-up) by Pete Kazanjy - Network accessline 79
5. [Growth + sales: The new era of enterprise go-to-market](https://a16z.com/2020/07/29/growthsales-the-new-era-of-enterprise-go-to-market/) by Peter Lauten and Martin Casado - Network accessline 80
6. [How to know if you’re interviewing at a product-led company](https://andrewskotzko.com/how-to-know-if-youre-interviewing-at-a-product-led-company/) by Andrew Skotzko - Network accessline 81
7. [Product-led growth lessons from Atlassian](https://mattryall.net/blog/product-led-growth) by Matt Ryall - Network accessline 82
8. [The product-led-growth (PLG) playbook for B2B startups](https://blog.stage2.capital/the-product-led-growth-plg-playbook-for-b2b-startups) by Mark Roberge - Network accessline 86
1. [Winning at SEO](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/crafting-an-seo-strategy-issue-34) by Brian Ta - Network accessline 87
2. [The SEO strategy Zapier used to reach $140M ARR](https://ryanberg.co/how-zapier-reached-35m-arr-with-this-saas-seo-strategy/) by Ryan Berg - Network accessline 88
3. [How MasterClass built an $800M edtech empire in just 5 years](https://foundationinc.co/lab/masterclass-empire/) - Network accessline 89
4. [The Canva backlink empire: How SEO, outreach & content led to a $6B valuation](https://foundationinc.co/lab/canva-seo) - Network accessline 90
5. [How we grew our SaaS blog traffic to 30k monthly visits in 6 months](https://www.openphone.co/blog/how-we-grew-our-saas-blog-traffic-to-30k-monthly-visits-in-6-months/) - Network accessline 91
6. [Content-driven growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/content-driven-growth-strategy) (by me) - Network accessline 95
1. [The hierarchy of marketplaces](https://sarahtavel.medium.com/the-hierarchy-of-marketplaces-introduction-and-level-1-983995aa218e) by Sarah Tavel - Network accessline 96
2. [Four paths to marketplace success](https://a16z.com/2020/02/20/marketplace-engagement/) by D’Arcy Coolican - Network accessline 97
3. [Underutilized fixed assets](https://kwokchain.com/2020/01/23/underutilized-fixed-assets/) by Kevin Kwok - Network accessline 98
4. [Marketplace supply strategy](https://a16z.com/2021/03/31/marketplace-supply-strategy/) by Casey Winters and Anne Lewandowski - Network accessline 99
5. [“White space” for building a marketplace](https://sarahtavel.medium.com/white-space-for-building-a-marketplace-how-to-find-your-competitions-vulnerabilities-and-79674aa4d399) by Sarah Tavel - Network accessline 100
6. [Sequencing business models: The types of marketplaces](https://caseyaccidental.com/marketplace-types) by Casey Winters - Network accessline 101
7. [The a16z Marketplace 100: 2021](https://a16z.com/marketplace-100/) by D’Arcy Coolican and Brandon Barros - Network accessline 102
8. [Operating leverage](https://www.firehose.vc/p/firehose-194-operating-leverage-) by Alex Taussig - Network accessline 103
9. [How to kickstart and scale a marketplace business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) (by me) - Network accessline 107
1. [How to hire a head of growth](https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/casey-winters/) by Casey Winters and Harry Stebbings - Network accessline 108
2. [Building growth: product, process, and team](https://www.reforge.com/blog/growth-system) by Brian Balfour, Casey Winters, and Kevin Kwok - Network accessline 109
3. [I’ve built multiple growth teams. Here’s why I won’t do it again](https://cxl.com/blog/dont-build-growth-teams/) by Lars Lofgren - Network accessline 115
1. [Startup advice](https://blog.samaltman.com/startup-advice) by Sam Altman - Network accessline 116
2. [The hardest lessons for startups to learn](https://www.paulgraham.com/startuplessons.html) by Paul Graham - Network accessline 117
3. [Building product](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C27RVio2rOs) by Michael Seibel - Network accessline 118
4. [The cadence: How to operate a SaaS startu](https://medium.com/craft-ventures/the-cadence-how-to-operate-a-saas-startup-436aa8099e8)p by David Sacks - Network accessline 119
5. [Choosing your north star metric](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/) (by me) - Network accessline 123
1. [On presentations](https://www.beautiful.ai/player/-LiSV45O9K1sE8uv5oMj/On-Presentations) by Siqi Chen - Network accessline 124
2. [Advice on pitching](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/3b-advice-on-pitching) by Aaron Harris (YC) - Network accessline 125
3. [All the public startup pitch decks in one place](https://medium.com/startup-grind/all-the-public-startup-pitch-decks-in-one-place-7d3ddff33bdc) by Andy Sparks - Network accessline 126
4. [A playbook for fundraising](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-playbook-for-fundraising) by Marc McCabe - Network accessline 127
5. [The unusual guide for raising seed and Series A capital](https://www.field-guide.unusual.vc/field-guide-enterprise/fundraising-milestones-valuations) by John Vrionis - Network accessline 128
6. [Writing a business plan](https://www.sequoiacap.com/article/writing-a-business-plan/#) by Sequoia - Network accessline 129
7. [A guide to seed fundraising](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/4A-a-guide-to-seed-fundraising) by Geoff Ralston (YC) - Network accessline 130
8. [How to run an investment process](https://schlaf.me/ondeck/) by Steve Schlafman - Network accessline 131
9. [Market sizing guide](https://blog.pear.vc/2021/08/03/marketsizing/) by Pear VC - Network accessline 132
10. [Let’s talk Series Bs](https://mrallenmiller.medium.com/lets-talk-series-bs-9733cc2eebf1) by Allen Miller - Network accessline 136
1. [Do you have product market fit?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpnYFG1-rdk) by Casey Winters - Network accessline 137
2. [Andy Rachleff on “How to know if you’ve got product market fit”](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/andy-rachleff-on-how-to-know-if-youve-got-product-market-fit/id1488560647?i=1000458416917) - Network accessline 138
3. [How to know if you’ve got product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) (by me) - Network accessline 139
4. [What it feels like when you've found product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-it-feels-like-when-youve-found) (by me) - Network accessline 140
5. [How long it takes to find product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-to-product-market-fit) (by me) - Network accessline 141
6. [What is good retention?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) (by me) - Network accessline 145
1. [Pricing your SaaS product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saas-pricing-strategy) by Patrick Campbell - Network accessline 146
2. [Bottom up pricing & packaging: Let the user journey be your guide](https://a16z.com/2021/03/11/bottom-up-pricing-packaging-let-the-user-journey-be-your-guide/) by Jennifer Li and Martin Casado - Network accessline 147
3. [Per seat or per use pricing: A framework for evaluating the right strategy for your startup](https://tomtunguz.com/seat-vs-usage-based-pricing/) by Tomasz Tunguz - Network accessline 148
4. [Pricing lessons from working with 30+ seed and Series A B2B startups](https://review.firstround.com/pricing-lessons-from-working-with-30-seed-and-series-a-b2b-startups) by Tyler Gaffney - Network accessline 152
1. [The burn multiple](https://sacks.substack.com/p/the-burn-multiple-51a7e43cb200) by David Sacks - Network accessline 153
2. [Cash conversion cycle: Bridging the gap between profitability & cash flow](https://every.to/napkin-math/cash-conversion-cycle-bridging-the-18577406) by Adam Keesling - Network accessline 154
3. [Benchmarks of option plans](https://www.indexventures.com/optionplan/#expected_funding_rounds_pre_exit=series-b-and-c&employee_country=us&mode=seed) by Index Ventures - Network accessline 158
1. [Investing in your co-founder relationship to weather the storm](https://schlaf.me/cofounder/) by Steve Schlafman - Network accessline 159
2. [The founder dating playbook: Here’s the process I used to find my co-founder](https://review.firstround.com/the-founder-dating-playbook-heres-the-process-i-used-to-find-my-co-founder) by Gloria Lin - Network accessline 160
3. [Healing your co-founder relationship](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saving-your-co-founder-relationship) by Carole Robin - Network accessline 164
1. [GitLab’s guide to all-remote](https://about.gitlab.com/company/culture/all-remote/guide/) - Network accessline 165
2. [Zapier’s guide to working remotely](https://zapier.com/learn/remote-work/) - Network accessline 169
1. [How to write usefully](https://www.paulgraham.com/useful.html) by Paul Graham - Network accessline 170
2. [On Writing Well](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0090RVGW0/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) by William Zinsser - Network accessline 171
3. [The day you became a better writer](https://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/06/the_day_you_bec.html) by Scott Adams - Network accessline 172
4. [Why you should write](https://perell.com/essay/why-you-should-write/) by David Perell - Network accessline 173
5. [Writing well](https://www.julian.com/guide/write/intro) by Julian Shapiro - Network accessline 174
6. [Write for one person](https://perell.com/note/write-for-yourself/) by David Perell - Network accessline 175
7. [On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft](https://www.amazon.com/Writing-10th-Anniversary-Memoir-Craft/dp/1439156816) Stephen King - Network accessline 179
1. [How to angel invest](https://nav.al/angel-1) by Naval - Network accessline 180
2. [How to be an angel investor](https://www.paulgraham.com/angelinvesting.html) by Paul Graham - Network accessline 181
3. [Investing in public: Non-obvious lessons from 100+ angel investments](https://sacerdoti.medium.com/investing-in-public-non-obvious-lessons-from-100-angel-investments-a5951985593e) by Tod Sacerdoti - Network accessline 182
4. [Spearhead blog](https://spearhead.co/blog) by Naval and Nivi - Network accessline 183
5. [Angel](https://www.amazon.com/Angel-Invest-Technology-Startups-Timeless-Investor/dp/0062560700) by Jason Calacanis - Network accessline 189
1. [10 traits of great PMs](https://medium.com/@noah_weiss/10-traits-of-great-pms-a7776cd3d9cd) by Noah Weiss - Network accessline 190
2. [Building products](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/building-products-91aa93bea4bb) by Julie Zhuo - Network accessline 191
3. [Product management mental models for everyone](https://blackboxofpm.com/product-management-mental-models-for-everyone-31e7828cb50b) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 192
4. [3 types of product managers: Builders, tuners, innovators](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/3-types-of-product-managers-builders-tuners-innovators) by Sachin Rekhi - Network accessline 193
5. [What makes a strong product culture?](https://newsletter.bringthedonuts.com/p/what-makes-a-strong-product-culture) by Ken Norton - Network accessline 194
6. [Good product team/bad product team](https://svpg.com/good-product-team-bad-product-team/) by Marty Cagan - Network accessline 195
7. [Executive engagement](https://svpg.com/executive-engagement/) by Marty Cagan - Network accessline 196
8. [Observations on product management](https://hackernoon.com/observations-on-product-management-3abc7e00148e) by Dan Hill - Network accessline 197
9. [What distinguishes the top 1% of product managers from the top 10%?](https://www.quora.com/What-distinguishes-the-Top-1-of-product-managers-from-the-Top-10/answer/Ian-McAllister?srid=3wR&st=ns) by Ian McAllister - Network accessline 201
1. [My favorite product management templates](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37) (by me) - Network accessline 202
2. [Growth experiment write-up template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aPAOEvYbT9gsSUUtucANjcKQf1J5CqMwLgbMhuAiQxY/edit) by David Ly Khim - Network accessline 203
3. [180+ OKR and goal examples](https://hypercontext.com/goal-examples) - Network accessline 207
1. [Communication is the job](https://boz.com/articles/communication-is-the-job) by Boz - Network accessline 208
2. [The growing specialization of product management](https://www.reforge.com/blog/product-specializations) by Adam Fishman and Keya Patel - Network accessline 209
3. [How to become a peak product manager](https://www.ravi-mehta.com/product-manager-skills/) by Ravi Mehta - Network accessline 210
4. [Dropbox VP, product and growth Adam Nash on great product leaders](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24F8WlyMR00) - Network accessline 211
5. [How am I going to move my product forward today?](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/how-am-i-going-to-move-my-product-forward-today) by Sachin Rekhi - Network accessline 212
6. [A leader’s guide to implementing OKRs](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/a-leaders-guide-to-implementing-okrs) by Sachin Rekhi - Network accessline 213
7. [Time management: Tips for product managers](https://medium.com/@johnpcutler/time-management-tips-for-product-managers-925e4ac5efa9) by John Cutler - Network accessline 214
8. [Product management career ladders](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager) (by me) - Network accessline 215
9. [A comprehensive survey of product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-survey) (by me) - Network accessline 219
1. [How to get into product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-into-product-management) (by me) - Network accessline 220
2. [Breaking into PMing](https://twitter.com/sriramk/status/1249860579994435585) by Sriram Krishnan - Network accessline 221
3. [How to break into product management](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/podcast-how-to-break-into-product-management) by Sachin Rekhi - Network accessline 225
1. [Good Strategy Bad Strategy](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004J4WKEC/) by Richard Rumelt - Network accessline 226
2. [WTF is strategy?](https://hackernoon.com/wtf-is-a-strategy-bcaa3fda9a31) by Vince Law - Network accessline 227
3. [Applying leverage as a product manager](https://blackboxofpm.com/applying-leverage-as-a-product-manager-ffad4a99db24) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 228
4. [How to become a strategic leader](https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-to-become-a-strategic-leader/) by Julie Zhuo - Network accessline 229
5. [How to define your product strategy](https://gibsonbiddle.medium.com/intro-to-product-strategy-60bdf72b17e3) by Gibson Biddle - Network accessline 230
6. [Mission, strategy, and tactics](https://boz.com/articles/strategy-tactics) by Boz - Network accessline 231
7. [Working backwards](https://www.quora.com/What-is-Amazons-approach-to-product-development-and-product-management) by Ian McAllister - Network accessline 232
8. [Getting better at product strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) (by me) - Network accessline 236
1. [The Magic of Thinking Big](https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Thinking-Big-David-Schwartz-ebook/dp/B00NGZIR92/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) by David Joseph Schwartz - Network accessline 237
2. [How to build a breakthrough](https://medium.com/@m2jr/how-to-build-a-breakthrough-3071b6415b06) by Mike Maples, Jr. - Network accessline 238
3. [A founder’s guide to coming up with vision and strategy](https://laurabehrenswu.com/2019/02/14/a-founders-guide-to-coming-up-with-a-strategy/) by Laura Behrens Wu - Network accessline 242
1. [Product development cycle fundamentals](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/4e-product-development-cycle-fundamentals) by Michael Seibel - Network accessline 243
2. [Making good decisions as a product manager](https://blackboxofpm.com/making-good-decisions-as-a-product-manager-c66ddacc9e2b) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 244
3. [Your job is not to make every possible customer happy](https://thinkgrowth.org/your-job-is-not-to-make-every-possible-customer-happy-f59a59595af) by Steve Blank - Network accessline 245
4. [How am I going to move my product forward today?](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/how-am-i-going-to-move-my-product-forward-today) by Sachin Rekhi - Network accessline 246
5. [Measure What Matters](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078FZ9SYB/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) by John Doerr - Network accessline 247
6. [Miro’s product alignment approach](https://blog.farbodsaraf.com/p/miros-product-alignment-approach) by Farbod Saraf - Network accessline 248
7. [The agony and ecstasy of building with data](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/the-agony-and-ecstasy-of-building-with-data-56215764d67c) by Julie Zhuo - Network accessline 249
8. [Deadlines](https://blackboxofpm.com/deadlines-d6925e5c694f) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 250
9. [A three-step framework for solving problems](https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-solve-problems-6bf14222e424) (by me) - Network accessline 251
10. [Prioritizing](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing) (by me) - Network accessline 255
1. [Executive communication](https://www.heavybit.com/library/video/executive-communication/) by Michael Dearing - Network accessline 256
2. [How to write email with military precision](https://hbr.org/2016/11/how-to-write-email-with-military-precision) by Kabir Sehgal (HBR) - Network accessline 257
3. [The Minto pyramid principle and the SCR Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) (by me) - Network accessline 261
1. [How to identify good design in 6 steps](https://medium.muz.li/how-to-identify-good-design-in-6-steps-e35da387b7c9) by José Torre - Network accessline 262
2. [10 exercises to train product thinking](https://blog.standuply.com/10-exercises-to-train-product-thinking-cda9882327b7) by Alex Kistenev - Network accessline 263
3. [How to work with designers](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/how-to-work-with-designers-6c975dede146) by Julie Zhuo - Network accessline 264
4. [Training your product intuition](https://merci.medium.com/training-your-product-intuition-276a7f8965b6) by Merci Victoria Grace - Network accessline 265
5. [UX Tools](https://uxtools.co/blog/) - Network accessline 269
1. [Discovery: Learning vs. insights](https://svpg.com/discovery-learning-vs-insights/) by Marty Cagan - Network accessline 270
2. [The ladder of evidence: Get more value from your customer interviews and product experiments](https://www.producttalk.org/2017/03/ladder-of-evidence/) by Teresa Torres - Network accessline 271
3. [Why you only need to test with 5 users](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users/) by Jakob Nielsen - Network accessline 275
1. [How to hire a product manager](https://www.bringthedonuts.com/essays/productmanager.html) by Ken Norton - Network accessline 276
2. [Cracking the PM Interview](https://www.amazon.com/Cracking-PM-Interview-Product-Technology-ebook-dp-B00ISYMUR6/dp/B00ISYMUR6/ref=mt_other?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1604518122) by Jackie Bavaro and Gayle Laakmann McDowell - Network accessline 277
3. [Interview tips for senior PMs](https://jackiebo.medium.com/interview-tips-for-senior-pms-2424f7b7c967) by Jackie Bavaro - Network accessline 278
4. [Product manager interview: Create a product roadmap](https://productmanagerhq.com/product-manager-interview-create-a-product-roadmap/) by Clement Kao - Network accessline 279
5. [Our 6 must reads if you’re hiring a product manager](https://review.firstround.com/our-6-must-reads-if-youre-hiring-a-product-manager) by First Round Capital - Network accessline 280
6. [Stage of company, not name of company](https://theskip.substack.com/p/stage-of-company-not-name-of-company) by Nikhyl Singhal - Network accessline 284
1. [The Manager’s Handbook](https://themanagershandbook.com/) by Alex MacCaw - Network accessline 285
2. [The Making of a Manager](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079WNPRL2/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) by Julie Zhuo - Network accessline 286
3. [Be a great product leader](https://adamnash.blog/2011/12/16/be-a-great-product-leader/) by Adam Nash - Network accessline 287
4. [The job of leadership is to foster alignment and enthusiasm toward the right goal](https://ev.medium.com/the-job-of-leadership-757e4bc3e539) by Ev Williams - Network accessline 288
5. [How to craft your product team at every stage, from pre-product/market fit to hypergrowth](https://review.firstround.com/how-to-craft-your-product-team-at-every-stage-from-pre-product-market-fit-to-hypergrowth) by Nikhyl Singhal - Network accessline 289
6. [Managing and developing product managers](https://blackboxofpm.com/managing-and-developing-product-managers-2f9a3963fab6) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 290
7. [Crossing the canyon: Product manager to product leader](https://www.reforge.com/blog/crossing-the-canyon-product-manager-to-product-leader) by Fareed Mosavat and Casey Winters - Network accessline 294
1. [The Five Dysfunctions of a Team](https://www.amazon.com/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Fable/dp/0787960756/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&qid=1633218032&s=books&sr=1-3&text=Patrick+Lencioni) by Patrick Lencioni - Network accessline 295
2. [Difficult Conversations](https://www.amazon.com/Difficult-Conversations-Discuss-What-Matters/dp/0143118447/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3UHZA5822BT7I&dchild=1&keywords=difficult+conversations&qid=1633218077&s=books&sprefix=diffi%2Cstripbooks%2C381&s - Network accessline 296
3. [Quiet Leadership](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000XUBC04/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1) by David Rock - Network accessline 297
4. [INSPIRED](https://www.amazon.com/INSPIRED-Create-Tech-Products-Customers-ebook/dp/B077NRB36N/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1604518136&sr=8-1) by Marty Cagan - Network accessline 298
5. [Measure What Matters](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078FZ9SYB/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) by John Doerr - Network accessline 299
6. [High Output Management](https://www.amazon.com/High-Output-Management-Andrew-Grove-ebook/dp/B015VACHOK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1604518093&sr=8-1) by Andy Grove - Network accessline 300
7. [Good Strategy Bad Strategy](https://www.amazon.com/Good-Strategy-Bad-Difference-Matters/dp/0307886239/ref=sr_1_2?crid=6Y4216VBY4SS&dchild=1&keywords=good+strategy+bad+strategy&qid=1604518099&sprefix=good+stra%2Caps%2C221&sr=8-2) by Rich - Network accessline 301
8. [Radical Candor](https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Revised-Kick-Ass-Humanity/dp/1250235375/ref=sr_1_3?crid=166R5M9J274R&dchild=1&keywords=radical+candor&qid=1604518107&sprefix=radical+cando%2Caps%2C220&sr=8-3) by Kim Scott - Network accessline 302
9. [Don't Make Me Think, Revisited](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HJUBRPG/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0) by Steve Krug - Network accessline 303
10. [The Mom Test](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H4G2J1U/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_JQhTFb87JRW2A) by Rob Fitzpatrick - Network accessline 304
11. [The Design of Everyday Things](https://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Revised-Expanded/dp/0465050654/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2295ECMZR7NCW&dchild=1&keywords=the+design+of+everyday+things&qid=1604518114&sprefix=the+design+of%2Caps%2C219& - Network accessline 305
12. [The Lean Startup](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0307887898/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0307887898&linkCode=as2&tag=bdickason-20&linkId=81b071dc5c7a3de02e958da0b043dbeb) by Eric Ries - Network accessline 309
1. [The Great CEO Within](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZJZbv4J6FZ8Dnb0JuMhJxTnwl-dwqx5xl0s65DE3wO8/mobilebasic) by Matt Mochary - Network accessline 310
2. [Etsy lessons](https://larahogan.me/blog/etsy-lessons/) by Lara Hogan - Network accessline 311
3. [To show recognition, try speaking a different language](https://medium.com/@katiemdill/to-show-recognition-try-speaking-a-different-language-2f5b0682820c) by Katie Dill - Network accessline 312
4. [The best approach to the worst conversation: “You’re fired](https://review.firstround.com/The-Best-Approach-to-the-Worst-Conversation)” by Michael Lopp - Network accessline 313
5. [Shishir’s tips for executive onboarding](https://coda.io/@shishir/executive-onboarding) by Shishir Mehrotra - Network accessline 314
6. [Exec 101: First 30 days](https://sriramk.com/exec-101-first-thirty-days) by Sriram Krishnan - Network accessline 315
7. [A career cold start algorithm](https://boz.com/articles/career-cold-start) by Boz - Network accessline 316
8. [Say no](https://growth.eladgil.com/book/the-role-of-the-ceo/role-of-the-ceo-managing-yourself/#say-no) by Elad Gil - Network accessline 320
1. [Jobs to be done (JTBD)](https://jtbd.info/2-what-is-jobs-to-be-done-jtbd-796b82081cca) by Alan Klement - Network accessline 321
2. [DACI decision-making framework](https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/daci) - Network accessline 322
3. [Gokul’s S.P.A.D.E. Toolkit](https://coda.io/@gokulrajaram/gokuls-spade-toolkit) - Network accessline 323
4. [Product management frameworks](https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1399042778613485578) by Shreyas Doshi - Network accessline 324
5. [Frameworks v0.2](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-UiEeoiV0xBFVZgid63FRaph03OCmHzyEExubn63j0U/preview?pru=AAABd3tL7t4%2AnXt0OF-ZzdI8U_ZK8RlDbQ#heading=h.by5ehyjf5695) by Chris Paik - Network accessline 325
6. [Aggregation theory](https://stratechery.com/2015/aggregation-theory/) by Ben Thompson - Network accessline 326
7. [Status as a service](https://www.eugenewei.com/blog/2019/2/19/status-as-a-service) by Eugene Wei - Network accessline 328
[Visit the directory](https://coda.io/@lennysan/lennys-newsletter-community-resources) - Network accessline 330
*Anything missing? Please [nominate](https://coda.io/form/Nominate-a-resource_dzwJdExoJuW) anything else you’ve found useful. And have a fulfilling and productive week*🙏 - Network accessline 334
1. **Brace:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/f04ce367-5a1f-462e-a79d-725870b8eded) (NYC) - Network accessline 335
2. **Goldin Auctions:** [Director of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/9c678421-6315-445c-a735-9362904b5229) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 336
3. **Highlight:** [Founding Blockchain Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6db63ec8-0421-4e06-9908-0376f44c2f99) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 337
4. **Pinpoint:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/70b2de44-b90f-4d37-a146-948144a92873) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 338
5. **Aescape:** [Product Management Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/117d35d9-a9b3-49d0-82df-b27a6c074e0f) (Brooklyn, NY) - Network accessline 339
6. **Mynd:** [Senior Growth Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c4bde52c-d66e-4b42-96fb-2ba861f72e27) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 340
7. **Mynd:** [Product Lead, Internal Tools](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/b6da1eaa-5a2b-4ad4-92f9-5ac4b9f764e5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 341
8. **CHPTR:** [Founding Back-End Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c96f89cb-0288-4028-ae4d-f380567449de) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 342
9. **Permutive:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/1ff1e376-ab34-4138-ba4a-822475672a93) (NYC) - Network accessline 343
10. **CloudTrucks:** [Product Manager-Console](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/68d092da-db3a-4f25-8b95-2072342c18fe) (SF) - Network accessline 344
11. **Fairchain:** [Software Engineer, Full Stack](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f2963b88-7eaf-4b4d-9788-4b58f5c6b785) (NYC) - Network accessline 346
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 350
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/my-favorite-decision-making-frameworks.md
- Network accessline 18
1. **Prioritize trust:** If your team is asking you to use a decision-making framework on many decisions, it could be a sign they don’t super-trust your judgment. Before running every decision through a framework, dig into this potential is - Network accessline 19
2. **Save frameworks for big (one-way-door) decisions:** As[Gokul Rajaram](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gokulrajaram1/) put it, “[A decision-making] framework isn’t meant for every situation. It’s meant for hard decisions. Things that would - Network accessline 22
To help you evaluate these frameworks, and your decision-making process broadly, [Brian Armstrong](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barmstrong) came up with a great set of attributes to aim for: - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 26
Keep in mind as you work on your decision-making process, as Jeff Bezos [said](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL4OoKJyNrc) in his conversation with Lex Fridman, that “humans are social animals. Not truth-seeking animals. Important truths c - Network accessline 28
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JL4OoKJyNrc) - Network accessline 34
This popular framework, by [Gokul Rajaram](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gokulrajaram1/), finds a nice balance between structure and simplicity. It forces you to clarify the problem, identify roles, lay out timelines, and explore all possible - Network accessline 40
> A couple Square colleagues and I decided to come up with a new decision-making framework, an alternative to consensus built on accountability and clarity, where the person responsible for executing the decision would be the one who decide - Network accessline 42
> —[Gokul Rajaram](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gokulrajaram1/) - Network accessline 44
Here’s a [template](https://coda.io/@gokulrajaram/gokuls-spade-toolkit/s-p-a-d-e-template-2), [instructions](https://coda.io/@gokulrajaram/gokuls-spade-toolkit), and an [example](https://coda.io/@gokulrajaram/gokuls-spade-toolkit/ats-select - Network accessline 46
 - Network accessline 56
> A decision-making framework is only needed when there is lack of clarity about a decision that is higher-risk. Higher risk can mean that the decision has long-term implications or that it can be costly to unwind if the wrong decision is m - Network accessline 58
> —[Brian Armstrong](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barmstrong/) - Network accessline 60
Here’s a [template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xYCr46GeyeZ-JJMyxWRM0sb-1DI3lqNGwQ5iBxKCOqA/edit#gid=0), and [instructions](https://barmstrong.medium.com/how-we-make-decisions-at-coinbase-cd6c630322e9) for how to use it. This fr - Network accessline 62
 - Network accessline 66
This is a two-part meta-framework developed by [Shishir Mehrotra](https://twitter.com/shishirmehrotra) (CEO of Coda) that dozens of companies have integrated into their daily workflows. It’s especially good at making sure everyone’s voice i - Network accessline 68
> “I did some quick math, and in the past year I’ve used Dory/Pulse over a thousand times. It’s a simple yet impactful ritual for supercharging decisions by equalizing voices and removing groupthink in meetings. > > I decided to catalog the - Network accessline 69
> > I decided to catalog the many different ways I’ve seen teams use Dory/Pulse. As I polled teams, this list quickly grew from a handful of variations to 14. You can see the full set in my post [14 ways to Dory/Pulse](https://shishir.subst - Network accessline 70
> I decided to catalog the many different ways I’ve seen teams use Dory/Pulse. As I polled teams, this list quickly grew from a handful of variations to 14. You can see the full set in my post [14 ways to Dory/Pulse](https://shishir.substac - Network accessline 72
> In each case, a team was solving a slightly different problem and thus arrived at different solutions. For example: > > - **Teams scaling their company all-hands** were drawn to techniques like [Unbiased Dory](https://coda.io/@shishir/dor - Network accessline 73
> > - **Teams scaling their company all-hands** were drawn to techniques like [Unbiased Dory](https://coda.io/@shishir/dory-pulse/unbiased-dory-24) and [Anonymous Dory](https://coda.io/@shishir/dory-pulse/anonymous-dory-25) > - **Teams focu - Network accessline 74
> - **Teams scaling their company all-hands** were drawn to techniques like [Unbiased Dory](https://coda.io/@shishir/dory-pulse/unbiased-dory-24) and [Anonymous Dory](https://coda.io/@shishir/dory-pulse/anonymous-dory-25) - Network accessline 75
> - **Teams focused on product/design proposal reviews** invented [Sentence Starter Dory](https://coda.io/@shishir/dory-pulse/sentence-starter-dory-27) and [Pick an Option Pulse](https://coda.io/@shishir/dory-pulse/pick-an-option-pulse-21) - Network accessline 76
> - **Teams struggling with hard prioritization choices** landed on [$100 Voting Pulse](https://coda.io/@shishir/dory-pulse/100-voting-pulse-23) and [Ranked Choice Pulse](https://coda.io/@shishir/dory-pulse/ranked-choice-pulse-22) - Network accessline 77
> - **Teams challenged with moving beyond ‘majority rules’ consensus-driven decision-making** landed on [Role-centric Pulse](https://coda.io/@shishir/dory-pulse/role-centric-pulse-20) and [Conviction, Disagree, and Commit Pulse](https://cod - Network accessline 80
> Many teams mix and match these techniques, so feel free to take a read and select the best parts for your specific situation.” > > —[Shishir Mehrotra](https://twitter.com/shishirmehrotra) - Network accessline 82
> —[Shishir Mehrotra](https://twitter.com/shishirmehrotra) - Network accessline 84
Here are [templates](https://coda.io/@shishir/dory-pulse) and [instructions](https://shishir.substack.com/p/supercharging-decision-making-14). This framework is best used when you are looking to make decisions in real time (i.e. during a me - Network accessline 88
This framework was developed by [Bain & Company](https://www.bain.com/insights/rapid-decision-making/), and builds on the classic [RACI](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsibility_assignment_matrix) and [DACI](https://www.atlassian.com/te - Network accessline 90
> “Not every decision requires the level of effort and investment that goes into creating explicit RAPID roles. Successful adopters start by applying RAPID to high-value or high-frequency decisions. They create positive and visible impact o - Network accessline 92
Here’s a [template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZJZbv4J6FZ8Dnb0JuMhJxTnwl-dwqx5xl0s65DE3wO8/edit#heading=h.z5d90jym0qho), [instructions](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hPdWQjYfdK0SB2i3ViZ9XsMPjTYEi7Do1WI22ofmEdo/edit), and an [ - Network accessline 94
 - Network accessline 98
Finally, the most widely adopted decision-making framework in product is likely the Eisenhower Matrix, first developed by [Stephen Covey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Covey) and inspired by [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://en.wikiped - Network accessline 100
 - Network accessline 102
Here’s a [template](https://miro.com/templates/eisenhower-matrix/) and [instructions](https://jamesclear.com/eisenhower-box). And here’s a handy video walking you through it: - Network accessline 104
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tT89OZ7TNwc) - Network accessline 114
1. **[Eigenquestions](https://coda.io/@shishir/eigenquestions-the-art-of-framing-problems)** by[Shishir Mehrotra](https://twitter.com/shishirmehrotra) - Network accessline 115
2. **[One-way-door vs. two-way-door decisions](https://fs.blog/reversible-irreversible-decisions/)** (aka Type 1 vs. Type 2 decisions) by [Jeff Bezos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Bezos) - Network accessline 116
3. **[Cynefin Framework](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7oz366X0-8)** (pronounced ku-*nev*-in) by [Dave Snowden](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Snowden) - Network accessline 117
4. **[A Leader’s Guide to Deciding: What, When, and How to Decide](https://medium.learningbyshipping.com/a-leader-s-guide-to-deciding-what-when-and-how-to-decide-f6caf659fa7e)** by [Steven Sinofsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sinofsky/) - Network accessline 120
1. **[SWOT analysis](https://asana.com/resources/swot-analysis)** - Network accessline 121
2. **[McKinsey’s 7S Model](https://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/mckinsey-7s-model.asp)** - Network accessline 122
3. ***[Thinking in Bets](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Bets-Making-Smarter-Decisions/dp/0735216355)***by [Annie Duke](https://www.amazon.com/Thinking-Bets-Making-Smarter-Decisions/dp/0735216355) - Network accessline 123
4. **[The 10-10-10 decision-making technique](https://www.reddit.com/r/LifeProTips/comments/13tuoo8/lpt_use_the_101010_rule_to_make_better_decisions/)** by [Suzy Welch](https://www.amazon.com/10-10-10-Life-Transforming-Idea-Suzy-Welch/dp/14 - Network accessline 124
5. **[The Regret Minimization Framework](https://alyjuma.medium.com/the-regret-minimization-framework-how-jeff-bezos-made-decisions-4d5a86deaf24)** by Jeff Bezos - Network accessline 128
1. Celebrate 🎉 2. Communicate your plan using the [Minto Pyramid Principle and the SCR Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) - Network accessline 129
2. Communicate your plan using the [Minto Pyramid Principle and the SCR Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) - Network accessline 130
3. Learn to get better at getting [buy-in](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-buy-in) - Network accessline 131
4. Build your [influence muscle](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-better-at-influence) - Network accessline 139
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 143
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/my-favorite-pm-courses.md
- Network accessline 14
Though I haven’t taken many PM courses recently, I did teach a course last year (that I’ve since put on pause to make time for other projects, like the podcast), and through my research prepping for the course, and [this great Twitter threa - Network accessline 18
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-courses/comments) - Network accessline 22
1. **[Managing your PM career in 2023 & beyond](https://maven.com/shreyas-doshi/product-management-career)** by [Shreyas Doshi](https://twitter.com/shreyas)—just launched and is already beloved by one and all - Network accessline 23
2. **[Product Strategy](https://www.reforge.com/programs/product-strategy)** by [Reforge](https://www.reforge.com/)—a foundational Reforge course, created by the greats [Casey Winters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters) and [Fareed M - Network accessline 24
3. **[Product Strategy Workshop](https://maven.com/gibson-biddle/product-strategy)** by [Gibson Biddle](https://www.gibsonbiddle.com/)—you need to see Gibson in action, especially now that he’s now teaching cohort-based courses on [Maven](h - Network accessline 25
4. **[Continuous Interviewing](https://learn.producttalk.org/course/continuous-interviewing)** by [Teresa Torres](https://www.producttalk.org/about/)—will change the way you build product - Network accessline 26
5. **[Product Leadership](https://www.reforge.com/programs/product-leadership)** by [Reforge](https://www.reforge.com/)—for budding managers, created by [Ravi Mehta](https://www.ravi-mehta.com/) - Network accessline 30
1. **[Product Management Foundations](https://www.reforge.com/programs/product-management-foundations)** by [Reforge](https://www.reforge.com/)—probably the best course out there for new PMs - Network accessline 31
2. **[Simulator for Learning Data-Driven Product Management](https://gopractice.io/course/pm/)** by [Sean Ellis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanellis) and [Oleg Ya](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oleg-ya-a5710850/) on [GoPractice](https://gop - Network accessline 33
3. **[Assumption Testing](https://www.producttalk.org/programs/assumption-testing)** by [Teresa Torres](https://www.producttalk.org/about/)—will help you avoid wasting time on the wrong ideas - Network accessline 34
4. **[The Growth Series](https://www.reforge.com/programs/growth-series)** by [Reforge](https://www.reforge.com/)—never too early to start learning about growth - Network accessline 35
5. **[The Product Principles Sprint](https://www.section4.com/courses/product/product-principles-sprint)** by [Section4](https://www.section4.com/) and [Prof. Adam Alter](https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/adam-alter)—a recent discovery - Network accessline 43
1. **[Mastering Product Management](https://www.reforge.com/programs/mastering-product-management)** - Network accessline 44
2. **[Experimentation + Testing](https://www.reforge.com/programs/experimentation-testing)** - Network accessline 45
3. **[Retention + Engagement](https://www.reforge.com/programs/retention-and-engagement)** - Network accessline 48
1. **[Break into AI Product Management & Get Certified](https://maven.com/marily-nika/technical-product-management)** by [Marily Nika](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynika/) - Network accessline 49
2. **[Launch Your Product Management Career](https://maven.com/peter-yang/launch-your-product-management-career)** by [Peter Yang](https://twitter.com/petergyang) - Network accessline 50
3. **[Building B2B Marketing](https://maven.com/mkt1/building-marketing)** by [Emily Kramer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykramer/) - Network accessline 51
4. **[Product Psychology Bootcamp](https://maven.com/behavioral-design/bd-bootcamp)** by [Nir Eyal](https://www.nirandfar.com/) - Network accessline 52
5. **[Influence Without Authority](https://maven.com/crossing-career-chasms/influence-without-authority)** by [Satish Mummareddy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/satishmummareddy/) - Network accessline 53
3. **[INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love](https://www.svpg.com/inspired-workshop/)** by [Silicon Valley Product Group](https://www.svpg.com/) (in-person workshop) - Network accessline 54
4. **[Design Thinking Bootcamp](https://dschool.stanford.edu/executive-education/dbootcamp)** (in person) or **[Product Management certificate program](https://online.stanford.edu/programs/product-management)** (online) by Stanford - Network accessline 55
5. **[Becoming a Product Manager: A Complete Guide](https://www.linkedin.com/learning/becoming-a-product-manager-a-complete-guide)** by [Cole Mercer](https://www.colemercer.com/) and [Evan Kimbrell](https://www.evankimbrell.com/) (self-pace - Network accessline 56
6. **[Insurjo](https://www.theproductfolks.com/insurjo-product-management-program)** and **[Upraised](https://www.upraised.co/)** for folks based in India - Network accessline 60
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-courses/comments) - Network accessline 64
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 66
 - Network accessline 70
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 74
1. **Pogo:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/1d236a59-399d-4a81-8dcd-664d76f06cae) (Remote) - Network accessline 75
2. **Antimatter:** [Product Design Lead](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6c4bd650-9652-481c-93d0-33c2bba88125) (NYC) - Network accessline 76
3. **Graphite:** [Sr. Director of Product (B2B SaaS)](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8fbce839-966c-496b-bd08-48f297febd76) (Remote) - Network accessline 80
1. **Read:** [Is Wine Fake?](https://asteriskmag.com/issues/1/is-wine-fake) by Scott Alexander - Network accessline 81
2. **Listen:** [Todd McFarlane, Iconic Comic Book Artist—Lessons from Stan Lee, How to Make Art that Outlives You, How to Compete with Corporate Giants and Win (While Having Fun), Dealmaking Strategies, War Stories from Wall Street and Lawy - Network accessline 83
3. **Watch:** [From Truck Driver to Bestselling Novelist, Overcoming Self-Sabotage, Momentum, and Turning Pro](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RhIp9C5OO8) with Tim Ferriss and Steven Pressfield *[Double feature of Tim Ferriss this week 🤷<U+200D>♂ - Network accessline 85
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RhIp9C5OO8)
references/02-newsletters/my-favorite-pm-interview-questions.md
- Network accessline 10
[Share Lenny's Newsletter](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/?action=share) - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 18
The answer is you just do it. Building on [last month’s post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager) where I dissected the ten jobs of a product manager—based on reviewing 20+ PM career ladders at some of today’s bigges - Network accessline 24
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-interview-questions/comments) - Network accessline 26
*Shoutout to you [Jamie Quint](https://twitter.com/jamiequint/status/1357505793675776000?s=20), [Erik Metelka](https://twitter.com/eric3000/status/1357509749101776896?s=20), [Anand C](https://twitter.com/anandc/status/1375307223404998659?s= - Network accessline 204
With these ~~10~~ 11 interview questions in your arsenal (and the additional questions reading this inspires), you’ll next want to put together a rubric that details what you look for in a good answer. This helps you and your teammates keep - Network accessline 222
1. [This Twitter thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1357504493340880896) - Network accessline 223
2. [Evan Goldin’s PM interview rubric at Chariot](https://www.dropbox.com/s/j0kgha273o3aq6e/PROD-68984460-270918-0219.pdf?dl=0) - Network accessline 224
3. [40 Favorite Interview Questions from Some of the Sharpest Folks We Know](https://review.firstround.com/40-favorite-interview-questions-from-some-of-the-sharpest-folks-we-know) - Network accessline 225
4. [Hire a Top Performer Every Time with These Interview Questions](https://review.firstround.com/hire-a-top-performer-every-time-with-these-interview-questions) - Network accessline 226
5. [The Best Interview Questions We've Ever Published](https://review.firstround.com/the-best-interview-questions-weve-ever-published) - Network accessline 232
1. **Gitpod**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/85a37e65-b9b3-4a93-acf6-e6a6d1f28fa4?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 233
2. **Shift**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/2907defd-bb4b-4972-86d5-024eda23dcd6?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 234
3. **Postlight**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/c205c9c1-b4e8-4a43-a538-adaa2bfe974d?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (NYC, Remote) - Network accessline 235
4. **Noyo**: [VP of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/7e49a835-3b73-4bc2-a397-feea3e8d3e80?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 236
5. **Polygence:**[Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/55046525-1bd3-4901-8452-45fc1c643d82) (Palo Alto) - Network accessline 237
6. **Metafy:**[Principal Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3bd02acf-9da4-4769-9dd7-fed6a81045c8) (Remote) - Network accessline 238
7. **Brex:**[Senior Product Manager on Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/5a8a0c07-552b-49a0-ac12-e588280790c5) (Remote) - Network accessline 239
8. **6ix:**[Project Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/5322e118-bba3-4a9f-ac38-da61d5b4cab8) (Remote/Toronto) - Network accessline 240
9. **Brex:**[Senior Product Manager on Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/5a8a0c07-552b-49a0-ac12-e588280790c5) (Remote) - Network accessline 241
10. **Mage**: [Front-end engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/d41acc31-b5fa-4e68-8c5a-7973c29ad712?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Santa Clara, CA) - Network accessline 242
11. **Panther:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/fb5d0f95-eadf-44b2-8968-d2ad35ed5ab9?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote) - Network accessline 244
*Browse many more open roles, or add your own, on [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 248
1. **Watch**: [Transformation of a Bonsai Tree Over 12 Months](https://kottke.org/21/06/transformation-of-a-bonsai-tree-over-12-months) - Network accessline 250
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi6gaRoLUYA) - Network accessline 252
2. **Watch**: [Jumping from 25,000 Feet Without a Parachute and Landing Safely](https://kottke.org/21/06/jumping-from-25000-feet-without-a-parachute-and-landing-safely) - Network accessline 254
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaANi96Z-Wg) - Network accessline 256
3. **Read:** [Counterintuitive Lessons on How to Get Better as You Scale, From Twilio’s Jeff Lawson](https://review.firstround.com/counterintuitive-lessons-on-how-to-get-better-as-you-scale-from-twilio%27s-jeff-lawson#lesson-5-metrics-are-t - Network accessline 260
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/my-favorite-product-management-templates.md
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*Hello and welcome to the**free monthly edition**of my weekly newsletter. I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressi - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 18
Below are all of my favorite templates and frameworks that I rely on. As a bonus, I [asked the wonderful people of Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1287862995268206592) to share their favorites, from which I picked my favorites - Network accessline 22
1. [My personal 1-pager template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/edit)—How I start every project - Network accessline 23
2. [Kevin Yien’s PRD template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mEMDcHmtQ6twzNlpvF-9maNlAcezpWDtCnyIqWkODZs/edit) (PM at Square)—Love this whole template, particularly the “Non-Goals” section and the step-by-step flow - Network accessline 24
3. [Asana’s project brief template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W46cmPfPwXIIH2mNNbbQ5EdjnhQFqGxGhT5iAijmJjc/edit#heading=h.cqt1a4hrfy8u)—Also love this whole template, particularly the problem statement framework - Network accessline 25
4. [Intercom’s story template](https://s3.amazonaws.com/marketing.intercomcdn.com/assets/Intercom-Job-Story-template.pdf)—Love the simplicity, while still having everything you need to get started - Network accessline 26
5. [Product Hunt’s PRD template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yrU5F6Gxhkfma91wf_IbZfexw8_fahbGQLW3EvwdfQI/edit)—Love the way it begins (Who, Why, What), though a bit long - Network accessline 27
6. [Adam Waxman’s PRD template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xc9TZX-7NMfOykzFKR0o0jzTUygoAFzWadxDVR7sNvs/edit?usp=sharing) (Design at SeatGeek)—Love 1-pager summary section before it dives deep - Network accessline 28
7. [Steve Morin’s 1-pager template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BeNK9BYd3-8pAqVYR_B0Gzp7kGNtWdPFHJKIXI52_84/edit?ts=5f264700#heading=h.6jynaot9cbnq) (EM at Asana)—Love the focus on success criteria and risks - Network accessline 29
8. [Figma’s PRD template](https://coda.io/@yuhki/figmas-approach-to-product-requirement-docs/prd-name-of-project-1)—A super-comprehensive plug-and-play template - Network accessline 30
9. [Adam Thomas’s initiative template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B3GEUwgEIIQVgRp85l4DKLZOTzgGZmBIAjR06p4wuwY/edit#)—A reminder of how valuable it is to keep these to one page, at least to start - Network accessline 34
1. [My business strategy template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JI73WrGplrhNE46aLyRD_B74gEynI77EPgXn1ic6WeQ/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=111613335789441259753) - Network accessline 35
2. [My team strategy template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RQWuvWDgcAv1ylksFXtiwhuTbHLcL1byIcoXsbCQfic/edit#heading=h.b2dsyhbkdvd1) - Network accessline 36
3. [Ramp’s Product Strategy Template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vQiTmIghKhCjlFU0HtdTmRNsyKmwv9gs/edit?mode=html) - Network accessline 37
4. [V2MOM template](https://www.salesforce.com/blog/2013/04/how-to-create-alignment-within-your-company.html) by Marc Benioff - Network accessline 38
5. [Amazon’s working backwards PR template](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/working-backwards-press-release-template-example-ian-mcallister/) by Ian McAllister - Network accessline 39
6. [How to define your product strategy](https://medium.com/@gibsonbiddle/2-the-dhm-model-6ea5dfd80792) by Gibson Biddle - Network accessline 43
1. [Product Vision Board](https://www.romanpichler.com/blog/tips-for-writing-compelling-product-vision/) by Roman Pichler - Network accessline 44
2. [Geoffrey Moore’s positioning framework](https://gist.github.com/JoshSmith/2041454) by Josh Smith - Network accessline 45
3. [The Ladder of Needs](https://medium.com/@kit_ulrich/a-surprisingly-simple-technique-for-a-rockstar-product-vision-the-ladder-of-needs-ae624d81ca6b) by Catherine (Kit) Ulrich - Network accessline 46
4. [Building a shared team vision](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cVWgMmIzDb-BXxgngQ-4IQyHSbkO7K79bc0RP69SC7M/edit#slide=id.g2906151feb_0_0) by Google - Network accessline 47
5. [Product Vision FAQ](https://svpg.com/product-vision-faq/) by Marty Cagan - Network accessline 51
1. [Launch strategy template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Y4NwrsoucPqNFqIkhwNgKpPzf0wqnrN6tcKF2g4nVoM/edit) by Pratik Mehta - Network accessline 52
2. [Marketing plan template](https://chatbotsmagazine.com/marketing-plan-and-chill-75f7e3d63358#.kgoqx0ahk) by Michael Taylor - Network accessline 53
3. [GTM plan template](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1idjXAJDUn8EOMnzE5B0ZtR3BcQAdN3YteFGBoPkUUEI/edit#slide=id.p) by The Product Folks - Network accessline 57
1. [Roadmap template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zlx3RuidNOW40Zf7gh07p2SqoR53Ungv9JFT-PhHwxI/edit#gid=184965050) - Network accessline 58
2. [Performance review template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SXO4eH8ZvpuONpdlxpu6y1ufDS0n6vbciV4IJzpm-sc/edit) - Network accessline 59
3. [Planning timeline template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RTMr9vGCYEhWYA2dKG8EYLDFEtQ1E33W8uDEhmEd8QQ/edit?usp=drive_web&ouid=111613335789441259753) - Network accessline 63
1. [Gokul’s S.P.A.D.E. decision-making framework](https://coda.io/@gokulrajaram/gokuls-spade-toolkit) - Network accessline 64
2. [How we make decisions at Coinbase](https://medium.com/@barmstrong/how-we-make-decisions-at-coinbase-cd6c630322e9) - Network accessline 65
3. [The Pyramid Principle](https://medium.com/lessons-from-mckinsey/the-pyramid-principle-f0885dd3c5c7) - Network accessline 66
4. [“Jobs to Be Done” framework](https://uxdesign.cc/8-things-to-use-in-jobs-to-be-done-framework-for-product-development-4ae7c6f3c30b) - Network accessline 67
5. [Eigenquestions: The Art of Framing Problems](https://coda.io/@shishir/eigenquestions-the-art-of-framing-problems/) - Network accessline 68
6. [We Don’t Sell Saddles Here](https://medium.com/@stewart/we-dont-sell-saddles-here-4c59524d650d) - Network accessline 69
7. [Business strategy concepts](https://sriramk.com/strategy) - Network accessline 70
8. [High Output Founders’ Library](https://www.notion.so/High-Output-Founders-Library-48742928f9f149b8a777e11a1409ce0a) - Network accessline 72
If you have any other amazing templates or frameworks that you regularly use, across product, marketing, engineering, or design, *please* [shoot them over](https://twitter.com/lennysan). I’ll use this post as a living document of the best p - Network accessline 76
🙏 Thank you to these fine folks for sharing many of these templates: [Adam](https://twitter.com/ajwaxman/status/1261470324824121345), [Aman](https://twitter.com/amanik/status/1287868945920221184), [Dennis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennis - Network accessline 80
- Product: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), [Uptime2020](https://jobs.all-hands.us/companies/uptime2020/jobs/product-manager-2-5943a3d1-9819-417b-aee9-fc6a563b276e) - Network accessline 81
- Growth: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076601003), [Outschool](https://jobs.lever.co/outschool/4f18d9fe-516b-4285-a5df-357f6cff5b92) - Network accessline 82
- Design: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Founding-Designer-San-Francisco-d1296f25efcc43a7833f - Network accessline 83
- Engineering lead: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/00505223-bc85-4c28-8e4b-31217d05c2de) - Network accessline 84
- Frontend engineer: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Founding-Fron - Network accessline 85
- Backend engineer: [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 86
- Fullstack engineer: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/7c3bb72b-70d3-45ca-9dea-eea57ed5333d), [Wren](https://projectwren.com/careers/software- - Network accessline 87
- iOS engineer: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c) - Network accessline 88
- Sales/BD: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4105169003), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/649855-vice-president-of-sales), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/996cdde4-737b-4794-ad0f-d726448c3dfb), - Network accessline 89
- Community: [Outschool](https://jobs.lever.co/outschool/449fa54a-1778-4255-a95d-a65dc28194c7) - Network accessline 90
- Security: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/592999-cybersecurity-compliance-program-manager) - Network accessline 94
1. **Read:** [Unbundling Work from Employment](https://li.substack.com/p/unbundling-work-from-employment) by Li Jin - Network accessline 95
2. **Watch:** Japanese skateboarder Isamu Yamamoto (via [Mike Lewis](https://mikeplewis.substack.com/)) - Network accessline 97
1. **Watch:** [Transfiguration](https://vimeo.com/429924982) (via [The Browser](https://thebrowser.com/)) - Network accessline 99
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/my-podcast-tech-stack-workflows-and-lessons.md
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*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 12
*P.S. Don’t miss **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more), my **[PM recruiting service](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** (we help you hire Sr. PMs and VPs), and my - Network accessline 18
I was incredibly hesitant to start a podcast. There are a trillion podcasts, they’re a lot of work, and it’s so dorky to tell people you have a podcast 🤦. But thanks to a nudge from [Harry Stebbings](https://twitter.com/HarryStebbings), and - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 24
*A big thank-you to [Jordan Bornstein](https://www.jordanbornstein.com/) and [Kiki Garthwaite](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kikigarthwaite/) of [Pen Name](https://penname.co/), [Zac Goodsir](https://www.linkedin.com/in/zac-goodsir/) and [Xav - Network accessline 30
I forget who gave me this advice, but it was so important early on—and still is now: Instead of trying to make something a lot of people like, create something that 100 people *love*. It’s the same advice you hear when [starting a company]( - Network accessline 36
For my podcast, you might think: how many nerds would listen to a podcast about product management? But I knew there would be at least 100. So I focused on making it the best podcast out there on product management for those people. Then I - Network accessline 48
 - Network accessline 54
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gi8LUnhP5yU) - Network accessline 58
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-XfCl-HpRM) - Network accessline 72
1. **Be the listener’s home base.** Make it easy for a listener to keep track of where you are in the conversation, mirror back what the guest is sharing, and ask questions the listener likely has in their head. When the conversation goes o - Network accessline 73
2. **Get to the gold quickly.** Spend very little time on backgrounds, life stories, and introductions. Unless the guest is famous or wildly fascinating, no one cares much. Listeners care most about what you can teach them. Get to that part - Network accessline 74
3. **Look for “dropped facts.**” I learned this trick from [a book on interviewing](https://www.amazon.com/Stop-Asking-Questions-High-Impact-Entrepreneurs-ebook/dp/B09HRJ4SMX/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?qid=1667606471&sr=1-3). Guests sometimes men - Network accessline 81
5. Anything you haven’t shared elsewhere that could be good to share, to make the conversation extra-special? 6. If this were to be the one podcast episode you send everyone who wants to learn about how you think and operate, what would - Network accessline 82
6. If this were to be the one podcast episode you send everyone who wants to learn about how you think and operate, what would you want to include? 5. **Just ask the next question.** Though it may feel impolite, you don’t have to respond to - Network accessline 83
5. **Just ask the next question.** Though it may feel impolite, you don’t have to respond to each answer with “So interesting!” or “Thank you for sharing that” or “Amazing.” Instead, ask a great question, let the guest give a great answer, - Network accessline 103
1. **[Brian Chesky](https://youtu.be/4ef0juAMqoE?si=znhSedt9l6Ns4zup):** I knew Brian from Airbnb, and we email occasionally. So I started floating the idea of coming on the podcast the next time they had a big launch. A year later, he agre - Network accessline 104
2. **[Shreyas Doshi](https://youtu.be/YP_QghPLG-8?si=TxTDZqa5oJd_FjKm):** He was on my wishlist from day one. We collaborated on stuff in the past, so I reached out when I was scheming to start the podcast and pitched him on being my very f - Network accessline 105
3. **[Elizabeth Stone](https://youtu.be/2XgU6T4DalY?si=yQivd5owEdMBgFKl):** Maybe the most random story of all. I was hanging out with an ex-Airbnb colleague ([Ali Rauh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-rauh/)), who suggested her friend Eliz - Network accessline 106
4. **[Gustaf Alströmer](https://youtu.be/ZoKLofsp8u0?si=Pgko8SP2KfYoalbr):** We worked together at Airbnb before he became a YC Partner, so I emailed him. - Network accessline 107
5. **[Marty Cagan](https://youtu.be/h-KVGHoQ_98?si=P9B5QLQc4B421Oiu):** Similar to Shreyas, he was on my wishlist from day one, so I cold-emailed him and he kindly agreed to come on a podcast that wasn’t even live yet. - Network accessline 108
6. **[Nikhyl Singhal](https://youtu.be/U_WQuUIYnJg?si=cBdfR9ybyHPRPEHn):** A few of my past guests suggested Nikhyl for the podcast because he’s been really helpful in their careers. So I asked one of them for an introduction. - Network accessline 109
7. **[Matt Mochary](https://youtu.be/bCel0X2Ta7U?si=CxwD9Y-WciPV8fnL):** He’d been on my wishlist, so I just cold DM’d him. And he agreed! - Network accessline 110
8. **[Ethan Smith](https://youtu.be/mOY159TlYXM?si=-2lDVN66dSrD5Tih):** Several founders I work with mentioned they worked with Ethan on SEO and his work led to a massive impact, so I asked for an intro. - Network accessline 111
9. **[Ethan Evans](https://youtu.be/GB0P0_nFPTA?si=2Hyf4so00aO0pR3r):** We collaborated on a popular newsletter post, so I asked him to come on the podcast. We originally met through his comments on my LinkedIn posts. - Network accessline 112
10. **[Marily Nika](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?si=pIcbg0flZQMlwQzH):** Marily taught a popular course on [Maven](https://maven.com/), and the Maven team reached out to pitch Marily for the podcast. AI + product management? I couldn’t resi - Network accessline 113
11. **[Geoff Charles](https://youtu.be/aNJDZ_RzTVk?si=kj4Wi1StwtE6fjL-):** We collaborated on a popular newsletter post, so I asked him to come on the podcast. I’m pretty sure I originally cold DM’d Geoff about doing a newsletter post. - Network accessline 114
12. **[Claire Hughes Johnson](https://youtu.be/Mv0o9o4MRh0?si=Vmb4EW8rN4p-iDyN):** She tweeted that she was coming out with a book, and I replied to the tweet with “Come on the podcast?” Her people followed up with me over DM and we made it - Network accessline 128
1. **Recording:** [Riverside](https://riverside.fm/). This is what most podcasters use. I also occasionally use [Podcastle](https://podcastle.ai/) as a backup, and [Descript](https://www.descript.com/) to record solo portions (e.g. ads, gue - Network accessline 129
2. **Editing:** [Descript](https://www.descript.com/). I now have an editor who does this for me (more on this below), but they also use Descript. - Network accessline 130
3. **Hosting:** [Substack](https://substack.com/podcasts). This makes the most sense if you’re running a significant newsletter with Substack. Other platforms people like: [Spotify for Podcasters](https://podcasters.spotify.com/) (free, but - Network accessline 131
4. **Analytics:** [Podstatus](https://podstatus.com/) for charts, [Chartable](https://chartable.com/) for general analytics, and your hosting provider will have most of your analytics baked in. The state of analytics in the podcasting space - Network accessline 132
5. **Website:** [Podpage](https://www.podpage.com/). It’s the service behind [LennysPodcast.com](https://lennyspodcast.com/). - Network accessline 140
1. **Microphone:** [Shure MV7 USB](https://www.amazon.com/Shure-Microphone-Podcasting-Voice-Isolating-Technology/dp/B08G7RG9ML) [*still using this one*]*.* Most podcasters seem to use this mic. It sounds great, isn’t very expensive, and plu - Network accessline 141
2. **Mic holders:** I experimented with [Elgato Wave Mic Arm](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09737ZXMK) and [Samson MD5 Desktop Microphone Stand](https://www.amazon.com/Samson-MD5-Desktop-Microphone-Stand/dp/B000MYIIRG) and ended up usi - Network accessline 142
3. **Headphones:** [Sony MDR7506](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AJIF4E?th=1) [*still using this one*]*.* You’ll notice many podcasters wearing these. They plug right into the mic. - Network accessline 143
4. **Camera:** [Opal](https://opalcamera.com/). I love this camera (disclaimer: I’m an investor) and it got me a long way, but eventually I upgraded (more below). - Network accessline 144
5. **Light:** [Lume Cube Edge](https://www.amazon.com/Conferencing-lighting-Adjustable-Brightness-Temperature/dp/B09DKF5ST1/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=Lume+Cube&qid=1667606634&qu=eyJxc2MiOiI0LjMwIiwicXNhIjoiNC4xNSIsInFzcCI6IjMuODIifQ%3D%3D&sr=8-3& - Network accessline 146
About six months into the podcast, it was going great, so I decided to invest my time and money into taking the production up a notch. I took [the Dream Studio course](https://dreamstudiocourse.com/?affcode=277113_nfnrwrb5), which I highly - Network accessline 148
 - Network accessline 152
1. **Microphone:** [Shure MV7 USB](https://www.amazon.com/Shure-Microphone-Podcasting-Voice-Isolating-Technology/dp/B08G7RG9ML) (same as I started with). - Network accessline 153
2. **Headphones:** [Sony MDR7506](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AJIF4E?th=1) (same as I started with). Lots of people like the [Audio-Technica ATH-M30x](https://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-ATH-M30x-Professional-Monitor-Headphones/ - Network accessline 154
3. **Camera:** [Canon EOS M50 Mark II](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KSKCPNG) for the body, and a [Canon EF-M 22mm f2](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008NF8BRI) lens, with a [tripod](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0834NPHRY) to hold it all. Nothing - Network accessline 155
4. **Lights:** Lights are shockingly essential for a great studio look. You’ll need three different lights: [Keylight](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RNW4L7G) with [soft box](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SCPWV19) and [stand](https://www.amazo - Network accessline 156
5. **Teleprompter:** This lets me look straight into the camera while talking. The rig is somewhat tricky to set up, but it’s easy to use once it’s up. [Here’s what holds the camera](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GOV3636), and [here’s the sc - Network accessline 157
6. **Keyboard:** [Logitech K380 Multi-Device Bluetooth Keyboard](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0876MVKQC?th=1). You want this keyboard to be very quiet, so you can type during a recording. - Network accessline 158
7. **Mouse:** [Logitech Signature M650 Wireless Mouse](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09KX66ZCD?th=1). Same advice as above. - Network accessline 159
8. **Controls:** This[Elgato deck](https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Production-Controller-Streaming-Customizable/dp/B0BJL8SJ59?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.DnKGuy9SJK53bS0om0K6AIY-0UgtjJxKpnl-lo6S7s__HDfhK1DXSaW3RWpArD7xg3arb1hvEsfcp4cS3zevhvbRazgOxQeW83- - Network accessline 160
9. **Adapters and such:** [Power your camera](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FHY2XLR), [connect your camera to your laptop](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K3FN5MR), [USB hub](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087JMGSL2), [HDMI cable](https://www.amazo - Network accessline 162
In terms of room layout, [some advice](https://www.descript.com/blog/article/how-to-set-up-the-ultimate-podcast-studio) from the fine folks at Descript: - Network accessline 168
The final piece of the puzzle for great audio is finding fantastic help—especially an experienced editor and/or producer. I work with [Pen Name](https://penname.co/) on the core podcast production, with [Supermix](https://supermix.io/) for - Network accessline 170
Initially, I only worked with an audio engineer ([Tommy Harron](https://www.tommyharron.com/)), who made the audio sound great (that’s when I wasn’t doing video). I eventually brought on Pen Name and Supermix, who help me with so much: - Network accessline 172
1. **Editing the audio and video:** This used to take hours per episode, and now it takes just 10 to 30 minutes to review the producer’s work. They remove *um*s and *ah*s, point out boring parts we can cut, create smooth transitions, add mu - Network accessline 173
2. **Writing titles/thumbnails/show notes:** This used to take me one or two hours to write and iterate on, but now it takes 10 to 20 minutes to review and approve the producer’s work. On titles and thumbnails, we often go through many iter - Network accessline 174
3. **Creating clips:** Check these out on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lennyspodcast/) and [TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@lennyrachitsky). - Network accessline 175
4. **Creating episode trailers:** Check these out on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_elizabeth-stone-is-the-chief-technology-officer-activity-7166468408094416897-OGkJ/) and [Twitter](https://x.com/lennysan/status/17 - Network accessline 185
3. **Prep questions:** 1-2 hours. I send a draft of the agenda to the guest 3-7 days before we record, and I may iterate based on their feedback. 4. **Prep the guest:** See details above. 5. **Record the interview:** 1.5–2 hours. We do this - Network accessline 186
4. **Prep the guest:** See details above. 5. **Record the interview:** 1.5–2 hours. We do this in [Riverside](https://riverside.fm/). Once we finish recording, the producer exports it and whips it into ready-to-ship audio/video, which we th - Network accessline 187
5. **Record the interview:** 1.5–2 hours. We do this in [Riverside](https://riverside.fm/). Once we finish recording, the producer exports it and whips it into ready-to-ship audio/video, which we then run by the guest before it goes live. - Network accessline 197
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As a bonus, once you record video, you can create TikTok/IG/Shorts clips ([here’s a cool tool that does this for you magically](https://www.opus.pro/)), and then you can share clips on X/LinkedIn. Plus, having a following on multiple platfo - Network accessline 213
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-podcast-tech-stack-workflows-and/comments) - Network accessline 219
We recently partnered with Notion to help them scale their PM team. [One role that’s particularly interesting to me](https://boards.greenhouse.io/notion/jobs/5841932003) is an opportunity to own the end-to-end Project Management experience - Network accessline 221
[Apply to Notion](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/onboard/v3/0153c44c-b8c4-44b6-ba42-78fbcf220033/get-referred) - Network accessline 223
*If you’re hiring and want to work with us, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apprGaxWWPYU0068E/shr2WFo5UqJjA5dQ8). Our team will reach out if we think it’s a good fit. Note, we primarily work with fast-growing U.S.-based startups.* - Network accessline 225
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/navigating-your-early-career.md
- Network accessline 22
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Wdes!,f_auto,q_auto - Network accessline 32
So below are five strategies I’ve found valuable in navigating my own early career. I certainly don’t have all of the answers, and I’m no master career strategist, but I’ll share what worked for me. Plus, in addition to my own experience, I - Network accessline 38
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!sz_l!,f_auto,q_a - Network accessline 58
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIMu1PGbG-0) - Network accessline 59
> “**Passion is not something you follow**. It’s something that will follow you as you put in the hard work to become valuable to the world.” > > — [Cal Newport](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/jobs/follow-a-career-passion-let-it-follow- - Network accessline 61
> — [Cal Newport](https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/jobs/follow-a-career-passion-let-it-follow-you.html) - Network accessline 65
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PGOV!,f_auto,q_au - Network accessline 103
At the risk of revealing how nerdy I was in school, I got my very first job while taking an [MCSE](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/learning/mcse-certification.aspx) certification test the summer after my sophomore year of high school. What - Network accessline 111
1. [What’s the best career advice you got in your 20s?](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1292260280517287937) - Network accessline 112
2. [What’s the \*worst\* advice you got in your 20s?](https://twitter.com/abhineezy/status/1292917832527708160) - Network accessline 118
1. [So Good They Can't Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love](https://www.amazon.com/Good-They-Cant-Ignore-You-ebook/dp/B0076DDBJ6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) by Cal Newport - Network accessline 119
2. [How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big](https://www.amazon.com/How-Fail-Almost-Everything-Still-ebook/dp/B00COOFBA4) by Scott Adams - Network accessline 120
3. [The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F\*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life](https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Art-Not-Giving-Counterintuitive-ebook/dp/B019MMUA8S/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) by Mark Manson - Network accessline 121
4. [Great at Work: The Hidden Habits of Top Performers](https://www.amazon.com/Great-Work-Performers-Better-Achieve-ebook/dp/B074ZKB2QT/ref=sr_1_2?crid=FL07GUHN4X8F&dchild=1&keywords=great+at+work&qid=1597000341&s=digital-text&sprefix=great - Network accessline 122
5. [The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People](https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful-ebook/dp/B01069X4H0/ref=bmx_4/135-7532039-2376341?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B01069X4H0&pd_rd_r=12670d60-bb05-466e-97b7-7312a7535b8f&pd_ - Network accessline 126
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/navigating-your-early-career-issue/comments) - Network accessline 132
- **Product**: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager) (NY), [Uptime2020](https://jobs.all-hands.us/companies/uptime2020/jobs/product-manager-2-5943a3d1-9819-417b-aee9-fc6a563b276e) (Remote) - Network accessline 133
- **Growth**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076601003) (Remote), [Outschool](https://jobs.lever.co/outschool/4f18d9fe-516b-4285-a5df-357f6cff5b92) (Remote) - Network accessline 134
- **Design**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer) (SF), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2) (Bay area), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Founding-Designer-San-Francisco- - Network accessline 135
- **Engineering lead**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) (Remote), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/00505223-bc85-4c28-8e4b-31217d05c2de) (Remote) - Network accessline 136
- **Frontend engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer) (SF), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf) (Remote), [Primer](https://www.notio - Network accessline 137
- **Backend engineer**: [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) (SF), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) (SF) - Network accessline 138
- **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626) (Remote), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer) (Remote), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/7c3bb72b - Network accessline 139
- **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c) (Remote) - Network accessline 140
- **Sales/BD**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4105169003) (Remote), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/649855-vice-president-of-sales) (NY/SF), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/996cdde4-737b-479 - Network accessline 141
- **Community**: [Outschool](https://jobs.lever.co/outschool/449fa54a-1778-4255-a95d-a65dc28194c7) (SF) - Network accessline 142
- **Security**: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/592999-cybersecurity-compliance-program-manager) (NY) - Network accessline 143
- **HR**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4125981003) (Remote) - Network accessline 149
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc) - Network accessline 151
2. **Listen**: [How to get rich](https://nav.al/rich) by Naval - Network accessline 153
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-TZqOsVCNM) - Network accessline 154
3. **Read**: [The Shortness of Life: Seneca on Busyness and the Art of Living Wide Rather Than Living Long](https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/09/01/seneca-on-the-shortness-of-life/) - Network accessline 156
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/new-data-on-the-product-job-market.md
- Network accessline 12
If you’d like to attend (or host!) a meetup and are a paid newsletter subscriber, join our Slack and find your local city channel. [Learn more here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/community). - Network accessline 16
**I’m excited to share hot-off-the-presses data I haven’t seen elsewhere about the state of the product (and product-adjacent) job market.** This data comes from a company that I recently discovered, [Live Data Technologies](https://www.liv - Network accessline 24
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I believe what’s happening is that the UXR function went through a huge overhiring phase (see the large bump in late 2022) and then [a reckoning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ux-research-reckoning-is-here) as the market tanked las - Network accessline 76
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/new-data-on-the-product-job-market/comments) - Network accessline 90
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*Thank you to [Jason Saltzman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-salt/) and [Live Data Technologies](https://www.livedatatechnologies.com/) for sharing this juicy data with me. For more ongoing insights from the data, check out Jason’s news - Network accessline 131
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 135
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/on-asking-for-help-even-when-you-really-dont-want-to.md
- Network accessline 12
If you’d like to attend (or host!) a meetup, join our paid subscriber Slack and find your local city channel. [Learn more here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/community). - Network accessline 16
In her phenomenal inaugural guest post, [Newsletter Fellow](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/meet-your-lennys-newsletter-fellows) [Natalie Rothfels](https://natalierothfels.com) shares a step-by-step guide for when, who, and how to ask fo - Network accessline 18
Natalie is an executive coach who works with co-founders and executive teams, helping them build interpersonal skills to become more effective leaders. She spent a decade as a product manager building educational tools at [Quizlet](https:// - Network accessline 20
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Your body is likely sending you all sorts of signals that say, “I’m scared.” Become familiar with your body’s vocabulary of fear. If you are unattuned to how fear shows up, it’s difficult to work *with* it. I often tell clients to create an - Network accessline 87
All fears are valid, even if they’re not true. [Name it to tame it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcDLzppD4Jc). Articulate what you’re afraid of. Acknowledge how the fear serves and protects you, and allow it to be present without making - Network accessline 128
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 - Network accessline 282
1. Here’s an exercise [to process your fear using Internal Family Systems](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQdloHS3g50). - Network accessline 283
2. Learn about [David Rock’s SCARF model](https://www.mindtools.com/akswgc0/david-rocks-scarf-model). Asking for help triggers threat responses for many of us. We are all wired to move away from interpersonal threats, but the good news is t - Network accessline 284
3. Ed Batista’s [article on the importance of safety, trust, and intimacy](https://www.edbatista.com/2010/03/safety.html), the foundation for risk-taking and experimentation. - Network accessline 286
*Thanks, Natalie! For more, check out her [website](https://natalierothfels.com/) and [The Ripple Deck](https://rippledeck.com),* *and follow her on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nrothfels) and [Twitter](https://x.com/natatouille). - Network accessline 294
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 298
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/on-being-funny-at-work.md
- Network accessline 10
*Reminder: If you live in the U.S., [don’t forget to vote](https://vote.gov/guide-to-voting) today!* - Network accessline 12
Matthew Dicks is the author of the single most actionable and practical book I’ve ever read on the skill of storytelling—*[Storyworthy](https://www.amazon.com/Storyworthy-Engage-Persuade-through-Storytelling/dp/1608685489)*. He’s also a rec - Network accessline 14
*[Matthew Dicks](https://matthewdicks.com/) is an internationally bestselling author and award-winning slam storyteller with a record-breaking sixty-one victories at the Moth StorySLAM competition and ten victories at the GrandSLAM. Matt [t - Network accessline 16
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It’s surprising when [Christopher Walken asks for more cowbell in the classic](https://vimeo.com/406011330) *[SNL](https://vimeo.com/406011330)* [skit](https://vimeo.com/406011330) (after Will Ferrell’s character has already pounded the hel - Network accessline 101
[When Wanda Sykes tells the audience](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q437SK-j0zk): “I got a nice gut going on. Yeah, Esther is out of control. Yes, I call her Esther. When I was in my 40s, I got this little fat roll. I just named it. That - Network accessline 143
- [Spotify featured characters (and the original actor) from the 1984 film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6paMSllCtjw) *[The NeverEnding Story](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6paMSllCtjw)*to highlight the extent of their music collection - Network accessline 144
- Microsoft’s Internet Explorer is a thing of the past, [but this 2013 ad for the web browser](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkM6RJf15cg) used amusing nostalgia to win over users. - Network accessline 145
- [Volkswagen introduced its 2012 Passat with a Super Bowl ad](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n6hf3adNqk) featuring a boy dressed as Darth Vader trying to use the power of the dark side to manipulate objects and even his dog. His father f - Network accessline 161
 - Network accessline 169
- [A hungry football player plays the game like Betty White](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbpFpjLVabA) - Network accessline 170
- [A hungry college student acts like an angry Joe Pesci while flirting with a girl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MixNh9L7G5M) - Network accessline 171
- [Hungry Marcia and Jan Brady from](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-LBqv0xNIo) *[The Brady Bunch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-LBqv0xNIo)* [are replaced by Danny Trejo and Steve Buscemi](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-LBqv0xNIo) - Network accessline 175
Old Spice commercials featuring Isaiah Mustafa: [This ad features a series of exaggerated scenarios designed to make you laugh](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owGykVbfgUE) while underscoring the effectiveness of Old Spice deodorant, thus l - Network accessline 181
But comedians use this all the time. [My favorite example of this comes from my favorite storyteller, Steve Zimmer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5K4fQJ4iRw). After his family isn’t invited to the neighborhood Hawaiian luau, they have th - Network accessline 209
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*For more from Matt, [check out his storytelling courses](https://www.storyworthymd.com/), and his books [Storyworthy](https://www.amazon.com/Storyworthy-Engage-Persuade-through-Storytelling/dp/1608685489)* and *[Stories Sell](https://www.a - Network accessline 481
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 483
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/on-saying-no.md
- Network accessline 16
*Important: This advice is meant for a solopreneur with too many good opportunities and too little time—a privileged place to be. If you’re just starting out and looking for opportunities, or have a day job with less flexibility in what you - Network accessline 20
Someone (probably [Naval](https://x.com/naval)) once tweeted this advice that, for the life of me, I can’t find, so I’ll paraphrase: You become successful by doing something really well. Once you’re successful, you get offers to do cool thi - Network accessline 30
1. **Imagine if there were no emotion involved:** I ask myself, “If I didn’t care whether the other person felt disappointed or sad when I said no, what would I do?” Then I do that. Once the decision is clear, it simply becomes a matter of - Network accessline 31
2. **Do more things that energize you:** Run an [energy audit](https://beta.mocharymethod.com/blog-post/energy-audit) and learn what brings you energy and what saps your energy. Say yes to more of the former and less of the latter. It may s - Network accessline 37
 - Network accessline 45
 - Network accessline 47
3. **Block out deep work time (and don’t ever schedule over it):** Speaking of policies, I have a policy of no meetings before 3 p.m. I reserve this time for “[deep work](https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/145558 - Network accessline 49
 - Network accessline 55
Finally, here are actual templates I’ve set up for myself for asks I regularly have to decline. I’ve tried a few different tools to make these easy, and currently I’m happy with [TextExpander](https://textexpander.com/) as my tool of choice - Network accessline 121
1. Mention the priorities you’d be sacrificing (e.g. “This would take time away from my family life”). 2. “I decline with gratitude” or “I’ll very kindly decline this offer.” 3. “My heart says yes, but my schedule says no.” (h/t [Dharmesh]( - Network accessline 122
2. “I decline with gratitude” or “I’ll very kindly decline this offer.” 3. “My heart says yes, but my schedule says no.” (h/t [Dharmesh](https://www.onstartups.com/tabid/3339/bid/60758/Dear-Friend-Sorry-My-heart-says-yes-but-my-schedule-say - Network accessline 123
3. “My heart says yes, but my schedule says no.” (h/t [Dharmesh](https://www.onstartups.com/tabid/3339/bid/60758/Dear-Friend-Sorry-My-heart-says-yes-but-my-schedule-says-no.aspx)) - Network accessline 129
 - Network accessline 135
#### **Bonus: Examples of excellent decline messages shared in** ***[How to Say No](https://tim.blog/2017/11/25/how-to-say-no/)*** **by Tim Ferriss:** - Network accessline 137
**[Danny Meyer](https://www.ushg.com/danny-meyer):** - Network accessline 149
**[Neal Stephenson](https://www.nealstephenson.com/):** - Network accessline 157
**[Wendy MacNaughton](https://www.wendymacnaughton.com/):** - Network accessline 169
1. [Sorry. My heart says yes, but my schedule says no.](https://www.onstartups.com/tabid/3339/bid/60758/Dear-Friend-Sorry-My-heart-says-yes-but-my-schedule-says-no.aspx) by Dharmesh Shah - Network accessline 170
2. [This is Your Reminder to Say ‘NO’](https://ryanholiday.net/this-is-your-reminder-to-say-no/) by Ryan Holiday - Network accessline 171
3. [How to Say “No” Gracefully and Uncommit](https://tim.blog/2018/07/19/essentialism/) with Tim Ferriss - Network accessline 172
4. [Jessica’s Client Email Helper](https://www.jessicahische.is/helpingyouanswer) - Network accessline 174
*Thank you, [Jay Clouse](https://x.com/jayclouse/status/1790083303275442557) for asking the question that inspired this post, and [David Perell](https://x.com/david_perell) for sharing inspiration as I wrote it. Have a fulfilling and produc - Network accessline 180
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 184
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/on-taking-time-off.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a ✨ **once-a-month-free-edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressin - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 20
After leaving, I planned to take 6 months to explore and tinker. That turned into a year, and that turned into the newsletter that you’re now reading. There is a 0% chance this newsletter would have emerged if not for the space that this ti - Network accessline 24
Thus, I’ve decided to devote an entire issue to the topic of sabbaticals, and I couldn’t imagine a better person to help us all learn about taking time off effectively than DJ DiDonna, founder of [The Sabbatical Project](https://www.thesabb - Network accessline 26
*For more from DJ, you can [help his research](https://www.thesabbaticalproject.org/research1), share your own sabbatical story, and get notified when DJ’s upcoming book comes out. DJ also takes on a limited number of clients for sabbatical - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 39
This near-universal reaction is what spurred me to transition from a [fintech founder](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/31/business/credit-scores-from-a-test-not-a-history.html) to starting a research and advocacy organization on extended le - Network accessline 41
 - Network accessline 72
 - Network accessline 86
Somatic activities are simply those which [utilize your body.](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/magazine/24labor-t.html) Getting out of your head [heals you](https://hbr.org/2005/11/are-you-working-too-hard) and stimulates your creativity - Network accessline 88
 - Network accessline 98
**Have a sabbatical story to tell? Tell yours here. Or [get in touch](https://www.thesabbaticalproject.org/contact-1) to be connected to other sabbatical-takers (or those in the planning stages) or to get guidance and coaching from myself o - Network accessline 106
A: Yes, it’s okay to work, just don’t *Work*. Doing anything that resembles your current job will make it more difficult to reap the benefits of time off. Even if it’s “just a few hours consulting.” Those hours will expand to fill more time - Network accessline 108
 - Network accessline 112
A: Without question, some of the most inspiring stories in our research came from people traveling with [their children](https://www.thesabbaticalproject.org/stories/justin) (see picture above) or [partners](https://www.thesabbaticalproject - Network accessline 124
Next, explore what Elizabeth Gilbert calls [your curiosities](https://onbeing.org/programs/elizabeth-gilbert-choosing-curiosity-over-fear-may2018/). Try not to put pressure on yourself to find the “next big thing,” or to double down on some - Network accessline 130
A: Most sabbatical-takers actually use the story of their time-off as a differentiator in the interview process. [One of our interviewees](https://www.thesabbaticalproject.org/stories/paul) talked about how he was able to break away from th - Network accessline 136
*Thanks DJ! [Learn more about The Sabbatical Project](https://www.thesabbaticalproject.org/) and get notified when DJ’s upcoming book comes out.* - Network accessline 140
## **🔥 Job opening of the week:**[Growth Product Engineer at Dover](https://www.dover.com/open-roles/growth-product-engineer) - Network accessline 142
> *Dover is looking for our first Growth Product Engineer to design and build out our free product suite used by thousands of founders and hiring managers.* > > [Learn more](https://www.dover.com/open-roles/growth-product-engineer) - Network accessline 144
> [Learn more](https://www.dover.com/open-roles/growth-product-engineer) - Network accessline 146
*Note: Going forward this section will feature roles from [my new job board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs). If you’re hiring, don’t miss it.* - Network accessline 150
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/one-team-one-roadmap---issue-30.md
- Network accessline 16
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!XEhg!,f_auto,q_ - Network accessline 24
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kar3!,f_auto,q_ - Network accessline 38
To concretely help you through this process, [here's a roadmap template that I personally use](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zlx3RuidNOW40Zf7gh07p2SqoR53Ungv9JFT-PhHwxI/edit#gid=814160004), which includes both a flat prioritized l - Network accessline 40
[](https://substackcdn.com/i - Network accessline 42
I personally stick to Google Sheets, but there are many tools to choose from. Here are [the results of a very unscientific Twitter poll](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1266048214383255552), asking people what project management tool th - Network accessline 46
1. [A previous post about roadmap templates](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/this-week-8-splitting-equity-with) - Network accessline 47
2. [A three-step framework for solving product problems](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/a-three-step-framework-for-solving) - Network accessline 48
3. [The Alternative to Roadmaps](https://svpg.com/the-alternative-to-roadmaps/) by Marty Cagan - Network accessline 54
1. **Read and listen**: [How to build a breakthrough](https://medium.com/@m2jr/how-to-build-a-breakthrough-3071b6415b06) (also [in podcast form)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/village-globals-venture-stories/id1316769266?i=100047557 - Network accessline 55
2. **Watch**: [Thao and The Get Down’s new music video](https://vimeo.com/412337478) - Network accessline 57
3. **Read**: [Permanent Assumptions](https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/permanent-assumptions/) by [Morgan Housel](https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/authors/morgan/) — How do you analyze the world when everything feels broken?
references/02-newsletters/part-2-of-how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-product-pass-and-welcome-stripe-atlas.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey there, I’m Lenny. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podca - Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 14
First of all, some exciting news: **Starting today, [Insider subscribers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?plan=founding) get 40% off [Stripe Atlas](https://stripe.com/atlas).** - Network accessline 18
Cursor, Lovable, and Linear were all incorporated through Atlas (along with 80,000 other startups), and it’s the no-brainer first step to making your startup a real thing. [Learn more about Stripe Atlas here](https://stripe.com/atlas) and [ - Network accessline 20
This brings the total value of the [Lenny’s Newsletter product pass](https://lennysproductpass.com/) to $15,546. For just $200-$350/year. That’s also what I’d call a no-brainer. - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 28
Next is the second part of my comprehensive [guide](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-product) for getting the most out of the product pass products. Below are all the ways that **[Lovable](https://lovable.d - Network accessline 32
# **1. [Lovable](https://lovable.dev/lenny)** - Network accessline 44
A bunch of personal use cases. I built [a YouTube preview tool](https://youtube-thumbnail-preview.lovable.app/), [a YouTube thumbnail downloader](https://yt-thumbnail-grab.lovable.app/), [a strikethrough text tool for X](https://twitter-str - Network accessline 53
[Here’s a fun directory](https://lovable.dev/projects/featured) of what people have built with Lovable. - Network accessline 57
Check out their [website](https://lovable.dev/), and [my chat with Lovable CEO Anton Osika](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZtGxNs9AVg). - Network accessline 59
# **2. [Bolt](https://bolt.new/)** - Network accessline 71
Also a bunch of personal use cases. [A feed of the latest AI news (updated daily)](https://daily-ai-news-feed-2nt6.bolt.host/), [a dial of how stressed I am based on workload that I can share with my wife](https://lennys-stress-level-xv83.b - Network accessline 75
1. [Managing and reducing subscription costs](https://x.com/jakub_works/status/1938680359840792984) - Network accessline 76
2. [Building video games (and building tools that build them)](https://game-frame.site/) - Network accessline 77
3. [Helping people learn better](https://x.com/noratutor/status/1945974205465403565) - Network accessline 78
4. [A lawyer created an app to transform complex legal documents into clear, actionable insights](https://serene-sunflower-becadb.netlify.app/) - Network accessline 79
5. At a recent hackathon, a solo builder named Adrian created [Tailor Labs](https://www.tailorlabsai.com/), an AI-powered video editor - Network accessline 83
Check out their [website](https://bolt.new/), and [my chat with Bolt CEO Eric Simons](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L22DtAHLmzs). - Network accessline 85
# **3. [Granola](https://www.granola.ai/)** - Network accessline 93
I was blown away by both the UX and the quality of the notes it generates. You can use it to quickly share meeting notes with colleagues, recall decisions you’ve made in past meetings, analyze themes over time, and even [notice when you’re - Network accessline 101
1. [Linear’s CEO uses Granola to stay focused](https://x.com/karrisaarinen/status/1922668975164461079) - Network accessline 102
2. [Intercom’s founder uses it to stay on top of all his meetings](https://x.com/destraynor/status/1907909497399734459) - Network accessline 103
3. [Getting coached in the style of a top CEO coach](https://x.com/sarahdrinkwater/status/1973653176101511297) - Network accessline 104
4. [Searching for something someone said in any of your meetings](https://x.com/nakul/status/1973473942724813245) - Network accessline 105
5. [For stressful non-work situations](https://x.com/jaymehoffman/status/1973121013568381239) - Network accessline 109
Check out their [website](https://go.granola.ai/V1LQczH) and their cool new [Recipes feature](https://www.granola.ai/blog/say-hello-to-recipes). - Network accessline 111
# **4. [ChatPRD](https://www.chatprd.ai/lenny)** - Network accessline 121
It’s also [a first-class citizen in Linear](https://linear.app/integrations/chatprd) now, meaning you can use it to improve task descriptions, break down work into actionable sub-issues, and get product feedback (by simply mentioning @chatp - Network accessline 125
Since I’m not building products with teams these days, I don’t use ChatPRD much, but I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews of it from readers. And having worked closely with [Claire Vo](https://clairevo.com/) on [her pod](https://www.youtube. - Network accessline 129
1. [Turning messy notes into “a banger PRD in no time”](https://x.com/marchattonhere/status/1966129003061723646) - Network accessline 130
2. [Automating your software development lifecycle](https://x.com/nummanthinks/status/1962141253992161373) by connecting it to Linear - Network accessline 131
3. [Planning features for agentic coding tools](https://x.com/JoschuaBuilds/status/1956240158405144934) - Network accessline 132
4. [Using Lennybot and ChatPRD together](https://x.com/robin_faraj/status/1955316655401127983) - Network accessline 133
5. [Helping you improve your structured thinking](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/max-vorhauer_one-of-my-favorite-ai-tools-in-the-recent-activity-7379485447695052800-Ckk1?rcm=ACoAAABaMoABXs298Ex3dZ9oSQYFUA_dcPeNiXI) - Network accessline 137
Check out the [website](https://www.chatprd.ai/) and [this rad templates library](https://www.chatprd.ai/templates). - Network accessline 139
# **5. [Superhuman](https://superhuman.com/products/mail)** - Network accessline 155
1. [Drafting automatic replies with AI](https://superhuman.com/products/mail/ai?hsa_acc=3060134131&hsa_cam=22926086053&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22916203863) *[ - Network accessline 156
2. [Collaborating on emails with your colleagues](https://superhuman.com/products/mail/startups?hsa_acc=3060134131&hsa_cam=22926086053&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid - Network accessline 157
3. [Creating team snippets of commonly used phrases, paragraphs, or even whole emails](https://superhuman.com/products/mail/startups?hsa_acc=3060134131&hsa_cam=22926086053&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords& - Network accessline 158
4. [Booking meetings and sharing your availability](https://blog.superhuman.com/find-time/?hsa_acc=3060134131&hsa_cam=22926086053&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=2291 - Network accessline 159
5. [Automatically filtering and organizing incoming email, smartly](https://superhuman.com/products/mail/startups?hsa_acc=3060134131&hsa_cam=22926086053&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gad_sourc - Network accessline 163
Check out their [website](https://superhuman.com/products/mail), and [my podcast chat with founder Rahul Vohra](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0igjSRZyX-w). - Network accessline 165
# **6. [Raycast](https://www.raycast.com/)** - Network accessline 179
 - Network accessline 183
1. [Snippets for standardized email replies](https://www.raycast.com/community-stories/sania-saleh) - Network accessline 184
2. [Really great file search](https://www.raycast.com/community-stories/simon-kubica) - Network accessline 185
3. [Launching your most-used apps via hotkeys](https://www.raycast.com/community-stories/gavin-nelson) - Network accessline 186
4. [Creating custom shortcuts to Windows Management commands](https://www.raycast.com/community-stories/pawel-grzybek) - Network accessline 187
5. [Auto-join all your meetings without having to click any links](https://www.raycast.com/community-stories/james-mulholland) - Network accessline 189
[Tons more here](https://www.raycast.com/community-stories). - Network accessline 193
Check out their [website](https://www.raycast.com/) and their [store of extensions](https://www.raycast.com/store). - Network accessline 195
# **7. [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/pro) (makers of Comet!)** - Network accessline 199
Perplexity is a leading AI-powered answer engine (with in-line citations, built-in deep research, and a focus on accuracy), but, most exciting of all, they recently launched [Comet](https://www.perplexity.ai/comet), the world’s most popular - Network accessline 211
1. [For finance teams](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT7ZEILjs-U) - Network accessline 212
2. [For business development](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNqe1S5XWUQ) - Network accessline 213
3. [Automating entire workflows with Comet](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqAHw6TwLsk) - Network accessline 214
4. [Creating financial reports using Perplexity Labs](https://x.com/AravSrinivas/status/1928220532614537318) - Network accessline 215
5. [Searching and analyzing subreddits for ad angles using Comet](https://x.com/NathanSnell/status/1943095214932943291) - Network accessline 219
Check out [Perplexity](https://www.perplexity.ai/pro) and [Comet](https://www.perplexity.ai/comet). - Network accessline 223
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/part-2-of-how-to-get-the-most-out/comments) - Network accessline 227
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/part-2-time-management-techniques-that-actually-work.md
- Network accessline 12
[My YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@LennysPodcast) just crossed 100,000 subscribers (😱), so to celebrate, and to thank you for listening, I’m hosting my biggest ever giveaway: - Network accessline 14
**Win an all-expenses-paid ticket to the [Lenny & Friends Summit](https://lennyssummit.com) on October 24th in San Francisco. One lucky winner will get a ticket to the summit, a round-trip flight to San Francisco, and a hotel stay for two n - Network accessline 24
My post a few weeks ago on [time management techniques that actually work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-management-techniques-that-actually) is on track to be my most popular post ever (wtf!). Since I left a bunch of tactics out - Network accessline 34
Pick a [waiting-for](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/147172995/keep-a-waiting-for-list) off your list that’s been lagging, and float the idea of picking an arbitrary deadline to that person. - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 44
A secondary trick I found to be *super*-effective is to rewrite my to-dos each morning on a fresh page. I tear out the previous page, transferring anything that wasn’t done but is still a priority for today to the new page. I rethink [my to - Network accessline 50
 - Network accessline 70
To do this, I’ve settled on using an app called [TextExpander](https://textexpander.com/individual). It’s fugly, but has the best combination of features. Here’s a screenshot of some of my snippets: - Network accessline 72
 - Network accessline 74
For most people, though, if you’re on a Mac, I’d highly recommend starting with the built-in [text replacement](https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/replace-text-punctuation-documents-mac-mh35735/mac) feature. Go to *System Settings* → - Network accessline 76
 - Network accessline 82
1. Review meetings you’ve got coming up, and think about what you need to do to be ready for them. 2. Write out your [1-3 most important to-dos](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/147172995/each-morning-write-down-just-things-you-have-to-ac - Network accessline 83
2. Write out your [1-3 most important to-dos](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/147172995/each-morning-write-down-just-things-you-have-to-accomplish-that-day) in your notebook (see tip #2 above). - Network accessline 84
3. Slot important to-dos into your calendar ([per my advice in last week’s post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/147172995/use-your-calendar-for-to-dos)). - Network accessline 85
4. Check in on [waiting-for’s](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/147172995/keep-a-waiting-for-list) that have been lagging. - Network accessline 93
Cal Newport has a technique he calls the [work shutdown ritual,](https://calnewport.com/drastically-reduce-stress-with-a-work-shutdown-ritual/) where he takes this idea further and even says the words “schedule shutdown, complete” when he f - Network accessline 103
I couldn’t find a good guide for how to do this well, so I asked Perplexity and [got a great answer](https://www.perplexity.ai/search/i-want-to-do-a-time-audit-of-m-ymXFQqrFRKWqg88sX.qXnw). - Network accessline 105
 - Network accessline 109
That audit will inform how you want your day-to-day schedule to ideally look, and will help you use your energy best throughout the day. [Here’s an amazing step-by-step guide](https://beta.mocharymethod.com/blog-post/energy-audit) from Matt - Network accessline 111
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emAXGqwtPCk) - Network accessline 119
1. A good pair of over-ear headphones 2. Binaural beats (e.g. [Brain.fm](https://my.brain.fm/payment?extended_promo=30)) - Network accessline 120
2. Binaural beats (e.g. [Brain.fm](https://my.brain.fm/payment?extended_promo=30)) - Network accessline 121
3. Caffeine (or something like [Magic Mind](https://magicmind.co/)) - Network accessline 122
4. Fast, reliable Wi-Fi 5. Having 1 to 3 clear to-dos that I know I’ll be focusing on 6. At least two hours to work, with confidence that I won’t be disturbed ([here’s tips for that](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/147172995/keep-do-not- - Network accessline 123
5. Having 1 to 3 clear to-dos that I know I’ll be focusing on 6. At least two hours to work, with confidence that I won’t be disturbed ([here’s tips for that](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/147172995/keep-do-not-disturb-mode-on)) 7. Ide - Network accessline 124
6. At least two hours to work, with confidence that I won’t be disturbed ([here’s tips for that](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/147172995/keep-do-not-disturb-mode-on)) - Network accessline 131
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/part-2-time-management-techniques/comments) - Network accessline 135
1. [How Future Billionaires Get Sh\*t Done](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ephzgxgOjR0) by Y Combinator - Network accessline 136
2. [Entrepreneur Life: Tips to manage your time as a startup founder](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_bArdkS8NQ&t=2s) by Caya - Network accessline 137
3. [Pmarca Guide to Personal Productivity](https://pmarchive.com/guide_to_personal_productivity.html) by Marc Andreessen - Network accessline 138
4. [Leave a Summary for Yourself](https://perell.com/note/leave-a-summary-for-yourself/) by David Perell - Network accessline 146
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 150
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/picking-a-wedge.md
- Network accessline 14
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbtBRvqAFPA) - Network accessline 18
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 - Network accessline 41
> #### “We kept hearing that to enter a big market, you need a wedge—something really sharp and really specific, and then you expand from there. It turns out for some classes of problems, such as infrastructure management, which is what we - Network accessline 43
> #### —Olivier Pomel, CEO and co-founder of Datadog ([source](https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/olivier-pomel/)) - Network accessline 49
 - Network accessline 69
In marketplaces (and any network-effects businesses), starting with a narrow focus is even more essential, as [Mike Duboe](https://twitter.com/mduboe), GP at Greylock, explains: - Network accessline 106
For [Carta](https://carta.com), it was cap table management: - Network accessline 112
For [Gainsight](https://www.gainsight.com/), it was helping companies understand their customers: - Network accessline 122
For [PayPal](https://paypal.com/), it was accepting payments for online eBay auctions: - Network accessline 128
> *We rolled out other features for auction sellers that made it even more convenient to use PayPal. We dropped other plans and went all-in on the eBay use case. Results were immediate. At the end of 1999, PayPal had less than 10,000 users. - Network accessline 130
> —David Sacks, Former COO of PayPal ([source](https://medium.com/craft-ventures/the-sharp-startup-when-paypal-found-product-market-fit-5ba47ad35d0b)) - Network accessline 134
For [Twilio](https://twilio.com/), it was Ruby on Rails developers: - Network accessline 140
For [Square](https://square.com/), it was small independent offline retailers: - Network accessline 150
For [Outschool](https://outschool.com/), it was homeschoolers: - Network accessline 156
For [Uber](https://uber.com/), it was a specific type of rider in SF: - Network accessline 168
If you’re building a consumer product, here’s some advice on how to [build](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing), [grow](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got), and [find PMF](https://www.lennysnew - Network accessline 172
 - Network accessline 176
1. [The sharp startup: When PayPal found product-market fit](https://medium.com/craft-ventures/the-sharp-startup-when-paypal-found-product-market-fit-5ba47ad35d0b) by David Sacks - Network accessline 177
2. [The product wedge: How to scope your initial product](https://every.to/divinations/product-wedges-a-complete-guide) by Nathan Baschez and Austin Langlinais - Network accessline 178
3. [The market wedge: How to pick your initial market](https://every.to/divinations/the-market-wedge-how-to-pick-your-initial-market) by Nathan Baschez and Eric Thompson - Network accessline 179
4. [The “thin edge of the wedge” strategy](https://cdixon.org/2010/12/26/the-thin-edge-of-the-wedge-strategy) by Chris Dixon - Network accessline 180
5. [All wedges are not created equal](https://nbt.substack.com/p/all-wedges-are-not-created-equal) by Nikhil Basu Trivedi - Network accessline 182
*A big thank-you to [Alex Taussig](https://lsvp.com/team/alex-taussig/), [Ajay Agarwal](https://www.baincapitalventures.com/team/ajay/), [Ann Miura-Ko](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amiura), [Bryan Offutt](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanoff - Network accessline 188
1. **Hyphen:** [Senior Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/409ba7dc-d175-45cf-a3e8-5b50d020c874) (LA, SF, San Jose, Atlanta, Remote-US) - Network accessline 189
2. **Rapchat:** [Data Analyst](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/e32872cf-766d-47f1-b367-6e9b0d437294) (Remote-US/EU) - Network accessline 190
3. **The Parent Company:** [Product Manager - Consumer Growth](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/31f0e76e-aace-4a3c-a1bd-370dab92eda2) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 191
4. **Spokn:** [Head of Product Design](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/4ae774dd-1c74-4709-897e-dd4413a2aa5c) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 192
5. **Custom Ink:** [Senior UX Architect](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6cf2edfe-0149-4cf8-99f4-7bf23a949975) (Fairfax VA, Remote-US) - Network accessline 193
6. **PadSplit:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/a4a610e5-a0dc-4c28-9c19-9905c60917ad) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 194
7. **Matter:** [Design Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/d08a9ae6-80b3-414f-8e36-daa2b8ea6768) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 195
8. **Papaya:** [Director, Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/4d7cac8e-4fc5-4df3-9dff-185749963030) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 196
9. **Airtable:** [Engineering Manager, Monetization](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6806a6f6-bb9d-4a9c-b4a6-d48d36951670) (SF) - Network accessline 197
10. **Catalog:** [Design Director](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/9ffd590f-5cda-4bbd-b1bf-687a7f89eb48) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 198
11. **TrueAccord:** [Senior Product Manager, Core Product](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/ddcb06db-119d-47d0-83f4-ddd1ff755f88) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 199
12. **Brace:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/f04ce367-5a1f-462e-a79d-725870b8eded) (NYC) - Network accessline 201
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 205
1. **Read:** [Warren Buffett: “Really Successful People Say No to Almost Everything”](https://medium.com/accelerated-intelligence/warren-buffett-really-successful-people-say-no-to-almost-everything-ab78832ffebc) - Network accessline 206
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 207
3. **Watch:** [I Am A Product Manager](https://productcollective.com/i-am-a-product-manager/?mc_cid=8fcaf6fdb0&mc_eid=UNIQID) by Chris Webb - Network accessline 209
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OHqHqrClPI) - Network accessline 213
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/positioning.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a ✨ **once-a-month free edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressin - Network accessline 14
1. *[15 ways to increase your team’s velocity](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/increasing-velocity-issue-61)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[The most important consumer subscription metrics to track](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/the-most-important-consumer-subscription)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Should you become a product manager?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/become-a-product-manager)* - Network accessline 20
When I think positioning, I immediately think of one person: [April Dunford](https://twitter.com/aprildunford). April is the author of the best-selling book *[Obviously Awesome](https://www.amazon.com/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-C - Network accessline 26
*For more from April, check out her [Twitter](https://twitter.com/aprildunford), [website](https://www.aprildunford.com/), and [book](https://www.amazon.com/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers/dp/1999023005/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0? - Network accessline 30
by [April Dunford](https://twitter.com/aprildunford) - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 52
In the end, I talked to 100 customers: 94 didn’t even know they had it, 6 had transformed their business with it. We didn’t exactly have product-market fit [in the Sean Ellis sense](https://pmfsurvey.com/). - Network accessline 56
A year of massive growth later, we were acquired by a big database company, where the product spawned a product family that generated hundreds of millions in revenue. Over 20 years later, this “failed” product [still runs](https://www.sap.c - Network accessline 62
Positioning is not as well understood as you might think. If I put a dozen senior marketers in a room together and asked them to define positioning, I’d get a dozen different answers. When I talk about positioning at conferences, I sometime - Possible obfuscationline 70
> **<U+200D>“Positioning defines how your product is a leader at delivering something that a well-defined set of customers cares a lot about.”** - Network accessline 76
Positioning is like [context setting](https://www.aprildunford.com/post/how-to-transform-your-product-by-giving-it-context) for products. It’s a bit like the opening scene of a movie. The opening scene gets us oriented. It answers the big q - Network accessline 80
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**<U+200D>I believe this exercise is not only pointless but potentially dangerous**. The exercise assumes that there is only one answer for each of the blanks and you simply “know” what it is. However, most products could easily be positioned in m - Network accessline 132
 - Network accessline 160
Next, I see companies listing what I would call “phantom competitors” in step 1. [Phantom competitors](https://twitter.com/aprildunford/status/1334143529573081089?s=20) are companies that theoretically could compete with you; you just never - Network accessline 170
There is an assumption that the payoff for creating a new market category is that you will dominate the market as it grows. [In my book](https://www.amazon.com/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers/dp/1999023005/), I tell the stor - Network accessline 178
Positioning is a misunderstood concept, but I believe that if you master it, it can be the most powerful strategic tool you have at your disposal. If you are interested in learning more, I go deeper on this topic in my [book](https://www.am - Network accessline 182
> **✨ Airtable is hiring for a [Full-Stack Engineer](https://grnh.se/0725e0b52us) and an [Engineering Manager](https://grnh.se/402aac172us)** ✨ - Network accessline 186
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4313154003), [Kudo](https://kudo.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=32), [Plume](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2344670919/?trackingId=YHvRTxoetClV7013SkxEAQ%3D%3D), [Pren - Network accessline 187
2. **Growth**: [Alloy](https://apply.workable.com/alloy-automation/j/A0909506B0/), [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC98C5FDFB/), [SpaceX Starlink](https://board - Network accessline 188
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Office Hours](https://jobs.lever.co/office-hours/13d73541-b5b7-405a-9 - Network accessline 189
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 190
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04), [Tome](https://www - Network accessline 191
6. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-Backend-6d954206f00b446289f18bf51960ca34), [Transform](https://trans - Network accessline 192
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Alloy](https://apply.workable.com/alloy-automation/j/27639ECE80/), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9 - Network accessline 193
8. **iOS engineer**: [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://jobs.lever.co/stytch/d3bf3860-4aaa-4a23-8e28-dad20957be44) - Network accessline 195
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/preparing-for-a-pm-interview.md
- Network accessline 24
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/preparing-for-a-pm-interview/comments) - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 34
1. **Use the product**. Form an opinion about what could be improved, what you’d prioritize if you were in charge, and where the product might go in the future. 2. **Research the company.** What’s its mission and vision? What has it launche - Network accessline 36
3. **Review common interview questions**. Skim questions on [Glassdoor](https://www.glassdoor.com/Interview/index.htm), [Exponent](https://www.tryexponent.com/questions?page=1&role=pm), and [PMExercises](https://www.productmanagementexercis - Network accessline 49
1. **Find PMs who can do mock interviews with you**. If you can’t find enough willing friends, check out peer groups from [Exponent](https://www.tryexponent.com/practice?src=nav), [PMExercises](https://www.productmanagementexercises.com/pra - Network accessline 51
1. **Watch mock interviews** by[Exponent](https://www.youtube.com/c/ExponentTV), [Product Alliance](https://www.youtube.com/c/ProductAlliance/videos?view=0&sort=p&flow=grid), [RocketBlocks](https://www.youtube.com/c/rocketblocks), and [Dieg - Network accessline 52
2. **Get an interview coach** through [IGotAnOffer](https://app.igotanoffer.com/coaching/tech/), [Exponent](https://www.tryexponent.com/coaching?src=nav), [RocketBlocks](https://www.rocketblocks.me/#pricing), [Product Alliance](https://www. - Network accessline 56
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-qyEDwB1tw)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Pg_7Tiohns)[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=se6Soyi2k0U) - Network accessline 66
1. [CIRCLES](https://www.productplan.com/glossary/circles-method/), for product design questions - Network accessline 67
2. [STAR](https://www.thebalancecareers.com/what-is-the-star-interview-response-technique-2061629) and [DIGS](https://www.lewis-lin.com/blog/2019/9/16/what-is-the-digs-method), for behavioral questions - Network accessline 68
3. [AARM](https://www.lewis-lin.com/blog/2017/11/3/what-is-the-aarm-method), for picking a metric for a product - Network accessline 69
4. [RICE](https://www.intercom.com/blog/rice-simple-prioritization-for-product-managers), for prioritizing - Network accessline 70
5. [Broad then deep](https://www.tryexponent.com/courses/general-interview/broad-then-deep), for any question - Network accessline 73
1. *[Cracking the PM Interview](https://www.crackingthepminterview.com/)* - Network accessline 74
2. *[Decode and Conquer](https://www.amazon.com/Decode-Conquer-Answers-Management-Interviews/dp/0615930417/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=)* - Network accessline 77
1. [Ruthless prioritization](https://blackboxofpm.com/ruthless-prioritization-e4256e3520a9) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 78
2. [Prioritizing](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing?s=w) by me - Network accessline 79
3. [WTF is strategy?](https://hackernoon.com/wtf-is-a-strategy-bcaa3fda9a31) by Vince Law - Network accessline 80
4. [Getting better at product strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) by me - Network accessline 81
5. [How to become a strategic leader](https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/how-to-become-a-strategic-leader/) by Julie Zhuo - Network accessline 82
6. [How am I going to move my product forward today?](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/how-am-i-going-to-move-my-product-forward-today) by Sachin Rekhi - Network accessline 83
7. [What is product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management) by me - Network accessline 84
8. [How to develop product sense](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-sense?s=w) by Jules Walter - Network accessline 85
9. [Building products](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/building-products-91aa93bea4bb) by Julie Zhuo - Network accessline 102
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of hand-curated product and growth people open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 104
 - Network accessline 108
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 112
1. **Ellis:** [Software Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/dbba97cd-8552-4e1f-96d2-f6092bdff5a5) (Remote) - Network accessline 113
2. **WorkWhile:** [Head of Product](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/8be3c844-7997-4d22-9edd-28ae8e541860) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 114
3. **Clipboard Health:** [Engineering Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/299a6ac5-8435-4596-8262-b29c15c7613f) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 115
4. **Brilliant.org:** [Senior Product Manager, Growth](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a9f29cee-d7b7-42ce-b1dc-05d6d29ecec7) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 121
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-4yOx1CnXE) - Network accessline 123
**2. Listen:** [Rick Rubin: Legendary Music Producer](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/275-rick-rubin-legendary-music-producer/id1434243584?i=1000556892280) on Lex Fridman Podcast - Network accessline 125
**3. Read:** [The Marketplace 100: 2022](https://future.a16z.com/marketplace-100/) by a16z - Network accessline 127
references/02-newsletters/pricing-your-saas-product.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a ✨ **once-a-month-free-edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressin - Network accessline 14
1. *[Moving from IC product manager to manager of product managers](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/moving-from-ic-product-manager-to)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[Top 5 most interesting things about Booking.com's early growth strategy](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/top-5-most-interesting-things-about)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[The most important bottom-up SaaS metrics to track (and how to best visualize them)](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas)* - Network accessline 22
Many suggestions came though but one name came up again and again: [@Patticus](https://twitter.com/Patticus), aka Patrick Campbell. - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 28
For those that don’t know Patrick, he is CEO of [ProfitWell](https://www.profitwell.com/), and generally regarded guru on anything SaaS. Unrelated to this post, I started using ProfitWell a couple of months back to track my newsletter metri - Network accessline 52
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 - Network accessline 79
 - Network accessline 83
 - Network accessline 85
Value metrics also bake growth directly into how you charge because as usage or the amount of value received goes up (and those are not the same thing), the customer pays more. If they end up using or consuming less, they pay less (and thus - Network accessline 93
As an example, the perfect value metric for ProfitWell Retain (our churn recovery product) is how much churn we recover for you. We can measure this, and our customers agree to the measurement, so we can charge on that axis. Other pure valu - Network accessline 95
Most of you won't have a pure value metric, so the next step is to find a proxy for that metric. Take for example [HubSpot](https://www.hubspot.com/)’s marketing product. Their pure value metric is the amount of revenue their tool drives fo - Network accessline 105
1. [Wistia](https://wistia.com/) charges by the number of videos or channels you use/have - Network accessline 106
2. [Zapier](https://zapier.com/) invented the concept of zap (connection of software) and charge based on time to connect - Network accessline 107
3. [Theater in Barcelona charged based on the number of laughs](https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-29551380) - Network accessline 108
4. [Husqvarna](https://www.husqvarna.com/) charges based on time for lawn care products vs. making you buy them - Network accessline 109
5. [Rolls Royce](https://www.rolls-roycemotorcars.com/en_US/home.html) charges per mile for airplane engines. They own the engines on the plane you own and do all the maintenance. Cool model. - Network accessline 110
6. [Fresh Patch](https://www.freshpatch.com/) charges based on the amount of grass you want per month for your dog — yes they deliver grass to you monthly - Network accessline 120
To get quantified personas, you need to pull out a spreadsheet. [Here’s a template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QZ8sNT7aP3TWHDsrK8k1vN_HDohxQUQaPok1BfVh0Uo/edit#gid=0) you can use. - Network accessline 122
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 - Network accessline 195
1. I’ve included a rapid-fire of data that guides common monetization questions below. 2. If you ever have a question about pricing or subscription benchmarks in general hit me up at [patrick@profitwell.com](mailto:patrick@profitwell.com) o - Network accessline 196
2. If you ever have a question about pricing or subscription benchmarks in general hit me up at [patrick@profitwell.com](mailto:patrick@profitwell.com) or [@Patticus](https://twitter.com/Patticus) on Twitter. - Network accessline 207
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Still here? Ok, I think I've overstayed my welcome at this point. If you ever have any questions about pricing, retention, or subscription benchmarks, [hit me up on Twitter](https://twitter.com/Patticus). - Network accessline 276
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas/comments) - Network accessline 280
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4124465003), [ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), [Hipcamp](https: - Network accessline 281
2. **Growth**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Shef](https://angel.co/company/shef-1/jobs/8832 - Network accessline 282
3. **Design**: [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8hL-FyCrmAes/edit), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product-Des - Network accessline 283
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 284
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/ca - Network accessline 285
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) - Network accessline 286
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4473700002), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [Iggy](htt - Network accessline 287
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Vori](https://www.n
references/02-newsletters/prioritizing-at-startups.md
- Network accessline 12
You’re absolutely right. Most of the prioritizing advice out there is not actually useful for early-stage pre-PMF companies. Including [my earlier post on prioritization](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing). That’s troubling, b - Network accessline 16
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*To inform my thinking, I asked some of my favorite early-stage founders (building rocket-ship businesses) how they prioritized early-on. You’ll find their insights below. A big thank-you to [Benjamin Encz](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benja - Network accessline 37
1. **Solving nice-to-have problems:** Too many founders spend their time building “[vitamins](https://www.forbes.com/sites/georgedeeb/2014/07/24/is-your-startup-building-a-vitamin-or-a-painkiller/?sh=16c5eb223826)”—products that solve small - Network accessline 38
2. **Trying to be data-driven:** As an early-stage startup, especially in B2B, you simply don’t have enough data. [Use this calculator](https://www.optimizely.com/sample-size-calculator/?conversion=3&effect=20&significance=95) to see for yo - Network accessline 42
> #### “We have a philosophy when it comes to building product that we shouldn’t just build either what competitors are doing or take at face value what customers are asking for. Rather, we dig deeper to understand the problem they’re tryin - Network accessline 44
> #### —Julianna Lamb, CTO of [Stytch](https://stytch.com/) - Network accessline 54
 - Network accessline 56
**What does very happy look like? “**Very happy”is just another way to describe product-market fit. Here’s what PMF [looks like](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) and [feels like](https://www.lennysn - Network accessline 62
1. **Segment:** Narrowly and concretely define who you’re building for. [Here’s a template](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1YoaOOX6a2SR7exE4roSg1AxYOxFykCEUS6roYyUtydU/edit#slide=id.ga11148e336_7_28), and [here’s a guide](https://ww - Network accessline 64
 - Network accessline 66
2. **Understand:** Talk to many (ideally 100+) people from this segment. Identify a major pain point that you can solve. [Here’s some guidance on interviewing](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/interviewing-users-for-product-market). If yo - Network accessline 68
> #### “We had a folder where we put all of our power-user video calls. When we were coming up with how to articulate the core value proposition (which became ‘AI writing assistant for teams’), I would re-listen to them over and over, hand- - Network accessline 70
> #### —May Habib, CEO of [Writer](https://writer.com/) - Network accessline 75
> #### “We’d revisit our customer pitch and investor pitch (in a simple Google Doc) on a weekly basis and modify it as our understanding of the problem/solution evolved. We then wrote out what we believed to be the core problems Zip solves, - Network accessline 77
> #### —Rujul Zaparde, CEO of [Zip](https://ziphq.com/) - Network accessline 90
> #### “We generally prioritize any serious ‘blockers’ with existing features over new feature development. Beyond that, we take a portfolio approach of allocating a certain percentage of the team to building new features (i.e. making the p - Network accessline 92
> #### —Benjamin Encz, CEO of [Ashby](https://ashbyhq.com/) - Network accessline 97
> #### “When it was just us two founders, I spent much of my time fixing bugs that early users wrote in about. Those got fixed as quickly as I could fix them (though I also introduced some 😬). As soon as the team was four engineers, we had - Network accessline 99
> #### —Christina Cacioppo, CEO of [Vanta](https://www.vanta.com/) - Network accessline 105
> #### “We’d prioritize the features we wish we had when using existing ML tools. That was our base roadmap—build features that could’ve made our jobs easier back then. Until we got our product in the hands of real paying customers, we kept - Network accessline 107
> #### —Tommy Dang, CEO of [Mage](https://mage.ai/) - Network accessline 119
[Check out this post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/where-great-product-roadmap-ideas) for more ideas. - Network accessline 123
 - Network accessline 127
1. [How to prioritize features](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/8p-how-to-prioritize-features) by Emmett Shear, co-founder of Twitch - Network accessline 128
2. [How to balance focus on one customer at a time versus new features for many](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/4N-how-to-balance-focus-on-one-customer-at-a-time-versus-new-features-for-many) by Kevin Hale, partner at YC - Network accessline 129
3. [Users you don’t want](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/67-user-you-don-t-want) by Michael Seibel - Network accessline 135
1. **Casual:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c03a7db8-67f0-4b79-a82b-e4bf8ef624d1)(Remote-EU) - Network accessline 136
2. **Mynd:** [Product Manager, Buying Services](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/5acd93b4-3e73-45f6-894f-a701509a81ea) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 138
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 142
1. **Watch:** [Elon Musk on SpaceX, Mars, Tesla Autopilot, Self-Driving, Robotics, and AI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxREm3s1scA) by Lex Fridman - Network accessline 143
2. **Listen:** [Top Growth Lessons from Andy Johns](https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/andy-johns/) by Harry Stebbings - Network accessline 148
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/prioritizing-conversion-opportunities.md
- Network accessline 10
Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and welcome to a**🔒 subscriber-only weekly edition 🔒**of my newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you - Network accessline 16
## **Q: I loved your [post about optimizing conversion](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics), but how do you decide what percentage of resources to allocate to each conversion lever (focus, motivation, frictio - Network accessline 18
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bKi7!,f_au - Network accessline 24
Below, you’ll find my suggestions, PLUS as a big bonus, I’ve asked three super-smart growth friends ([Lex Roman](https://lexroman.com), [Jeff Chang](https://www.growthengblog.com), and [Isaac Silverman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacsilv - Network accessline 28
As a refresher from [the post you referenced](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics), when approaching optimizing a funnel, I suggest focusing on three primary levers: - Network accessline 38
1. **I’ve found the most upside when optimizing Motivation (**e.g. reminding the user why they should finish),followed by **Focus (**e.g. reducing distractions)**,** followed by **Friction (**e.g. making it easier)**.** So I’d ideate in tha - Network accessline 48
#### [Jeff Chang](https://www.growthengblog.com/) — Growth Engineer @ Pinterest - Network accessline 53
> 2. **If intent is low** (ex. somebody searches a generic term and lands on your page, not knowing what your product is), opportunities like educating the user to increase intent are bigger > > [Read more about my intent / ease framework f - Network accessline 55
> [Read more about my intent / ease framework for conversions](https://www.growthengblog.com/blog/2018/10/1/the-intentease-framework-for-conversion-optimization) - Network accessline 57
#### [Lex Roman](https://lexroman.com) — Growth Designer - Network accessline 59
> If I'm working across a big section of a product (i.e. not just one screen), I find it helpful to walk through the impact step by step. > > **I've started creating an "Impact Calculators" to help me think through where to focus**. [Here's - Network accessline 60
> > **I've started creating an "Impact Calculators" to help me think through where to focus**. [Here's an example](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1g1kQn9p247GFzBfKOzm2Dci76EFpxjLrfe3MQrnllYQ/edit#gid=0) but you can include anything - Network accessline 61
> **I've started creating an "Impact Calculators" to help me think through where to focus**. [Here's an example](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1g1kQn9p247GFzBfKOzm2Dci76EFpxjLrfe3MQrnllYQ/edit#gid=0) but you can include anything yo - Network accessline 65
#### [Isaac Silverman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacsilverman/) — Former Head of Uber Rider Growth - Network accessline 90
1. **Read**: [In a First, Renewable Energy Is Poised to Eclipse Coal in U.S.](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/climate/coronavirus-coal-electricity-renewables.html) - Network accessline 91
2. **Build**: [IKEA Released Instructions on How to Build the 6 Best Blanket Forts For Your Home Quarantine](https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/ikea-releases-6-blanket-fort-instructions/) - Network accessline 93
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ePqk!,f_a - Network accessline 94
3. **Watch:** [The Miracle Sudoku](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKf9aUIxdb4&feature=youtu.be) — If you never thought a game of Sudoku could make you tear up, you’re wrong - Network accessline 96
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKf9aUIxdb4)
references/02-newsletters/prioritizing.md
- Network accessline 12
Judging by [the sea of SEO thirst-trap blog posts about prioritization](https://www.google.com/search?q=prioritization+framework+product+management&sxsrf=ALeKk02hXQvP0V-ahYH0txqrrFeb_L3YJA%3A1627237077317&ei=1ar9YJvuEqW_0PEPpba28A4&oq=prior - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 40
1. [Simplest possible prioritization framework](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dezLP0MAXTZ3_JbbB2OEP1yCLBYPkbTOXLEI-G6ELN4/edit#gid=0) - Network accessline 41
2. [Gina’s sample prioritization template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PLxx5lWSoJDk6fuBRxMAKKhYQJpnITdDcbRD9gjhpPg/edit#gid=0) - Network accessline 42
3. [Optimizely’s prioritization framework](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17IpyLuyGyaqnS7tSx_9gVfhCvDfpwUl8TYWRomS2isQ/edit#gid=1687325850https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17IpyLuyGyaqnS7tSx_9gVfhCvDfpwUl8TYWRomS2isQ/edit#gid=1 - Network accessline 43
4. [My favorite roadmap template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zlx3RuidNOW40Zf7gh07p2SqoR53Ungv9JFT-PhHwxI/edit#gid=184965050) - Network accessline 59
[Shreyas](https://twitter.com/shreyas) has a great metaphor for how to frame your thinking on impact: - Network accessline 65
#### **What about [RICE](https://www.intercom.com/blog/rice-simple-prioritization-for-product-managers/)?** - Network accessline 73
1. [MoSCoW](https://www.productplan.com/glossary/moscow-prioritization/) - Network accessline 74
2. [Kano](https://www.productplan.com/glossary/kano-model/) - Network accessline 75
3. [Weighted Shortest Job First](https://www.scaledagileframework.com/wsjf/) - Network accessline 77
Also don’t miss [this amazing thread full of recommendations](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1418664847911256066) from 100+ people. - Network accessline 81
 - Network accessline 89
 - Network accessline 106
This is beyond the scope of this post, but check out [my post on product strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy), which will give you a starting point for building your strategy muscle. I also sugges - Network accessline 108
 - Network accessline 130
 - Possible obfuscationline 138
5. Using the product yoursel<U+FE0F>f 🕵<U+FE0F><U+200D>♀<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 160
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzVvjKLdAbk) - Network accessline 164
 - Network accessline 168
1. [Ruthless Prioritization](https://blackboxofpm.com/ruthless-prioritization-e4256e3520a9) by Brandon Chu - Network accessline 169
2. [Opportunity Mapping](https://www.producttalk.org/2020/07/opportunity-mapping/) by Teresa Torres - Network accessline 170
3. [Product at hypergrowth: prioritization for fast-scaling startups](https://blog.superhuman.com/product-at-hypergrowth-prioritization-for-fast-scaling-startups/) by Ketki Duvvuru - Network accessline 171
4. [Where great product roadmap ideas come from](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/where-great-product-roadmap-ideas) - Network accessline 172
5. [Getting better at product strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) - Network accessline 178
1. **Jetpack Workflow:** [Product Designer (UI/UX)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/1653c4a3-0230-481c-a0fa-9b7203b2783d) (Remote—US/EU) - Network accessline 179
2. **Pallet:** [Full Stack Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4fafcda8-cfb9-4e51-9173-04dc72382ea9) (NYC/Remote—US) - Network accessline 180
3. **Runway Financial:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/0601f0a1-96ee-4dc5-b9fb-d613f6e212bc) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 181
4. **SwagUp:** [Director, Product Management (Dashboard)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/943ab014-bcb4-4d79-8bdb-2c18f7fc0fa0) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 182
5. **Whatnot**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/c9d0007f-e954-4306-8776-11d994395e67) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 183
6. **Evisort:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f643aa41-7b02-48a7-8bb9-8319e0a32270) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 184
7. **Truework**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/288da35c-9090-4186-8d57-e269611288f3) (San Francisco) - Network accessline 185
8. **Staffy**: [Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/ed0b504b-4fa3-48bc-9716-684750df3e80) (Toronto) - Network accessline 186
9. **Quidax:**[Product Director](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/fd33811d-4b9d-40e5-b041-46db566f2d95) (Toronto) - Network accessline 187
10. **Cord:**[Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/67d8080e-c51b-4574-ade8-cab0693984a5) (London) - Network accessline 188
11. **Rally:**[Founding Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/55e10d59-13ea-461a-bdaa-fe8ad989b41b) (Remote—Global) - Network accessline 189
12. **Crusoe:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4bd3b894-fa7b-4f31-9022-04ca611ceaeb) (SF, Denver) - Network accessline 191
*Browse many more open roles (or add your own) at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 195
1. **Read**: [7 do’s and don’ts to get better at giving and receiving feedback](https://collinmathilde.medium.com/7-dos-and-don-ts-to-get-better-at-giving-and-receiving-feedback-d394bd20d1fb) by Mathilde Collin - Network accessline 196
2. **Listen**: [How Packy McCormick Plays The Great Online Game](https://ideas.beondeck.com/how-packy-mccormick-plays-the-great-online-game/) - Network accessline 197
3. **Watch**: [“When you focus on the past, that’s your ego.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=-qLchg4xkOY) - Network accessline 199
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qLchg4xkOY) - Network accessline 203
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/product-led-marketing.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 14
1. *[A long and growing list of growth ideas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-ideas)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[How Duolingo builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-builds-product)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Discussion: What’s your favorite product and why?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/discussion-whats-your-favorite-product/comments)* - Network accessline 20
[Kyle Poyar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/) is one of those people that I knew I’d eventually collaborate with. As a longtime partner at [OpenView](https://openviewpartners.com/product-led-growth/), he’s been studying, working wit - Network accessline 22
*For much more from Kyle, make sure to subscribe to his newsletter, [Growth Unhinged](https://kylepoyar.substack.com/), and follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/).* - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 26
I won’t sugarcoat it: making the math work with product-led growth is hard. It requires attracting a vast pool of potential users who are interested in your product, all while spending very little to attract that audience (i.e. near $0 cust - Network accessline 28
Let’s unpack the PLG funnel math, pulling on data from [OpenView’s 2022 Product Benchmarks survey](https://openviewpartners.com/2022-product-benchmarks/). If an average freemium PLG product attracts 1,000 unique visitors to their website ea - Network accessline 46
 - Network accessline 60
Snyk’s [Open Source Vulnerability Database](https://security.snyk.io/) makes for a great example. - Network accessline 62
 - Network accessline 68
*Related examples: Similarweb’s [Top Websites Ranking](https://www.similarweb.com/top-websites/), HubSpot’s [Website Grader](https://website.grader.com/), Ahrefs’s [Free Backlink Checker](https://ahrefs.com/backlink-checker), Zenefits’s [He - Network accessline 76
Consider the case of Airtable, which lets teams create low-code and no-code apps. As a marketing leader, I might not realize I need a low-code app builder. But I do know that I need a better content calendar or perhaps a better way to track - Network accessline 78
 - Network accessline 80
What’s better is that templates don’t just attract new users; they help users get activated quickly and make them feel like your product was purposely built for them. Templates can also be a way to kickstart a community strategy where you s - Network accessline 82
 - Network accessline 84
*Related examples: Notion’s [Template Gallery](https://www.notion.so/templates/), Miro’s [Templates Library](https://miro.com/templates/), SafetyCulture’s [Safety Checklist Templates](https://safetyculture.com/checklists/), SurveyMonkey’s [ - Network accessline 88
You can take this concept of templates even further with *programmatic* landing pages tied to all of the various combinations of your product use cases. Not much content is needed—just enough to convey value and the context of how you help - Network accessline 90
Another example I’m digging is Similarweb, the website traffic software provider. Similarweb attracts nearly [10 million website visitors](https://kylepoyar.substack.com/p/your-guide-to-plg-enterprise) each month, according to the company’s - Network accessline 92
 - Network accessline 94
They have free, ungated, and SEO-friendly landing pages built out for nearly every website, which include background on the company, the traffic ranking relative to other websites, and useful insights into what that traffic looks like. That - Network accessline 98
*Related examples: Zapier’s “[how to connect x + y app](https://zapier.com/apps/hubspot/integrations/typeform)” landing pages, Grammarly’s grammar FAQ landing pages (e.g. [No-one, Noone or No one—Which Is Right?](https://www.grammarly.com/b - Network accessline 104
My first advice is to put what you already have to work. Cypress, an open source web testing company in OpenView’s portfolio, [makes for a great example here](https://docs.cypress.io/guides/overview/why-cypress/), with well-organized help m - Network accessline 106
 - Network accessline 108
From there, go on offense with curated hubs around key product pillars, particularly ones with substantial search volume. Hotjar, the website analytics company, does this to great effect with hubs around features like [heatmaps](https://www - Network accessline 110
 - Network accessline 114
*Related examples: Ahrefs’s “[how to do keyword research](https://ahrefs.com/blog/keyword-research/)” guide, Shopify’s [guide to starting an e-commerce business](https://www.shopify.com/blog/ecommerce-business-blueprint)* - Network accessline 130
One clear example is around creating a new event type. Calendly asks users which type of meeting they’re organizing: a one-on-one (the classic Calendly use case), group meeting, collective meeting, or round-robin? If the user is a sales rep - Network accessline 132
 - Network accessline 138
 - Network accessline 140
To solve for that friction, the company launched its [Creator Lite tier](https://www.loom.com/blog/more-for-teams) in June 2021. Creator Lite users can record up to 25 videos with a five-minute limit before they’re asked to pay, which offer - Network accessline 142
Pro tip: If possible, avoid blocking the ability to invite new users into the product. I much prefer the [Figma approach](https://kylepoyar.substack.com/p/your-guide-to-product-led-sales), where new editors can be invited for free at any ti - Network accessline 152
You could even extend this thinking to [building community](https://kylepoyar.substack.com/p/your-guide-to-plg-and-community), which is essentially virality that happens outside of your product. Community isn’t just another Slack group or f - Network accessline 154
 - Network accessline 156
Webflow, the no-code website builder, is a great case study. While community was a critical pillar in the company’s early growth efforts, it was actually a last-minute addition, [according to co-founder Bryant Chou](https://kylepoyar.substa - Network accessline 158
*Related examples: Figma’s [Community](https://www.figma.com/community), Procore’s [Construction Network](https://www.procore.com/network/), Pendo’s acquisition of the [Mind the Product community](https://www.mindtheproduct.com/mind-the-pro - Network accessline 177
While this edition focused on product-led marketing, your target KPI shouldn’t be metrics like website traffic or monthly signups. To optimize your marketing, focus on [product activation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-a - Network accessline 183
Thank you, Kyle! Make sure to follow Kyle at [Growth Unhinged](https://kylepoyar.substack.com/) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/). - Network accessline 189
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 191
 - Network accessline 195
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 199
1. **BioRender:** [Product Manager, Growth](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/2ebe3227-5d14-4dd1-bfce-6a03eb3a1eee) (Canada, Remote US) - Network accessline 200
2. **BioRender:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/96f22fb3-100d-4f39-9782-d4efb80fe3bc) (Canada, Remote US) - Network accessline 201
3. **BioRender:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6e874b72-2779-40e2-a135-c5beb7cc89dc) (Canada Remoe US) - Network accessline 202
4. **Forem:** [Senior Platform Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/d01563e6-1312-4af7-8dc5-c5070ac6e8e9) (Remote) - Network accessline 203
5. **Forem:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/13f493f2-0050-48e3-aa4c-8fbcb2b7c389)(Remote) - Network accessline 204
6. **Fitmate Coach:** [Growth Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/eabfbfa5-ffdc-446d-84bb-9958bcaf1b34) (SF, Remote) - Network accessline 205
7. **Fitmate Coach:**[Product Lead](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/c6c1e81a-b2ad-4a37-b9cb-b3327ccf7247) (SF, Remote)
references/02-newsletters/product-management-career-ladders.md
- Network accessline 24
[Check it out](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1F1Y3YtjsvAJUZMqS-rK0LGQGg7eHYubq9KqedPwLCDE/edit) - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 28
**If you’d like to contribute to this effort by adding your company, or fix a mistake (I’m sure I got something wrong), please [DM me](https://twitter.com/lennysan) or [leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management- - Network accessline 57
**If you see any other trends in this data, or would like to contribute to the effort by making your company’s PM ladder public, please [DM me](https://twitter.com/lennysan) or leave a comment.** - Network accessline 59
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-career-ladders/comments) - Network accessline 63
1. [Career ladder templates](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fEY8JnLhvjci1F-twKOFK7gh8Z0SwXCdMxOxXrXZEhw/edit#gid=1925149295) - Network accessline 64
2. [Levels.fyi](https://www.levels.fyi/) - Network accessline 65
3. [Progression.fyi](https://progression.fyi/?discipline=Product+Management) - Network accessline 66
4. [Skills PMs need to build](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager?s=w) - Network accessline 72
**If you’re hiring:** [Join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of hand-curated world-class product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 74
 - Network accessline 78
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 82
1. **Firstbase:** [Business Lead, Fintech](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/06fe3597-dd58-4979-93d7-03ee8a0dbe24) (Remote) - Network accessline 83
2. **Weights & Biases:** [Growth Project Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c0dab35d-dbb5-47a5-92cc-df0cde2ca009) (Remote) - Network accessline 84
3. **Wethos:** [Director of Fintech Product Operations](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a9a10752-0952-4ca7-9116-924dd0a4d0ca) (Remote) - Network accessline 85
4. **Roofstock:** [Senior Product Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/89098663-b9f7-414b-b374-b76111d93917) (Remote) - Network accessline 86
5. **Clipboard Health:** [Engineering Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/299a6ac5-8435-4596-8262-b29c15c7613f) (Remote) - Network accessline 87
6. **Balance Homes:** [Founding Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b9e8f81a-ae8c-427b-8072-71097b7c3197) (Remote) - Network accessline 88
7. **Web3 Sports:** [Founding Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/bb059354-70d4-41de-a0b0-77b51067a817) (Remote) - Network accessline 89
8. **Around:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/942a7802-9e65-40ed-bced-cb939e6cfa32) (Remote) - Network accessline 90
9. **Clipboard Health:** [Growth Strategy and Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/82ed8c6a-418a-44e3-9b37-fff54792ba6f) (Remote) - Network accessline 94
1. **Read:** *[Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World](https://www.amazon.com/Talent-Identify-Energizers-Creatives-Winners-ebook/dp/B08R2KNYVX/ref=sr_1_2?crid=4MXLSF8KWBMZ&keywords=talent&qid=1653361090& - Network accessline 95
2. **Learn:** [GoodUI—Improve Your UI with Winning & Losing A/B Tests](https://goodui.org/patterns/) - Network accessline 96
3. **Watch:** [Elon Musk on Twitter’s bot problem, SpaceX’s grand plan, Tesla stories, Giga Texas & more](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnxzrX9tNoc) - Network accessline 98
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnxzrX9tNoc)
references/02-newsletters/product-manager-is-an-unfair-role-so-work-unfairly.md
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I believe the future of product management looks like [Tal Raviv](https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv/). He’s an individual contributor (IC) PM who leverages AI tools and a suite of productivity systems to get more done with fewer resourc - Network accessline 12
*Tal was an early PM at Patreon, Riverside, Wix, and AppsFlyer. For more from Tal, check out his [63 free video tutorials](https://talraviv.co/) on using AI agents at work, his other popular guest post on [building your AI thinking partner] - Network accessline 14
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Product management is unfair. We’re expected to be on both a [maker](https://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html) *[and](https://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.html)* [a manager’s schedule](https://www.paulgraham.com/makersschedule.ht - Network accessline 20
Unfortunately, it’s only going to get harder from here. In the past few years, we’ve seen the “[great flattening](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/150339479/theres-a-surprising-dip-in-salary-at-a-manager-level)” of tech: rising expectatio - Network accessline 42
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**🤠 Work unfairly:** Half of those meetings can be [pivoted](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-management-techniques-that-actually) into an asynchronous communication. The other half can be fast-forwarded by setting up attendees to en - Network accessline 68
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Once I’ve taken care of the critical channels where I am a bottleneck, the pressure goes down, and I can calmly and intentionally scan the rest. 3. Hide read channels ([how to do this](https://slack.com/help/articles/212596808-Adjust-your-s - Network accessline 86
3. Hide read channels ([how to do this](https://slack.com/help/articles/212596808-Adjust-your-sidebar-preferences#choose-which-conversations-to-show)). This feature makes Slack feel smaller and a lot more manageable, which makes a big diffe - Network accessline 90
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4. Let Slack reminders be your robot executive assistant. I love how [Lenny put it](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-management-techniques-that-actually): “One of the most important habits of highly effective PMs is creating an aura - Network accessline 94
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[In the words of](https://maven.com/p/f2b97e/how-to-scale-yourself-as-a-product-leader) Max Eulenstein, co-head of product at Instagram: “Turn everyone into a mini-PM. That’s the way that you maximize leverage from your entire team. Don’t v - Network accessline 119
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFhurV1l6Jk) - Network accessline 123
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You can invoke Whisper anywhere you’re typing, with lightweight tools like [BetterDictation](https://betterdictation.com/) or [Superwhisper](https://superwhisper.com/) (or ChatGPT’s native desktop and mobile apps). Mac OS and Windows free, - Network accessline 171
*I recently did a live, hands-on demonstration of how I use these prompts. [Watch the recording here](https://maven.com/p/74ac37/how-experienced-product-managers-use-chat-gpt).* - Network accessline 267
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1. **Uninstall the Slack mobile app.** That way, I can’t accidentally get sucked back in once I leave the office. Out of the past decade since Slack became commonplace, 99.9% of that time I’ve been without the app on my phone. (I was inspir - Network accessline 287
“People don’t get a chance to psychologically detach from work. When you can’t psychologically detach from work, it’s a lot harder to psychologically reattach to work the next morning.” —[Gloria Mark](https://open.spotify.com/episode/4QJB8U - Network accessline 291
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Product management might be an unfair job, but PMs who go beyond making it work—and thrive in the face of unfairness—have always been disproportionately valuable to innovative, fast-growing companies. Great PMs aren’t only leading product d - Network accessline 301
*Thanks, Tal! For more from Tal, he teaches one of the fastest-growing courses on Maven, [Build Your Personal PM Productivity System](https://maven.com/tal-raviv/product-manager-productivity-system?promoCode=LENNYSLIST), which includes 40 i - Network accessline 309
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 311
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/pulling-back-the-curtain-on-the-magic-of-y-combinator.md
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*Annual subscription includes a free year of [Perplexity, Notion, Superhuman, Linear, and Granola](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/announcing-the-greatest-product-bundle), along with access to the entire 5-year back catalog and a thrivin - Network accessline 12
To honor the final day you can apply to [Y Combinator](https://www.ycombinator.com/)’s first-ever Spring batch (i.e. X25), I teamed up with past collaborator [Palle Broe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallebroe/) on the most in-depth and intr - Network accessline 20
If this post inspires you, it’s not too late to start your application and apply to YC. [Apply here](https://www.ycombinator.com/apply) by 8 p.m. PT tonight! - Network accessline 22
*For more from Palle, make sure to subscribe to his newsletter, [Rule of Thumb](https://palle.substack.com/), and follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallebroe/). [Learn more about Y Combinator here](https://www.ycombinator - Network accessline 24
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Y Combinator (YC) is widely regarded as the most successful startup accelerator and the top choice for world-class entrepreneurs. For those new to the startup world, Y Combinator is like a boot camp for startups. Selected founders receive $ - Network accessline 58
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*Thank you, Palle! For more from Palle, make sure to subscribe to his newsletter, [Rule of Thumb](https://palle.substack.com/), and follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pallebroe/). Also, thank you, [Rebecca,](https://www.re - Network accessline 207
**[Bounce](https://bounce.com/)** is hiring for a Head of Growth based out of San Francisco. As their Head of Growth, you'll be expected to: - Network accessline 219
If you’d like to get your profile sent directly to their team, just fill out [this quick form](https://airtable.com/appTNAXC72V74HqPS/pagCczxszIZPdd00t/form). All submissions from my readers get priority (but no guarantees beyond that). - Network accessline 221
*If you’d like to get your role featured here, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apphKJD0wLIHfPcZu/pag09IdQYrMpolMa5/form). If you’re interested in working with my white-glove recruiting service specializing in senior product roles (e.g. Di - Network accessline 223
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/raising-a-seed-round-101.md
- Network accessline 14
Considering how essential getting this right is for most founders, it surprised me that I’d never come across a great, in-depth, practical how-to guide on raising a seed round—especially one written by people who’ve been through it hundreds - Network accessline 31
*Terrence is a seed investor building a new type of angel fund, [Otherwise](https://otherwisefund.com/). Previously he managed the seed practice at Index Ventures. He has supported companies like Figma, Notion, Vanta, Hugging Face, and Robi - Network accessline 33
*Jack is the founder of [Alt Capital](https://www.altcap.com/), a brand-new early-stage venture that raised its first $150 million fund in February. Before starting Alt, he was the founder and CEO of [Lattice](https://lattice.com/), where h - Network accessline 35
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We reached out to some of our favorite founders to ask them for candid advice to supplement our own experience on both sides of early-stage pitches. Thank you to **[Christina Cacioppo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ccacioppo)** (Vanta), **[Dy - Network accessline 85
[Here’s a simple spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LIU-gXocWcKD5pCNXzFhL5TmKkbt3eUsFD7nA21AIS4/edit?gid=0#gid=0) illustrating how to model this out. - Network accessline 93
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[AngelList](https://stack.angellist.com/valuations) and Carta have good third-party data on the latest round sizes and valuations. - Network accessline 111
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To find investors, we believe the most comprehensive third-party resource is [Crunchbase](https://www.crunchbase.com/). - Network accessline 126
1. You can find companies analogous to your own and see which investors backed those companies at seed. For a B2B SaaS company, here is an example of [Lattice’s seed round](https://www.crunchbase.com/funding_round/lattice-2-seed--6c81b79e). - Network accessline 127
2. You can go to the “[search investors](https://www.crunchbase.com/discover/principal.investors/8671ace8e1179c82a313d6d4c9aaa316)” tab and run your own custom query. Here is a list of the [most active angels](https://www.crunchbase.com/dis - Network accessline 139
You probably double the odds of success if you spend some time planning your raise. Carve out a two- to three-week window on your calendar to run your fundraise and speak to investors. Ideally, you want to speak to as many investors as poss - Network accessline 145
Assemble your target list and research each investor before your pitch window. Have they invested in similar companies? (Check Crunchbase and their LinkedIn.) What’s their check size and investment philosophy, and do they lead? (Check their - Network accessline 153
However, the *quality* of this content matters a lot. The better crafted the materials, the more persuasive they will be, and the more likely they will result in capital. You should have all your materials polished and ready to go before yo - Network accessline 184
You don’t need a lead investor to start taking on capital in a seed round. In fact, it is often better to open a [SAFE](https://www.ycombinator.com/documents) (simple agreement for future equity) at reasonable valuation and start collecting - Network accessline 206
Post-money valuation is the value of the startup, including the capital raised. Third-party sources like [AngelList](https://www.angellist.com/blog/the-state-of-us-early-stage-venture-startups-3q23) or [Carta](https://carta.com/blog/seed-va - Network accessline 222
As a rule of thumb in the early stage, it’s ideal if you can get through your series A with *less* than 40% dilution from investors. You’ll also incur a typical 10% to 15% of additional dilution from your ESOP (employee stock ownership plan - Network accessline 262
*Thanks, Terrence and Jack! For more from Terrence, check him out on [X](https://x.com/tmrohan), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrencerohan/) and [trohan.com](https://trohan.com/). For more from Jack, [follow him on X](https://x.c - Network accessline 270
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 274
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/reforge-applications-open-and-taking-a-sick-day.md
- Network accessline 18
## 🚨 [Reforge Spring 2022 applications](https://program.reforge.com/apply) now open - Network accessline 24
1. **[Product Management Foundations](https://www.reforge.com/product-management-foundations)**: Build a foundational understanding of the product manager role, and learn the tools and strategies needed to succeed as a product manager. - Network accessline 25
2. **[Mastering Product Management](https://www.reforge.com/mastering-product-management)**: Level up your product management abilities by mastering critical product management tools. Learn to identify and execute on high-leverage work that - Network accessline 26
3. **[Product Strategy](https://www.reforge.com/product-strategy)**: Build, communicate, and execute a cohesive product strategy across feature, growth, scaling, and innovation product work. - Network accessline 27
4. **[Product Leadership](https://www.reforge.com/product-leadership)**: The methods of building high-performance product teams, managing up/down/across, and creating cross-functional influence. - Network accessline 28
5. **(New!)** **[Data for Product Managers](https://www.reforge.com/data-for-product-managers)**: Unlock your full potential as a product manager by learning to drive impact for the metrics that matter most for your product. - Network accessline 29
6. **[User Insights for Product Decisions](https://www.reforge.com/user-insights-product-decisions)**: Learn to make key product decisions based on a deeper understanding of customers. - Network accessline 33
- **Growth:** [Growth Series](https://www.reforge.com/growth-series), [Advanced Growth Strategy](https://www.reforge.com/advanced-growth-strategy-series), [Retention & Engagement](https://www.reforge.com/retention-engagement-series), [Monet - Network accessline 34
- **Marketing:** [Marketing Strategy](https://www.reforge.com/marketing-strategy) (updated), [Growth Marketing](https://www.reforge.com/growth-marketing) (new) - Network accessline 35
- **Engineering:** [Scaling Product Delivery](https://www.reforge.com/scaling-product-delivery), [Technical Strategy](https://www.reforge.com/technical-strategy), [Engineering Management](https://www.reforge.com/engineering-management) (new - Network accessline 39
[Apply now](https://program.reforge.com/apply) - Network accessline 43
1. **Laugh:** [What are we searching for?](https://searchingthe.world/) by Michelle Rial and Raph Lee in collaboration with Google Trends - Network accessline 45
 - Network accessline 47
2. **Watch:** [Derek DelGaudio’s](https://www.hulu.com/movie/derek-delgaudios-in-of-itself-19b9d405-40b2-483e-8e1f-e25fe10c7299) *[In & Of Itself](https://www.hulu.com/movie/derek-delgaudios-in-of-itself-19b9d405-40b2-483e-8e1f-e25fe10c7299 - Network accessline 48
3. **Watch:** [Be so good they can’t ignore you](https://youtu.be/teAvv6jnuXY) by Steve Martin - Network accessline 50
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teAvv6jnuXY) - Network accessline 52
4. **Listen:** [Boyd Varty and Tim Ferriss—The Lion Tracker](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795?i=1000551273147)[’](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-do-talk-about-bruno/id934552872?i=1000549643361 - Network accessline 54
5. **Listen:** [Why “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” hit number one on the charts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-do-talk-about-bruno/id934552872?i=1000549643361) by Switched on Pop - Network accessline 56
6. **Read:** *[Nobody Wants to Read Your Sh\*t: Why That Is and What You Can Do About It](https://www.amazon.com/Nobody-Wants-Read-Your-Sh-ebook/dp/B01GZ1TJBI)* by Steven Pressfield - Network accessline 57
7. **Read:** [Is less than 7 hours of sleep actually harmful?](https://guzey.com/theses-on-sleep/) by Alexey Guzey - Network accessline 61
1. **CommerceHub:** [Director of Product Management, Delivery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/5e4c79e3-9c75-4cd3-aa6f-0b9fc40636bf) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 62
2. **CommerceHub:** [Sr. Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/125eafba-2e93-41ee-98aa-abaae84c1b35) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 63
3. **Elevate Labs:** [Senior Product Manager, Balance](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/54802bbd-3ad4-4abf-bd0f-308e86d52586) (Remote) - Network accessline 64
4. **Oath Care:** [UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/0e35e470-6b81-4dae-a706-33139219fa68) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 65
5. **Oath Care:** [Community Marketing Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/300b896f-80ca-4893-a39f-1d2dfff8da00) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 66
6. **Hex:** [Growth Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/957d5c52-aac0-483e-b336-5b63961a99e6) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 67
7. **Monarch:** [Data Lead - Growth](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/269cafbf-a15c-41d3-b8cb-566b49fbe84e) (Remote-Global, Remote-US) - Network accessline 68
8. **Monarch:** [Performance Marketing Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/e80e525c-d891-422a-8bfe-5a82aa4caad4) (Remote-Global, Remote-US) - Network accessline 69
9. **Convosight:** [Sr. Product Owner](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/22dd029a-3678-491f-b7ca-820585118380) (Remote-Global, Remote-US, Remote-India) - Network accessline 70
10. **Siteline:** [First Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/3cc1fa57-e3e3-4b93-9d0d-fac7c592545b) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 71
11. **Koodos**: [Product Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/1412066a-3922-47c6-99f7-28401ed895f5) (NYC, Remote-US) - Network accessline 72
12. **Mynd:** [Senior Product Manager, Communications](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/77af7c80-baa3-4208-b322-2ea674604fdb) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 73
13. **Empower:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/5d73dc1a-9b0d-45d9-a661-735f07650d26) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 74
14. **Superjoi:** [UI/UX Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/9710eb14-bc72-46a5-b75b-2949c5c1bfa7) (LA, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 75
15. **Superjoi:** [Full Stack Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4111e336-604a-43c7-90b4-8cf03952800b) (LA, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 76
16. **HireArt:** [Senior Full-Stack Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/fd0b1a53-7741-4a2b-8739-a976d2482afe) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 77
17. **Universe:** [Product Lead - Commerce Tools](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/38cfa180-37e3-4882-99ae-3a6d35a04d32) (Remote) - Network accessline 78
18. **Universe:** [Product Lead - Creation Tools](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/5b414879-8180-4651-bc80-39610ee206f2) (Remote) - Network accessline 79
19. **Earthly Technologies:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/958ba7ed-1571-4249-a103-2e58dfcc40bd) (Remote-US, Remote-Canada) - Network accessline 81
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).*
references/02-newsletters/saying-no.md
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[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOdjpByHLEQ) - Network accessline 82
1. [Initiative strategy template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RQWuvWDgcAv1ylksFXtiwhuTbHLcL1byIcoXsbCQfic) - Network accessline 83
2. [Amazon 6-pager](https://writingcooperative.com/the-anatomy-of-an-amazon-6-pager-fc79f31a41c9) - Network accessline 84
3. [Eigenquestions: The Art of Framing Problems](https://coda.io/@shishir/eigenquestions-the-art-of-framing-problems) - Network accessline 85
4. [Two-way writeups: Coda’s secret to shipping fast](https://coda.io/@lshackleton/two-way-writeups-coda-s-secret-to-shipping-fast) - Network accessline 109
The hardest part of this step is often not deciding whether it’s a good idea or not but finding the time to think through each aspect in depth. One trick I use is to spend 10 minutes filling out a [1-Pager](https://docs.google.com/document/ - Network accessline 119
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[Ken Norton](https://www.bringthedonuts.com/about/) shared some great advice: - Network accessline 153
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[Check out this post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/where-great-product-roadmap-ideas) for some inspiration, and when presented with a new idea, always ask yourself: Is there a better way to achieve the same outcome? Can I pivot my man - Network accessline 163
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2. Create wireframes and run them by potential users 3. Prototype it 4. [Write a 1-Pager](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/edit) - Network accessline 177
3. Prototype it 4. [Write a 1-Pager](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/edit) 5. Run a quick A/B test to see if there’s a bigger opportunity. - Network accessline 178
4. [Write a 1-Pager](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/edit) - Network accessline 185
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I like making a pros/cons list, and occasionally use a [Minto pyramid](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) structure, leveraging all of the raw evidence at my disposal: - Network accessline 213
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saying-no/comments) - Network accessline 221
1. [This Twitter thread, by Jorge Ortiz](https://twitter.com/JorgeO/status/1438255769934200833?s=20) - Network accessline 222
2. [Templates for how to say no](https://www.starterstory.com/how-to-say-no) - Network accessline 223
3. [Ask a manager: How to say no to your boss](https://www.askamanager.org/2019/03/how-to-say-no-to-your-boss.html) - Network accessline 224
4. [How to Tell Your Boss “No”—Without Saying “No”](https://www.themuse.com/advice/how-to-tell-your-boss-nowithout-saying-no) - Network accessline 230
1. **Brace:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/f04ce367-5a1f-462e-a79d-725870b8eded) (NYC) - Network accessline 231
2. **Goldin Auctions:** [Director of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/9c678421-6315-445c-a735-9362904b5229) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 232
3. **Highlight:** [Founding Blockchain Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6db63ec8-0421-4e06-9908-0376f44c2f99) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 233
4. **Pinpoint:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/70b2de44-b90f-4d37-a146-948144a92873) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 234
5. **Aescape:** [Product Management Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/117d35d9-a9b3-49d0-82df-b27a6c074e0f) (Brooklyn, NY) - Network accessline 235
6. **Mynd:** [Senior Growth Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c4bde52c-d66e-4b42-96fb-2ba861f72e27) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 236
7. **Mynd:** [Product Lead, Internal Tools](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/b6da1eaa-5a2b-4ad4-92f9-5ac4b9f764e5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 237
8. **CHPTR:** [Founding Back-End Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c96f89cb-0288-4028-ae4d-f380567449de) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 238
9. **Permutive:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/1ff1e376-ab34-4138-ba4a-822475672a93) (NYC) - Network accessline 239
10. **CloudTrucks:** [Product Manager-Console](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/68d092da-db3a-4f25-8b95-2072342c18fe) (SF) - Network accessline 240
11. **Fairchain:** [Software Engineer, Full Stack](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f2963b88-7eaf-4b4d-9788-4b58f5c6b785) (NYC) - Network accessline 241
12. **HomeLight:** [Senior Product Manager, Listing Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/48c02f5e-e681-4b83-9012-fb08ae2c1e52) (SF, Phoenix, Seattle) - Network accessline 242
13. **Perfect Recall:**[Founding Fullstack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/7ac1bf05-0aa6-436e-8546-6e14c5222f7e) (Waterloo) - Network accessline 244
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 248
1. **Watch:** [Japanese Curry Udon Noodles](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7pxUWAWjvs) - Network accessline 250
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7pxUWAWjvs) - Network accessline 252
2. **Listen:** [20Growth: How to Hire a Head of Growth](https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/casey-winters/) with Casey Winters and Harry Stebbings - Network accessline 253
3. **Read:** [Executive Engagement](https://svpg.com/executive-engagement/) by Marty Cagan - Network accessline 257
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/scaling-your-b2b-growth-engine.md
- Network accessline 14
- **Part 1:** [How to come up with a great B2B startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) - Network accessline 15
- **Part 2:** [How to validate your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup) - Network accessline 16
- **Part 3:** [How to identify your ICP](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer) - Network accessline 17
- **Part 4**: [How to find and win your first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers) - Network accessline 18
- **Part 5:** [A guide for finding product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 19
- **Part 6:** [How, and when, to hire your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - Network accessline 24
*A huge thank-you to **[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/)** (COO of Notion), **[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/)** (CEO of Databricks), **[Andrew Ofstad](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aofstad/)** (co-fo - Network accessline 32
- [GTM motions of 30 B2B SaaS companies](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gtm-motions) - Network accessline 33
- [Picking a wedge](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/wedge) - Network accessline 34
- [Differentiating](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-differentiate) - Network accessline 35
- [Positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning) - Network accessline 36
- [The Racecar Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-racecar-growth-frameworkexpanded) - Network accessline 37
- [What is good retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 38
- [What is a good activation rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate) - Network accessline 39
- [What is a good payback period](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/payback-period) - Network accessline 42
- [How to do founder-led sales](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZd5234Eem0) - Network accessline 43
- [How to build a killer sales pitch](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-build-a-killer-sales-pitch) - Network accessline 44
- [Layering sales on top of a PLG motion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sales-bottom-up) - Network accessline 45
- [Adding a PLG motion on top of a sales-led motion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-steps-to-starting-your-plg-motion) - Network accessline 46
- [How to hit revenue targets in a recession](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZ0S7a72po&t=1s) - Network accessline 49
- [The art and science of pricing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6veeCbKIzw) - Network accessline 50
- [Pricing strategy for your SaaS product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saas-pricing-strategy) - Network accessline 53
- [A playbook for fundraising](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-playbook-for-fundraising) - Network accessline 54
- [Your startup idea probably isn’t venture-scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/your-startup-idea-probably-isnt-venture) - Network accessline 73
Also, in some instances, there’s good reason to push out monetization. In the case of Loom, co-founder Shahed Khan shared, “We didn’t monetize Loom for several years intentionally, as **our focus was to become a ubiquitous tool within organ - Network accessline 77
Broadly, the biggest growth channel for top B2B companies (at least the 20+ I researched) is **organic** **inbound**. Essentially, word of mouth. This connects with a key lesson from part five of this series—that strong product-market fit o - Network accessline 85
This channel is simply users hearing about your product from someone else (or being invited) and signing up on their own. No one from your company helps them through the funnel. This isn’t to say salespeople never talk to these leads (check - Network accessline 109
A surprisingly popular growth channel for top B2B companies is content. Companies like Vanta, Amplitude, Figma, Persona, and, famously, HubSpot have all found success using content (aka SEO) to grow. I’ve covered this topic in depth previou - Network accessline 113
They may be boring, but paid ads work. For B2B, this means running ads on Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn, along with the occasional ad on podcasts, newsletters, and other less-scalable channels. Companies that have found success here includ - Network accessline 117
Partnerships: huge if successful, massive time suck if not. This is a meaningful growth channel for companies like Census, Hex, and Zip, but as one founder shared, “We have a big channel partnership with Snowflake, and though this doesn’t d - Network accessline 121
1. Most of your growth will come from one of the top three: inbound self-service, inbound sales-assist, or outbound sales. Spend most of your time optimizing that channel. 2. No matter how you start, you’ll be building a sales team. It’s a - Network accessline 122
2. No matter how you start, you’ll be building a sales team. It’s a question of when, not if. 3. Creating content (e.g. blog posts, LinkedIn posts, viral tweets, a great podcast) seems to be effective for a number of companies, so it’s wort - Network accessline 123
3. Creating content (e.g. blog posts, LinkedIn posts, viral tweets, a great podcast) seems to be effective for a number of companies, so it’s worth exploring. But think about the system that can allow this to scale, versus one-off efforts. - Network accessline 124
4. Be careful about forcing PLG. Here’s [Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/) (founder and CEO of Databricks)’s cautionary tale: - Network accessline 143
> **“My number one piece of advice is to ask for money earlier. We wasted a year. We could have been a year further along on the journey.** If I build this, are you willing to pay for it? You’re going to get a lot of no’s, and that’s fine. - Network accessline 145
> I remember arguing with a user. They were using it for free. I was like, ‘All right, now it’s time to pay.’ And they’re like, ‘Oh no, we don’t have any money.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, you have to pay something, so what are you going to pay?’ - Network accessline 147
> “**If you’re not willing to pay, then you should take their input with a grain of salt.** We spoke to enough founders to know that people who want to give you advice don’t want to pay. So we never did not charge.” —[Rujul Zaparde](https:/ - Network accessline 149
> “Most companies **charge too late**. We started charging from day one.” —[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-collin-bb59492a/en/), CEO of Front - Network accessline 151
As [Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/), co-founder of **Notion**, explained, one of the biggest side benefits of early revenue is *freedom*: - Network accessline 165
> “**A big lesson learned was we undercharged like crazy in the beginning**. It came from just founder lack of confidence. **The rational advice here is, hey, you are a founder. You are biased because you’ve built it from scratch, you are b - Network accessline 167
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/), co-founder and CPO of **Gusto** - Network accessline 169
> “**As a founder, you’re always way underpricing.** We hired our first AE and she was quoting prices I wouldn’t have even have considered. <U+200B>Going to a prospect and asking for over seven figures. I would’ve never fathomed this price point. - Possible obfuscationline 169
> “**As a founder, you’re always way underpricing.** We hired our first AE and she was quoting prices I wouldn’t have even have considered. <U+200B>Going to a prospect and asking for over seven figures. I would’ve never fathomed this price point. - Network accessline 171
> —[Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/), founder and CEO of **Sprig** - Network accessline 175
> “We were woefully undercharging initially, because we had no real idea what people would pay for a startup. **Eventually we hired a sales advisor who told us, ‘Double your price. If they say yes, keep doubling,’ so we did that a number of - Network accessline 177
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/), co-founder of **Segment** - Network accessline 179
> “**The first customer was $100 a month. The second customer was like $500 a month. Then $2,000 a month.** Then, soon enough, $12,000 a month. You kind of start to triangulate based on the usage, and we started to fill out a pricing matrix - Network accessline 181
> —[Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/), founder and CEO of **Sprig** - Network accessline 191
> My advice is go be friends with your first customers. They took the time to work with crappy software that isn’t ready. This is how I think we should be—like people should be—doing business.” > > —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/i - Network accessline 193
> —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/), CPO and co-founder of **Gong** - Network accessline 195
> “**My only takeaway is: don’t overthink it. It’s really easy to worry too much about like, ‘Oh, how will I ever change the price on this customer?’ The reality is that if you are anywhere close to right about your company and your idea an - Network accessline 197
> —[Barry McCardel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/barrymccardel/), founder and CEO of **Hex** - Network accessline 199
> “**We didn’t overthink or optimize the pricing initially. There’s industry pricing for this tool. Let’s just put it on that and not overthink about it.** We should probably charge more. But that’s not the challenge that we want to focus o - Network accessline 201
> —[Jori Lallo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorilallo/), co-founder of **Linear** - Network accessline 207
> **The mistake we made was not that we went with this simple approach early on but that we didn’t revisit it three to six months later.** We’re only revisiting it now, a year and a half later. Early on, it was super-simple, almost stupid s - Network accessline 209
> —[Reed McGinley-Stempel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-mcginley-stempel-17362245/) and [Julianna Lamb](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannaelamb/), co-founders of **Stytch** - Network accessline 213
> “**We used a benchmark to get to $50/user/month. CRM was always a benchmark for us. Salesforce was something like $70-$100/user/month, or $1,500 in a year. So at the time we couldn’t charge close (though nowadays, we can). People perceive - Network accessline 215
> —[Eilon Reshef](https://www.linkedin.com/in/eilonreshef/), CPO and co-founder of **Gong** - Network accessline 217
> **“I looked at competitors and priced similarly.** I optimized for getting something on the market sooner than later that people could react to.” > > —[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-collin-bb59492a/en/), CEO of **F - Network accessline 219
> —[Mathilde Collin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathilde-collin-bb59492a/en/), CEO of **Front** - Network accessline 223
> “We weren’t sure what the product was worth, so we just asked users! **We ran what’s called a [Van Westendorp survey](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Westendorp%27s_Price_Sensitivity_Meter), where we basically tried to find the price cu - Network accessline 225
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo/), co-founder of **Segment** - Network accessline 227
> **“We did a pricing matrix survey with tens of thousands of users**, asking users various questions to get to a number that made sense for Loom. This was a multi-sprint process from research, parsing results, user interviews, to A/B testi - Network accessline 228
> —[Shahed Khan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahedkhan/), co-founder of **Loom** - Network accessline 230
> **“**To figure out the price, we looked at usage per month, and then based on what I was seeing for what the market would bear, I kind of was like, ‘Okay, well, they’re paying this much, and these guys are paying this much, and those guys - Network accessline 232
> —[Ryan Glasgow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanglasgow/), founder and CEO of **Sprig** - Network accessline 238
> The first year, we would make up pricing. We would just be making it up every time we sold the product, but through that we could learn, okay, do they understand what this metric is? Do they agree with where they are at the margins? All t - Network accessline 240
> —[Boris Jabes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/borisjabes/), co-founder and CEO of **Census** - Network accessline 252
> Then the harder step was once we came up with the Orgs tier, which was our first tier for larger companies. You make features and you’re like, okay, I actually don’t know if this set of features is worth $45/month, because $45/month is a - Network accessline 254
> —[Sho Kuwamoto](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/), VP of Product - Network accessline 264
> I remember we did a hackathon in 2014, and me and the leadership felt like this product is not ready to be... we can’t really start charging. No one will really pay for it. So we did a survey in the company and it turned out the engineers - Network accessline 266
> —[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 276
> After much deliberation, we decided to measure on ‘contributing developers’ as our unit of value—developers who contributed code to the apps we protect in the last 90 days. If we’re protecting the work of more developers, we’re providing - Network accessline 278
> —[Guy Podjarny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypo/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 290
> And it took us a while to come to terms with it. I was like, we launched it on a Thursday, got all this feedback. My head of support calls me on Sunday and she says, ‘Look, I’ve been reading through this feedback, and I’ve got to tell you - Network accessline 292
> —[Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra/), co-founder and CEO - Network accessline 296
> “The alternative to Retool is, basically, you build software by writing code. And writing code is good in some ways, but it’s actually really painful in many other ways. So for that reason, there was basically relatively little competitio - Network accessline 298
> —[David Hsu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dvdhsu/), founder and CEO - Network accessline 306
- **Part 1:** [How to come up with a great B2B startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) - Network accessline 307
- **Part 2:** [How to validate your idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup) - Network accessline 308
- **Part 3:** [How to identify your ICP](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-identify-your-ideal-customer) - Network accessline 309
- **Part 4**: [How to find and win your first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers) - Network accessline 310
- **Part 5:** [A guide for finding product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 311
- **Part 6:** [How, and when, to hire your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - Network accessline 316
And again, a *huge* thank-you to everyone who contributed to this series: **[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/)** (COO of Notion), **[Ali Ghodsi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alighodsi/)** (CEO of Databricks), **[Andrew O - Network accessline 322
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 326
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 328
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/seo-keywords-career-ladders-backlog-tools-copywriting-onlyfans-ama-with-pete-kaz.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of ✨ **Community Wisdom** ✨ — a weekly email highlighting the most helpful advice from our subscriber Slack community. As always, a b<U+200B>i<U+200B>g thank you to [Kiyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiyaniba - Possible obfuscationline 10
*👋 Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of ✨ **Community Wisdom** ✨ — a weekly email highlighting the most helpful advice from our subscriber Slack community. As always, a b<U+200B>i<U+200B>g thank you to [Kiyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiyaniba - Network accessline 45
> **The problem is in step 3: which parameter (volume, CPC, difficulty) should we give more importance in T0 since we are justing starting (have a low domain score) and need to convert ASAP? Is there any way of quantitavely prioritize these - Network accessline 47
> **– [Caique Carvalho](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caique-carvalho-b39295106/)** - Network accessline 49
**[Nima Gardideh](https://twitter.com/ngardideh)**: One tactic I've seen is using AdWords first and then looking at conversion rates to prioritize the keywords for SEO. i.e. if you have 50 keywords: pay for the clicks first and see which on - Network accessline 51
**[Chris Toy](https://twitter.com/christoy)**: Fix domain authority as the priority. The rest is a multiple on zero until you do. If you don’t fix domain auth, you can only target extremely niche or uncompetitive keywords. - Network accessline 53
**[Yair](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yairlivne/)**: One other comment is that framing SEO as something that can convert immediately is fundamentally off. It takes at least 6 months to start seeing payoffs, and the right mindset here is long - Network accessline 55
**[Jeff](https://twitter.com/jfedor)**: What are the best ways to increase Domain Authority? - Network accessline 59
**[Yair](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yairlivne/)**: Also being strong in a domain of knowledge, not just a lot of mediocre content across domains. - Network accessline 61
**[Brian Ta](https://twitter.com/fanfavorite_bta)** : I’m going to run counter to everyone here: - Network accessline 72
**[Chris Toy](https://twitter.com/christoy)**: I think good content is table-stakes – bad content gets you nowhere. Domain authority isn’t and is often overlooked, which is why I think peeps are focused on it. If you want SEO to be your bac - Network accessline 76
**[Brian Ta](https://twitter.com/fanfavorite_bta)**: I’ve helped a number of startups go from 0 to 100k a month with low 20s in their domain authority. I’ll have to respectfully disagree with you on needing to focus on domain authority. Do - Network accessline 83
**[Chris Toy](https://twitter.com/christoy)**: @Brian Ta I think what we’re all saying is SEO is a lot of work and you have to do all of it. Good content to build DA over time is still DA, and you can’t just do DA with garbage content. It’s - Network accessline 85
**[Brian Ta](https://twitter.com/fanfavorite_bta)**: Closing the loop. I’m talking to Chris on DMs but wanted to surface part of the convo. - Network accessline 95
> **Q: Anybody have any great examples of a career ladder/lattice for the various levels of product manager? e.g. Junior, Intermediate, Senior, Lead, etc. Shreyas’ mind map is a great start in defining the skill categories but I’m curious i - Network accessline 97
> **– [Wayne Vernon](https://twitter.com/wplusv)** - Network accessline 99
**[Wayne Vernon](https://twitter.com/wplusv):** Mind map in question - Network accessline 101
 - Network accessline 103
**[Ben Ritchie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benritchie1/)**: I really like Ravi Mehta's product competency approach. He introduces his framework here but the full guide has a rubric for the skill level at each seniority: [What’s Your Shape? - Network accessline 105
**[Amit](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitjklein/)**: I've used this in the past as a starting point for self-assessments for PMs: [Product Manager Skills by Seniority Level — A Deep Breakdown](https://medium.com/agileinsider/product-manage - Network accessline 107
**Lenny Rachitsky**: Here are a bunch I’ve found ([from this older post](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/weekly-questions-motivating-engineers)): - Network accessline 109
1. [Intercom](https://blog.intercomassets.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Intercom-PM-job-ladder-Logo.pdf) - Network accessline 110
2. [Oscar](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/deep-dive-product-management-leveling-oscar-sara-wajnberg/) - Network accessline 111
3. [Gusto](https://engineering.gusto.com/a-framework-to-help-product-managers-achieve-their-potential-2/) - Network accessline 112
4. [XO Group](https://medium.com/pminsider/product-manager-skills-by-seniority-level-a-deep-breakdown-cd0690f76d10) - Network accessline 113
5. [Gitlab](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/#product-management-career-development-framework) - Network accessline 115
**[Archisman Das](https://twitter.com/archismandas)**: There is a great write up by Sachin Rekhi on this. You can find it here - [Product Management Career Ladders at 8 Top Technology Firms](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/product-management-ca - Network accessline 119
 - Network accessline 123
> **Q: Who here has discovered a way of organizing their backlog that they’re pretty happy with? We're migrating ours to Asana, and starting fresh! Curious what kinds of mental models or frameworks folks here have found success with** > > * - Network accessline 125
> **– [Kali Borkoski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kali-borkoski-998082171/)** - Network accessline 127
**[Wayne Vernon](https://twitter.com/wplusv)**: At a super high level, my backlog goals are: - Network accessline 135
**[Kali Borkoski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kali-borkoski-998082171/)**: Thank you, @Wayne Vernon! What do you do with the tickets that fall in bucket #3? - Network accessline 137
**[Wayne Vernon](https://twitter.com/wplusv)**: I personally maintain my own list in a doc (Confluence for us) that I prioritize and add context to. There are definitely better ways to do this, e.g. most product management tools handle feat - Network accessline 139
**[Yair](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yairlivne/)**: At Quora we use Asana for tracking backlogs. Each team has its own backlog "project" where tasks are tracked. Teams usually have some cadence where the PMs/eng managers might go through th - Network accessline 141
**[Kali Borkoski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kali-borkoski-998082171/)**: @Yair, Thank you! What are the fields you've added to that Asana board? (Priority, effort, etc?) - Network accessline 143
**[Yair](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yairlivne/)**: This was team-by-team, but I do think almost everyone has priorities, as well as topical tags. - Network accessline 145
**[Karri Saarinen](https://twitter.com/karrisaarinen)**: We are makers of [Linear](https://linear.app/). Our framework is that you add all the new work to the backlog which means that’s only an idea but not committed work yet. Then you can - Network accessline 153
**[Wayne Vernon](https://twitter.com/wplusv)**: @Gaurav, we follow a fairly casual implementation of agile at our org that is closer to Kanban than anything. Some like to have the “backlog groom” and pre-planning for the next sprint(s) be o - Network accessline 157
> **Q: Who has a tool they like for scheduling/coordinating user interviews? We're looking at UserTesting but would love alternatives.** > > **– [Josh](https://twitter.com/herzigma)** - Network accessline 159
> **– [Josh](https://twitter.com/herzigma)** - Network accessline 161
**[Manuel Bruschi](https://twitter.com/ttrauser)**: We use Calendly as a team with a round-robin assignment. - Network accessline 163
**Tanmayi Sai**: I use this **[Lookback](https://lookback.io/)** after switching over from User Interviews. It's also good for unmoderated tests**.** - Network accessline 165
**Scott Stenback**: Hi Josh - I know a founder who is building a new product around improving the scheduling experience. Let me know if you'd like a connection: <https://www.buildbetter.app/> - Network accessline 169
> **Q: Does anyone have a cool template for an “idea-repository”? I’m rotating to a new team and after talking with the UX teams I’ll be working with, they mentioned sometimes the ideas they propose in the projects get lost. I’m looking for - Network accessline 171
> **–**[Franco](https://www.linkedin.com/in/frandangelo/) - Network accessline 173
**[Josh](https://twitter.com/herzigma)**: What tools do you use to capture ideas from other stakeholders, like user requests or executive requests? If you have a tool like that, then that's one good place. - Network accessline 183
For item 2), ask your team to fill out one of these templates ([link](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37)). It’s actually pretty nice when backlog items are developed and matured over time, so that once it makes - Network accessline 191
- Book: [On Writing Well](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0090RVGW0/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1), timeless advice about writing William Zinsser. [Short review of the book](https://www.betaglyph.com/on-writing-well/). - Network accessline 194
 - Network accessline 196
**[Saushank](https://www.linkedin.com/in/saushank/)**: [Nobody wants to read your ebook](https://www.amazon.in/Nobody-Wants-Read-Your-Sh-ebook/dp/B01GZ1TJBI). Also, this course was quite good: [Copywriting For Beginners: How To Write Web Co - Network accessline 198
**[Ben Ritchie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benritchie1/)**: It's not a book but two things that might help: - Network accessline 200
1. First one is that the messaging is far more important than the exact wording so map out the benefits across multiple levels of abstraction and figure out the right level to speak to each audience with e.g. Analytics tool has better au - Network accessline 202
2. The second thing is this podcast episode which is really good at exploring the different ways to add emotional hooks to the same offer: [Episode 33: The Ad Grid: How to Build Campaigns that Convert and Scale - DigitalMarketer](https://ww - Network accessline 206
**[Jayme](https://twitter.com/jaymehoffman)**: Awesome thread on OnlyFans and creator economy from @Peter Yang - Network accessline 210
**[Joe Magee](https://twitter.com/KJMagee)**: Great piece for Saas founders out there on how to think about “engagement” in a bottoms-up GTM: **[Measuring SaaS Engagement](https://sacks.substack.com/p/measuring-saas-engagement).** - Network accessline 216
> **Q: Maybe not such a good question... Have you read Demand Side Sales? If so curious what you think. If not, it’s basically Jobs To Be Done product theory applied to sales. I’d like to understand how people (you) educate themselves aroun - Network accessline 218
> **– [David Krell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-m-krell-508a3331/)** - Network accessline 220
**[Pete Kazanjy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazanjy/)**: I haven't read Demand Side sales, but sounds great! You're right that there isn't a "sales degree" per se, and that's in part what makes it challenging to learn later in your career, - Network accessline 222
I learned a lot via First Round's Network, which was an early peer education community, which inspired me to create Modern Sales (<https://modernsaleshq.com/>) which is the sales operations and leadership community my company, Atrium, runs. - Network accessline 224
And then lastly ongoing learning of course is important. This is why I wrote Founding Sales - to reduce the learning curve: <https://www.foundingsales.com/>. Other great books are: - Network accessline 234
> **Q: What systems \ process have you seen best for managing lead flow? Lot’s of clients signup, some should have sale engage. What is the best systems for pushing the right leads over to Sales?** > > **– [Ali Javid](https://twitter.com/me - Network accessline 236
> **– [Ali Javid](https://twitter.com/meetalijavid)** - Network accessline 238
**[Pete Kazanjy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazanjy/)**: Depends on the volume, but check out this chapter on "Inbound Marketing" from **[Chapter 6 - Early Inbound Marketing: Inbound Lead Capture & Response - Startup Inbound Basics — Found - Network accessline 244
> **Q: I’ve always felt like folks who are good at sales are extroverted… do you know of more introverted people doing well in sales also? If so, what helps them succeed and there are any “classic introvert” traits that are actually an adva - Network accessline 246
> **– [Kara Skrip](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karaskrip/)** - Network accessline 248
**[Pete Kazanjy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazanjy/)**: Definitely. I talk about this some in this deck, starting at this slide: [Founder Led Selling Maturity Stages - Founding Sales.](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pcSy-zV-776a - Network accessline 254
More here: [Chapter 1 - Mindset Changes: Startup Sales Mindset Changes — Founding Sales](https://www.foundingsales.com/1-mindset-changes) - Network accessline 256
**[Kara Skrip](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karaskrip/)**: Yeah I can see the "doing your homework" or prep portion of the job being really good for introverts - Network accessline 258
**[Pete Kazanjy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazanjy/)**: "Doing your homework" (pre-call planning, proposal creation, etc.) is where a huge amount of the work is done. - Network accessline 266
**[Pete Kazanjy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazanjy/)**: This is really more of a product question, really, but I think that there's a linear relationship between the complexity of a problem being solved and the complexity of an associated - Network accessline 270
> **Q: Hi Pete - are there any frameworks / processes that you recommend for doing large enterprise sales i.e. complex, lots of stakeholders, very intensive but large ACV? For example, does value based selling really work where you try and - Network accessline 272
> **– [Nawaz Imam](https://twitter.com/nazking15)** - Network accessline 274
**[Pete Kazanjy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazanjy/)**: @Nawaz, are you talking about top-down enterprise selling? - Network accessline 276
**[Nawaz Imam](https://twitter.com/nazking15)**: I'm guessing it could either be top down or bottom up depending on the type of organisation? Seems most likely to be top down though. - Network accessline 278
**[Pete Kazanjy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kazanjy/)**: For those larger orgs, being crisper about deal modeling, using a methodology like MEDDIC, for example, can be helpful: [Close more deals with the MEDDIC sales process](https://www.l - Possible obfuscationline 282
*If there’s anyone in your life who would benefit from this newsletter or community, consider giving them a<U+200B> <U+200B>g<U+200B>i<U+200B>f<U+200B>t subscription*💞
references/02-newsletters/setting-goals---issue-23.md
- Network accessline 32
Let's look at [Tesla](https://www.tesla.com/about): - Network accessline 43
How does Elon know whether Tesla is successfully executing this strategy? [GOALS](https://www.bloomberg.com/features/elon-musk-goals/)! - Network accessline 45
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ei06!,f_auto,q_auto:g - Network accessline 55
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uOau!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progress - Network accessline 63
[Read Full Post](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/setting-goals-issue-23)
references/02-newsletters/setting-goals.md
- Network accessline 10
**If you find this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/)** - Network accessline 12
[Share Lenny's Newsletter](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/?action=share) - Network accessline 32
Let's look at [Tesla](https://www.tesla.com/about): - Network accessline 43
How does Elon know whether Tesla is successfully executing this strategy? [GOALS](https://www.bloomberg.com/features/elon-musk-goals/)! - Network accessline 45
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ei06!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_prog - Network accessline 55
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uOau!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progress - Network accessline 114
1. **Apply**: If you recently left your job (voluntarily or not), and are thinking about starting something of your own, [check out OnDeck](https://twitter.com/beondeck/status/1251268314254372865), who just opened applications for their lat - Network accessline 115
2. **Watch**: [UX Conversations](https://www.youtube.com/user/TheNoamseg/videos) — Rich discussions about user research between Noam Segal (Director of User Research at Wealthfront) and seasoned researchers from Slack, Facebook, Lyft, etc. - Network accessline 117
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBX4vw3m0Bg) - Network accessline 119
3. **Watch**: If you ever feel lazy, watch this immediately (via @[mikeplewis](https://twitter.com/mikeplewis)) - Network accessline 121
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SL05N7lagvg) - Network accessline 125
*(This post was an evolution of a [guest post I did on Mixpanel's blog](https://mixpanel.com/innovators/a-flight-tested-framework-for-effective-goal-setting/) a few months ago)* - Network accessline 127
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/should-i-become-a-product-manager.md
- Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 78
2. You think it’ll be an easier career path — there are far fewer PM roles than engineering roles 3. You can’t imagine not coding — once you’re a PM you’ll only have time to code on nights and weekends 4. You’d fail the [marshmallow test](h - Network accessline 79
3. You can’t imagine not coding — once you’re a PM you’ll only have time to code on nights and weekends 4. You’d fail the [marshmallow test](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_marshmallow_experiment) — as a PM, you need to be good at fi - Network accessline 80
4. You’d fail the [marshmallow test](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanford_marshmallow_experiment) — as a PM, you need to be good at finding your joy in long-term outcomes - Network accessline 93
1. [How To Get Into Product Management (And Thrive)](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-get-into-product-management) - Network accessline 94
2. [A Product Manager’s Guide to Growing Yourself and Your Team](https://www.ravi-mehta.com/product-manager-roles/) - Network accessline 95
3. [When to hire your first product manager](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/when-to-hire-your-first-product-manager) - Network accessline 101
**✨**Sponsored job of the week: **[Senior Lead Engineer at Prisma](https://www.notion.so/joinprisma/Senior-lead-engineer-21f1e14d37564050999fb66f3e5376eb) ✨** - Network accessline 103
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4313154003), [Kudo](https://kudo.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=32), [Plume](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2344670919/?trackingId=YHvRTxoetClV7013SkxEAQ%3D%3D), [Pren - Network accessline 104
2. **Growth**: [Alloy](https://apply.workable.com/alloy-automation/j/A0909506B0/), [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC98C5FDFB/) - Network accessline 105
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Office Hours](https://jobs.lever.co/office-hours/13d73541-b5b7-405a-9 - Network accessline 106
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 107
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04), [Tome](https://www - Network accessline 108
6. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-Backend-6d954206f00b446289f18bf51960ca34), [Transform](https://trans - Network accessline 109
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Alloy](https://apply.workable.com/alloy-automation/j/27639ECE80/), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9 - Network accessline 110
8. **iOS engineer**: [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://jobs.lever.co/stytch/d3bf3860-4aaa-4a23-8e28-dad20957be44) - Network accessline 116
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZShA_a-5r8) - Network accessline 120
3. **Listen**: [Andy Rachleff on management theory, Reed Hastings’ genius, lessons from passing on Netflix & more](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-week-in-startups-audio/id315114957?i=1000504431501) - Network accessline 124
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/six-rules-of-hiring-for-growth.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to the monthly ✨ **free edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. If you’re not a subscriber, here’s what you missed this month:* - Network accessline 12
1. *[Picking a wedge](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/wedge)* - Network accessline 13
2. *[Breaking into growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/breaking-into-growth)* - Network accessline 14
3. *[Community wisdom](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/community-wisdom-tools-to-capture)* - Network accessline 18
As [Paul Graham teaches us](https://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html), “Startup = growth. The only essential thing is growth. Everything else we associate with startups follows from growth.” Thus, your first growth hire is one of the most imp - Network accessline 20
*You can find Elena on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/ElenaVerna).* - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 35
 - Network accessline 93
 - Network accessline 101
It may take many years to develop a comprehensive company data org, but once you do, you will be data-driven. Focus on the “leadership team” first, which will get you to a data-informed stage. Starting to identify team members will transiti - Network accessline 120
[Here’s a sample template](https://miro.com/app/board/uXjVMAQfsQg=/) for what a growth model could look like: - Network accessline 122
 - Network accessline 147
- Data analytics: [Casey Winters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters) (ex-growth at Pinterest, CPO at Eventbrite), [Elena Verna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/) (ex-growth at SurveyMonkey), [Crystal Widjaja](https://www.linke - Network accessline 148
- Engineer: [Lenny Rachitsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/) (ex-growth at Airbnb), [Matt Greenberg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattgreenberg/) (ex-growth at Credit Karma, CTO at Reforge) - Network accessline 149
- Marketing manager: [Adam Fishman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/) (ex-growth at Lyft, Patreon), [Adam Grenier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akgrenier/) (ex-growth at Uber, growth at MasterClass) - Network accessline 150
- Product manager: [Bangaly Kaba](https://www.linkedin.com/in/iambangaly/) (ex-growth at Instagram, growth at Popshop Live), [Naomi Ionita](https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomipilosofionita/) (ex-product/growth at Evernote and Invoice2go, part - Network accessline 206
- [20VC podcast episode on the biggest mistakes you can make when hiring for growth](https://www.thetwentyminutevc.com/elena-verna/) - Network accessline 207
- [Crystal Widjaja blog post on the journey to scale data](https://www.reforge.com/blog/scaling-data) - Network accessline 208
- [Andrew Chen’s blog post on hiring for a Head of Growth](https://andrewchen-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/andrewchen.com/hiring-head-of-growth/amp/) - Network accessline 209
- [Reforge’s Growth Series course](https://www.reforge.com/growth-series) - Network accessline 211
*Thanks, Elena! You can find her on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaverna/)* and *[Twitter](https://twitter.com/ElenaVerna)*. - Network accessline 215
1. **Mynd:** [Product Lead, Leasing & Residents](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/fb8cc2e5-7d3c-48ca-9fa8-38fbb4a3411f) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 216
2. **TaskRabbit:** [Chief Product Officer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/17de265a-eadd-4e61-9a8b-a4ff0dc0b494) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 217
3. **Fiveable:** [Head of Product](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c569b4e4-3b48-4ed6-9e85-ca71fc7023f0) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 218
4. **Catalog:** [Senior Project Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/f2bec9f3-9eaf-4d5f-aa4a-48e81f3e3a78) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 219
5. **Enterpret:** [Principal Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/ffbf9d72-bac3-4a65-a086-43dcb9b46bcb) (NYC) - Network accessline 220
6. **Launch House:** [Growth Associate](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/cc16e91a-64cd-40b0-b48b-0a9befd0a77b) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 221
7. **Hyphen:** [Senior Software Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/409ba7dc-d175-45cf-a3e8-5b50d020c874) (LA, San Jose, ATL, Remote-US) - Network accessline 222
8. **Rapchat:** [Data Analyst](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/e32872cf-766d-47f1-b367-6e9b0d437294) (Remote-US/EU) - Network accessline 223
9. **The Parent Company:** [Product Manager - Consumer Growth](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/31f0e76e-aace-4a3c-a1bd-370dab92eda2) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 224
10. **Spokn:** [Head of Product Design](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/4ae774dd-1c74-4709-897e-dd4413a2aa5c) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 225
11. **Custom Ink:** [Senior UX Architect](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6cf2edfe-0149-4cf8-99f4-7bf23a949975) (Fairfax VA, Remote-US) - Network accessline 226
12. **PadSplit:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/a4a610e5-a0dc-4c28-9c19-9905c60917ad) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 227
13. **Matter:** [Design Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/d08a9ae6-80b3-414f-8e36-daa2b8ea6768) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 229
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 233
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/skills-pms-need-to-build.md
- Network accessline 12
Instead of pontificating, let’s get real. There’s no better way to know what skills matter most in your role than by looking at how your company evaluates your performance. If you’re lucky, your manager has shared what’s called a career lad - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 34
 - Possible obfuscationline 185
- “Actively contributes<U+200B>” —> “Steers team explorations” —> “Facilitates concept explorations” - Possible obfuscationline 186
- “Adapts<U+200B> to existing team shipping rhythm” —> “Establishes and drives<U+200B> a consistent shipping cadence” —> “Motivates multiple teams to find creative ways to continue to ship frequently even for complex, high-dependency projects” - Possible obfuscationline 193
- “Can demonstrate meaningful impact” —> “Consistently<U+200B> delivers meaningful impact” - Network accessline 215
 - Network accessline 235
[Here are a number of templates to get you started building your own framework](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fEY8JnLhvjci1F-twKOFK7gh8Z0SwXCdMxOxXrXZEhw/edit#gid=1925149295). - Network accessline 239
1. [Intercom](https://blog.intercomassets.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Intercom-PM-job-ladder-Logo.pdf) - Network accessline 240
2. [Optimizely](https://www.dropbox.com/s/8ogtpjvgptix3is/Optimizely%20PM%20Levels%20%26%20Profiles%20-%20FY19.pdf?dl=0) - Network accessline 241
3. [Wise](https://www.transferwise.jobs/product-management-career-map/) - Network accessline 242
4. [OpenTable](https://www.dropbox.com/s/5egjhdeo9ls3ugs/OpenTable%20-%20Product%20Management%20Careers%20at%20OpenTable%20v2.pdf?dl=0) - Network accessline 243
5. [XO Group](https://medium.com/agileinsider/product-manager-skills-by-seniority-level-a-deep-breakdown-cd0690f76d10) - Network accessline 244
6. [Oscar](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/deep-dive-product-management-leveling-oscar-sara-wajnberg/) - Network accessline 245
7. [Gusto](https://engineering.gusto.com/a-framework-to-help-product-managers-achieve-their-potential-2/) - Network accessline 246
8. [GitLab](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/product-manager-role/) - Network accessline 254
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager/comments) - Network accessline 262
1. **Metafy:** [Principal Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3bd02acf-9da4-4769-9dd7-fed6a81045c8) (Remote) - Network accessline 263
2. **6ix:** [Project Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/5322e118-bba3-4a9f-ac38-da61d5b4cab8) (Remote/Toronto) - Network accessline 264
3. **Brex:** [Senior Product Manager on Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/5a8a0c07-552b-49a0-ac12-e588280790c5) (Remote) - Network accessline 265
4. **LawnStarter:**[Founding Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/e55f36fa-2103-4ebf-bbe4-dbd4fc63fa4a) (Remote) - Network accessline 266
5. **Overtime:**[Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/4296af21-ada7-47c8-bc19-9041724f3098) (NYC) - Network accessline 267
6. **Wrapbook:**[Senior Technical Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/dea57461-eb0d-4edb-9097-91885482ce19) (Remote) - Network accessline 268
7. **Immuta:**[Senior Technical Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/7e71effa-1f76-4607-a9de-57ca1b07f261) (Remote) - Network accessline 269
8. **Duolingo**: [Principal Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/16daa6a1-ff27-4097-89cb-41f7a1b33aa6) (NY/Seattle) - Network accessline 270
9. **Companion Labs**: [Head of / Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/f1e8cbf6-7338-48ae-ba6f-2507b3427e0e) (SF) - Network accessline 271
10. **Curology**: [Group Product Manager, Growth & Subscription](https://pallet.xyz/job/400edfd5-43fb-45d1-a679-772cb7442b6e) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 272
11. **Curology**: [Group Product Manager, Medical & Pharmacy Ops](https://pallet.xyz/job/f589c9bf-48c9-43df-8a3e-c418f92b715b) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 273
12. **Grand Rounds**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/8f22029f-7685-443c-b595-588326096967) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 277
1. **Brex:**[Growth Marketing Manager, Search (SEM+SEO)](https://pallet.xyz/job/1811f9d7-21c7-4cd0-8b81-050242749825)(Remote) - Network accessline 278
2. **OpenPhone**: [Head of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/job/102a757f-cbea-4113-9588-cf1fc98a8d7a) (Remote) - Network accessline 279
3. **neo.tax:**[Head of Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/2fd84c85-b209-47d0-9213-671e0342cff3) (Mountain View/Remote) - Network accessline 280
4. **Coda:**[Growth Associate Program](https://pallet.xyz/job/bba22fae-9ec5-47a2-b6dd-157f498b1fba) (SF) - Network accessline 281
5. **Labelbox**: [Director of Growth and Demand Generation](https://pallet.xyz/job/c6947128-80d8-49ab-a679-728f0aaf3430) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 282
6. **Livepeer:**[Go To Market Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/3f5394b4-3104-4670-9572-c045b065119a) (Remote) - Network accessline 286
1. **Eppo:** [Data Infrastructure Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/fa7f68a5-8153-4928-8aff-20a87e3c6d84) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 287
2. **Playbook**: [Head of Engineering](https://pallet.xyz/job/94f60a15-f165-4f10-81f1-1e56e2cebfc2) (Remote) - Network accessline 288
3. **Karat**: [Senior Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/1b718459-42d4-489b-b725-8139c93b4898) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 289
4. **Cable**: [Backend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/8f3f617d-07ba-412f-87f5-6a8ad1d0fe35) (Remote) - Network accessline 290
5. **Transform:** [Data Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/bb8679fc-e2cb-4a83-a9d6-b71795c096e5) (Remote) - Network accessline 294
1. **ClassDojo:**[Design Leader](https://pallet.xyz/job/d249ecad-d380-416f-a773-4650e28585cc) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 295
2. **Cardless**: [Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/4befe144-b63d-4a5c-9626-11a533a8fdd3) (SF) - Network accessline 296
3. **Karat**: [First Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/29a7b24a-2ba0-489e-8222-d5d2b0b68e43) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 300
1. **Maven:**[Course Strategy and Operations Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/24216c2e-e429-456c-add2-0ac0662e04b7) (Remote) - Network accessline 301
2. **Maven:**[White-Glove Course Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/b333db7b-c2f2-4f87-b82e-a8970ba14193) (Remote) - Network accessline 302
3. **Free Agency:**[Community Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3445e94f-d760-4b3b-9c47-393a6f4702e8) (New York City) - Network accessline 304
*To browse 200+ open roles, or to add your own roles, [visit Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 310
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mExQ8bz3Gno) - Network accessline 314
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbnDay35L8I) - Network accessline 316
1. **Read**: [Renewable Energy Is Suddenly Startlingly Cheap](https://kottke.org/21/05/renewable-energy-is-suddenly-startlingly-cheap) - Network accessline 320
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/skipping-newsletter-today.md
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[alexedelman](https://instagram.com/alexedelman) - Network accessline 16
[](https://instagram.com/p/CyJe9CDPJmC) - Network accessline 18
A post shared by [@alexedelman](https://instagram.com/alexedelman) - Network accessline 20
[amyschumer](https://instagram.com/amyschumer) - Network accessline 22
[](https://instagram.com/p/CyJfMkEubQ0) - Network accessline 24
A post shared by [@amyschumer](https://instagram.com/amyschumer) - Network accessline 26
If you’re looking for more ways to help, [here’s one way](https://x.com/benln/status/1711001072842543225?s=20).
references/02-newsletters/startup-pm-vs-big-company-pm.md
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1. **Communication**: Everything you do as a product manager is done through writing, speaking, and meetings. As [Boz](https://twitter.com/boztank) puts it, “[communication](https://boz.com/articles/communication-is-the-job.html)*[is](https - Network accessline 20
1. **Emails**: Force yourself to look at every email at least once before you send it. There’s always something you can cut or clarify. [Here’s an email strategy](https://hbr.org/2016/11/how-to-write-email-with-military-precision) I love co - Network accessline 21
2. **Docs**: Always ask for feedback from at least one person before sharing a doc widely. Focus on clean and consistent formatting. Close out comments before sharing with execs. Make it easy to scan. Keep pushing yourself to learn to write - Network accessline 22
3. **Meetings**: Include the goal of the meeting in your invite, ideally along with an agenda. If you attend a meeting that doesn’t feel productive, call it out. Invite as few people as possible. Leave with clear action items. Follow up ove - Network accessline 23
4. **Presentations**: Make sure your audience knows the goal of the presentation — are you looking for a decision or general feedback, or purely sharing information? It’s not as obvious as you think. Get feedback on your presentation; fres - Network accessline 24
5. **Storytelling**: This is a meta-skill that will make you better at all of the above. [This](https://speakingsherpa.com/how-to-tell-a-business-story-using-the-mckinsey-situation-complication-resolution-scr-framework/) framework is an exc - Network accessline 27
1. Watch successful PMs at your new gig closely — how do they get things done when they don’t actually manage anyone on the team? 2. Foster a strong team culture. Establish fun rituals, plan outings, and create a lasting identity for you - Network accessline 28
2. Foster a strong team culture. Establish fun rituals, plan outings, and create a lasting identity for your team. 3. Read [10 Traits of Great PMs](https://medium.com/@noah_weiss/10-traits-of-great-pms-a7776cd3d9cd) by [Noah Weiss](https - Network accessline 29
3. Read [10 Traits of Great PMs](https://medium.com/@noah_weiss/10-traits-of-great-pms-a7776cd3d9cd) by [Noah Weiss](https://medium.com/@noah_weiss) - Network accessline 30
4. Read [What distinguishes the Top 1% of product managers from the Top 10%?](https://www.quora.com/What-distinguishes-the-Top-1-of-product-managers-from-the-Top-10/answer/Ian-McAllister?srid=3wR&st=ns) by [Ian McAllister](https://medium.co - Network accessline 31
5. Read [The Job of Leadership](https://medium.com/@ev/the-job-of-leadership-757e4bc3e539) by [Ev Williams](https://medium.com/@ev) - Network accessline 32
6. Read [The Most Underrated Product Management Skill: Influence Without Authority](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/the-most-underrated-product-management-skill-influence-without-authority) by [Sachin Rekhi](https://medium.com/@sachinrekhi) - Network accessline 33
7. Read [What Makes a Great Product Manager](https://hackernoon.com/what-makes-a-great-product-manager-3c1d03b90356) by [Lawrence Ripsher](https://medium.com/@ripsher) - Network accessline 34
8. Read [Product Management skills NO ONE talks about](https://hackernoon.com/product-management-skills-no-one-talks-about-5d50debfb815) by [Taruna Manchanda](https://medium.com/@Taruna2309) - Network accessline 35
3. **Data**: Teams generally look to the PM to help them reach decisions. You’ll be making dozens of decisions daily on behalf of the team. Your best friend in making decisions at large companies is a clear set of [principles](https://mediu - Network accessline 37
1. Study how successful companies make decisions through experimentation ([Airbnb](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/experiments-at-airbnb-e2db3abf39e7), [Uber](https://eng.uber.com/xp/), [Netflix](https://medium.com/netflix-techblog/it - Network accessline 38
2. Watch successful leaders at your new organization making decisions — how quickly are they making decisions, what do they ask about before making a decision, how do they communicate their reasoning? 3. Always have a perspective on a de - Network accessline 39
3. Always have a perspective on a decision (your own POV), but also be ready to change your mind given new information. 4. Read about [Type-1 and Type-2 decisions](https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-this-is-how-succ - Network accessline 40
4. Read about [Type-1 and Type-2 decisions](https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/amazon-founder-jeff-bezos-this-is-how-successful-people-make-such-smart-decisions.html) - Network accessline 41
5. Read [The Agony and Ecstasy of Building with Data](https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/the-agony-and-ecstasy-of-building-with-data-56215764d67c) by [Julie Zhuo](https://medium.com/@joulee) - Network accessline 42
6. Read [Making Good Decisions as a Product Manager](https://blackboxofpm.com/making-good-decisions-as-a-product-manager-c66ddacc9e2b) by [Brandon Chu](https://medium.com/@brandonmchu) - Network accessline 43
7. Read [The Art of Decision Making as a Product Manager](https://www.sachinrekhi.com/the-art-of-decision-making-as-a-product-manager) by [Sachin Rekhi](https://medium.com/@sachinrekhi) - Network accessline 44
8. Read [Your Job is Not to Make Every Possible Customer Happy](https://thinkgrowth.org/your-job-is-not-to-make-every-possible-customer-happy-f59a59595af) by [Steve Blank](https://medium.com/@sgblank) - Network accessline 45
9. Read [Product strategy means saying no](https://www.intercom.com/blog/product-strategy-means-saying-no/) by [Des Traynor](https://medium.com/@destraynor) - Network accessline 59
(BTW, in case you are reading this and are planning to go in the *other* direction, here’s [advice for anyone joining as the first product manager](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/joining-as-the-first-product-manager-7f4)) - Network accessline 63
1. **Product**: [Aavia](https://aavia.io/pages/aavia-head-of-product-career), [ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731), [Descript](https://jobs.lever.co/descript-2/08f9b563-c3e6-49a4-be07-82fafc1868af), [KUDO](https: - Network accessline 64
2. **Growth**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4188468003), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://le - Network accessline 65
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8Cvl - Network accessline 66
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 67
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 68
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 69
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4473700002), - Network accessline 70
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://job - Network accessline 74
1. **Watch**: Maverick — A look into how this book took [Noah Kagan](https://okdork.com/youtube)’s (from our very own community!) business from $4m to $30m in revenue - Network accessline 76
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyduMeorcKI) - Network accessline 78
2. **Listen**: [SaaS Growth, Product Management, Retention, Flywheels: Behind the Paywall with Lenny Rachitsky](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/saas-growth-product-management-retention-flywheels/id1316769266?i=1000497337240) <— I was - Network accessline 79
3. **Read**: [Fast growth vs. slow growth](https://twitter.com/dunkhippo33/status/1313265188993294337) by Elizabeth Yin - Network accessline 83
[Give your friend a free month](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/account/referrals)
references/02-newsletters/startup-to-exit-lessons-from-a-first-time-founder.md
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*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing - Network accessline 14
1. *[How Figma builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-figma-builds-product)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[How to determine your activation metric](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-determine-your-activation)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Discussion: What book most helped you become a better product manager?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/discussion-what-book-most-helped/comments)* - Network accessline 20
I first met in 2020 when I was starting my life as a solo paid-newsletter person and realized I needed to figure out health insurance. Fortunately, Substack just started offering a perk called Savvy—a monthly stipend alongside a neat tool - Network accessline 22
Suril was previously the youngest-ever hire on [TPG](https://www.tpg.com/)’s investment team, which led early rounds in Uber, Airbnb, Spotify, Box, and GreenSky. He’s currently advising startups on go-to-market while exploring new ideas in - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 26
Savvy was the first fintech platform of its kind, offering employees payment cards to buy their own health insurance. We took Savvy from 0 to 1, growing to tens of millions in payment volume across thousands of users, but sold before scalin - Network accessline 32
There’s a plethora of writing on [how to identify](https://www.paulgraham.com/startupideas.html#:~:text=The%20very%20best%20startup%20ideas,Facebook%20all%20began%20this%20way.&text=Why%20is%20it%20so%20important%20to%20work%20on%20a%20prob - Network accessline 38
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In the weeks that followed, we brought our vision to prospective customers to validate the market need. At first, we received excitement and validation. However, we realized our first several “interviews” were actually sales pitches (e.g. “ - Network accessline 60
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Around this time, I received a cryptic email from a VC: “This looks interesting … check it out.” Attached was a draft copy of a [new federal health insurance regulation](https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/new-fi - Network accessline 118
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[Savvy was acquired](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dallas-based-tech-startup-take-command-acquires-technology-from-silicon-valley-based-startup-savvy-to-expand-benefits-platform-301558414.html) by Take Command Health in June 2022 - Network accessline 185
 - Network accessline 189
*Suril is currently advising startups on go-to-market while exploring new ideas in climate and fintech. You can **follow his journey at*** *or connect with him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/suril-kantaria-59522922/) or [Twitter - Network accessline 193
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 195
 - Network accessline 199
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 203
1. **Antimatter:** [Head of Design / Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6c4bd650-9652-481c-93d0-33c2bba88125) (NYC) - Network accessline 204
2. **Graphite:** [Sr. Director of Product—B2B SaaS](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8fbce839-966c-496b-bd08-48f297febd76) (Remote, US) - Network accessline 205
3. **Teal:** [Sr. Growth Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/97200c8c-3264-4768-b135-3a91f8dd3d32) (Remote, US) - Network accessline 206
4. **Rabbithole:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/1d202cac-27f9-40fb-a31d-a8d717f468e5) (Remote) - Network accessline 207
5. **Equi:** [Director, Product Management](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/fb351a31-203b-47f4-8675-c9be18438c6b) (NYC) - Network accessline 208
6. **Noom:** [Head of Product Design](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8dffb755-160d-416e-947a-0f09ccc7d11e) (Remote) - Network accessline 209
7. **Equi:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f2f82806-0fdf-461f-beb7-bdc2771d50f9) (NYC) - Network accessline 210
8. **Equi:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/873a7791-0545-4fc5-a07c-4fa8a75da3fd) (NYC) - Network accessline 211
9. **Zendoor:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a060efa9-8aaf-43dd-be39-60447a4bb567) (Phoenix, AZ, Remote) - Network accessline 212
10. **Playbook:**[Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/608b4297-c97d-45fc-a521-70b74f6d7d65) (NYC, Remote)
references/02-newsletters/state-of-the-product-job-market-in-2025.md
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Last year, I did a two-part series on the state of the product job market (see [part 1](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/new-data-on-the-product-job-market), [part 2](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/state-of-the-product-job-market-part - Network accessline 27
A big thank-you to [TrueUp](https://trueup.io/) for making this analysis possible through their incredible dataset. They continuously scan **every open job at every big tech company and every top startup,** and then categorize and tag each - Network accessline 31
*P.S. If you prefer, you can listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www. - Network accessline 39
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When you look at just AI PM roles—which includes roles at both AI companies (e.g. OpenAI, Anthropic, Scale) and roles specifically focused on AI products/features at any tech company (e.g. AI/ML PM at Salesforce), the growth we’re seeing is - Network accessline 53
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[Since our last analysis](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/149172750/which-cities-have-the-most-open-pm-roles), Berlin and Austin entered the top 10 locations with the most open PM roles, and Boston and L.A. fell out of the top 10. - Network accessline 81
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. - Network accessline 113
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1. The rise of the product engineer: We’re seeing 415 open Product Engineer roles currently (e.g. [v0](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/vercel/jobs/5466858004), [Amplitude](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/amplitude/jobs/7897466002), [n8n]( - Network accessline 130
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/state-of-the-product-job-market-part-2.md
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Lots of questions came up after publishing [my last product jobs report](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/new-data-on-the-product-job-market), so I’m back with a follow-up. - Network accessline 14
1. **[TrueUp](https://www.trueup.io/)**, which tracks *new* *job* *openings* across all tech companies globally - Network accessline 15
2. **[Live Data Technologies](https://www.livedatatechnologies.com/)**, which tracks job changes (hires, departures, and promotions*)* across all companies in the U.S. - Network accessline 33
*Big thank-you to [Amit Taylor](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amittaylor/) from [TrueUp](https://www.trueup.io/) and [Jason Saltzman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-salt/) from [Live Data Technologies](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-sal - Network accessline 37
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SQL is (and continues to be) the most mentioned hard skill in PM job descriptions. Although it’s declining over time, it’s still far above any other term. [Here’s some advice on getting more technical](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/413 - Network accessline 97
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The fastest-growing term in PM job descriptions is, unsurprisingly, LLMs. [Here’s advice for getting better with LLM tools](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/146639061/how-to-set-yourself-up-to-thrive-in-a-world-of-ai). - Network accessline 101
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If you read [my previous post on the job market](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/new-data-on-the-product-job-market), you may be wondering why in that post I showed growth, user research, and product owners as the fastest-growing roles, - Network accessline 144
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However, they are almost exclusively hiring engineers and data scientists. Of the [16,935 job openings](https://trueup.io/ai) at the top AI companies (including AI teams at non-AI-first companies), most of the open roles are engineering and - Network accessline 161
1. [Amazon—Sr. Prompt Engineer](https://www.amazon.jobs/en/jobs/2724134/sr-prompt-engineer-selling-partner-protection-operations-sepo-product-team) - Network accessline 162
2. [TikTok—Product Operation Manager, AI Ops (Prompt Engineering Specialization)](https://careers.tiktok.com/position/7353507805650127154/detail) - Network accessline 163
3. [Klarity—GenAI Automation–Prompt Engineer](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/klarity/9b1a72b6-285a-4e07-91bd-c5300d2e684f) - Network accessline 167
Finally, in the last report, I shared that [product owners are the third-fastest-growing role in tech](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/146638817/product-owners-are-owning-it). Digging further with this new data, there are two parts to th - Network accessline 174
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/state-of-the-product-job-market-part/comments) - Network accessline 186
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 190
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/strategy-and-tactics-for-increasing-conversion.md
- Network accessline 10
Hello and welcome to another edition of my newsletter. My name is [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out at the o - Network accessline 12
**If you find this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) 🤜🤛** - Network accessline 16
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You and your team can leverage the above framework by [coming up with ideas](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/where-great-product-roadmap-ideas) within each of these three levers, and then testing out your favorites. My advice is to experim - Network accessline 37
If running experiments isn’t possible at your scale (you can use [this handy calculator](https://www.optimizely.com/sample-size-calculator/) to get a sense), my advice is to do your due diligence (e.g. talk to users, evaluation upside, etc. - Network accessline 39
Airbnb has an incredibly strong culture of [experimentation](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/experiment-reporting-framework-4e3fcd29e6c0) and [iteration](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/4-principles-for-making-experimentation-co - Network accessline 43
1. **Opening listings in a new tab**: When you click on an Airbnb listing (in search, from the home page, etc.), it always opens up in a new tab. Why? We found that helping a user avoid losing track of all of their options helps them contin - Network accessline 44
2. **Neighborhoods:** In late 2012, Airbnb [launched a product called “Neighborhoods”](https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/13/airbnb-launches-neighborhoods-providing-the-definitive-travel-guide-for-its-guests/) which offered users incredibly ric - Network accessline 49
1. **Scarcity**: Giving users a reason to act now, by conveying a sense of [scarcity](https://www.influenceatwork.com/principles-of-persuasion/#scarcity) (e.g. this property is usually booked), is a powerful motivator and a big conversion o - Network accessline 51
3. **What’s my place worth:** On the host side, the primary motivation for becoming a host is income. Thus, making this value-prop prominent not only on [the host landing page](https://www.airbnb.com/host/homes), but also throughout the ent - Network accessline 55
1. **Instant Book**: By far the biggest friction to booking on Airbnb has always been the host approval process. Over the years, [as the platform shifted to predominantly Instant Book](https://www.phocuswire.com/Airbnb-instant-booking-growt - Network accessline 100
1. [A/B Testing](https://www.julian.com/guide/growth/ab-testing) by Julian Shapiro - Network accessline 101
2. [Conversion Rate Optimization](https://moz.com/learn/seo/conversion-rate-optimization) by Moz - Network accessline 102
3. [The Conversion Optimization Rulebook](https://unbounce.com/conversion-rate-optimization/rulebook/) by Unbounce - Network accessline 103
4. [Psych’d: A new user psychology framework for increasing funnel conversion](https://andrewchen.co/psychd-funnel-conversion/) by Darius Contractor - Network accessline 104
5. [13 Examples of Re-Engagement Emails](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/10-examples-of-effective-re-engagement-emails) by HubSpot - Network accessline 108
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ghqc!,f_ - Network accessline 116
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oilZ1hNZPRM)
references/02-newsletters/strategy-blocks-an-operators-guide-to-product-strategy.md
- Network accessline 10
Below, you’ll find what I believe is the most actionable, specific, and straightforward framework for crafting a strategy, for both your product and your company. [Chandra Janakiraman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandramohanj/) came on [my - Network accessline 12
As Chandra shares below, his framework sits on top of the best strategy wisdom out there (e.g. [Michael Porter](https://hbr.org/1996/11/what-is-strategy), *[Good Strategy Bad Strategy](https://a.co/d/ilE3kQq)*, *[Playing to Win](https://a.c - Network accessline 14
For more from Chandra, [follow him on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandramohanj/), and [VRChat is hiring](https://jobs.lever.co/vrchat)! - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 18
At Headspace back in 2016, we had established our product roadmap and success metrics and our mission and vision, but teams were still confused about *why* we were working on the projects we chose. Without that clarity, teams weren’t able t - Network accessline 20
Over the past 10 years, I’ve used Strategy Blocks in six different high-stake contexts, at companies large and small, including [Headspace](https://www.headspace.com/), [Meta](https://about.meta.com/), and [VRChat](https://hello.vrchat.com/ - Network accessline 24
Strategy has benefited from several excellent foundational frameworks over the years, from [Michael Porter’s work](https://hbr.org/1996/11/what-is-strategy) to *[Good Strategy Bad Strategy](https://a.co/d/ilE3kQq)*, *[Playing to Win](https: - Network accessline 42
Crafting the small “s” strategy requires about 8 to 12 weeks to produce a **high-quality output** ([see output template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iNeYUaMnpicvkpVZO-gj9cCxLeHfWN0xtGm_QoxgemE/edit?usp=sharing)). The weeks are split - Network accessline 52
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 - Network accessline 118
These illustrative concepts are not intended to be “shovel-ready” for engineering to build on. Instead, they’re meant to help the reader understand the strategy document better. The strategy working group design lead heads up the design spr - Network accessline 122
At this point, the product leader has significant leverage built up from steps 1 to 3. Let us recall everything that is now available: user insights (behavioral and user research), competitive analysis, three strategic pillars, associated “ - Network accessline 147
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Also refer to the [podcast episode](https://youtu.be/WFLH8Af2f30?si=aJ60o7DGhQOa7J1Y) for additional commentary and support. All the best with your strategy work, and please share what worked and didn’t work through the comments below! - Network accessline 236
*Thank you, [Chandra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandramohanj/)!* - Network accessline 242
[Halo Science](https://www.halo.science/) is hiring for a Head of Product. In this role, you’ll: - Network accessline 253
If you’d like to get your profile sent directly to their team, just fill out [this quick form](https://airtable.com/appTNAXC72V74HqPS/pagCczxszIZPdd00t/form). All submissions from my readers get priority (but no guarantees beyond that). - Network accessline 255
*If you’d like to get your role featured here, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apphKJD0wLIHfPcZu/pag09IdQYrMpolMa5/form). If you’re interested in working with my white-glove recruiting service specializing in senior product roles (e.g. Di - Network accessline 257
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 259
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/summary-ai-and-product-management--marily-nika-meta-google.md
- Network accessline 10
[Marily Nika](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marilynika/) is an AI Product Lead at [Meta](https://www.linkedin.com/company/meta/) and previously worked at Google’s Assistant and AR/VR teams. She teaches among the most popular courses on [AI an - Network accessline 12
[Marily Nika’s AI Product Newsletter - Network accessline 14
Weekly AI & Product Management content by Marily Nika, one of the world's top AI Product Leaders with 12+ years @ Google & @ Meta. Opportunities, exclusive templates, course discounts and tools that will transform your career.](https://mari - Network accessline 18
You can also see the episode [transcript](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/ai-and-product-management-marily-nika-meta-google#transcript) and Marily’s [references](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/ai-and-product-management-marily-nika-meta-google# - Network accessline 20
### [Staying informed on AI developments ▶](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=200) - Network accessline 22
- Sources for AI news: Marily recommends following experts on Twitter and subscribing to any tech-focused newsletters, like the [MIT Technology Review](https://www.technologyreview.com/). “All tech newsletters would write AI-focused content - Network accessline 23
- AI is both overhyped and under-hyped: She thinks writers complaining writing is dying because of ChatGPT is overhyping and misunderstanding it. “AI is enhancing us, not stealing from us.” She thinks there is more to AI than just ChatGPT. - Network accessline 25
### [Using ChatGPT for work ▶](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=361) - Network accessline 31
 - Network accessline 33
### [Why all PMs will be AI PMs ▶](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=512) - Network accessline 35
- All PMs will be AI PMs because she sees all products needing to have personalized experiences and recommender systems, and even to make technological advancements, you need to have an AI-centric view. - [PMs should get comfortable with ha - Network accessline 36
- [PMs should get comfortable with having research scientists on their teams](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=618). A lot of PMs are very used to saying, “Okay, I’m going to do XYZ on launch” and don’t know how to approach researchers. Where - Network accessline 39
 - Network accessline 41
### [How to get started using AI ▶](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=676) - Network accessline 47
### [How much data you need for AI to work](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=948) - Network accessline 51
 - Network accessline 53
### [When to build your own model vs. use a ready-made model ▶](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=1033) - Network accessline 55
- A model is like a 3-year-old kid’s brain: You will end up training your kid’s brain by repeating the same information again. Saying, “Here’s what the rhino looks like, here’s what an elephant looks like,” etc., repeatedly. And once you’ve - Network accessline 56
- Most impactful AI demo she saw: Google demonstrated the power of AI by translating a conversation between two people speaking different languages in [real time via Google Glass](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQd394a4qEo). - Network accessline 61
### [How to become a strong AI PM ▶](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=1480) - Network accessline 63
- **AI will let PMs focus on some things more than others**: AI augments PM capabilities, making them more efficient and effective. PMs should focus less on areas that can be managed/handled with machine learning/AI and more on building the - Network accessline 64
- **AI PMs should learn how to code**. Even though ChatGPT etc. can help code, learning it gives you a different mindset and confidence, knowing how things work; e.g. in learning to play the piano, Marily hated that she had to learn classic - Network accessline 65
- **Where to learn:** Marily recommends her AI PM [Bootcamp](https://maven.com/marily-nika/ai-pm-bootcamp) or AI PM [101](https://maven.com/marily-nika/ai-product-management) or [Advanced](https://maven.com/marily-nika/advanced-ai-product-m - Network accessline 66
- **Strong AI PM qualities**: To become a strong AI PM, one should have a good understanding of AI, be able to work with data scientists, and possess excellent communication skills. Marily has a [course](https://www.marilynika.com/offers/mn - Network accessline 69
### [4 main challenges for AI PMs ▶](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=948) - Network accessline 76
### [Getting leadership buy-in for investing in AI ▶](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=1876) - Network accessline 82
### [Marily’s AI course and AutoML ▶](https://youtu.be/qNPPoj1qUG0?t=2129) - Network accessline 84
- Marily’s three-week AI course covers the product development lifecycle, idea generation, production, and career paths in AI. Students learn coding fundamentals and no-code tools while developing their own AI products. Some students have e - Network accessline 85
- **AutoML as a no-code AI tool**: [AutoML](https://cloud.google.com/automl) is a tool offered by Google Cloud that allows for the training of custom machine learning models with minimal effort. A renewable-energy company was able to use Au - Network accessline 96
- Marily recommends ChatGPT and the [Lensa app](https://prisma-ai.com/lensa), which allows users to transform their photos into fantastical images. - Network accessline 98
This is a human edited summary of the podcast episode with Marily, by Gaurav Chandrashekar ([@cggaurav](https://twitter.com/cggaurav), [productscale.xyz](https://productscale.xyz)). To listen to the full episode, go [here](https://www.lenny
references/02-newsletters/summary-april-dunford-on-product-positioning-segmentation-and-optimizing-your-sa.md
- Network accessline 10
[April Dunford](https://www.aprildunford.com/obviously-awesome) is an expert at nailing positioning for scaling tech companies and wrote [Obviously Awesome](https://amzn.to/3KTzncy), a definitive guide to [product positioning](https://www.l - Network accessline 12
You can also see the episode [transcript](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/april-dunford-on-product-positioning-segmentation-and-optimizing-your-sales-process#transcript) and April’s [references](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/april-dunford-on- - Network accessline 14
#### [April’s background ▶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjlCLb9Hl8&t=222s) - Network accessline 18
[An interesting or unusual client?](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjlCLb9Hl8&t=456s) [Bluelight Analytics](https://www.bluelightanalytics.com/) helps dentistry instruments work better; she learned so much about the industry and is scared - Network accessline 20
#### [Defining positioning, and when you know you have a positioning problem ▶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjlCLb9Hl8&t=737s) - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 32
With her client [Postman](https://www.postman.com/), which is “a platform for building and using APIs,” they didn’t know what to call themselves three years ago, and that took work to go through her positioning exercises. - Network accessline 34
#### [Company misalignment vs. positioning issues ▶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjlCLb9Hl8&t=931s) - Network accessline 38
#### [The essential five steps to figuring out your product’s positioning ▶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjlCLb9Hl8&t=1352s) - Network accessline 40
 - Network accessline 49
 - Network accessline 51
#### [Help Scout’s positioning process ▶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjlCLb9Hl8&t=1765s) - Network accessline 53
April helped [Help Scout](https://www.helpscout.com) figure out its differentiation, which was in its philosophy of customer service, where they treat their customers as humans, not a number, and a chatbot convo happens only when there is a - Network accessline 57
 - Network accessline 59
#### [The difference between positioning, messaging, and branding ▶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjlCLb9Hl8&t=2412s) - Network accessline 65
- [Magic Leap](https://magicleap.com): Magic Leap is a VR headset, but April was like, so what? What am I actually going to do with that? She helped them pivot to selling B2B for manufacturing companies. - Network accessline 66
- [Segway](https://www.segway.com): Segway’s founder pitched “Revolution in human transport.” And people were getting so excited because they believed it was a flying car. And then when they saw the actual product, they were disappointed be - Network accessline 68
#### [How should early-stage companies think about positioning? ▶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjlCLb9Hl8&t=2912s) - Network accessline 74
#### [What’s the difference between segmentation and personas? ▶](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdjlCLb9Hl8&t=3281s) - Network accessline 79
This is a human edited summary of the podcast episode with April, by Gaurav Chandrashekar ([@cggaurav](https://twitter.com/cggaurav), [productscale.xyz](https://productscale.xyz)). To listen to the full episode, go [here](https://www.lennys
references/02-newsletters/summary-lessons-from-working-with-600-yc-startups--gustaf-alströmer-y-combinator.md
- Network accessline 10
[Gustaf Alströmer](https://twitter.com/gustaf) is a Group Partner at [Y Combinator](https://ycombinator.com), where he has worked with over 600 startups. He’s also a fellow [Airbnb alumnus](https://gustafalstromer.com) along with Lenny and - Network accessline 14
You can also see the episode [transcript](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/lessons-from-working-with-600-yc-startups-gustaf-alstromer-y-combinator-airbnb/#transcript) and Gustaf’s references. - Network accessline 16
### [What made Airbnb so special? ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0&t=441s) - Network accessline 21
<https://twitter.com/gustaf/status/1580330162725347330> - Network accessline 23
### [Motivations for starting companies ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0&t=631s) - Network accessline 25
- “I disagree with [Elad Gil](https://twitter.com/eladgil) that starting up is an act of desperation; most founders start from a positive place.” - Network accessline 31
### [The magic that happens at YC Office Hours ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0&t=963s) - Network accessline 44
### [Common reasons startups fail ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0&t=1346s) - Network accessline 54
Key advice: [Talk to customers, learn what they want, and build products that address their needs.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ikpoF2GH0&ab_channel=YCombinator) - Network accessline 56
### [The importance of solving pain points and why you should watch users ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0&t=1677s) - Network accessline 58
- Founders fear that users will try their product and hate it, but the most common thing that happens is the user is indifferent. So if you make improvements and come back after a while, they’ll always give you a second chance. Airbnb start - Network accessline 61
### [The value of having a technical co-founder ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0&t=2061s) - Network accessline 67
[Calendly’s](https://calendly.com/) success story: A Ukrainian dev team built their first product and drove initial growth by using it within their firm and spreading it to others. - Network accessline 69
### [Attributes of the most successful founders ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0&t=2446s) - Network accessline 90
### [On climate tech ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0&t=3543s) - Network accessline 92
- Gustaf and David Rusenko (CEO of Weebly) wrote a [request for startups](https://www.ycombinator.com/blog/rfs-climatetech) in climate tech with a detailed list of ideas and areas of opportunity, and have invested in over 130 companies. It’ - Network accessline 93
- Software founders are realizing their skills are relevant in addressing climate change. What’s needed are core PM and engineering skills, not necessarily deep scientific knowledge or domain expertise. - Decarbonization and carbon removal - Network accessline 94
- Decarbonization and carbon removal require changes in transportation, energy, and home heating. - In shipping, [Seabound](https://www.seabound.co/) focuses on carbon capture and removal for ships, while [Fleetzero](https://fleetzero.com) - Network accessline 95
- In shipping, [Seabound](https://www.seabound.co/) focuses on carbon capture and removal for ships, while [Fleetzero](https://fleetzero.com) builds electric ships. Carbon accounting and recommendation systems help companies track and reduc - Network accessline 98
### [Lightning round ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0&t=4609s) - Network accessline 100
1. Favorite book? [The 100% Solution](https://www.amazon.com/100-Solution-Solving-Climate-Change/dp/1612198384?linkCode=sl1&tag=cggaurav-20&linkId=b1a2eefd79604cf03595adf0a7d37f0f&language=en_US), by Solomon Goldstein-Rose for climate chang - Network accessline 102
2. Favorite movie/show? [Emily in Paris](https://www.netflix.com/title/81037371) and [Everything Everywhere All at Once](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6710474/). - Network accessline 106
4. Most out-there wild startups you have funded? [Heart Aerospace](https://heartaerospace.com/). - Network accessline 108
5. What’s a pro tip for applying to YC? Watch [YouTube videos](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yiOcCPvyNE) about hacking the application from other founders and reach out to them. - Network accessline 112
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lY9CYIY4pQ) - Network accessline 114
This is a human edited summary of the podcast episode with Gustaf, by Gaurav Chandrashekar ([@cggaurav](https://twitter.com/cggaurav), [productscale.xyz](https://productscale.xyz)). To listen to the full episode, go [here](https://www.lenny
references/02-newsletters/summary-the-ultimate-guide-to-adding-a-plg-motion--hila-qu-reforge-gitlab.md
- Network accessline 10
Hila Qu is an Executive in Residence (EIR) at [Reforge](https://www.notion.so/WIP-The-ultimate-guide-to-adding-a-PLG-motion-Hila-Qu-Reforge-GitLab-311e0176f8d341ae80bdfe9e340eb7ed?pvs=21) as well as a renowned growth advisor, angel investor - Network accessline 12
You can also see the episode [transcript](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-adding-a-plg-motion-hila-qu-reforge-gitlab/#transcript/) and Hila’s [references](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/leaving-big-tech-to-build-the-1-tec - Network accessline 14
### [What PLG is and why it’s so popular ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=478s) - Network accessline 18
### [Why companies should have PLG and sales ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=312s) - Network accessline 24
### [What makes a company product - led with Zoom as an eg ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=581s) - Network accessline 30
### [Common pitfalls in adding a PLG motion ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=684s) - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 43
### [The spectrum of when PLG makes sense ▶<U+FE0F>](https://youtu.be/7l1fIxk7SnA?t=966) - Network accessline 52
### [What you need to be successful in a product-led growth strategy ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=1204s) - Network accessline 58
### [The first step to adding a PLG motion ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=1492s) - Network accessline 62
 - Network accessline 73
### [What GitLab does and how the sales funnel and PLG funnel work there ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=1811s) - Network accessline 85
### [Mapping out the funnel ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=2047s) - Network accessline 95
### [Finding leverage and other next steps ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=2129s) - Network accessline 103
### [What an aha moment is and conducting an audit ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=2304s) - Network accessline 105
 - Network accessline 119
### [Activation and conversion ▶<U+FE0F>](https://youtu.be/7l1fIxk7SnA?t=2851) - Network accessline 126
### [Why you should start with activation, and who is doing it well ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=3137s) - Network accessline 128
 - Network accessline 141
### [How Hila made an impact on retention at Acorns](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=3634s) - Network accessline 146
 - Network accessline 148
### [The two buckets of data](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=3783s) - Network accessline 153
### [Tools for implementing a PLG motion ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=3896s) - Network accessline 170
### [Tips to get started, and why you need to have good data first ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=4220s) - Network accessline 176
### [How to do a data audit ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=4330s) - Network accessline 183
### [Building a PLG team ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=4504s) - Network accessline 189
### [The core growth squad ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=4960s) - Network accessline 199
### [Lightning round ▶<U+FE0F>](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA&t=5271s) - Network accessline 203
- "[The Almanack of Naval](https://amzn.to/3DwLAR0)," which she found life-changing and helped her understand the importance of leverage in life and business. - Network accessline 204
- "[How Women Rise](https://amzn.to/47dkBYn)," which she found very educational and often gifts to her female team members. - Network accessline 213
This is a human edited summary of the podcast episode with Hila, by Gaurav Chandrashekar ([@cggaurav](https://twitter.com/cggaurav), [productscale.xyz](https://productscale.xyz)). To listen to the full episode, go [here](https://www.lennysp
references/02-newsletters/surviving-reorgs-tactically-and-emotionally---issue-32.md
- Network accessline 14
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fe - Network accessline 29
2. ✋ **Make know what you want**: When new teams and initiatives are being planned, there will be a discussion about who the leaders should be. Unless these people know you that are interested in that type of role, you won’t be considered. - Network accessline 30
3. 🤔 **Anticipate the change**: In the back of your mind, always try to predict where things are heading. Think, *if I were in charge, what would I change*? Then, use that to inform your planning. This may mean developing a new strategy jus - Network accessline 31
4. 🤗 **Embrace the change**: When a re-org is imminent, in most circumstances, the last thing you want to do fight the change. Change is scary, but change is good. Especially if this is a [2-way-door](https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/amazon-f - Network accessline 34
Now, let’s look at how to survive reorgs, and the constant change they bring, emotionally. For this section, I reached outa former executive coach of mine, [Katherine Hosie](https://www.Powerhouse-Coaching.com) (who you may recognize from [ - Network accessline 46
What you’re experiencing going through constant reorgs is known as an *“extended transition.”* William Bridges wrote several books on the topic including *[Transitions](https://www.amazon.com/Transitions-Making-Sense-Lifes-Changes/dp/073828 - Network accessline 52
[](https://substackcdn. - Network accessline 60
The solution for navigating the *Neutral Zone* is cultivating good habits. Why? When your destination is unclear, bold steps forward are often counterproductive and erroneous. Good habits on the other hand will give you the sense of clarity - Network accessline 64
With habits in mind, let’s draw from the *[Four-Factor Model](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56f581f83c44d8fc598bccbf/t/570ef3e0a3360c226a32ffde/1460597729733/Cavanagh-2012-The+Coaching+Engagment+in+the+21st+Century+.pdf),* develope - Network accessline 76
One thing that consistently creates safety, reduces stress, and increases context is relationships. In an increasingly [VUCA](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volatility,_uncertainty,_complexity_and_ambiguity) world, sharing perspectives and t - Network accessline 92
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EygqL--RW4) - Network accessline 96
*You can learn more about Katherine Hosie at [www.Powerhouse-Coaching.com](https://www.powerhouse-coaching.com/), or by emailing her at [katherine@powerhouse-coaching.com](mailto:katherine@powerhouse-coaching.com).* - Network accessline 100
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 102
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QMlIjSnt_E) - Network accessline 104
2. **Watch**: [The Astounding Physics of N95 Masks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAdanPfQdCA&feature=youtu.be) - Network accessline 106
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAdanPfQdCA) - Network accessline 108
3. **Listen**: [John Collison – Growing the Internet Economy](https://investorfieldguide.com/collison/) on Invest Like The Best podcast (or [read the summary notes here](https://www.notion.so/John-Collison-Stripe-14d7e8bc49804499819a4d83595 - Network accessline 110
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/taking-the-week-off--a-newsletter-cadence-update.md
- Network accessline 14
references/02-newsletters/taking-the-week-off-2.md
- Network accessline 14
### I’m thinking about writing a book (via *[The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/publishing-a-book-by-the-numbers)*) - Network accessline 16
) - Network accessline 20
### I’m planning a birthday (via *[Am I Overthinking This?](https://www.amazon.com/Am-Overthinking-This-Over-answering-questions/dp/1452175861?qid=&sr=)*) - Network accessline 22
### I don’t want to get sick (via [Substack](https://michellerial.substack.com/p/its-germ-season)) - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 26
### I want to feel less lonely (via *[Oprah](https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/a39611450/hello-is-it-connection-you-are-looking-for/)* [magazine](https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/a39611450/hello-is-it-connection-you-are-looking-for/)) - Network accessline 28
)
references/02-newsletters/taking-the-week-off-3.md
- Network accessline 10
I’m taking this week off to celebrate Memorial Day weekend with my family ([per my PTO policy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/about#§posting-schedule)). - Network accessline 12
**In honor of Memorial Day, for the next 48 hours, [get an annual subscription for just $120 (20% off)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/memorialday2024). The last time I offered a discount was almost two years ago.** - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 18
1. [The latest podcast episode, with Bangaly Kaba](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/frameworks-for-growing-your-career-bangaly-kaba): Don’t miss this one. I promise you’ll leave with something that’ll make you better at your job. - Network accessline 19
2. [Who’s Got the Monkey?](https://hbr.org/1999/11/management-time-whos-got-the-monkey): I’ve found myself referencing this essay many times over the past month. Hat tip to [Gokul Rajaram](https://x.com/gokulr) for sharing it. - Network accessline 20
3. [101 Additional Advices](https://kk.org/thetechnium/101-additional-advices/) and his [Recomendo newsletter](https://www.recomendo.com/) by Kevin Kelly - Network accessline 21
4. [How to do great work](https://paulgraham.com/greatwork.html) by Paul Graham
references/02-newsletters/taking-the-week-off-4.md
- Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 20
1. [My latest podcast episode, with Jeff Weinstein (product lead at Stripe)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbZQjprTnrU). I guarantee you will become a better product leader if you listen to this episode. - Network accessline 21
2. [The Right Kind of Stubborn](https://paulgraham.com/persistence.html) by Paul Graham, which builds on a conversation Jessica Livingston (his co-founder and wife) and I had [during her recent visit to the pod](https://youtu.be/h9MUuhsDJOM - Network accessline 22
3. [100 Best Books since 2000](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/books/best-books-21st-century.html) in the *New York Times*.
references/02-newsletters/taking-the-week-off-5.md
- Network accessline 14
P.S. If you’re looking for something to read or listen to, don’t miss my “[Best of Lenny’s Newsletter](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter2024)” post. - Network accessline 16
references/02-newsletters/taking-the-week-off-6.md
- Network accessline 10
I’m taking this week off to recharge ([per my PTO policy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/about#%C2%A7posting-schedule)). If you’re looking to learn something in the meantime, I encourage you to play around with [Lennybot](https://www.lenn - Network accessline 12
Some questions to [ask it](https://www.lennybot.com/) to get you going: - Network accessline 25
references/02-newsletters/taking-the-week-off-7.md
- Network accessline 10
I’m taking the week off—my first PTO since starting this newsletter! I’ll be back next week with an exciting new post. And per [my-PTO policy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/marketplace-city-expansion), I’ll make up for this week’s post - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 14
P.S. [My PTO policy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/marketplace-city-expansion). - Network accessline 16
P.P.S. If you’re hankering for some time off, [don’t miss this post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sabbatical-time-off).
references/02-newsletters/taking-the-week-off-9.md
- Network accessline 10
I’m taking this week off to recharge ([per my PTO policy](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/pto-policy)), traveling through Colorado and Wyoming. If you’re yearning for something to read, here are a few older posts you may have missed: - Network accessline 12
1. [The Minto Pyramid Principle and the SCR Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) - Network accessline 13
2. [Product management career ladders](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-career-ladders) - Network accessline 14
3. [Increasing team velocity](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-velocity-issue-61) - Network accessline 15
4. [Content-driven growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/content-driven-growth-strategy) - Network accessline 16
5. [On taking time off](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sabbatical-time-off) - Network accessline 20
references/02-newsletters/taking-the-week-off-and-thank-you.md
- Network accessline 22
[michellerial](https://instagram.com/michellerial) - Network accessline 24
[](https://instagram.com/p/C00dWz8Oa0b) - Network accessline 26
A post shared by [@michellerial](https://instagram.com/michellerial) - Network accessline 28
2. **In case you missed it, you can pre-order the first-ever print version of this newsletter:** ***[The Best of Lenny’s Newsletter: Volume 1](https://lennyswag.com/products/vol-1)*****. It contains nearly two dozen of the most beloved and - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 34
1. [How to get press | Jason Feifer (editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZLdoAq3R7Y) - Network accessline 35
2. [How to tell better stories | Matthew Dicks (Storyworthy)](https://youtu.be/J4wguyJZI6A?si=AuTXzWQn349WDdGF) - Network accessline 36
3. [How to drive word of mouth | Nilan Peiris (CPO of Wise)](https://youtu.be/xZifSLGOrrw?si=nfwGZWsdcB9XYXdm)
references/02-newsletters/taking-the-week-off.md
- Network accessline 10
I’m taking this week off to recharge (and babymoon!!) in Big Sur. If you’re hankering for something to read, [check out this collection of my best stuff](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter-d61) and [my most vie - Network accessline 14
*P.S. [Read more about my PTO policy here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/pto-policy).* - Network accessline 16
*P.P.S. I’m going to try to take a month off when baby arrives (early June 🤞), and since I don’t get parental leave (a downside of solopreneur life), I’m putting out a call for guest posts. Many of my most popular posts were guest posts, an - Network accessline 18
 here! Welcome to a ✨ **bonus edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out - Network accessline 14
1. *[GTM motions of 30 B2B SaaS companies](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gtm-motions)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[Getting more technical](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-more-technical)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Examples and templates of 1-Pagers and PRDs](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prds-1-pagers-examples)* - Network accessline 28
Since I’m so bad at this, I pulled in [Niya Dragova](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefaniyadragova/), co-founder of [Candor](https://candor.co/), to answer your question and to share her hard-earned negotiating wisdom with us. Niya has singl - Network accessline 30
*You can find Niya on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefaniyadragova/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/mediumsizecats), you can learn more about Candor [here](https://candor.co/), and don’t miss [Niya’s insightful weekly newslett - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 36
*by [Niya Dragova](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefaniyadragova/)* - Network accessline 99
- The current state of the company ([financing, runway, profitability](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLbl8TGiM8E)) - Network accessline 101
- [The value of the equity](https://www.hbsaccelerate.org/people/joining-a-startup/how-to-value-your-equity-at-an-early-stage-startup/), considering exit scenarios - Network accessline 103
That last one can be tricky because you need data the recruiter may be reluctant to give — the option strike price, preferred price, number of outstanding shares — and you need to understand [how options work](https://blog.ycombinator.com/u - Network accessline 111
Lastly, 2021 has been a weird year for startup compensation, so much of the data from previous years is unreliable. Remote work, abundant access to capital, and greater trust in international talent have skewed things quite a bit. Still, I - Network accessline 127
Did you know that women make only [47 cents in equity](https://tablestakes.com/study/?__cf_chl_jschl_tk__=pmd_40A1mRKd.gfsbXa2LItgrog1X5XNDc.dyIU.kg9pqdo-1630552956-0-gqNtZGzNAdCjcnBszQi9) for every dollar a man makes? A HUGE reason for tha - Network accessline 129
- Is the offer competitive? (Browse 5.3M offers [here](https://candor.co/offers).) - Network accessline 130
- How does it work? ([When do I vest; what is the stock worth?](https://candor.co/guides/salary-negotiation#understand)) - Network accessline 131
- Is it all true? ([Is the value of the equity over-inflated?](https://www.holloway.com/g/equity-compensation)) - Network accessline 132
- Does it add up? ([Consider taxes](https://www.picnictax.com/blog/tax-planning-for-startup-employees/) on bonuses and stock.) - Network accessline 175
**As a final word of wisdom:** Start with negotiating your overall compensation, not individual components. For example, ask for “500K” and then the next round ask “Can I have X more equity?” Then, when you’ve exhausted all other avenues, a - Network accessline 179
If your new RSUs are more than 10% of your liquid net worth, you should make a plan to diversify ASAP. Holding a concentrated position can translate into greater portfolio volatility, which has been shown to reduce compounded growth rates a - Network accessline 181
*Thanks, [Niya](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefaniyadragova/)!* - Network accessline 187
1. **Highlight:** [Founding Blockchain Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6db63ec8-0421-4e06-9908-0376f44c2f99) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 188
2. **Pinpoint:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/70b2de44-b90f-4d37-a146-948144a92873) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 189
3. **Aescape:** [Product Management Lead](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/117d35d9-a9b3-49d0-82df-b27a6c074e0f) (Brooklyn, NY) - Network accessline 190
4. **Mynd:** [Senior Growth Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c4bde52c-d66e-4b42-96fb-2ba861f72e27) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 191
5. **Mynd:** [Product Lead, Internal Tools](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/b6da1eaa-5a2b-4ad4-92f9-5ac4b9f764e5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 192
6. **CHPTR:** [Founding Back-End Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c96f89cb-0288-4028-ae4d-f380567449de) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 193
7. **Permutive:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/1ff1e376-ab34-4138-ba4a-822475672a93) (NYC) - Network accessline 194
8. **CloudTrucks:** [Product Manager-Console](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/68d092da-db3a-4f25-8b95-2072342c18fe) (SF) - Network accessline 195
9. **Fairchain:** [Software Engineer, Full Stack](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f2963b88-7eaf-4b4d-9788-4b58f5c6b785) (NYC) - Network accessline 196
10. **HomeLight:** [Senior Product Manager, Listing Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/48c02f5e-e681-4b83-9012-fb08ae2c1e52) (SF, Phoenix, Seattle) - Network accessline 197
11. **Perfect Recall:**[Founding Fullstack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/7ac1bf05-0aa6-436e-8546-6e14c5222f7e) (Waterloo) - Network accessline 198
12. **Spatial:** [Backend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/9424b997-d1e3-4eb1-8b0a-e9f1cc622fb5) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 200
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 204
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/the-art-of-the-pivot-part-1-the-definitive-list-of-successful-pivots.md
- Network accessline 14
To give the topic the time it deserves, I’m making “The art of the pivot” a two-part series. For part one (this post), I’ve spent the past few weeks combing through my podcast episodes, newsletters, and online interviews to put together [th - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 26
## **→ [Check out the full document here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OEJJbEF5LQS2edQNdJovoMKsbrZV_iEtpfUtU15ZwNs/edit#gid=246941585) ←** - Network accessline 36
**→ [Go check out the doc](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OEJJbEF5LQS2edQNdJovoMKsbrZV_iEtpfUtU15ZwNs/edit#gid=246941585) ←** - Network accessline 38
[In part two](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-of-the-pivot-part-2-how-why), I unpack the lessons from this data, including: - Network accessline 44
As you explore [the document](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1OEJJbEF5LQS2edQNdJovoMKsbrZV_iEtpfUtU15ZwNs/edit#gid=246941585), if anything pops out at you, please leave a comment! Also, if I’m missing a great pivot story, please tel - Network accessline 46
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-of-the-pivot-part-1-the-definitive/comments) - Network accessline 48
 - Network accessline 50
*Thank you to all of the founders and friends who helped me flesh out this document, including [Christina Cacioppo](https://twitter.com/christinacaci), [Dalton Caldwell](https://twitter.com/daltonc), [Jack Altman](https://twitter.com/jaltma - Network accessline 58
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 62
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/the-art-of-the-pivot-part-2-how-why-and-when-to-pivot.md
- Network accessline 12
In [part one](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-of-the-pivot-part-1-the-definitive), I shared the largest-ever data set of startup pivots. The Google Sheet within the post (available to paid subscribers) includes the stories behind - Network accessline 20
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As [Dalton Caldwell](https://twitter.com/daltonc) (Managing Director at Y Combinator), in [his legendary talk on pivoting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pNxKX1SUGE) points out, **pivoting is all about opportunity cost:** - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 46
Remember, you’re probably waiting too long to pivot. If you’ve tried your best ideas and they aren’t clicking, it’s unlikely that a few additional features will all of a sudden change everything. See: [The next feature fallacy](https://andr - Network accessline 59
If you see [very low retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29), a consistent growth plateau, and largely lukewarm interest in your idea, *and* you don’t have any more good ideas to drive growth, it’s pro - Network accessline 61
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[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3DfhYiWjVk) - Network accessline 101
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 - Network accessline 143
> “The whole thing didn’t make any sense. We were so desperate for some actual dating videos, whatever that even means, that we turned into the website any desperate person would turn to—Craigslist.’ Despite offering to pay women $20 to upl - Network accessline 145
> —Steve Chen, co-founder, via *[The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/16/youtube-past-video-dating-website#maincontent)* - Network accessline 147
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> One day, Mike [Krieger], my co-founder, and I sat down, and we were like, ‘All right, we have to change something, because no one knows what we’re doing.’ We were like, ‘You know what? Let’s do what everyone’s doing on our service anyway. - Network accessline 227
> —Kevin Systrom, CEO and co-founder, via [Startups.com](https://startups.com/) - Network accessline 229
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The million-dollar question. Most companies that pivot still fail, and most companies that fail will go through at least one pivot. I ran a poll on both [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_if-youre-a-former-founder-plea - Network accessline 427
 - Network accessline 431
To make the decision even harder, check out this chart from [my B2B series](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/119122450/in-bb-it-normally-takes-two-years-to-start-feeling-product-market-fit) on how long it took for B2B startups to find PMF - Network accessline 433
 - Network accessline 435
[For B2C](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/48314350/how-long-does-it-take-for-companies-to-find-pmf-in-bc), it’s generally much quicker—but it still took some companies 3+ years. - Network accessline 437
 - Network accessline 441
My favorite general piece of advice on this question comes from [Scott Belsky](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbelsky/), a former podcast guest and the CSO at Adobe. Here’s what he told me when I asked him this question in [our podcast con - Network accessline 451
If this doesn’t resonate, consider [Dalton Caldwell](https://twitter.com/daltonc)’s perfect and hilarious equation: - Network accessline 469
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-of-the-pivot-part-2-how-why/comments) - Network accessline 475
1. [All about pivoting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pNxKX1SUGE&t=233s) - Network accessline 476
2. [A brief guide to startup pivots (4 types of pivots)](https://blog.eladgil.com/p/a-brief-guide-to-startup-pivots-4-types) - Network accessline 482
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 486
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/the-atomic-network.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to a ✨ **special edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Normally, each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing yo - Network accessline 12
1. [The most important consumer metrics to track](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-consumer-metrics) - Network accessline 13
2. [What is product management?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management) - Network accessline 14
3. [The most common pitfalls of new product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-pitfalls) - Network accessline 16
Earlier this week, [Andrew Chen](https://twitter.com/andrewchen) (GP at a16z, ex-Uber Growth, ex-founder, prolific blogger) published his long-awaited book, *[The Cold Start Problem](https://www.coldstart.com/)*. In it, Andrew explores the - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 26
Below, I’m honored to share an exclusive excerpt of my favorite chapter in Andrew’s new book: **The Atomic Network**. In it, Andrew teaches us precisely how to solve the cold start problem for products that need a critical mass of users bef - Network accessline 28
*If you want to read more of [Andrew's book](https://www.coldstart.com/), stop by your local bookstore or a major book retailer near you.* - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 76
*Thanks, Andrew! Grab your own copy of* [The Cold Start Problem](https://www.coldstart.com/)*, and follow Andrew on Twitter [@andrewchen](https://twitter.com/andrewchen).* - Network accessline 80
1. **OpenPhone:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/a4e59b3d-06a3-4f89-a340-b8bd5f8aee97) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 81
2. **TaxBit:** [Product Lead](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4a453e47-d6c8-4241-becc-763fe8097d97) (Seattle) - Network accessline 82
3. **Orbiit:** [Director of Product Management](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/be8a2c08-274c-4ebf-b20e-79439dc7b70e) (NYC) - Network accessline 83
4. **Relish Works:** [Associate Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e6008616-d0ba-4765-ab3a-8eec826cd044) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 84
5. **OnFrontiers:** [UI/UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c5c630a8-eef4-4ee2-b5c0-f454921f70ff) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 85
6. **OnFrontiers:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/08ad9dfd-0a57-4679-8e59-5fb49545eedf) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 86
7. **Panther:** [Product Manager (Core)](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e5d8025a-078b-48f5-b083-67978ff06b89) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 87
8. **The.com:** [Software Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e3ea6743-db26-4796-bdfd-3a6885b7b3c3) (SF) - Network accessline 88
9. **Relive:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/7a4300f0-d46e-43a4-a8db-dfec28c4e511) (Remote-EU) - Network accessline 89
10. **GetSetUp:** [Product Lead, Discovery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/522f84e1-0499-4ddd-975a-f996f648fa0a) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 90
11. **Morty:** [Founding Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e30caace-f287-4fe1-8215-6d08c88f51c1) (Consumer) - Network accessline 91
12. **Otto:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/3e0d39f0-55dc-4bc8-bdd1-c58e5611ddf7) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 93
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).*
references/02-newsletters/the-best-of-2021.md
- Network accessline 10
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1. **Hit #1 paid business newsletter** on Substack ([rankings](https://substack.com/)) - Network accessline 28
### 1. [Choosing your North Star metric](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/) - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 32
### **2. [The 10 commandments of salary negotiation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/negotiating-comp)** - Network accessline 34
 - Network accessline 36
### **3. [A quick-start guide to positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning)** - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 40
### 4. [Content-driven growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/content-driven-growth-strategy) - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 44
### 5. [A founder’s guide to community](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-community) - Network accessline 46
 - Network accessline 50
### 6. [Six rules of hiring for growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-growth) - Network accessline 52
 - Network accessline 54
### 7. [What is product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management) - Network accessline 56
 - Network accessline 58
### 8. [The top 5 things PMs should know about engineering](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-top-5-things-pms-should-know) - Network accessline 60
 - Network accessline 62
### 9. [How behavioral science can boost your conversion rates](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-behavioral-science-to) - Network accessline 64
 - Network accessline 66
### 10. [Picking a wedge](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/wedge) - Network accessline 68
 - Network accessline 70
### 11. [Prioritizing](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing) - Network accessline 72
 - Network accessline 74
### 12. [GTM motions of 30 B2B SaaS companies](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gtm-motions) - Network accessline 76
 - Network accessline 78
### Bonus: [Taking a sabbatical](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sabbatical-time-off) - Network accessline 80
 - Network accessline 101
- [Shre](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreman) for helping me run our wonderful Slack community - Network accessline 102
- [Kiyani](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiyanibamba/) for curating our rich weekly Community Wisdom posts - Network accessline 103
- [Natalie](https://www.natalieharney.com/) for taking this newsletter up a few notches with her illustrations
references/02-newsletters/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter-2021.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s*✨ ***free edition***✨ of my weekly newsletter*. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stre - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 32
1. [How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got) - Network accessline 33
2. [How the fastest-growing B2B businesses found their first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses) - Network accessline 34
3. [Improving retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products-retention) - Network accessline 35
4. [Improving conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics) - Network accessline 36
5. [Increasing virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) - Network accessline 37
6. [Building a referrals program](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-16-building-a-referrals) - Network accessline 38
7. [Winning at content-driven growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/content-driven-growth-strategy) - Network accessline 39
8. [Winning at SEO](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/crafting-an-seo-strategy-issue-34) - Network accessline 40
9. [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) - Network accessline 41
10. [Magical growth loops](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/magical-growth-loops) - Network accessline 42
11. [Six rules of hiring for growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-growth) - Network accessline 43
12. [Breaking into growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/breaking-into-growth) - Network accessline 47
1. [Getting better at product strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) - Network accessline 48
2. [My favorite product management templates](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37) - Network accessline 49
3. [Prioritizing a roadmap](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing) - Network accessline 50
4. [Where great product roadmap ideas come from](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/where-great-product-roadmap-ideas) - Network accessline 51
5. [The top 5 things PMs should know about engineering](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-top-5-things-pms-should-know) - Network accessline 52
6. [The Minto Pyramid Principle and the SCR framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) - Network accessline 53
7. [What Buddhism taught me about product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-buddhism-taught-me-about-product) - Network accessline 57
1. [What is product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management) - Network accessline 58
2. [How to get into product management (and thrive)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-into-product-management) - Network accessline 59
3. [Should I become a product manager?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/become-a-product-manager) - Network accessline 60
4. [Becoming a senior product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/senior-product-manager) - Network accessline 61
5. [My favorite PM interview questions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-interview-questions) - Network accessline 62
6. [14 habits of highly effective product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/14-habits-of-highly-effective-product) - Network accessline 63
7. [How to know if you’re doing a good job as a product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/doing-a-good-job-product-manager) - Network accessline 64
8. [When to hire your first product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/when-to-hire-your-first-product-manager) - Network accessline 65
9. [Surviving as the first product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/joining-as-the-first-product-manager) - Network accessline 66
10. [A comprehensive survey of product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-survey) - Network accessline 67
11. [Product management career ladders](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager) - Network accessline 71
1. [How to know if you’ve got product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) - Network accessline 72
2. [What it feels like when you’ve found product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-it-feels-like-when-youve-found) - Network accessline 73
3. [How long it takes to find product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-to-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 74
4. [What to ask your users about product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/interviewing-users-for-product-market) - Network accessline 78
1. [Positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning) - Network accessline 79
2. [Picking a wedge](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/wedge) - Network accessline 80
3. [Generating buzz](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/creating-buzz-at-launch) - Network accessline 81
4. [GTM motions of 30 B2B SaaS companies](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gtm-motions) - Network accessline 82
5. [Finding your distribution advantage](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/distribution-advantages) - Network accessline 83
6. [How people discover new products](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-people-discover-new-products) - Network accessline 84
7. [Pricing your SaaS product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saas-pricing-strategy) - Network accessline 88
1. [A playbook for fundraising](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-playbook-for-fundraising) - Network accessline 89
2. [A founder’s guide to community](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-community) - Network accessline 90
3. [The secret to a great planning process](https://review.firstround.com/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite) - Network accessline 91
4. [Increasing team velocity](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-velocity-issue-61) - Network accessline 92
5. [Layering sales onto a bottom-up self-serve product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sales-bottom-up) - Network accessline 93
6. [What seven years at Airbnb taught me about building a business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-seven-years-at-airbnb-taught) - Network accessline 97
1. [How to kickstart and scale a marketplace business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 98
2. [How marketplaces win](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-marketplaces-win) - Network accessline 99
3. [How marketplaces fail](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-marketplaces-fail) - Network accessline 100
4. [Evaluating a (marketplace) business idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/evaluating-a-marketplace-business) - Network accessline 101
5. [Choosing a take rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/take-rates) - Network accessline 102
6. [Kickstarting supply in a labor marketplace](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/labor-marketplace-supply-growth) - Network accessline 106
1. [What is good retention?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 107
2. [What is a good payback period?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/payback-period) - Network accessline 108
3. [Choosing your north-star metric](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/) - Network accessline 109
4. [Setting goals](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/setting-goals-issue-23) - Network accessline 110
5. [The most important consumer subscription metrics to track](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-consumer-subscription) - Network accessline 111
6. [The most important bottom-up SaaS metrics to track](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas) - Network accessline 115
1. [The 10 commandments of salary negotiation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/negotiating-comp) - Network accessline 116
2. [Navigating your early career](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/navigating-your-early-career-issue) - Network accessline 117
3. [Performance reviews](https://review.firstround.com/the-power-of-performance-reviews-use-this-system-to-become-a-better-manager) - Network accessline 118
4. [Managing up](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-up) - Network accessline 119
5. [On taking time off](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sabbatical-time-off) - Network accessline 127
1. **Snackpass:** [Product Manager, Payments](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/e3813aa9-51f9-405d-ab6b-b6e3338c4397) (SF, NYC, LA, Remote) - Network accessline 128
2. **Fabulous:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/aba1b987-d8fe-4160-be34-43ea3fe18079) (Remote) - Network accessline 129
3. **Stonks:** [Backend Web Developer, Founding team](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4b47d0cb-9b97-41c8-88ab-e3c188e3c036) (Remote) - Network accessline 130
4. **Gtmhub:** [Director of Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/9a59fc25-67d1-4082-ba49-2b03c880500e) (Remote) - Network accessline 131
5. **Gearflow:** [Full Stack Software Engineer, Buyer Experience](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/bafacefd-3514-45a6-b88d-9e863a894fcd) (Chicago/Remote) - Network accessline 132
6. **Contra:** [Project Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/edd82d32-289f-464a-9e93-b37d1ecaa382) (SF) - Network accessline 133
7. **Otto:** [Senior Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/88e962f7-aecf-4e50-b04e-9f6cfa3e5ff4) (Remote) - Network accessline 134
8. **Jetpack Workflow:**[Product Designer (UI/UX)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/1653c4a3-0230-481c-a0fa-9b7203b2783d) (Remote) - Network accessline 135
9. **Pallet:** [Full Stack Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4fafcda8-cfb9-4e51-9173-04dc72382ea9) (NYC/Remote) - Network accessline 136
10. **Runway:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/0601f0a1-96ee-4dc5-b9fb-d613f6e212bc) (Remote) - Network accessline 137
11. **SwagUp:** [Director, Product Management (Dashboard)](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/943ab014-bcb4-4d79-8bdb-2c18f7fc0fa0) (Remote) - Network accessline 138
12. **Whatnot:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/c9d0007f-e954-4306-8776-11d994395e67) (Remote) - Network accessline 139
13. **Evisort:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/f643aa41-7b02-48a7-8bb9-8319e0a32270) (Remote) - Network accessline 140
14. **Truework:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/288da35c-9090-4186-8d57-e269611288f3) (SF) - Network accessline 142
*Browse many more open roles, and add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 146
1. **Watch**: [Creating a Space Game with OpenAI Codex](https://openai.com/blog/openai-codex/#spacegame) - Network accessline 148
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zm9B-DvwOgw) - Network accessline 150
2. **Read**: [The French Burglar Who Pulled Off His Generation’s Biggest Art Heist](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/01/14/the-french-burglar-who-pulled-off-his-generations-biggest-art-heist) - Network accessline 151
3. **Learn**: [On Presentations](https://www.beautiful.ai/player/-LiSV45O9K1sE8uv5oMj/On-Presentations), by Siqi Chen - Network accessline 155
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter-2022.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing - Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 14
What a year. The [newsletter crossed 300,000 subscribers](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1605246024909742080?s=20&t=S99u9q3f7F2Rd21EdIjeBg) (from 90K one year ago), the podcast became a [top 10 technology podcast](https://twitter.com/l - Network accessline 16
To close out the year, like I did [last year](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter), I revisited all of my past posts (over 250 of them!), picked out the cream of the crop, and categorized them into handy “What p - Network accessline 26
1. [Mission → Vision → Strategy → Goals → Roadmap → Task](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/mission-vision-strategy-goals-roadmap) - Network accessline 27
2. [My favorite product management templates](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37) - Network accessline 28
3. [How Figma builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-figma-builds-product) - Network accessline 29
4. [How to develop product sense](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-sense) - Network accessline 30
5. [Prioritizing a roadmap](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing) - Network accessline 31
6. [Getting better at product strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) - Network accessline 32
7. [How to get better at influence](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-better-at-influence) - Network accessline 33
8. [The Minto Pyramid Principle and the SCR framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) - Network accessline 34
9. [The top 5 things PMs should know about engineering](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-top-5-things-pms-should-know) - Network accessline 35
10. [The nature of product, with Marty Cagan (Silicon Valley Product Group)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-nature-of-product-marty-cagan#details) - Network accessline 36
11. [Five big ideas, with Shreyas Doshi (Stripe, Twitter, Google)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/episode-3-shreyas-doshi#details) - Network accessline 40
1. [How to kickstart and scale a consumer business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer) - Network accessline 41
2. [How to kickstart and scale a marketplace business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 42
3. [How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-biggest-consumer-apps-got) - Network accessline 43
4. [How the fastest-growing B2B businesses found their first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses) - Network accessline 44
5. [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-racecar-growth-frameworkexpanded) - Network accessline 45
6. [GTM motions of 30 B2B SaaS companies](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gtm-motions) - Network accessline 46
7. [Positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning) - Network accessline 47
8. [Generating buzz](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/creating-buzz-at-launch) - Network accessline 48
9. [Picking a wedge](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/wedge) - Network accessline 49
10. [Finding your distribution advantage](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/distribution-advantages) - Network accessline 53
1. [Improving retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products-retention) - Network accessline 54
2. [Improving conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics) - Network accessline 55
3. [Increasing virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) - Network accessline 56
4. [Building a referrals program](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-16-building-a-referrals) - Network accessline 57
5. [Winning at content-driven growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/content-driven-growth-strategy) - Network accessline 58
6. [Winning at SEO](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/crafting-an-seo-strategy-issue-34) - Network accessline 59
7. [How to win in consumer subscription](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/winning-at-consumer-subscription) - Network accessline 60
8. [B2B growth, with Elena Verna (Amplitude, Miro, SurveyMonkey)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/elena-verna-on-why-every-company#details) - Network accessline 61
9. [The ultimate guide to SEO, with Ethan Smith (Graphite)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-seo-ethan-smith#details) - Network accessline 62
10. [Developing a growth model and marketplace growth strategy, with Dan Hockenmaier (Faire, Thumbtack, Reforge)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/developing-a-growth-model-marketplace#details) - Network accessline 63
11. [How to build a powerful marketing machine, with Emily Kramer (Asana, Carta, MKT1)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-build-a-powerful-marketing#details) - Network accessline 67
1. [What is good retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 68
2. [What is good monthly churn](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/monthly-churn-benchmarks) - Network accessline 69
3. [What is a good payback period](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/payback-period) - Network accessline 70
4. [What is a good activation rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate) - Network accessline 71
5. [How to determine your activation metric](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-determine-your-activation) - Network accessline 72
6. [How to measure cohort retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/measuring-cohort-retention) - Network accessline 73
7. [What is a good growth rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-growth-rate) - Network accessline 74
8. [Choosing your north-star metric](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/) - Network accessline 75
9. [The most important bottom-up SaaS metrics to track](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas) - Network accessline 76
10. [The most important marketplace metrics to track](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-marketplace-metrics) - Network accessline 77
11. [The most important consumer metrics to track](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-consumer-metrics) - Network accessline 78
12. [The most important consumer subscription metrics to track](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-consumer-subscription) - Network accessline 82
1. [How to know if you’ve got product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) - Network accessline 83
2. [What it feels like when you’ve found product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-it-feels-like-when-youve-found) - Network accessline 84
3. [How long it takes to find product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-to-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 85
4. [How to validate your startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/validating-your-startup-idea) - Network accessline 89
1. [What is product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management) - Network accessline 90
2. [How to get into product management (and thrive)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-into-product-management) - Network accessline 91
3. [Should I become a product manager?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/become-a-product-manager) - Network accessline 92
4. [Becoming a senior product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/senior-product-manager) - Network accessline 93
5. [Surviving as the first product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/joining-as-the-first-product-manager) - Network accessline 94
6. [Product management career ladders](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager) - Network accessline 95
7. [A comprehensive survey of product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-survey) - Network accessline 96
8. [Managing up](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-up) - Network accessline 97
9. [How to know when to stop](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-when-to-stop) - Network accessline 98
10. [My favorite PM courses](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-courses) - Network accessline 99
11. [What it takes to become a top 1% PM, with Ian McAllister (Uber, Amazon, Airbnb)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-it-takes-to-become-a-top-1-pm#details) - Network accessline 103
1. [My favorite PM interview questions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-interview-questions) - Network accessline 104
2. [Six rules of hiring for growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-growth) - Network accessline 105
3. [14 habits of highly effective product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/14-habits-of-highly-effective-product) - Network accessline 106
4. [How to know if you’re doing a good job as a product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/doing-a-good-job-product-manager) - Network accessline 107
5. [When to hire your first product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/when-to-hire-your-first-product-manager) - Network accessline 108
6. [How to interview product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-interview-product-managers) - Network accessline 109
7. [The 10 commandments of salary negotiation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/negotiating-comp) - Network accessline 113
1. [How to fire people with grace, work through fear, and nurture innovation, with Matt Mochary (CEO coach)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-fire-people-with-grace-work#details) - Network accessline 114
2. [How Notion leveraged community to build a $10B business, with Camille Ricketts (Notion, First Round Capital)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-notion-leveraged-community-to#details) - Network accessline 115
3. [How Snyk built a product-led growth juggernaut, with Ben Williams (VP of Product at Snyk)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-snyk-built-a-product-led-growth#details) - Network accessline 116
4. [An inside look at how the New York Times builds product, with Alex Hardiman (CPO at the New York Times)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/an-inside-look-at-how-the-new-york#details) - Network accessline 117
5. [Startup to exit: Lessons from a first-time founder](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/startup-to-exit-lessons-from-a-first) - Network accessline 118
6. [How to activate your investor network](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-activate-your-investor-network) - Network accessline 119
7. [Fundraising](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-playbook-for-fundraising) - Network accessline 120
8. [A founder’s guide to community](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-community) - Network accessline 121
9. [Increasing team velocity](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-velocity-issue-61) - Network accessline 122
10. [The secret to a great planning process](https://review.firstround.com/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite) - Network accessline 123
11. [The Power of Performance Reviews: Use This System to Become a Better Manager](https://review.firstround.com/the-power-of-performance-reviews-use-this-system-to-become-a-better-manager) - Network accessline 127
1. [The art and science of pricing, with Madhavan Ramanujam (Monetizing Innovation, Simon-Kucher)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-and-science-of-pricing-madhavan#details) - Network accessline 128
2. [Pricing your SaaS product, by Patrick Campbell](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saas-pricing-strategy) - Network accessline 129
3. [Going freemium, adding a trial, business model disruption, and more](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/freemium-trials-free) - Network accessline 133
1. [Founder-led sales, with Pete Kazanjy (Founding Sales, Atrium)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/founder-led-sales-pete-kazanjy-founding#details) - Network accessline 134
2. [The Transition: Layering sales onto a bottom-up self-serve product, by Pete Kazanjy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sales-bottom-up) - Network accessline 135
3. [How to hit revenue targets in a recession, with Sahil Mansuri (Bravado)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-hit-revenue-targets-in-a-recession#details) - Network accessline 143
[Join the collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to get personalized job opportunities from hand-selected companies. You can join publicly or anonymously, and leave anytime. - Network accessline 145
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 147
If you’re hiring, start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. [Apply now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome). - Network accessline 149
references/02-newsletters/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter-2023.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny*’*s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 12
*P.S. Don’t miss my brand-new **[swag store](https://lennyswag.com/)** (find great gifts for your favorite PM, or yourself) and **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained on every newsletter post, podcast interview, an - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 16
The end of the year is nigh, and as I do every year (here’s [2021](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter) and [2022](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter-d61)), I’ve revisited *every si - Network accessline 20
1. **[I want to hone my product skills](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/i-want-to-hone-my-product-skills)** - Network accessline 21
2. **[I want to grow my product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/i-want-to-grow-my-product)** - Network accessline 22
3. **[Help me kickstart and scale my startup](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/help-me-kickstart-and-scale-my-startup)** - Network accessline 23
4. **[I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/im-feeling-stressed-and-overwhelmed)** - Network accessline 24
5. **[I want to accelerate my PM career](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/i-want-to-accelerate-my-pm-career)** - Network accessline 25
6. **[I want to learn from how the best companies operate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/i-want-to-learn-from-how-the-best-companies-operate)** - Network accessline 26
7. **[I want to become a better leader](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/i-want-to-become-a-better-leader)** - Network accessline 27
8. **[I need some benchmarks](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/i-need-some-benchmarks)** - Network accessline 28
9. **[I need help hiring or interviewing](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/i-need-help-hiring-or-interviewing)** - Network accessline 29
10. **[I want to get better at pricing](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/i-want-to-get-better-at-pricing)** - Network accessline 30
11. **[I want to get better at sales](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/139246365/i-want-to-get-better-at-sales)** - Network accessline 34
To reflect a bit, this was a big year for me. The newsletter nearly doubled (approaching 600,000 subscribers!), the [podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) went from essentially nothing to a [top 10 technology podcast](https://c - Network accessline 44
1. [Mission → Vision → Strategy → Goals → Roadmap → Task](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/mission-vision-strategy-goals-roadmap) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 45
2. [How to develop product sense](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-sense) - Network accessline 46
3. [How to get better at product strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) (plus [this](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/mastering-product-strategy-and-growing-as-a-pm-maggie-crowley-toast-drift-tripadvis - Network accessline 47
4. [How to get better at influence](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-better-at-influence) - Network accessline 48
5. [How to get better at communication: The Minto Pyramid Principle and the SCR framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) - Network accessline 49
6. [Prioritizing](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing) + [DRICE: a modern prioritization framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/introducing-drice-a-modern-prioritization) - Network accessline 50
7. [Building beautiful products with Stripe’s Head of Design Katie Dill](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-beautiful-products-with-stripes-head-of-design-katie-dill-stripe-airbnb-lyft/) - Network accessline 53
1. [My favorite product management templates](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 54
2. [The ultimate guide to JTBD | Bob Moesta (co-creator of the framework)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-jtbd-bob-moesta-co-creator-of-the-framework/) - Network accessline 55
3. [The ultimate guide to OKRs | Christina Wodtke (Stanford)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-okrs-christina-wodtke-stanford/) - Network accessline 56
4. [Build better products with continuous product discovery | Teresa Torres](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/teresa-torres-on-how-to-interview-customers-automating-continuous-discovery-the-opportunity-solution-tree-framework-making-the-case-f - Network accessline 62
1. [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-racecar-growth-frameworkexpanded) - Network accessline 63
2. [Choosing your north-star metric](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 64
3. [Winning at SEO](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/crafting-an-seo-strategy-issue-34) (plus [podcast](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/the-ultimate-guide-to-seo-ethan-smith-graphite/)) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 65
4. [Winning at content-driven growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/content-driven-growth-strategy) - Network accessline 66
5. [Picking a wedge](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/wedge) - Network accessline 69
1. [Growth ideas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-ideas) - Network accessline 70
2. [Generating buzz](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/creating-buzz-at-launch-preview) - Network accessline 73
1. [Improving retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products-retention) - Network accessline 74
2. [Improving conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics) - Network accessline 75
3. [Increasing virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) - Network accessline 76
4. [Building a referrals program](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-16-building-a-referrals) - Network accessline 79
1. [Crafting your positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning) (plus [podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/april-dunford-on-product-positioning#details)) - Network accessline 80
2. [How to get press](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-get-press-for-your-product-jason-feifer-editor-in-chief-of-entrepreneur-magazine/https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-get-press-for-your-product-jason-feifer-editor-in-chief-of-entr - Network accessline 81
3. [How today’s top consumer brands measure marketing’s impact](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-todays-top-consumer-brands-measure) - Network accessline 84
1. [GTM motions of 30 B2B SaaS companies](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gtm-motions) - Network accessline 85
2. [Five steps to starting your product-led growth motion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-steps-to-starting-your-plg-motion) (plus [podcast](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-adding-a-plg-motion-hila-qu-reforge-gi - Network accessline 86
3. [The ultimate guide to product-led sales | Elena Verna](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-product-led-sales-elena-verna/) - Network accessline 87
4. [B2B growth with Elena Verna (Amplitude, Miro, SurveyMonkey)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/elena-verna-on-why-every-company#details) - Network accessline 90
1. [How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 91
2. [Virality is a myth (mostly)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/virality-is-a-myth-mostly) - Network accessline 92
3. [Growth inflections](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-inflections) - Network accessline 95
1. [Developing a growth model and marketplace growth strategy, with Dan Hockenmaier (Faire, Thumbtack, Reforge)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/developing-a-growth-model-marketplace#details) - Network accessline 96
2. [Marketplace lessons from Uber, Airbnb, Bumble, and more | Ramesh Johari (Stanford professor, startup advisor)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/marketplace-lessons-from-uber-airbnb-bumble-and-more-ramesh-johari-stanford-professor-startup/) - Network accessline 102
1. [How to kickstart and scale a B2B business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) (7-part series) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 103
2. [How to kickstart and scale a B2C business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer) (6-part series) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 104
3. [How to kickstart and scale a marketplace business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) (8-part series) - Network accessline 105
4. [A guide for finding product-market fit in B2B](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 106
5. [A guide for finding product-market fit in B2C](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/48314350/how-do-i-know-if-i-have-product-market-fit) - Network accessline 109
1. [Increasing team velocity](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-velocity-issue-61) - Network accessline 110
2. [The secret to a great planning process](https://review.firstround.com/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite) - Network accessline 111
3. [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/) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 112
4. [The ultimate guide to A/B testing | Ronny Kohavi (Airbnb, Microsoft, Amazon)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-ab-testing-ronny-kohavi-airbnb-microsoft-amazon/)🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 113
5. [Reflections on a movement | Eric Ries (creator of the Lean Startup methodology)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/reflections-on-a-movement-eric-ries-creator-of-the-lean-startup-methodology/) - Network accessline 116
1. [Your startup idea probably isn’t venture-scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/your-startup-idea-probably-isnt-venture) - Network accessline 117
2. [How to activate your investor network](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-activate-your-investor-network) - Network accessline 118
3. [A fundraising playbook](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-playbook-for-fundraising) - Network accessline 122
1. [When enough is enough | Andy Johns (ex-FB, Twitter, Quora)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/when-enough-is-enough-andy-johns-ex-fb-twitter-quora/) - Network accessline 123
2. [Redefining success, money, and belonging | Paul Millerd (The Pathless Path)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/redefining-success-money-and-belonging-paul-millerd-the-pathless-path/) - Network accessline 124
3. [How to know when to stop](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-when-to-stop) - Network accessline 125
4. [How to be prepared for layoffs](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-be-better-prepared-for-layoffs) - Network accessline 131
1. [14 habits of highly effective product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/14-habits-of-highly-effective-product) - Network accessline 132
2. [How to know if you’re doing a good job as a product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/doing-a-good-job-product-manager) - Network accessline 133
3. [What is product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management) - Network accessline 134
4. [How to get into product management (and thrive)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-into-product-management) - Network accessline 135
5. [Should I become a product manager?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/become-a-product-manager) - Network accessline 138
1. [The nature of product with Marty Cagan](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-nature-of-product-marty-cagan#details) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 139
2. [The art of product management with Shreyas Doshi](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/episode-3-shreyas-doshi#details) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 140
3. [Building a long and meaningful career | Nikhyl Singhal (Meta, Google)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/building-a-long-and-meaningful-career-nikhyl-singhal-meta-google/) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 141
4. [Building a meaningful career | Jason Shah (Airbnb, Amazon, Microsoft, Alchemy)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-a-meaningful-career-jason) - Network accessline 144
1. [How to use ChatGPT in your PM work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-pm-work) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 145
2. [AI and product management | Marily Nika (Meta, Google)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/ai-and-product-management-marily-nika-meta-google/) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 146
3. [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/) - Network accessline 149
1. [The Magic Loop: A framework for rapid career growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-magic-loop) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 150
2. [Managing up](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-up) - Network accessline 151
3. [Becoming a senior product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/senior-product-manager) - Network accessline 152
4. [Product management career ladders](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager) - Network accessline 153
5. [How to get promoted](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-promoted) - Network accessline 154
6. [Surviving as the first product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/joining-as-the-first-product-manager) - Network accessline 155
7. [What it takes to become a top 1% PM, with Ian McAllister (Uber, Amazon, Airbnb)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-it-takes-to-become-a-top-1-pm#details) - Network accessline 156
8. [A comprehensive survey of product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-survey) - Network accessline 160
1. [Brian Chesky’s new playbook](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/brian-cheskys-new-playbook/) 🎖<U+FE0F> ← *Most popular podcast episode of all time* - Network accessline 161
2. [How Duolingo reignited user growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth) 🎖<U+FE0F> ←*Most popular post of all time* - Network accessline 164
1. [How Linear builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-linear-builds-product) (plus [podcast](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/inside-linear-building-with-taste-craft-and-focus-karri-saarinen-co-founder-designer-ceo/)) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 165
2. [How Shopify builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-shopify-builds-product) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 166
3. [How Ramp builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-ramp-builds-product) (plus [podcast](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/velocity-over-everything-how-ramp-became-the-fastest-growing-saas-startup-of-all-time-geoff-charl/)) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 167
4. [How Notion builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-notion-builds-product) - Network accessline 168
5. [How Duolingo builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-builds-product) - Network accessline 169
6. [How Figma builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-figma-builds-product) (plus [podcast](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/an-inside-look-at-how-figma-builds-product-yuhki-yamashita-cpo-of-figma/)) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 172
1. [Lessons from scaling Stripe | Claire Hughes Johnson (ex-COO of Stripe)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/lessons-from-scaling-stripe-claire-hughes-johnson-ex-coo-of-stripe/) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 173
2. [The unconventional Palantir principles that catalyzed a generation of startups](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-unconventional-palantir-principles) - Network accessline 174
3. [An inside look at Deel’s unprecedented growth | Meltem Kuran Berkowitz (Head of Growth)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/an-inside-look-at-deels-unprecedented-growth-meltem-kuran-berkowitz-head-of-growth/) - Network accessline 175
4. [What working at Figma taught me about customer obsession](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-working-at-figma-taught-me-about) - Network accessline 176
5. [An inside look at Figma’s unique GTM motion | Claire Butler (first GTM hire)](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/an-inside-look-at-figmas-unique-gtm-motion-claire-butler-first-gtm-hire/) - Network accessline 177
6. [What 5 years at Reddit taught us about building for a highly opinionated user base](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-5-years-at-reddit-taught-us) - Network accessline 180
1. [Lessons learned from a startup that didn’t make it](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-learned-from-a-startup-that) - Network accessline 181
2. [Lessons from going freemium: a decision that broke our business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-from-going-freemium-a-decision) - Network accessline 185
1. [The Power of Performance Reviews: Use This System to Become a Better Manager](https://review.firstround.com/the-power-of-performance-reviews-use-this-system-to-become-a-better-manager) - Network accessline 186
2. [How to fire people with grace, work through fear, and nurture innovation, with Matt Mochary (CEO coach)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-fire-people-with-grace-work#details) 🎖<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 187
3. [How to create an exceptional coverage plan for your parental leave](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-create-an-exceptional-coverage) - Network accessline 191
1. [What is good retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 192
2. [What is a good activation rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate) (and [how to determine your activation metric](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-determine-your-activation)) - Network accessline 193
3. [What is a good payback period](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/payback-period) - Network accessline 194
4. [What is good monthly churn](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/monthly-churn-benchmarks) - Network accessline 195
5. [How to measure cohort retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/measuring-cohort-retention) - Network accessline 196
6. [What is a good growth rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-growth-rate) - Network accessline 200
1. [How to pass any first-round interview (even in a terrible talent market)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-pass-any-first-round-interview) - Network accessline 201
2. [How to interview product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-interview-product-managers) - Network accessline 202
3. [My favorite interview questions from 100+ guests](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/my-favorite-interview-questions-from-100-guests/) - Network accessline 203
4. [My favorite PM interview questions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-interview-questions) - Network accessline 204
5. [Six rules of hiring for growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-growth) - Network accessline 205
6. [When to hire your first product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/when-they-hired-their-first-pm) - Network accessline 206
7. [The 10 commandments of salary negotiation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/negotiating-comp) 🏅 - Network accessline 210
1. [The art and science of pricing, with Madhavan Ramanujam (Monetizing Innovation, Simon-Kucher)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-and-science-of-pricing-madhavan#details) - Network accessline 211
2. [Pricing your SaaS product, by Patrick Campbell](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/saas-pricing-strategy) - Network accessline 212
3. [Going freemium, adding a trial, business model disruption, and more](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/freemium-trials-free) - Network accessline 216
1. [Founder-led sales, with Pete Kazanjy (Founding Sales, Atrium)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/founder-led-sales-pete-kazanjy-founding#details) - Network accessline 217
2. [The Transition: Layering sales onto a bottom-up self-serve product, by Pete Kazanjy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sales-bottom-up) - Network accessline 218
3. [How to hit revenue targets in a recession, with Sahil Mansuri (Bravado)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-hit-revenue-targets-in-a-recession#details) - Network accessline 219
4. [How to build a killer sales pitch](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-build-a-killer-sales-pitch) (plus [podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-step-by-step-guide-to-crafting)) - Network accessline 221
For more fun, check out [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/), or [browse the entire archive of posts (sorted by popularity)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/archive?sort=top). - Network accessline 229
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 233
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter-2024-edition.md
- Network accessline 12
1. *[Which companies accelerate PM careers most](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/which-companies-accelerate-your-pm)* - Network accessline 13
2. *[How to become a supermanager with AI](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-become-a-supermanager-with)* - Network accessline 14
3. *[How GiveDirectly increased donations by over $3 million/year through experimentation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-givedirectly-increased-donations)* - Network accessline 16
*For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) | [Hire your next product leader](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** | **[My favorite courses](https://maven.com/lenny)** | **[Swag](https: - Network accessline 20
1. We hosted the first-ever **[Lenny and Friends Summit](https://lennyssummit.com/).** It was a huge undertaking, and a smashing success. [I shared some reflections](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_some-reflections-on-the-lenn - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 24
2. [The reader community](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/community) organized a record 287 meetups globally this year, including in cities like Cape Town, Cairo, Mexico City, Shanghai, Prague, Mumbai, Warsaw, Riyadh, and Zurich. - Network accessline 26
3. The [newsletter](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com) hit 900,000 subscribers, and continues to be the #1 business newsletter on Substack. - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 29
4. The [podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) crossed 10 million downloads, and is already approaching 20 million. It also continues to be a top-10 tech podcast globally. The two stats I’m most proud of: - Network accessline 31
1. A 5.0- and 4.9-star rating on Apple and Spotify, respectively. Few podcasts of this scale continue to be so highly rated. 2. It’s the #1 most listened-to podcast for over 25,000 people on Spotify 😮 crossed 200,000 subscribers and 1 million hours watched. 😮 They sent me this fun plaque to celebrate 100,000 subscribers earlier this year. - Network accessline 35
 - Network accessline 36
6. I launched [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)! I’m increasingly convinced this is the future of this newsletter, and that my job is to feed it more great content. When you play with it, make sure to check out the “call” feature. - Network accessline 41
2. Launching a new newsletter or podcast vertical 3. Lenny and Friends Summit 2.0 (?) 4. Making the paid subscription an absolute no-brainer by adding more killer perks (in addition to [a free year of Perplexity Pro](https://www.lennysnewsl - Network accessline 42
3. Lenny and Friends Summit 2.0 (?) 4. Making the paid subscription an absolute no-brainer by adding more killer perks (in addition to [a free year of Perplexity Pro](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/get-perplexity-pro-free-for-1-year) an - Network accessline 43
4. Making the paid subscription an absolute no-brainer by adding more killer perks (in addition to [a free year of Perplexity Pro](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/get-perplexity-pro-free-for-1-year) and [access to the community Slack](ht - Network accessline 48
 - Network accessline 52
1. How the best companies operate: [Linear](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-linear-builds-product), [Perplexity](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-perplexity-builds-product), [Stripe](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building- - Network accessline 53
2. [Mission → Vision → Strategy → Goals → Roadmap → Task](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/mission-vision-strategy-goals-roadmap) - Network accessline 54
3. [How to get better at product strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) (also check out [this](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-strategy-roger-martin), [this](https://www.len - Network accessline 55
4. [How to develop product sense](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-sense) (also check out [this](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-beautiful-products-with) podcast) - Network accessline 56
5. [How to develop first-principles thinking](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/first-principles-thinking) - Network accessline 60
1. [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-racecar-growth-frameworkexpanded) - Network accessline 61
2. [How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users) - Network accessline 62
3. [Growth ideas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-ideas) - Network accessline 63
4. [Growth inflections](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-inflections) - Network accessline 64
5. [How Duolingo reignited user growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth) (and [then accelerated it](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-secret-to-duolingos-growth)) - Network accessline 65
6. [How to consistently go viral: Nikita Bier’s playbook for winning at consumer apps](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhnfZhJWCWY) - Network accessline 66
7. [Crafting your positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning) (also check out [this](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/april-dunford-on-product-positioning#details) podcast) - Network accessline 67
8. [GTM motions of 30 B2B SaaS companies](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gtm-motions) - Network accessline 68
9. [How to describe your business as an equation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-math-formula-behind-your-business) - Network accessline 69
10. [A framework for growing consumer subscription businesses](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-subscription-value-loop-a-framework) - Network accessline 70
11. [Five steps to starting your product-led growth motion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-steps-to-starting-your-plg-motion) (plus [this](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-adding-a-plg) podcast) - Network accessline 71
12. Specific growth tactics: [Conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics), [Retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products-retention), [Virality](https://www.lennysnewslette - Network accessline 75
1. [What is good retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 76
2. [What is a good activation rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate) (and [how to determine your activation metric](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-determine-your-activation)) - Network accessline 77
3. [What is a good payback period](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/payback-period) - Network accessline 78
4. [What is good monthly churn](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/monthly-churn-benchmarks) - Network accessline 79
5. [How to measure cohort retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/measuring-cohort-retention) - Network accessline 80
6. [What is a good growth rate](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-growth-rate) - Network accessline 84
1. [The power of performance reviews to become a better manager](https://review.firstround.com/the-power-of-performance-reviews-use-this-system-to-become-a-better-manager) - Network accessline 85
2. [The secret to a great planning process](https://review.firstround.com/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite/) - Network accessline 86
3. [How to become a supermanager with AI](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-become-a-supermanager-with) - Network accessline 87
4. [My favorite decision-making frameworks](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-decision-making-frameworks) - Network accessline 88
5. [Why most public speaking advice is wrong—and how to finally overcome your speaking anxiety](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/master-public-speaking-tristan-de-montebello) - Network accessline 92
1. [The Magic Loop: A framework for rapid career growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-magic-loop) - Network accessline 93
2. [How to communicate tradeoffs so leaders will listen](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-communicate-tradeoffs-so-leaders) - Network accessline 94
3. [The Minto Pyramid Principle and the SCR framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) - Network accessline 95
4. [Learn to prioritize](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing) and [DRICE: a modern prioritization framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/introducing-drice-a-modern-prioritization) - Network accessline 96
5. [A PM’s guide to influence](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-pms-guide-to-influence) and [How to get better at influence](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-better-at-influence) - Network accessline 97
6. [14 habits of highly effective product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/14-habits-of-highly-effective-product) - Network accessline 98
7. [How become a more technical product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/become-a-more-technical-product-manager) - Network accessline 99
8. [Managing up](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/managing-up) - Network accessline 100
9. [Product management career ladders](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-career-ladders) - Network accessline 104
1. [How to use ChatGPT](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-pm-work) and [Perplexity in your PM work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-perplexity-in-your-pm) - Network accessline 105
2. [Five proven prompt engineering techniques (and a few more-advanced tactics)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/five-proven-prompt-engineering-techniques) - Network accessline 106
3. [You should be playing with GPTs at work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/you-should-be-playing-with-gpts-at) - Network accessline 107
4. [Why PMs are best positioned to thrive in an AI world](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-pms-are-best-positioned-to-thrive) - Network accessline 108
5. [Counterintuitive advice for building AI products](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/counterintuitive-advice-for-building) - Network accessline 109
6. [How AI will impact product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-ai-will-impact-product-management) - Network accessline 113
1. [How to kickstart and scale a B2B business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) (7-part series) - Network accessline 114
2. [How to kickstart and scale a consumer business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer) (7-part series) - Network accessline 115
3. [How to kickstart and scale a marketplace business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) (8-part series) - Network accessline 116
4. [Raising a seed round 101](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/raising-a-seed-round-101) - Network accessline 117
5. [A framework for finding product-market fit](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc1Uwhfxacs) - Network accessline 118
6. [How to find a breakthrough startup idea](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9o6gPQA6LA) - Network accessline 119
7. [Lessons learned from a startup that didn’t make it](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/lessons-learned-from-a-startup-that) - Network accessline 120
8. [Lessons from 1,000+ YC startups: Resilience, tar pit ideas, pivoting, more](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7LvNTbaqSI) (plus [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0) podcast) - Network accessline 121
9. [The definitive list of successful pivots](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-of-the-pivot-part-1-the-definitive) (plus [how, why, and when to pivot](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-art-of-the-pivot-part-2-how-why)) - Network accessline 125
1. [How to learn the most about a candidate from a single interview question](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-learn-the-most-about-a-candidate) - Network accessline 126
2. [My favorite PM interview questions](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-pm-interview-questions) - Network accessline 127
3. [How to interview product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-interview-product-managers) - Network accessline 128
4. [Hiring your early team](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - Network accessline 129
5. [Six rules of hiring for growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-growth) - Network accessline 130
6. [When to hire your first product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/when-they-hired-their-first-pm) - Network accessline 131
7. [My favorite interview questions from 100+ guests](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/my-favorite-interview-questions-from-100-guests/) - Network accessline 135
1. [How to pass any first-round interview (even in a terrible talent market)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-pass-any-first-round-interview) - Network accessline 136
2. [Land your dream job in today’s market: negotiation tactics, job search councils, more](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH3nzRdwYPA) - Network accessline 137
3. [The 10 commandments of salary negotiation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/negotiating-comp) - Network accessline 141
1. [Product manager is an unfair role. So work unfairly.](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-is-an-unfair-role) - Network accessline 142
2. [Time management techniques that actually work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-management-techniques-that-actually) (plus [part two](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/part-2-time-management-techniques)) - Network accessline 143
3. [My favorite product management templates](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-templates-issue-37) - Network accessline 144
4. [The LNO framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/episode-3-shreyas-doshi) - Network accessline 148
1. [Why no productivity hack will solve your overwhelm](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-no-productivity-hack-will-solve) - Network accessline 149
2. [How to know when to stop](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-when-to-stop) - Network accessline 150
3. [On asking for help (even when you really don’t want to)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/on-asking-for-help-even-when-you) - Network accessline 151
4. [How to work through fear, and nurture innovation](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-fire-people-with-grace-work) - Network accessline 152
5. [How embracing your emotions will accelerate your career](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYkE1gf37ts) - Network accessline 156
*P.S. Overwhelmed by how much stuff there is to read and listen to? Just ask [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) what you want to know.* - Network accessline 162
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 164
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/the-definitive-guide-to-mastering-analytical-thinking-interviews.md
- Network accessline 10
In my ongoing efforts to help you land your dream job, I’m excited to bring you this truly epic guide by [Ben Erez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez). Below you’ll find everything you need to know to nail your analytical thinking intervi - Network accessline 12
*After a decade in product (at Facebook, as the first PM at three different startups, and as a founder), Ben is now a full-time interview coach, helping PMs land their dream roles. He teaches a [top-rated course on PM interviewing](https:// - Network accessline 14
*Bonus: You can now listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube.c - Network accessline 16
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In part one of this comprehensive guide—**[The definitive guide to mastering product sense interviews](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-definitive-guide-to-mastering)***—*I explained why product sense and analytical thinking interview - Network accessline 42
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- Assumptions[here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IW89pLp9S-pgieiyVmFLHmf5rfc50zoTbuELyC7ishQ/edit?usp=sharing) acknowledge Reels’s worldwide reach, concentrating on mobile because that’s where the primary user engagement happens. - Network accessline 78
- Assumptions [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1658kGtofGK8FOTlWAKnhmlbgtYxhpZQxm5LeFHDzPwE/edit?usp=sharing) mention customers, restaurants, and dashers up front, signaling that you think about the entire marketplace. - Network accessline 99
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- The framework [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IW89pLp9S-pgieiyVmFLHmf5rfc50zoTbuELyC7ishQ/edit?usp=sharing) demonstrates how to craft a product rationale that connects product-level purpose to company-level strategy. - Network accessline 130
- The framework [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1658kGtofGK8FOTlWAKnhmlbgtYxhpZQxm5LeFHDzPwE/edit?usp=sharing) demonstrates how to address multiple stakeholders in a marketplace. - Network accessline 162
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- The framework [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IW89pLp9S-pgieiyVmFLHmf5rfc50zoTbuELyC7ishQ/edit?usp=sharing) balances adoption indicators (daily Reels viewers) with engagement depth (watch time). - Network accessline 173
- The framework [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1658kGtofGK8FOTlWAKnhmlbgtYxhpZQxm5LeFHDzPwE/edit?usp=sharing) measures marketplace success by tracking key indicators for all players: customers placing orders, restaurants fulf - Network accessline 207
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- The framework [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IW89pLp9S-pgieiyVmFLHmf5rfc50zoTbuELyC7ishQ/edit?usp=sharing) showcases how to identify the critical leverage point in a content platform. - Network accessline 219
- The framework [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1658kGtofGK8FOTlWAKnhmlbgtYxhpZQxm5LeFHDzPwE/edit?usp=sharing) focuses on cart-to-checkout conversion, a high-leverage point in the ordering funnel with direct impact on the NSM. - Network accessline 239
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- The tradeoff framework [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1IW89pLp9S-pgieiyVmFLHmf5rfc50zoTbuELyC7ishQ/edit?usp=sharing) explores a tension between strengthening social connections (Stories) versus prioritizing entertainment an - Network accessline 263
- The tradeoff framework [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1658kGtofGK8FOTlWAKnhmlbgtYxhpZQxm5LeFHDzPwE/edit?usp=sharing) explores a tension between the North Star metric (completed deliveries) and a key guardrail metric (averag - Network accessline 324
- I’ll be hosting a free 30-minute lightning lesson on July 9th where I’ll show you [how to use AI to practice for your analytical thinking interviews](https://maven.com/p/f6c75d/practice-for-analytical-thinking-pm-interviews-with-ai). - Network accessline 325
- You can make a copy of my [Analytical Thinking Interview Template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13rY2E48My2ze8NMzdDRPqVF4T7UFfNz61SZT05cKex8/edit?gid=217460033#gid=217460033) to work through as many practice questions as you’d l - Network accessline 326
- My top-rated Maven course: [PM Interview Bootcamp with AI Copilot: Product Sense & Analytical Thinking](https://bit.ly/4iQm5xq). (Use code “LENNYSLIST” to get $100 off. Enrollment for the July cohort closes July 13th.) - Network accessline 327
- [How to Ace Analytical Thinking PM Interviews](https://maven.com/p/fb644e/how-to-ace-analytical-thinking-pm-interviews): Free lecture I published on Maven - Network accessline 328
- My [AI Practice Copilot for Product Sense & Analytical Thinking Interviews](https://www.benerez.com/copilot) - Network accessline 329
- [Lewis Lin’s PM Question Bank](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rz10oEeLx-eGnilahKczYPhGfCUzIEKL-xRnjoQ-SX4/edit?gid=1024620532#gid=1024620532): The best PM interview question bank, updated daily - Network accessline 333
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/the-definitive-guide-to-mastering-product-sense-interviews.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Welcome to a **✨ free edition ✨** of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Podcast](https://ww - Network accessline 12
*Annual subscribers now get a free year of **[Perplexity Pro, Notion, Superhuman, Linear, and Granola](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/announcing-the-greatest-product-bundle)**. [Subscribe now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/publish/po - Network accessline 20
The product sense interview is one of the most important and most mysterious steps of the PM interview loop, and [Ben Erez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/) just wrote your new bible for mastering that interview. - Network accessline 24
*[Here’s a link to part 2 of this series—[The definitive guide to mastering analytical thinking interviews](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-definitive-guide-to-mastering-f81)—which was published after this came out]* - Network accessline 26
Ben has been a founder, a PM at Meta, and the first PM at three different startups, and, as a coach, he’s now helping PMs land their dream roles. Ben’s got [a free 30-minute lightning lesson coming up on April 16th](https://maven.com/p/d8e4 - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 40
Originally popularized by Facebook and Google, product sense (PS) and analytical thinking (AT) interviews have now been widely adopted across the tech industry, with companies like Stripe, OpenAI, Block, and many others including PS and AT - Network accessline 70
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- I’ll be hosting [a free 30-minute lightning lesson on April 16th](https://maven.com/p/d8e439/practice-for-product-sense-pm-interviews-with-ai) where I’ll show you how to use Claude Projects to practice for your product sense interviews. - Network accessline 712
- Maven course: [PM Interview Bootcamp with AI Copilot: Product Sense & Analytical Thinking](https://bit.ly/4iQm5xq). (Use code “LENNYSLIST” to get $100 off. Enrollment closes April 22nd.) - Network accessline 713
- 📺 [How to Ace Product Sense PM Interviews](https://maven.com/p/af5908/how-to-ace-product-sense-pm-interviews): a free lecture I published in 2024 (and [Product Sense Interview Template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1-jdZAVtL - Network accessline 714
- [Recorded mock of PS response](https://grain.com/share/recording/be7899c9-f09e-4a18-93ec-ef40e7a26fac/Sex5ycmtyfFMOytY9K16yYQAx5p7lEn7X8D0fy2b): watch me apply the framework to a question about designing a VR product for elderly users ([h - Network accessline 715
- [Lewis Lin’s PM Question Bank](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rz10oEeLx-eGnilahKczYPhGfCUzIEKL-xRnjoQ-SX4/edit?gid=1024620532#gid=1024620532): the best PM interview question bank, updated daily - Network accessline 716
- My [AI Practice Copilot for Product Sense & Analytical Thinking Interviews](https://www.benerez.com/copilot) - Network accessline 720
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/the-inside-story-of-facebook-marketplace.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to the ✨ **monthly free edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, working with humans, and anything else that’ - Network accessline 12
1. *[Prioritizing at B2B startups](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/prioritizing-startup)* - Network accessline 13
2. *[Seven ways to differentiate your product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-differentiate)* - Network accessline 14
3. *[The best of 2021](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-best-of-2021)* - Network accessline 16
**I recently learned that [Facebook Marketplace](https://www.facebook.com/marketplace) is the world’s second-largest marketplace, in terms of monthly active users, behind only Amazon.** It’s ahead of Alibaba, Walmart, eBay, Taobao, and has - Network accessline 18
Deb led the team that pitched, built, launched, and scaled Facebook Marketplace from just an idea to what it is today. During her 11 years at Facebook/Meta, she also led teams that built Facebook Login, Facebook Pay, Facebook Commerce Manag - Network accessline 20
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I knew I wanted to build commerce into Facebook from the moment I walked into my first interview. It seemed inevitable that social commerce would be an important part of the company and its products. Social networking was not simply about s - Network accessline 30
Unfortunately, I was terrible at selling the idea, and for five years, nothing happened. We tried hackathons, enlisting interns, and testing new products ([Wishlist](https://techcrunch.com/2012/10/08/facebook-collections/), I’m looking at y - Network accessline 32
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One day, a [rotational product manager](https://www.fbrpms.com/), Bowen Pan, joined Facebook and said he wanted to work on enabling commerce within Facebook groups. He had previously worked on [TradeMe](https://www.trademe.co.nz/) in New Ze - Network accessline 40
At the time, commerce in groups was informal and completely organic. One of the biggest issues early on was that there was no way to know what groups were meant for selling things (vs. being purely social). We decided to set up a way to all - Network accessline 42
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I am a member of a [Buy Nothing group](https://buynothingproject.org/), and I also regularly buy and sell on Marketplace. I bought an entire bedroom set from someone moving down the street, who turned out to be a friend of a friend. I bough - Possible obfuscationline 99
Immediately upon launch, we also noticed that search numbers were incredibly low. Our Research team showed buyers two test phones: one with Marketplace and one with a different local classifieds service. They then asked them to “find an iPh - Network accessline 103
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In addition to the desktop version, some countries primarily relied on [Facebook Lite](https://about.fb.com/news/2015/06/announcing-facebook-lite/), so we also had to adapt our product to ensure that it worked for those users. As we launche - Network accessline 129
- *[Subscribe to her Substack](https://debliu.substack.com/)* - Network accessline 130
- *[Follow her on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahliu/)* - Network accessline 131
- *[Pre-order her book](https://amzn.to/3FmjU0v)* - Network accessline 135
1. **Otta:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/896bc872-ef34-44a5-85bd-74784e9bea89) (London) - Network accessline 136
2. **Sonar:** [Product Manager, Integrations](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/d830dd44-5885-452a-a0fc-681a667d20c5) (ATL, Remote-US) - Network accessline 137
3. **LiveAuctioneers:** [Senior Product Manager, Platform](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4550e1ee-d35a-4975-9bb1-ec28725672cc) (NYC, UT) - Network accessline 138
4. **Writer:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/2da796a4-bd41-4797-b052-3224fc5adbf2) (SF, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 139
5. **Shortwave:** [Growth Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/f67128c7-7420-4e94-8548-5c9bfdfbe66e) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 140
6. **Casual:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c03a7db8-67f0-4b79-a82b-e4bf8ef624d1) (Remote-EU) - Network accessline 142
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 146
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/the-magic-loop.md
- Network accessline 10
I’m thrilled to bring you an important guest post by [Ethan Evans](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/). During his 15 years at Amazon, Ethan helped invent Prime Video, Amazon Video, the Amazon Appstore, Prime Gaming (formerly Twitch - Network accessline 14
*Ethan is now working as a writer, career coach, and course instructor. He writes a newsletter, [Level Up](https://levelupwithethanevans.substack.com/), which publishes candid career advice twice a week, and offers a range of Leadership Dev - Network accessline 16
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Lenny has already written a [great article](https://review.firstround.com/the-power-of-performance-reviews-use-this-system-to-become-a-better-manager) about the kinds of performance reviews a good manager should deliver. As you work with yo - Network accessline 104
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*Thanks, Ethan! For more from Ethan, make sure to check out his [newsletter](https://levelupwithethanevans.substack.com/), courses ([live online](https://maven.com/ethan-evans) and [on-demand](https://ethan-evans.mykajabi.com/)), and [Linke - Network accessline 199
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 201
 - Network accessline 205
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 207
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/the-minto-pyramid-principle-and-the-scr-framework.md
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Similarly, when crafting your product strategy, [my favorite product 1-Pager template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/edit) follows the SCR format fairly directly (Situation = Description, Co - Network accessline 150
 - Network accessline 152
As does [my favorite strategy template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JI73WrGplrhNE46aLyRD_B74gEynI77EPgXn1ic6WeQ/edit) (you can think of your Mission and Vision as your *Situation*, the *Complication* is implied in that you haven’t y - Network accessline 154
 - Network accessline 164
3. **Resolution**: *What do you recommend we do to resolve this complication? Minto Pyramid-style: answer-first followed by supporting arguments.* 2. **Listening**: When listening to a presentation, say a design review or a strategy proposa - Network accessline 166
3. **Templates**: Leverage this [1-Pager template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/edit) and [Company strategy template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JI73WrGplrhNE46aLyRD_B74gEynI77EPgX - Network accessline 178
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqRfeFODXo4) - Network accessline 180
1. Check out these two excellent videos by Harrison Metal: [Thank you, Barbara Minto](https://vimeo.com/305393045) and [Executive Communication](https://www.heavybit.com/library/video/executive-communication/) - Network accessline 181
2. Read [How to Tell a Business Story Using the McKinsey Situation-Complication-Resolution (SCR) Framework](https://speakingsherpa.com/how-to-tell-a-business-story-using-the-mckinsey-situation-complication-resolution-scr-framework/) - Network accessline 182
3. Read [How to do consulting presentations](https://www.elc-columbia.org/uploads/3/9/7/2/39724566/how_to_do_consulting_presentations__elc_.pdf) - Network accessline 183
4. Read [How to write emails with military precision](https://hbr.org/2016/11/how-to-write-email-with-military-precision) - Network accessline 187
## **🔥 Job opening of the week:**[Director of Product at Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/fbac5a65-6ade-4030-9ad9-b58ee0430e3f) - Network accessline 189
> *Berbix is hiring a Director of Product to lead our product team and set our product direction in service of transforming identity online.* > > [Learn more](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/fbac5a65-6ade-4030-9ad9-b58ee0430e3f) - Network accessline 191
> [Learn more](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/fbac5a65-6ade-4030-9ad9-b58ee0430e3f) - Network accessline 195
1. **Product**: [Decent](https://decent.breezy.hr/p/a976bf37026c-product-lead), [Rocketplace](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Rocketplace/11bc424f-e80f-4bab-aa96-517c01a6d511), [Twine](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VUHSTVfk2HyVfzcryXBGcpgUHr - Network accessline 196
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Offsyte](https://www.notion.so/Growth-Marketing-Manager-3fbc68b7dcc2411c857a2753bd4e70f7), [SpaceX Starlink](https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5032353 - Network accessline 197
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Eppo](https://www.notion.so/Eppo-Founding-Designer-57b62fbe7832400396 - Network accessline 198
4. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04), [Sourcetable](http - Network accessline 199
5. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Eppo](https://www.notion.so/Eppo-Founding-Data-Engineer-45533e4fc79c4c4d97b8302c051243bc), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/S - Network accessline 200
6. **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Emporii](https://www.notion.so/emporii/Senior-Full-Stack-Engineer-5a149801dcfa4ce89a43ccdc19857daa), [Icebreaker](https://ice - Network accessline 201
7. **Mobile engineer**: [Nocap](https://www.notion.so/nocapnotion/Software-Engineer-iOS-058677353900453ca6b60c62445ac3a0), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Styt - Network accessline 202
8. **Game economy designer**: [Sorare](https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/companies/sorare/jobs/game-economy-designer_paris_SORAR_kYW8MjK) - Network accessline 208
1. **Remember:** [Founding a startup that actually works is like...](https://twitter.com/garrytan/status/1376598052044111872) via Garry Tan - Network accessline 210
1. **Read**: [The Marketplace 100](https://a16z.com/marketplace-100/) by a16z - Network accessline 214
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/the-most-common-pitfalls-of-new-product-managers.md
- Network accessline 16
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You are a [product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management). Not a *project* manager. You weren’t hired to just coordinate other people’s work. You were hired to bring your own point of view. To help shape the - Network accessline 33
At the other end of the spectrum is a PM who fully embraces the supposed “mini-CEO” role. This person may have recently transitioned from an engineering or ops role, or is fresh out of an MBA program, and has been waiting for their chance t - Network accessline 70
**How to avoid this pitfall:** [Articulate a strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy), get buy-in, and make sure all of your projects and priorities are in support of this strategy. - Network accessline 74
And finally, there’s a reason PMs are often called “shit umbrellas.” It’s their job to shield their teams from stupid shit. Like time-sucking questions, unnecessary drama, and the whims of execs. People outside your team have no idea how mu - Network accessline 85
These are the five most common pitfalls I’ve seen, but there are others. However, instead of obsessing over all of the things you may be doing wrong, I’d encourage you to instead work on [building great habits](https://www.lennysnewsletter. - Network accessline 89
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-pitfalls/comments) - Network accessline 93
1. [The Top 12 Product Management Mistakes](https://svpg.com/assets/Files/toppmmistakes.pdf) by Marty Cagan - Network accessline 94
2. [Good Product Manager/Bad Product Manager](https://a16z.com/2012/06/15/good-product-managerbad-product-manager/) by Ben Horowitz - Network accessline 95
3. [Good Product Managers, Great Product Managers](https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1249039638829793280?lang=en) by Shreyas Doshi - Network accessline 101
1. **OpenPhone:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/a4e59b3d-06a3-4f89-a340-b8bd5f8aee97) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 102
2. **TaxBit:** [Product Lead](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4a453e47-d6c8-4241-becc-763fe8097d97) (Seattle) - Network accessline 103
3. **Orbiit:** [Director of Product Management](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/be8a2c08-274c-4ebf-b20e-79439dc7b70e) (NYC) - Network accessline 104
4. **Relish Works:** [Associate Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e6008616-d0ba-4765-ab3a-8eec826cd044) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 105
5. **OnFrontiers:** [UI/UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c5c630a8-eef4-4ee2-b5c0-f454921f70ff) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 106
6. **OnFrontiers:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/08ad9dfd-0a57-4679-8e59-5fb49545eedf) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 107
7. **Panther:** [Product Manager (Core)](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e5d8025a-078b-48f5-b083-67978ff06b89) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 108
8. **The.com:** [Software Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e3ea6743-db26-4796-bdfd-3a6885b7b3c3) (SF) - Network accessline 109
9. **Relive:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/7a4300f0-d46e-43a4-a8db-dfec28c4e511) (Remote-EU) - Network accessline 110
10. **GetSetUp:** [Product Lead, Discovery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/522f84e1-0499-4ddd-975a-f996f648fa0a) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 111
11. **Morty:** [Founding Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e30caace-f287-4fe1-8215-6d08c88f51c1) (Consumer) - Network accessline 112
12. **Otto:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/3e0d39f0-55dc-4bc8-bdd1-c58e5611ddf7) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 114
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 118
1. **Watch:** [That Funny Feeling—Bo Burnham](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObOqq1knVxs) - Network accessline 120
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObOqq1knVxs) - Network accessline 122
2. **Read:** [Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk … and Paul McCartney](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2021-12-04/gates-bezos-musk-mccartney-great-managers-of-the-last-century) by Tyler Cowen - Network accessline 123
3. **Watch:** [14 Peaks](https://www.netflix.com/title/81464765) - Network accessline 127
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas-metrics-to-track-and-how-to-best-visualize-the.md
- Network accessline 20
I don’t have all of the answers so **I’d love to hear from you**. Is there anything below that looks off or incomplete? I’ll use this post as a living document and update it with anything I learn. Just reply to this email, leave a comment, - Network accessline 22
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas/comments) - Network accessline 32
- **User retention**: % of new users who are still active 3-6 months later - **Logo retention:**% of new companies who are still active 3-6 months later - **[L7/L30 retention](https://a16z.com/2018/08/06/power-user-curve-l30-l7/)**: Number - Network accessline 34
- **[L7/L30 retention](https://a16z.com/2018/08/06/power-user-curve-l30-l7/)**: Number of days that users are active per week/month - Network accessline 84
- ARPU: Average revenue per user - User conversion: % of free users that convert to paid within X days - [Quick ratio](https://baremetrics.com/academy/saas-quick-ratio): (New MRR + Expansion MRR) / (Contraction MRR + Churned MRR) - Network accessline 85
- User conversion: % of free users that convert to paid within X days - [Quick ratio](https://baremetrics.com/academy/saas-quick-ratio): (New MRR + Expansion MRR) / (Contraction MRR + Churned MRR) - Growth spend efficiency: CAC/LTV - Network accessline 86
- [Quick ratio](https://baremetrics.com/academy/saas-quick-ratio): (New MRR + Expansion MRR) / (Contraction MRR + Churned MRR) - Network accessline 102
Below I’ve synthesized the best examples, and grouped them by the tools that these teams use to track these metrics. Surprisingly (though not that surprisingly) Google Sheets was by far the most used tool, followed by Profitwell and Google - Network accessline 106
Courtesy of [@craigzingerline](https://twitter.com/craigzingerline/status/1312218315423653888?s=20): - Network accessline 108
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kw4u!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:ste - Network accessline 110
Courtesy of [@garrett\_wj](https://twitter.com/garrett_wj/status/1312422060845608966?s=20): - Network accessline 112
[](https://s - Network accessline 114
[Subscribe to continue reading 👉](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/subscribe)
references/02-newsletters/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas-metrics-to-track.md
- Network accessline 20
I don’t have all of the answers so **I’d love to hear from you**. Is there anything below that looks off or incomplete? I’ll use this post as a living document and update it with anything I learn. Just reply to this email, leave a comment, - Network accessline 22
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas/comments) - Network accessline 32
- **User retention**: % of new users who are still active 3-6 months later - **Logo retention:** % of new companies who are still active 3-6 months later - **[L7/L30 retention](https://a16z.com/2018/08/06/power-user-curve-l30-l7/)**: Number - Network accessline 34
- **[L7/L30 retention](https://a16z.com/2018/08/06/power-user-curve-l30-l7/)**: Number of days that users are active per week/month - Network accessline 84
- ARPU: Average revenue per user - User conversion: % of free users that convert to paid within X days - [Quick ratio](https://baremetrics.com/academy/saas-quick-ratio): (New MRR + Expansion MRR) / (Contraction MRR + Churned MRR) - Network accessline 85
- User conversion: % of free users that convert to paid within X days - [Quick ratio](https://baremetrics.com/academy/saas-quick-ratio): (New MRR + Expansion MRR) / (Contraction MRR + Churned MRR) - Growth spend efficiency: CAC/LTV - Network accessline 86
- [Quick ratio](https://baremetrics.com/academy/saas-quick-ratio): (New MRR + Expansion MRR) / (Contraction MRR + Churned MRR) - Network accessline 100
1. [Redpoint SaaS Startup Key Metrics Template](https://tomtunguz.com/saas-startup-metrics-template/) - Network accessline 101
2. [How David Sacks built the first bottom-up playbook for enterprise](https://wfh.substack.com/p/how-david-sacks-built-the-first-bottom) - Network accessline 102
3. [Top 5 SaaS Metrics VCs Look At for Series A/B/C](https://blog.publiccomps.com/top-5-saas-metrics/) - Network accessline 103
4. [8 SaaS Growth Metrics Every Startup Should by Tracking](https://www.growthmentor.com/advice/growth-marketing/saas-growth-metrics/) - Network accessline 104
5. [What are the 2-3 most important metrics to watch for an early bottom-up B2B SaaS business?](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1301957505380048896) - Network accessline 110
Below I’ve synthesized the best examples, and grouped them by the tools that these teams use to track these metrics. Surprisingly (though not that surprisingly) Google Sheets was by far the most used tool, followed by Profitwell and Google - Network accessline 114
Courtesy of [@craigzingerline](https://twitter.com/craigzingerline/status/1312218315423653888?s=20): - Network accessline 116
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!kw4u!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:ste - Network accessline 118
Courtesy of [@garrett\_wj](https://twitter.com/garrett_wj/status/1312422060845608966?s=20): - Network accessline 120
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/ - Network accessline 122
Courtesy of [@lwcassid](https://twitter.com/lwcassid/status/1312218477629849600?s=20): - Network accessline 124
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!U2ei!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep - Network accessline 126
Courtesy of [@rylandking](https://twitter.com/rylandking/status/1312525113561026562?s=20): - Network accessline 128
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!5GSD!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:ste - Network accessline 130
Courtesy of [@JorecelleDGR](https://twitter.com/JerocelleDGR/status/1315629374691930114?s=20): - Network accessline 140
1. [Open startups by baremetrics](https://baremetrics.com/open-startups) - Network accessline 141
2. [Open startups by Postmake](https://postmake.io/open) - Network accessline 142
3. [Ghost](https://ghost.org/open/) - Network accessline 143
4. [Buffer](https://buffer.com/revenue) - Network accessline 144
5. [Gumroad](https://twitter.com/search?q=gumroad+revenue+%28from%3Ashl%29&src=typed_query&f=live) - Network accessline 148
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas/comments) - Network accessline 152
1. **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4124465003), [ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), [Hipcamp](https: - Network accessline 153
2. **Growth**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Shef](https://angel.co/company/shef-1/jobs/8832 - Network accessline 154
3. **Design**: [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8hL-FyCrmAes/edit), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product-Des - Network accessline 155
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 156
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/ca - Network accessline 157
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) - Network accessline 158
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4473700002), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [Iggy](htt - Network accessline 159
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Vori](https://www.n - Network accessline 163
1. **Watch**: The making of a mechanical basketball hoop that tracks your ball mid-air, making it impossible not to sink a shot (via [The Viewer](https://theviewer.is/crow-picasso-hoop-water-boots/)) - Network accessline 165
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myO8fxhDRW0) - Network accessline 167
2. **Listen**: [Cyan Banister on 20VC](https://thetwentyminutevc.com/cyanbanister/) - Network accessline 168
3. **Read**: [Coming for the Content, Staying for the Community](https://hunterwalk.medium.com/coming-for-the-content-staying-for-the-community-started-with-video-games-or-maybe-religion-5083f3773a2) by Hunter Walk
references/02-newsletters/the-most-important-consumer-metrics-to-track.md
- Network accessline 22
*Big thank-you to [Sriram Krishnan](https://www.notion.so/sriramkri/Sriram-Krishnan-5a434396fb9d43bfaebce6aa5c1f5e01) and [Yuriy Timen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuriytimen/) for contributing to this post.* - Network accessline 54
1. **User growth:** New signups 2. **Engagement:** DAU, WAU, or MAU 3. **Intensity:** DAU/MAU, WAU/MAU, or [L7/L30](https://andrewchen.com/power-user-curve/) - Network accessline 55
2. **Engagement:** DAU, WAU, or MAU 3. **Intensity:** DAU/MAU, WAU/MAU, or [L7/L30](https://andrewchen.com/power-user-curve/) 4. **Retention:** Week 2/4/8 cohort retention - Network accessline 56
3. **Intensity:** DAU/MAU, WAU/MAU, or [L7/L30](https://andrewchen.com/power-user-curve/) - Network accessline 85
 - Network accessline 89
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-consumer-metrics/comments) - Network accessline 93
1. [What is good retention?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 94
2. [DTC Metrics, Explained](https://medium.com/ro-co/dtc-metrics-explained-29ff99ff5657) by Zachariah Reitano - Network accessline 95
3. [10 Factors to Consider When Evaluating Consumer Subscriptions](https://nbt.substack.com/p/10-factors-to-consider-when-evaluating) by Nikhil Basu Trivedi - Network accessline 96
4. [DAU/MAU is an important metric to measure engagement, but here’s where it fails](https://andrewchen.com/dau-mau-is-an-important-metric-but-heres-where-it-fails/) by Andrew Chen - Network accessline 97
5. [The Power User Curve](https://andrewchen.com/power-user-curve/) by Andrew Chen - Network accessline 98
6. [Choosing Your North Star Metric](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/) - Network accessline 104
1. **Panther:** [Product Manager (Core)](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e5d8025a-078b-48f5-b083-67978ff06b89) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 105
2. **The.com:** [Software Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e3ea6743-db26-4796-bdfd-3a6885b7b3c3) (SF) - Network accessline 106
3. **Relive:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/7a4300f0-d46e-43a4-a8db-dfec28c4e511) (Remote-EU) - Network accessline 107
4. **GetSetUp:** [Product Lead, Discovery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/522f84e1-0499-4ddd-975a-f996f648fa0a) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 108
5. **Morty:** [Founding Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e30caace-f287-4fe1-8215-6d08c88f51c1) (Consumer) - Network accessline 109
6. **Otto:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/3e0d39f0-55dc-4bc8-bdd1-c58e5611ddf7) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 110
7. **Mynd:** [Product Lead, Leasing & Residents](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/fb8cc2e5-7d3c-48ca-9fa8-38fbb4a3411f) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 111
8. **TaskRabbit:** [Chief Product Officer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/17de265a-eadd-4e61-9a8b-a4ff0dc0b494) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 112
9. **Fiveable:** [Head of Product](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c569b4e4-3b48-4ed6-9e85-ca71fc7023f0) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 113
10. **Catalog:** [Senior Project Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/f2bec9f3-9eaf-4d5f-aa4a-48e81f3e3a78) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 114
11. **Enterpret:** [Principal Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/ffbf9d72-bac3-4a65-a086-43dcb9b46bcb) (NYC) - Network accessline 115
12. **Launch House:** [Growth Associate](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/cc16e91a-64cd-40b0-b48b-0a9befd0a77b) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 116
13. **Hyphen:** [Senior Software Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/409ba7dc-d175-45cf-a3e8-5b50d020c874) (LA, San Jose, ATL, Remote-US) - Network accessline 118
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 122
1. **Listen:** [Balaji Srinivasan on Tim Ferriss](https://tim.blog/2021/11/15/balaji-srinivasan-2/) - Network accessline 123
2. **Read:** [Content marketing for founding teams](https://www.notion.so/Content-marketing-for-founding-teams-fd1c96b0ef9840b29088b5385603ff12) - Network accessline 124
3. **Subscribe:** [Growth & User Acquisition](https://www.indiehackers.com/series/growth-acquisition) - Network accessline 128
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/the-most-important-consumer-subscription-metrics-to-track.md
- Network accessline 10
> ## Q: I read your post about [the most important bottom-up SaaS metrics to track](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas), and I was wondering – do you have the same kind of advice but for a consumer subscripti - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 44
1. **Activation rate**: The *percentage* of free/trial users who **hit a valuable milestone** in the first X days after signing up (e.g. meditate, watch a show, listen to a song, find a match, sync a folder, etc.) 2. **Intensity of engageme - Network accessline 45
2. **Intensity of engagement:** [L7/L30](https://a16z.com/2018/08/06/power-user-curve-l30-l7/) - Network accessline 63
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-consumer-subscription/comments) - Network accessline 72
- **Payback period**: How long it takes to recover the cost of acquiring a new customer from their subscription revenue [*Under 6 months is great*] - **Virality**: The average number of new users an existing user drives [*Over 1.0 is great* - Network accessline 74
- **ROAS**: [Return on advertising spend](https://www.bigcommerce.com/ecommerce-answers/what-is-roas-calculating-return-on-ad-spend/), by channel [*Over 4:1 is great*] - Network accessline 78
- **Activation rate**: The *percentage* of free/trial users who **hit a valuable milestone** in the first X days (e.g. meditate, watch a show, found a match, synced a folder, etc.) [*[Benchmarks](https://discover.mixpanel.com/rs/461-OYV-624 - Network accessline 83
- **Monthly (or weekly) active users**: The *total number* of users who **have done something valuable** (e.g. did a mediation, watched a show, took a lesson, had a match, etc.) in the past X weeks - **Cohort engagement**: The *percentage* - Network accessline 85
- **Intensity of engagement:** [L7/L30](https://a16z.com/2018/08/06/power-user-curve-l30-l7/) for software, time spent for content - Network accessline 89
- **Cohort conversion from free to paid**: The *percentage* of free users who convert from free/trial to paid X weeks after signing up, broken out by monthly and annual [*[Benchmarks](https://adachen.com/freemium-and-free-trial-conversion-b - Network accessline 96
- **Cohort retention**: The percentage of paid users who are still paying X months later [*[Over 70% at 6 months is great](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29)*] - Network accessline 110
1. [10 Factors To Consider When Evaluating Consumer Subscriptions](https://nbt.substack.com/p/10-factors-to-consider-when-evaluating) by Nikhil Basu Trivedi - Network accessline 111
2. [Hierarchy of Engagement](https://sarahtavel.medium.com/the-hierarchy-of-engagement-expanded-648329d60804) by Sarah Tavel - Network accessline 112
3. [Consumer Subscription Software Insights](https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/4119751/GPB%20Research%20Reports/GP%20Bullhound%20-%20Consumer%20Subscription%20Software%20Update%20-%20Aug%202019.pdf) by GP. Bullhound - Network accessline 113
4. [The Internet Subscription Startup is Winning](https://tomtunguz.com/consumer-subscription-services/) by Tomasz Tunguz - Network accessline 114
5. [Twitter thread on this topic](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1343730958013501441) - Network accessline 122
**✨**Sponsored job of the week: **[Senior Director of Product at Plume](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2344670919/?trackingId=YHvRTxoetClV7013SkxEAQ%3D%3D) ✨** - Network accessline 124
1. **Product**: [Descript](https://jobs.lever.co/descript-2/08f9b563-c3e6-49a4-be07-82fafc1868af), [Kudo](https://kudo.bamboohr.com/jobs/view.php?id=32), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever.co/hipcamp/d04821c3-fb9a-4d3f-9a7a-1b75deacc09f), [Plume] - Network accessline 125
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC98C5FDFB/) - Network accessline 126
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8hL-FyCrmAes/edit), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product-Desi - Network accessline 127
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 128
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04), [Tome](https://www - Network accessline 129
6. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 130
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [ - Network accessline 131
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://job - Network accessline 137
1. **Listen**: [Growth and Go-To-Market with Brian Balfour and Pascal Levy-Garboua](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growth-go-to-market-brian-balfour-pascal-levy-garboua/id1316769266?i=1000501725550) - Network accessline 138
2. **Read**: [Meet the unicorn founder that braved war zones and missed meetings to make his mark on the startup world](https://fortune.com/2020/11/19/calendly-founder-tope-awotona-startup-unicorn/) - Network accessline 142
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/the-most-important-marketplace-metrics-to-track.md
- Network accessline 12
As you probably know, marketplaces hold a special place in my heart. I spent many years optimizing both sides of the Airbnb marketplace, and later spent hundreds of hours researching [a series on kickstarting and scaling a marketplace](http - Network accessline 21
*A big thank-you to [Alex Taussig](https://lsvp.com/team/alex-taussig/) (Lightspeed), [Ania Smith](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aniasmith/) (TaskRabbit), [Angela Tran](https://versionone.vc/about-us/) (Version One), [Dan Hockenmaier](https:/ - Network accessline 23
*Also, I have dedicated posts on metrics for [consumer businesses](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-consumer-metrics?s=w) and [PLG SaaS businesses](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-bottom-up-saas-69 - Network accessline 27
 - Network accessline 35
[Sarah Tavel](https://sarahtavel.medium.com/the-hierarchy-of-marketplaces-introduction-and-level-1-983995aa218e) calls this “happy GMV”: - Network accessline 37
[a16z](https://future.a16z.com/marketplace-metrics/) calls this “match rate”: - Network accessline 41
Many people call this metric “liquidity”—an ambiguous term I’ll cover at the end of this post. To [Alex Taussig](https://lsvp.com/team/alex-taussig/), one of the smartest people I know on marketplaces, this metric is primarily how he evalua - Network accessline 51
> #### “At TaskRabbit, we’re currently most focused on fill rate (or invoice rate, as we call it) as our north-star marketplace performance metric. This gives us a good view of the efficiency across our funnel ecosystem from the signal of t - Network accessline 53
> #### —[Ania Smith](https://www.linkedin.com/in/aniasmith/), CEO of TaskRabbit - Network accessline 59
> #### “You can tell a lot about the marketplace health by digging deep into bookings growth; for example, bookings growth by first-time users (user acquisition), repeat bookings growth (user retention), bookings growth within an organizati - Network accessline 61
> #### —[Emma Guo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmahongguo/), CEO of [Offsyte](https://www.offsyte.co/) - Network accessline 63
At Airbnb, this was was our [north-star metric](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/), as it continues to be for the majority of marketplaces in one form or another: - Network accessline 75
[My research](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand?s=w) showed that 80% of marketplaces start out supply-constrained, and about half stay that way. Thus, supply growth is likely to be a major priority for - Network accessline 81
[Matt Bendett](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bendett/), the co-founder of [Peerspace](https://peerspace.com/), found an additional aspect of this metric that makes a great input metric for supply quality: - Network accessline 89
> #### “GMV is the total sales dollar volume of merchandise transacting through the marketplace in a specific period. It’s the real top line, what the consumer side of the marketplace is spending. It is a useful measure of the size of the m - Network accessline 91
> #### —[a16z (Jeff Jordan, Li Jin, D’Arcy Coolican, Andrew Chen)](https://future.a16z.com/marketplace-metrics/) - Network accessline 126
> #### “Figuring out how to generate liquidity is the single most important thing for a marketplace. If you don’t have this, you’re not going to build a marketplace people will use. Clearly defining what this means is incredibly helpful in - Network accessline 128
> #### —[Grant LaFontaine](https://www.linkedin.com/in/grantlafontaine/), CEO of [Whatnot](https://whatnot.com/) - Network accessline 132
, Head of Strategy and Anal - Network accessline 142
> #### —[Dan Hockenmaier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hock/), Head of Strategy and Analytics at Faire - Network accessline 146
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-marketplace-metrics/comments) - Network accessline 150
1. [13 Metrics for Marketplace Companies](https://future.a16z.com/marketplace-metrics/) by a16z - Network accessline 151
2. [Marketplace KPI Spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1K5E1Nzjq4KEvGVv6EysGswTuQm5u21Sa2ugSZewrZqE/edit#gid=1569059121) by Version One Ventures - Network accessline 152
3. [The Marketplace Checklist: 16 Questions](https://www.canvas.vc/blog/the-marketplace-checklist-16-questions) by Mike Ghaffary - Network accessline 153
4. [Choosing Your North Star Metric](https://future.a16z.com/north-star-metrics/) by me - Network accessline 154
5. [How to Kickstart and Scale a Marketplace Business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace?s=w) by me - Network accessline 160
1. **Clipboard Health:** [Engineering Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/299a6ac5-8435-4596-8262-b29c15c7613f) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 161
2. **Brilliant.org:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a9f29cee-d7b7-42ce-b1dc-05d6d29ecec7), Growth (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 162
3. **Fractal Software:** [CEO/Founder](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/bbb7f335-4841-48fc-aff8-702a83f26f35) (NYC, SF) - Network accessline 163
4. **Perfect Venue:** [Founding Team Full Stack Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/461940f7-6f12-42af-a0d7-8fca71b2c693) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 164
5. **Snackpass:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/3e5c5552-cb71-4b23-9773-95f21ab14dfc) (NYC, LA, SF) - Network accessline 165
6. **Silo Finance:** [Technical Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/dceac63a-d817-47e7-a4a5-5f653f298bdd) (Remote) - Network accessline 166
7. **Donut:** [First Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/6259d930-475f-4ed4-82a3-fea29273b40a) (Remote-US, Remote-EU) - Network accessline 167
8. **Mindbloom:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/0db1f9c0-266c-4d77-9852-df27b58f8779) (Remote-US, Remote-Canada) - Network accessline 168
9. **Finch Care Inc.:** [Product Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/18311f14-d482-48a1-808e-3716a7f1aabe) (Remote) - Network accessline 169
10. **Mos:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/86e76563-7237-4a39-8465-3682823f7506) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 171
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 175
1. **Read:** [The State of Pay for Women in 2022](https://elpha.com/resources/state-of-pay-for-women-2022) by Elpha - Network accessline 176
2. **Exercise:** [The Power of the Squat](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/well/how-to-do-squats.html) by *New York Times*
references/02-newsletters/the-pm--design-partnership.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a ✨ **once-a-month-free-edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressin - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 20
[Get one month of The Browser free](https://thebrowser.com/lenny/?via=lenny) - Network accessline 24
When I think about a designer who embodies ideal collaboration and thoughtful partnership with product management, I think of my former colleague [Katie Dill](https://twitter.com/lil_dill?lang=en). Katie and I worked together at Airbnb wher - Network accessline 36
*For more from Katie, you [can find her on Twitter](https://twitter.com/lil_dill?lang=en).* - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 64
While there are many efforts that are straightforward and do not require reinvention (e.g., industry best practices for a “contact us” page may be just fine ), creative work may surprise you with the time it takes. When something is designe - Network accessline 74
 - Network accessline 82
 - Network accessline 131
*Special thanks to Lenny, Vanessa Cho, and Liv Jenks for editing help. And thank you all for your terrific responses to my [question on twitter.](https://twitter.com/lil_dill/status/1348701440689143811?s=20)* - Network accessline 133
## **🔥 Job opening of the week:**[Director of Product at Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/fbac5a65-6ade-4030-9ad9-b58ee0430e3f) - Network accessline 135
> *Berbix is hiring a Director of Product to lead our product team and set our product direction in service of transforming identity online.* > > [Learn more](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/fbac5a65-6ade-4030-9ad9-b58ee0430e3f) - Network accessline 137
> [Learn more](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/fbac5a65-6ade-4030-9ad9-b58ee0430e3f) - Network accessline 141
1. **Product**: [Clearbanc](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2438839063), [Decent](https://decent.breezy.hr/p/a976bf37026c-product-lead), [Rocketplace](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Rocketplace/11bc424f-e80f-4bab-aa96-517c01a6d511), [Transform - Network accessline 142
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [SpaceX Starlink](https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5032353002?gh_jid=5032353002&gh_src=seekorswimcom) - Network accessline 143
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/1175906-lead-p - Network accessline 144
4. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 145
5. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-Backend-6d954206f00b446289f18bf51960ca34), [Reclaim](https://reclaim - Network accessline 146
6. **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Emporii](https://www.notion.so/emporii/Senior-Full-Stack-Engineer-5a149801dcfa4ce89a43ccdc19857daa), [Icebreaker](https://ice - Network accessline 147
7. **Mobile engineer**: [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://jobs.lever.co/stytch/d3bf3860-4aaa-4a23-8e28-dad20957be44) - Network accessline 148
8. **Game economy designer**: [Sorare](https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/companies/sorare/jobs/game-economy-designer_paris_SORAR_kYW8MjK) - Network accessline 152
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/the-power-of-performance-reviews-use-this-system-to-become-a-better-manager.md
- Network accessline 10
Ever since my [first piece of writing](https://lenny.substack.com/p/what-seven-years-at-airbnb-taught) after leaving Airbnb, I’ve been wanting to do a deep dive into performance reviews. IMHO, they are the secret weapon of the best managers - Network accessline 20
This template forms the foundation of the system, and we’ll walk through each section in detail below. **[Here’s the Google Doc version of the template for your own easy use.](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SXO4eH8ZvpuONpdlxpu6y1ufDS0n - Network accessline 22
[](https:/ - Network accessline 28
First, work with your direct report to identify five to eight people who’d be able to provide input. Then fire off emails (bcc’ing everyone) asking [three simple questions](https://hbr.org/2011/08/three-questions-for-effective-feedback): - Network accessline 56
As you begin to gather your thinking, and as peer feedback begins to roll in, start to flesh out [the template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SXO4eH8ZvpuONpdlxpu6y1ufDS0n6vbciV4IJzpm-sc/edit?usp=sharing) referenced above, which you’ll - Network accessline 60
**Superpower:**Most performance reviews over-index on development areas. The reality is that an individual will have just as much impact (if not more) on an organization if they flex what they are really good at, instead of just trying to i - Network accessline 75
**[Read the full article here](https://firstround.com/review/the-power-of-performance-reviews-use-this-system-to-become-a-better-manager/)**
references/02-newsletters/the-racecar-growth-framework-expanded-and-illustrated.md
- Network accessline 10
> ## Q: Can you go one level deeper on the [Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework)—how do I actually use it in practice? - Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 20
1. When you’re just starting out, focus your energy on **Kickstarts**, and maybe a few **Turbo boosts**, until your **Growth engine** begins to drive the majority of your growth. [Here’s a template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/19k7oX - Network accessline 26
A huge thank-you to [Dan Hockenmaier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hock/) ([recent podcast guest](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/developing-a-growth-model-marketplace-growth-strategy-dan-hockenmaier-faire-thumbtack-reforge/)!) for partner - Network accessline 30
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-racecar-growth-frameworkexpanded/comments) - Network accessline 36
 - Network accessline 47
**[Here’s an overview](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/57395431/gtm-motions-of-todays-biggest-consumer-apps) of the growth engines behind today’s biggest consumer apps (second column):** - Network accessline 49
 - Network accessline 51
**[Here are the primary growth engines](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/gtm-motions) of today’s biggest B2B products** (second column)—essentially it’s always sales, though some products have a product-led (aka self-service) element: - Network accessline 53
 - Network accessline 55
P.S. In the B2C list, you’ll notice there’s one additional growth engine, “Supply driving demand.” This can be thought of as a growth engine, and an incredibly powerful one at that, but it won’t be the source of your growth, because you sti - Network accessline 59
 - Network accessline 63
1. [Share with friends and colleagues](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-reach-out-to-friends-and-colleagues) - Network accessline 64
2. [Reach out to targeted strangers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-reach-out-to-targeted-strangers) - Network accessline 66
1. Cold DM (e.g. [Cameo](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/cameo-supply-side-dms)) - Network accessline 67
2. Cold email (e.g. [YouTube](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/youtube-supply-side-email)) - Network accessline 68
3. Phone call (e.g. [Airbnb](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/airbnb-supply-side-phone-email)) - Network accessline 69
4. Door to door (e.g. [DoorDash](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/doordash-supply-side-door-to-door-phone)) - Network accessline 70
3. [Go pitch your target audience where they hang out](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-go-where-your-target-audience-hangs-out-online-or-offline) - Network accessline 78
7. Startup offices (e.g. Lyft, Wealthfront) 8. Transit hubs (e.g. Uber and CalTrans station) 4. [Enlist influencers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-enlist-influencers-paid-or-organically) - Network accessline 80
4. [Enlist influencers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-enlist-influencers-paid-or-organically) - Network accessline 82
1. Paid 2. Organically fans 5. [Get press](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-get-press) - Network accessline 83
2. Organically fans 5. [Get press](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-get-press) 6. [Create viral content](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-create-viral-content) - Network accessline 84
5. [Get press](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-get-press) - Network accessline 85
6. [Create viral content](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-create-viral-content) - Network accessline 87
1. Blog post (e.g. [Superhuman](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/superhuman)) - Network accessline 88
2. Video (e.g. [Duolingo](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/duolingo)) - Network accessline 89
3. One-off website (e.g. [Calm](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/calm)) - Network accessline 91
7. [Get physical placement](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/strategy-get-physical-placement) - Network accessline 93
1. Flyers/handouts (e.g. [DoorDash](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/doordash)) - Network accessline 94
2. Table or booth at a physical location (e.g. [Hipcamp](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/hipcamp-rei-offline)) - Network accessline 95
3. Signs (e.g. [Tinder](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/tinder)) - Network accessline 96
4. Stickers (e.g. [Grubhub](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/grubhub)) - Network accessline 97
5. Get on store shelves 8. [Host an event](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/host-a-launch-party-hinge) 9. [Be first on a platform](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/be-first-to-figure-out-an-emerging-platform-noom-tikto - Network accessline 98
8. [Host an event](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/host-a-launch-party-hinge) - Network accessline 99
9. [Be first on a platform](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/be-first-to-figure-out-an-emerging-platform-noom-tiktok-whatsapp) - Network accessline 103
Here’s an overview of which products relied on which kickstarts [in B2C](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38506758/how-do-you-decide-which-tactic-to-pursue): - Network accessline 105
 - Network accessline 107
[And B2B](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses): - Network accessline 109
 - Network accessline 113
 - Network accessline 132
1. [60 ideas to boost your growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/turbo-boosts) - Network accessline 133
2. [Generating buzz](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/creating-buzz-at-launch) - Network accessline 137
 - Network accessline 143
1. [Increasing conversion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-21-strategy-and-tactics) - Network accessline 144
2. [Increasing retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products-retention) - Network accessline 151
 - Network accessline 157
1. [Channel partnerships](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/31258917/channel-partnerships) - Network accessline 158
2. [Geographic expansion](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/31258917/geographic-expansion) - Network accessline 163
1. [From zero to 10,000 clients in two years using channel partners](https://review.firstround.com/From-Zero-to-10000-clients-in-Two-Years-Using-Channel-Partners) - Network accessline 164
2. [Expanding your business internationally](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/this-week-12-expanding-your-business) - Network accessline 165
3. [Marketplace city expansion strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/marketplace-city-expansion) - Network accessline 169
 - Network accessline 181
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-racecar-growth-frameworkexpanded/comments) - Network accessline 185
1. [The original Racecar Growth Framework post](https://www.reforge.com/blog/racecar-growth-framework) - Network accessline 186
2. [Drive Growth by Picking the Right Lane — A Customer Acquisition Playbook for Consumer Startups](https://review.firstround.com/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playbook-for-consumer-startups) - Network accessline 187
3. [Kickstarting and scaling a consumer business](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kickstarting-and-scaling-a-consumer) - Network accessline 188
4. [How today’s fastest-growing B2B businesses found their first ten customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses) - Network accessline 194
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 196
 - Network accessline 200
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 204
1. **Read:** [AI Revolution — Transformers and Large Language Models (LLMs)](https://blog.eladgil.com/2022/08/ai-revolution-transformers-and-large.html) by Elad Gil - Network accessline 205
2. **Read:** [The Tail End](https://waitbutwhy.com/2015/12/the-tail-end.html) by Wait But Why - Network accessline 206
3. **Watch:** [Abbi and Ilana of](https://youtu.be/utBOYZ0pDo4) *[Broad City](https://youtu.be/utBOYZ0pDo4)* [on](https://youtu.be/utBOYZ0pDo4) *[Hot Ones](https://youtu.be/utBOYZ0pDo4)* - Network accessline 208
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utBOYZ0pDo4)
references/02-newsletters/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process---lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite.md
- Network accessline 12
As a break from our regularly scheduled programming, I’ve got [a new long-form essay](https://firstround.com/review/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite/) out, in collaboration my good friend [Nels](http - Network accessline 14
Below is an excerpt from the essay. You can find the full article [here](https://firstround.com/review/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite/). - Network accessline 16
*An excerpt from the [First Round Review article](https://firstround.com/review/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite/) by [Lenny Rachitsky](https://twitter.com/lennysan), a former product lead and head o - Network accessline 18
[Read the full article](https://firstround.com/review/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite/) - Network accessline 39
[](https://sub - Network accessline 41
[Read the full article](https://firstround.com/review/the-secret-to-a-great-planning-process-lessons-from-airbnb-and-eventbrite/)
references/02-newsletters/the-secret-to-duolingos-exponential-growth.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Check out my **[recruiting service](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** (helping you hire Sr. PMs and VPs of Product), **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more), - Network accessline 12
[“How Duolingo reignited user growth,” by Jorge Mazal](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth), is my [#1 most popular post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/archive?sort=top) of all time. But the story didn’t - Network accessline 14
In the past five years, Sean’s team has grown Duolingo’s daily active users from 5 million to nearly 30 million today (over 6x!), and [the stock](https://www.google.com/finance/quote/DUOL:NASDAQ?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwidxfKMz6GFAxW0ADQIHa85DvsQ3ec - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 20
*For more from Sean, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seancolombo/).* - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 92
If the concept of urgency resonates with you and you want to take it to an entirely new level, it’s worth reading Frank Slootman’s book *[Amp It Up](https://www.amazon.com/Amp-Unlocking-Hypergrowth-Expectations-Intensity/dp/1119836115)* or - Network accessline 98
Our CEO, [Luis von Ahn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_von_Ahn), has said many times that our competition might actually be Instagram, TikTok, and other ways for people to just pass the time on their phones. While social networking and - Network accessline 102
 - Network accessline 106
The best book I’ve read about strategy is *[Good Strategy/Bad Strategy](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11721966-good-strategy-bad-strategy)* by Richard Rumelt. Conveniently, the author was also [on Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysne - Network accessline 114
For us, identifying our strategic advantage pointed us toward iterating on notifications and the [streak](https://support.duolingo.com/hc/en-us/articles/204980880-What-is-a-streak) system (which helps build the habit that our users want to - Network accessline 120
There are literally millions of mobile apps, and the biggest of them have billions of users. The larger ones have run A/B tests with a combined total of billions of treatments. Furthermore, the app marketplace itself could be seen as a [gen - Network accessline 122
This means that if you would like to use a concept that’s already widespread in the industry, your first approach should be to start with a system that closely resembles an existing successful one, but adapted to your app. A great example f - Network accessline 124
 - Network accessline 138
1. **When you’re already at the cutting edge.** Duolingo’s notifications are a good example of this scenario. We became well-known as leaders in notifications early on, and since then we’ve pushed boundaries by using a bandit algorithm, mak - Network accessline 144
> Our quirky notifications are a hugely important lever for us, and one of our most successful iterations has been to add a bandit algorithm, which automatically scores various notifications to see how effective they are at bringing people - Network accessline 146
> See this [blog post](https://blog.duolingo.com/hi-its-duo-the-ai-behind-the-meme/) and this [academic paper](https://research.duolingo.com/papers/yancey.kdd20.pdf) to geek out on more details. - Network accessline 150
### 4. 🦢 Notifications are [the goose](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goose_that_Laid_the_Golden_Eggs#Story_and_moral) that lays the golden eggs—don’t kill the goose - Network accessline 165
To make this concrete, an experiment that added a Streak Saver notification for the night after you used a Streak Freeze resulted in one DAU for every 3.6 notifications, which is a *great* ratio. We consider one DAU for about 30 notificatio - Network accessline 166
3. **We use [notification channels](https://developer.android.com/training/notify-user/channels) on Android for any new notification type.** This lets our learners disable a specific type of notification they don’t like without removing the - Network accessline 173
When calculating the potential ROI of an experiment, keep an eye on the size of the “pie”: how much of the user base can actually benefit from the change if it’s successful and is ported everywhere that it can be ported. The total size of y - Network accessline 179
 - Network accessline 181
At Duolingo, if we changed the icon that gets sent with all our notifications and increased DAUs by 0.1% on that experiment, that’s likely to be more impactful than increasing the DAUs by 30% only for users of Korean [stories](https://suppo - Network accessline 205
Thanks to Jorge Mazal, who was not only a [Lenny’s Newsletter trailblazer](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-duolingo-reignited-user-growth) but who also brought us the idea of the growth model, and to [Erin Gustafson, who built it](ht - Network accessline 207
And finally, thanks to [CoPilot](https://mycopilot.com/) and [WeWard](https://wewardapp.com/) for letting me be an advisor while you both tackle things in a very Duolingo-style approach of making something that’s good for you be fun and eng - Network accessline 209
*Thank you, Sean! For more from Sean, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seancolombo/).* - Network accessline 215
We recently partnered with Notion to help them scale their PM team. [One role that’s particularly interesting to me](https://boards.greenhouse.io/notion/jobs/5926606003) is an opportunity to own the asynchronous collaboration experience wit - Network accessline 217
[Apply to Notion](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/onboard/v3/0153c44c-b8c4-44b6-ba42-78fbcf220033/get-referred) - Network accessline 219
*If you’re hiring and want to work with us, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apprGaxWWPYU0068E/shr2WFo5UqJjA5dQ8). Our team will reach out if we think it’s a good fit. Note, we primarily work with fast-growing U.S.-based startups.* - Network accessline 221
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/the-subscription-value-loop-a-framework-for-growing-consumer-subscription-busine.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 14
1. *[Why PMs are best positioned to thrive in an AI world](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-pms-are-best-positioned-to-thrive)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[On asking for help (even when you really don’t want to)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/on-asking-for-help-even-when-you)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[Part 2: Time management techniques that actually work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/part-2-time-management-techniques)* - Network accessline 22
If you’d like to attend (or host!) a meetup, join our paid subscriber Slack and find your local city channel. [Learn more here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/community). - Network accessline 26
Over the past year, [Phil Carter](https://www.linkedin.com/in/philgcarter/) has been developing a framework for growing consumer subscription businesses, called the Subscription Value Loop. The framework is based on his experience advising - Network accessline 30
A massive thank-you to [Phil](https://www.linkedin.com/in/philgcarter/) for doing the work to put a piece like this together. He spent the past decade as a VC and product leader helping world-class companies like Faire, Quizlet, and Ibotta - Network accessline 32
For more from Phil, check out his [website](https://www.philgcarter.com/) and [Reforge course](https://www.reforge.com/courses/consumer-subscription-growth/), subscribe to his [Substack](https://philgcarter.substack.com/), and follow him on - Network accessline 34
 - Network accessline 40
1. **Lack of control over distribution:** The Apple and Google app stores exert significant control over product placements, promotions, TOS and usage guidelines, payments, and cancellation terms. This locks consumer subscription apps into - Network accessline 41
2. **Overdependence on paid acquisition:** Since consumer subscription apps don’t have sales teams and often can’t rely on virality as much as social networks or marketplaces, many turn to paid acquisition as their primary growth lever. Thi - Network accessline 47
 - Network accessline 49
These challenges are supported by [RevenueCat](https://www.revenuecat.com/)’s proprietary data from the past year, which has been aggregated from over 30,000 subscription apps accounting for over 290M subscribers: - Network accessline 51
 - Network accessline 74
 - Network accessline 78
**I built a [Subscription Value Loop Calculator](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1KBclBYpQKV2TasNuZxfn3UdaOXTkLimCxWSauMGguW4/edit?gid=0#gid=0) with [RevenueCat](https://www.revenuecat.com/) where you can plug in your numbers, measur - Network accessline 88
For a detailed step-by-step guide on how to use this tool, see my Substack post on [“The Subscription Value Loop Calculator!”](https://philgcarter.substack.com/p/the-subscription-value-loop-calculator) - Network accessline 92
Now that we’ve introduced this framework, let’s discuss strategies and tactics that successful consumer subscription apps use to strengthen their Subscription Value Loops.Below, I’ve outlined my top 10 list of proven product and marketing l - Network accessline 101
 - Network accessline 107
- **Measure your PMF Score:** There is a tool called the [40% Test](https://productcoalition.com/using-sean-ellis-test-for-measuring-your-product-market-fit-c8ac98053c2c) created by [Sean Ellis](https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanellis/) that - Network accessline 108
- **Identify your High-Expectation Customers (HXCs):** Next, you can group respondents based on their answers and identify those who [Julie Supan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliesupan/) refers to as HXCs, the ones she says “will acknowled - Network accessline 114
In [“How Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product Market Fit,”](https://review.firstround.com/how-superhuman-built-an-engine-to-find-product-market-fit/) founder and CEO [Rahul Vohra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulvohra/) recounts how - Network accessline 116
 - Network accessline 125
 - Network accessline 131
Pricing expert [Kristen Berman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenberman/) details techniques for price testing and optimization in [“The ultimate guide to willingness-to-pay,”](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-will - Network accessline 133
1. [Van Westendorp](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/141479121/the-van-westendorp) - Network accessline 134
2. [Becker-DeGroot-Marschak](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/141479121/the-becker-degroot-marschak) - Network accessline 135
3. [Multiple price list (or Gabor-Granger)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/141479121/multiple-price-list-or-gabor-granger) - Network accessline 136
4. [Discrete choice (or choice-based)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/141479121/discrete-choice-based) - Network accessline 138
Since Kristen provides details on how to run each study, I won’t repeat that information (check out her [article](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-willingness)!). What I will say is that because most consumer subscri - Network accessline 144
 - Network accessline 153
 - Network accessline 157
- **Emphasize your value promise:** What does your app do better than anyone else, and why does it matter? Lead with this so that users understand within their first minute of using your app how it will make their lives meaningfully better. - Network accessline 158
- **Conduct a Psych audit:** The [Psych Framework](https://darius.com/increase-funnel-conversion-with-psych-7378d51c4caf) by [Darius Contractor](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dariusmc/) is a useful tool for optimizing onboarding. It works by - Network accessline 166
 - Network accessline 175
These web conversion flows also have the benefits of avoiding 15%-to-30% app store fees and often driving better subscriber retention, because users who subscribe on web generally have lower involuntary churn rates from payment failures. Bo - Network accessline 185
In a podcast episode called [“How Ladder Cracked TikTok and Grew 500%,”](https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cX61OzjpAJ3ucREc3R1HU) CEO [Greg Stewart](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryfstewart/) describes how his fitness app, Ladder, grew f - Network accessline 187
 - Network accessline 194
One of the most critical metrics consumer subscription apps must maximize is Paywall View Rate, the percentage of all users who view your paywall at least once. Ideally, you want Day 1 Paywall View Rate to be at or above 80%. In a podcast e - Network accessline 196
 - Network accessline 206
- Use high-contrast colors for CTAs like “Start Trial” or “Subscribe” so they stand out. - If you have multiple subscription tiers, highlight the one you want users to purchase using colorful tags like “Best Deal,” “Most Popular,” or “Rec - Network accessline 207
- If you have multiple subscription tiers, highlight the one you want users to purchase using colorful tags like “Best Deal,” “Most Popular,” or “Recommended.” - If you offer a free trial, use the [“Blinkist paywall”](https://growth.desig - Network accessline 208
- If you offer a free trial, use the [“Blinkist paywall”](https://growth.design/case-studies/trial-paywall-challenge) that shows users a clear timeline of when their trial will end and they will be charged. In this [podcast episode](https:/ - Network accessline 221
 - Network accessline 238
Over time, Tinder expanded from one to three subscription tiers, each with a clearly distinguished premium value promise. Tinder Plus gets subscribers more swipes on their profile, Tinder Gold helps subscribers get more successful matches, - Network accessline 240
 - Network accessline 247
Sources like [Paddle](https://www.paddle.com/) and [Recurly](https://recurly.com/demo/recurly-subscription-billing-management-platform/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw8rW2BhAgEiwAoRO5rIrlllMNNszeRZ6EazTF33g30b3YS7Dv8sc_iETh_VKXClrct6WgihoCxTEQA - Network accessline 258
According to [Owen Smith](https://www.linkedin.com/in/owentsmith/), VP of Audiobook Product at Spotify, who spent several years on subscriptions, Spotify has had a lot of success reducing involuntary subscriber churn by supporting local pay - Network accessline 260
 - Network accessline 267
Retention is one of the hardest metrics to move, which is why many growth teams don’t invest much time in it. However, it is also the foundation for any successful consumer subscription app. In [“How Duolingo reignited user growth,”](https: - Network accessline 269
 - Network accessline 275
Users are motivated to use different products for different reasons. [Yu-kai Chou](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yukaichou/) created a tool called the [Octalysis Framework](https://yukaichou.com/gamification-examples/octalysis-complete-gamifi - Network accessline 290
According to former VP of Marketing and Growth [Gina Gotthilf](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginafrombrazil/), investing in features like streaks, badges, achievements, and leaderboards helped accelerate Duolingo’s DAU growth by tapping into - Network accessline 292
 - Network accessline 303
The fastest way to gauge how likely users are to promote your app is [Net Promoter Score (NPS)](https://www.qualtrics.com/experience-management/customer/net-promoter-score/#:~:text=NPS%20stands%20for%20Net%20Promoter,of%20recommending%20a%2 - Network accessline 307
 - Network accessline 313
Once you understand how viral your app is and what drives this virality, you can design tactics to increase word of mouth, many of which are outlined in Lenny’s post on [“How to increase virality.”](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increa - Network accessline 317
When I was at Quizlet, we used WoMCo to estimate how many new users we were acquiring through word of mouth from existing users. Unsurprisingly, we found that WoMCo tended to dip during summer months and spike in August as students returned - Network accessline 319
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 - Network accessline 341
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**Consumer subscription apps are hard to scale, but with the right growth strategies, they can be very successful.** I hope the tips I highlighted in this article help you beat the odds. By understanding the [Subscription Value Loop](https: - Network accessline 351
1. [How to win in consumer subscription](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/winning-at-consumer-subscription) - Network accessline 352
2. [Why Consumer Subscription Is So Hard, and What to Do About It](https://caseyaccidental.com/consumer-subscription) - Network accessline 353
3. [Lenny’s Podcast: How to grow a subscription business](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2cZovNhRNv0s3M7kW0arEL) - Network accessline 354
4. [The most important consumer subscription metrics to track](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-consumer-subscription?nthPub=211) - Network accessline 355
5. [Easily Measure the Profitability of Your Consumer Subscription Business](https://techcrunch.com/2015/10/05/easily-measure-the-profitability-of-your-consumer-subscription-business/?guccounter=1) - Network accessline 356
6. [Consumer Subscription Benchmarks: Retention, Engagement, and Conversion Rates](https://medium.com/parsa-vc/consumer-subscription-kpi-benchmarks-retention-engagement-and-conversion-rates-9ac13b57c3d3) - Network accessline 357
7. [RevenueCat’s 2024 State of Subscription Apps Report](https://www.revenuecat.com/state-of-subscription-apps-2024/) - Network accessline 358
8. [GP Bullhound’s 2023 Consumer Subscription Software Report](https://www.gpbullhound.com/articles/consumer-subscription-software-2023-enhancing-everyday-life/) - Network accessline 368
*Thank you, Phil! For more from Phil, check out his [website](https://www.philgcarter.com/) and [Reforge course](https://www.reforge.com/courses/consumer-subscription-growth/), subscribe to his [Substack](https://philgcarter.substack.com/), - Network accessline 376
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 380
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/the-top-5-things-pms-should-know-about-engineering.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to the ✨ **bonus free edition**✨ of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s - Network accessline 12
1. [What is a good payback period](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/payback-period) - Network accessline 13
2. [What is product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-product-management) - Network accessline 14
3. [The most common pitfalls of new product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-manager-pitfalls) - Network accessline 15
4. [The most important consumer metrics to track](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-most-important-consumer-metrics) - Network accessline 19
As you may know, [I took a crack at this question](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-more-technical) a few months ago, and that post that turned out to be one of my all-time most popular posts. But considering how often I still get - Network accessline 21
To help you develop those chops, I’ve pulled in [Justin Gage](https://randomshit.dev/), author of the fantastic [Technically](https://technically.dev/) newsletter (fittingly described as “a place for not software engineers to learn about so - Network accessline 25
*by [Justin Gage](https://randomshit.dev/)* - Network accessline 33
**What to know:** What technologies your company’s app, site, and infrastructure use. For example, [Technically.dev](https://technically.dev/) is built with React and Next.js, deployed on Vercel, and written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. - Network accessline 35
 - Network accessline 41
First, look at your company’s GitHub repositories. You should be able to see what kinds of programming languages are in there, as well as any files or notes specific to what frameworks the app relies on. Here’s a screenshot of [Supabase’s m - Network accessline 43
 - Network accessline 53
**Why it matters:** Knowing the hardest parts of the app to work on can help you plan more effectively and avoid project delays. If updating the marketing site copy takes a few days because [Gatsby](https://www.gatsbyjs.com/) (a popular JS - Network accessline 65
**How to learn about it:** Ask your developers, but you can also do some legwork before then by looking at pull requests (PRs) that have been merged and what the GitHub checks (or whatever else your version control system is) run for builds - Network accessline 67
 - Network accessline 81
 - Network accessline 83
Learning how to code is obviously beyond the scope of this post. Personally, I got my start by studying some slides from a Python class in college (that I *wasn’t* taking), brushed up with [Codecademy](https://www.codecademy.com/), and then - Network accessline 95
They’re sometimes surprisingly easy to understand, and can get you used to the terms engineers use daily. I like reading [Segment’s](https://segment.com/blog/engineering/), [Slack’s](https://slack.engineering/), [Netflix’s](https://netflixt - Network accessline 99
Technical writing and speak is built on layers and layers of concepts; you need to start from the bottom to understand the top. Search for terms you don’t understand rather than just glossing over them. There aren’t very many good central r - Network accessline 105
Aside from these, though, [subscribe to Technically](https://technically.substack.com/subscribe)—it’s made for exactly you :) - Network accessline 111
1. **Mynd:** [Product Manager, Buying Services](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/5acd93b4-3e73-45f6-894f-a701509a81ea) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 112
2. **OpenPhone:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/a4e59b3d-06a3-4f89-a340-b8bd5f8aee97) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 113
3. **TaxBit:** [Product Lead](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4a453e47-d6c8-4241-becc-763fe8097d97) (Seattle) - Network accessline 114
4. **Orbiit:** [Director of Product Management](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/be8a2c08-274c-4ebf-b20e-79439dc7b70e) (NYC) - Network accessline 115
5. **Relish Works:** [Associate Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e6008616-d0ba-4765-ab3a-8eec826cd044) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 116
6. **OnFrontiers:** [UI/UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c5c630a8-eef4-4ee2-b5c0-f454921f70ff) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 117
7. **OnFrontiers:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/08ad9dfd-0a57-4679-8e59-5fb49545eedf) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 118
8. **Panther:** [Product Manager (Core)](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e5d8025a-078b-48f5-b083-67978ff06b89) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 119
9. **The.com:** [Software Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e3ea6743-db26-4796-bdfd-3a6885b7b3c3) (SF) - Network accessline 120
10. **Relive:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/7a4300f0-d46e-43a4-a8db-dfec28c4e511) (Remote-EU) - Network accessline 121
11. **GetSetUp:** [Product Lead, Discovery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/522f84e1-0499-4ddd-975a-f996f648fa0a) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 123
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 127
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/the-transition-layering-sales-onto-a-bottom-up-self-serve-product.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a ✨ **once-a-month-free-edition**✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressin - Network accessline 14
1. [Magical growth loops](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/magical-growth-loops) - Network accessline 15
2. [How to manage up](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/managing-up) - Network accessline 16
3. [Startup PM vs. big company PM](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/product-management-startup-big-company) - Network accessline 20
One of the most surprising takeaways from [my research into early B2B growth](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-todays-fastest-growing-b2b-businesses-b11) was that **100% of the bottom-up B2B companies ended up layering on a sales team - Network accessline 22
Since I don’t have a lot of depth in sales myself, I went straight to my go-to person for all things sales: [Pete Kazanjy](https://twitter.com/Kazanjy). If you don’t know of Pete, he wrote [THE book on startup sales](https://www.foundingsal - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 36
*A bit more about Pete: In addition to authoring [Founding Sales](https://www.foundingsales.com/), Pete Kazanjy is also the founder of [Atrium](https://www.atriumhq.com/), makers of [data-driven management software for sales teams](https:// - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 58
Note, “complexity” is audience contingent. Tableau is not an easy product to use by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s self-serviceable by the technical data analysts for whom it was designed, and as such started self-serve with a des - Network accessline 62
If your offering is truly new and differentiated, self-serve can be fantastic. When [Yesware](https://www.yesware.com/) and [Mixmax](https://www.mixmax.com/) first launched, most organizations didn’t have any sort of sales engagement email - Network accessline 64
 - Network accessline 68
Conversely, if your offering can coexist alongside inferior incumbents, self-serve can also work. Most organizations where Slack was adopted early-on already had Gmail and thus GChat. Organizations that start using [Guru](https://www.getgur - Network accessline 70
 - Network accessline 72
By contrast, an “end to end” offering like a Human Resource Information System (e.g. Workday) or email sending platforms (e.g. Iterable) are not something you have “two of” in an organization. As such, even though [Sapling](https://www.sapl - Network accessline 76
If none of the above apply, you can still target smaller orgs that have not yet adopted a legacy provider with a self-service offering. [Stripe](https://stripe.com/) is a great example here. Payments providers already existed when Stripe fi - Network accessline 78
 - Network accessline 80
[RevOps](https://www.revops.io/) makes fantastic quoting software for sales organizations that can be self-setup, but there’s no way anyone who already has Salesforce CPQ or Apttus is going to switch over to them. But for a 10 person sales - Network accessline 97
This is the approach Slack and Zoom’s early sales motions helped with. It *wasn’t* about a salesperson showing up to an organization and saying “Hi, you need intra-organizational communication assistance, you should check out Slack.” Rather - Network accessline 107
This realm is where my company, [Atrium](https://www.atriumhq.com/), sits. Because it takes less than 90 seconds to sign up and stand up a sales performance analytics harness, we get a lot of people “checking it out.” Because our average sa - Network accessline 113
For example, let’s say it takes on average two 30-minute meetings per opportunity (both wins and losses), a rep can have 20 of these meetings a week, thus 80 per month, giving you a 40 opportunity “budget” per rep per month. Let’s say this - Network accessline 115
 - Network accessline 119
Some organizations push the envelope here by locating lower-end salespeople offshore. Take [KeepTruckin](https://keeptruckin.com/), makers of Fleet Management Software. They have an expansive SMB sales team in Pakistan, where the cost of a - Network accessline 127
 - Network accessline 133
**Having someone handling these requests is almost a two-for-one: Inbound inquiries help indicate that you need someone helping with commercial transactions, and their extra bandwidth (to start) can be used to start proactively engaging cus - Network accessline 135
The second case for involving sales – raising conversion rates for accounts that are “worth it” – is a little trickier. If you’re like [RevOps](https://www.revops.io/), and the cost of the software is such that it’s worth engaging pretty mu - Network accessline 137
The good news is that you may already be getting low-tech indications that there could be a place for sales via the “Contact Us” information above. If Lockheed, Boeing, and General Motors all have registered a Contact Us request...well, tha - Network accessline 139
 - Network accessline 145
The even more advanced version of the above is using form enrichment from providers like [Clearbit](https://clearbit.com/) to match a signup email to a composite profile associated with that email address, and thereby potentially not have t - Network accessline 154
Your initial focus is likely determined by the same information that told you it was time to start involving sales. If you’re, say, [Zapier](https://zapier.com/), and you keep seeing duplicate instances showing up in larger organizations, y - Network accessline 158
One key part of starting things off right is to prototype this sales motion yourself, as the founder or product manager. This is something I talk about quite a bit in my [book on sales for founders](https://www.foundingsales.com/). **As a f - Network accessline 164
Similarly, understanding which of your successfully deployed customers are situated in much larger organizations could be fertile ground for expansion and thus help you prioritize which of these pods you’d like to go after first. Sometimes - Network accessline 172
 - Network accessline 180
At Atrium we use software called [Census](https://getcensus.com/) to help us pipe user activation data into our CRM (Salesforce) such that sales staff can easily consume this information and act accordingly. We’re pretty far down this proce - Network accessline 184
 - Network accessline 192
Lastly, since the initial involvement of humans in your commercial motion is an experiment until you’ve validated it’s working, you’ll want to set yourself up to be able to understand just that: is it working? There’s a lot more on this top - Network accessline 200
One of the things I passionately believe is that **founders should be their own first salesperson**. [Founding Sales](https://www.foundingsales.com/) was written based on this belief – to make it way easier for founders (or product managers - Network accessline 218
Once you have started and are on your way, you’ll eventually want to hand sales off to a dedicated resource. The hiring and management of dedicated salespeople to continue the beginnings of this “sales-assist” motion is beyond the scope of - Network accessline 222
**Layering a rigorous direct sales motion on top of an existing, successful self-serve commercial motion can hypercharge what is already a successful self-serve business.** Similarly, foregoing a direct sales motion can leave important part - Network accessline 224
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/managing-up/comments) - Network accessline 228
1. **Product**: [Aavia](https://aavia.io/pages/aavia-head-of-product-career), [ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731), [Descript](https://jobs.lever.co/descript-2/08f9b563-c3e6-49a4-be07-82fafc1868af), [KUDO](https: - Network accessline 229
2. **Growth**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Prenda](https://apply.workable.com/prenda/j/AC9 - Network accessline 230
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8Cvl - Network accessline 231
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 232
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 233
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 234
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4188 - Network accessline 235
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://job - Network accessline 239
[Gift subscription](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/subscribe?gift=true)
references/02-newsletters/the-ultimate-guide-to-negotiating-your-comp.md
- Network accessline 12
A bunch of my trusted friends have been raving about [Jacob Warwick](https://www.thinkwarwick.com/), a full-time negotiation coach for executives. Over the last 10+ years, he’s guided more than 3,500 senior leaders through high-stakes comp - Network accessline 14
For more from Jacob, check out his [free LinkedIn profile analysis tool](https://www.producthunt.com/posts/free-linkedin-profile-review), which just went live on Product Hunt today, his [interview preparation report](https://www.interviewre - Network accessline 16
*P.S. If you prefer, you can listen to this post in podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 80
 - Network accessline 122
- **Organizational network analysis:** Can you name at least three influential people not on the leadership team? If not, your research is still surface-level. - **Decision-maker insight:** For each key stakeholder, can you identify their p - Network accessline 123
- **Decision-maker insight:** For each key stakeholder, can you identify their professional background, leadership philosophy, and one challenge they’re currently facing? [If gaps exist, deepen your research](https://www.execsandthecity.com - Network accessline 175
 - Network accessline 252
**Pro tip:** People often [view your LinkedIn profile before interviews](https://www.execsandthecity.com/leaders-share-selectively-linkedin/). Keep it simple and focused instead of sharing too much. This helps you control your story during - Network accessline 401
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o76AQ57L2eA) - Network accessline 496
 - Network accessline 554
To continue mastering the art of negotiation, I share strategic influence frameworks in [my weekly newsletter](https://www.execsandthecity.com), offer a complimentary [LinkedIn profile analysis](https://www.producthunt.com/posts/free-linked - Network accessline 562
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/the-ultimate-guide-to-willingness-to-pay.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Don’t miss* **[The Best of Lenny’s Newsletter](https://lennyswag.com/products/vol-1)** ***[book](https://lennyswag.com/products/vol-1)** (all proceeds going to charity), **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained - Network accessline 16
Enter my friend [Kristen Berman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenberman/). Kristen is a behavioral scientist, a founder of [Irrational Labs](https://irrationallabs.com/), and a past [podcast guest](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/using-beh - Network accessline 18
**Below, based on** **her work and the latest research, Kristen shares the most in-depth and actionable guide I’ve come across on how to execute a pricing study (spoiler alert: there is way more than Van Westendorp).** She also provides [tw - Network accessline 20
*For more from Kristen, [you can reach out to her here](https://irrationallabs.com/contact/) if you want to chat about pricing, [watch her weekly teardowns on Substack](https://kristenberman.substack.com/), and [subscribe to the Irrational - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 26
At [Irrational Labs](https://irrationallabs.com/), we surveyed 60 software companies to reflect on their experience with pricing studies. Of them, 50% said their companies have never run pricing studies, and only 25% reported even A/B testi - Network accessline 30
1. **It’s too risky.** What if we annoy users? [Reddit](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36166236)’s users flipped out. [Strava](https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/13/23553453/strava-subscription-increase-fitness) had bumps. [Patreon](http - Network accessline 34
These are legitimate reasons. However, the potential revenue gains from effective pricing often outweigh them. A [McKinsey analysis](https://hbr.org/1992/09/managing-price-gaining-profit) suggests that a 1% improvement in your pricing can i - Network accessline 36
So if you do decide to change your prices, how should you go about it? This article will decode the four most commonly used quantitative WTP methods and provide a [template of questions](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NOo6VYa8oCBe4_iR8 - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 49
Until recently, these methods were difficult to compare—the most frequently cited studies were published around 20 years ago. This changed in 2023, when Randy Gao, Simon Huang, and Minah Jung [comprehensively reviewed the top methods](https - Network accessline 51
Below, I’ll run through the different methods and pros and cons. Every research method has trade-offs, and part of being able to trust your final results is understanding these nuances. At the end of the post, I’ll share six tips for implem - Network accessline 53
But first, a **big** **disclaimer**: Most of the below methods hold the product description constant while trying to determine some magical number that people will pay. But as pricing experts will tell you, this number, i.e. the price, is j - Network accessline 55
- Stories can add measurable value to seemingly worthless items. Someone paid $51 for this [yellow bear figure](https://significantobjects.com/2010/02/10/yellow-bear/). Why? The story makes it feel scarce. - Network accessline 57
 - Network accessline 59
- [Pasta](https://www.amazon.com/SFOGLINI-Cascatelli-Pasta-16-OZ/dp/B09YB51CFT) that is described as “sauceable” commands an 80% higher price. Why? The adjective implies quality. If the marketing team asked customers, “What’s the most you’d - Network accessline 61
 - Network accessline 63
- How much would you pay for a virtual whiteboard? Probably not $960 a year. Yet “the visual workspace for innovation” [Miro](https://miro.com/) charges $80 a month for a team of 10 people. Clearly, they’ve figured out positioning. - Network accessline 65
 - Network accessline 67
Assuming that price is a “magic number” implies that people have predetermined their willingness to pay for your product; they have a number in their head. But in reality, most of your customers haven’t thought much about it. They are decid - Network accessline 69
You have two levers to do this: (1) change your prices and (2) [change your positioning](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning). The latter starts long before customers reach your pricing page–but once they’re there, the impact of - Network accessline 77
If you’ve heard about pricing studies, you’ve likely heard of the Van Westendorp (VW) method (sometimes called price sensitivity meter, or PSM). But despite being the favored child in [popular tech posts](https://www.nfx.com/post/superhuman - Network accessline 79
First, not many companies are actually using it. Of the 60 software companies we surveyed, only eight said they used it. And academics don’t use it either. The [top VW study on Google Scholar](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/p - Network accessline 96
However, the Van Westendorp method has a big problem: the well-documented phenomenon known as **[hypothetical bias](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11747-019-00666-6)**. Gao et al. sum up the issue in their [recent paper](https:/ - Network accessline 98
What does this look like? [John List](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_A._List), a University of Chicago professor and Walmart’s first chief economist, ran a [donation study](https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/bejeap/vadvances.6y2006i2n2.html) - Network accessline 102
Should you use the Van Westendorp? We say proceed with caution, unless you’re including questions that reduce hypothetical bias (see [this guide](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NOo6VYa8oCBe4_iR8HrmqqTfNb6x28Jqnqy6jkjS_MI/edit) for exam - Network accessline 108
The Becker-DeGroot-Marschak (BDM) is arguably the [most-used method in experimental economics](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1509/jmkr.39.2.228.19086). While it’s very similar to the Van Westendorp, it adds an important twist: it trie - Network accessline 116
This seemed to have removed most of the hypothetical bias[3](#footnote-3) that’s made the Van Westendorp method contentious. [A semi-recent study](https://sci-hub.se/10.1086/705374) looked at the sale of water filters to families in Ghana a - Network accessline 118
Problem solved? Not quite. Critics point out that the method’s core mechanism, which involves a “random number” scheme for aligning incentives, is complicated. Be honest. Did you really understand how this worked from the above explanation? - Network accessline 130
The [multiple price list method](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24076093_Valuation_using_multiple_price_list_formats) (MPL) was developed to address this. In the BDM, respondents must state a maximum WTP (price giving). In MPL, on - Network accessline 132
 - Network accessline 142
Why? Possibly, getting people to pay attention to each value (yes/no) puts the focus on the opportunity cost of money—and this may [decrease people’s willingness](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/46553778_Opportunity_Cost_Neglect) t - Network accessline 148
[Silvia Frucci](https://www.linkedin.com/in/silvia-kiely-frucci), a go-to-market leader at [Optum](https://www.optum.com/en/), endorses this method: - Network accessline 154
John List also endorses the discrete choice method: “I would say when I cannot obtain revealed preference data, I would follow [this](https://ideas.repec.org/a/bpj/bejeap/vadvances.6y2006i2n2.html) approach to estimate marginal values.” - Network accessline 160
 - Network accessline 175
If you’re familiar with [conjoint analysis](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjoint_analysis), you might rightly ask: Isn’t this just that? Yep. This is one type of conjoint. [Qualtrics says it’s the simplest and most common](https://www.qua - Network accessline 177
Discrete-choice-based studies are an art and a science. To avoid a long questionnaire, you’ll need to make some strategic choices on product bundles. And you need a statistical package you can use to analyze data. SurveyMonkey has [strong e - Network accessline 183
 - Network accessline 185
In a clever study on [pricing a new cleaning product](https://sci-hub.se/10.1509/jmkr.48.1.172), researchers examined four different WTP methods, comparing them against real purchase data from an online store where purchase was mandatory. W - Network accessline 191
User researcher [Mathew Diep](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathew-diep-5ab35661/) pushed to use the choice-based method (#4 in our list above) over the Van Westendorp at [Fivestars](https://www.fivestars.com/) for this exact reason: people w - Network accessline 215
If the product doesn’t exist or you can’t do this, weaker alternatives have been tested. One option is to explain “cheap talk” and encourage participants to think as if spending their own money. Or you can tell them that their choices will - Network accessline 219
Sweat the details. Most academics prefer scales that range from 1 to 7 or 1 to 9. Label—but don’t overlabel— your scales, i.e. label the ends (“highly likely” vs. “not at all likely”) for every number. When asking more subjective questions, - Network accessline 231
For a consumer or non-niche audience, I recommend [Prolific](https://www.prolific.com/). Recruiting 1,000 people for a 10-minute study would cost you $2,000. Irrational Labs uses this for our work (sign up via [this link](https://app.prolif - Network accessline 237
If you can pull off an A/B test in-market, go for it. Real user data always trumps study data. My personal favorite WTP testing method was championed by both Apple and Elon Musk. Apple launched the iPhone in 2007 and [lowered the price by $ - Network accessline 239
Can’t do this? Try offering a product at a particular price instead, then giving people the option to be notified when it becomes available in the future. [Brian Lafayette](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-lafayette/), when he was director - Network accessline 245
 - Network accessline 251
Here are [two templates](https://bit.ly/3SzoqRk) for you to use when planning and executing research: - Network accessline 253
1. **Willingness To Pay Survey Questions:** This template provides the exact questions you’ll need to run your study and examples from all the methods talked about in this article. 2. **Qualitative Research Guide:** In qualitative work, the - Network accessline 254
2. **Qualitative Research Guide:** In qualitative work, the right questions can uncover gold. This mega-guide (authored with behavioral scientist [Chris York](https://www.chrisyork.co/)) contains over 100 of them for you to use. If you’re B - Network accessline 260
1. [“All Roads Lead to Rome? Evaluating Value Elicitation Methods”](https://ssrn.com/abstract=4484841) - Network accessline 261
2. [“How Should Consumers’ Willingness to Pay Be Measured?”](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1509/jmkr.48.1.172) - Network accessline 262
3. [“Using Choice Experiments to Value Non-Market Goods and Services](https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.2202/1538-0637.1132/html?lang=en)” - Network accessline 263
4. [“Measuring Willingness to Pay: A Comparative Method of Valuation”](https://doi.org/10.1177/00222429231195564) - Network accessline 264
5. [“Eliciting and Utilizing Willingness to Pay: Evidence from Field Trials in Northern Ghana”](https://doi.org/10.1086/705374) - Network accessline 266
*For more from Kristen, [reach out to her](https://irrationallabs.com/contact/) if you want to chat about pricing, [watch her weekly teardowns on Substack](https://kristenberman.substack.com/), and [subscribe to the Irrational Labs newslett - Network accessline 272
I’ve been helping a few great companies find their next product leader and wanted to highlight one in particular: [Director of Product for Niantic’s Geospatial Services team](https://nianticlabs.com/careers/openings/director-of-product-geos - Network accessline 276
[Connect with Niantic](https://app.pallet.com/onboard/v3/6dbcabd8-8857-4aa8-bad9-c761f385989d/get-referred?pallet=lennys-jobs) - Network accessline 278
If you’re hiring and want help filling your role(s), fill out [this form](https://airtable.com/apprGaxWWPYU0068E/shr2WFo5UqJjA5dQ8), and our team will be in touch if it’s a good fit. - Network accessline 280
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews - Network accessline 292
Valuation is [highly susceptible to “anchors”](https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-28717-004) in hypothetical settings. Hypothetical WTP can be [tied to perception of its market price](https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=429 - Network accessline 304
[From the paper](https://sci-hub.se/10.1509/jmkr.48.1.172): “Direct methods are more suitable for relatively lower-priced, more frequently purchased, nondurable product categories with no direct competition. Indirect methods seem to be more - Network accessline 308
[There is some evidence](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0095069614000692) that better-informed people will have higher WTP for the same item compared with less-informed people. In this study, there was a significant
references/02-newsletters/the-unconventional-palantir-principles-that-catalyzed-a-generation-of-startups.md
- Network accessline 10
Next in my special paternity-leave guest series, I’m excited to bring you an incredible post by [Adam Judelson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-judelson-25441583/). Adam spent seven years at Palantir, where he led product for their flagshi - Network accessline 12
After Palantir, Adam went on to lead product at [Slingshot Aerospace](https://slingshotaerospace.com/), built a startup for [Deloitte](https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en.html), and then served as president at [mePrism](https://meprism.com/), w - Network accessline 14
You can find Adam on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-Judelson/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Ajuggles), and definitely check out his [Product Principles newsletter](https://judelson.substack.com/), where he shares lessons f - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 32
 - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 52
 - Network accessline 57
But the top people aren’t always obvious or famous, so that cannot be our only means for identifying them. One of my favorite new startups is [Quindar Space](https://www.quindar.space/). The Quindar team is easily one of the best teams in t - Network accessline 69
 - Network accessline 82
 - Network accessline 99
[Peregrine](https://peregrine.io/), another Palantir-alumni-founded company, nails this same concept. They focus on helping public safety organizations collaborate on real-time information. One of their compounding value features is the abi - Network accessline 101
To build features like these, you don’t need to solve different problems than your product is already solving—you simply need to put more thought into how to solve them in ways that draw in or add value for others. [Repl.it](https://repl.it - Network accessline 103
 - Network accessline 129
 - Network accessline 133
 - Network accessline 146
*Thank you, Adam! For more, find Adam on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-Judelson/) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Ajuggles), and check out his [Product Principles newsletter](https://judelson.substack.com/).* - Network accessline 150
**If you find this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysnewslet - Network accessline 158
https://www.protocol.com/newsletters/pipeline/palantir-pack-mafia and https://seekingalpha.com/article/4601938-why-palantir-is-my-top-holding - Network accessline 166
To learn more about the role of a Forward Deployed Engineer, see https://blog.palantir.com/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-palantir-forward-deployed-software-engineer-45ef2de257b1 - Network accessline 170
https://blog.anduril.com/the-problem-solver-lindsay-trice-85c4fdb6437d - Network accessline 174
https://www.nationalreview.com/the-agenda/ashlee-vance-palantir-reihan-salam/ - Network accessline 178
For a detailed explanation of why these roles are almost always unhelpful, see Marty Cagan’s blog post: https://www.svpg.com/revenge-of-the-pmo/ - Network accessline 182
https://thehill.com/news-by-subject/defense-homeland-security/99497-ten-years-after-9-11-report-details-gaps-in-intelligence-networks/ - Network accessline 186
Palantir explains Nexus Peering: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX55r1WhUWM
references/02-newsletters/this-newsletter-is-growing-up.md
- Network accessline 20
[Get 33% off for 1 year](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/subscribe?coupon=83a45af2) - Network accessline 22
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7FYx!,f_auto,q_a - Network accessline 66
- [Overcoming impostor syndrome](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/this-week-overcoming-impostor-syndrome) - Network accessline 67
- [How to kickstart and scale a marketplace business](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 68
- [Turning around an underperforming team](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/this-week-17-turning-around-an-underperforming) - Network accessline 69
- [How to know if you've got product/market fit](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) - Network accessline 70
- [How to get into product management](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-get-into-product-management)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-1-must-reads-on-growth-what-pms-should-focus-on-when-joining-a-new-tea.md
- Network accessline 18
I have a few go-to resources that I generally share, but I decided to [take this question to Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1173618854397792256) and got back a motherload of great stuff. Below is a subset of what I think will - Network accessline 24
1. [Growth Marketing](https://www.julian.com/guide/growth/intro) by [Julian Shapiro](https://twitter.com/Julian) - Network accessline 25
2. [Everything by Brian Balfour](https://brianbalfour.com/essays), start [here](https://brianbalfour.com/growth-machine) - Network accessline 26
3. [Everything on Reforge’s website](https://www.reforge.com/blog/) (and definitely sign up for [their classes](https://www.reforge.com/all-programs)) - Network accessline 27
4. [Everything Andrew Chen has written](https://andrewchen.co/list-of-essays/), start [here](https://andrewchen.co/whats-next-in-growth-and-marketing-for-tech/) - Network accessline 28
5. [Everything Casey Winters has written](https://caseyaccidental.com/tag/growth/), start [here](https://caseyaccidental.com/what-are-growth-teams-for-and-what-do-they-work-on/) - Network accessline 29
6. [Everything Sean Ellis has written](https://www.seanellis.me/blog.html), start [here](https://blog.growthhackers.com/the-growth-pyramid-revisited-1ec8ff51877) - Network accessline 30
7. [Growth Design](https://growthdesigners.co/resources) by [Lex Roman](https://twitter.com/calexity) - Network accessline 34
1. [High Growth Handbook](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DRPGGQ7/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) - Network accessline 35
2. [Hacking Growth: How Today's Fastest-Growing Companies Drive Breakout Success](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IZTCF6Y/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) - Network accessline 36
3. [Traction: How Any Startup Can Achieve Explosive Customer Growth](https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Startup-Achieve-Explosive-Customer-ebook/dp/B00TY3ZOMS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) - Network accessline 37
4. [Blitzscaling: The Lightning-Fast Path to Building Massively Valuable Companies](https://www.amazon.com/Blitzscaling-Lightning-Fast-Building-Massively-Companies-ebook/dp/B0791239V7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) - Network accessline 38
5. [How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business](https://www.amazon.com/How-Measure-Anything-Intangibles-Business-ebook/dp/B00INUYS2U) - Network accessline 42
1. [How to Improve Conversion Rates](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGqX9fpweyc&feature=youtu.be) - Network accessline 43
2. [Indispensable Growth Frameworks from My Years at Facebook, Twitter and Wealthfront](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxNrMeRme0E) - Network accessline 44
3. [HubSpot, Brian Balfour "Growth Is Good, But Retention Is 4+Ever"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch7aps2h8zQ&t=761s) - Network accessline 45
4. [Y Combinator videos](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcefcZRL2oaA_uBNeo5UOWg/videos?view=0&sort=dd&flow=grid) - Network accessline 47
**People to follow who share growth content:** [@andrewchen](https://twitter.com/andrewchen), [@angelsteger](https://twitter.com/angelsteger), [@bbalfour](https://twitter.com/bbalfour), [@briannekimmel](https://twitter.com/briannekimmel), [ - Network accessline 49
Check out the [full thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1173618854397792256) if you want to dig deeper. - Network accessline 77
What do you do after 90 days? Keep doing all of these things above. Plus, [all of these things](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-get-into-product-management) (skip to part three). No one said being a PM was easy. - Network accessline 89
3. Work on a variety of products and teams — spend time doing growth, building foundational tools, creating infra, etc. 4. Switch to a different (stronger) team within your org — or to a different company 5. Subscribe to and read everything - Network accessline 91
5. Subscribe to and read everything from [PMHQ](https://www.productmanagerhq.com/join-the-community/) and [Mind The Product](https://www.mindtheproduct.com/product-management-newsletter/) - Network accessline 95
1. [Does a product manager need an MBA?](https://www.quora.com/Does-a-product-manager-need-an-MBA-Isnt-it-true-that-a-technical-guy-with-a-creative-bent-will-have-an-upper-hand-on-technical-software-products-than-a-management-guy-Isn%E2%80% - Network accessline 96
2. [Forget the MBA. Here’s the fastest way to become a product manager](https://hackernoon.com/forget-the-mba-heres-the-fastest-way-to-become-a-product-manager-b3a230a7c055) - Network accessline 97
3. [How do you get into a product management role with no prior experience as a PM?](https://www.quora.com/How-do-you-get-into-a-product-management-role-with-no-prior-experience-as-a-PM)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-10-keeping-designers-and-engineers-excited-about-metrics--transitionin.md
- Network accessline 16
1. **Keeping designers and engineers excited about growth (with special guest [@calexity](https://twitter.com/calexity)!) 🤩** - Network accessline 21
[](https://substa - Network accessline 25
*When I think about growth and design, I immediately think of [Lex Roman](https://twitter.com/calexity). She has consistently put out some of the best content about [design and growth](https://lexroman.com/blog/2019/9/30/practicing-growth-d - Network accessline 60
*(You can use the [Growth Loops](https://www.reforge.com/blog/growth-loops), [HEART framework](https://www.dtelepathy.com/ux-metrics/#engagement) or [North Star framework](https://amplitude.com/north-star) to help break down metrics into co - Network accessline 92
**[Sponsored 🎁]** This week’s featured open role comes from a company that I’ve been a fan of for many years: [Scott’s Cheap Flights](https://scottscheapflights.com/). Just a month ago, my wife and I flew to Mexico City solely because of an - Network accessline 94
**[Scott’s Cheap Flights is hiring for a Head of Product — click here to learn more](https://bit.ly/scotts-cheap-flights-head-of-product)** 👈 - Network accessline 100
Thanks, **[Scott’s Cheap Flights](https://bit.ly/scotts-cheap-flights-head-of-product)**! - Network accessline 102
[](https://substackcdn.com/ - Network accessline 106
If your goal is to break into Product Management, **an internal transfer program is by far THE BEST way to do it**. I previously wrote about [the four most common paths into PM](https://medium.com/hackernoon/how-to-get-into-product-manageme - Network accessline 114
1. [Read through this post](https://medium.com/hackernoon/how-to-get-into-product-management-78c58bd9c8cf) and identify the skills that you believe you are weakest in. Then, find a way to develop them (starting with the links I’ve included - Network accessline 124
1. **Watch**: [Moving Shapes](https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg-XYEAnhby/) [Only 2 mins, trust me] (via Tim Ferris) - Network accessline 125
2. **Read**: [Momentum Isn’t Magic—Vindicating the Hot Hand with the Mathematics of Streaks](https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/momentum-isnt-magic-vindicating-the-hot-hand-with-the-mathematics-of-streaks/) [Turns out the hot hand f - Network accessline 126
3. **Listen**: [Eric Weinstein interviewing Garry Kasparov](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/13-garry-kasparov-avoiding-zugzwang-in-ai-and-politics/id1469999563?i=1000457968500) [Two geniuses talking] - Network accessline 128
*Images credits: [Atul Choudhary](https://www.pexels.com/@atulchoudharya9), [Forbes](https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicabaron/2019/02/26/the-matrix-at-20-did-we-take-the-blue-pill/#18aca329140e)* - Network accessline 130
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/)!** - Network accessline 132
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-11-what-should-new-pms-over-index-on-and-empowering-product-in-a-sales.md
- Network accessline 10
Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to another edition of my newsletter. Every week I will humbly answer your questions about building product, driving growth, working with other humans, and anything else that’s str - Network accessline 24
[](https:/ - Network accessline 28
*I love this question. As a new PM, you’ll quickly start to get pulled in all the directions, so it’s important to put some thought into what skills you should be building as you execute day-to-day. I was chatting with [Jackie Bavaro](https - Network accessline 72
For more general-purpose networking, I love the article Jules Walter wrote, [Networking for Introverts](https://medium.com/@julesdwalt/networking-for-introverts-3544f4287fc1). - Network accessline 76
**[🎁Sponsored 🎁]** This week’s featured [open role](https://bit.ly/outschool-pm-role) comes from [Outschool](https://outschool.com/). Outschool is a very special company, whose mission is to inspire kids to love learning. They do that by li - Network accessline 78
**👉 [Outschool is hiring their first product manager 👈](https://bit.ly/outschool-pm-role)** - Network accessline 84
If you’d like to learn more about their open role, [click here](https://bit.ly/outschool-pm-role). - Network accessline 86
[](https:/ - Network accessline 94
How do you know what kind of company you’re working at? A rule of thumb is wherever the majority of your growth comes from, that’s who’s driving the ship. For example, companies like [Coinbase](https://blog.coinbase.com/coinbase-is-a-produc - Network accessline 100
1. **Watch**: [John Foley, founder and CEO of Peloton, pitching Peloton](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-g5Y-Dp5kDw) — Starts slow, but man, what a pitch. - Network accessline 101
2. **Subscribe**: [Eugene Wei’s newsletter](https://eugenewei.substack.com/) — Eugene is one insightful guy, who also happens to write extremely well. - Network accessline 102
3. **Listen**: [Bill Gurley: All Things Business and Investing](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/invest-like-the-best/id1154105909?i=1000443418608) — So much wisdom, particularly on how to think about marketplace businesses. - Network accessline 106
*Photo credits:*[Pixabay](https://www.pexels.com/@pixabay), [Kat Jayne](https://www.pexels.com/@katlovessteve) - Network accessline 108
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/)!** - Network accessline 110
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-12-expanding-your-business-internationally.md
- Network accessline 16
[](https://substackcdn.com/imag - Network accessline 18
*I joined Airbnb when their international expansion (and [battle with Wimdu](https://twitter.com/andrewchen/status/1219046687517204480)) was already in full swing, so I asked two former colleagues who were on the ground building the Europea - Network accessline 26
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/ - Network accessline 63
- You will need to retrain the organizational “liquidity muscle”: dust off v1 of your old market development playbook, interview early employees and make a list of specific growth tactics that you tried in the early days. - Be open to ne - Network accessline 64
- Be open to new ideas as technology and markets change: some things that worked a few years ago may no longer work. Others could work better now than they did then. - A good starting point for liquidity tactics that others have used is - Network accessline 65
- A good starting point for liquidity tactics that others have used is Lenny’s blogpost on [kickstarting marketplaces](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace). - Network accessline 75
**[Sponsored]** This week’s featured open role comes from [Shift](https://www.shift.org/), a fast-growing marketplace business that connects veterans leaving the force with great jobs. The company taps into a highly underutilized talent poo - Network accessline 77
**👉 [Shift is hiring a Head of Product in San Francisco](https://bit.ly/shift-head-of-product) 👈** - Network accessline 83
If you’d like to learn more about their open role, [click here](https://bit.ly/shift-head-of-product). - Network accessline 87
1. **Read**: [Why hard work is so important (and still under-rated)](https://summation.net/2020/01/22/why-hard-work-is-so-important-and-still-under-rated/) — “There are three ways of being a Massive Success: (1) Getting extraordinarily luck - Network accessline 88
2. **Watch**: [CHEER](https://www.netflix.com/title/81039393) and [Miss Americana](https://www.netflix.com/title/81028336) on Netflix — Both great examples of the above point, while also being incredibly compelling documentaries. - Network accessline 89
3. **Follow**: [Daily Overview](https://www.instagram.com/dailyoverview/) on Instagram — Every time I come across one of their images in my IG feed, I can’t look away. - Network accessline 93
*Photo credits: [Porapak Apichodilok](https://www.pexels.com/@nurseryart)* - Network accessline 95
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) (or subscribing).** Each week, I’ll tackle reader questions (keeping your name and company anonymous) until you stop sending m - Network accessline 97
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-13-balancing-outcome-thinking-with-design-and-technical-requirements.md
- Network accessline 10
Hello and welcome to another edition of my weekly newsletter! Each week, I’ll tackle reader questions (keeping your name and company anonymous) about building product, driving growth, and anything else that’s stressing you out at the office - Network accessline 12
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) 🤜🤛** - Network accessline 16
[](https://substackcd - Network accessline 32
Jonathan Golden, Airbnb’s first PM, has more to say about Airbnb’s approach to this in his [excellent First Round Review piece](https://firstround.com/review/the-power-of-the-elastic-product-team-airbnbs-first-pm-on-how-to-build-your-own/), - Network accessline 46
For more food for thought, [check out this read](https://jwegan.com/growth-hacking/managing-growth-teams-portfolio-step-step-guide/) that I just came across this week about diversifying your team’s time investments based on the company stag - Network accessline 52
1. **Read**: [A Data-Driven Guide to Effective Personal Climate Action](https://erikareinhardt.com/personal-climate-action) by Erika Reinhardt — “This post details the most effective individual changes you can make to fight climate change i - Network accessline 53
2. **Watch**: [Google Maps Hacks](https://www.simonweckert.com/googlemapshacks.html) — Watch how this guy creates a virtual traffic jam in Google Maps with a pile of phones, a cart, and a stroll 🚶<U+200D>♂<U+FE0F>🛒📱 - Network accessline 54
3. **Subscribe**: [Alex Danco's Newsletter](https://danco.substack.com/) — Every issue makes me smarter about business and tech. Start with his [latest edition](https://danco.substack.com/p/debt-is-coming) 🤯 - Network accessline 58
*Photo credits: [Airbnb Is Inc.'s 2014 Company of the Year](https://www.inc.com/magazine/201412/burt-helm/airbnb-company-of-the-year-2014.html)* - Network accessline 60
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) (or subscribing if you aren’t already)** - Network accessline 62
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-14-transitioning-from-startup-founder-to-product-manager.md
- Network accessline 12
Each week, I’ll tackle reader questions (keeping your name and company anonymous) about building product, driving growth, and anything else that’s stressing you out at the office. Send me your questions (just reply to this email or [DM me]( - Network accessline 14
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/)** 🤝 - Network accessline 18
[ which we ended up [selling to Airbnb](https://venturebeat.com/2012/1 - Network accessline 30
Finally, [check out this guide I wrote for new PMs](https://medium.com/hackernoon/how-to-get-into-product-management-78c58bd9c8cf), and [this book many people recommend to help you during your first few months](https://www.amazon.com/First- - Network accessline 36
1. **Watch**: [A twitter thread collection of the best stand-up comedy bits of all time](https://mobile.twitter.com/eriktorenberg/status/1213658159752986625) by Erik Torenberg — There goes your afternoon 🤷<U+200D>♂<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 37
2. **Read**: [Tech in 2020: Standing on the shoulders of giants](https://www.ben-evans.com/presentations) by Benedict Evans — Now that tech has connected most of the world, what comes next? 🧐 - Network accessline 38
3. **Listen**: [Marc McCabe: A Deep Dive Into Startup Fundraising](https://podcastnotes.org/2019/08/25/mccabe/) — The most in-depth dive into the startup fundraising process I’ve come across, courtesy of my former Airbnb colleague Marc 💰 - Network accessline 42
*([Photo source](https://homesteadhighlanderonline.com/20013/opinion/10-exam-feels-accurately-explained-though-gifs-from-the-office/))* - Network accessline 44
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) (or subscribing if you aren’t already)** - Network accessline 46
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-15-when-should-a-saas-startup-raise-money.md
- Network accessline 12
Each week, I’ll tackle reader questions (keeping your name and company anonymous) about building product, driving growth, and anything else that’s stressing you out at the office. Send me your questions (just reply to this email or [DM me]( - Network accessline 14
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) 🤜🤛** - Network accessline 18
At Localmind, we never got anywhere near to this stage (late 2000’s consumer social, location, mobile-based businesses FTW 🥴), but there’s a fairly clear guideline for when any business should raise meaningful money, start hiring, and focus - Network accessline 30
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fe - Network accessline 32
###### ***[Source: Morgan Brown](https://growthmarketingconf.com/tag/growth/)*** - Network accessline 34
In **stage one**, you are trying to figure out if anyone even wants what you’re building. Though many companies raise a bunch of money at this stage, it’s high-risk, since you are going to spend it [looking for PMF](https://www.lennyrachits - Network accessline 36
> “**One of the most common ways that startups die is** ***premature scaling***, a term first used by Steve Blank. A business is *scaling prematurely* if it is spending significant amounts of money on growth before it has discovered and dev - Network accessline 38
> — [Andreessen Horowitz](https://a16z.com/2017/02/18/12-things-about-product-market-fit/) - Network accessline 42
> “When should a profitable company raise capital, if ever? The answer is the same for all businesses regardless of financing history: **Raise capital when you are confident that you can use it to attain a higher growth rate and the higher - Network accessline 44
> — [Tomasz Tunguz](https://tomtunguz.com/bootstrapped-when-to-raise/) - Network accessline 48
- [When, if ever, should profitable bootstrapped startups raise capital? by Tomasz Tunguz](https://tomtunguz.com/bootstrapped-when-to-raise/) - Network accessline 49
- [When to Raise a Series A by Aaron Harris](https://blog.ycombinator.com/when-to-raise-a-series-a/) - Network accessline 50
- [What does it take to raise capital, in SaaS, in 2019?](https://medium.com/point-nine-news/what-does-it-take-to-raise-capital-in-saas-in-2019-26829debef29) - Network accessline 58
1. **Read**: [A flight-tested framework for effective goal-setting](https://mixpanel.com/innovators/a-flight-tested-framework-for-effective-goal-setting/) — By me! - Network accessline 61
1. [Required reading for marketplace entrepreneurs](https://a16z.com/2020/02/19/required-marketplace-reading/) (Notice anyone you know?) - Network accessline 62
2. [Four paths to marketplace success](https://a16z.com/2020/02/20/marketplace-engagement/) (Profoundly insightful) - Network accessline 63
3. [A rank of the top 100 biggest private marketplace companies](https://a16z.com/2020/02/18/marketplace-100/) (Many surprises) - Network accessline 64
4. [13 metrics for marketplace companies](https://a16z.com/2020/02/21/marketplace-metrics/) - Network accessline 65
5. [The marketplace glossary](https://a16z.com/2020/02/18/marketplace-glossary/) - Network accessline 66
3. **Watch**: [Great Talks Most People Have Never Heard](https://jamesclear.com/great-speeches) by James Clear - Network accessline 70
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) (or subscribing if you aren’t already)** - Network accessline 72
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-2-tackling-the-chicken-and-egg-problem-building-a-growth-team-from-scr.md
- Network accessline 38
- **Project Manager: Responsible for** ***project*** **success**. This includes making sure everyone is aligned around the same deadlines, that the right people are talking when they need to be, and that the project launches on time. Succes - Network accessline 39
- **Product Manager: Responsible for** ***product*** **success**. Examples of products include the [Substack](https://www.substack.com/) website, the [Google Maps](https://www.google.com/maps) mobile app, and the [Slack](https://slack.com/) - Network accessline 56
1. [Building a Growth Team from Zero to Fifty](https://brianbalfour.com/essays/building-a-growth-team-from-zero-to-fifty) - Network accessline 57
2. [How to build a growth team – lessons from Uber, Hubspot, and others](https://andrewchen.co/how-to-build-a-growth-team/) - Network accessline 58
3. [How Do You Choose the Best Growth Team Model?](https://medium.com/swlh/how-do-you-choose-the-best-growth-team-model-632ad5a85be9#.7bkat2fn5) - Network accessline 72
1. [The Entire Plane of the Milky Way Captured in a Single Photo](https://kottke.org/19/08/the-entire-plane-of-the-milky-way-captured-in-a-single-photo) - Network accessline 73
2. [How the economy works by Ray Dalio](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHe0bXAIuk0&app=desktop) - Learned more about the economy in 30 minutes than I have in 30 years - Network accessline 74
3. [Tycho's sunrise set at Burning Man](https://soundcloud.com/tycho/inversion-burning-man-sunrise-set-2019) - Live from the Dusty Rhino in Black Rock City - Network accessline 76
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-3-finding-productmarket-fit-interviewing-for-a-director-of-pm-role-and.md
- Network accessline 12
If you’re returning from last week, thank you! If you’re new, nice to have you! Help spread the word by telling your friends to [sign up here](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/). - Network accessline 20
**What is PMF?** It just means you’ve created something that people want. You can read more about why it’s important in [this legendary article by Marc Andreesen](https://pmarchive.com/guide_to_startups_part4.html) (who coined the term). - Network accessline 22
**How does one know if they’re indeed building something people** ***will*** **want?** In my experience, you never *really* know you have PMF until you’ve built the thing, gotten people to use it, and enough people continue to use it for an - Network accessline 46
1. **Long-term strategic thinking:** As a Director of PM, you will be asked to take on large complex problems (e.g. growth is slowing on a marquee product, launch a critical new product from scratch, build out this key piece of infra), and - Network accessline 47
2. **People leadership:** As you move up the career ladder as a PM manager you become increasingly distant from the actual product. More and more your impact comes out of the work of other people. As Andy Grove famously shared in [High Outp - Network accessline 54
Check out the [McKinsey Situation-Complication-Resolution (SCR) Framework](https://speakingsherpa.com/how-to-tell-a-business-story-using-the-mckinsey-situation-complication-resolution-scr-framework/). My last manager introduced me to this a - Network accessline 62
1. Book: [No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work](https://www.amazon.com/No-Hard-Feelings-Embracing-Emotions/dp/0525533834/ref=asc_df_0525533834/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312136634064&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hv - Network accessline 63
2. Blog post: [Cross the world four times](https://sivers.org/4) — A (rare) new blog-post Derek Sivers. It’s a tear-jerker. - Network accessline 64
3. Podcast: [Dan Carlin's Hardcore History](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dan-carlins-hardcore-history/id173001861) - If you have any interest in history at all, start with [this episode](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/show-5
references/02-newsletters/this-week-4-motivating-engineers-to-hit-deadlines-pm-career-ladders-and-aligning.md
- Network accessline 12
If you’re returning from last week, thank you! If you’re new, nice to have you! Help spread the word by telling your friends to [sign up here](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/). 😎 - Network accessline 18
[](https://subs - Network accessline 26
1. **Ask questions** — Talk to your engineers and/or eng manager to understand why things take as long as they do. Come at it with genuine interest, not an agenda. You may discover they also feel like it takes too long to ship, and can poin - Network accessline 27
2. **Look at other teams** — Are your engineers working slower than those on other teams within the org? Talk to other PMs to get a rough benchmark. At most modern eng orgs, there are a lot of steps engineers must go through before they can - Network accessline 28
3. **Do post-mortems** — After a project ends, particularly when you missed another deadline, do a post-mortem with the team. [Here’s a pretty good guide](https://backlog.com/blog/run-incredibly-effective-post-mortem-meeting/). The key is t - Network accessline 59
… but in terms of official career ladders, borrowing from [this juicy collection of links from BestPracticer](https://bestpracticer.com/skill/product-career), here are my current five favorite public PM career ladders: - Network accessline 61
1. [Intercom](https://blog.intercomassets.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Intercom-PM-job-ladder-Logo.pdf) - Network accessline 62
2. [Oscar](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/deep-dive-product-management-leveling-oscar-sara-wajnberg/) - Network accessline 63
3. [Gusto](https://engineering.gusto.com/a-framework-to-help-product-managers-achieve-their-potential-2/) - Network accessline 64
4. [XO Group](https://medium.com/pminsider/product-manager-skills-by-seniority-level-a-deep-breakdown-cd0690f76d10) - Network accessline 65
5. [Gitlab](https://about.gitlab.com/handbook/product/#product-management-career-development-framework) - Network accessline 73
1. **Get data:** What evidence do you have that backs up your ideas? What convinced you that your ideas are right? Do you compelling quotes from user research you can share? Do you have any metrics that point too your ideas being right? Do - Network accessline 74
2. **Assume good intentions and listen:** When your execs tell you that your ideas aren’t “actionable”, dig further. Why not? What would make them more actionable? Why do they think this? When they share ideas that are too blue-sky, what ca - Network accessline 75
3. **Figure out the ideal product, and work backward:** [Check out what I wrote previously about Airbnb’s approach to this](https://marker.medium.com/what-seven-years-at-airbnb-taught-me-about-building-a-company-e1d035d49c56) (search for “S - Network accessline 83
1. Book: [Am I Overthinking This? Over-answering life's questions in 101 charts](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07SKK9KWF/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_d_asin_title_o06?ie=UTF8&psc=1) - True, this is a book by my wife. Also true, it’s extremely delig - Network accessline 84
2. Article: [Three Big Things: The Most Important Forces Shaping the World](https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/three-big-things-the-most-important-forces-shaping-the-world/) - Wow, this kind of blew my mind. Don’t miss it. - Network accessline 85
3. Show: [Inside Bill’s Brain](https://www.netflix.com/title/80184771) on Netflix - Inspiring, optimistic, and moving. We could do with a bit more of this these days. - Network accessline 87
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?) - Network accessline 89
**If you’d like some advice, or just want to say hi, just reply to this email and ask! And please [share this newsletter with your friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) if you’re finding this valuable.**
references/02-newsletters/this-week-5-overcoming-impostor-syndrome-introducing-growth-to-an-org-and-how-to.md
- Network accessline 12
If you’re returning from last week, thank you! If you’re new, nice to have you! Help spread the word by telling your friends to [sign up here](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/). 😎 - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 24
**🎉 As a treat for you all, my [favorite executive coach, Kate Hosie](https://www.powerhouse-coaching.com/), generously offered to share her advice on this question! Occasionally I’ll ask experts in a field to take certain questions, and th - Network accessline 46
*You can learn more about Katherine Hosie at [www.Powerhouse-Coaching.com](https://www.powerhouse-coaching.com/) or by emailing her at [katherine@powerhouse-coaching.com](mailto:katherine@powerhouse-coaching.com).* - Network accessline 52
> [A growth team] is a hybrid of marketer and coders who looks at the traditional question of “How do I get customers for my product?” and answers with A/B tests, landing pages, viral factor, email deliverability, etc. On top of this, they - Network accessline 54
> —Andrew Chen, [Growth Hacker Is the New VP Marketing](https://andrewchen.co/how-to-be-a-growth-hacker-an-airbnbcraigslist-case-study/) - Network accessline 70
[See Question #3 in this previous post](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/q-and-a-tackling-the-chicken-and) for advice on how to build your growth team once you have buy-in. - Network accessline 82
*I asked this guy [Lenny](https://lennyrachitsky.com) for advice on how to get the most value out of your data scientist, and here’s what he said:* - Network accessline 96
1. Watch: *[General Magic](https://www.generalmagicthemovie.com/)*—an inspiring, gripping, and improbable story about a small company in the ’90s that influenced much of the technology we use today. It’s also an excellent case study in what - Network accessline 97
2. Read: “[Three Big Things: The Most Important Forces Shaping the World](https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/three-big-things-the-most-important-forces-shaping-the-world/)*”*—If you love *Sapiens*, you’ll love this. 🤓 - Network accessline 98
3. Learn: [How to Put on a Duvet Cover](https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/decorating/decorating-bedroom/how-to-put-on-a-duvet-cover)—Life will never be the same. 🤯 - Network accessline 100
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?) - Network accessline 102
**Please [share this newsletter with your friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) if you’re finding it valuable.**
references/02-newsletters/this-week-6-cultivating-good-relationships-with-distributed-co-workers-building.md
- Network accessline 12
If you’re returning from last week, thank you! If you’re new, nice to have you! Help spread the word by telling your friends to [sign up here](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/). 🙏 - Network accessline 14
**New this week:**The one and only [Hiten Shah](https://twitter.com/hnshah) guest-answering one of your questions. Don’t miss it! **😍** - Network accessline 18
[](https://substac - Network accessline 22
Since I have very little experience with extended remote work myself, I decided to ask someone who has lived (and written about) this life for years, [Hiten Shah](https://twitter.com/hnshah), to take this question. He immediately (and gener - Network accessline 40
For more remote work best practices that are backed by research that we’ve done, [read these 11 best practices for working remotely written by my co-founder Marie](https://usefyi.com/remote-work-best-practices/). - Network accessline 44
*Thanks [Hiten](https://twitter.com/hnshah)!* - Network accessline 50
1. **Social proof:** If people that you trust are using a product, you’ll certainly be more likely to trust it. [Some examples of this in action](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-proof-examples). How might you leverage data and tes - Network accessline 51
2. **Authority**: If someone in authority has vetted a product, you’ll be much more likely to trust it. [Some examples of this in action](https://www.nngroup.com/articles/authority-principle/). How might you surface your certifications, app - Network accessline 52
3. **Guarantees**: If something goes wrong, who’s got my back? What’s the downside of giving this product a shot? How might you make your users feel like they’ll be safe and protected no matter what? The [Airbnb Host Guarantee](https://www. - Network accessline 53
4. **Reputation**: This is likely less relevant to your business, but reviews from other users (e.g. Yelp reviews, Uber reviews, Airbnb reviews) are one of the most powerful ways to communicate trust. If many other people have had a good ex - Network accessline 54
5. **Great UX:** A badly designed site/app immediately introduces suspicion. Particularly when dealing with money. Pay attention to the details — the resolution of images, padding, grammar, performance, and general visual polish. Listen for - Network accessline 55
6. **Deliver:** With our increasing interconnectedness, word-of-mouth spreads quickly. Particularly if you do something wrong. Nothing destroys trust in your brand more quickly. At the same time, if you consistently provide a great experien - Network accessline 59
1. **Top-of-funnel: Referrals**. For a product that relies on trust, there’s nothing more powerful than an endorsement from a friend. Airbnb had a similar trust challenge, both on the guest side (“stay in a stranger’s home, are you crazy?”) - Network accessline 67
1. **Follow your energy:** What have you been yearning to do or learn while employed, but have been unable to because you’ve been too busy or lacked the energy? Maybe it’s learning to design, or learning to code, or getting better with data - Network accessline 68
2. **Read, with a goal:** Determine 2-3 skills you most want to develop (strategy? execution? leadership?), pick a set of books and articles that speak to these skills, and work through them. [Here’s a set of curated articles and books I pr - Network accessline 69
3. **Read, without a goal:** Not all things need to be goal-oriented. Make time to read stuff you’re super excited about even if it’s only tangentially related. [Biographies](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KVI76ZS/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_enco - Network accessline 77
1. Read: [Which Way Do You Run? by Ben Horowitz](https://a16z.com/2019/10/17/how-to-be-effective-ceo-leader/) — “Almost all CEOs know where the problems are, but only the truly elite ones run towards the fear.” 💪 - Network accessline 78
2. Listen: [The Portal by Eric Weinstein](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/8-andrew-yang-dangerously-different-candidate-media/id1469999563?i=1000452045633https%3A%2F%2Fpodcasts.apple.com%2Fus%2Fpodcast%2Fthe-portal%2Fid1469999563) — A - Network accessline 79
3. Watch: [Optical grape sorting](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AamACDnwRts) 😳 - Network accessline 81
**If you’re finding value here, please [share this newsletter with your friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/).** - Network accessline 83
[Share Lenny's Newsletter](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/?action=share)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-7-effectively-communicating-about-a-failure-to-execs-managing-founder.md
- Network accessline 12
If you’re returning from last week, thank you! If you’re new, nice to have you! Help spread the word by telling your friends to [sign up here](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/). 🙏 - Network accessline 18
[](https://subst - Network accessline 32
3. **Separate the idea from the execution:** When a project fails, sometimes it’s because the idea was bad, but sometimes it’s because it was executed badly. It’s easy to assume that it was a bad idea, especially if you were the one executi - Network accessline 33
4. **Describe the journey the project has been on:** Before diving into the results, paint a (succinct) picture of the sequence of events the led you to launch this MVP. It sounds like there was a lot of excitement for this idea — remind pe - Network accessline 34
5. **Share what worked:** What did you learn through this experience? What theories did you disprove? What surprised you and your team most? As [Eric Ries](https://theleanstartup.com/) taught us, the best way to measure the progress of new - Network accessline 38
Bonus: Watch this [documentary about General Magic](https://www.generalmagicthemovie.com) to see how beneficial failure can sometimes be. - Network accessline 40
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?) - Network accessline 48
1. **Bring them on the journey with you:** It takes time to change someone’s mind. Particularly something as big as a founder’s core idea. How might you bring them along the same journey you went on that convinced you that this was the wron - Network accessline 56
### Q: Could you flip the "interviewing for a Director PM role" question [from a few weeks back](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/weekly-q-and-a-finding-productmarket) and share your thoughts on what interviewers should look for when *hirin - Network accessline 58
I’ve recently come across the writings of [Jackie Bavaro](https://twitter.com/jackiebo), who has some stellar content on hiring Product Managers. So first of all, go [read this](https://medium.com/@jackiebo/how-to-hire-great-product-manager - Network accessline 60
Now, what is different between hiring a Director of PM vs. an IC PM? I’d say the top three differences are that they will be (1) managing PMs, (2) taking on large scope, and (3) working closely with senior leaders. Here are some of my favor - Network accessline 113
1. Watch: [Camera Drone Follows Rollercoaster to Capture Dizzying Cinematic Footage](https://petapixel.com/2019/09/11/camera-drone-follows-rollercoaster-to-capture-dizzying-cinematic-footage/?fbclid=IwAR2jzExjYhUplr5LZPr6EpE_qbTRc_XQczovUbB - Network accessline 114
2. Listen: [Nir Eyal on Below the Line podcast](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/29-nir-eyal-indistractable/id1457400066?i=1000450819118) — Practical tips to become less distractable 🤫 - Network accessline 115
3. Behold: [Our Dazzling Night Sky When the Milky Way Collides with Andromeda in 4 Billion Years](https://kottke.org/19/10/behold-our-dazzling-night-sky-when-the-milky-way-collides-with-andromeda-in-4-billion-years) 🤯 - Network accessline 117
**If you’re finding it valuable, please [share this newsletter with your friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/).** - Network accessline 119
[Share Lenny's Newsletter](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/?action=share)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-8-splitting-equity-with-late-joining-co-founders-favorite-roadmap-temp.md
- Network accessline 12
If you’re returning from last week, thank you! If you’re new, nice to have you! Help spread the word by [telling your friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) 🙏 - Network accessline 14
**New this week:**Special guest contributor [Hunter Walk](https://twitter.com/hunterwalk) 🔥🤩🤯 answering one of your questions! Also, watch out for something very special coming next week. - Network accessline 18
[](https://s - Network accessline 22
Though I’ve had a bit of experience with this, I wanted to make sure you got as complete and accurate an answer as possible — thus, I turned to the man, the myth, the legend: [Hunter Walk](https://twitter.com/hunterwalk). Hunter is a partne - Network accessline 36
Thank you, [Hunter](https://twitter.com/hunterwalk)! - Network accessline 40
Yes! [Here you go](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zlx3RuidNOW40Zf7gh07p2SqoR53Ungv9JFT-PhHwxI/edit)! This is courtesy of my former Airbnb colleague, [Andrew Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchen0/) (not [that Andrew Chen](ht - Network accessline 42
Below is a peek, but make sure to [check out the full template](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zlx3RuidNOW40Zf7gh07p2SqoR53Ungv9JFT-PhHwxI/edit). - Network accessline 46
[](https:// - Network accessline 50
[](https:// - Network accessline 54
[](https:// - Network accessline 64
1. “**Keeping track of every piece of customer feedback we receive**, and then actually following up after we've made improvements to let people know they've been heard. [I created a template in case anyone is interested in trying out our m - Network accessline 65
2. “**Delivered monitoring/analytics with each feature implemented in the product**. This made it easy to justify more budget by having a backlog of a pretty deep set of analytics by the time we were a few months into the project.” — Jacob - Network accessline 66
3. “After reading ‘Trillion Dollar Coach’, I liked the idea of ‘Trip Reports’. So I introduced a variation of that in our team meetings. **Every Monday morning, I asked the team to send me photos of their weekend/vacation. I collated it int - Network accessline 67
4. “I'm in an engineering first org, so I had to introduce product into our development processes in a valuable and non-intrusive way. I did this by **introducing Product Discovery documents on topics that we want to address** [with the fol - Network accessline 68
5. “**We started to have ‘monthly social events’ -- a rotating set of activity-based events that each person on the team would host**. Anything from [MassVR](https://massvr.com/) to [Game Show Game Show](https://thegameshowgameshow.com/). T - Network accessline 69
6. **“Moving over to Basecamp** instead of using Google Drive / Docs / Sheets.” — Monica Banks 7. “(1) **Daily Virtual Scrum over slack**, where the team shares what are the things they are targeting to achieve that day. And at the end of t - Network accessline 70
7. “(1) **Daily Virtual Scrum over slack**, where the team shares what are the things they are targeting to achieve that day. And at the end of the day, they share the status update against each line item they shared in the morning. It rein - Network accessline 71
8. **“Created a deck on business terms used at our company** that many may not be familiar with. Things like MRR, ACV, CAC, CTR, ASO, etc. The idea was to enable everyone to be more proactively involved in discussions whenever these terms a - Network accessline 88
Thank you all for your ideas! [Read the full list here](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/-share-one-thing-that-youve-changed/comments), share yours if the mood strikes. - Network accessline 94
1. **Read**: [Beyond Coffee — A Sustainable Guide to Nootropics, Adaptogens, and Mushrooms](https://geni.us/beyondcoffee). Written by [James Beshara](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jjbeshara/) (of Tilt, and [Below the Line podcast](https://pod - Network accessline 95
2. **Watch**: [Advice on Organizing and Running Growth Teams from Dan Hockenmaier and Gustaf Alströmer](https://blog.ycombinator.com/advice-on-organizing-and-running-growth-teams-from-dan-hockenmaier-and-gustaf-alstromer/). This video is fr - Network accessline 96
3. **Subscribe**: [Nonzero Newsletter by Robert Wright](https://nonzero.substack.com/). Wright wrote some of my favorite books, like [Why Buddhism is True](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MPZNG63/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) a - Network accessline 98
**If you’re finding it valuable, please [share this newsletter with your friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/).** - Network accessline 100
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/this-week-9-breaking-into-growth-leading-with-influence-and-not-stepping-on-toes.md
- Network accessline 16
1. **How to break into a growth role (with special guest [Brian Balfour](https://brianbalfour.com)!) 🧗<U+200D>♀<U+FE0F>** - Network accessline 22
[](https://s - Network accessline 26
*For this question, I went straight to a person who has gotten more people into “growth” than anyone else in the world (and is also a great human being): [Brian Balfour](https://brianbalfour.com). Brian founded and operates a company called - Network accessline 30
**1. Understand what growth means to the company**This sounds simple but is unfortunately complicated. Every company has defined its growth team differently. In some orgs it is a cross-functional product team, in other orgs it is a sectio - Network accessline 32
**2. Form a point of view on how they grow**You then want to form a point of view on how the product grows. At Reforge, we believe this is best done in the form of [growth loops, not funnels](https://www.reforge.com/blog/growth-loops). In - Network accessline 36
Instead, they want to see that you are really strong at the foundational tools and that you can apply them to solve a variety of growth problems. A simple version of these [foundational tools](https://brianbalfour.com/essays/learn-growth-m - Network accessline 42
This week’s featured open role comes from a company that I’ve increasingly come to both rely on and respect: **[Wealthfront](https://www.wealthfront.com/).** - Network accessline 44
**[Wealthfront is hiring a Senior Product Manager for their fast-growing Cash product — click here to learn more](https://bit.ly/wealthfront-senior-pm-cash)** 👈 - Network accessline 46
Not only do I keep some of my own savings with Wealthfront, and have friends who work there and love it, I’ve also been eating up all of the wisdom that their CEO Andy Rachleff has been sharing lately. Don’t miss [his chat about PMF with Mi - Network accessline 52
Thanks, [Wealthfront](https://bit.ly/wealthfront-senior-pm-cash)! - Network accessline 78
1. **Communicate, then proceed:** You never want your company to miss a big opportunity just because you’re worried about hurting someone’s feelings. You want to create a culture of impact > ownership. Uber took this concern to the extreme - Network accessline 80
3. **Organize your team around outcomes, not features:** One of the best decisions the Airbnb founders made early-on was to build cross-functional teams around “Outcomes”, not “Product Features”. In this world, a team wouldn’t own the Dashb - Network accessline 86
1. **Read**: [I coached 101 CEOs, founders, VCs and other executives in 2019: These are the biggest takeaways](https://leowid.com/2019-2) by Leo Widrich - Network accessline 87
2. **Watch**: [What happens when our computers get smarter than we are?](https://www.ted.com/talks/nick_bostrom_what_happens_when_our_computers_get_smarter_than_we_are) by Nick Bostrom - Network accessline 88
3. **Try**: [How to Boil the Perfect Egg](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/23/dining/how-to-hard-boil-eggs.html) by J. Kenji López-Alt - Network accessline 90
If you’d like some advice yourself, just reply to this email. Each week, I’ll tackle three reader questions (keeping you anonymous) until you quit sending me questions. **If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, please [share it with you - Network accessline 92
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/three-myths-about-sabbatical-programs.md
- Network accessline 12
After [last week’s post on taking time off](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/sabbatical-time-off) a number of managers and founders like yourself emailed me asking this question, equal parts worried and curious. Taking time off as an empl - Network accessline 14
So before we move on from this topic, I’m excited to bring back [DJ DiDonna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ddidonna/) (for our first-ever encore performance!) to help you think through your own sabbatical program design. Below, DJ shares his - Network accessline 22
*[Sign up for DJs newsletter here](https://thesabbaticalproject.us20.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=9e6339439cb1353c8d0ee53de&id=25d5b9fb84), and if you’d like to work with DJ on your sabbatical program, he takes on a limited number of clients - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 40
Yet we must also acknowledge that Scandinavian economies, with their world-leading paid parental leave and August off, [somehow outperform most developed economies on happiness](https://economics.mit.edu/files/5726) *[and](https://economics - Network accessline 42
In my prior life, as a [venture-backed fintech entrepreneur](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/31/business/credit-scores-from-a-test-not-a-history.html), I learned some of these lessons the hard way. After seven hard-charging years selling to - Network accessline 44
What we’ve found at [the Sabbatical Project](https://www.thesabbaticalproject.org/) upends the traditional narrative about work and time off. Dozens of conversations with business leaders, ranging from law to consulting, fintech to nonprofi - Network accessline 54
 - Network accessline 60
Our research found that companies that offer a sabbatical policy not only retain their talent—80% of employees return—their people return [more loyal, more creative, and more personally fulfilled](https://www.thesabbaticalproject.org/resear - Network accessline 66
This could be your high-performing mid-twenties junior staff, attracted to shiny objects like pay raises, titles, and something new. Professional services firms like McKinsey, Bain, and BCG depend on waves of newly minted graduates churning - Network accessline 68
Another good example is social impact investment firm [Endeavor](https://endeavor.org/), which offers its employees “sabbaticals” where they get to live and work from one of their investees’ offices in a different country. At the end of the - Network accessline 72
Investment advisory firm [Brighton Jones](https://www.brightonjones.com/) offers a fully-paid 6 month sabbatical for all employees after their tenth year of employment. Ten years is a long time to wait for a sabbatical, but founder and CEO - Network accessline 78
After decades as a leading Venture Capital firm, [Summit Partners established a sabbatical policy precisely to give its founding (read: zombie) partners an opportunity to step away](https://www.alumni.hbs.edu/careers/blog/post/making-sabbat - Network accessline 82
1. Determine your priorities, and design your sabbatical policy(ies) accordingly. To retain staff through Cycle 1, design a shorter sabbatical (~3+ months) within the first ~4 years of their employment. If you’re trying to attract and retai - Network accessline 83
2. Think critically about what message your sabbatical policy is sending and who will actually take it. If it’s unpaid, it may not be accessible to the lower-earners in your company, or those with many dependents, sending a strong signal ab - Network accessline 91
 - Network accessline 103
**Great companies must be great at change**. Like it or not, [no one stays at their company forever](https://hbr.org/2021/05/the-high-cost-of-poor-succession-planning). Successfully offloading and onboarding responsibilities should be honed - Network accessline 116
 - Network accessline 128
A particularly devious aspect of functional workaholism? You don’t realize it until you’ve stepped away for enough time. In our research, it took participants up to 6 or 8 weeks to fully disconnect from work life and to fully feel themselve - Network accessline 130
 - Network accessline 132
But the worst thing about functional workaholism is that it’s contagious, especially top-down from a leader. Researchers have termed this dynamic the “[work devotion norm](https://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2015/02/the-hidden-cost - Network accessline 134
The good news is that things are changing. [Companies](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-16/citi-to-offer-workers-a-12-week-sabbatical-extra-vacation-days) ([and countries](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/20/jacinda - Network accessline 144
Thinking about time off as a utilitarian way to make your business better, or to heal your burnout is great. But the overarching theme of our research is that a sabbatical is a peak life experience for those who are able to take them. I’ve - Network accessline 150
 - Network accessline 160
1. **ClassDojo:** [0 to 1 Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/a207cd17-0dd5-45a3-9068-5cabd6b30193) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 161
2. **AbstractOps:** [Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/e5b97f68-c279-4830-bfda-749d54ec22bd) (Remote) - Network accessline 162
3. **Dialogue:** [Vice-President, Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/job/bd8a4d54-5b37-4de0-af2f-84ad640faa6e) (Remote) - Network accessline 163
4. **Amazon Music:** [Principal Product Manager - Tech, Podcasts](https://pallet.xyz/job/650a0b97-3d81-46ae-8986-d72b4f3639f7) (SF) - Network accessline 164
5. **Intercom:** [Senior Product Manager - Self-serve Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/fd328108-c412-40cd-91f3-0e3a324df4ad) (London/Dublin/Remote) - Network accessline 165
6. **Chime:** [Senior Product Manager, Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/e0c51de6-26f9-4b5c-a758-4d6b6ae4899f) (SF) - Network accessline 166
7. **Miro**: [Senior Product Manager (Workshops Core)](https://pallet.xyz/job/8c95a561-53c7-495c-af75-5f1ceac1d782) (Amsterdam) - Network accessline 167
8. **NexHealth:** [First Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/2d8e2cad-f0dd-4a21-88fd-6003e8c7c00c) (SF) - Network accessline 168
9. **Elementl:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/7422cd00-62dc-4ccf-b538-98482a78aec8) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 169
10. **Clockwise:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/c3bac4ce-f356-49b5-918b-110ec159c769) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 170
11. **UserLeap:** [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/e923f27c-b7b8-4edf-aaa5-3bc5be3570e8) (SF) - Network accessline 174
1. **neo.tax:** [Head of Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/2fd84c85-b209-47d0-9213-671e0342cff3) (Mountain View/Remote) - Network accessline 175
2. **Reforge:** [Lifecycle Marketer](https://pallet.xyz/job/c3f09744-d3d4-4817-8817-e04c778aff38) (Remote) - Network accessline 176
3. **Coda:** [Growth Associate Program](https://pallet.xyz/job/bba22fae-9ec5-47a2-b6dd-157f498b1fba) (SF) - Network accessline 177
4. **Ojo:** [Head of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/job/4fb7dc9e-52ca-4b94-8dce-1d72e643cc86) (Remote) - Network accessline 179
6. **Livepeer:** [Go To Market Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/3f5394b4-3104-4670-9572-c045b065119a) (Remote) - Network accessline 183
1. **Discord:** [Engineering Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/71eeec4f-6dea-4645-95b7-44b1ea38507b) (SF) - Network accessline 184
2. **G2i:** [Senior React, React Native, or Node Developer](https://pallet.xyz/job/7a1c36d5-eb4f-43e5-b93f-c83f951a1ef9) (Remote) - Network accessline 185
3. **Novi Connect:** [Senior Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/1691057a-21ac-4450-b3d6-e2189a5cebc9) (Remote) - Network accessline 186
4. **Endgame:** [Principal Frontend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/2f6285e1-d9d4-427f-9a62-3ec0e895ab7b) (Remote) - Network accessline 187
5. **Eppo:** [Backend / Infrastructure Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/2cd3039f-b44d-4079-83e0-e303debf2f00) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 188
6. **Causal:** [Full-stack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/6daf039f-a20e-4aa0-a7b0-54a8c19963b1) (Remote) - Network accessline 189
7. **Flux.ai:** [Fullstack Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/af3f67a4-e209-4b98-8a26-101c7805b207) (Remote) - Network accessline 190
8. **Coinbase:** [University Grad, Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/6ac840de-6951-42f8-a55a-051c56a3f303) (Remote) - Network accessline 194
1. **Cameo:** [Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/d095ea77-d995-4895-b764-59b4297a1292) (Remote) - Network accessline 195
2. **Tango:** [Product Design Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/2a6c39e6-2dea-4e92-86c9-d147bb07d783) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 196
3. **Scratchpad:** [Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/b068e1e5-8ae3-4886-b542-fa3443f1ff9b) (Remote) - Network accessline 197
4. **Rewatch:** [Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/68207a68-6f8b-4099-8107-197922e2d8cf) (Remote) - Network accessline 198
5. **Orbit:** [Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/9b1f634f-6900-4322-9b6f-2ff38e477b63) (Paris/SF/Remote) - Network accessline 199
6. **Imperfect Foods:** [Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/b9cab5f0-9bcb-4caf-a0bc-2443e4768b60) (Remote) - Network accessline 200
7. **Karat**: [First Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/29a7b24a-2ba0-489e-8222-d5d2b0b68e43) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 202
To add you open roles, [visit Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs) - Network accessline 208
2. **Listen**: [Stop. Breathe. We Can’t Keep Working Like This.](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-cal-newport.html), by Ezra Klein and Cal Newport - Network accessline 209
3. **Read**: [How people get rich now](https://paulgraham.com/richnow.html), by Paul Graham - Network accessline 213
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/time-management-techniques-that-actually-work.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week, I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. If you’re not - Network accessline 12
1. *[How should you monetize your AI features?](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-should-you-monetize-your-ai-features)* - Network accessline 13
2. *[New data on the product job market](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/new-data-on-the-product-job-market)* - Network accessline 14
3. *[On asking for help (even when you really don’t want to)](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/on-asking-for-help-even-when-you)* - Network accessline 16
*Subscribe to get access to these posts, and every post. For more: **[Best of Lenny’s Newsletter](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-best-of-lennys-newsletter-2023)** | **[Hire your next product leader](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** | - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 32
This tactic comes from both [Nir Eyal](https://youtu.be/WSscIIY609c?si=f-J0EW_porYw1Cca&t=1687) in his book *[Indistractable](https://www.nirandfar.com/indistractable/)* and from [Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky](https://youtu.be/cuce7zvOFHY?s - Network accessline 38
Next time you’re about to add a task to your to-do list and you think it would take less than two minutes to do, just do it right then instead. This tip comes from [David Allen’s book](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Getting_Things_Done) *[Ge - Network accessline 46
 - Network accessline 48
This tactic also comes from the Getting Things Done framework, and it changed my life. One of the [most important habits of highly effective PMs](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/33702655/great-pms-build-an-aura-of-ive-got-this) is creati - Network accessline 52
 - Network accessline 60
 - Network accessline 66
This idea is inspired by [Matt Mochary’s Top Goal](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZJZbv4J6FZ8Dnb0JuMhJxTnwl-dwqx5xl0s65DE3wO8/edit#heading=h.u92txq7xuirk) approach, and [picking one “highlight” for your day](https://youtu.be/cuce7zvOFH - Network accessline 68
If you want to take this further, do the hardest thing on your list first, aka “[eat the frog](https://www.reddit.com/r/productivity/comments/108tgov/eat_that_frog/),” which is an idea the internet tells me is attributed to Mark Twain: - Network accessline 74
One of the most important professional development books I’ve ever read is *[Deep Work](https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/1455586692)* by [Cal Newport](https://calnewport.com/). The core idea is that any work of - Network accessline 80
 - Network accessline 84
1. Kill all of the apps that often distract you during this time. 2. Explore the power of [binaural beats](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iboQ7mmGGGU) while in deep work time. I use [Brain.fm](https://my.brain.fm/payment?extended_promo=30) - Network accessline 85
2. Explore the power of [binaural beats](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iboQ7mmGGGU) while in deep work time. I use [Brain.fm](https://my.brain.fm/payment?extended_promo=30) religiously when I write. - Network accessline 87
4. Check out this killer feature within Google Calendar called [Focus Time](https://zapier.com/blog/google-calendar-focus-time/). It’s only available if you’re using Google Workspace (e.g. your work calendar), but if you’ve got it, it will - Network accessline 89
 - Network accessline 95
I know this isn’t something most people will be able to do. However, I bet you could (for at least some days of the week) have a rule of no meetings before, say, 10 a.m. Or maybe even 11 a.m.? And I bet your team would love it. Jeff Bezos ( - Network accessline 101
 and [on your PC](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/turn-off-notifications-in-windows-during-certain-time - Network accessline 119
 - Network accessline 125
[Shreyas Doshi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreyasdoshi/) has a great productivity framework, called [the LNO framework](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1570138587760594945), which helps you identify which tasks you should spend time on vers - Network accessline 127
 - Network accessline 129
An unlock for me has been finding an executive assistant to take on as many of these N and O tasks as possible. I know this sounds extravagant, but it’s really not. You just sign up for a site like [Double](https://withdouble.com/) (there’s - Network accessline 131
Everyone starts off thinking there’s very little an EA can do for them, and then months later they’re doing 20 to 30 hours of work a week for you. There’s up-front effort in getting the virtual assistant set up, but it quickly becomes very - Network accessline 133
 - Network accessline 153
[Here are a few templates](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/144661665/templates-for-saying-no) for saying no that you can adapt to your situation. - Network accessline 157
#### For more, don’t miss part 2: [More time management techniques that actually work](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/part-2-time-management-techniques). - Network accessline 163
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-management-techniques-that-actually/comments) - Network accessline 167
1. [Calendaring your emails](https://x.com/destraynor/status/1220309500156092418) - Network accessline 168
2. [Pomodoro technique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique) ← Hasn’t worked for me, but many people swear by it - Network accessline 169
3. [Shreyas Doshi’s LNO framework](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8uPpsDqJWk) - Network accessline 170
4. [Elon Musk’s 5-step algorithm](https://youtu.be/CDZ9REOh2xA?si=7_W-lEKa6Ob1WTb5&t=23) for picking his battles - Network accessline 171
5. More great ideas from readers on [X](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1821250775601074195) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_what-are-1-2-time-management-techniques-youve-activity-7227016560198967297-ral9) - Network accessline 179
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 183
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/top-5-most-interesting-things-about-bookingcoms-early-growth-strategy---issue-46.md
- Network accessline 12
My friend [Dan Hockenmaier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hock) and I published an essay on consumer business growth strategy in [today’s First Round Review](https://firstround.com/review/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer- - Network accessline 14
[](https:/ - Network accessline 16
For the piece, I interviewed [Arthur Kosten](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurkosten/), CMO of Booking.com from 2003 to 2012. A number of fascinating insights had to be cut from our chat (for brevity’s sake) and instead of leaving them on - Network accessline 20
[](https:/ - Network accessline 22
Booking.com has been a fascinating company to watch, particularly for someone working on growth at Airbnb (aka me). Not only did they grow from a tiny startup in the Netherlands to [one of the greatest acquisitions of all time](https://skif - Network accessline 26
As an outsider, I’ve always wondered how they did this. I was fortunate to get in touch with [Arthur Kosten](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurkosten/), Booking’s CMO from 2003 to 2012, who generously agreed to sit down for an interview. Be - Network accessline 68
> Critical to getting this Product-Market Fit right was our obsession with conversion improvements and A/B testing. Each A/B test that increased bookings, or monetization, increased the performance of marketing campaigns. Conversion improve - Network accessline 69
> > [](ht - Network accessline 70
> [](http - Network accessline 71
> > ###### Source: [HBR](https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=55158) > - Network accessline 72
> ###### Source: [HBR](https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=55158) - Network accessline 88
> **At this time Expedia was 100x bigger than us, but with this approach we could pretend we were a big company in each of these specific cities, because no one knew we didn't have any supply anywhere else.** When people land on one of our - Network accessline 90
> [](https - Network accessline 96
For much more from Booking.com, along with insights from Thumbtack and Airbnb, make sure to [read the full First Round Review piece](https://firstround.com/review/drive-growth-by-picking-the-right-lane-a-customer-acquisition-playbook-for-co - Network accessline 100
*A HUGE thank you to [Arthur Kosten](https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurkosten/) for being generous with his time and sharing these incredible stories with us 🙏 🙏 🙏* - Network accessline 104
- **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4124465003), [Chime](https://www.chime.com/job-openings/?gh_jid=4778800002), [ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever - Network accessline 105
- **Growth**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Shef](https://angel.co/company/shef-1/jobs/88328 - Network accessline 106
- **Design**: [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8hL-FyCrmAes/edit), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product-Desi - Network accessline 107
- **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003), [Chime](https://www.chime.com/job-openings/?gh_jid=4225358002), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/00505223-bc85-4c28-8e4b-31217d05c2de) - Network accessline 108
- **Frontend engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product - Network accessline 109
- **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) - Network accessline 110
- **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4473700002), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [Iggy](http - Network accessline 111
- **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Vori](https://www.notion.so/Mobile-Engineer-Vori-c5ceccd966a04c8aa9e970f0355ca13c) - Network accessline 115
1. **Read**: [The Observer Effect with Daniel Ek](https://www.theobservereffect.org/daniel.html) by Sriram Krishnan - Network accessline 116
2. **Listen**: [Marc Andreessen and Dylan Field talking about the future of education](https://a16z.com/2020/09/10/education-myths-monopoly-oligopoly-cartel-costs-past-present-change/)
references/02-newsletters/top-angel-investors-in-the-us.md
- Network accessline 10
My popular post on fundraising, [Raising a seed round 101](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/raising-a-seed-round-101) by [Terrence Rohan](https://x.com/tmrohan) and [Jack Altman](https://x.com/jaltma), shared advice about every aspect of - Network accessline 12
So I teamed up with the folks at [Crunchbase](https://www.crunchbase.com/) to find out who the most active angel investors in the U.S. are. Crunchbase has the broadest dataset on investment and fundraising I’ve come across, and I’d never se - Network accessline 22
When you go through the list below, you’ll probably be wondering, “But how do I contact them and pitch my idea?” The good news is that I’ve included a link to their contact form when they have one. The bad news is that, [as Terrence and Jac - Network accessline 28
 - Network accessline 30
#### 1. [Edward Lando](https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardlando/) and [Nadav Ben-Chanoch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadavbc/) / [Pareto Holdings](https://pareto20.com/) 🥇 - Network accessline 32
I hadn’t heard of Edward or Nadav before seeing this data, which makes this so interesting. Edward and their fund (Pareto Holdings) have invested in more than 1,000 startups, including over 25 unicorns, like Ramp, Mercury, OpenStore, Modern - Network accessline 34
#### 2. [Gokul Rajaram](https://gokulrajaram.com/) 🥈 - Network accessline 36
Gokul is an investor, operator, and also just a super-nice guy. He’s an investor in companies like Airtable, BetterUp, Deel, Digital Ocean, Faire, Figma, Ironclad, Postman, Rubrik, and Vercel. He’s been a senior operator at Google, Facebook - Network accessline 38
#### 3. [Elad Gil](https://eladgil.com/) 🥉 - Network accessline 40
Elad, like Gokul, is both a legendary operator and investor. His list of investments is what dreams are made of: Airbnb, Airtable, Anduril, Applied Intuition, Brex, Coinbase, dbt Labs, Deel, Figma, Flexport, Gusto, Instacart, Mistral, Notio - Network accessline 42
#### 4. [Scott Belsky](https://www.scottbelsky.com/) 🏅 - Network accessline 44
Scott is a product person’s product person. He’s the co-founder of Behance, spent five years as Chief Product Officer of Adobe Creative Cloud, and is currently Adobe’s Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President of Design and Emergi - Network accessline 46
#### 5. [Jon Oringer](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shutterstock/) - Network accessline 50
#### 6. [Charlie Songhurst](https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlessonghurst/) - Network accessline 52
Charlie is a prolific British-born angel investor. He was GM and later Head of Corporate Strategy at Microsoft, and since 2013 has invested in more than 500 companies, including unicorns like EasyPost, Formlabs, Convoy, ClassPass, and Riget - Network accessline 54
#### 7. [Naval Ravikant](https://nav.al/) - Network accessline 56
Naval is a legendary founder (co-founded AngelList), investor (early investments in Uber, Twitter, Perplexity, Replit, Substack, Opendoor, Vercel, Eight Sleep, and Notion), and also a modern guru. He shares mind-expanding wisdom on tech and - Network accessline 58
#### 8. [Mark Cuban](https://markcubancompanies.com/) - Network accessline 62
#### 9. [Lachy Groom](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lachy-groom-b218895/) - Network accessline 64
Lachy (pronounced “locky”) spent seven years at Stripe, where he was Head of Stripe Issuing, then became a super-active investor after leaving Stripe, and while continuing to actively invest, he co-founded [Physical Intelligence](https://π. - Network accessline 66
#### 10. [Sahin Boydas](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahinboydas/) - Network accessline 68
Sahin is the most surprising person on this list to me because (1) I hadn’t heard of him, (2) his list of investments is incredible, and (3) as you’ll see below, he was the #1 most active angel investor in 2024. Sahin is a many-time founder - Network accessline 74
 - Network accessline 76
Congrats, [Sahin Boydas](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sahinboydas/), on being the most active angel investor in all of 2024 (based on the data we have)🥇 He and Elad Gil are killing it for non-web3 investors 🏆 - Network accessline 80
#### 2. [Paul Taylor](https://www.linkedin.com/in/officialpaultaylor/) - Network accessline 82
Paul seems to invest almost exclusively in web3, which tells me he probably made a bunch of cash from crypto early on. Nice! He’s a four-time national chess champion, spent four years at BlackRock (doing crypto investing), and has been in c - Network accessline 84
#### 3. [DCF GOD](https://www.crunchbase.com/person/dcf-god) - Network accessline 86
DCF GOD is also exclusively a web3 investor, and as you do in web3, DCF GOD is an anonymous investor. Delightful. Since I’m not deep into web3, I suspect there’s more to this story, but [here’s an interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= - Network accessline 88
#### 5. [Anatoly Yakovenko](https://www.linkedin.com/in/anatoly-yakovenko/) - Network accessline 90
Anatoly is the co-founder of Solana (one of the largest blockchains in the world) and a former engineer at Dropbox, Mesosphere, and Qualcomm. For a web3 founder, he refreshingly invests in other domains, including AI, fintech, cybersecurity - Network accessline 92
#### 7. [Nat Friedman](https://nat.org/) - Network accessline 94
Nat is the former CEO of GitHub, a two-time founder, and one of the leading thinkers and investors in AI. He recently helped raise funds for a cool project to [use AI to read the long-lost Herculaneum scrolls](https://scrollprize.org/). He - Network accessline 96
#### 8. [Roman Smolevskiy](https://www.linkedin.com/in/romansml/) - Network accessline 100
#### 9. [Jeff Dean](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-dean-8b212555/) - Network accessline 102
Jeff is Chief Scientist for Google DeepMind and Google Research. Reading [his list of accomplishments](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-dean-8b212555/details/experience/) will make you feel like you’ve done nothing with your life. I love th - Network accessline 104
#### 10. [Guillermo Rauch](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rauchg/) - Network accessline 110
 - Network accessline 112
[Edward Lando](https://www.linkedin.com/in/edwardlando/) racking them up! With Jon Oringer at #3. Good work, team Pareto! - Network accessline 114
Honorable mention to [Scott Belsky](https://www.scottbelsky.com/) 🥈 - Network accessline 116
To me, the most interesting people on this list are the ones we haven’t seen on the other lists, because these people may have a higher hit rate. We can’t say this for sure because we don’t have data on their investing pace prior to 2018, b - Network accessline 128
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/top-angel-investors-in-the-us/comments) - Network accessline 132
1. [Lessons from 140+ angel investments](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/angel-investing) - Network accessline 133
2. [Raising a seed round 101](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/raising-a-seed-round-101) - Network accessline 134
3. [How to Angel Invest, Part 1](https://nav.al/angel-1) by Naval - Network accessline 135
4. [How to Angel Invest, Part 2](https://nav.al/angel-2) by Naval - Network accessline 136
5. [How to be an angel investor](https://www.paulgraham.com/angelinvesting.html) by Paul Graham - Network accessline 144
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 146
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/turning-around-an-underperforming-team---issue-17.md
- Network accessline 10
Hello and welcome to another edition of my weekly newsletter. My name is [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out a - Network accessline 12
Send me your questions (just reply to this email or [DM me](https://twitter.com/lennysan)) and in return, I’ll humbly share actionable real-talk advice **🤝** - Network accessline 14
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) 🤜🤛** - Network accessline 18
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/ - Network accessline 46
The book [Nonviolent Communication](https://www.amazon.com/Nonviolent-Communication-Language-Life-Changing-Relationships/dp/189200528X/ref=pd_sbs_14_1/140-6208537-4575663?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=189200528X&pd_rd_r=9ca36b76-f3e5-418f-8b08-043 - Network accessline 90
1. **Listen**: [The Brand New World of Climate Tech — Gustaf Alströmer & Diego Saez-Gil](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/below-the-line-with-james-beshara/id1457400066?i=1000467185669) — Don’t miss this if you are at all interested in - Network accessline 91
2. **Read**: [The Great CEO Within](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZJZbv4J6FZ8Dnb0JuMhJxTnwl-dwqx5xl0s65DE3wO8/edit) — An incredible resource for founders (via [@antoinenivard](https://twitter.com/antoinenivard)) 💪 - Network accessline 92
3. **Listen:** [All Things Marketplaces with Dan Hockenmaier, Casey Winters, and Lenny Rachitsky](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-things-marketplaces-dan-hockenmaier-casey-winters/id1316769266?i=1000467536947) — For all you market - Network accessline 94
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/) (or subscribing if you aren’t already)** - Network accessline 96
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?)
references/02-newsletters/types-of-business-models.md
- Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 133
1. If you’re currently selling a thing, could you replace it with a take rate (e.g. Homeaway —> Airbnb), usage-based (e.g. [Xerox](https://www.petterileppanen.com/2020/03/11/5-business-model-innovations-you-should-know-about/)), subscriptio - Network accessline 144
1. **Subscriptions** (e.g. Patreon, Substack, OnlyFans) 2. **Tips** (e.g. Twitch, Clubhouse, Twitter Tip Jar, Buy Me a Coffee) 3. **Advertising** (e.g. YouTube/IG/TikTok, [Packy](https://www.notboring.co/)) - Network accessline 145
2. **Tips** (e.g. Twitch, Clubhouse, Twitter Tip Jar, Buy Me a Coffee) 3. **Advertising** (e.g. YouTube/IG/TikTok, [Packy](https://www.notboring.co/)) 4. **Revenue share (e.g.** affiliate deals, investing in startups**)** - Network accessline 146
3. **Advertising** (e.g. YouTube/IG/TikTok, [Packy](https://www.notboring.co/)) - Network accessline 148
5. **Selling goods** (e.g. NFTs, merch) 6. **Selling access** (e.g. VIP meetup, private DMs) 7. **Selling access to events or courses** (e.g. [Maven](https://maven.com/)) - Network accessline 149
6. **Selling access** (e.g. VIP meetup, private DMs) 7. **Selling access to events or courses** (e.g. [Maven](https://maven.com/)) 8. **Job board** (e.g. [my job board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs)) - Network accessline 150
7. **Selling access to events or courses** (e.g. [Maven](https://maven.com/)) - Network accessline 151
8. **Job board** (e.g. [my job board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs)) - Network accessline 155
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/types-of-business-models/comments) - Network accessline 159
1. [Business Model Navigator](https://businessmodelnavigator.com/) - Network accessline 160
2. [Business Model Innovation – The What, Why, and How](https://www.viima.com/blog/business-model-innovation) - Network accessline 161
3. [YC Key Metrics](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/1y-key-metrics) - Network accessline 169
1. **Wrapbook**: [Senior Technical Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/dea57461-eb0d-4edb-9097-91885482ce19) (Remote) - Network accessline 170
2. **Overtime**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/4296af21-ada7-47c8-bc19-9041724f3098) (NYC) - Network accessline 171
3. **Duolingo**: [Principal Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/16daa6a1-ff27-4097-89cb-41f7a1b33aa6) (NY/Seattle) - Network accessline 172
4. **Companion Labs**: [Head of / Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/f1e8cbf6-7338-48ae-ba6f-2507b3427e0e) (SF) - Network accessline 173
5. **Curology**: [Group Product Manager, Growth & Subscription](https://pallet.xyz/job/400edfd5-43fb-45d1-a679-772cb7442b6e) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 174
6. **Curology**: [Group Product Manager, Medical & Pharmacy Ops](https://pallet.xyz/job/f589c9bf-48c9-43df-8a3e-c418f92b715b) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 175
7. **Grand Rounds**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/8f22029f-7685-443c-b595-588326096967) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 176
8. **ClassDojo:**[0 to 1 Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/a207cd17-0dd5-45a3-9068-5cabd6b30193) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 177
9. **AbstractOps:**[Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/job/e5b97f68-c279-4830-bfda-749d54ec22bd) (Remote) - Network accessline 178
10. **Dialogue:**[Vice-President, Product Management](https://pallet.xyz/job/bd8a4d54-5b37-4de0-af2f-84ad640faa6e) (Remote) - Network accessline 179
11. **Amazon Music:**[Principal Product Manager - Tech, Podcasts](https://pallet.xyz/job/650a0b97-3d81-46ae-8986-d72b4f3639f7) (SF) - Network accessline 180
12. **Intercom:**[Senior Product Manager - Self-serve Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/fd328108-c412-40cd-91f3-0e3a324df4ad) (London/Dublin/Remote) - Network accessline 181
13. **Chime:**[Senior Product Manager, Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/e0c51de6-26f9-4b5c-a758-4d6b6ae4899f) (SF) - Network accessline 182
14. **Miro**: [Senior Product Manager (Workshops Core)](https://pallet.xyz/job/8c95a561-53c7-495c-af75-5f1ceac1d782) (Amsterdam) - Network accessline 183
15. **NexHealth:**[First Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/2d8e2cad-f0dd-4a21-88fd-6003e8c7c00c) (SF) - Network accessline 184
16. **Elementl:**[Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/7422cd00-62dc-4ccf-b538-98482a78aec8) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 185
17. **Clockwise:**[Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/c3bac4ce-f356-49b5-918b-110ec159c769) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 186
18. **UserLeap:**[Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/e923f27c-b7b8-4edf-aaa5-3bc5be3570e8) (SF) - Network accessline 190
1. **Brex**: [Growth Marketing Manager, Search](https://pallet.xyz/job/1811f9d7-21c7-4cd0-8b81-050242749825) (Remove) - Network accessline 191
2. **OpenPhone**: [Head of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/job/102a757f-cbea-4113-9588-cf1fc98a8d7a) (Remote) - Network accessline 192
3. **neo.tax:**[Head of Growth](https://pallet.xyz/job/2fd84c85-b209-47d0-9213-671e0342cff3) (Mountain View/Remote) - Network accessline 193
4. **Reforge:**[Lifecycle Marketer](https://pallet.xyz/job/c3f09744-d3d4-4817-8817-e04c778aff38) (Remote) - Network accessline 194
5. **Coda:**[Growth Associate Program](https://pallet.xyz/job/bba22fae-9ec5-47a2-b6dd-157f498b1fba) (SF) - Network accessline 195
6. **Ojo:**[Head of Marketing](https://pallet.xyz/job/4fb7dc9e-52ca-4b94-8dce-1d72e643cc86) (Remote) - Network accessline 196
7. **Labelbox**: [Director of Growth and Demand Generation](https://pallet.xyz/job/c6947128-80d8-49ab-a679-728f0aaf3430) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 197
8. **Livepeer:**[Go To Market Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/3f5394b4-3104-4670-9572-c045b065119a) (Remote) - Network accessline 201
1. **Playbook**: [Head of Engineering](https://pallet.xyz/job/94f60a15-f165-4f10-81f1-1e56e2cebfc2) (Remote) - Network accessline 202
2. **Karat**: [Senior Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/1b718459-42d4-489b-b725-8139c93b4898) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 203
3. **Cable**: [Backend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/8f3f617d-07ba-412f-87f5-6a8ad1d0fe35) (Remote) - Network accessline 204
4. **Discord:**[Engineering Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/71eeec4f-6dea-4645-95b7-44b1ea38507b) (SF) - Network accessline 205
5. **G2i:**[Senior React, React Native, or Node Developer](https://pallet.xyz/job/7a1c36d5-eb4f-43e5-b93f-c83f951a1ef9) (Remote) - Network accessline 206
6. **Novi Connect:**[Senior Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/1691057a-21ac-4450-b3d6-e2189a5cebc9) (Remote) - Network accessline 207
7. **Endgame:**[Principal Frontend Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/2f6285e1-d9d4-427f-9a62-3ec0e895ab7b) (Remote) - Network accessline 208
8. **Eppo:**[Backend / Infrastructure Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/2cd3039f-b44d-4079-83e0-e303debf2f00) (SF/Remote) - Network accessline 209
9. **Causal:**[Full-stack Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/6daf039f-a20e-4aa0-a7b0-54a8c19963b1) (Remote) - Network accessline 210
10. **Flux.ai:**[Fullstack Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/af3f67a4-e209-4b98-8a26-101c7805b207) (Remote) - Network accessline 211
11. **Coinbase:**[University Grad, Software Engineer](https://pallet.xyz/job/6ac840de-6951-42f8-a55a-051c56a3f303) (Remote) - Network accessline 215
1. **Cardless**: [Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/4befe144-b63d-4a5c-9626-11a533a8fdd3) (SF) - Network accessline 216
2. **Cameo:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/d095ea77-d995-4895-b764-59b4297a1292) (Remote) - Network accessline 217
3. **Tango:**[Product Design Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/2a6c39e6-2dea-4e92-86c9-d147bb07d783) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 218
4. **Scratchpad:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/b068e1e5-8ae3-4886-b542-fa3443f1ff9b) (Remote) - Network accessline 219
5. **Rewatch:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/68207a68-6f8b-4099-8107-197922e2d8cf) (Remote) - Network accessline 220
6. **Orbit:**[Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/9b1f634f-6900-4322-9b6f-2ff38e477b63) (Paris/SF/Remote) - Network accessline 221
7. **Imperfect Foods:**[Senior Product Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/b9cab5f0-9bcb-4caf-a0bc-2443e4768b60) (Remote) - Network accessline 222
8. **Karat**: [First Designer](https://pallet.xyz/job/29a7b24a-2ba0-489e-8222-d5d2b0b68e43) (LA/Remote) - Network accessline 226
1. **Free Agency**: [Community manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/3445e94f-d760-4b3b-9c47-393a6f4702e8) (NYC) - Network accessline 227
2. **Maven**: [Instructor Sales & Partnerships Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/9dc74ed0-b098-4313-8be3-050bf057c4bd) (Remote) - Network accessline 228
3. **Maven**: [White-Glove Course Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/b333db7b-c2f2-4f87-b82e-a8970ba14193) (Remote) - Network accessline 229
4. **Maven**: [Course Strategy and Operations Lead](https://pallet.xyz/job/24216c2e-e429-456c-add2-0ac0662e04b7) (Remote) - Network accessline 231
*To browse 200+ open roles, or to add your roles, [visit Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 235
1. **Watch:** [Graduations](https://vimeo.com/497879805) (via [The Viewer](https://theviewer.is/)) - Network accessline 237
2. **Listen**: [The Social Lives Of Trees](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-social-lives-of-trees/id214089682?i=1000520178432) on Fresh Air - Network accessline 238
3. **Read**: [The Great Online Game](https://www.notboring.co/p/the-great-online-game) by Packy - Network accessline 242
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/using-your-working-time-well---issue-22-2.md
- Network accessline 20
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-rRJ!,f_ - Network accessline 28
[![How Hollywood Has Predicted VR in Movies - VRScout](https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/bb0d3484-730a-4e1e-9400-1b7fada10e5d_1140x645.jpeg "How Hollywood Has Predicted VR in Movies - VRSc - Network accessline 30
If you haven't read the book [Deep Work](https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted-ebook/dp/B00X47ZVXM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=), please order it now and read it. It's one of the most important professi - Network accessline 45
[](https://substackcdn.com/ima - Network accessline 58
[Read Full Post](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/time-management-issue-22)
references/02-newsletters/using-your-working-time-well---issue-22.md
- Network accessline 16
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-rRJ!,f_ - Network accessline 24
[![How Hollywood Has Predicted VR in Movies - VRScout](https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a36e2b3c-729a-40f4-8ccc-737494a6ca94_1140x645.jpeg "How Hollywood Has Predicted VR in Movies - VRSc - Network accessline 26
If you haven't read the book [Deep Work](https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted-ebook/dp/B00X47ZVXM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=), please order it now and read it. It's one of the most important professi - Network accessline 41
[](https://substackcdn.com/ima - Network accessline 54
Everyone's got their own style, but I’ve found the classic [Getting Things Done](https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity/dp/0142000280) system to be life-changing. - Network accessline 60
To keep track of my tasks, I use [a simple notebook](https://www.muji.com/sg/products/cmdty/detail/4550182603040) (not an app). Every day, I write out my TODOs for the day, cross things off when they're done, and savor the sweet satisfactio - Network accessline 70
1. [Centered](https://www.centered.app/) — An app that a friend of mine is building, that combines music, mindfulness, and an elegant TODO system. I use it all day, every day. - Network accessline 71
2. [Magic Mind](https://magicmind.co/) — A magical nootropics concoction that another friend has recently developed, that helps my brain stay focused like nothing else. - Network accessline 72
3. [Noise-canceling headphones](https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-bluetooth-headphones/) — My [Jabra Elite 85h](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07RQ366VK/) headphones are one of my most favorite possessions. - Network accessline 94
[This classic framework](https://doist.com/blog/eisenhower-matrix/) (which I recently learned is called the "Eisenhower Matrix") can help you decide whether something is worth doing, and if so, when: - Network accessline 96
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zNlu!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progress - Network accessline 112
1. [Deep Work](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X47ZVXM/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1) - Network accessline 113
2. [Getting Things Done](https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-Stress-Free-Productivity-ebook/dp/B00KWG9M2E/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1587056669&sr=1-1) - Network accessline 114
3. [The PARA Method](https://fortelabs.co/blog/para/) (I haven’t used this personally but I’ve heard great things) - Network accessline 115
4. [Pomodoro Technique](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomodoro_Technique) - Network accessline 116
5. [Eat That Frog!](https://www.amazon.com/Eat-That-Frog-Great-Procrastinating-ebook/dp/B01MYEM8SZ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=) - Network accessline 122
1. **Support**: I’ve been helping out an inspiring COVID-19 relief grassroots effort called [Frontline Foods](https://www.frontlinefoods.org/), which delivers meals to frontline workers from struggling local restaurants. [Consider a small d - Network accessline 125
3. **Learn**: [A short interview I did with Hunter Walk](https://hunterwalk.com/2020/04/17/did-i-intend-to-stay-there-for-seven-years-hells-no-but-man-its-a-tough-place-to-leave-five-questions-on-startups-newsletters-life-post-airbnb-w-lenn - Network accessline 129
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/virality-is-a-myth-mostly.md
- Network accessline 12
Over the holiday break I was reading *[Hit Makers](https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Makers-How-Succeed-Distraction-ebook/dp/B01HNJIJ58/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?qid=&sr=)* by [Derek Thompson](https://twitter.com/dkthomp) (thanks, [Gabor Cselle](https: - Network accessline 14
*[Hit Makers](https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Makers-How-Succeed-Distraction-ebook/dp/B01HNJIJ58/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?qid=&sr=)* is about how hits become hits. Why do some songs, books, movies, and products win, while others don’t? What ingredie - Network accessline 18
Here’s [Derek Thompson](https://twitter.com/dkthomp) describing this phenomenon: - Network accessline 24
In [a recent interview on the Acquired podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0renk9Zy2Wk&t=3133s), [Ben Thompson](https://stratechery.com/) (author of [Stratechery](https://stratechery.com/)) shared this same finding from his personal ex - Network accessline 36
Before going further, let’s define virality. Something is viral when the average new user brings more than one additional user. This is often referred to as the viral coefficient, or [k-factor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-factor_(market - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 40
When calculating k-factor for yourself, there’s an important nuance around the cycle time between new users and referred users (read more [here](https://david-pardy.medium.com/helpful-how-the-math-of-viral-growth-actually-works-a4fcee693ace - Network accessline 42
Let’s dive deeper by starting with this excerpt from *[Hit Makers](https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Makers-How-Succeed-Distraction-ebook/dp/B01HNJIJ58/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?qid=&sr=)*: - Network accessline 46
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First, I revisited my research into [how the largest consumer products got started](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users). It turns out that of many of the products we’d consider super-viral, most actually g - Network accessline 102
> “[[Mark Zuckerberg] wrote about Spotify](https://www.google.com/search?q=mark+zuckerberg+spotify+facebook+post&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS915US915&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiK_-qwypftAhWPvJ4KHbr1AqkQ_AUoAnoECA8QBA&biw=1440&bih=789), Sean Parker reach - Network accessline 106
> “The first public mention of the service I can find is on [co-founder] Evan Williams’s blog late on July 13th, but you can see that even on the 12th there was a mini-boom in registrations. Then [Om Malik’s post on the 15th](https://gigaom - Network accessline 118
> “People actually said to us, there’s no point contacting publications such as the *New York Times* and that we’d be wasting our time. But not only did [the](https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/19/a-photo-sharing-app-with-bigger-aspirat - Network accessline 120
**Notion (press; from my interview with [Camille Ricketts on my podcast](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-notion-leveraged-community-to-build-a-10b-business-camille-ricketts-notion-first-round-capital/#transcript)):** - Network accessline 124
Even Tinder’s breakout moment was a one-off event, [the Sochi Olympics](https://www.thedailybeast.com/sochi-athletes-get-it-on-at-the-tinder-olympics): - Network accessline 128
I [asked founders on Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1583539227785994242) for examples of products growing virally. Though there were certainly times where k-factor was above 1.0 (e.g. [Nikita](https://twitter.com/nikitabier) a - Network accessline 130
 - Network accessline 134
](https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/07a0cb52-a3ba-47f0-8e11-769e7169ce17_906x531.webp) - Network accessline 140
Looks pretty linear to me. Yes, there were moments of real virality (e.g. the “Space Race,” as ChenLi mentioned above, aka the [Dropbox referral program](https://twitter.com/joshpuckett/status/1583548671164964864?s=20)), but they were short - Network accessline 144
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No question many of these products had moments of true virality. But it’s better to think of these viral moments as [a series of S-curves](https://medium.com/parsa-vc/jumping-s-curves-building-a-high-performance-startup-80e4410466a5). Short - Network accessline 162
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In May 2020, Clubhouse had 1,500 users. By the end of that year, they hit 600,000. About a month later, they had 2 million and, a month later, 10 million. Feels viral. However, these growth spurts came from one-off broadcast events. Initial - Network accessline 179
In the words of the [Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-racecar-growth-frameworkexpanded), virality and turbo boosts go together like peanut butter and jelly. The higher your k-factor, the more juice you’ll get - Network accessline 183
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzeH4BBxDew) - Network accessline 187
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/virality-is-a-myth-mostly/comments) - Network accessline 191
1. *[Hit Makers](https://www.amazon.com/Hit-Makers-How-Succeed-Distraction-ebook/dp/B01HNJIJ58/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?qid=&sr=)* by Derek Thompson - Network accessline 192
2. [How the math of viral growth actually works](https://david-pardy.medium.com/helpful-how-the-math-of-viral-growth-actually-works-a4fcee693ace) by David Pardy - Network accessline 193
3. [User Acquisition: Viral Factor Basics](https://adamnash.blog/2012/04/04/user-acquisition-viral-factor-basics/) by Adam Nash - Network accessline 194
4. [The Elephant in the room: The myth of exponential hypergrowth](https://longform.asmartbear.com/docs/exponential-growth/) by Jason Cohen - Network accessline 195
5. [How to increase virality](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/increasing-virality) - Network accessline 201
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 203
 - Network accessline 207
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 211
1. **TryHackMe:** [Senior Growth Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/4ff08da3-df3e-4952-95bb-b4a032dba623) (Remote) - Network accessline 212
2. **TryHackMe:** [Head of Marketing](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f0b0d2d4-f721-4903-a1ef-9125b28b1755) (Remote) - Network accessline 213
3. **Pogo:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/1d236a59-399d-4a81-8dcd-664d76f06cae) (Remote) - Network accessline 217
1. **Watch:** [One Breath Around The World](https://youtu.be/OnvQggy3Ezw) via - Network accessline 219
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnvQggy3Ezw) - Network accessline 221
2. **Read:** [What Can We Learn from Barnes & Noble’s Surprising Turnaround?](https://tedgioia.substack.com/p/what-can-we-learn-from-barnes-and) by - Network accessline 222
3. **Read:** [Americans Have Found Their Happy Place](https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2022-12-23/the-happiest-place-on-earth-hawaii-and-the-rest-of-america-too?cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-view&sref=htOHjx5Y) by Tyler Cowen
references/02-newsletters/what-5-years-at-reddit-taught-us-about-building-for-a-highly-opinionated-user-ba.md
- Network accessline 10
For this week’s guest series, I’m excited to bring you an incredible post by [Evan Hamilton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhamilton/) and [Tyler Swartz](https://twitter.com/tylerswartz), on a topic that is both timely and near and dear to - Network accessline 12
*[Evan Hamilton](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhamilton/) has been building community and customer experience teams for over 15 years at both consumer and B2B companies like HubSpot, UserVoice, and Reddit, where he was head of community. - Network accessline 14
*[Tyler Swartz](https://swartz.cc/) has a decade of product management experience, leading teams to create software loved by customers. His strength lies in connecting product and community, honed at Reddit, where he led a variety of teams - Network accessline 16
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We both spent more than five years at Reddit, and through blood, sweat, and tears, we developed a framework that helped turn a sometimes combative relationship with users into a strong, productive partnership most of the time. At its best, - Network accessline 47
One way to measure your Trust Vault is using the [Edelman Trust Barometer](https://www.edelman.com/trust/2023/trust-barometer), a survey that measures people’s trust in governments and major corporations. The two key questions in your surve - Network accessline 56
 - Network accessline 58
For example, at Reddit, if a product threatened to increase the day-to-day effort of moderators (e.g. introducing a new content type such as livestreaming) and the trust score for moderators had been trending downward, we might adjust our l - Network accessline 68
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Third, if you decide to deprioritize a group’s feedback, make sure you help them understand why. For example, you might have a small but [passionate group of bakers](https://www.reddit.com/r/Breadit/) streaming on your livestream platform; - Network accessline 96
 - Network accessline 110
Just because you have assembled a good group of people doesn’t mean they’re automatically going to behave. You need to build a culture in your council that rewards candid feedback and thoughtfulness. Create a code of conduct and enforce it - Network accessline 118
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Here’s an example of us saying no. In 2020, Tyler and the team launched [multi-image gallery posts](https://www.reddit.com/r/announcements/comments/hrrh23/now_you_can_make_posts_with_multiple_images/), a much-requested feature that opened u - Network accessline 169
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After the PM’s 1-pager is complete, the PM meets the Community Managers, reviews the 1-pager, and gets their feedback on potential issues or risks that the community might raise. (Shoutout to Lenny for his [1-pager template](https://docs.go - Network accessline 249
*Thanks, Tyler and Evan! For more, Evan curates a newsletter, [Community Manager Breakfast](https://eepurl.com/c7sjOv), that includes weekly links about community building, and Tyler writes [The AI Product Report](https://www.productreport. - Network accessline 253
**If you find this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysnewslet
references/02-newsletters/what-buddhism-taught-me-about-product-management.md
- Network accessline 10
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/ - Network accessline 12
**The Buddha would have made an excellent product manager 🤩**<U+FE0F>**.**He was obsessed with [solving people’s problems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_%28Buddhism%29), he summarized his ideas into [handy lists](https://www.insightmeditat - Network accessline 14
Though it seems like [everyone](https://www.wired.com/2013/06/meditation-mindfulness-silicon-valley/) in tech is talking about mindfulness and meditation these days (sometimes [too much](https://qz.com/1489982/jack-dorsey-missed-the-point-o - Network accessline 16
> These truths are not presented in Buddhist teachings as dogmas demanding blind faith. Buddhists feel that these truths are universal and self-evident to anyone who cares to investigate in a proper way. > > — [Bhante Gunaratana](https://en - Network accessline 18
> — [Bhante Gunaratana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henepola_Gunaratana) - Network accessline 22
The Buddha’s core initial insight into human nature was that we are forever dissatisfied. We do not find lasting happiness or satisfaction in anything we experience, and thus we suffer. We think we’ll be happy when we finally get what we wa - Network accessline 24
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s - Network accessline 25
> *Anyone who has had even the briefest introduction to Buddhist teaching is familiar with its starting point: the inescapable truth that existence entails suffering.* > > — [Jack Kornfield](https://jackkornfield.com/) - Network accessline 27
> — [Jack Kornfield](https://jackkornfield.com/) - Network accessline 29
Why is this? According to [Robert Wright](https://robertwright.com/about/) in his recent [book about Buddhism](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MPZNG63/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1), dissatisfaction is rooted in our evolution. * - Network accessline 33
The key to reducing (and ending) suffering, for you and your team, is to accept that you won’t ever fully solve all of your problems. Fires will burn. People will get upset. Things will go wrong. This is the natural order of things. Recogni - Network accessline 35
> Suffering usually relates to wanting things to be different than they are. > > — [Allan Lokos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Lokos) - Network accessline 37
> — [Allan Lokos](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Lokos) - Network accessline 41
So what is the source of suffering? According to Buddhism, **our unhappiness is rooted in a very simple misunderstanding about the world — believing that things last**. This is called [Anicca](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impermanence). Th - Network accessline 52
> Lives in eternity’s sunrise > > — [William Blake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blake) - Network accessline 54
> — [William Blake](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Blake) - Network accessline 58
> Once we see that everything is impermanent and ungraspable and that we create a huge amount of suffering if we are attached to things staying the same, we realize that relaxing and letting go is a wiser way to live. Letting go does not me - Network accessline 60
> — [Jack Kornfield](https://jackkornfield.com/) - Network accessline 62
This teaching can apply to changes from the outside, as well as from the inside. **Often times the hardest things to let go of are*****our own*** **ideas/products/strategies.** We identify with them, and we get attached to them. That is exa - Network accessline 68
A third foundational teaching of Buddhism is that there is no lasting “self”. This is referred to as [Anatta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatta). According to the teaching, which is actually supported by [recent](https://qz.com/506229/ne - Network accessline 70
> To understand not-self, you have to meditate. If you only intellectualize, your head will explode. > > — [Ajahn Chah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajahn_Chah) - Network accessline 72
> — [Ajahn Chah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajahn_Chah) - Network accessline 78
This same idea is echoed in one of the most important business books of all time, [Good to Great](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0058DRUV6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1), which looked at over a thousand companies to understand wh - Network accessline 80
> According to the teaching of the Buddha, the idea of self is an imaginary, false belief which has no corresponding reality. [It] is the source of all the troubles in the world from personal conflicts to wars between nations. In short, to - Network accessline 82
> — [Walpola Rahula](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walpola_Rahula_Thero) - Network accessline 86
As a beginner, I still have much to learn about these teachings and how to apply them to life and work. [I’d love to hear from you](https://twitter.com/lennysan) if you have any stories to share, or suggestions for topics I should explore f - Network accessline 90
- [Why Buddhism is True](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MPZNG63/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1), by Robert Wright (don’t get turned off by the title) - Network accessline 91
- [Mindfulness in Plain English](https://www.amazon.com/Mindfulness-Plain-English-20th-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B003XF1LKW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=9VZP2RN8YKUE&keywords=mindfulness+in+plain+english&qid=1555804524&s=digital-text&sprefix=mindful%2Cdigita - Network accessline 92
- [Waking Up](https://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Spirituality-Without-Religion-dp-1451636016/dp/1451636016/ref=mt_hardcover?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=), by Sam Harris - Network accessline 96
- [Buddhism for Beginners — Lion’s Roar](https://www.lionsroar.com/beginning-with-buddhism-and-meditation/) - Network accessline 97
- [Intro to Buddhism — Spirit Rock Meditation Center](https://www.spiritrock.org/intro-to-buddhism) - Network accessline 98
- [10% Happier Podcast](https://www.10percenthappier.com/podcast) - Network accessline 100
If you’ve have any questions, suggestions, or just want to say hi — don’t hesitate to **[tweet at me](https://twitter.com/lennysan)**. - Network accessline 102
*Big thank you to [Sean](https://twitter.com/sean_lynch?lang=en), [Yelena](https://twitter.com/yelenart?lang=en), [Ben](https://twitter.com/byosko), and [Gauri](https://twitter.com/gauri?lang=en) for or reviewing early drafts of this post. - Network accessline 106
[Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan)
references/02-newsletters/what-covid-taught-me-about-product-management.md
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1. Stay tuned for possibly the best thing I’ve ever written shipping in two weeks. 2. Don’t miss my latest [podcast interview with Gibson Biddle](https://link.chtbl.com/LennysPodcastGibsonBiddle). We cover: - Network accessline 21
2. Don’t miss my latest [podcast interview with Gibson Biddle](https://link.chtbl.com/LennysPodcastGibsonBiddle). We cover: - Network accessline 33
 - Network accessline 35
[Listen to Gibson Biddle](https://link.chtbl.com/LennysPodcastGibsonBiddle) - Network accessline 39
P.S. If you’re looking to uplevel your career, applications for Reforge are now open. I’m a huge fan of their courses, which are all top-notch, and they have something for everyone: [Product Management Foundations](https://www.reforge.com/p - Network accessline 41
## 📣 [Join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) 📣 - Network accessline 43
If you’re hiring, join [Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 45
 - Network accessline 49
[Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 51
#### 🔥 [Featured job openings](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs) - Network accessline 53
1. **Render:** [Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/e948aaae-136d-4de6-954b-58985e9643e0) (Remote US) - Network accessline 54
2. **Mine’d:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/2dbd9fc9-b2df-4567-82bd-7941760549b1) (NYC, Remote US) - Network accessline 55
3. **OpenStore:** [Product Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/8a65b820-6d69-4a43-a46f-0d96b67b0b37) (Miami, FL) - Network accessline 56
4. **Ashby:** [First Lead UX Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/3f84ab83-6078-4607-b55b-d107a3674e1f) (LA, SF, Vancouver, Austin, Texas, Tribeca) - Network accessline 57
5. **Wethos:** [Director, Growth Product Marketing](https://www.lennysjobs.com/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/a8779353-bfa9-4f10-9ab7-d96ec87ae733) (Remote) 6. **Scratchpad:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/list/lennys-jobs/jobs - Network accessline 58
6. **Scratchpad:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c4039341-f2c6-4ac9-bc69-7b52c457f621) (Remote) 7. **Net32:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/b4a61fe4-06 - Network accessline 59
7. **Net32:** [Senior Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/b4a61fe4-0676-469c-8131-af743ca536bc) (Remote, Cary NC) - Network accessline 60
8. **Joby Aviation:** [Air Taxi Product Manager-Operations](https://www.lennysjobs.com/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/6e99a528-2443-435f-bd43-a86d437f6ff2) (Santa Cruz) - Network accessline 61
9. **Firstbase.io:** [Business Lead, Fintech](https://www.lennysjobs.com/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/06fe3597-dd58-4979-93d7-03ee8a0dbe24) (Remote, NYC, Sao Paulo) - Network accessline 62
10. **Weights & Biases:** [Growth Project Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/c0dab35d-dbb5-47a5-92cc-df0cde2ca009) (Remote EU)
references/02-newsletters/what-is-a-good-activation-rate.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing - Network accessline 14
1. *[Mission → Vision → Strategy → Goals → Roadmap → Task](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/mission-vision-strategy-goals-roadmap)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[The Racecar Growth Framework—expanded and illustrated](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-racecar-growth-frameworkexpanded)* - Network accessline 23
To finally get you an answer, I teamed up with [Yuriy Timen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuriytimen/) (growth advisor and [recent podcast guest](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-grow-a-subscription-business-yuriy-timen-grammarly-canva-a - Network accessline 25
 - Network accessline 31
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-a-good-activation-rate/comments) - Network accessline 33
And finally, if you filled out [our survey](https://form.typeform.com/to/d6MFIBAL) and shared your activation rates with us, you should have received an email with a link to the raw survey data. If you didn’t get that email, please let us k - Network accessline 37
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1. [Simpler onboarding UI/UX](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/77646597/i-simpler-onboarding-uiux) - Network accessline 111
2. [Reducing onboarding friction](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/77646597/ii-reducing-onboarding-friction) - Network accessline 112
3. [Emails and follow-up comms](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/77646597/iii-emails-and-follow-up-comms) - Network accessline 113
4. [Optimizing copy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/77646597/iv-optimizing-copy) - Network accessline 114
5. [Smarter top-of-funnel targeting](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/77646597/v-smarter-top-of-funnel-targeting) - Network accessline 115
6. [Sales outreach](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/77646597/vi-sales-outreach) - Network accessline 116
7. [Adding incentives](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/77646597/vii-adding-incentives) - Network accessline 117
8. [Showing value earlier](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/77646597/viii-showing-value-earlier) - Network accessline 313
Our advice is to not overthink it—pick a milestone that’s relatively early in a new user’s lifecycle that strongly correlates with long-term retention. Then just go. Facebook’s classic activation milestone is a great example of this bias to - Network accessline 315
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3xSEIrIoC4) - Network accessline 327
1. [Reforge: Retention and Engagement](https://www.reforge.com/retention-engagement-series) - Network accessline 328
2. [Activation: The Product Metric Everyone Thinks They Need but Can’t Seem to Define](https://openviewpartners.com/blog/user-activation-the-product-metric/) by Open View Partners - Network accessline 334
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 336
 - Network accessline 340
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent)
references/02-newsletters/what-is-a-good-growth-rate.md
- Network accessline 14
*Huge thank-you to the following amazing people for sharing their insights: [Alexander Taussig](https://lsvp.com/team/alex-taussig/) and [Arsham Memarzadeh](https://lsvp.com/team/arsham-memarzadeh/) (Lightspeed), [Andrew Chen](https://a16z. - Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 44
 - Network accessline 104
> *“For non-transactional consumer companies (i.e. consumer media), I would love to see an **awesome [K-factor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K-factor_(marketing))** that would lead to a distribution advantage over time. For transactional c - Network accessline 108
 - Network accessline 133
 - Network accessline 164
 - Network accessline 184
1. [T2D3](https://techcrunch.com/2015/02/01/the-saas-travel-adventure/) by Neeraj Agrawal - Network accessline 185
2. [The official SMB software benchmarking guide](https://lsvp.com/smbguide/) by Lightspeed Ventures - Network accessline 191
If you’re looking for a new gig, [join my Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to see personalized opportunities from hand-selected companies. You can join publicly or anonymously, and leave anytime. - Network accessline 193
If you’re hiring, [apply](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. [Learn more or apply now](https://www.lennysjobs - Network accessline 195
 - Network accessline 197
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 201
1. **Balance Homes:** [Founding Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b9e8f81a-ae8c-427b-8072-71097b7c3197) (Remote) - Network accessline 202
2. **Ellis:** [Software Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/dbba97cd-8552-4e1f-96d2-f6092bdff5a5) (Remote) - Network accessline 203
3. **WorkWhile:** [Head of Product](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/8be3c844-7997-4d22-9edd-28ae8e541860) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 204
4. **Clipboard Health:** [Engineering Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/299a6ac5-8435-4596-8262-b29c15c7613f) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 208
1. **Read:** [How People Think](https://www.collaborativefund.com/blog/think/) by Morgan Housel - Network accessline 209
2. **Watch:** [Feynman’s Ode to the Wonder of Life](https://kottke.org/) via Kottke - Network accessline 211
**3. Listen:** *[CODA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJjvTcnPtJk)* [(2021) Audition at Berklee](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJjvTcnPtJk) - Network accessline 213
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJjvTcnPtJk)
references/02-newsletters/what-is-a-good-payback-period.md
- Network accessline 12
To answer this question, like I did with our [look at retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29), I brought out the big guns. I polled the smartest growth people I could get hold of and asked them what pa - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 34
 - Network accessline 179
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/payback-period/comments) - Network accessline 181
*A huge thank-you to [Adam Grenier](https://twitter.com/akgrenier), [Andrew Chen](https://twitter.com/andrewchen), [Andy Johns](https://twitter.com/ibringtraffic), [Bill Trenchard](https://twitter.com/btrenchard), [Brian Rothenberg](https:/ - Network accessline 185
1. [The Importance of Payback Period for SaaS Startups](https://tomtunguz.com/payback_period_cash/) by Tomasz Tunguz - Network accessline 186
2. [What is a Best in Class Payback Period for a Software Company in 2020?](https://tomtunguz.com/payback_period_2020/) by Tomasz Tunguz - Network accessline 187
3. [CAC Payback Period: How to Calculate and Reduce SaaS Payback Period](https://www.profitwell.com/recur/all/calculate-and-reduce-payback-period) by Patrick Campbell - Network accessline 193
1. **Mynd:** [Product Manager, Buying Services](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/5acd93b4-3e73-45f6-894f-a701509a81ea) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 194
2. **OpenPhone:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/a4e59b3d-06a3-4f89-a340-b8bd5f8aee97) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 195
3. **TaxBit:** [Product Lead](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4a453e47-d6c8-4241-becc-763fe8097d97) (Seattle) - Network accessline 196
4. **Orbiit:** [Director of Product Management](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/be8a2c08-274c-4ebf-b20e-79439dc7b70e) (NYC) - Network accessline 197
5. **Relish Works:** [Associate Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e6008616-d0ba-4765-ab3a-8eec826cd044) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 198
6. **OnFrontiers:** [UI/UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c5c630a8-eef4-4ee2-b5c0-f454921f70ff) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 199
7. **OnFrontiers:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/08ad9dfd-0a57-4679-8e59-5fb49545eedf) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 200
8. **Panther:** [Product Manager (Core)](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e5d8025a-078b-48f5-b083-67978ff06b89) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 201
9. **The.com:** [Software Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e3ea6743-db26-4796-bdfd-3a6885b7b3c3) (SF) - Network accessline 202
10. **Relive:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/7a4300f0-d46e-43a4-a8db-dfec28c4e511) (Remote-EU) - Network accessline 203
11. **GetSetUp:** [Product Lead, Discovery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/522f84e1-0499-4ddd-975a-f996f648fa0a) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 205
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 209
1. **Read:** [Techno-optimism for 2022](https://noahpinion.substack.com/p/techno-optimism-for-2022) by Noah Smith - Network accessline 210
2. **Read:** [Amp It Up!](https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/amp-up-frank-slootman/) by Frank Slootman - Network accessline 211
3. **Listen:** [7 Powers with Hamilton Helmer, on Acquired](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/acquired/id1050462261?i=1000544283775) - Network accessline 215
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/what-is-good-free-to-paid-conversion.md
- Network accessline 14
**To get you a definitive answer, I partnered with [Kyle Poyar](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyle-poyar/) from [OpenView Ventures](https://openviewpartners.com/) and the excellent [Growth Unhinged newsletter](https://kylepoyar.substack.com/) - Network accessline 22
[You can check out the full report here](https://openviewpartners.com/2023-product-benchmarks/). The data set focused on B2B SaaS, but we ended up with data for prosumers/micro-SMBs all the way up to large enterprises. We tried to look at c - Network accessline 36
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 - Network accessline 78
 - Network accessline 84
Gone are the days when it was self-service *or* sales. Today, the new frontier is combining product-led growth (PLG) and sales for efficient growth. I consider this part of a broader trend toward [product-led sales](https://kylepoyar.substa - Network accessline 88
One product-led sales approach I’m digging is Zapier’s. Steeve Vakeeswaran was tasked with building out v1 of Zapier’s sales-assist program. He paid close attention to proving whether sales actually improved on Zapier’s baseline metrics rel - Network accessline 101
The data revealed another conversion trend that shouldn’t surprise growth pros: higher product activation coincides with higher free-to-paid conversion. Finding success with the free product opens the door for monetization conversations in - Network accessline 105
I collected a number of [product onboarding mishaps](https://kylepoyar.substack.com/p/your-guide-to-self-serve-onboarding), especially for those launching a self-service offering: - Network accessline 114
 - Network accessline 131
To drive more activated sign-ups, I’m a fan of [product-led marketing](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-led-marketing), making it easy for end users to discover your product when they need it through two primary strategies: organi - Network accessline 133
 - Network accessline 135
Snyk, for example, does a fantastic job of attracting high-intent users through free sidecar products like [Snyk Advisor](https://snyk.io/advisor/) and [Snyk Vulnerability Database](https://security.snyk.io/). The Advisor product is an unga - Network accessline 141
I won’t dwell on the trade-offs between these two approaches. But I will suggest you contemplate a third option, the reverse trial. Popularized by growth leader Elena Verna ([she has a great run-down here](https://amplitude.com/blog/reverse - Network accessline 143
 - Network accessline 147
Reverse-trial examples include up-and-coming PLG darlings like [Krisp](https://krisp.ai/pricing/) and [Coefficient](https://coefficient.io/pricing). My personal favorite case study is Airtable, the low-code/no-code app builder. - Network accessline 149
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I profiled [Airtable’s reverse-trial approach](https://kylepoyar.substack.com/p/your-guide-to-reverse-trials) with Lauryn Isford, the former Head of Growth (and [Lenny had her on his podcast talking about this as well](https://www.lennyspod - Network accessline 155
Other [pricing and packaging tips](https://kylepoyar.substack.com/p/your-guide-to-plg-pricing-201) to drive conversion: - Network accessline 157
- **Don’t ignore the admin experience of PLG pricing and billing.** Admins struggle with billing, budgeting, and feeling like they’re in control of their spend. - **Design pricing around team or higher-value use cases, not individuals.** Id - Network accessline 159
- **Quantify the value of your features for different audiences.** You can quantify the perceived value of your existing and roadmap features through ongoing willingness-to-pay surveys. *(Lenny has a [great podcast with Madhavan Ramanujam]( - Network accessline 169
1. [2023 Product Benchmarks Report](https://openviewpartners.com/2023-product-benchmarks/) - Network accessline 170
2. [Freemium vs. trial](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/freemium-trials-free) (Lenny’s Newsletter) - Network accessline 171
3. [How to combine PLG + sales](https://kylepoyar.substack.com/p/plg-and-sales-in-2023) (Growth Unhinged) - Network accessline 172
4. [9 strategies to convert free trial users into paying customers](https://www.appcues.com/blog/free-to-paid-conversion-strategies) (Appcues) - Network accessline 173
5. [The hidden freemium advantage](https://www.reforge.com/blog/the-hidden-fremium-advantage) (Elena Verna) - Network accessline 179
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 181
 - Network accessline 185
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 187
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/what-is-good-monthly-churn.md
- Network accessline 14
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As Ben points out, churn is unavoidable. So what to do? Beyond constantly working to [reduce churn](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products-retention), it’s essential that you understand what healthy monthly churn l - Network accessline 20
Though you should generally spend your time focusing on [cohort retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-retention-issue#:~:text=First%2C%20how%20does%20one%20measure%20retention%3F) and [net revenue retention](htt - Network accessline 22
Depressingly, your monthly churn stat also tells you how quickly you’ll churn through your users if you do nothing. For example, with an 8% monthly churn, you’ll lose almost two-thirds of your users each year 😵<U+200D>💫 Even with a 4% monthly chur - Network accessline 30
1. I reached out to all the smartest growth people I know and asked them what they consider GOOD and GREAT monthly churn when advising and investing in companies. 2. I asked [Patrick Campbell](https://twitter.com/patticus?lang=en), the foun - Network accessline 31
2. I asked [Patrick Campbell](https://twitter.com/patticus?lang=en), the founder and CEO of [ProfitWell](https://www.profitwell.com), to dig into his treasure trove of data (13,000 anonymized SaaS companies), to see what monthly churn real - Network accessline 39
 - Network accessline 102
To understand healthy monthly churn by price point (i.e. how much you charge each customer on average per month), [Patrick](https://twitter.com/patticus?lang=en) sliced and diced the data, and with input from the experts, this is what we fo - Network accessline 104
 - Network accessline 120
1. **You’re just starting out:** Use these benchmarks as a guide to prioritize between retention vs. acquisition, and don’t miss this post on [ways to increase your retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-products - Network accessline 121
2. **You have low CAC and marginal costs:** Growth is a balancing act between CAC, retention, and unit economics. If you can acquire new users cheaply (e.g. through SEO, WOM, or virality), you can afford to lose more users. [This thread by - Network accessline 126
To save you from having to jump between multiple posts, below I’ve included what healthy **[cohort-based retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29)** looks like, at 6 months at the user level and at 12 mo - Network accessline 152
For more on this, don’t miss [the full post on cohort-based-retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29). - Network accessline 156
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/monthly-churn-benchmarks/comments) - Network accessline 158
*Thank you to [Adam Grenier](https://twitter.com/akgrenier), [Brian Rothenberg](https://twitter.com/bmrothenberg), [ChenLi Wang](https://twitter.com/chenliw), [Crystal Widjaja](https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalwidjaja/details/experience/) - Network accessline 160
*If you aren’t familiar with ProfitWell, it has a free subscription and SaaS financial metrics product that’s used by over 25K companies, from MasterClass and Whoop to Notion and Typeform (and my newsletter!). You can even use ProfitWell fo - Network accessline 166
1. [What is good retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-retention-issue-29) - Network accessline 167
2. [How to increase your retention](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-increase-your-retention-issue) - Network accessline 168
3. [What is good payback period](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/payback-period) - Network accessline 169
4. [The Innovator’s Dilemma for SaaS Startups](https://tomtunguz.com/saas-innovators-dilemma/) by Tomasz Tunguz - Network accessline 170
5. [Individuals or Teams: Who’s the Better Customer for SaaS Products?](https://sacks.substack.com/p/individuals-or-teams-whos-the-better) by David Sacks - Network accessline 176
1. **Siteline:** [First Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/3cc1fa57-e3e3-4b93-9d0d-fac7c592545b) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 177
2. **Koodos**: [Product Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/1412066a-3922-47c6-99f7-28401ed895f5) (NYC, Remote-US) - Network accessline 178
3. **Mynd:** [Senior Product Manager, Communications](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/77af7c80-baa3-4208-b322-2ea674604fdb) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 179
4. **Empower:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/5d73dc1a-9b0d-45d9-a661-735f07650d26) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 180
5. **Superjoi:** [UI/UX Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/9710eb14-bc72-46a5-b75b-2949c5c1bfa7) (LA, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 181
6. **Superjoi:** [Full Stack Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4111e336-604a-43c7-90b4-8cf03952800b) (LA, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 182
7. **HireArt:** [Senior Full-Stack Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/fd0b1a53-7741-4a2b-8739-a976d2482afe) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 183
8. **Universe:** [Product Lead - Commerce Tools](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/38cfa180-37e3-4882-99ae-3a6d35a04d32) (Remote) - Network accessline 184
9. **Universe:** [Product Lead - Creation Tools](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/5b414879-8180-4651-bc80-39610ee206f2) (Remote) - Network accessline 185
10. **Clubhouse:** [Growth Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/ed55d82e-f9b6-47b7-837d-b8f29b9e2b41) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 186
11. **Earthly Technologies:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/958ba7ed-1571-4249-a103-2e58dfcc40bd) (Remote-US, Remote-Canada) - Network accessline 187
12. **Otta:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/896bc872-ef34-44a5-85bd-74784e9bea89) (London) - Network accessline 188
13. **Sonar:** [Product Manager, Integrations](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/d830dd44-5885-452a-a0fc-681a667d20c5) (ATL, Remote-US) - Network accessline 190
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 194
1. **Watch:** [Duett chain of numnumcat](https://www.tiktok.com/@mimo_mio/video/7029807544944069894?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo833ZZlLy4Ub5tHcH5c6ss0rgQWVMAC%2Fg6kov%2FLjEPTkguVAMBkUyzKHONmqWK5bzlw%2BOHMMJORh3VHFY7GgA%3D&checksum=7ef5f380257e35bb - Network accessline 195
2. **Listen:** [Optimizing Workspace for Productivity, Focus, & Creativity](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/optimizing-workspace-for-productivity-focus-creativity/id1545953110?i=1000549503046) by Huberman Lab - Network accessline 196
3. **Read:** [Scaling with Process vs. People](https://svpg.com/scaling-with-process-vs-people/) by Marty Cagan
references/02-newsletters/what-is-good-retention.md
- Network accessline 10
*Hello, and welcome to the **free monthly edition**of my weekly newsletter. I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing yo - Network accessline 14
> *“Great retention is* the *scalable way to grow a product. It’s the best indicator of product-market fit, it is the most important factor in a user’s lifetime value, and high retention drives all of the best acquisition strategies. It’s g - Network accessline 16
> —[Casey Winters](https://twitter.com/onecaseman) - Network accessline 20
So when [Casey Winters](https://www.linkedin.com/in/caseywinters) (former head of growth at Pinterest and Grubhub, and now CPO at Eventbrite) brought up this question in a conversation we were having, we decided to take the opportunity to d - Network accessline 27
As a companion to this post, [Casey also published an essay](https://caseyaccidental.com/what-is-good-retention) delving into ways to increase retention, among other topics, that you should definitely check out. - Network accessline 51
 - Network accessline 55
**[Adam Fishman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjfishman/)** (Patreon, Imperfect Foods), **[Andrew Chen](https://twitter.com/andrewchen)** (Uber, a16z), **[Andy Johns](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewjohns/)** (Twitter, Facebook, Wealthf - Network accessline 61
1. **You’re just starting out:** Don’t despair if you don’t see this level of retention immediately. Use these benchmarks as a guide to prioritize between retention versus acquisition, and [read Casey’s post](https://caseyaccidental.com/wha - Network accessline 62
2. **You have low CAC and marginal costs:** Growth is a balancing act between CAC, retention, and unit economics. If you can acquire new users cheaply (e.g. SEO, word of mouth, or virality), you can afford to lose more users. [This thread b - Network accessline 65
> **Ultimately, what matters is that your retention supports sustained growth.** > > —[Fareed Mosavat](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fareed/) - Network accessline 67
> —[Fareed Mosavat](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fareed/) - Network accessline 92
- **Facebook**: 60%-70% 6-month user retention - **Instagram**: 50%-60% 6-month user retention - **Snapchat**: 33% 3-month user retention, 30% 24-month ([source](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/which-apps-retail-their-users-and-whic - Network accessline 93
- **Instagram**: 50%-60% 6-month user retention - **Snapchat**: 33% 3-month user retention, 30% 24-month ([source](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/which-apps-retail-their-users-and-which-ones-dont), [source](https://www.statista.com - Network accessline 94
- **Snapchat**: 33% 3-month user retention, 30% 24-month ([source](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/which-apps-retail-their-users-and-which-ones-dont), [source](https://www.statista.com/statistics/523845/highest-retention-social-andr - Network accessline 95
- **Twitter**: 31% 3-month user retention, 22% 24-month ([source](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/which-apps-retail-their-users-and-which-ones-dont), [source](https://www.statista.com/statistics/523845/highest-retention-social-andro - Network accessline 112
- **TurboTax**: 77% 12-month customer retention ([source](https://www.hbs.edu/openforum/openforum.hbs.org/goto/challenge/understand-digital-transformation-of-business/intuit-s-turbotax-price-discrimination-is-effective.1.html)) - Network accessline 113
- **Lyft**: 22% 12-month customer retention ([source](https://www.thetaequity.com/lyft-ipo)) - Network accessline 129
- **Amazon Prime**: 93% 12-month customer retention ([source](https://www.twice.com/retailing/amazon-prime-subscribers-2019)) - Network accessline 130
- **Dropbox:** ~80% 12-month customer retention - **Spotify**: 72% 6-month customer retention ([source](https://blog.measurable.ai/2019/11/04/exceptional-purchase-retention-of-spotify-and-its-new-podcast-strategy/), [source](https://www.sta - Network accessline 131
- **Spotify**: 72% 6-month customer retention ([source](https://blog.measurable.ai/2019/11/04/exceptional-purchase-retention-of-spotify-and-its-new-podcast-strategy/), [source](https://www.statista.com/statistics/241424/dau-and-mau-of-spoti - Network accessline 132
- **Netflix**: 66% 12-month customer retention ([source](https://secondmeasure.com/datapoints/netflix-disney-plus-apple-customer-retention/)) - Network accessline 133
- **Hulu**: 53% 12-month customer retention ([source](https://secondmeasure.com/datapoints/netflix-disney-plus-apple-customer-retention/)) - Network accessline 152
- **Atlassian**: 98% 12-month customer retention ([source](https://seekingalpha.com/article/4289582-atlassian-is-repositioning-for-future)) - Network accessline 153
- **Slack:** 90%-95% 12-month customer retention ([source](https://www.rocketblocks.me/blog/slack-metrics.php), [source](https://www.thetaequity.com/slack-ipo)) - Network accessline 154
- **QuickBooks**: 79% 12-month customer retention ([source](https://analysisreport.morningstar.com/stock/research/c-report?t=XNAS%3AINTU®ion=usa&culture=zh-CN&productcode=QS&cur=&urlCookie=8056723522&e=eyJhbGciOiJSU0EtT0FFUCIsImVuYyI6IkE - Network accessline 171
- **Workday:** 95% 12-month customer retention ([source](https://www.workday.com/content/dam/web/en-us/documents/investor/workday-financial-analyst-day-2018.pdf)) - Network accessline 172
- **Salesforce:** 90% 12-month customer retention ([source](https://seekingalpha.com/article/4308906-salesforce-buy)) - Network accessline 173
- **ADP:** 90%+ 12-month customer retention ([source](https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/02/01/key-takeaways-from-adps-q2/#549ea1ac4877)) - Network accessline 214
- **Twilio**: 140%-170% ([source](https://tomtunguz.com/benchmarking-zoom-s-s-1-how-7-key-metrics-stack-up/), [source](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ogELPtct2s6jj9wRBpOgqGUE5k4cO73XXcvqmEZE89M/edit#gid=0), [source](https://www.saa - Network accessline 215
- **Zoom**: 140% ([source](https://www.forbes.com/sites/patricksalyer/2019/06/19/the-secret-behind-slacks-runaway-success/#43d192e04248)) - Network accessline 216
- **Slack**: 135%-155% ([source](https://www.fool.com/investing/2019/11/20/slack-investors-are-focusing-too-much-on-user-metr.aspx), [source](https://www.forbes.com/sites/patricksalyer/2019/06/19/the-secret-behind-slacks-runaway-success/#43 - Network accessline 217
- **PagerDuty**: 139% ([source](https://www.saastr.com/5-interesting-learnings-from-pagerduty/)) - Network accessline 218
- **Datadog:** 130% ([source](https://www.publiccomps.com/tickers/DDOG)) - Network accessline 219
- **New Relic**: 115% ([source](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ogELPtct2s6jj9wRBpOgqGUE5k4cO73XXcvqmEZE89M/edit#gid=0)) - Network accessline 220
- **Dropbox**: ~100% ([source](https://www.key.com/kco/images/Public_SaaS_Company_Retention_Metrics_2019.pdf)) - Network accessline 246
- **Atlassian**: 100%-148% ([source](https://tomtunguz.com/benchmarking-zoom-s-s-1-how-7-key-metrics-stack-up/)) - Network accessline 247
- **Box**: 130% ([source](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ogELPtct2s6jj9wRBpOgqGUE5k4cO73XXcvqmEZE89M/edit#gid=0)) - Network accessline 248
- **Zendesk**: 123% ([source](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ogELPtct2s6jj9wRBpOgqGUE5k4cO73XXcvqmEZE89M/edit#gid=0)) - Network accessline 249
- **SendGrid**: 116% ([source](https://www.key.com/kco/images/Public_SaaS_Company_Retention_Metrics_2019.pdf)) - Network accessline 262
- **Alteryx**: 135% ([source](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ogELPtct2s6jj9wRBpOgqGUE5k4cO73XXcvqmEZE89M/edit#gid=0)) - Network accessline 263
- **Fastly**: 130% ([source](https://www.saastr.com/5-interesting-learnings-from-fastly-as-it-gets-ready-to-ipo/)) - Network accessline 264
- **Okta**: 124% ([source](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ogELPtct2s6jj9wRBpOgqGUE5k4cO73XXcvqmEZE89M/edit#gid=0)) - Network accessline 265
- **Anaplan**: 124% ([source](https://www.key.com/kco/images/Public_SaaS_Company_Retention_Metrics_2019.pdf)) - Network accessline 266
- **Workday**: 100%+ ([source](https://www.workday.com/content/dam/web/en-us/documents/investor/workday-financial-analyst-day-2018.pdf)) - Network accessline 267
- **ServiceNow**: 97% ([source](https://www.publiccomps.com/tickers/NOW)) - Network accessline 273
Please [ping me](https://twitter.com/lennysan) if you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions about this post. And don’t forget to [go read Casey’s companion post](https://caseyaccidental.com/what-is-good-retention).
references/02-newsletters/what-is-good-waitlist-conversion.md
- Network accessline 14
 - Network accessline 20
 is an initiative aiming to make it easier for them to find new quality jobs or projects - Network accessline 30
- If you're an employer or recruiter, please [browse submitted profiles](https://hireforukraine.org/) in your field of interest. - Network accessline 31
- If you’re a Ukrainian professional who’s been affected, [create a profile on the website](https://hireforukraine.org/account/signup). The team will be sending it out to companies and recruiters regularly. - Network accessline 32
- If you just want to help, please share this resource with affected Ukrainians who are seeking work. The project was launched yesterday and is just getting the word out. Follow them on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/hireforukraine), or [sub - Network accessline 36
**4. Follow the news:** I’ve found most value in tracking [this Twitter list](https://twitter.com/i/lists/1492242776825552896) and [newsletter](https://noahpinion.substack.com/) by Noah Smith (who also happens to sit right below me in [the - Network accessline 44
To get you a concrete answer, I asked a bunch of founders (over [Twitter](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1495092635991609345), email, and IRL) who have direct experience with long waitlists, and broadly here’s what I’ve learned: - Network accessline 52
 - Network accessline 56
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-waitlist-conversion/comments) - Network accessline 66
> #### “With Linear, we probably saw 30%-50% in the first few months, and then 10% 12 months later.” > > #### —[Karri Saarinen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karrisaarinen/), CEO and co-founder of [Linear](https://linear.app/) - Network accessline 68
> #### —[Karri Saarinen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karrisaarinen/), CEO and co-founder of [Linear](https://linear.app/) - Network accessline 72
If your waitlist is all Hacker News users, you’re not going to have a good time. If instead your waitlist is diehard fans who’ve been holding their breath waiting for your product, you’ll do a lot better. e.g. [Opal Camera](https://opalcame - Network accessline 74
> #### “We’ve got a waitlist of 40K, and in the first batch of invites, almost 90% have converted. They’ve been very excited to get their Opal camera since we started working on it.” > > #### —[Veeraj Chugh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/veer - Network accessline 76
> #### —[Veeraj Chugh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/veerajchugh/), co-founder of [Opal](https://opalcamera.com/) - Network accessline 94
> #### “Something that mattered a lot for conversion rates was keeping our waitlist warm by sending regular product update emails (changelogs) and other meaningful content.” > > #### —[Matthias Wagner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthias-w - Network accessline 96
> #### —[Matthias Wagner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthias-wagner-5220b047/), CEO at [Flux](https://www.flux.ai/) - Network accessline 102
> #### “The day we release a good chunk of the list (5K or so), bounces lead to hundreds of emails getting to spam, and people not signing up. > > #### Next time, I would run a waitlist through a service like [ZeroBounce](https://www.zerobo - Network accessline 103
> > #### Next time, I would run a waitlist through a service like [ZeroBounce](https://www.zerobounce.net/) to validate them. This will filter out the ones that don’t exist. Plus, a lot of sign-ups are fake accounts/bots.” > - Network accessline 104
> #### Next time, I would run a waitlist through a service like [ZeroBounce](https://www.zerobounce.net/) to validate them. This will filter out the ones that don’t exist. Plus, a lot of sign-ups are fake accounts/bots.” - Network accessline 106
> #### —[Henrique Cruz](https://twitter.com/HenrM_Cruz), Head of Growth at [Rows](https://rows.com/) - Network accessline 112
> #### “The older the cohorts, the more of a full-funnel approach you have to take. Start top-of-funnel—awareness, education, reeducating them on what the product is. People who sign up more recently have such high purchase intent, you can - Network accessline 114
> #### —[Ben Grynol](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bengrynol/?originalSubdomain=ca), Head of Growth at [Levels](https://www.levelshealth.com/) - Network accessline 116
> #### “Something that helped was an extremely aggressive onboarding movie on clickthrough.” > > #### —[Nan Yu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenanyu/), ex-CTO at [Everlane](https://www.everlane.com/) - Network accessline 118
> #### —[Nan Yu](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thenanyu/), ex-CTO at [Everlane](https://www.everlane.com/) - Network accessline 130
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-is-good-waitlist-conversion/comments) - Network accessline 136
1. [My original twitter thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1495092635991609345) - Network accessline 137
2. [Turning your waitlist into actual users](https://taskablehq.com/blog/launch-plan) by taskable - Network accessline 138
3. [Anyone have benchmarks for waitlist to signup conversion?](https://www.indiehackers.com/post/anyone-have-benchmarks-for-waitlist-to-signup-conversion-813460d68a) on Indie Hackers - Network accessline 139
4. [4 viral sharing tactics for your product launch strategy](https://neilpatel.com/blog/tactics-product-shares/) by Neil Patel - Network accessline 145
1. **Airhouse:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/1739a7ee-41ab-43fb-8ac9-788738baad22) (SF, Oakland) - Network accessline 146
2. **CommerceHub:** [Director of Product Management, Delivery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/5e4c79e3-9c75-4cd3-aa6f-0b9fc40636bf) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 147
3. **CommerceHub:** [Sr. Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/125eafba-2e93-41ee-98aa-abaae84c1b35) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 148
4. **Elevate Labs:** [Senior Product Manager, Balance](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/54802bbd-3ad4-4abf-bd0f-308e86d52586) (Remote) - Network accessline 149
5. **Oath Care:** [UX Designer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/0e35e470-6b81-4dae-a706-33139219fa68) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 150
6. **Oath Care:** [Community Marketing Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/300b896f-80ca-4893-a39f-1d2dfff8da00) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 151
7. **Hex:** [Growth Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/957d5c52-aac0-483e-b336-5b63961a99e6) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 152
8. **Monarch:** [Data Lead - Growth](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/269cafbf-a15c-41d3-b8cb-566b49fbe84e) (Remote-Global, Remote-US) - Network accessline 153
9. **Monarch:** [Performance Marketing Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/e80e525c-d891-422a-8bfe-5a82aa4caad4) (Remote-Global, Remote-US) - Network accessline 154
10. **Convosight:** [Sr Product Owner](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.com/jobs/22dd029a-3678-491f-b7ca-820585118380) (Remote-Global, Remote-US, Remote-India) - Network accessline 155
11. **Siteline:** [First Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/3cc1fa57-e3e3-4b93-9d0d-fac7c592545b) (SF, Remote-US) - Network accessline 156
12. **Koodos**: [Product Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/1412066a-3922-47c6-99f7-28401ed895f5) (NYC, Remote-US) - Network accessline 157
13. **Mynd:** [Senior Product Manager, Communications](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/77af7c80-baa3-4208-b322-2ea674604fdb) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 158
14. **Empower:** [Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/5d73dc1a-9b0d-45d9-a661-735f07650d26) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 159
15. **Superjoi:** [UI/UX Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/9710eb14-bc72-46a5-b75b-2949c5c1bfa7) (LA, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 160
16. **Superjoi:** [Full Stack Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/4111e336-604a-43c7-90b4-8cf03952800b) (LA, Remote-Global) - Network accessline 162
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 166
1. **Watch:** [Ukraine cold open,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjE4_h0t7qI) *[SNL](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjE4_h0t7qI)* - Network accessline 168
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjE4_h0t7qI)
references/02-newsletters/what-is-product-management.md
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Your job isn’t to do the building yourself but instead to increase the leverage of your cross-functional teammates—designers, engineers, data scientists, researchers—to deliver impact. To paraphrase [Andy Grove](https://en.wikipedia.org/wik - Network accessline 44
 - Network accessline 54
A different approach to understanding the PM job is to look at how PMs are evaluated. Earlier this year, I [collected and analyzed dozens of career ladders](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager) from companies big and - Network accessline 56
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[You can learn more about each of these attributes here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager), including which attributes most separate junior and senior PMs. You’ll need to develop each of these to thrive as a PM lon - Network accessline 70
In a different research project, [I surveyed about 1,000 PMs](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-survey) across hundreds of companies and asked them what skills matter most when *hiring* PMs. The results provide insight i - Network accessline 72
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1. [Product management career ladders](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/jobs-of-product-manager) - Network accessline 108
2. [A comprehensive survey of Product Management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-survey) - Network accessline 109
3. [Should I become a product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/become-a-product-manager) - Network accessline 110
4. [How to get into product management](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-into-product-management) - Network accessline 111
5. [Startup PM vs. big-company PM](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-management-startup-big-company) - Network accessline 112
6. [Getting better at product strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) - Network accessline 113
7. [The Minto Pyramid Principle and the SCR Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/minto-pyramid-principle-scr) - Network accessline 119
1. **GetSetUp:** [Product Lead, Discovery](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/522f84e1-0499-4ddd-975a-f996f648fa0a) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 120
2. **Morty:** [Founding Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/e30caace-f287-4fe1-8215-6d08c88f51c1) (Consumer) - Network accessline 121
3. **Otto:** [Senior Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/3e0d39f0-55dc-4bc8-bdd1-c58e5611ddf7) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 122
4. **Mynd:** [Product Lead, Leasing & Residents](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/fb8cc2e5-7d3c-48ca-9fa8-38fbb4a3411f) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 123
5. **TaskRabbit:** [Chief Product Officer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/17de265a-eadd-4e61-9a8b-a4ff0dc0b494) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 124
6. **Fiveable:** [Head of Product](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/c569b4e4-3b48-4ed6-9e85-ca71fc7023f0) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 125
7. **Catalog:** [Senior Project Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/f2bec9f3-9eaf-4d5f-aa4a-48e81f3e3a78) (Remote-Global) - Network accessline 126
8. **Enterpret:** [Principal Product Manager](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/ffbf9d72-bac3-4a65-a086-43dcb9b46bcb) (NYC) - Network accessline 127
9. **Launch House:** [Growth Associate](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/cc16e91a-64cd-40b0-b48b-0a9befd0a77b) (Remote-US) - Network accessline 128
10. **Hyphen:** [Senior Software Engineer](https://lennys-jobs.pallet.xyz/jobs/409ba7dc-d175-45cf-a3e8-5b50d020c874) (LA, San Jose, ATL, Remote-US) - Network accessline 129
11. **Rapchat:** [Data Analyst](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/jobs/e32872cf-766d-47f1-b367-6e9b0d437294) (Remote-US/EU) - Network accessline 131
*Browse more open roles, or add your own, at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 135
1. **Watch:** [Birds with people arms](https://kottke.org/21/11/birds-with-people-arms) - Network accessline 137
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK2rxOVcH38) - Network accessline 139
2. **Read:** [Wait, but Have You Tried](https://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/wait-but-have-you-tried) by Michelle Rial (my wife!), *The New Yorker* - Network accessline 140
3. **Listen:** [Red (Taylor’s Version)](https://open.spotify.com/album/6kZ42qRrzov54LcAk4onW9#login) by Taylor Swift - Network accessline 144
[Legend](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=5) • [Great](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=4) • [Good](https://a.sprig.com/672d7967625042535f477e7369643a3434363132?r=3) • [OK](https:/
references/02-newsletters/what-it-feels-like-when-youve-found-product-market-fit.md
- Network accessline 10
👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) and welcome to a ✨ **once-a-month-free-edition** ✨ of my newsletter. Each week I humbly tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressin - Network accessline 14
1. [Getting better at product strategy](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/getting-better-at-product-strategy) - Network accessline 15
2. [Fostering a culture of experimentation](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/fostering-a-culture-of-experimentation) - Network accessline 16
3. [When to hire your first product manager](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/when-to-hire-your-first-product-manager) - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 65
I covered this in [a previous post](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket), and I want to make clear that getting to a feeling of PMF does not mean you’ll automatically be able to build a successful busines - Network accessline 67
1. **Make a product that people want** — that’s what this post is all about. 2. **Make a profit delivering this product to people at scale** — companies like [Cherry](https://techcrunch.com/2012/12/23/cherry-car-wash-shut-down/), [Luxe](htt - Network accessline 68
2. **Make a profit delivering this product to people at scale** — companies like [Cherry](https://techcrunch.com/2012/12/23/cherry-car-wash-shut-down/), [Luxe](https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2017/04/27/valet-startup-luxe-shut - Network accessline 69
3. **Find and keep these people, sustainably** — [check out this previous post](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) that covers the quantitative side of PMF, like retention and sales yield. - Network accessline 71
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> “For me there was a visceral sense of your thing taking on a life of its own and lurching forward, **like getting pressed into the back of your seat by a fast car or a plane taking off**. The most standout moment for me was our demo video - Network accessline 83
> >  > - Network accessline 84
>  - Network accessline 88
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> **We just put up a wait list on our site and demand took off, over a couple months we had a huge wait list. We weren’t expecting it.**” > > — Patrick Collison, CEO and co-founder ([source](https://medium.com/notes-essays-cs183c-technology - Network accessline 128
> — Patrick Collison, CEO and co-founder ([source](https://medium.com/notes-essays-cs183c-technology-enabled-blitzscalin/class-11-notes-essay-reid-hoffman-john-lilly-chris-yeh-and-allen-blue-s-cs183c-technology-ebf34cebae26), [source](https - Network accessline 130
 - Network accessline 131
> “For Patreon, it was actually right after we launched with Jack's music video on YouTube video and patrons and creators started writing in. > > [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ02alEkbLw) - Network accessline 132
> > [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ02alEkbLw) > - Network accessline 133
> [Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZ02alEkbLw) - Network accessline 145
 - Network accessline 154
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> We ended up getting 10,000 sign-ups that first day, over 50,000 the first week, and almost 1 million in the first year.” > > ー Vlad Tenev, CEO and co-founder ([source](https://www.businessinsider.com/robinhood-app-vlad-tenev-founder-free- - Network accessline 161
> ー Vlad Tenev, CEO and co-founder ([source](https://www.businessinsider.com/robinhood-app-vlad-tenev-founder-free-stock-trading-valuation-2017-7)) - Network accessline 165
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> "**We found pockets of PMF with specific segments of founders, managers, executives and business development professionals**. Once we recognized this, we were able to focus the entire company on serving that narrow segment better than any - Network accessline 174
> >  > - Network accessline 175
>  - Network accessline 183
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[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-it-feels-like-when-youve-found/comments) - Network accessline 271
- **Product**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4124465003), [Chime](https://www.chime.com/job-openings/?gh_jid=4778800002), [ClassDojo](https://boards.greenhouse.io/classdojo/jobs/2075731), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever - Network accessline 272
- **Growth**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://levels.link/growth), [Shef](https://angel.co/company/shef-1/jobs/88328 - Network accessline 273
- **Design**: [Huddle](https://dribbble.com/jobs/49411-Sr-Product-Designer), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8h - Network accessline 274
- **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003), [Chime](https://www.chime.com/job-openings/?gh_jid=4225358002), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/00505223-bc85-4c28-8e4b-31217d05c2de) - Network accessline 275
- **Frontend engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product - Network accessline 276
- **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) - Network accessline 277
- **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4473700002), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [Iggy](http - Network accessline 278
- **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Vori](https://www.notion.so/Mobile-Engineer-Vori-c5ceccd966a04c8aa9e970f0355ca13c)
references/02-newsletters/what-jury-duty-taught-me-about-product-management.md
- Network accessline 49
This framework is often referred to as the [Aristotelian triptych](https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/interactive-lecturing/9781119277309/Barkley277309_c06_14_EPUB.xhtml) (though [it’s not clear](https://quoteinvestigator.com/2017/08/15/t - Network accessline 53
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iegsoaG12_U) - Network accessline 59
 - Network accessline 63
 - Network accessline 65
Trials are very low-drama for one simple reason: [lawyers are taught](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1piLVzrlko) never to ask a question they don’t already know the answer to. To accomplish this, they spend a lot of time behind the scenes - Network accessline 73
 - Network accessline 83
**What’s the product lesson?** [An important habit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/33702655/great-pms-hunt-for-misalignment-and-quickly-push-everyone-back-into-alignment) of highly effective product managers is to be endlessly hunting f - Network accessline 112
**What’s the product lesson?** I previously wrote a post on [how to improve your influence](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/73401125/strategy-bring-evidence), and looking through it again in relation to this trial experience, I’m reminde - Network accessline 125
Finally, I’ll leave you with this clip from a new reality show called *[Jury Duty](https://www.amazon.com/Jury-Duty-Season-1/dp/B0B8JM2BBS)*: - Network accessline 127
[](https://www.tiktok.com/@keshascastle/video/7219733026379418922) - Network accessline 129
[@keshascastle](https://www.tiktok.com/@keshascastle)[this is not even an ad im just urging u to watch bc its a hilarious show😭💀 #juryduty #jurydutyonfreevee #tvshow #theoffice #funny #showrecommendations](https://www.tiktok.com/@keshascast - Network accessline 131
Tiktok failed to load. - Access to secretsline 133
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 139
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 141
 - Network accessline 145
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 149
1. **Fitmate Coach:** [Product Leader](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/4d6c9e6a-5f53-478b-be29-a87c6e8eb109) (Menlo Park, CA, or remote) - Network accessline 150
2. **Wingspan:** [Product Marketing Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/02f1d98a-a58e-427b-a46e-9e8b1fd52295) (NY, remote) - Network accessline 151
3. **Wingspan:** [Senior Software Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/e42afaf7-f323-441d-8f4c-cf7a252e9ca3) (Remote) - Network accessline 152
4. **Wingspan:** [Technical Account Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b8d36434-9885-4d23-80bf-9ac3847e37de) (Remote) - Network accessline 156
1. **Read:** [Five big trends that have changed in the last few years](https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/five-big-trends-that-have-changed?publication_id=35345&post_id=115309518&isFreemail=false) by Noah Smith - Network accessline 157
2. **Watch:** [Michael Jackson on Fire Diorama](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHi479xN_po) via Tim Ferriss - Network accessline 159
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHi479xN_po) - Network accessline 161
3. **Read:** [The Difficulty Ratio](https://sacks.substack.com/p/the-difficulty-ratio?publication_id=91289&post_id=111941126&isFreemail=true) by David Sacks - Network accessline 163
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/02-newsletters/what-people-are-vibe-coding-and-actually-using.md
- Network accessline 10
Everyone’s talking about [vibe coding](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/153296003/vibe-coding), and how important it is to get your hands dirty by using the latest AI tools. But what are people building? And are these products useful, lik - Network accessline 12
I asked on [X](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1938252382447845524), [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lennyrachitsky_whats-a-producttool-you-vibe-coded-that-activity-7344093906420056064-PG_J?rcm=ACoAAABGvmoB4S920iEQfSFO_P91nw2wPqfPoi - Network accessline 14
The response was overwhelming: Within 24 hours, I got over 1,000 enthusiastic replies, ranging from a buzzer app that automatically answers apartment deliveries, to a hyper-personalized greeting card generator, to a workplace accomplishment - Network accessline 30
 - Network accessline 34
### Carb counter, by [Morgan Brown](https://www.linkedin.com/in/morganb/) using Replit - Network accessline 36
> “I built CarbScanto help manage my son’s diabetes and blood glucose levels with faster carb counting. I used Replit. Has become a daily go-to.” [[Check it out](https://carbscan.ai)] - Network accessline 38
 - Network accessline 40
### Lash tracker, by [Jackie Bavaro](https://x.com/jackiebo/) using Replit - Network accessline 42
> “Every time I put on new eyelashes, I take a picture and record the styles and method used.” [[Check it out](https://lash-map-tracker.replit.app/)] - Network accessline 44
 - Network accessline 46
### How many layers should I wear today?, by [Vijith Quadros](https://x.com/vijithq/) using Lovable - Network accessline 48
> “I vibe coded this with Lovable and use it myself every single day. It’s grown to 85K users in total in nine months. Weather apps had too much clutter for simple daily clothing decisions.” [[Check it out](https://howmanylayersidag.se/)] - Network accessline 50
 - Network accessline 52
### A “stupidly specific” workout app, by [Faraz Khan](https://x.com/farazKhan404) using v0 and Claude Code - Network accessline 56
 - Network accessline 58
### Personalized meal plans based on what’s in your fridge, by [Nick Markman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickmarkman/) using Lovable and Cursor - Network accessline 60
> “I built a web app using Lovable, Supabase, and Cursor where you can upload photos of your fridge/pantry/receipts (or use voice) to detect ingredients you have at home, save to ‘inventory,’ and generate recipes using AI. > > It factors in - Network accessline 62
> It factors in the user’s set dietary preferences and input of how strict/flexible recipes should be with using what you have in inventory vs. things you need to buy. It also auto-generates a shopping list for ingredients you need to buy f - Network accessline 64
 - Network accessline 66
### Find out what’s blocking your flow, by [Su](https://x.com/su_dreams) using Bolt - Network accessline 68
> “Flowbound is an app that gives me games/exercises to do when I find myself procrastinating on something (which is often).” [[Check it out](https://www.flowbound.app/)] - Network accessline 70
 - Network accessline 72
### Pickleball games tracker, by [Jacob Jolibois](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jolibois/) using Replit - Network accessline 74
> “I (and users from all across the U.S.) use Paddles.ai to track and analyze my pickleball matches. Vibe coded and deployed on Replit.” [[Check it out](https://www.paddles.ai/)] - Network accessline 76
 - Network accessline 78
### Nicotine pouch tracker, by [Thatcher](https://x.com/thatchhh)using Cursor - Network accessline 80
> “I have no coding background and vibe coded this as my first app with Cursor/Xcode + SwiftUI. It helps you taper off high nicotine usage. It’s sticky until you’re ready to quit. Took a month to launch. Recently redesigned from scratch in - Network accessline 82
 - Network accessline 86
### Create stories by dragging emoji into a pot, by [Akshan Ish](https://x.com/akshanish) using Replit - Network accessline 88
> “I built Storypot entirely on Replit for my kid. Other kids and parents also seem to like it. We and 60-odd families use it frequently.” [[Check it out](https://app.thestorypot.com)] - Network accessline 90
 - Network accessline 92
### Teach your kids budgeting and savings, by [Sanjeev Nair](https://x.com/sanjeevn72) using Claude Code - Network accessline 94
> “I built a simple app using Claude Code to help my kids figure out expense planning and saving when in college. Great value add considering it’s a tough topic for parents to make teenagers focus/lean toward.” [[Check it out](https://claud - Network accessline 96
 - Network accessline 98
### Turn family photos into videos, by [Oren Saban](https://www.linkedin.com/in/oren-saban/) using Lovable and Bolt - Network accessline 100
> “I built Timeless Memories with Lovable, which is pretty insane to think such a complex app can be built with that. And all my friends have used it already. > > I also built a logo animator with Bolt that uses the GSAP library to animate - Network accessline 102
> I also built a logo animator with Bolt that uses the GSAP library to animate our logo in cool ways, for different onboarding experiences.” [[Check it out](https://timelessmemories.me/)] - Network accessline 104
 - Network accessline 106
### Baby care tracking, by [Javier Evelyn](https://x.com/hah_vee_AIR) using Lovable - Network accessline 108
> “I’m a new dad, and while waiting for the little one to arrive, I started tinkering around with Lovable. I built My Baby Logger over two weekends. Tracks feedings, sleep, diapers, and meds. It’s been helpful for us.” [[Check it out](https - Network accessline 110
 - Network accessline 112
### A chore app for kids, by [Ben Ogren](https://x.com/benogren) using v0 and Claude Code - Network accessline 114
> “I built a chores app for my kids. It’s my first iOS app! I started with v0 but quickly moved off it and started using Claude to help me through areas where I got stuck.” [[Check it out](https://www.chores-ai.com/)] - Network accessline 116
 - Network accessline 118
### A bedtime storytelling app, by [Harshitha P.](https://www.linkedin.com/in/harshitha-p-991776149/) using Bolt - Network accessline 120
> “I built this for parents, and now I use it every night. It’s a bedtime storytelling ritual that turns your daily emotions into personalized stories for your child. You reflect, drop a ‘pebble’ or plant a ‘story seed,’ and the app creates - Network accessline 122
 - Network accessline 124
### Personalized greeting card generator, by [Bob Sheth](https://x.com/bobsheth) using Cursor, Windsurf, and Claude Code - Network accessline 126
> “I vibe coded an AI greeting card generator, and send everyone I know these hyper-personalised cards.” [[Check it out](https://jenicards.com/cards)] - Network accessline 128
 - Network accessline 132
### Meeting prep automation, by [Marissa Goldberg](https://x.com/mar15sa) using Zapier Agent - Network accessline 134
> “It checks my calendar each morning, identifies who I’m meeting with, and compiles everything I need to show up prepared.” [[Here’s how to build it](https://ideakitchen.substack.com/p/ai-recipe-create-your-own-meeting)] - Network accessline 136
 - Network accessline 138
### A standup order randomizer, by [Rob Balderstone](https://www.linkedin.com/in/robbalderstone/) using Lovable - Network accessline 140
> “I use this daily at work.” [[Check it out](https://standup-buddy.lovable.app/)] - Network accessline 142
 - Network accessline 144
### Chrome extension to share your availability, by [Olena Vozna](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alionavozna/) using Replit - Network accessline 150
 - Network accessline 152
### A time tracking app, by [Asif](https://x.com/asifkabeer) using Warp.dev - Network accessline 154
> “I built a time tracking app with Warp.dev. All done in a day.” [[Check it out](https://time.wisdemic.com/)] - Network accessline 156
 - Network accessline 158
### Inbox focus tool, by [Ari Klein](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kleinari/) using Gemini - Network accessline 162
 - Network accessline 164
### Accomplishments tracker to showcase your wins at work, by [Kevin Kirkpatrick](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinkandco/) using Lovable - Network accessline 166
> “Built this for myself because I hate updating my resume, and I think other people hate it too. Built it with Lovable and I use it weekly to track what I’ve accomplished.” [[Check it out](https://www.goaccomplishit.com/)] - Network accessline 168
 - Network accessline 172
### Automatically answers your apartment buzzer calls, by [Darren Rulofs](https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenrulofs/) using Bolt and Cursor - Network accessline 174
> “I built Buzzerbee using Bolt and Cursor. It automatically answers your apartment buzzer calls based on the access rules and schedules you set in the app. I’ve been using it daily, and others have been joining as well. Turns out people do - Network accessline 176
 - Network accessline 178
### Bill splitter, by [Shashikiran Devadiga](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shashikirandevadiga/) using Lovable - Network accessline 180
> “My one-screen, tip-first bill splitter. Whenever friends float dinner plans, I plug in the menu subtotal, head count, pick the state, and nudge the tip slider. In two seconds, I see each person’s final after-tax share—something Splitwise - Network accessline 182
 - Network accessline 184
### A personalized restaurant recommendation app for friends, by [Lani Young](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lani-young/) using Replit - Network accessline 186
> “I used Replit to bring to life something I’ve always wanted to build: a restaurant recommendation site for my friends to give them a curated restaurant recommendation based on what they are looking for in a specific meal/experience. It’s - Network accessline 188
 - Network accessline 192
### Conversation intelligence, by [Peter Nixey](https://x.com/peternixey/status/1938537295763636456) using Claude Code - Network accessline 194
> “This lets you paste in the transcript from a call and gives you a breakdown of what you did well and what you can improve on. I just used Claude Code. It’s surprisingly powerful.” [[Check it out](https://claude.ai/public/artifacts/cf207c - Network accessline 196
 - Network accessline 198
### Daily newsletter to help you learn a language, by [Dustin Coates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustincoates/) using v0 - Network accessline 208
 - Network accessline 210
### Talk to an AI about your day, by [Alex Mathew](https://x.com/alxmthew) using Replit - Network accessline 212
> “I built an app that lets you talk to an AI about your day-to-day problems. Used Replit.” [[Check it out](https://talk.berryplush.com/)] - Network accessline 214
 - Network accessline 218
### Curate the perfect playlist for your next festival road trip, by [Steven Newstead](https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-newstead-33547414/) using v0 and Cursor - Network accessline 220
> “I made a website to help with artist discovery for UK festivals. I use it to quickly generate playlists. I wouldn’t say it’s widely used beyond a handful of people. But it’s quite decent. I used Cursor and backed by Supabase for Spotify - Network accessline 222
 - Network accessline 224
### A music production tool to inspire new ideas, by [Scott Korchinski](https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottkorchinski/) using v0 and Cursor - Network accessline 226
> “I made this music production tool the first week we got the Lenny AI bundle, with 90% v0 and 10% Cursor. I think it took three days from idea to shipping. I use it weekly just to get inspired for new musical ideas. Hotjar shows a handful - Network accessline 228
 - Network accessline 232
### An RPG game, by [Jean Kaddour](https://www.jeankaddour.com/) using Cursor - Network accessline 234
> “I love RPG games and was looking for an online, AI-based RPG game so I can play without friends around. I then vibe coded Rehearsal—a browser game where you have 10 minutes to convince an AI character. For example, to convince a hostage - Network accessline 236
 - Network accessline 238
### Immigration document manager, by [Shree](https://x.com/sreeenidhi) using v0 - Network accessline 240
> “Immigrants from India and China have a 10- to 20-year journey where you have to file something every couple of years. VisaMonkey keeps all your immigration-related documents in one place so you can find the information you are looking fo - Network accessline 242
 - Network accessline 246
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-people-are-vibe-coding-and-actually/comments) - Network accessline 254
1. “My 11-year-old just started her summer vacation and was getting bored, so I made her a Replit account and asked her to build a game. A few hours later, voila! She combined her two favorite things—cats and sushi—to make this game 😀. [Enj - Network accessline 255
2. “I created a tool that alerts me when one of around 360 healthcare payers updates their policies.” —[Steven P. Walsh](https://x.com/StevenPWalsh) - Network accessline 256
3. “I’m a new mom, and I coded an app that helps me [track how much milk](https://rama-milk-monitor.lovable.app) I’ve fed my son (vs. target quantity for his weight). I had been doing math in my head, but this app makes it so easy, and I ma - Network accessline 257
4. “A Chrome extension that lets me right-click to open an article behind a paywall.” —[Vincent Turner](https://www.linkedin.com/in/vhturner/) - Network accessline 258
5. “A Bible study app that uses AI to generate daily bible study guides, declaration, God-said quotes across different themes. I use it daily. Built with Lovable and connected to OpenAI.” —[Princess (Ebiboye Adesuwa) Edo-Osagie](https://www - Network accessline 259
6. “I built [Trove Dad](https://www.trove.dad/) in Cursor while on paternity leave with my newborn. I’m helping new dads like myself preserve more core memories with their kids through a prompted journal of fatherhood that converts into a b - Network accessline 260
7. “I created a [voice AI therapy journal](https://reston-nayeemrahman13.replit.app/signin) for my sessions with my therapist using Replit Agent + the OpenAI Realtime API.” —[Nayeem Rahman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nayeemrahman13/) - Network accessline 261
8. “In the past few months, I’ve created some custom Figma plugins to help me with design system work: exporting Figma variables to tokens to work with our frontend component repo, and swapping component styling from one design system to an - Network accessline 262
9. “Not a product per se, but I vibe coded our backend systems across Women Defining AI to help us centralize member management—auto sync to Mailchimp and Slack, and help us auto-approve registrations to Luma events using the member list.” - Network accessline 263
10. “I built a tool for our agency that reads AI summaries of meetings and creates tasks and puts them on calendars. We love it. Used Lovable/Supabase/Vercel.” —[Alan Edgett](https://x.com/ACEdge) - Network accessline 264
11. “Made an app for myself called Frens Circle super-quickly with Lovable. Now I find myself using it regularly. Basically let me save my best friends’ birthdays, their favourite artists, and it sends me a reminder if I haven’t messaged th - Network accessline 265
12. “I created [this game](https://taupe-cassata-525706.netlify.app/) for my 7-year-old, and he’s been enjoying it. There are plenty of games and apps out there for learning English, but I wanted to build something that would be customized - Network accessline 266
13. “I made a handy tool for conferences and networking events. I built initially with v0 and dabbled with Claude Code and Cursor as well.” —[Kelly Vaughn](https://x.com/kvlly) - Network accessline 267
14. “Helping my father-in-law write his book. Made a scene inventory tool that’s been incredibly useful. Claude Code CLI.” —[Jason Curry](https://x.com/jasonacurry) - Network accessline 268
15. “I built a workout motivation app in under 15 minutes using Lovable. It pings me every two days to do my strength training, drops mobile notifications every couple of hours till I get it done, integrated YouTube workout video, barbell w - Network accessline 269
16. “Built a voice-based workout tracker to log my lifts so I don’t have to type anymore. A few weeks ago, opened it up for others to try, and we’re seeing some small early traction.” —[Omar Ganai](https://x.com/omarganai) - Network accessline 270
17. “Something to generate Anki flashcards for my son learning German. From PDF file of words to learn to a series of flashcards with pronunciation of each word.” —[Jeff Foster](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fffej/) - Network accessline 271
18. “I built a time audit tool using Replit to track how and where I spend my time. I also use this to compare if the actual activity list is as per the planned one. Another tool built with Replit to track my energy levels during the day to - Network accessline 272
19. “Dashboard a monitor at work that shows 5-star App Store ratings (ingests webhooks from Appbot), built on Replit. Also have a script that runs in our Slack channels daily and notifies folks who is on-call/when handoffs happen—Claude + G - Network accessline 273
20. “Calories tracker, with voice mode into Kcal estimate and suggestion for the rest of the day.” —[Gpt4thier](https://x.com/gpt4thier) - Network accessline 274
21. “I asked ChatGPT to code me a very simple PDF viewer with a zoom function. That’s my main PDF tool now.” —[Gary](https://x.com/Eldenofthering) - Network accessline 275
22. “[A fully local video-to-GIF converter](https://vivekaithal.co/llm-tools/tool/vid2gif.html). I was tired of sketchy, buggy websites. Built by Claude Code.” —[Vivek Aithal](https://x.com/nuwandavek) - Network accessline 276
23. “Built [a restaurant picker](https://www.decidedforme.com/) to combat those never-ending ‘What do you wanna eat? Anything, you decide. No, you decide. . .’ situations.” —[Adi Komari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/adi-komari/) - Network accessline 277
24. “I coded my [Mac App ‘Battery Lens’](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/battery-lens/id6466673198) in Swift with Code using ChatGPT and a bit of Claude. I wanted a hands-free indicator of how much battery I had left on my laptop, so on a con - Network accessline 278
25. “Built for fun to [easily track different plate/weight combos for workouts](https://barbell.pages.dev). Using Cursor + Gemini Pro.” —[Ado](https://x.com/adocomplete) - Network accessline 279
26. “I am making a simple mobile page to act as a handover between me and the nanny for my son. The goal is to pass on information like what medicines to give and when, what food to give, and photos of any moments worth capturing. Not for c - Network accessline 280
27. “I built a group drafting app for a multi-sports fantasy league that my friend has been running offline for 15 years. We did the MLB draft, fully automated across the pool of GMs (snake draft, not auction). We’ll add the other pro sport - Network accessline 281
28. “I built a sales leaderboard. Tracks top performers, core metrics, and any offer communication. Used Lovable.” —[Siddhant Jain](https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddhant-jain-881942147/) - Network accessline 282
29. “I have a friend who homeschools, and they vibe code learning games for their kid.” —[Jeffrey Price](https://www.linkedin.com/in/pricejeffreym/) - Network accessline 283
30. “I built [a personal date tracker app](https://date-dot-tracker.lovable.app/welcome) for different types of recurring commitments—like prepaid swim classes (need to track remaining sessions), flexible hair appointments, house cleaning s - Network accessline 287
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/what-people-are-vibe-coding-and-actually/comments) - Network accessline 289
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/what-seven-years-at-airbnb-taught-me-about-building-a-business.md
- Network accessline 10
[](https://substackcdn.com - Network accessline 12
###### Tips for new employees, painted on the walls during a hackathon. Mural: [Andrea Nguyen](https://andrealikes.to/), [Jeany Ngo](https://www.jeanyngo.com/), [Katie Chen](https://www.katiechen.design/) - Network accessline 14
In 2012, shortly after Airbnb [acquired](https://techcrunch.com/2012/12/13/airbnb-acquires-localmind/) our startup, I overheard co-founder Joe Gebbia giving guidance to a designer tasked with redesigning the homepage. He said, “Build someth - Network accessline 16
I first joined Airbnb as an engineer, then became one of the first members of the budding PM team. Back then, there were a couple dozen engineers, a few designers, and two very cute dogs. Over the next seven years, as the company scaled to - Network accessline 20
It’s increasingly common for people to choose companies that connect with their personal values, both as consumers and employees. From day one, Airbnb has been a company obsessed with strong culture, clear values, and quirky rituals. Over t - Network accessline 24
- **Founders obsessed with culture.** [See Exhibit A](https://medium.com/@bchesky/dont-fuck-up-the-culture-597cde9ee9d4) and [Exhibit B](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfWgVWGEuGE). This is fundamental, especially as you scale. It influenc - Network accessline 28
[](https://substackcdn.co - Network accessline 30
Here’s an [excellent video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfWgVWGEuGE) to help you get started in building your own culture and values. - Network accessline 40
- This [one-pager template](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1541V32QgSwyCFWxtiMIThn-6n-2s7fVWztEWVa970uo/edit) is something I’ve refined over the years to crystallize the problem and opportunity for my team and stakeholders. - Network accessline 41
- The situation-complication-resolution [framework](https://speakingsherpa.com/how-to-tell-a-business-story-using-the-mckinsey-situation-complication-resolution-scr-framework/) is extremely helpful in communicating the story to a wider audi - Network accessline 42
- The jobs-to-be-done [framework](https://jtbd.info/2-what-is-jobs-to-be-done-jtbd-796b82081cca) helps ensure you’re addressing real customer needs. - Network accessline 52
- **Set uncomfortable goals.** Our approach was to pick a goal that made us uncomfortable, while also clearly understanding why hitting it would be incredible for the business. Two questions we asked were 1) What would need to be true for u - Network accessline 53
- **Make sure someone is directly accountable.** Hitting this goal needs to be an individual person’s job. If a number doesn’t have a person’s name next to it, it’s not going to happen. - **Think long-term.** We generally looked ahead five - Network accessline 54
- **Think long-term.** We generally looked ahead five to 10 years in order determine that year’s goal, both in terms of growth and our mission. Though we didn’t always nail it, we’ve increasingly put a lot of thought into the impact our wor - Network accessline 62
A variation of Amazon’s [working backward methodology](https://www.quora.com/What-is-Amazons-approach-to-product-development-and-product-management) that I’ve seen work exceptionally well at Airbnb starts with envisioning the perfect user e - Network accessline 64
*Snow White* was one of the first films to use the technique of storyboards, and thus the team developed a set of storyboards of the ideal guest and host experience, identifying key emotional moments along that journey. These storyboards qu - Network accessline 66
[](https://substackcdn.co - Network accessline 86
- **Optimize for dedicated cross-functional teams with a clear mandate.** In my experience, this is the single most impactful thing leaders can do when setting up a team. You want self-contained teams that can move autonomously toward an ag - Network accessline 87
- **Get the goals right.** A lot has been said about goals (for example, [SMART goals](https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/smart-goals.htm) and [OKRs](https://www.ted.com/talks/john_doerr_why_the_secret_to_success_is_setting_the_right_g - Network accessline 90
[](https://substackcdn.co - Network accessline 92
###### “Use Your Voice”, by [Shantell Martin](https://shantellmartin.art/), drawn free-hand over the course of a day at Airbnb HQ - Network accessline 102
- **Emails.** Force yourself to look at your email at least once before sending it. There’s always something you can cut or clarify. [Here’s](https://hbr.org/2016/11/how-to-write-email-with-military-precision) a style I love, courtesy of th - Network accessline 104
- **Meetings.** Include the primary goal of the meeting in your invite, ideally along with an agenda. If you attend a meeting that doesn’t feel productive, call it out. Invite as few people as possible. Leave with clear action items. Follow - Network accessline 106
- **Hiring.** The people you bring in determine the company you become. My advice is to only hire people you feel “hell yes” about. If it’s a maybe, it’s a no. More on this advice [here](https://sivers.org/hellyeah). - Network accessline 132
[](https://substackcdn.co
references/02-newsletters/what-theyd-do-differently--kickstarting-and-scaling-a-marketplace-business.md
- Network accessline 24
- **[Part 1](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace)**[: Constrain the marketplace 🔬](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace) - Network accessline 25
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee)** [Decide which side of the marketplace to concentrate on 🧐](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-9ee) - Network accessline 26
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911)** [Drive initial supply 🐥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-911) - Network accessline 27
- **[Part 4:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5)** [Drive initial demand 👋](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-marketplace-2e5) - Network accessline 31
- **[Part 1:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand)** [Determine if you are supply or demand constrained 🤹<U+200D>♂<U+FE0F>](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-know-if-youre-supply-or-demand) - Network accessline 32
- **[Part 2:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase)** [Scale growth levers 🔥](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/accelerating-growth-at-scale-phase) - Network accessline 33
- **[Part 3:](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting)** [Maintain quality 🏅](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/maintaining-quality-kickstarting) - Network accessline 34
- **Part 4:** What would you have done differently if you did it again **[🔮](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/what-theyd-do-differently-kickstarting)** *(this post)* - Network accessline 36
On a related note, as one follow-up to this series, I’m planning to interview founders of “failed” marketplaces to find the most common anti-patterns. If you know someone that would be good for me to talk to, or if you yourself want to chat - Network accessline 40
 - Network accessline 84
> “Exogenous growth over time degraded, and this was a big problem. By the time this started happening, we were doing some quantitative advertising and A/B testing, and we had a really great analyst team. But these were never exactly the fo - Network accessline 85
> > **In 2012, for example, we devoted hundreds of people across the company working on pages that collectively sold 700 items per day. We had three or four people working on search, which sold 100,000 items per day in that period**. It was - Network accessline 86
> **In 2012, for example, we devoted hundreds of people across the company working on pages that collectively sold 700 items per day. We had three or four people working on search, which sold 100,000 items per day in that period**. It was l - Network accessline 150
Thank you all for reading through this work, and for all of your support 🙏 If you have questions, suggestions, or ideas for future deep dives, don’t hesitate to [ping me](https://twitter.com/lennysan) - Network accessline 154
1. **This newsletter will return to what it originally set out to be —** an advice column for building product, driving growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out at the office. If *you* have a question about an - Network accessline 158
[Sign up now](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?) - Network accessline 162
💛THANK YOU 💛 **[Andrew Chen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchen/)** (ex-growth at Uber, GP at a16z), **[Babak Nivi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bnivi)** (co-founder of AngelList), **[Benjamin Lauzier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjami
references/02-newsletters/what-to-ask-your-users-about-product-market-fit.md
- Network accessline 12
 - Network accessline 16
After I published [this deep dive on product-market fit](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) a couple of months ago, I began getting this excellent follow-up question. And I’ve been looking forward to ta - Network accessline 18
Not being a user researcher, I reached out to my good friend, world-class researcher, and former Airbnb colleague [Matt Gallivan](https://twitter.com/mgallivan?lang=en). Matt has spent over a decade leading research teams at NPR, Facebook, - Network accessline 28
*You may have already done some Googling and stumbled upon this question credited to [Sean Ellis](https://blog.growthhackers.com/using-product-market-fit-to-drive-sustainable-growth-58e9124ee8db), and recently popularized by [Rahul Vohra](h - Network accessline 73
1. **Understand**: [Trevor Noah perfectly articulating why Black Americans are so frustrated](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4amCfVbA_c&feature=youtu.be) - Network accessline 75
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4amCfVbA_c) - Network accessline 77
2. **Plan:** [Killer Mike addressing the protestors: plot, plan, strategize, organize, and mobilize](https://twitter.com/QasimRashid/status/1266602023526506498) - Network accessline 81
 - Network accessline 83
4. **Read**: [75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice](https://medium.com/equality-includes-you/what-white-people-can-do-for-racial-justice-f2d18b0e0234) - Network accessline 84
5. **Donate**: [Cover bail for jailed activists](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1X4-YS3vFn5CLL9QtJSU0xqmTh_h8XilXgOqGAjZISBI/mobilebasic) and [tech leaders matching donations](https://docs.google.com/document/d/11dLmq-zutyMTSbZy_FSXv3b6 - Network accessline 85
6. **Listen**: [Listening to Black Voices Amid Murder, Violence, Protest, and Pandemic](https://kottke.org/20/05/listening-to-black-voices-amid-murder-violence-protest-and-pandemic) and [Martin Luther King, Jr. visits Stanford](https://www. - Network accessline 87
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYK9xGALPrU) - Network accessline 101
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/what-to-do-if-your-product-isnt-taking-off.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. [New swag drop](https://lennyswag.com/)* - Network accessline 12
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This [tweet](https://twitter.com/tomerlondon/status/1740958900982259842) from [Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon/) (CPO of Gusto) sums it up: - Network accessline 39
 - Network accessline 41
[Gustaf Alströmer](https://twitter.com/gustaf?lang=en), a Group Partner at Y Combinator, shared this same advice during our chat after I asked him why most startups fail: - Network accessline 43
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKLofsp8u0) - Network accessline 48
 - Network accessline 61
When I was building my startup [Localmind](https://www.fastcompany.com/1773652/how-small-and-local-businesses-can-benefit-localmind), we were talking to users all the time, and people constantly told us they loved the product, but, looking - Network accessline 67
1. Talk to 5 to 10 new customers, or potential customers, this week 2. Read [Don’t confuse people rooting for you with market signal](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/137198748/dont-confuse-people-rooting-for-you-with-market-signal) - Network accessline 68
2. Read [Don’t confuse people rooting for you with market signal](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/137198748/dont-confuse-people-rooting-for-you-with-market-signal) - Network accessline 69
3. Read [Four strategies for validating your B2B startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-validate-your-b2b-startup) - Network accessline 70
4. Read [How to validate your startup idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/validating-your-startup-idea) by Todd Jackson - Network accessline 71
5. [How the most successful B2B startups came up with their original idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-the-most-successful-b2b-startups) - Network accessline 72
6. [How the most successful B2C startups came up with their original idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/48316625/how-to-come-up-with-a-startup-idea) - Network accessline 80
The founders of Pinterest started off by pitching tech people, but almost by accident realized the group that needed Pinterest was [30-something female bloggers](https://arc.net/l/quote/jjyjujfr). The founders of Retool thought their produc - Network accessline 84
](https://www.tiktok.com/@redpoint/video/7226402166490041646) - Network accessline 96
[@redpoint](https://www.tiktok.com/@redpoint)[Niche content ftw ▶<U+FE0F> #socialmediamarketing #socialmediamanager #contentcreators](https://www.tiktok.com/@redpoint/video/7226402166490041646) - Network accessline 98
Tiktok failed to load. - Access to secretsline 100
[Credential-related source omitted] - Network accessline 108
—[Geoffrey Moore](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RFBdcJRdbA) - Network accessline 110
 - Network accessline 116
1. [If you allow your ICP to fray, you’ll lose](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/137198748/if-you-allow-your-icp-to-fray-youll-lose) - Network accessline 117
2. [How to identify your super-specific who in B2C](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38459103/how-to-identify-your-super-specific-who) - Network accessline 118
3. [Stories of how top B2B companies found their ICP](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/113763794/how-to-identify-your-icp) - Network accessline 119
4. *[Crossing the Chasm](https://www.amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-3rd-Disruptive-Mainstream/dp/0062292986/ref=pd_lpo_sccl_1/139-8635645-0507405?content-id=amzn1.sym.1ad2066f-97d2-4731-9356-36b3edf1ae04)* - Network accessline 125
[In her amazing guest post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning), April Dunford relays how simply changing her team’s product positioning from a “Microsoft Access killer” to an “embeddable database for mobile devices” changed the - Network accessline 129
> “When we launched, in mid-2020, I think we had ‘message-market fit.’ We were able to differentiate and have people be interested in our unique messaging, but we didn’t have the product there yet. In terms of the product itself, where sudd - Network accessline 133
 - Network accessline 137
1. [How to craft your hook](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/38501162/how-to-craft-your-hook) - Network accessline 138
2. [Positioning by April Dunford](https://www.positioning.show) - Network accessline 139
3. [How to build a killer sales pitch by April Dunford](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-build-a-killer-sales-pitch) - Network accessline 145
In this case, building on my [Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-racecar-growth-frameworkexpanded), try a few kickstarts to get the word out: - Network accessline 147
 - Network accessline 149
“[Kickstarts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/kickstarts)” are unscalable tactics for acquiring your first 1,000 users. Once you get going, your strategy will shift to building a [scalable growth engine](https://www.lennysnewsle - Network accessline 151
For more tactical ideas, also see “[turbo boosts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/75292796/turbo-boosts)” and my evergreen list of [60+ growth ideas](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/growth-ideas). - Network accessline 157
1. [The Racecar Growth Framework](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-racecar-growth-frameworkexpanded) - Network accessline 158
2. [Find your early adopters by doing things that don’t scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/consumer-business-find-first-users) - Network accessline 159
3. [How to find and win your first 10 customers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-win-your-first-10-b2b-customers) - Network accessline 176
Four of my most successful portfolio companies found their big idea through pivots. [Vanta](https://vanta.com/) started as a B2B Alexa and pivoted to compliance and security. [Captions](https://www.captions.ai/) started as a high-school clo - Network accessline 186
> One day, Mike, my co-founder, and I sat down, and we were like, ‘All right, we have to change something, because no one knows what we’re doing.’ We were like, ‘You know what? **Let’s do what everyone’s doing on our service anyway. Let’s c - Network accessline 188
> —[Kevin Systrom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Systrom), CEO and co-founder, via [Startups.com](https://www.startups.com/library/founder-stories/kevin-systrom) - Network accessline 196
> A month later, we launched on Product Hunt and had thousands of people who’d downloaded the extension by day’s end. That made it clear to us that we should double down on this new direction, and we’ve never looked back.” > > —[Shahed Khan - Network accessline 198
> —[Shahed Khan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahedkhan/), co-founder - Network accessline 208
> After talking to users and seeing the data, the team realized its problem: Discord was better than Skype, certainly, but it still wasn’t very good. Calls would fail; quality would waver. Why would people drop a tool they hated for another - Network accessline 210
> —[David Pierce,](https://www.protocol.com/discord) *[Protocol](https://www.protocol.com/discord)* - Network accessline 214
1. [Pay attention to what’s already working, and double down](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/48316625/strategy-pay-attention-to-whats-already-working-and-double-down-aka-pivot) - Network accessline 215
2. [Identify something you’ve built that is showing signs of pull. Pivot fully to that.](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/113130490/path-present-pullidentify-something-youve-built-that-is-showing-signs-of-pull-pivot-fully-to-that) - Network accessline 221
 - Network accessline 230
2. [Iterate until enough people stick around](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-kickstart-and-scale-a-consumer-9c8) - Network accessline 240
I promise you that your investors (or boss) will understand. [At least the good ones](https://x.com/dunkhippo33/status/1657438019794898945?s=20). - Network accessline 246
It might feel like you’d be a failure for quitting, but many of the most successful people in history quit. As [Seth Godin](https://www.sethgodin.com/) argues in *[The Dip](https://www.amazon.com/Dip-Little-Book-Teaches-Stick/dp/1591841666) - Network accessline 252
[Phil Knight](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Knight), co-founder of Nike, had the same advice in his memoir *[Shoe Dog](https://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Dog-Memoir-Creator-Nike-ebook/dp/B0176M1A44)*: - Network accessline 258
1. “I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to chan - Network accessline 259
2. “How much conviction do you have in what you’re building? I know in the beginning, before you knew all you know now, you had tons of conviction. That’s what caused you to leave your job. But now knowing all you know, **do you have more o - Network accessline 270
1. Try to sell your company. Difficult these days. [Here’s a great guide](https://review.firstround.com/how-to-sell-your-startup-the-complete-guide-to-running-an-manda-process-as-a-founder). - Network accessline 276
If you are winding your startup down, check out [Sunset](https://www.sunsethq.co/) (disclaimer: I’m an investor), which makes the shutdown process super-easy. - Network accessline 293
1. [When to Shut Down a Startup](https://www.ycombinator.com/library/3S-when-to-shut-down-a-startup) by Aaron Harris - Network accessline 294
2. [5 Reasons to Sell Your Startup](https://blog.eladgil.com/p/5-reasons-to-sell-your-startup) by Elad Gil - Network accessline 295
3. [Your startup idea probably isn’t venture-scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/your-startup-idea-probably-isnt-venture) - Network accessline 303
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 307
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/what-working-at-figma-taught-me-about-customer-obsession.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to a ✨ **bonus** **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 14
1. *[Your startup idea probably isn’t venture-scale](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/your-startup-idea-probably-isnt-venture)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[How Notion builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-notion-builds-product)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[How Ramp builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-ramp-builds-product)* - Network accessline 17
4. *[How Miro builds product](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-miro-builds-product)* - Network accessline 21
Figma is the business every business wants to be when they grow up: net dollar retention of over 150%, gross margins of 90%, generating $400m+ in ARR, and, 10 years in, still growing more than 2x year over year. Also, they’re the #1 fastest - Network accessline 23
To help us all learn what Figma has done so right, I’m excited to bring you a special guest post by [Sho Kuwamoto](https://twitter.com/skuwamoto). Sho was the first product leader at Figma, and for the past seven years, as VP of Product lea - Network accessline 25
*For more from Sho, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/skuwamoto), [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@skuwamoto), and [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile/skuwamoto.bsky.social). - Network accessline 27
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*(\*I know that the [original meaning of SaaS](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_as_a_service) is that the software comes as a response from the server, and has very little to do with how I’m using the word “service” above, but bear wi - Network accessline 95
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 - Network accessline 119
Because of this, the “feeling” of the tool is something we tried to get right from the beginning. When we officially [launched Figma](https://www.figma.com/blog/design-meet-the-internet/), we limited ourselves to a core set of features that - Network accessline 123
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 - Network accessline 155
*Thank you, Sho! For more from Sho, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shokuwamoto/), [Twitter](https://twitter.com/skuwamoto?lang=en), [Mastodon](https://mastodon.social/@skuwamoto), and [Bluesky](https://bsky.app/profile - Network accessline 161
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 163
 - Network accessline 167
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 171
1. **Thoughtful:** [Technical Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6062e014-eda9-4781-a3bc-3a1fe309fefc) (SF, Austin) - Network accessline 172
2. **Thoughtful:** [Head of Product](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/b6c37021-7a1d-4201-8ff4-e35ee0085bc4) (NYC, SF, Austin) - Network accessline 173
3. **Splash Sports:** [Director of Growth](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/473f331a-d082-445e-8c7f-69089828732a) (SF, Denver, Boston) - Network accessline 174
4. **Zinc:** [Senior Product Manager](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/a5525e7d-cf8e-46b6-a602-772144ae12df) (London) - Network accessline 175
5. **Zinc:** [Product Designer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/f6c53038-8192-4e08-8576-15c4abbbdea1) (London) - Network accessline 176
6. **Wingspan:** [Product Design Lead](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6122b947-a5e1-44c9-a45e-30e305394589) (NYC) - Network accessline 177
7. **Mindbloom:** [Creative Producer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/389f9fcf-65bb-4852-836e-f3a732203212) (Canada, remote U.S.) - Network accessline 178
8. **Mindbloom:** [Acquisition Growth PM](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c74c7805-4b6c-42fa-a989-070e49a48898) (Canada, remote U.S.)
references/02-newsletters/whats-in-your-software-stack---product-design-analytics-ds-research-and-more.md
- Network accessline 12
With so many products [launching each and every day](https://www.producthunt.com/), it’s tough to know what to pay attention to, and what you can safely ignore. Especially at a nascent startup, where you can’t afford to waste time (and mone - Network accessline 26
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-stacks/comments) - Network accessline 30
## [What’s in your analytics stack?](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1331381900343083008) - Network accessline 37
 - Network accessline 39
## [What’s in your product management stack?](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1334535368457166853) - Network accessline 46
 - Network accessline 48
## [What’s in your design stack?](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1333573527497297920) - Network accessline 55
 - Network accessline 57
## [What’s in your user research stack?](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1368599844466552837) - Network accessline 64
 - Network accessline 66
## [What’s in your data science stack?](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1337444672600297472) - Network accessline 72
 - Network accessline 74
## [What software did you buy or set-up in your first couple of months of starting a company?](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1334163067622416384) - Network accessline 79
 - Network accessline 81
## [What software do you spend the most money on each month?](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1334951860193648648?s=21) - Network accessline 86
 - Network accessline 90
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-stacks/comments) - Network accessline 94
## **🔥 Job opening of the week:**[Software Engineer at Ladders](https://jobs.lever.co/ladders/f70450cf-8b30-4947-a7c6-dc13ae7e10c3) - Network accessline 96
> Ladders is a leader in high-end careers, targeting $100K+ jobs to over 8 million professionals across the US and Canada, and successfully turning dream jobs into destinations for over 15 years. Our mission is to Lead the Leaders — helping - Network accessline 98
> [Apply](https://jobs.lever.co/ladders/f70450cf-8b30-4947-a7c6-dc13ae7e10c3) - Network accessline 102
1. **Product**: [Clearbanc](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2438839063), [Decent](https://decent.breezy.hr/p/a976bf37026c-product-lead), [Rocketplace](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Rocketplace/11bc424f-e80f-4bab-aa96-517c01a6d511), [Transform - Network accessline 103
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [SpaceX Starlink](https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5032353002?gh_jid=5032353002&gh_src=seekorswimcom) - Network accessline 104
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/1175906-lead-p - Network accessline 105
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 106
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Point380](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/2415394722/?capColoOverride=true), [Practice](https://www.no - Network accessline 107
6. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-Backend-6d954206f00b446289f18bf51960ca34), [Reclaim](https://reclaim - Network accessline 108
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Emporii](https://www.notion.so/emporii/Senior-Full-Stack-Engineer-5a149801dcfa4ce89a43ccdc19857daa), [Icebreaker](https://ice - Network accessline 109
8. **Mobile engineer**: [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://jobs.lever.co/stytch/d3bf3860-4aaa-4a23-8e28-dad20957be44) - Network accessline 110
9. **Game economy designer**: [Sorare](https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/companies/sorare/jobs/game-economy-designer_paris_SORAR_kYW8MjK) - Network accessline 116
2. **Subscribe**: [Drawling Links](https://drawinglinks.substack.com/) by Edith Zimmerman - Network accessline 117
3. **Read:** [Content Triangle of BS](https://www.weskao.com/blog/content-triangle-of-bs-how-to-make-your-cohort-based-course-more-rigorous) by Wes Kao
references/02-newsletters/whats-in-your-stack-the-state-of-tech-tools-in-2025.md
- Network accessline 12
1. *[A guide to AI prototyping for product managers](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-guide-to-ai-prototyping-for-product)* - Network accessline 13
2. *[Introducing Core 4: The best way to measure and improve your product velocity](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/introducing-core-4-the-best-way-to)* - Network accessline 14
3. *[Top angel investors in the U.S.](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/top-angel-investors-in-the-us)* - Network accessline 16
*For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) | [Swag](https://lennyswag.com/) | [Hire your next product leader](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** | **[My favorite courses](https://mav - Network accessline 22
To help me design and run this survey, I pulled in my former colleague [Noam Segal](https://www.linkedin.com/in/noamsegal/), who’s been a UXR leader at Meta, X, Intercom, Airbnb, Wealthfront, Upwork, and, most recently, Zapier. I’m delighte - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 30
In 2020, Lenny conducted his [first (informal) survey](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/product-stacks) of technology tool preferences, gathering responses from hundreds of people on Twitter and LinkedIn. Surprises included Slack coming i - Network accessline 32
When Lenny [revisited the PM tool stack in 2022](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1507040234000760836), he noted the continuing dominance of tools like Slack and Notion and the rise of Figma, Zoom, and Loom, signaling a shift toward more colla - Network accessline 50
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The most striking shift [since 2022](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1507040234000760836)? AI tools have become as essential as having a laptop. A whopping 90% of respondents use ChatGPT regularly. This is the most significant shift in the pr - Network accessline 87
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- In Lenny’s [previous survey](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1507040234000760836), Slack emerged as #1 overall. This trend continued here, with an enormous 72% of respondents using Slack as their primary communication hub (just behind Gmail - Network accessline 106
- Microsoft Teams technically holds about 33% market share (according to [financial statements](https://www.notta.ai/en/blog/microsoft-teams-statistics)), but I believe this is due to their enterprise bundling strategy and their actual usag - Network accessline 108
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Enter Linear: the fastest-growing alternative to Jira, founded in 2019 and already used by over 10% of participants (vs. receiving only 10 mentions [in the last survey](https://x.com/lennysan/status/1507040234000760836)). Respondents praise - Network accessline 129
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Some of the most-used tools, like Jira, Microsoft Teams, and Google Slides, are all bundled within their respective corporate stacks, which locks people in for the long term and creates a massive switching cost. Thanks to the bundle, they e - Network accessline 222
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2. **Looker:** The data scientist’s darling, Looker is helping democratize data across companies. “<U+200B><U+200B>It’s the best way to make data accessible and usable across domains/functions without too much effort.” - Network accessline 307
 - Network accessline 311
- **Posthog:** An open-source, all-in-one platform competing with the big players—Amplitude, Mixpanel, Fullstory, and Heap. Founded as a Y Combinator company almost five years ago, respondents seem to love them, and they’re [used by most YC - Network accessline 328
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*Thank you, Noam! You can find Noam on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/noamsegal/) and [X](https://x.com/noamseg).* - Network accessline 350
*Also, thank you to [Ben](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benhawkins0/) for design and [Rebecca](https://www.rebeccaackermann.com/) for editing.* - Network accessline 358
[Delphi](https://www.delphi.ai/) is hiring for a [Lead Product Manager](https://delphi-ai.notion.site/Delphi-Product-Manager-13fa9fbe9ec880218413f1b4f73322c4) based out of San Francisco. As their Lead PM, you’d get the opportunity to collab - Network accessline 362
1. Delphi powers [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)! They allow anyone to upload their content, to create a digital representation of not only their knowledge base but also their way of thinking. - Network accessline 367
If you’d like to get your profile sent directly to their team, just fill out this [quick form](https://airtable.com/apppne9fUg8CKw6s2/pag2vapuCgpIGh6WB/form). All submissions from my readers get priority (but no guarantees beyond that). - Network accessline 373
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 375
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/when-and-how-to-run-a-billboard-campaign.md
- Network accessline 10
When I see billboard ads as I drive around the Bay Area, I often wonder about the ROI behind these investments. As someone who’s always worked on product-oriented growth, I’ve never had a chance to understand the logic behind advertising ou - Network accessline 16
*[Reed McGinley-Stempel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-mcginley-stempel-17362245/) is the co-founder of [Stytch](https://stytch.com/). For more from Reed, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-mcginley-stempel-1736224 - Network accessline 18
 - Network accessline 26
 - Network accessline 28
*Huge thanks to [Michael Burke](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-burke-223285175) from Bland, [Brandon Camhi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bcamhi/) from Rippling, [Lisa Ferragano](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-ferragano-07213b8/) from - Network accessline 36
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It’s important to acknowledge that the value of out-of-home is contingent on making a lasting impression. [Kira Klaas](https://maven.com/kira/branding-strategy#bio) from Notion offered a great framework for how to think about what makes OOH - Network accessline 64
 - Network accessline 70
Vanta’s SOC 2 billboard garnered [thousands of upvotes](https://www.reddit.com/r/Accounting/comments/ub7c5b/my_girlfriend_didnt_appreciate_this_billboard_but/) on Reddit (running an ad with any upvotes on Reddit is an achievement; getting 1 - Network accessline 72
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Bland’s [billboard demo video](https://x.com/usebland/status/1785383574419718541) garnered 25 million views, tens of thousands of phone calls, and hundreds of qualified leads. - Network accessline 76
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Once you’ve decided on a geographic location to target your ICP, you also need to think about individual placements. In out-of-home advertising parlance, that’s your “media.” At Stytch, we were fortunate to learn from the best in [Kasper Ko - Network accessline 161
At Brex, one of their early OOH activations was tied to a major product announcement at TechCrunch Disrupt. They [timed the billboard creative all across San Francisco to change](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQXNe-cuJsw)—mid-speech—from - Network accessline 173
One tactical tip when making your budget: consider setting aside funds to “protect your brand” by buying paid search ads related to your company name or advertising themes. After people see your ad and search you to learn more, you want to - Network accessline 181
- Kira Klaas has a public template that she used to plan large-scale OOH campaigns while at Notion, along with her campaign brief to share with media owners or agencies: [www.notion.so/templates/out-of-home-planning](https://www.notion.so/t - Network accessline 182
- There are also lots of agencies and partners out there that can make this easier. At Stytch, we worked with [Division of Labor](https://www.divisionoflabor.com/work/best-startup-outdoor-advertising-stytch) on creative and with [Kasper fro - Network accessline 188
Whether it’s a single, resonant billboard that makes a big impression on a conference, like [Vanta’s SOC 2 billboard did at SaaStr](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7178054102675836929/), or a holistic campaign experienc - Network accessline 192
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*Thanks, Reed! For more from Reed, follow him on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/reed-mcginley-stempel-17362245/) and [X](https://x.com/McStempel).* - Network accessline 248
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 252
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/when-not-to-run-an-experiment---issue-54.md
- Network accessline 56
You can run this math yourself using this excellent [sample size calculator from Optimizely](https://www.optimizely.com/sample-size-calculator/), or [this one from Evan Williams](https://www.evanmiller.org/ab-testing/sample-size.html). - Network accessline 58
 - Network accessline 62
One lever you *can* play with to reduce the experiment time is the level of confidence required in the final result. When you’re moving fast and are feel OK about shipping slightly negative experiments occasionally, lowering your confidence - Network accessline 94
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/not-running-an-experiment/comments) - Network accessline 98
1. [Please, please don’t A/B test that](https://medium.com/@talraviv/please-please-dont-a-b-test-that-980a9630e4fb) (written by our very own community member [Tal Raviv](https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv/?originalSubdomain=il)!) - Network accessline 99
2. [The hypothesis prioritization canvas](https://jeffgothelf.com/blog/the-hypothesis-prioritization-canvas/) - Network accessline 100
3. [Optimizely's sample size calculator](https://www.optimizely.com/sample-size-calculator/) - Network accessline 101
4. [Evan’s sample side calulator](https://www.evanmiller.org/ab-testing/sample-size.html) - Network accessline 102
5. [Fostering a culture of experimentation](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/fostering-a-culture-of-experimentation) - Network accessline 103
6. [A/B Testing — The Advanced Guide](https://www.julian.com/guide/growth/ab-testing) - Network accessline 109
1. **Read**: [How to think for yourself](https://www.paulgraham.com/think.html), by Paul Graham - Network accessline 110
2. **Watch**: [Super Practical Guide to Color Theory, Color Models and Perfect Color Palettes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyVMoejbGFg) - Network accessline 112
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyVMoejbGFg) - Network accessline 118
1. **Product**: [Descript](https://jobs.lever.co/descript-2/08f9b563-c3e6-49a4-be07-82fafc1868af), [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever.co/hipcamp/d04821c3-fb9a-4d3f-9a7a-1b - Network accessline 119
2. **Growth**: [BasisOne](https://www.basisone.com/careers/growth-strategy-lead), [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4794809002), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), [Levels](https://le - Network accessline 120
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8Cvl - Network accessline 121
4. **Engineering manager**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003) - Network accessline 122
5. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 123
6. **Backend engineer**: [Coda](https://boards.greenhouse.io/coda/jobs/4489268002), [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/) - Network accessline 124
7. **Fullstack engineer**: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/full-stack-product-engineer), [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4188 - Network accessline 125
8. **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Stytch](https://job - Network accessline 129
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si= - Network accessline 133
[Give a free month, get a free month](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/account/referrals)
references/02-newsletters/when-they-hired-their-first-pm.md
- Network accessline 10
*P.S. Don’t miss [Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)—my AI chatbot that’s trained on every newsletter post and podcast interview. It’s very good.* - Network accessline 18
1. **Everyone hires a product manager** **eventually**. 2. **The typical company waited two to three years to hire their first product manager**. They typically had 10 to 15 engineers and 15 to 25 total employees. But the ranges are wide, s - Network accessline 19
2. **The typical company waited two to three years to hire their first product manager**. They typically had 10 to 15 engineers and 15 to 25 total employees. But the ranges are wide, so don’t use this as a hard-and-fast rule. 3. **Surprisin - Network accessline 20
3. **Surprisingly, more than half of companies hired their first PM** ***before*** **[finding product-market fit](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/finding-product-market-fit)**, which is counter to the advice you hear. Particularly in B2B - Network accessline 21
4. **No founder told me they regretted bringing on a PM**, but some companies, including [Notion](https://notion.com/), shared that they [regretted waiting so long](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/106839388/how-many-pms-do-you-have). Tho - Network accessline 22
5. **Most first PMs were previously individual-contributor product managers, or senior PMs.** Very few were previously former directors, VPs, or heads of product. Surprisingly, almost a fourth were engineers. 6. **Interestingly, many compan - Network accessline 23
6. **Interestingly, many companies with a strong product founder hired a PM very early**. [Coda](https://coda.io/) and Snyk (who both had PM founders) hired their PM essentially as their first employee, and Slack (with [Stewart Butterfield] - Network accessline 24
7. **In terms of timing, there’s no one way to do it.** Companies that hired a PM early did great (e.g. [Snyk](https://snyk.io/), [Ramp](https://ramp.com/), [Slack](https://slack.com/)), and companies that waited a long time (e.g. [Stripe]( - Network accessline 27
1. Notion spent much of that time (about three years) looking for product-market fit. 2. Stripe was building an engineering-oriented product and hired top-tier product-minded engineers, so they didn’t have a strong need for PMs. 3. [S - Network accessline 28
2. Stripe was building an engineering-oriented product and hired top-tier product-minded engineers, so they didn’t have a strong need for PMs. 3. [Snap](https://snap.com/en-US) hired designers who took on the PM duties, which, from what - Network accessline 29
3. [Snap](https://snap.com/en-US) hired designers who took on the PM duties, which, from what I hear, ended up being fairly chaotic. They eventually hired a PM to lead their initial monetization efforts. - Network accessline 30
9. **Companies that hired a PM early, like [Ramp](https://ramp.com/) and [Snyk](https://snyk.io/), did so because they didn’t have the skills or time to do the product job well**, and they knew their product would make or break the business - Network accessline 52
From [Geoff Charles](https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoffrey-charles/overlay/about-this-profile/), first PM at **Ramp:** - Network accessline 56
From [Ben Porterfield](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benporterfield/), co-founder of **Looker:** - Network accessline 62
> “**What my PM role allowed was for our founders to have the bandwidth to do bigger conceptual thinking**, since I’d taken over the product and project management of Zimride. Within a few months after I started, the founders hatched a plan - Network accessline 64
> —[Evan Goldin](https://www.linkedin.com/in/evangoldin/overlay/about-this-profile/), first PM at **Lyft** - Network accessline 68
From [Sarah Tavel](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahtavel/), first PM at **Pinterest:** - Network accessline 74
From [Badrul Farooqi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/farooqib/), first PM at **Figma:** - Network accessline 78
From [Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo), co-founder of **Segment:** - Network accessline 86
> Adding our first PM brought critical additional bandwidth that unlocked engineers to focus on writing software. Additionally, having more product talent onboard enabled us to bring in the voice of the customer to the room and connect the - Network accessline 88
> —[Tomer London](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomerlondon), co-founder and CPO of Gusto - Network accessline 92
From [Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo), co-founder of **Segment:** - Network accessline 96
From [Kenneth Berger](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kberger/), the first PM at **Slack:** - Network accessline 110
> “**Our first PM actually joined as a growth PM, and I found that to be a good role to start the product org.** If you’re a product founder, finding a good core PM as your first PM is very hard, whereas growth PM can actually be very compl - Network accessline 112
> —[Akshay Kothari](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akothari/), co-founder of **Notion** - Network accessline 114
> “**We transitioned an internal analyst (effectively a software engineer, already working with customers on building their LookML models for a while) about 1.5 years into building the company.** His name was Josh Siegel, and he was **reall - Network accessline 116
> —[Ben Porterfield](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benporterfield/), co-founder of **Looker** - Network accessline 118
> “**Robinhood’s first PM was an iOS engineer originally**, and then in 2016 (three years in) we decided it was time to add a PM to the mix. **He had great product sense, knew the front end and API, and had been through several product cycl - Network accessline 120
> —[Jaren Glover](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarenglover), early engineer at **Robinhood** - Network accessline 122
> **“I didn’t start with a PM title.** The formal titles came later at Figma, once the company needed more discrete roles and seniority throughout the company.” > > —[Badrul Farooqi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/farooqib), first PM at **Figm - Network accessline 124
> —[Badrul Farooqi](https://www.linkedin.com/in/farooqib), first PM at **Figma** - Network accessline 126
> “We had nobody with the title ‘PM’ until something like 30 to 40 people. We were 10 to 12 engineers; it was mostly the founders acting as PMs and then individual engineers and designers at the company designing features for the first two - Network accessline 128
> We sort of realized all at once that we could benefit from having PMs (around mid-2015?). **Instead of hiring externally, we hired internally** and formed a product team with Alex, Kevin Niparko, and Chris Sperandio.” > > —[Calvin French- - Network accessline 130
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo), co-founder of **Segment** - Network accessline 132
> “We got really lucky with Justin [Bauer], who started out as director of product, turned into our CPO, and ran the function for eight years. **He proactively had heard about the product and sought us out to join the team.** It probably wo - Network accessline 134
> —[Spenser Skates](https://www.linkedin.com/in/spenserskates), founder and CEO of **Amplitude** - Network accessline 136
> “We didn’t outright seek to hire a PM or head of product. **Nan [Yu] actually started as a contractor to help us lay out the foundation and roadmap for Linear Insights**, our analytics product. We didn’t internally have strong knowledge o - Network accessline 138
> —[Jori Lallo](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorilallo), co-founder of **Linear** - Network accessline 142
> “Hiring a great PM can be tricky because the interview process only tells you so much, but one way to make sure they’re a good fit is to hire a PM that **you’re confident brings an IC superpower to the table (design/UX, for example) or is - Network accessline 144
> —[Karim Atiyeh](https://www.linkedin.com/in/karimatiyeh), co-founder and CTO of **Ramp** - Network accessline 146
> “In my own experience, the best PMs fall in love with the problem and the space. PMs in particular benefit from a passion for the customer in a way that other roles don’t require. The engineers and designers have to trust the PM, and that - Network accessline 148
> —[Calvin French-Owen](https://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinfo), co-founder of **Segment** - Network accessline 150
> “Looking back, I’d say choosing someone like Josh [Siegel], who had good product intuition, and ensuring that there’s clarity around how bringing in the PM changes things or doesn’t (how is roadmap now decided, where are co-founders’ resp - Network accessline 152
> —[Ben Porterfield](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benporterfield/), co-founder of **Looker** - Network accessline 156
> “Engineers in smaller companies are understandably nervous about adding a PM, so **have the first PM identify and lead quick, easy wins to prove their value immediately. Do this even before setting up a longer-term product roadmap.** The - Network accessline 158
> —[Kai Loh](https://www.autographlabs.com/), first PM at Duolingo - Network accessline 166
> For Coda, most of our insight (and risk) was in the product (is it actually possible to build a new all-in-one blinking cursor? And what are the key choices that enable ‘docs as powerful as apps’). So we asked Matt Hudson (@huddy) to join - Network accessline 168
> —[Shishir Mehrotra](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shishirmehrotra), co-founder and CEO of **Coda** - Network accessline 174
> In general, I intentionally took the path of building a strong leadership team early on. It was always a very hands-on leadership team, who initially spent most of their time as ICs but were also building teams and practices. This is a pe - Network accessline 176
> —[Guy Podjarny](https://www.linkedin.com/in/guypo/), founder and CEO of **Snyk** - Network accessline 180
> **We also believe that many founders, in their eagerness to launch and iterate, often swing too far on the pendulum of no documentation or process. While Charles and I were confident in our product and market insights, as well as our abil - Network accessline 182
> —[Rick Song](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/), founder and CEO of **Persona** - Network accessline 192
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/when-they-hired-their-first-pm/comments) - Network accessline 196
1. [When to hire your first product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/when-to-hire-your-first-product-manager) (my first attempt at this question) - Network accessline 197
2. [Advice for joining as the first product manager](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/joining-as-the-first-product-manager) - Network accessline 198
3. [Hiring your early team in B2B](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/hiring-your-early-team-b2b) - Network accessline 206
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 210
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/when-to-hire-your-first-product-manager.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hello, I’m [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan), and welcome to a**🔒 subscriber-only edition 🔒**of my newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about product, growth, working with humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out - Network accessline 18
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!csE0!,f_ - Network accessline 22
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!JRXp!, - Network accessline 32
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!4XoF!,f - Network accessline 36
[](https://twitter.com/eladgil/status/130189588736 - Network accessline 52
> “We should have hired a PM sooner at Product Hunt so that I (as CEO) was no longer a bottleneck.” > > ー [Ryan Hoover](https://twitter.com/rrhoover) - Network accessline 54
> ー [Ryan Hoover](https://twitter.com/rrhoover) - Network accessline 64
> The realization came came from a person hired from marketing who created PM for Excel. Prior to that, Bill’s old college roommate (who went on to be a leader in developer evangelism) tried to keep products consistent and aligned.” > > ー [ - Network accessline 66
> ー [Steven Sinofsky](https://twitter.com/stevesi) - Network accessline 76
It may be time to hire a full-time PM if: You’ve [found PMF](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/how-to-know-if-youve-got-productmarket) and you need to get ahead on a key initiative. - Network accessline 78
> “Once we found some product/market fit, there was a lot of opportunitistic PM work like customer interviews, data exploration, new product/feature research.” > > ー [Ryan Hoover](https://twitter.com/rrhoover) - Network accessline 80
> ー [Ryan Hoover](https://twitter.com/rrhoover) - Network accessline 94
> “When do you go from PM Zero to PM One? Many of the founders I’ve worked with are surprised when my recommendation is often **not yet**. Usually I discourage them from hiring until they’ve found product/market fit. But even when you’re hi - Network accessline 96
> — [Ken Norton](https://www.kennorton.com/newsletter/2016-02-12-product-manager-zero.html) (early PM at Google) - Network accessline 108
*BTW, if you have any other information, or if I got anything wrong, [please tell me](https://twitter.com/lennysan).* - Network accessline 110
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MzXn!,f - Network accessline 112
You can find many more examples of when companies hired their first PM [in this Twitter thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1302988121445789697). - Network accessline 118
1. [Product management conversion and training](https://growth.eladgil.com/book/chapter-7-product-management/product-management-conversion-and-training/) by Elad Gil - Network accessline 119
2. [Hiring your first Product Manager](https://medium.com/@gokulrajaram/the-biggest-mistake-ceos-make-when-looking-for-their-first-product-manager-347aaeb15a75) by Gokul Rajaram - Network accessline 120
3. [When and How to Make Your First Product Hire](https://medium.com/@jgolden/when-and-how-to-make-your-first-product-hire-809ebce6cda4) by Jonathan Golden - Network accessline 124
Finally, check out [my previous post on how to be successful as a first product manager](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/p/joining-as-the-first-product-manager), and if you’re so inclined, [how to get into product management](https://www.len - Network accessline 126
> **“The amount of ambiguity facing a 1st time PM is tremendous**. Often the founders/execs are still extremely hands on and aren’t comfortable sharing ownership. So there’s a lot of tension. Your job is to bring clarity and focus (i.e. dec - Network accessline 128
> ー [Ben Erez](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/) - Network accessline 132
*Thank you [Helen Sims](https://www.linkedin.com/in/helensims/), [Dennis Yang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisyang/), and [Dan Hockenmaier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-hock/) your feedback on this post, and to everyone else who contr - Network accessline 136
- **Sponsored job of the week**: ✨[Senior Frontend Engineer at BodyBlock AI](https://bit.ly/3mnOE8j) ✨ - Network accessline 137
- **Product**: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/913705-product-manager), [Product Hunt](https://www.notion.so/Head-of-Product-Product-Hunt-9d11d30d491a475c970accdb94eadc71) - Network accessline 138
- **Growth**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076601003), [Hipcamp](https://jobs.lever.co/hipcamp/d04821c3-fb9a-4d3f-9a7a-1b75deacc09f), [Instrumentl](https://angel.co/company/instrumentl/jobs/975735-head-of-growth), - Network accessline 139
- **Design**: [Huddle](https://dribbble.com/jobs/49411-Sr-Product-Designer), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0b-143ca63a53d2), [Office Hours](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_aHEl08ahc6NjOhwmi9GQlNv8CvlOwf8h - Network accessline 140
- **Engineering lead**: [Cerebral](https://boards.greenhouse.io/cerebral/jobs/4076598003), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/00505223-bc85-4c28-8e4b-31217d05c2de) - Network accessline 141
- **Frontend engineer**: [BodyBlock AI](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Frontend-Engineer-5e6b0934d24f449c96151cef7c5f468f), [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Le - Network accessline 142
- **Backend engineer**: [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-engineer) - Network accessline 143
- **Fullstack engineer**: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Icebreaker](https://icebreaker.video/product-engineer), [neo.tax](https://angel.co/company/neo-tax/jobs/887778-software-engine - Network accessline 144
- **iOS engineer**: [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Vori](https://www.notion.so/Mobile-Engineer-Vori-c5ceccd966a04c8aa9e970f0355ca13c) - Network accessline 148
1. **Read**: [Your startup is a movement](https://sacks.substack.com/p/your-startup-is-a-movement) by David Sacks - Network accessline 149
2. **Watch**: [The Social Dilemma](https://www.netflix.com/title/81254224) on Netflix - Network accessline 150
3. **Listen**: [Guy Raz on Tim Ferris — Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs, The Story of ‘How I Built This,’ Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and More](https://tim.blog/2020/09/10/guy-raz/)
references/02-newsletters/when-to-sunset-a-feature.md
- Network accessline 12
While at Airbnb, I saw many products launched, and surprisingly many sunset. Including many that had launched with much fanfare, like [Guidebooks](https://www.pcmag.com/news/airbnb-app-gets-personalized-matching-guidebooks), [Wish Lists](ht - Network accessline 14
, an early employee at Clubhouse, [shared](https://every.to/p/what-i-learned-at-clubhouse) a great - Network accessline 58
The [Airbnb Neighborhoods](https://techcrunch.com/2012/11/13/airbnb-launches-neighborhoods-providing-the-definitive-travel-guide-for-its-guests/) product is a good example of this. On the surface, giving people insight into the character of - Network accessline 66
A product may be rarely used, hard to maintain, and degrade the user experience, but if it supports your company [strategy](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/1225083/what-is-a-strategy), then it can still be worth keeping around. Who knows - Network accessline 68
If, however, the product or feature has nothing to do with your strategy and is just there because it’s there, it’s a great sunset candidate. The Milestones product I mentioned above is a good example of this. When it was built, one of our - Network accessline 76
Finally, an important consideration when sunsetting a feature is how much blowback you’ll experience if you sunset it. For example, here’s [Gibson’s](https://twitter.com/gibsonbiddle) experience at Netflix: - Network accessline 80
On the flip side, [when Facebook introduced the news feed](https://www.wired.com/2016/09/everyone-hated-news-feed-then-it-became-facebooks-most-important-product/), there was mass freak-out for a while, and then everyone got over it. Now it - Network accessline 88
And finally, what comes after you’ve decided to sunset the product or feature? Here’s a great simple set of next steps from [Ryan J. Salva](https://twitter.com/ryanjsalva/status/1569714818147581952) (VP of Product at GitHub): - Network accessline 92
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/when-to-sunset-a-feature/comments) - Network accessline 96
 - Network accessline 100
1. [How to sunset a feature](https://www.intercom.com/blog/how-to-sunset-a-feature/) by Intercom - Network accessline 101
2. [The art of unshipping: How to deprioritize features, phase out projects and sunset products](https://plan.io/blog/deprioritize-and-sunset-projects/) by Planio - Network accessline 102
3. [Quick Guide: Sunsetting a Product](https://productcoalition.com/i-was-recently-reading-todd-berkowitzs-blog-overcoming-the-sunk-cost-fallacy-when-selling-907963fb5192) by Krishnan Hariharan - Network accessline 108
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting bi-monthly drops of world-class hand-curated product and growth people who are open to new opportunities. - Network accessline 110
 - Network accessline 114
[Apply Now](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) - Network accessline 118
1. **Slab:** [Frontend Engineer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/900e2226-f222-4108-90a8-285824523cec) (Remote) - Network accessline 119
2. **Walmart:** [Sr/Principal Product Manager (Store8 incubator)](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/22be805a-9d53-46f9-ac69-ddf6b158c2fb) (SF, Manhattan, NY, San Diego, CA, Seattle, WA) - Network accessline 123
1. **Listen:** [Tools to Improve Your Focus & Concentration](https://open.spotify.com/episode/0cfMpJd2lk9xtk3hyGy5FT?go=1&sp_cid=8e64ff43e771fbb17cb0525df83e47e4&nd=1), Huberman Lab - Network accessline 125
2. **Read:** [Lifestyles](https://collabfund.com/blog/lifestyles/) by Morgan Housel - Network accessline 126
3. **Read:** [Notes on Progress: An environmentalist gets lunch](https://worksinprogress.substack.com/p/notes-on-progress-an-environmentalist) by Works in Progress
references/02-newsletters/where-great-product-roadmap-ideas-come-from.md
- Network accessline 10
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Q - Possible obfuscationline 16
5. Using the product yoursel<U+FE0F>f 🕵<U+FE0F><U+200D>♀<U+FE0F> - Network accessline 34
If there’s anything missing that you’ve found valuable, I’d genuinely love to hear it. [Tweet me](https://twitter.com/lennysan) or leave a comment below. - Network accessline 38
[Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) - Network accessline 40
*Thank you to everyone who contributed your great suggestions on [this twitter thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1135563031352471552), particularly [Gustaf Alströmer](https://medium.com/@gustaf), [Alistair Croll](https://medium.co
references/02-newsletters/which-companies-accelerate-pm-careers-most.md
- Network accessline 12
I teamed up with [Jason Saltzman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-salt/) and [Ethan Elias](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-elias-70021472/) at [Live Data Technologies](https://www.livedatatechnologies.com/product-jobs)—which tracks hiri - Network accessline 27
1. **The new startup mafias:** Palantir, Plaid, N26, Ramp, Intercom, Revolut, Duolingo, Uber, Notion, and Coinbase. The standout company is **Palantir**, where almost a quarter of Palantir PMs went on to start their own company. Almost a fi - Network accessline 28
2. **Fintech is dominant—5 out of the top 10 companies!** Did not expect that. It’s probably no coincidence that the PayPal mafia has been so successful. One explanation, shared by my buddy [Dennis Yang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisya - Network accessline 29
3. **FAANG companies lag behind.** eBay, Intuit, and LinkedIn are far ahead of companies like Microsoft, Google, Apple, Meta, and Amazon in these lists. One explanation is that PMs at FAANG companies learn how to operate well within that sp - Network accessline 31
5. **The top two companies are based in Europe!** [MEGA](https://levelsio.com/collections/eu-acc). - Network accessline 35
 - Network accessline 45
#### **1. [Revolut](https://www.revolut.com/)** - Network accessline 51
 - Network accessline 53
#### **2. [N26](https://n26.com/)** - Network accessline 59
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#### **3. [eBay](https://www.ebay.com/)** - Network accessline 67
 - Network accessline 69
#### **4. [Plaid](https://plaid.com/)** - Network accessline 75
 - Network accessline 79
#### **5. [Intercom](https://www.intercom.com/)** - Network accessline 85
 - Network accessline 87
#### **6. [Intuit](https://www.intuit.com/)** - Network accessline 93
 - Network accessline 97
#### **7. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/)** - Network accessline 103
 - Network accessline 107
#### **8. [Palantir](https://www.palantir.com/)** - Network accessline 113
 - Network accessline 115
#### **9. [Deel](https://www.deel.com/)** - Network accessline 121
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#### **10. [Discord](https://discord.com/)** - Network accessline 129
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1. **[Ramp](https://ramp.com/)** (~800 employees, founded 2019)**:** Particularly strong at creating founders—which is extra impressive since it’s so young. - Network accessline 136
2. Ranked 5th at first PM rate 3. Ranked 10th at time-to-next-promotion after leaving 2. **[Nubank](https://www.nubank.com/) (**~7,000 employees, founded 2013**):** Strong all around but not ranked highest on any specific dimension. - Network accessline 138
2. **[Nubank](https://www.nubank.com/) (**~7,000 employees, founded 2013**):** Strong all around but not ranked highest on any specific dimension. - Network accessline 142
3. Ranked 8th at fastest risers 4. Ranked 9th at fastest promotion 3. **[Notion](https://notion.so/)** (~500 employees, founded 2013): Especially strong at creating first PMs at other companies. - Network accessline 144
3. **[Notion](https://notion.so/)** (~500 employees, founded 2013): Especially strong at creating first PMs at other companies. - Network accessline 174
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/which-companies-accelerate-your-pm/comments) - Network accessline 176
*Thank you to [Jason Saltzman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-salt/) and [Ethan Elias](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-elias-70021472/)* *of [Live Data Technologies](https://www.livedatatechnologies.com/product-jobs) for the data and a - Network accessline 184
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 186
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/which-companies-produce-the-best-product-managers.md
- Network accessline 10
*For more: **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/) | [Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) | [Courses](https://maven.com/lenny) | [Hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) | [Swag](https://lennyswag.com/)*** - Network accessline 12
My first-ever deep dive a few months ago into which [companies accelerate PM careers most](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/which-companies-accelerate-your-pm) led to a lot of great feedback and ideas, so I’m back with a follow-up, going - Network accessline 22
 - Network accessline 26
A big thank-you to [Live Data Technologies](https://www.livedatatechnologies.com/product-jobs) ([Jason Saltzman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-salt/) and [Ethan Elias](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-elias-70021472/)) for sharing this - Network accessline 43
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 - Network accessline 59
Building on our analysis in [the previous edition](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/which-companies-accelerate-your-pm) and adding four new data points, below we’ve triangulated which companies’ alumni PMs create the biggest inflection in - Network accessline 77
 - Network accessline 109
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/which-companies-produce-the-best/comments) - Network accessline 111
*Thank you, [Jason Saltzman](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-salt/) and [Ethan Elias](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethan-elias-70021472/) from [Live Data Technologies](https://www.livedatatechnologies.com/product-jobs), for helping with th - Network accessline 115
**[Bounce](https://bounce.com/)** is hiring for a Head of Growth based out of San Francisco. As their Head of Growth, you’ll be expected to: - Network accessline 127
If you’d like to get your profile sent directly to their team, just fill out [this quick form](https://airtable.com/appTNAXC72V74HqPS/pagCczxszIZPdd00t/form). All submissions from my readers get priority (but no guarantees beyond that). - Network accessline 129
*If you’d like to get your role featured here, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apphKJD0wLIHfPcZu/pag09IdQYrMpolMa5/form). If you’re interested in working with my white-glove recruiting service specializing in senior product roles (e.g. Di - Network accessline 131
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 133
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/why-cash-is-king.md
- Network accessline 14
With over 5,000 detailed responses, I haven’t seen another compensation survey reach this scale. To help me design and run this survey, I tapped my former colleague [Louise Beryl](https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-beryl-13225833/), who rec - Network accessline 16
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 - Network accessline 62
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*Thanks, Louise! For more from Louise, follow her on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/louise-beryl-13225833/).* - Network accessline 113
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 115
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/why-marketplaces-fail.md
- Network accessline 16
In a [past post](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/evaluating-a-marketplace-business), I shared my framework for evaluating marketplace ideas, but in this post, I’m going zero in on your specific question: **why do marketplaces fail?** - Network accessline 20
 - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 42
 - Network accessline 43
> Every musician I was in dialogue with, all said “what a great idea” or “this is exactly what we need” but at the end of the day, **no one really did need such a service**, because every musician is struggling for survival and no one has e - Network accessline 47
 - Network accessline 48
> The problem was people liked the idea of our idea, not our solution. Journalists flocked to write about us, but they never signed up for the service. Gatekeepers of Internet contests and startup events wanted us there, but didn’t use it. - Network accessline 52
 - Network accessline 53
> “The startup had originally allowed customers to book chefs days in advance for at-home dinner parties, but last year moved to an on-demand model. **Neither version of the service, though, produced enough demand** to be sustainable for a - Network accessline 55
**Additional examples**: [Zimride](https://techcrunch.com/2014/08/29/6000-words-about-a-pink-mustache/), [Design Inc](https://hackernoon.com/the-success-and-failure-of-design-inc-99c07a93c8eb), [Mapudo](https://medium.com/swlh/why-mapudo-fa - Network accessline 68
 - Network accessline 69
> While laundromats were initially receptive to working with Wu and Cao, what the two didn’t count on was the partnership eventually going sour. **Laundromat owners eventually saw Prim as siphoning possible incremental revenues from their o - Network accessline 73
 - Network accessline 74
> Turnover of errand runners was very high. **Most competent people are not looking for part-time work.** The exception to this are people looking for supplemental income, but those people have full-time jobs which conflicted with our high - Network accessline 78
 - Network accessline 79
> **There are more folks hunting for parking spaces than exist parking space owners who are willing to share**. This is the problem we weren’t able to solve, and a problem that still exists today for folks taking their own stab at the drive - Network accessline 81
**Additional examples**: [ShipItWise](https://medium.com/shipitwise/goodbye-for-now-shipitwise-is-shutting-down-ae5a4bdf1550) - Network accessline 89
 - Network accessline 90
> At Threadflip we focused on the mid-tier of design (Michael Kors for example was our most popular brand). While liquidity with anything Michael Kors was high, the number of unique items we had listed was low. **We had a supply imbalance a - Network accessline 94
 - Network accessline 95
> Traditional marketplace building starts with liquidity. Can you gather enough “supply” and “demand” to ensure that buyers and sellers are able to find each other and be satisfied with little effort? For this reason, most marketplaces star - Network accessline 99
 - Network accessline 100
> Certainty, Trust, & Quality. These three things are the pillars that I have come to believe are needed to make any marketplace work. We did a pretty solid job out of the gate with trust and quality, but a pure 'request model' lacks sorely - Network accessline 102
**Additional examples**: [Varagesale](https://betakit.com/varagesale-fails-to-monetize-in-time-acquired-by-verticalscope/), [LetGo](https://techcrunch.com/2020/08/31/offerup-and-letgo-combine-marketplaces-post-acquisition/) - Dangerous shell operationline 106
Rooted in the challenge of offering better/cheaper products to customers is both (1) making sure your supply earns enough to make it worth their while, and (2) at the same time extracting enough value to build a profitable business. As Just - Network accessline 112
 - Network accessline 113
> For all that was going right, there were underlying problems with Shyp’s operating model. **A flat fee for pickup and packaging proved a challenge given the wide variance in size of packages** that people were sending. In response, the co - Network accessline 117
 - Network accessline 119
> **Things have since changed, and not for the better. Luxe is less reliable, and prices have gone way up. Where I park in San Francisco, Luxe now often charges close to $30 a day, a rate that exceeds those of local lots**, especially when - Network accessline 123
 - Network accessline 124
> To maximize revenue in the Bay Area, where they started, Cherry would have had to either begin to upsell other car-related services to be delivered at the time of a car wash and/or to maximize the number of bookings made through its servi - Network accessline 126
> Venture-scale businesses need to have tremendous leverage in their revenue models. [This] requires the organization of excess labor supply, training that labor, and supplying it with materials and/or information in order to carry out the - Network accessline 130
 for a promotional price of $19. Guess w - Network accessline 133
**Additional examples**: [Omni](https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/25/omni-shuts-down/), [Kitchit](https://techcrunch.com/2016/04/28/on-demand-private-chef-startup-kitchit-shuts-down/), [Prim](https://fortune.com/2014/01/22/prim-anatomy-of-a-fo - Network accessline 143
 - Network accessline 144
> Successful onboarding plummeted more than 40 percent. **Handy had to cancel thousands of bookings as demand outstripped the supply of available pros**. Customer complaints skyrocketed. It was a grim replay of an episode from a year earlie - Network accessline 148
![Flash Sales Site Fab.com Raises $8 Million to Be a Step Up From Etsy - Tricia Duryee - Commerce - AllThingsD](https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f36e3de4-bdee-4926-8ca4-f734cffcf1f7_722x - Network accessline 149
> “When you look at Fab's decision to go to Europe, we were still nascent in the US," said one former Fab employee. "We had our ducks in a row, but not everything figured out. We couldn't afford to send anyone from the US there because we w - Network accessline 153
 - Network accessline 154
> Even though Laurel & Wolf generally maintained a positive, marketable image, beginning the summer of 2018, the company’s reviews on sites like Yelp were populated with an influx of mainly one-star rants. **Most of the reviewers complained - Network accessline 156
**Additional examples**: [Groupon](https://www.businessinsider.com/lessons-from-groupons-business-model-2013-3), [Fad](https://www.businessinsider.com/how-billion-dollar-startup-fab-died-2015-2), [Wimdu](https://www.eu-startups.com/2019/07/ - Network accessline 162
1. **Disintermediation**: Your supply and demand don’t have a great reason to stay on-platform (e.g. [Tutorspree](https://pando.com/2013/09/08/after-difficult-fundraise-yc-alum-tutorspree-shuts-down/)) - Network accessline 164
3. **Lack of fragmentation on both sides**: Do both sides actually need you to help them find each other? Particularly common in B2B marketplaces, where there are fewer players. 4. **Too small a market**: There just aren’t enough people or - Network accessline 166
5. **Bad execution**: Focusing on the wrong side of the marketplace for too long, not finding a scalable way to grow supply and demand, blowing through cash, etc. (e.g. [Beepi](https://www.forbes.com/sites/maryjuetten/2019/01/15/failed-star - Network accessline 185
- [Evaluating a marketplace idea](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/evaluating-a-marketplace-business) - Network accessline 186
- [Four Paths to Marketplace Success](https://a16z.com/2020/02/20/marketplace-engagement/) by D'Arcy Coolican - Network accessline 187
- [Marketplace Supply Strategy: Comprehensive, Exclusive, or Curated](https://a16z.com/2021/03/31/marketplace-supply-strategy/) by Casey Winters and Anne Lewandowski - Network accessline 188
- [The a16z Marketplace 100](https://a16z.com/marketplace-100/) - Network accessline 189
- [A tweet thread with more failed marketplaces](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1381651907375112198) - Network accessline 193
*Thank you to [Mike Ghaffary](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeghaffary) and [Mike Duboe](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeduboe) for offering valuable feedback on this post.* - Network accessline 195
## **🔥 Job opening of the week:**[Growth Product Engineer at Dover](https://www.dover.com/open-roles/growth-product-engineer) - Network accessline 197
> *Dover is looking for our first Growth Product Engineer to design and build out our free product suite used by thousands of founders and hiring managers.* > > [Learn more](https://www.dover.com/open-roles/growth-product-engineer) - Network accessline 199
> [Learn more](https://www.dover.com/open-roles/growth-product-engineer) - Network accessline 203
1. **Product**: [AbstractOps](https://work.abstractops.com/3003f61f65d44cfdbebfdd01677f1adb), [Decent](https://decent.breezy.hr/p/a976bf37026c-product-lead), [Goldcast](https://boards.greenhouse.io/goldcast/jobs/4009779004), [Rocketplace](h - Network accessline 204
2. **Growth**: [Offsyte](https://www.notion.so/Growth-Marketing-Manager-3fbc68b7dcc2411c857a2753bd4e70f7), [SpaceX Starlink](https://boards.greenhouse.io/spacex/jobs/5032353002?gh_jid=5032353002&gh_src=seekorswimcom) - Network accessline 205
3. **Design**: [Ashby](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ashby/145ff46b-1441-4773-bcd3-c8c90baa598a), [Berbix](https://jobs.lever.co/berbix/ba8af3cd-d797-492b-9849-13b37df0f6b2), [Eppo](https://www.notion.so/Eppo-Founding-Designer-57b62fbe7832400396 - Network accessline 206
4. **Frontend engineer**: [Levels](https://www.notion.so/levelshealth/Join-Levels-Remote-Developer-58454f0db7e3466692f7b75db6237ddf), [Practice](https://www.notion.so/Front-end-Developer-929e1933b9b4432a851043adbb7bff04) - Network accessline 207
5. **Backend engineer**: [Driveway](https://www.notion.so/Driveway-Senior-Engineer-758d5ce4ce764f9ea920c5728ee136f3), [Eppo](https://www.notion.so/Eppo-Founding-Data-Engineer-45533e4fc79c4c4d97b8302c051243bc), [Pogo](https://www.notion.so/S - Network accessline 208
6. **Fullstack engineer**: [Mem](https://get.mem.ai/careers#product-engineer), [Runway](https://www.notion.so/A-Product-first-Full-stack-Engineer-5e056689b68048aeb1ccfea6ac73eb9e), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/7c3bb72b-70d3-4 - Network accessline 209
7. **Mobile engineer**: [Nocap](https://www.notion.so/nocapnotion/Software-Engineer-iOS-058677353900453ca6b60c62445ac3a0), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Senior-Software-Engineer-iOS-San-Francisco-CA-87f0fd3ee3dc4c3f8d0419c07fcdd434), [Styt - Network accessline 210
8. **Game economy designer**: [Sorare](https://www.welcometothejungle.com/fr/companies/sorare/jobs/game-economy-designer_paris_SORAR_kYW8MjK) - Network accessline 216
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsCul1sp4hQ) - Network accessline 219
3. **Read**: [Return/Hybrid/Remote](https://avc.com/2021/03/return-hybrid-remote/) by Fred Wilson - Network accessline 223
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/why-no-productivity-hack-will-solve-your-overwhelm.md
- Network accessline 10
When I was working on a post about [productivity tactics](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-management-techniques-that-actually) (which went on to become one of my all-time most popular), I shared a draft with my Newsletter Fellow [Na - Network accessline 16
*[Natalie](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nrothfels) is an executive coach who works with co-founders and executive teams, helping them build interpersonal skills to become more effective leaders. She spent a decade as a product manager buildi - Network accessline 18
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Coaching Gustavo to [prioritize one big thing each day](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/147172995/each-morning-write-down-just-things-you-have-to-accomplish-that-day) or [turn on DND mode](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/147172995/kee - Network accessline 42
[Internal Family Systems](https://ifs-institute.com/) (IFS) is a powerful method for uncovering and relating to different parts of ourselves (especially the ones in conflict with each other) and developing a more integrated, aligned, and co - Network accessline 54
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When imagining the upcoming [Lenny and Friends Summit](https://lennyssummit.com/), he quickly notices three different parts that show up in anticipation of the event. - Network accessline 248
1. Jay Earley’s description of the [seven types of inner critics](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c03ced75ffd204418037b7a/t/5c3fe62b7ba7fc1e43005c7f/1547691563363/Seven+Types+of+Inner+Critics.pdf) - Network accessline 249
2. *[No Bad Parts](https://www.amazon.com/No-Bad-Parts-Restoring-Wholeness/dp/1683646681)* by Richard Schwartz - Network accessline 251
*Thanks, Natalie! For more from Natalie, check out [The Ripple Deck](https://rippledeck.com/) and follow her on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nrothfels) and [X](https://x.com/natatouille).* - Network accessline 259
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 261
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/why-now-2.md
- Network accessline 10
*This is a*🔓 ***free preview of this week’s paid post*** 🔓 *If you’d like to read the full post, [subscribe here](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe).* - Network accessline 24
*Huge thank-you to Sarah Tavel, Ann Miura-Ko, Bill Trenchard, Josh Elman, Alexander Taussig, Garry Tan, Eric Vishria, and everyone who shared their insights [in this thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1415439833846083586) for contr - Network accessline 26
references/02-newsletters/why-now.md
- Network accessline 22
*Huge thank-you to Sarah Tavel, Ann Miura-Ko, Bill Trenchard, Josh Elman, Alexander Taussig, Garry Tan, Eric Vishria, and everyone who shared their insights [in this thread](https://twitter.com/lennysan/status/1415439833846083586) for contr - Network accessline 24
 - Network accessline 130
- Netflix, and broadband adoption - Facebook, and [growing digital camera adoption among college students](https://twitter.com/soleio/status/1415788188619116547?s=20) - Network accessline 131
- Facebook, and [growing digital camera adoption among college students](https://twitter.com/soleio/status/1415788188619116547?s=20) - Network accessline 167
1. [How to build a breakthrough](https://medium.com/@m2jr/how-to-build-a-breakthrough-3071b6415b06) by Mike Maples, Jr. - Network accessline 168
2. [How to build an enduring, multi-billion-dollar business](https://sarahtavel.medium.com/how-to-build-an-enduring-multi-billion-dollar-business-hint-create-a-10x-product-recast-3527df2b8fcb) by Sarah Tavel - Network accessline 169
3. [Two eras of the internet: pull and push](https://cdixon.org/2014/12/21/two-eras-of-the-internet-pull-and-push) by Chris Dixon - Network accessline 173
> #### **“One reason that we ask the question is something my partner Jeremy Liew likes to call the ‘[Here be dragons](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Here_be_dragons)’ effect. Sailors used to explore different corners of the world, but those - Network accessline 181
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-now/comments) - Network accessline 187
1. **Whatnot**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/c9d0007f-e954-4306-8776-11d994395e67) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 188
2. **Truework**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/288da35c-9090-4186-8d57-e269611288f3) (San Francisco) - Network accessline 189
3. **Staffy**: [Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/ed0b504b-4fa3-48bc-9716-684750df3e80) (Toronto) - Network accessline 190
4. **Quidax:**[Product Director](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/fd33811d-4b9d-40e5-b041-46db566f2d95) (Toronto) - Network accessline 191
5. **Cord:**[Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/67d8080e-c51b-4574-ade8-cab0693984a5) (London) - Network accessline 192
6. **Rally:**[Founding Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/55e10d59-13ea-461a-bdaa-fe8ad989b41b) (Remote—Global) - Network accessline 193
7. **Crusoe:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4bd3b894-fa7b-4f31-9022-04ca611ceaeb) (SF, Denver) - Network accessline 194
8. **Squarespace:**[Senior Product Manager/Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/84d30ce6-d293-4de6-a1bc-b9b7f0656440?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (NYC) - Network accessline 195
9. **Piñata Farms:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/9f90d5d9-288a-477d-b14b-8b4a9c589a87?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (LA) - Network accessline 196
10. **Properly:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/beefb83d-8775-4052-96e6-72d8f62ca3ef?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Toronto, Remote—US) - Network accessline 197
11. **Clearco**: [Product Manager - Capital Partnerships](https://pallet.xyz/job/82497ce0-6faa-4aa7-a321-86d525a23cd7?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 198
12. **SnapStream Media**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/8bec1419-8512-4c77-b7a9-3351dfea8afe?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—Global) - Network accessline 199
13. **Pragli:**[Product Designer #1](https://pallet.xyz/job/75075700-7078-4664-a498-df280d166a9e?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 201
*Browse many more open roles (or add your own) at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 205
1. **Read**: [38 ways to win an argument](https://www.mnei.nl/schopenhauer/38-stratagems.htm) - Network accessline 206
2. **Read:** [Who influences the influencers?](https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/who-influences-the-influencers/) - Network accessline 207
3. **Watch**: [The Incredible Logistics of the Tokyo Olympics](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3FKtBNEBRc) - Network accessline 209
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3FKtBNEBRc) - Network accessline 213
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/why-pms-are-best-positioned-to-thrive-in-an-ai-world.md
- Network accessline 10
I’ve recently published a couple of pieces that have created anxiety in the PM community (i.e. [how AI is getting closer to replacing PMs](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-close-is-ai-to-replacing-product), [which parts of the job are - Network accessline 14
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I’ve written about how [many parts of the PM job](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-ai-will-impact-product-management) will be impacted (or taken over) by AI over time, and what I haven’t made clear enough is that *other* tech roles wi - Network accessline 57
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[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flRSWqq4OUI) - Network accessline 77
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1. **Music:** [Suno](https://suno.ai/) (currently the [fastest-growing AI product in the world](https://x.com/heykahn/status/1823330662063149274)) lets you play PM for music. You describe in words what music you want to hear, and it goes of - Network accessline 85
2. **Movies:** [Pika](https://pika.art/home), [Runway](https://runwayml.com/product), and [Sora](https://openai.com/index/sora/) allow you to be PM for video. Describe what movie you want, and it creates it for you. As these tools improve, - Network accessline 87
3. **Engineering:** As I’ve written about previously, [Devin](https://www.cognition.ai/blog/introducing-devin), [GitHub Copilot Workspace](https://githubnext.com/projects/copilot-workspace), [Magic](https://magic.dev/), and other startups a - Network accessline 93
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lcy2N3YcIs) - Network accessline 95
4. **Design:** [Figma recently announced an AI tool](https://www.figma.com/ai/) that auto-generates product designs based on a description you provide. There’s also [Uizard](https://uizard.io/), which goes even further. - Network accessline 101
1. **Get your hands dirty:** Stop reading about AI and use it. Experiment with using [ChatGPT](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-chatgpt-in-your-pm-work), [Perplexity](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-perplexity-in- - Network accessline 104
1. Follow [Dan Shipper](https://x.com/danshipper)’s journey as he [builds AI products](https://x.com/danshipper/status/1803056709079834846) and [interviews people on how they use AI in their day-to-day work](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v= - Network accessline 105
2. Follow [Claire Vo](https://x.com/clairevo)’s journey [building and evolving ChatPRD](https://x.com/clairevo/status/1823375505187610729) as a side project that now generates six figures. - Network accessline 106
3. Check out some of [Andrej Karpathy’s videos](https://www.youtube.com/andrejkarpathy) explaining how LLMs work. - Network accessline 107
4. Check out [Andrew Ng](https://www.andrewng.org/courses/)’s online courses on machine learning, and AI for everyone. - Network accessline 110
1. [The Rundown](https://www.therundown.ai/), [Superhuman AI](https://www.superhuman.ai/), and/or [Ben’s Bites](https://bensbites.com/) to stay up-to-date on what’s new in AI - Network accessline 111
2. [No Priors](https://www.youtube.com/@NoPriorsPodcast) podcast with Sarah Guo and Elad Gil - Network accessline 112
3. [Eric Schmidt’s AI prophecy: The next two years will shock you](https://www.exponentialview.co/p/eric-schmidts-ai-prophecy) - Network accessline 128
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/why-pms-are-best-positioned-to-thrive/comments) - Network accessline 130
*A big thank-you to [Dan Shipper](https://x.com/danshipper/) and [Dennis Yang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisyang/) for helping me think this post through.* - Network accessline 138
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/) - Network accessline 142
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/why-your-ai-product-needs-a-different-development-lifecycle.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Welcome to a **✨ free edition ✨** of my weekly newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career. For more: **[Lenny’s Podcast](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/podcast) - Network accessline 12
*P.S. Annual subscribers get a **free year** of 15+ premium products: **[Lovable, Replit, Bolt, n8n, Wispr Flow, Descript, Linear, Gamma, Superhuman, Warp, Granola, Perplexity, Raycast, Magic Patterns, Mobbin, and ChatPRD](https://www.lenny - Network accessline 16
Based on their experience leading over 50 AI implementations at companies including OpenAI, Google, Amazon, Databricks, and Kumo, [Aishwarya Reganti](https://www.linkedin.com/in/areganti/) and [Kiriti Badam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sai- - Network accessline 18
For more from Aish and Kiriti, check out [their popular Maven course](https://bit.ly/aish-lenny) and [their upcoming free lightning talk](https://maven.com/p/88a325/don-t-build-ai-products-like-traditional-software?promoCode=) that explores - Network accessline 20
*You can also listen to this post in convenient podcast form: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj) / [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693) / [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@le - Network accessline 22
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There’s a famous saying in software, for a reason: “[Premature optimization is the root of all evil.](https://stackify.com/premature-optimization-evil/)” It applies here too. Don’t overengineer. Don’t over-optimize. Not at this stage. Just - Network accessline 160
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To dive deeper into designing and refining evals, a great starting point is [Aman’s piece](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/beyond-vibe-checks-a-pms-complete). - Network accessline 188
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*Thanks, Aish and Kiriti! You can [follow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/areganti/) [them](https://www.linkedin.com/in/sai-kiriti-badam/) on LinkedIn, and check out [their popular Maven course](https://bit.ly/aish-lenny) and [their upcoming f - Network accessline 283
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/why-youre-so-angry-at-work-and-what-to-do-about-it.md
- Network accessline 10
Recently, executive coach [Natalie Rothfels](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nrothfels) has noticed a concerning pattern across all of her co-founder and executive clients: everyone’s angry. Very angry. Below, she shares a guide to identifying - Network accessline 12
Before becoming a coach, Natalie spent a decade as a product manager at [Quizlet](https://quizlet.com/gb) and [Khan Academy](https://www.khanacademy.org/). She is a certified Internal Family Systems practitioner, a facilitator for Stanford - Network accessline 14
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Here’s the process I now use with my clients to help them identify and then transform their own anger into wisdom that they can then appropriately express in a work context. Informed by Buddhist philosophy, [Internal Family Systems](https:/ - Network accessline 38
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- Use [Tara Brach’s RAIN](https://www.tarabrach.com/rain/) system, a super-powerful tool for doing the U-turn. - Network accessline 194
- Pick three emotions using the [Feelings Wheel](https://feelingswheel.com). - Network accessline 212
Revisit the needs list below or check out the resource section at the end for a deeper [list of needs](https://www.sociocracyforall.org/nvc-feelings-and-needs-list/). - Network accessline 214
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Not every work environment allows for the vulnerability of speaking from needs. Still, I love [Tara Brach’s advice](https://insighttimer.com/tarabrach/guided-meditations/anger-responding-not-reacting) on this: “Whenever it has a chance of i - Network accessline 276
1. *[Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames](https://terebess.hu/zen/mesterek/Thich%20Nhat%20Hanh%20-%20Anger%20-%20Wisdom%20for%20Cooling%20the%20Flames.pdf)* by Thich Nhat Hanh - Network accessline 277
2. [Taking Care of Anger](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OvLOna5_1A) by Thich Nhat Hanh - Network accessline 278
3. *[The Dance of Anger](https://www.amazon.com/Dance-Anger-Changing-Patterns-Relationships/dp/0062319043)* by Harriet Lerner - Network accessline 279
4. [RAIN practices](https://www.tarabrach.com/rain/) by Tara Brach - Network accessline 280
5. *[When the Body Says No](https://www.amazon.com/When-Body-Says-Understanding-Stress-Disease/dp/0470923350/)* by Gabor Maté - Network accessline 281
6. [NVC needs list](https://www.sociocracyforall.org/nvc-feelings-and-needs-list/) (to print for reference) - Network accessline 282
7. [When Getting Angry Makes You Happy](https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/when_getting_angry_makes_you_happy) by Lauren Klein - Network accessline 284
*Thank you, Natalie! For more from Natalie, follow her on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nrothfels) and [X](https://x.com/natatouille).* - Network accessline 290
**[Bounce](https://bounce.com/)** is hiring for a Head of Growth based out of San Francisco. As their Head of Growth, you'll be expected to: - Network accessline 302
If you’d like to get your profile sent directly to their team, just fill out [this quick form](https://airtable.com/appTNAXC72V74HqPS/pagCczxszIZPdd00t/form). All submissions from my readers get priority (but no guarantees beyond that). - Network accessline 304
*If you’d like to get your role featured here, [apply here](https://airtable.com/apphKJD0wLIHfPcZu/pag09IdQYrMpolMa5/form). If you’re interested in working with my white-glove recruiting service specializing in senior product roles (e.g. Di - Network accessline 306
[Start hiring](https://www.lennysjobs.com/) - Network accessline 308
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/winning-at-early-stage-hiring.md
- Network accessline 16
 - Network accessline 20
*Thank you, Brandon Hill ([Vori](https://vori.com/)), Julianna Lamb and Reed McGinley-Stempel ([Stytch](https://stytch.com/)), Kevin Tan ([Snackpass](https://www.snackpass.co/)), Nick Handel ([Transform](https://transform.io/)), Sam Corcos - Network accessline 26
> “**Articulating a crystal clear and ambitious vision** makes it easy for candidates to visualize what they are building towards for the next five years.” —Kevin Tan, [Snackpass](https://www.snackpass.co/) - Network accessline 28
> “**The size of our vision** (and our ability to demonstrate it through a product demo) has clearly been one of the biggest reasons we’ve been able to hire such incredible people.” —Siqi Chen, [Runway](https://runway.com/) - Network accessline 30
> “**We spend a lot of time articulating our long-term vision.**The right people will be compelled by the scope, complexity, and long-term societal impact.” —Brandon Hill, [Vori](https://vori.com/) - Network accessline 42
> “**The best talent wants to work with the best talent.** Find great people from the beginning. Never lower your recruiting bar to hire someone because they can fill a short-term need. It will be very tempting to bring someone on if they a - Network accessline 44
> “**Great people want to work with great people.** People talk about *raising the bar*, but what’s interesting is that there’s a snowball effect—raising the bar happens organically and actually becomes easier if you’re hiring exceptional p - Network accessline 46
> “**Hiring definitely compounds**. I hear often from candidates that they’re really impressed with our early team.” —Julianna Lamb, [Stytch](https://stytch.com/) - Network accessline 60
> “**Be prepared to commit ~100 hours for each hire you make.** Interview a lot of people. Ask your network for introductions. Reach out to people on LinkedIn. Get creative on how you source candidates. Write excellent [job descriptions](ht - Network accessline 62
> “**Sell at every stage of the process**, including the cold outreach email and the first phone call, where it’s critical to get them excited. We also treat every other interview as an opportunity to get them excited about the team, produc - Network accessline 64
> “**Hiring is strategy.** Come up with a plan and then do what is necessary to execute. This includes defining roles well before needing to hire them, getting feedback, collecting leads, speaking informally with folks in the space to learn - Network accessline 68
Remember also that hiring is a long-term game. As [Sam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/samcorcos) from Levels put it, “Our best hires are people that weren’t looking at the time I first spoke with them, but we slowly won their interest over th - Network accessline 76
> “**Our first hire came from my first company**, our third hire from our investors, the next hire from my co-founder’s last company, and the next few came from referrals and inbound candidates.” —Siqi Chen, [Runway](https://runway.com/) - Network accessline 78
> “**Use your investor network to help close.** Ask investors, advisors, and angels you trust to get on a call to help close the candidate.” —Kevin Tan, [Snackpass](https://www.snackpass.co/) - Network accessline 80
> “**A lot of it is network early on.**” —Alex Bilmes, [Endgame](https://endgame.io/) - Network accessline 92
> “**You know you’re pitching candidates well enough when they offer to invest** even if they aren’t ready to move on from their current roles.” —Siqi Chen, [Runway](https://runway.com/) - Network accessline 94
> “**In recruiting, I’d say pitching skills > sales skills.** A successful recruiting process feels much more like the way we interact with investors when fundraising (painting the vision of the future, etc.) than how we talk to prospects.” - Network accessline 96
> “**At the offer stage, we present a custom offer deck** and walk through it with all founders and the candidate present. The detail makes them feel welcomed and loved.” —Brandon Hill, [Vori](https://vori.com/) - Network accessline 100
> “We see the actual offer stage as a big place you can stand out. We do a Zoom to surprise the candidate with everyone from their interview panel to share why they’re excited about the candidate potentially joining.” —Julianna Lamb, [Stytc - Network accessline 112
1. “**Define values and ways of working first:** The team determines the culture. If you can’t clearly articulate how you want to work and what values you want to protect, you will not find people who can build that culture. People want to - Network accessline 113
2. “**Use any unfair advantages in your network.** Snackpass is very close to college campuses, so we had exclusive ‘deal flow’ that other companies didn’t. We would directly recruit from our Snackpass users, which also had the benefit that - Network accessline 114
3. “**We treat closing a candidate almost exactly the same as closing an investor.** In fact, we’ve found the best candidates will do even more diligence than the average investor. Arguably, candidates are investing something even more valu - Network accessline 115
4. “**Make specific asks.** When you tap your network, know what you’re asking for. Most people make vague requests for introductions, like ‘Please send us more engineers,’ but you’re much more likely to get positive results if you make spe - Network accessline 116
5. “**We create a custom economic outcomes Notion doc** that does three things: (1) outlines the structure of the market and how we value the opportunity, (2) a Gradient of Potential Outcomes portion that walks through various end-state sce - Network accessline 120
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/early-stage-hiring/comments) - Network accessline 126
1. **Cord:** [Head of Product](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/67d8080e-c51b-4574-ade8-cab0693984a5) (London) - Network accessline 127
2. **Rally:** [Founding Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/55e10d59-13ea-461a-bdaa-fe8ad989b41b) (Remote—Global) - Network accessline 128
3. **Crusoe Energy Systems:** [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/list/lennys-jobs/job/4bd3b894-fa7b-4f31-9022-04ca611ceaeb) (SF, Denver) - Network accessline 129
4. **Squarespace:**[Senior Product Manager/Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/84d30ce6-d293-4de6-a1bc-b9b7f0656440?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (NYC) - Network accessline 130
5. **Piñata Farms:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/9f90d5d9-288a-477d-b14b-8b4a9c589a87?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (LA) - Network accessline 131
6. **Properly:**[Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/beefb83d-8775-4052-96e6-72d8f62ca3ef?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Toronto, Remote—US) - Network accessline 132
7. **Clearco**: [Product Manager - Capital Partnerships](https://pallet.xyz/job/82497ce0-6faa-4aa7-a321-86d525a23cd7?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 133
8. **Frame.io:**[Sr. Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/4846ad99-c62d-4b4f-979a-a558342d6a68?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—Global) - Network accessline 134
9. **SnapStream Media**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/8bec1419-8512-4c77-b7a9-3351dfea8afe?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—Global) - Network accessline 135
10. **Gitpod**: [Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/85a37e65-b9b3-4a93-acf6-e6a6d1f28fa4?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—Global) - Network accessline 136
11. **Shift**: [Senior Product Manager](https://pallet.xyz/job/2907defd-bb4b-4972-86d5-024eda23dcd6?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 137
12. **Pragli:**[Product Designer #1](https://pallet.xyz/job/75075700-7078-4664-a498-df280d166a9e?n=Lenny%27s+Job+Board+&r=%2Flist%2Flennys-jobs%2Fjobs) (Remote—US) - Network accessline 139
*Browse many more open roles (or add your own) at [Lenny’s Job Board](https://lennysnewsletter.com/jobs).* - Network accessline 143
[Great](https://t.sidekickopen82.com/s1t/c/5/f18dQhb0S7kF8cV_VXW1CdjwB59hl3kW7_k2847sD3qkVNxJHk1CX2ZcW2bzNJl8lkfc1101?te=W3R5hFj4cm2zwW4cQKtC3KcLnYW4hLZp03ZVbTxW1JB0ML1--tKxW20ZTw51-YpBFW1W_jBk1ZmvHBW21j9tt1-_j_TW1Vnkcj1V3fMvw1V21pC4Hp2&si=
references/02-newsletters/winning-at-seo.md
- Network accessline 16
I’m a mere padawan in the arts of SEO, so for this question I turned to my former colleague [Brian Ta](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianta626/). Having led the SEO efforts at five different companies, including Airbnb, Strava, and now at An - Network accessline 28
By the end of this post, you will be armed with a toolkit that will allow you to go toe-to-toe with incumbents in any industry. I’ll be leaning on my experience leading SEO at [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/), [AngelList](https://angel.co/ - Network accessline 58
Write down all of the unique pieces of information that your business has access to. [Strava](https://www.strava.com/) has popular running routes, [Airbnb](https://www.airbnb.com/) has unique listings, [Pinterest](https://www.pinterest.com/ - Network accessline 60
What you are looking for is unique and valuable data points that your business/product already has that can be turned into useful web pages. For example, Thumbtack has thousands of pages like [the best electricians in Seattle](https://www.t - Network accessline 62
 - Network accessline 70
When you consider different keyword spaces, it’s important to look at search volumes for those keywords. A few tools I recommend are [Google Keyword Planner](https://ads.google.com/home/tools/keyword-planner/) (free), [SEMRush](https://www. - Network accessline 76
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-8Ff!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_prog - Network accessline 86
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1eHr!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progr - Network accessline 90
As you create this page, make sure to think about how these pages scale based on the quality of the data that you have. Since we’re creating one template to generate potentially hundreds or thousands of pages, you need to think about what t - Network accessline 92
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ccxR!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_pro - Network accessline 96
[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zvaT!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_prog - Network accessline 106
3. **Robots.txt:** The robots.txt is used to tell crawlers where they’re allowed to crawl and not crawl on your site. This is important because you probably don’t want Google crawling every single page of your website. More pages are better - Network accessline 108
5. **Schema markup:** If you’ve ever wondered how search results sometimes include fancy features on the result pages, such as the number of stars your product has, inventory, or the number of reviews, it is done through schema markup. Ther - Network accessline 110
There’s a lot more to consider when working on SEO, but I’ve touched on what I believe are the most important and impactful elements to get right. To go deeper, definitely do your own research, starting with [Google’s documentation](https:/ - Network accessline 130
2. **It’ll take 6 months for SEO to work:** This number is probably closer to 3 months, but if you’re doing things right and are in the right space, you’ll see progress within a month. 3. **You need to hire a full-time SEO to get it right:* - Network accessline 132
4. **There’s no way to run SEO experiments:** Here are two [great](https://medium.com/airbnb-engineering/experimentation-measurement-for-search-engine-optimization-b64136629760) [references](https://www.growthengblog.com/blog/2018/4/15/scal - Network accessline 134
For more, follow me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/fanfavorite_bta?lang=en) and [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianta626/). If you're a startup and looking for someone to help with SEO advising or consulting, my [Twitter DMs](htt - Network accessline 138
- Product Manager: [Outschool](https://jobs.lever.co/outschool/19e1866e-b599-4296-b452-0f40ca4de630) - Network accessline 139
- Growth: [Airhouse](https://jobs.lever.co/airhouse/2fa1feb6-f994-4de2-8611-3ecf0abde767), [Cerebral](https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/1858997263/) - Network accessline 140
- Design: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/analytical-product-designer), [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-Designer-first-design-hire-da77a3e4cfe94dfa80b4a4d4e01af034), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/f4f49853-9d59-4dcc-9d0 - Network accessline 141
- Frontend engineer: [Cascade](https://www.cascade.io/jobs/front-end-product-engineer), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Founding-Frontend-Engineer-San-Francisco-783c2072b9c047a88cb884babb47ef04), [Transform](https://transformdata.io/careers/ - Network accessline 142
- Backend engineer: [Sourcetable](https://sourcetable.com/jobs#backend-god) - Network accessline 143
- Fullstack engineer: [Centered](https://www.notion.so/Software-Developer-e7cad269968e4d5aaeb1f6da9e282626), [Wren](https://projectwren.com/careers/software-engineer) - Network accessline 144
- iOS engineer: [Ideaflow](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZpH5WMQqg337hxpHMZGMPjmmzSfVRJdK76Lof8mw_V0/edit#), [Pairplay](https://www.notion.so/Lead-iOS-Developer-ba18577b6ba44ad68e45b8e7a957353c), [Primer](https://www.notion.so/Foundin - Network accessline 145
- Engineering exec: [Cerebral](https://angel.co/company/cerebral-4/jobs/535826-vp-of-engineering), [Snackpass](https://jobs.lever.co/snackpass/74686298-a043-4976-8f77-f4ef643f4200) - Network accessline 146
- Sales/BD: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/649855-vice-president-of-sales), [Pachama](https://jobs.lever.co/pachama/996cdde4-737b-4794-ad0f-d726448c3dfb), [Swayable](https://angel.co/company/swayable/jobs/808347-director- - Network accessline 147
- Security: [KUDO](https://angel.co/company/kudo-meeting/jobs/592999-cybersecurity-compliance-program-manager) - Network accessline 151
1. **Read**: [4 Rules for Identifying Your Life’s Work](https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/05/how-choose-fulfilling-career/611920/) - Network accessline 152
2. **Listen**: [All-In with Chamath, Jason, Sacks & Friedberg](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-in-with-chamath-palihapitiya-jason-calacanis/id1502871393) - Network accessline 153
3. **Watch**: [Solo Charleston: Don’t Forget to Mess Around!](https://vimeo.com/435609071) - Network accessline 155
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, consider [sharing it with friends](https://www.lennyrachitsky.com/), or subscribing if you aren’t already.**
references/02-newsletters/you-should-be-playing-with-gpts-at-work.md
- Network accessline 10
*👋 Hey, [Lenny](https://twitter.com/lennysan) here! Welcome to this month’s ✨ **free edition**✨ of Lenny’s Newsletter. Each week I tackle reader questions about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career.* - Network accessline 14
1. *[My favorite decision-making frameworks](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/my-favorite-decision-making-frameworks)* - Network accessline 15
2. *[Why you should add a work trial to your interview process](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/adding-a-work-trial-to-your-interview)* - Network accessline 16
3. *[The ultimate guide to willingness-to-pay](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-willingness)* - Network accessline 18
*P.S. Don’t miss **[Lennybot](https://www.lennybot.com/)** (an AI chatbot trained on my newsletter posts, podcast interviews, and more), my **[PM recruiting service](https://www.lennysjobs.com/)** (helping you hire Sr. PMs and VPs), my **[S - Network accessline 20
It’s become clear to me that everyone should be playing with [GPTs](https://openai.com/blog/introducing-gpts) (custom versions of ChatGPT) right now. It’s easy to think AI tools are a fad, too complicated, or unlikely to have real impact on - Network accessline 22
1. PwC forecasts that AI could contribute [$15.7](https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/data-and-analytics/publications/artificial-intelligence-study.html) *[trillion](https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/data-and-analytics/publications/artificial-i - Network accessline 23
2. When Italy banned ChatGPT, [the productivity of coders in the country fell by 50%](https://arxiv.org/pdf/2304.09339.pdf) before recovering. On the flip side, Duolingo reported a [25% increase in developer velocity](https://arc.net/l/quot - Network accessline 24
3. [Nat Friedman](https://twitter.com/natfriedman/status/1758143612561568047) (former CEO of GitHub) and [Daniel Gross](https://x.com/danielgross/status/1758180171520028695?s=20) (former Y Combinator partner) are investing $100 million in a - Network accessline 25
4. In the public markets, [there’s a growing separation between companies betting heavily on AI and those that aren’t](https://tomtunguz.com/the-ai-premium-multiples-2024/). - Network accessline 27
 - Network accessline 29
5. The power of AI models is only accelerating. [Even MrBeast is worried](https://x.com/MrBeast/status/1758194696034365674?s=20). [Here’s AI video generation 10 months ago vs. today](https://x.com/thegarrettscott/status/1758198134134489375? - Network accessline 31
As [Chris Dixon](https://cdixon.org/) put it, “The next big thing will start out looking like a toy.” - Network accessline 33
I started to get super-curious in particular about leveraging [GPTs](https://openai.com/blog/introducing-gpts) at work after my recent podcast conversation with [Logan Kilpatrick](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-openai-logan-kilpa - Network accessline 39
*A big thank-you to [Dan Shipper](https://twitter.com/danshipper) and [Dennis Yang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisyang/) for providing feedback on this post, and to everyone X and LinkedIn who shared their experience.* - Network accessline 43
[GPTs](https://chat.openai.com/gpts) are custom versions of [ChatGPT](https://chat.openai.com/) that can be tailored for very specific tasks. They live at a unique URL, run in the cloud, and anyone can make one in a few minutes. - Network accessline 51
It’s so easy. [Go here](https://chat.openai.com/gpts), sign up, click “Create” in the top right corner, and tell the AI what you want it to do. [Here’s one I created](https://chat.openai.com/g/g-c14K022PN-strategy-sage) in a few minutes tha - Network accessline 57
1. [Read this very short guide from OpenAI](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8554397-creating-a-gpt) on how to create a GPT - Network accessline 58
2. [Browse examples](https://chat.openai.com/gpts) of the most popular public GPTs - Network accessline 59
3. [Get a ChatGPT Plus account](https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt-plus). You’ll get faster response times and avoid hitting usage limits. ← *Get your company to pay for this;* *it’s very high ROI for $20/month* - Network accessline 60
4. [Watch Logan Kilpatrick build a custom GPT step-by-step live](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TLORk-eZAw) - Network accessline 61
5. [Learn how LLMs work](https://ig.ft.com/generative-ai/) ([also this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjkBMFhNj_g)) - Network accessline 62
6. [Add Zapier powers to your GPT](https://actions.zapier.com/docs/platform/gpt) in order to let it take actions for you - Network accessline 70
> “We built a UX GPT Writer trained on all of our writing, brand guidelines, and product nomenclature. Designers rough out what they need it to say, send the GPT a screenshot from Figma, and it will rewrite it to be concise, using our guide - Network accessline 72
> —[Diego Zaks](https://twitter.com/diegozaks), VP of design at Ramp - Network accessline 74
 - Network accessline 78
> “Everyone has ‘personas.’ I literally took our persona documents, made it a PDF, uploaded it to the GPT (as knowledge), and made a GPT to talk to our personas. It helps me refine roadmap ideas and really empathize better with my customers - Network accessline 80
> —[Dennis Yang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisyang/), PM at Chime - Network accessline 82
 - Network accessline 92
> If you are a PM and want to take [your work] to the next level, look at delivering not just the usual PRD, but also an internally shareable link to a custom GPT that has those same requirements added to its context. (Don’t forget to disab - Network accessline 94
> —[Matt Burch](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7163665383097294848?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7163665383097294848%2C7163684560696725504%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%2871636845606967255 - Network accessline 109
> Challenges: When analysing experiment results, it lacks context on the product and other external factors, but I can’t feed that to the GPT out of data privacy issues.” > > —[Quintin Au](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activit - Network accessline 111
> —[Quintin Au](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7163665383097294848?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7163665383097294848%2C7163874354047516672%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%2871638743540475166 - Network accessline 115
> “I’ve made a CEO coach GPT that I’ve trained on podcasts and books from my fav business leaders so I can ask it questions and advice. Works well!” > > —[Alex Zaccaria](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:71636653830972948 - Network accessline 117
> —[Alex Zaccaria](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7163665383097294848?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7163665383097294848%2C7163685098897223680%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%2871636850988972 - Network accessline 125
> The GPT then returns custom, detailed goals using the SMART framework that takes all the values above into consideration. It gives people their annual goal and then it shares quarterly goals based on the annual ones. They now have goals t - Network accessline 127
> —[Andrew Kelly](https://x.com/andrewkelly/status/1757922994457043311?s=20), Designer - Network accessline 129
 - Network accessline 135
> [In terms of impact on reporting], it’s much cheaper to label with GPT vs. humans. [On model evaluation], an increased experiment win rate. We have a better idea of what our models are actually doing to relevance before launch and a bette - Network accessline 137
> —[Minh Pham](https://x.com/mtp_jr/status/1757868788958060628?s=20), PM at Faire - Network accessline 139
 - Network accessline 143
> “[I] created a tool for my data engineers which almost completely off-loaded the work they absolutely hated to do (and thus saved for last/never): *documentation*. Before, documentation of our data pipeline was horribly incomplete and wou - Network accessline 145
> —[Jason B. Hart](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7163665383097294848?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7163665383097294848%2C7163925705578283011%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%2871639257055782 - Network accessline 149
> “I’ve got a custom GPT to analyze survey responses from the prior week/month/quarter to create a report for the team each week.” > > —[Adrianne Stone](https://x.com/dradriannestone/status/1757859657870197086?s=20), PM at Big Cartel - Network accessline 151
> —[Adrianne Stone](https://x.com/dradriannestone/status/1757859657870197086?s=20), PM at Big Cartel - Network accessline 164
> The benefits to our customer experience (CX) efforts are gigantic.” > > —[Adam Egger](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7163665383097294848?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7163665383097294848%2C71638811387 - Network accessline 166
> —[Adam Egger](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7163665383097294848?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7163665383097294848%2C7163881138782994432%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%2871638811387829944 - Network accessline 170
> “We created a chatbot to nurture/score potential customers. This way we would only process the ones that would be more likely to become customers.” > > —[Javier Ortiz](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:71636653830972948 - Network accessline 172
> —[Javier Ortiz](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7163665383097294848?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7163665383097294848%2C7163800700248961025%29&dashCommentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_comment%3A%28716380070024896 - Network accessline 176
> “When a team is frequently working with a vendor with complicated support (e.g. they don’t have a chatbot, long wait times, etc.), we make a GPT for that vendor. We upload all of the vendor documentation and API docs and point it to the w - Network accessline 178
> —[Dennis Yang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/dennisyang/), PM at Chime - Network accessline 182
> “GPT + web scraping enriches every product signup with important metrics.” > > —[Yash Tekriwal](https://twitter.com/yash_tek/status/1757881688363839533), community and growth at Clay - Network accessline 184
> —[Yash Tekriwal](https://twitter.com/yash_tek/status/1757881688363839533), community and growth at Clay - Network accessline 188
> “We have a GPT writing SEO-optimized e-commerce product info copy in five local languages simultaneously. So far, we’ve seen a 95% price drop and ~5-10x productivity gain compared to the previous manual process. Huge for our translation c - Network accessline 190
> —[Rickard Liljeros](https://x.com/rliljeros/status/1757870165390196744?s=20), CPO at Nordiska Galleriet Group - Network accessline 194
> “I built a custom GPT to write product updates. [Here’s a real example](https://chat.openai.com/share/d77bf2a6-f9bd-46df-af9f-564e891f077c).” - Network accessline 196
> —[Michael Rumiantsau](https://twitter.com/MicRum/status/1757853626880659893), founder of Narrative BI - Network accessline 198
 - Network accessline 206
> “We are doing competitor and category tracking in social with LLMs.” > > —[Noam Cohen](https://x.com/noam_coh/status/1757854207171047654?s=20), co-founder of Tetrix - Network accessline 208
> —[Noam Cohen](https://x.com/noam_coh/status/1757854207171047654?s=20), co-founder of Tetrix - Network accessline 214
> It provides a lot of autonomy for my marketing team. I do not have to write content for them. For my product team, we can quickly take client conversations and rapidly return a PRD and/or proposal. This saves me countless hours of middle - Network accessline 216
> —[Traci Levine](https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7163665383097294848?commentUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A7163665383097294848%2C7163671609470341120%29&replyUrn=urn%3Ali%3Acomment%3A%28activity%3A71636653830972 - Network accessline 220
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/you-should-be-playing-with-gpts-at/comments) - Network accessline 222
*Note: You need [ChatGPT Team](https://openai.com/blog/introducing-chatgpt-team) or [ChatGPT Enterprise](https://openai.com/blog/introducing-chatgpt-enterprise) to restrict access to your GPT to just your company. Otherwise, you need to rel - Network accessline 226
1. **[ChatPRD](https://www.chatprd.ai/)** by [Claire Vo](https://twitter.com/clairevo): An on-demand chief product officer that drafts and improves your PRDs, while coaching you to become an elite product manager. - Network accessline 227
2. **[PM Product Sense interview prep](https://chat.openai.com/g/g-VEZbZQzDJ-pm-product-sense-gpt):** Tailored for Big Tech product-sense-type PM interviews, this GPT provides ideal responses to generated or your own questions, with a focus - Network accessline 228
3. **[Landing Page Optimizer](https://chat.openai.com/g/g-jwreC2Mvm-landing-page-optimizer-gpt):** Find actionable changes in landing page copy to improve conversion, by submitting a URL. - Network accessline 229
4. **[Release Notes Writer](https://chat.openai.com/g/g-H7JUMI2mC-release-notes-writer):** Customer-centric copywriter for software release notes. - Network accessline 233
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/you-should-be-playing-with-gpts-at/comments) - Network accessline 239
I’ve been helping a few great companies find their next product leader and wanted to highlight one in particular: [Director of Product for Niantic’s Geospatial Services team](https://nianticlabs.com/careers/openings/director-of-product-geos - Network accessline 243
[Connect with Niantic](https://app.pallet.com/onboard/v3/6dbcabd8-8857-4aa8-bad9-c761f385989d/get-referred?pallet=lennys-jobs) - Network accessline 245
If you’re hiring and want help filling your role(s), fill out [this form](https://airtable.com/apprGaxWWPYU0068E/shr2WFo5UqJjA5dQ8), and our team will be in touch if it’s a good fit. - Network accessline 247
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. There are [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true), [gift options](https://www.lennysnews
references/02-newsletters/your-startup-idea-probably-isnt-venture-scale.md
- Network accessline 12
What do [Product Hunt](https://www.producthunt.com/), [Trello](https://trello.com/), [Balsamiq](https://balsamiq.com/), [Basecamp](https://basecamp.com/), [Things](https://culturedcode.com/things/), [DuckDuckGo](https://duckduckgo.com/), [B - Network accessline 18
1. **Large enough market:** Are there enough people (or companies) spending enough money for you to be able to generate $100M in revenue per year—and eventually $1B in revenue a year? This usually means that the total addressable market ([T - Network accessline 19
2. **Scalable business model:** Can you scale efficiently, primarily through technology—and not through hiring more people (e.g. accountants) or acquiring assets (e.g. buildings)? Venture investors are looking for high-margin businesses, an - Network accessline 20
3. **High growth:** Have you shown 2-3x growth year after year, and can you keep it up? Otherwise, it’s hard to believe there is actually a big market for what you’re building. Also, with a low growth rate, the [multiples on your revenue](h - Network accessline 24
> “When I look at a startup, I ask myself, can I see a path to $100M+ in revenue, and then a consistent way to compound from there? Is there a dream scenario of **building a category-defining business in the hundreds of millions, or even $1 - Network accessline 26
> —[Stephanie Zhan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniezhan/), Partner at Sequoia - Network accessline 32
You often hear about the importance of [making something people want](https://www.paulgraham.com/good.html), but that’s just step one. If not *enough* people want what you’ve built, or you *can’t make enough* money from these people, you wo - Network accessline 53
> “Bootstrapping is for lifestyle businesses that want cash flow, and (venture) funding is for companies trying to create a billion dollars in annual revenue. Simple as that.” —[Patrick Campbell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickccampbell - Network accessline 55
If you’re already down this road and are realizing your idea isn’t venture-scale, don’t worry. As long as you tried your best (and are working with good investors), they won’t hold it against you. As [Leo Polovets](https://www.linkedin.com/ - Network accessline 65
Do the math. What would have to be true for your business to reach $100M in revenue in one year? How many people would need to be using it (and/or paying for it), and how much should you need to make per user? As [Nina Achadjian](https://ww - Network accessline 69
Also, a classic piece of advice from [Andy Rachleff](https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachleff/) (co-founder of Benchmark Capital): - Network accessline 75
Note, this is in large part a guessing game, but knowing what needs to be true to reach this bar is illuminating. [Here’s a simple guide](https://medium.com/sequoia-capital/the-market-curve-44097b626f6d) to help you think this through. - Network accessline 79
On a scale of 1 to 10, how painful is the status quo? Is it a 9-10, or is it 4-5? It’ll be hard to get people to pay a lot of money, or to switch from a good-enough product, if there isn’t a lot of pain. Here’s how [Hunter Walk](https://www - Network accessline 81
> “Many investors will say that the total addressable market (TAM) size is the primary indication of ‘venture scale,’ but I disagree. You can have large TAMs that actually aren’t very good markets for startups, and smaller markets that can - Network accessline 82
> > So instead I tell founders to think about the *problem* they’re solving, specifically my [LUV framework](https://hunterwalk.com/2017/04/12/why-i-care-about-problem-size-more-than-market-size/): > - Network accessline 83
> So instead I tell founders to think about the *problem* they’re solving, specifically my [LUV framework](https://hunterwalk.com/2017/04/12/why-i-care-about-problem-size-more-than-market-size/): - Network accessline 91
Top VCs generally prefer to invest in software-driven businesses. Businesses that grow by adding bodies (e.g. hiring more plumbers), buildings (e.g. opening retail locations), or hardware (e.g. watches) tend to take a lot more time and capi - Network accessline 93
 - Network accessline 95
As [Nina Achadjian](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-achadjian/) touched on above: - Network accessline 103
> For example, a technology, team, market, and/or business model may be unproven and, therefore, difficult for traditional capital providers to underwrite in the early stages. VCs, alternatively, are often willing to ‘take a flyer’ on certa - Network accessline 105
> —[Alex Taussig](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ataussig/), GP at Lightspeed - Network accessline 107
> “**The VC-backed route is ideal for companies where a lot of initial funding is required to launch and grow quickly**, where your ambition is to do everything you can to build a $1B+ company, and where there’s a viable path to $100M+ in a - Network accessline 109
> —[Leo Polovets](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lpolovets/) - Network accessline 115
1. [Bootstrap it](https://www.seedready.org/journal/how-to-bootstrap-a-startup/). - Network accessline 116
2. Raise money only from friends and family, and supportive angel investors, who don’t expect venture-scale returns. 3. Check out funds that are aligned with this path, like [the Calm Fund](https://calmfund.com/), [TinySeed](https://tinysee - Network accessline 117
3. Check out funds that are aligned with this path, like [the Calm Fund](https://calmfund.com/), [TinySeed](https://tinyseed.com/), and [Purpose](https://purpose-economy.org/en/ventures/). - Network accessline 118
4. Explore revenue-based financing like [Capchase](https://www.capchase.com/), [Clearco](https://clear.co/), and [Lighter](https://www.lightercapital.com/revenue-based-financing). - Network accessline 119
5. Down the road, if you want to explore an exit, you can list yourself on [Acquire.com](https://acquire.com/). - Network accessline 121
**All this being said, the biggest and most successful companies [do indeed raise venture capital](https://medium.com/point-nine-news/funded-vs-bootstrapped-comparing-the-metrics-of-37-saas-companies-ae579d3a0b60). And rarely regret it.** A - Network accessline 123
**Make sure to watch this two-minute clip with [Patrick Campbell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickccampbell/)**, who bootstrapped his company to $200M ARR before selling it, and a big lesson from his experience: - Network accessline 125
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjLSCrSg5QY) - Network accessline 126
> “I’ll tell you, with ProfitWell, this was a big mistake. Yes, it was a great exit, we sold for over $200 million dollars, etc., but if we had taken money, we could have had a billion-dollar exit or we could have kept going. We should have - Network accessline 128
In the meantime, if you go down the bootstrapping route, here’s [Stephanie Zhan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniezhan/)’s closing advice for how to approach the early phase of your journey: - Network accessline 132
And a final bit of inspiration from [Patrick Campbell](https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickccampbell/): - Network accessline 134
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im6PTVHPez4) - Network accessline 138
[Leave a comment](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/your-startup-idea-probably-isnt-venture/comments) - Network accessline 140
*A huge thank-you to [Alex Taussig](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ataussig/), [Leo Polovets](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lpolovets/), [Nina Achadjian](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-achadjian/), [Stephanie Zhan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ - Network accessline 144
If you’re hiring, [join Lenny’s Talent Collective](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent/welcome) to start getting weekly drops of world-class product and growth people who are passively open to new opportunities. I hand-review every applicatio - Network accessline 146
 - Network accessline 150
[Apply to join](https://www.lennysjobs.com/talent) - Network accessline 154
1. **Wingspan:** [Product Design Lead](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/6122b947-a5e1-44c9-a45e-30e305394589) (NYC) - Network accessline 155
2. **Mindbloom:** [Creative Producer](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/389f9fcf-65bb-4852-836e-f3a732203212) (Canada, remote U.S.) - Network accessline 156
3. **Mindbloom:** [Acquisition Growth PM](https://www.lennysjobs.com/jobs/c74c7805-4b6c-42fa-a989-070e49a48898) (Canada, remote U.S.) - Network accessline 160
1. **Watch:** [Infinite Chocolate Bar Trick](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tRr49qZfo) (via Tim Ferriss) - Network accessline 162
[Watch on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7tRr49qZfo) - Network accessline 164
2. **Listen:** [This is Love: The Wolves](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-love/id1337100398?i=1000470172701) - Network accessline 166
3. **Read:** [Exploring the 2nd order effects of generative AI in marketing and martech](https://chiefmartec.com/2023/04/exploring-the-2nd-order-effects-of-generative-ai-in-marketing-and-martech/) - Network accessline 168
**If you’re finding this newsletter valuable, share it with a friend, and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. Check out [group discounts](https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe?group=true) and [gift options](https://www.lennysn
references/03-podcasts/ada-chen-rekhi.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ada Chen Rekhi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N64vIY2nJQo" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N64vIY2nJQo" video_id: "N64vIY2nJQo" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N64vIY2nJQo"
references/03-podcasts/adam-fishman.md
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guest: "Adam Fishman" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP8YyWH524A" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP8YyWH524A" video_id: "wP8YyWH524A" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wP8YyWH524A"
references/03-podcasts/adam-grenier.md
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guest: "Adam Grenier" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PDsvl2WCZU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PDsvl2WCZU" video_id: "-PDsvl2WCZU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PDsvl2WCZU"
references/03-podcasts/adriel-frederick.md
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guest: "Adriel Frederick" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4avaVEAa64Y" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4avaVEAa64Y" video_id: "4avaVEAa64Y" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4avaVEAa64Y"
references/03-podcasts/albert-cheng.md
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guest: "Albert Cheng" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKmNmnEj9w" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKmNmnEj9w" video_id: "2BKmNmnEj9w" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BKmNmnEj9w"
references/03-podcasts/alex-komoroske.md
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guest: "Alex Komoroske" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoWRYBWSqpU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoWRYBWSqpU" video_id: "PoWRYBWSqpU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoWRYBWSqpU"
references/03-podcasts/alexander-embiricos.md
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guest: "Alexander Embiricos" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeZDHGjG5zM" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeZDHGjG5zM" video_id: "xeZDHGjG5zM" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeZDHGjG5zM"
references/03-podcasts/alisa-cohn.md
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guest: "Alisa Cohn" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvF0ZM8DjuI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvF0ZM8DjuI" video_id: "bvF0ZM8DjuI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvF0ZM8DjuI"
references/03-podcasts/ami-vora.md
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guest: "Ami Vora" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UHAop9fhNU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UHAop9fhNU" video_id: "6UHAop9fhNU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UHAop9fhNU"
references/03-podcasts/amjad-masad.md
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guest: "Amjad Masad" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp_h674oIhw" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp_h674oIhw" video_id: "Bp_h674oIhw" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bp_h674oIhw"
references/03-podcasts/andrew-wilkinson.md
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guest: "Andrew Wilkinson" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxAwUb86MUE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxAwUb86MUE" video_id: "VxAwUb86MUE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxAwUb86MUE"
references/03-podcasts/andy-johns.md
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guest: "Andy Johns" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_93m4PriHyc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_93m4PriHyc" video_id: "_93m4PriHyc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_93m4PriHyc"
references/03-podcasts/andy-raskin-.md
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guest: "Andy Raskin" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkVJnaxDlXE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkVJnaxDlXE" video_id: "dkVJnaxDlXE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkVJnaxDlXE"
references/03-podcasts/anneka-gupta.md
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guest: "Anneka Gupta" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3dUveqt9Bw" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3dUveqt9Bw" video_id: "E3dUveqt9Bw" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3dUveqt9Bw"
references/03-podcasts/annie-duke.md
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guest: "Annie Duke" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svQMODvIGAE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svQMODvIGAE" video_id: "svQMODvIGAE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svQMODvIGAE"
references/03-podcasts/annie-pearl.md
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guest: "Annie Pearl" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tUIGpgmsZw" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tUIGpgmsZw" video_id: "-tUIGpgmsZw" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tUIGpgmsZw"
references/03-podcasts/anton-osika.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Anton Osika" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZtGxNs9AVg" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZtGxNs9AVg" video_id: "DZtGxNs9AVg" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZtGxNs9AVg"
references/03-podcasts/anuj-rathi.md
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guest: "Anuj Rathi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sClhfuCxP0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sClhfuCxP0" video_id: "1sClhfuCxP0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sClhfuCxP0"
references/03-podcasts/aparna-chennapragada.md
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guest: "Aparna Chennapragada" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbbfXAWcuUo" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbbfXAWcuUo" video_id: "HbbfXAWcuUo" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbbfXAWcuUo"
references/03-podcasts/archie-abrams.md
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guest: "Archie Abrams" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlph3dn4jnU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlph3dn4jnU" video_id: "Vlph3dn4jnU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vlph3dn4jnU"
references/03-podcasts/asha-sharma.md
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guest: "Asha Sharma" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9UWaltU-7Q" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9UWaltU-7Q" video_id: "J9UWaltU-7Q" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9UWaltU-7Q"
references/03-podcasts/austin-hay.md
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guest: "Austin Hay" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B79p85DHLkU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B79p85DHLkU" video_id: "B79p85DHLkU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B79p85DHLkU" - Access to secretsline 302
[Credential-related source omitted]
references/03-podcasts/ayo-omojola.md
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guest: "Ayo Omojola" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW6K8ZOWoIs" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW6K8ZOWoIs" video_id: "EW6K8ZOWoIs" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EW6K8ZOWoIs"
references/03-podcasts/bangaly-kaba.md
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guest: "Bangaly Kaba" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub9UkWByFIQ" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub9UkWByFIQ" video_id: "Ub9UkWByFIQ" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub9UkWByFIQ"
references/03-podcasts/barbra-gago.md
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guest: "Barbra Gago" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCEaUfZUuI0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCEaUfZUuI0" video_id: "gCEaUfZUuI0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCEaUfZUuI0"
references/03-podcasts/ben-horowitz.md
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guest: "Ben Horowitz" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPxTekxQjzc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPxTekxQjzc" video_id: "KPxTekxQjzc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPxTekxQjzc"
references/03-podcasts/ben-williams.md
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guest: "Ben Williams" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21sFTZzIfUk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21sFTZzIfUk" video_id: "21sFTZzIfUk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21sFTZzIfUk"
references/03-podcasts/benjamin-lauzier.md
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guest: "Benjamin Lauzier" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYwgStMln6U" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYwgStMln6U" video_id: "CYwgStMln6U" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYwgStMln6U"
references/03-podcasts/bill-carr.md
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guest: "Bill Carr" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9WHQa_AJQo" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9WHQa_AJQo" video_id: "S9WHQa_AJQo" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9WHQa_AJQo"
references/03-podcasts/bob-baxley.md
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guest: "Bob Baxley" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-83gvgVaWc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-83gvgVaWc" video_id: "X-83gvgVaWc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-83gvgVaWc"
references/03-podcasts/bob-moesta.md
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guest: "Bob Moesta" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQV7HVyAJjc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQV7HVyAJjc" video_id: "xQV7HVyAJjc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQV7HVyAJjc"
references/03-podcasts/boz.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Boz" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XqDB2Upr3s" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XqDB2Upr3s" video_id: "_XqDB2Upr3s" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XqDB2Upr3s"
references/03-podcasts/brendan-foody.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Brendan Foody" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja6fWTDPQl4" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja6fWTDPQl4" video_id: "ja6fWTDPQl4" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ja6fWTDPQl4"
references/03-podcasts/bret-taylor.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Bret Taylor" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qImgGtnNbx0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qImgGtnNbx0" video_id: "qImgGtnNbx0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qImgGtnNbx0"
references/03-podcasts/brian-balfour.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Brian Balfour" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG3iNH4vvMA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG3iNH4vvMA" video_id: "ZG3iNH4vvMA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG3iNH4vvMA"
references/03-podcasts/brian-halligan.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Brian Halligan" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UyitfSbY6c" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UyitfSbY6c" video_id: "3UyitfSbY6c" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UyitfSbY6c"
references/03-podcasts/brian-tolkin.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Brian Tolkin" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRukk520Fds" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRukk520Fds" video_id: "sRukk520Fds" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRukk520Fds"
references/03-podcasts/cam-adams.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Cam Adams" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgrJNHlYUA8" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgrJNHlYUA8" video_id: "wgrJNHlYUA8" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgrJNHlYUA8"
references/03-podcasts/camille-fournier.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Camille Fournier" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZSh0rs20uI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZSh0rs20uI" video_id: "hZSh0rs20uI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZSh0rs20uI"
references/03-podcasts/camille-ricketts.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Camille Ricketts" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY5KC9Gguz8" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY5KC9Gguz8" video_id: "bY5KC9Gguz8" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bY5KC9Gguz8"
references/03-podcasts/carilu-dietrich.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Carilu Dietrich" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm7QSWDIEUc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm7QSWDIEUc" video_id: "Pm7QSWDIEUc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pm7QSWDIEUc"
references/03-podcasts/carole-robin.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Carole Robin" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cew9-GlC_yk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cew9-GlC_yk" video_id: "Cew9-GlC_yk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cew9-GlC_yk"
references/03-podcasts/chandra-janakiraman.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Chandra Janakiraman" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFLH8Af2f30" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFLH8Af2f30" video_id: "WFLH8Af2f30" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFLH8Af2f30"
references/03-podcasts/chip-conley.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Chip Conley" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5_ypwiRIyo" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5_ypwiRIyo" video_id: "R5_ypwiRIyo" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5_ypwiRIyo"
references/03-podcasts/chip-huyen.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Chip Huyen" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbvY0dQgSJ4" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbvY0dQgSJ4" video_id: "qbvY0dQgSJ4" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbvY0dQgSJ4"
references/03-podcasts/chris-hutchins.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Chris Hutchins" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc1XhB4k0Eg" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc1XhB4k0Eg" video_id: "kc1XhB4k0Eg" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kc1XhB4k0Eg"
references/03-podcasts/christian-idiodi.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Christian Idiodi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXYc5RoU3Lg" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXYc5RoU3Lg" video_id: "SXYc5RoU3Lg" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXYc5RoU3Lg"
references/03-podcasts/christina-wodtke.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Christina Wodtke" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvkL18Ue0dE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvkL18Ue0dE" video_id: "kvkL18Ue0dE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvkL18Ue0dE"
references/03-podcasts/christine-itwaru.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Christine Itwaru" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGS-NhxrN_Q" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGS-NhxrN_Q" video_id: "tGS-NhxrN_Q" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGS-NhxrN_Q"
references/03-podcasts/christopher-lochhead.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Christopher Lochhead" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS4B541m9xg" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS4B541m9xg" video_id: "mS4B541m9xg" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS4B541m9xg"
references/03-podcasts/christopher-miller.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Christopher Miller" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzKKJwuRFZI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzKKJwuRFZI" video_id: "SzKKJwuRFZI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzKKJwuRFZI"
references/03-podcasts/claire-butler.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Claire Butler" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmirRfy-gzA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmirRfy-gzA" video_id: "UmirRfy-gzA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmirRfy-gzA"
references/03-podcasts/claire-hughes-johnson.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Claire Hughes Johnson" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv0o9o4MRh0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv0o9o4MRh0" video_id: "Mv0o9o4MRh0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv0o9o4MRh0"
references/03-podcasts/claire-vo.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Claire Vo" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXGo1o_baBo" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXGo1o_baBo" video_id: "aXGo1o_baBo" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXGo1o_baBo"
references/03-podcasts/dalton-caldwell.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Dalton Caldwell" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7LvNTbaqSI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7LvNTbaqSI" video_id: "m7LvNTbaqSI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7LvNTbaqSI"
references/03-podcasts/dan-hockenmaier.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Dan Hockenmaier" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlTQ6O2qooI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlTQ6O2qooI" video_id: "AlTQ6O2qooI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AlTQ6O2qooI"
references/03-podcasts/dan-shipper.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Dan Shipper" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crMrVozp_h8" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crMrVozp_h8" video_id: "crMrVozp_h8" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crMrVozp_h8"
references/03-podcasts/daniel-lereya.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Daniel Lereya" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9qqwV8_rvY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9qqwV8_rvY" video_id: "L9qqwV8_rvY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9qqwV8_rvY"
references/03-podcasts/david-placek.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "David Placek" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adyIaTopO6g" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adyIaTopO6g" video_id: "adyIaTopO6g" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adyIaTopO6g"
references/03-podcasts/david-singleton.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "David Singleton" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0_IKKY3HCk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0_IKKY3HCk" video_id: "F0_IKKY3HCk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0_IKKY3HCk"
references/03-podcasts/dhanji-r-prasanna.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Dhanji R. Prasanna" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMeXWVw0r3E" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMeXWVw0r3E" video_id: "JMeXWVw0r3E" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMeXWVw0r3E" - Dangerous shell operationline 270
So I think you're going to see a lot more of that way of working. And I think that you're going to see instead of us, for example, refactoring an app to have a different UI or to evolve into its new version, we're just going to rewrite that
references/03-podcasts/dharmesh-shah.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Dharmesh Shah" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpw9Ue1HU48" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpw9Ue1HU48" video_id: "dpw9Ue1HU48" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpw9Ue1HU48"
references/03-podcasts/dmitry-zlokazov.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Dmitry Zlokazov" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kPpd21bFrE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kPpd21bFrE" video_id: "-kPpd21bFrE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kPpd21bFrE"
references/03-podcasts/donna-lichaw.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Donna Lichaw" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fA8DMMUNPI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fA8DMMUNPI" video_id: "7fA8DMMUNPI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fA8DMMUNPI"
references/03-podcasts/dr-becky-kennedy.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Dr. Becky Kennedy" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auxs8ZsHRI4" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auxs8ZsHRI4" video_id: "Auxs8ZsHRI4" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Auxs8ZsHRI4"
references/03-podcasts/dr-fei-fei-li.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Dr. Fei Fei Li" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctjiatnd6Xk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctjiatnd6Xk" video_id: "Ctjiatnd6Xk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctjiatnd6Xk"
references/03-podcasts/drew-houston.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Drew Houston" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egdYKLBswgk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egdYKLBswgk" video_id: "egdYKLBswgk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egdYKLBswgk"
references/03-podcasts/dylan-field.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Dylan Field" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJQYBjto41s" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJQYBjto41s" video_id: "yJQYBjto41s" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJQYBjto41s"
references/03-podcasts/ebi-atawodi.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ebi Atawodi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBPTwUmaxDs" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBPTwUmaxDs" video_id: "tBPTwUmaxDs" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBPTwUmaxDs"
references/03-podcasts/edwin-chen.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Edwin Chen" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dduQeaqmpnI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dduQeaqmpnI" video_id: "dduQeaqmpnI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dduQeaqmpnI"
references/03-podcasts/eeke-de-milliano.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Eeke de Milliano" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ezz4KJe7kA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ezz4KJe7kA" video_id: "2ezz4KJe7kA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ezz4KJe7kA"
references/03-podcasts/eli-schwartz.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Eli Schwartz" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z71yGshPTwk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z71yGshPTwk" video_id: "Z71yGshPTwk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z71yGshPTwk"
references/03-podcasts/elizabeth-stone.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Elizabeth Stone" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XgU6T4DalY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XgU6T4DalY" video_id: "2XgU6T4DalY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XgU6T4DalY"
references/03-podcasts/emilie-gerber.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Emilie Gerber" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW9GzaaRPxk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW9GzaaRPxk" video_id: "jW9GzaaRPxk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW9GzaaRPxk"
references/03-podcasts/emily-kramer.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Emily Kramer" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzs61z9Fekw" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzs61z9Fekw" video_id: "gzs61z9Fekw" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzs61z9Fekw"
references/03-podcasts/eoghan-mccabe.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Eoghan McCabe" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_opWSfmN8M" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_opWSfmN8M" video_id: "0_opWSfmN8M" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_opWSfmN8M"
references/03-podcasts/eric-ries.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Eric Ries" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzebbzIntFc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzebbzIntFc" video_id: "xzebbzIntFc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzebbzIntFc"
references/03-podcasts/eric-simons.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Eric Simons" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L22DtAHLmzs" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L22DtAHLmzs" video_id: "L22DtAHLmzs" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L22DtAHLmzs"
references/03-podcasts/ethan-evans-20.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ethan Evans 2.0" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB0P0_nFPTA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB0P0_nFPTA" video_id: "GB0P0_nFPTA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB0P0_nFPTA"
references/03-podcasts/ethan-smith.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ethan Smith" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT7kq-R3Gjc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT7kq-R3Gjc" video_id: "iT7kq-R3Gjc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT7kq-R3Gjc"
references/03-podcasts/evan-lapointe.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Evan LaPointe" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GECtyEj9UPA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GECtyEj9UPA" video_id: "GECtyEj9UPA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GECtyEj9UPA"
references/03-podcasts/failure.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Failure" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9euy9gC48lc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9euy9gC48lc" video_id: "9euy9gC48lc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9euy9gC48lc"
references/03-podcasts/fareed-mosavat.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Fareed Mosavat" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo0jSep7pzc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo0jSep7pzc" video_id: "oo0jSep7pzc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oo0jSep7pzc"
references/03-podcasts/farhan-thawar.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Farhan Thawar" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_lhMOjG7PE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_lhMOjG7PE" video_id: "C_lhMOjG7PE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_lhMOjG7PE"
references/03-podcasts/garrett-lord.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Garrett Lord" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qdR-XwHJ9o" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qdR-XwHJ9o" video_id: "0qdR-XwHJ9o" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qdR-XwHJ9o"
references/03-podcasts/gaurav-misra.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Gaurav Misra" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDobJV8wh1g" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDobJV8wh1g" video_id: "PDobJV8wh1g" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDobJV8wh1g"
references/03-podcasts/geoff-charles.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Geoff Charles" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNJDZ_RzTVk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNJDZ_RzTVk" video_id: "aNJDZ_RzTVk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNJDZ_RzTVk"
references/03-podcasts/geoffrey-moore.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Geoffrey Moore" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBbINB5HSHk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBbINB5HSHk" video_id: "RBbINB5HSHk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBbINB5HSHk"
references/03-podcasts/gergely.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Gergely" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtB0O0M7YS0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtB0O0M7YS0" video_id: "CtB0O0M7YS0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtB0O0M7YS0"
references/03-podcasts/gia-laudi.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Gia Laudi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FgZ1VVxEBo" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FgZ1VVxEBo" video_id: "0FgZ1VVxEBo" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FgZ1VVxEBo"
references/03-podcasts/gina-gotthilf.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Gina Gotthilf" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWClFYdbkRA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWClFYdbkRA" video_id: "sWClFYdbkRA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWClFYdbkRA"
references/03-podcasts/gokul-rajaram.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Gokul Rajaram" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p0VK_-BoJI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p0VK_-BoJI" video_id: "5p0VK_-BoJI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p0VK_-BoJI"
references/03-podcasts/graham-weaver.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Graham Weaver" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpGR9P0Ufts" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpGR9P0Ufts" video_id: "UpGR9P0Ufts" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpGR9P0Ufts"
references/03-podcasts/grant-lee.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Grant Lee" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H0ngGU5pbM" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H0ngGU5pbM" video_id: "3H0ngGU5pbM" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H0ngGU5pbM"
references/03-podcasts/guillermo-rauch.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Guillermo Rauch" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QsTmu2CqhA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QsTmu2CqhA" video_id: "-QsTmu2CqhA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QsTmu2CqhA"
references/03-podcasts/hamel-husain--shreya-shankar.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Hamel Husain & Shreya Shankar" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsWxPI9UM4c" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsWxPI9UM4c" video_id: "BsWxPI9UM4c" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsWxPI9UM4c"
references/03-podcasts/hamilton-helmer.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Hamilton Helmer" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKq1_KPSqy0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKq1_KPSqy0" video_id: "hKq1_KPSqy0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKq1_KPSqy0"
references/03-podcasts/hari-srinivasan.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Hari Srinivasan" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUwkTs_QWqg" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUwkTs_QWqg" video_id: "ZUwkTs_QWqg" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUwkTs_QWqg"
references/03-podcasts/heidi-helfand.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Heidi Helfand" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wN5wSImUdY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wN5wSImUdY" video_id: "0wN5wSImUdY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wN5wSImUdY"
references/03-podcasts/hila-qu.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Hila Qu" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA" video_id: "7l1fIxk7SnA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l1fIxk7SnA"
references/03-podcasts/hilary-gridley.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Hilary Gridley" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm5QAzAlqEY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm5QAzAlqEY" video_id: "xm5QAzAlqEY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm5QAzAlqEY"
references/03-podcasts/howie-liu.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Howie Liu" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT0jtVjRy2E" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT0jtVjRy2E" video_id: "GT0jtVjRy2E" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT0jtVjRy2E"
references/03-podcasts/ian-mcallister.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ian McAllister" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gaPPrAd7nc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gaPPrAd7nc" video_id: "7gaPPrAd7nc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gaPPrAd7nc"
references/03-podcasts/inbal-s.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Inbal S" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f10s3rxKaJw" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f10s3rxKaJw" video_id: "f10s3rxKaJw" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f10s3rxKaJw"
references/03-podcasts/itamar-gilad.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Itamar Gilad" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJWSn-tz3jQ" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJWSn-tz3jQ" video_id: "aJWSn-tz3jQ" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJWSn-tz3jQ"
references/03-podcasts/ivan-zhao.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ivan Zhao" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIPKMixTMfE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIPKMixTMfE" video_id: "IIPKMixTMfE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIPKMixTMfE"
references/03-podcasts/jackson-shuttleworth.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jackson Shuttleworth" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CCwoQZH5hI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CCwoQZH5hI" video_id: "_CCwoQZH5hI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CCwoQZH5hI"
references/03-podcasts/jag-duggal.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jag Duggal" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A7wXK2MncQ" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A7wXK2MncQ" video_id: "8A7wXK2MncQ" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8A7wXK2MncQ"
references/03-podcasts/jake-knapp--john-zeratsky.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jake Knapp + John Zeratsky" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuce7zvOFHY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuce7zvOFHY" video_id: "cuce7zvOFHY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuce7zvOFHY"
references/03-podcasts/janna-bastow.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Janna Bastow" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3cvqPCGcck" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3cvqPCGcck" video_id: "W3cvqPCGcck" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3cvqPCGcck"
references/03-podcasts/jason-cohen.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jason Cohen" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xLquwfx6p0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xLquwfx6p0" video_id: "8xLquwfx6p0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xLquwfx6p0"
references/03-podcasts/jason-droege.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jason Droege" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W99jdYZOlN0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W99jdYZOlN0" video_id: "W99jdYZOlN0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W99jdYZOlN0"
references/03-podcasts/jason-feifer.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jason Feifer" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZLdoAq3R7Y" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZLdoAq3R7Y" video_id: "LZLdoAq3R7Y" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZLdoAq3R7Y"
references/03-podcasts/jason-fried.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jason Fried" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAnF0tk0di8" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAnF0tk0di8" video_id: "dAnF0tk0di8" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAnF0tk0di8"
references/03-podcasts/jason-m-lemkin.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jason M Lemkin" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-R1bc1rlFs" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-R1bc1rlFs" video_id: "I-R1bc1rlFs" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-R1bc1rlFs"
references/03-podcasts/jason-shah.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jason Shah" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMsA5VeLoOM" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMsA5VeLoOM" video_id: "nMsA5VeLoOM" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMsA5VeLoOM"
references/03-podcasts/jeanne-grosser.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jeanne Grosser" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmnWHz8HD74" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmnWHz8HD74" video_id: "RmnWHz8HD74" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmnWHz8HD74"
references/03-podcasts/jeff-weinstein.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jeff Weinstein" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbZQjprTnrU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbZQjprTnrU" video_id: "qbZQjprTnrU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qbZQjprTnrU"
references/03-podcasts/jeffrey-pfeffer.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jeffrey Pfeffer" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etVCBDRXUH8" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etVCBDRXUH8" video_id: "etVCBDRXUH8" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etVCBDRXUH8"
references/03-podcasts/jen-abel.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jen Abel" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37fKFWdrMyA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37fKFWdrMyA" video_id: "37fKFWdrMyA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37fKFWdrMyA"
references/03-podcasts/jeremy-henrickson.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jeremy Henrickson" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsruQYKISYI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsruQYKISYI" video_id: "CsruQYKISYI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsruQYKISYI"
references/03-podcasts/jerry-colonna.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jerry Colonna" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJE7etZQ9us" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJE7etZQ9us" video_id: "PJE7etZQ9us" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJE7etZQ9us"
references/03-podcasts/jess-lachs.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jess Lachs" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4PDb_C8Dww" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4PDb_C8Dww" video_id: "D4PDb_C8Dww" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4PDb_C8Dww"
references/03-podcasts/jessica-hische.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jessica Hische" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLLqE6Ia8-U" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLLqE6Ia8-U" video_id: "tLLqE6Ia8-U" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLLqE6Ia8-U"
references/03-podcasts/jessica-livingston.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jessica Livingston" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9MUuhsDJOM" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9MUuhsDJOM" video_id: "h9MUuhsDJOM" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9MUuhsDJOM"
references/03-podcasts/jiaona-zhang.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jiaona Zhang" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLFZNzeylCc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLFZNzeylCc" video_id: "gLFZNzeylCc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLFZNzeylCc"
references/03-podcasts/joe-hudson.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Joe Hudson" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYkE1gf37ts" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYkE1gf37ts" video_id: "DYkE1gf37ts" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYkE1gf37ts"
references/03-podcasts/john-cutler.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "John Cutler" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4PdUItyXUk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4PdUItyXUk" video_id: "Y4PdUItyXUk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4PdUItyXUk"
references/03-podcasts/john-mark-nickels.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "John Mark Nickels" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7o40qcYHlM" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7o40qcYHlM" video_id: "W7o40qcYHlM" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7o40qcYHlM"
references/03-podcasts/jonathan-becker.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jonathan Becker" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmxTeS0AVMo" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmxTeS0AVMo" video_id: "mmxTeS0AVMo" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmxTeS0AVMo"
references/03-podcasts/jonathan-lowenhar.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jonathan Lowenhar" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0jn7eE33nk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0jn7eE33nk" video_id: "s0jn7eE33nk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0jn7eE33nk"
references/03-podcasts/jonny-miller.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jonny Miller" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kN8Agqee4w" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kN8Agqee4w" video_id: "-kN8Agqee4w" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kN8Agqee4w"
references/03-podcasts/josh-miller.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Josh Miller" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZpo5785v8A" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZpo5785v8A" video_id: "AZpo5785v8A" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZpo5785v8A"
references/03-podcasts/judd-antin.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Judd Antin" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6RKi9ZvkT4" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6RKi9ZvkT4" video_id: "L6RKi9ZvkT4" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6RKi9ZvkT4"
references/03-podcasts/jules-walter.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Jules Walter" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn2JNbZwf00" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn2JNbZwf00" video_id: "zn2JNbZwf00" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn2JNbZwf00"
references/03-podcasts/julia-schottenstein.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Julia Schottenstein" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9hmrMBRPDI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9hmrMBRPDI" video_id: "y9hmrMBRPDI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9hmrMBRPDI"
references/03-podcasts/julian-shapiro.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Julian Shapiro" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cNRDWEXnrQ" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cNRDWEXnrQ" video_id: "9cNRDWEXnrQ" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cNRDWEXnrQ"
references/03-podcasts/julie-zhuo.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Julie Zhuo" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLsxHa1dhSw" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLsxHa1dhSw" video_id: "YLsxHa1dhSw" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLsxHa1dhSw"
references/03-podcasts/karina-nguyen.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Karina Nguyen" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeskgjrLxxs" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeskgjrLxxs" video_id: "DeskgjrLxxs" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeskgjrLxxs"
references/03-podcasts/karri-saarinen.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Karri Saarinen" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4muxFVZ4XfM" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4muxFVZ4XfM" video_id: "4muxFVZ4XfM" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4muxFVZ4XfM"
references/03-podcasts/katie-dill.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Katie Dill" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfEEcssu304" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfEEcssu304" video_id: "gfEEcssu304" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfEEcssu304"
references/03-podcasts/kayvon-beykpour.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Kayvon Beykpour" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKDnDueTvKk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKDnDueTvKk" video_id: "MKDnDueTvKk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKDnDueTvKk"
references/03-podcasts/keith-coleman--jay-baxter.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Keith Coleman & Jay Baxter" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dgyqYHLcCI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dgyqYHLcCI" video_id: "8dgyqYHLcCI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dgyqYHLcCI"
references/03-podcasts/keith-yandell.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Keith Yandell" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlCK9TuALtk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlCK9TuALtk" video_id: "tlCK9TuALtk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlCK9TuALtk"
references/03-podcasts/kenneth-berger.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Kenneth Berger" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSCjl_VIdak" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSCjl_VIdak" video_id: "KSCjl_VIdak" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSCjl_VIdak"
references/03-podcasts/kevin-aluwi.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Kevin Aluwi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVB-dqjUJks" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVB-dqjUJks" video_id: "HVB-dqjUJks" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVB-dqjUJks"
references/03-podcasts/kevin-weil.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Kevin Weil" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scsW6_2SPC4" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scsW6_2SPC4" video_id: "scsW6_2SPC4" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scsW6_2SPC4"
references/03-podcasts/kevin-yien.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Kevin Yien" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOTO98MXG9o" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOTO98MXG9o" video_id: "xOTO98MXG9o" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOTO98MXG9o"
references/03-podcasts/kim-scott.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Kim Scott" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7tnbx-6Ayc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7tnbx-6Ayc" video_id: "V7tnbx-6Ayc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7tnbx-6Ayc"
references/03-podcasts/kristen-berman.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Kristen Berman" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u53fplD_C30" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u53fplD_C30" video_id: "u53fplD_C30" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u53fplD_C30"
references/03-podcasts/krithika-shankarraman.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Krithika Shankarraman" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaDsk4iH1aw" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaDsk4iH1aw" video_id: "QaDsk4iH1aw" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaDsk4iH1aw"
references/03-podcasts/kunal-shah.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Kunal Shah" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgBOVDzUUAA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgBOVDzUUAA" video_id: "EgBOVDzUUAA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgBOVDzUUAA"
references/03-podcasts/lane-shackleton.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Lane Shackleton" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgetFMgQZ0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgetFMgQZ0" video_id: "XmgetFMgQZ0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmgetFMgQZ0"
references/03-podcasts/laura-modi.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Laura Modi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzBo5c7p7VU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzBo5c7p7VU" video_id: "hzBo5c7p7VU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzBo5c7p7VU"
references/03-podcasts/laura-schaffer.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Laura Schaffer" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMAmj1bciww" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMAmj1bciww" video_id: "UMAmj1bciww" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMAmj1bciww"
references/03-podcasts/lauren-ipsen.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Lauren Ipsen" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pofqabzhs" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pofqabzhs" video_id: "v3pofqabzhs" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3pofqabzhs"
references/03-podcasts/lauryn-isford.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Lauryn Isford" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLku0AiGPVA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLku0AiGPVA" video_id: "dLku0AiGPVA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLku0AiGPVA"
references/03-podcasts/lazar-jovanovic.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Lazar Jovanovic" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XNkUdzxiZI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XNkUdzxiZI" video_id: "0XNkUdzxiZI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XNkUdzxiZI"
references/03-podcasts/logan-kilpatrick.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Logan Kilpatrick" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkMbkWG2ca4" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkMbkWG2ca4" video_id: "XkMbkWG2ca4" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkMbkWG2ca4"
references/03-podcasts/luc-levesque.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Luc Levesque" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf_ZXIGCQb0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf_ZXIGCQb0" video_id: "Xf_ZXIGCQb0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf_ZXIGCQb0"
references/03-podcasts/lulu-cheng-meservey.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Lulu Cheng Meservey" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTSEOeKV_Hs" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTSEOeKV_Hs" video_id: "LTSEOeKV_Hs" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTSEOeKV_Hs"
references/03-podcasts/madhavan-ramanujam.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Madhavan Ramanujam" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR85H55eYkM" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR85H55eYkM" video_id: "NR85H55eYkM" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR85H55eYkM"
references/03-podcasts/maggie-crowley.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Maggie Crowley" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LjddcccYIo" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LjddcccYIo" video_id: "4LjddcccYIo" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LjddcccYIo"
references/03-podcasts/marc-andreessen.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Marc Andreessen" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Pm0SGTtN8" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Pm0SGTtN8" video_id: "87Pm0SGTtN8" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87Pm0SGTtN8"
references/03-podcasts/marc-benioff.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Marc Benioff" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOGK1nlHdFo" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOGK1nlHdFo" video_id: "tOGK1nlHdFo" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOGK1nlHdFo"
references/03-podcasts/marily-nika.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Marily Nika" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNPPoj1qUG0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNPPoj1qUG0" video_id: "qNPPoj1qUG0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNPPoj1qUG0"
references/03-podcasts/marty-cagan.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Marty Cagan" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-KVGHoQ_98" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-KVGHoQ_98" video_id: "h-KVGHoQ_98" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-KVGHoQ_98"
references/03-podcasts/matt-abrahams.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Matt Abrahams" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpbBzmXrzEY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpbBzmXrzEY" video_id: "LpbBzmXrzEY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpbBzmXrzEY"
references/03-podcasts/matt-dixon.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Matt Dixon" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUzEgRetmC4" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUzEgRetmC4" video_id: "cUzEgRetmC4" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUzEgRetmC4"
references/03-podcasts/matt-lemay.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Matt LeMay" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts9ZvlkeWGs" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts9ZvlkeWGs" video_id: "ts9ZvlkeWGs" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ts9ZvlkeWGs"
references/03-podcasts/matt-macinnis.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Matt MacInnis" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_W76LR77Vw" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_W76LR77Vw" video_id: "O_W76LR77Vw" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_W76LR77Vw"
references/03-podcasts/matt-mochary.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Matt Mochary" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCel0X2Ta7U" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCel0X2Ta7U" video_id: "bCel0X2Ta7U" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCel0X2Ta7U"
references/03-podcasts/matt-mullenweg.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Matt Mullenweg" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fves5chVZRA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fves5chVZRA" video_id: "Fves5chVZRA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fves5chVZRA"
references/03-podcasts/matthew-dicks.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Matthew Dicks" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4wguyJZI6A" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4wguyJZI6A" video_id: "J4wguyJZI6A" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4wguyJZI6A" - Access to secretsline 607
[Credential-related source omitted]
references/03-podcasts/maya-prohovnik.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Maya Prohovnik" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gXNOJEWajU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gXNOJEWajU" video_id: "1gXNOJEWajU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gXNOJEWajU"
references/03-podcasts/mayur-kamat.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Mayur Kamat" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVyfuSBwbNA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVyfuSBwbNA" video_id: "UVyfuSBwbNA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVyfuSBwbNA"
references/03-podcasts/megan-cook.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Megan Cook" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQQ1wohqArk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQQ1wohqArk" video_id: "MQQ1wohqArk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQQ1wohqArk"
references/03-podcasts/melanie-perkins.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Melanie Perkins" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LywX3T5Scc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LywX3T5Scc" video_id: "-LywX3T5Scc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LywX3T5Scc"
references/03-podcasts/melissa-tan.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Melissa Tan" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoEfXj1b_ko" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoEfXj1b_ko" video_id: "DoEfXj1b_ko" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoEfXj1b_ko"
references/03-podcasts/meltem-kuran.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Meltem Kuran" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1_sM0_ds2c" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1_sM0_ds2c" video_id: "C1_sM0_ds2c" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1_sM0_ds2c"
references/03-podcasts/michael-truell.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Michael Truell" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En5cSXgGvZM" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En5cSXgGvZM" video_id: "En5cSXgGvZM" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En5cSXgGvZM"
references/03-podcasts/mihika-kapoor.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Mihika Kapoor" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDq6_CPaRjM" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDq6_CPaRjM" video_id: "uDq6_CPaRjM" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDq6_CPaRjM"
references/03-podcasts/mike-krieger.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Mike Krieger" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKrBGOFs0GY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKrBGOFs0GY" video_id: "DKrBGOFs0GY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKrBGOFs0GY"
references/03-podcasts/mike-maples-jr.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Mike Maples Jr" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9o6gPQA6LA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9o6gPQA6LA" video_id: "h9o6gPQA6LA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9o6gPQA6LA"
references/03-podcasts/molly-graham.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Molly Graham" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twzLDx9iers" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twzLDx9iers" video_id: "twzLDx9iers" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twzLDx9iers"
references/03-podcasts/nabeel-s-qureshi.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Nabeel S. Qureshi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQkSenlJvwA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQkSenlJvwA" video_id: "xQkSenlJvwA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQkSenlJvwA"
references/03-podcasts/nan-yu.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Nan Yu" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTr21kgCFF4" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTr21kgCFF4" video_id: "nTr21kgCFF4" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTr21kgCFF4"
references/03-podcasts/nancy-duarte.md
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guest: "Nancy Duarte" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kHkWgjGD7U" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kHkWgjGD7U" video_id: "-kHkWgjGD7U" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kHkWgjGD7U"
references/03-podcasts/naomi-gleit.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Naomi Gleit" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYuKgzZoL8" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYuKgzZoL8" video_id: "sTYuKgzZoL8" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTYuKgzZoL8"
references/03-podcasts/naomi-ionita.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Naomi Ionita" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvQadImf568" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvQadImf568" video_id: "xvQadImf568" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvQadImf568"
references/03-podcasts/nick-turley.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Nick Turley" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixY2PvQJ0To" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixY2PvQJ0To" video_id: "ixY2PvQJ0To" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixY2PvQJ0To"
references/03-podcasts/nicole-forsgren.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Nicole Forsgren" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWcDfPVTizQ" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWcDfPVTizQ" video_id: "SWcDfPVTizQ" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWcDfPVTizQ"
references/03-podcasts/nikhyl-singhal.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Nikhyl Singhal" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_WQuUIYnJg" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_WQuUIYnJg" video_id: "U_WQuUIYnJg" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_WQuUIYnJg"
references/03-podcasts/nikita-bier.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Nikita Bier" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhnfZhJWCWY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhnfZhJWCWY" video_id: "bhnfZhJWCWY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhnfZhJWCWY"
references/03-podcasts/nikita-miller.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Nikita Miller" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PhfAbRQpbI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PhfAbRQpbI" video_id: "4PhfAbRQpbI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PhfAbRQpbI"
references/03-podcasts/nilan-peiris.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Nilan Peiris" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZifSLGOrrw" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZifSLGOrrw" video_id: "xZifSLGOrrw" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZifSLGOrrw"
references/03-podcasts/nir-eyal.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Nir Eyal" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSscIIY609c" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSscIIY609c" video_id: "WSscIIY609c" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSscIIY609c"
references/03-podcasts/noah-weiss.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Noah Weiss" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrRlVOWe5GE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrRlVOWe5GE" video_id: "XrRlVOWe5GE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrRlVOWe5GE"
references/03-podcasts/noam-lovinsky.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Noam Lovinsky" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_W5Rn0bJWE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_W5Rn0bJWE" video_id: "a_W5Rn0bJWE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_W5Rn0bJWE"
references/03-podcasts/oji-udezue.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Oji Udezue" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8TQGbJhv6Q" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8TQGbJhv6Q" video_id: "T8TQGbJhv6Q" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8TQGbJhv6Q"
references/03-podcasts/paige-costello.md
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guest: "Paige Costello" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7S6nSmOsUI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7S6nSmOsUI" video_id: "N7S6nSmOsUI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7S6nSmOsUI"
references/03-podcasts/patrick-campbell.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Patrick Campbell" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjLSCrSg5QY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjLSCrSg5QY" video_id: "FjLSCrSg5QY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjLSCrSg5QY"
references/03-podcasts/paul-adams.md
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guest: "Paul Adams" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Geamq9xc0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Geamq9xc0" video_id: "R-Geamq9xc0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Geamq9xc0"
references/03-podcasts/paul-millerd.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Paul Millerd" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFckwBtiCUM" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFckwBtiCUM" video_id: "yFckwBtiCUM" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFckwBtiCUM"
references/03-podcasts/pete-kazanjy.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Pete Kazanjy" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZd5234Eem0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZd5234Eem0" video_id: "cZd5234Eem0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZd5234Eem0"
references/03-podcasts/peter-deng.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Peter Deng" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TpakBfsmcQ" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TpakBfsmcQ" video_id: "8TpakBfsmcQ" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8TpakBfsmcQ"
references/03-podcasts/petra-wille.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Petra Wille" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n3ybRqU5mU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n3ybRqU5mU" video_id: "4n3ybRqU5mU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4n3ybRqU5mU"
references/03-podcasts/phyl-terry.md
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guest: "Phyl Terry" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH3nzRdwYPA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH3nzRdwYPA" video_id: "OH3nzRdwYPA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH3nzRdwYPA"
references/03-podcasts/raaz-herzberg.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Raaz Herzberg" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnW3zIkrOvY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnW3zIkrOvY" video_id: "vnW3zIkrOvY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnW3zIkrOvY"
references/03-podcasts/rachel-lockett.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Rachel Lockett" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GDVum5IarI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GDVum5IarI" video_id: "1GDVum5IarI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GDVum5IarI"
references/03-podcasts/rahul-vohra.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Rahul Vohra" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0igjSRZyX-w" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0igjSRZyX-w" video_id: "0igjSRZyX-w" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0igjSRZyX-w"
references/03-podcasts/ramesh-johari.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ramesh Johari" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVzTfsUMaK8" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVzTfsUMaK8" video_id: "BVzTfsUMaK8" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVzTfsUMaK8"
references/03-podcasts/ravi-mehta.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ravi Mehta" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yQMGHHl49g" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yQMGHHl49g" video_id: "_yQMGHHl49g" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yQMGHHl49g"
references/03-podcasts/ray-cao.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ray Cao" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ3iPWo3-8M" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ3iPWo3-8M" video_id: "RJ3iPWo3-8M" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ3iPWo3-8M"
references/03-podcasts/richard-rumelt.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Richard Rumelt" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWKEG0s9Kc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWKEG0s9Kc" video_id: "4uWKEG0s9Kc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uWKEG0s9Kc"
references/03-podcasts/robby-stein.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Robby Stein" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOnsqqVbIeY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOnsqqVbIeY" video_id: "kOnsqqVbIeY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOnsqqVbIeY"
references/03-podcasts/roger-martin.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Roger Martin" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7SN4FK8noY" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7SN4FK8noY" video_id: "y7SN4FK8noY" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7SN4FK8noY"
references/03-podcasts/ronny-kohavi.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ronny Kohavi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEzpiDuYFoE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEzpiDuYFoE" video_id: "hEzpiDuYFoE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hEzpiDuYFoE"
references/03-podcasts/ryan-j-salva.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ryan J. Salva" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awcd3P1DnX4" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awcd3P1DnX4" video_id: "awcd3P1DnX4" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awcd3P1DnX4"
references/03-podcasts/ryan-singer.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Ryan Singer" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF-yUANql0c" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF-yUANql0c" video_id: "GF-yUANql0c" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GF-yUANql0c"
references/03-podcasts/sachin-monga.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Sachin Monga" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKP2HrMc23s" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKP2HrMc23s" video_id: "zKP2HrMc23s" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKP2HrMc23s"
references/03-podcasts/sahil-mansuri.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Sahil Mansuri" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZ0S7a72po" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZ0S7a72po" video_id: "pYZ0S7a72po" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZ0S7a72po"
references/03-podcasts/sam-lessin.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Sam Lessin" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtKJ3A6DWTs" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtKJ3A6DWTs" video_id: "KtKJ3A6DWTs" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtKJ3A6DWTs"
references/03-podcasts/sam-schillace.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Sam Schillace" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOWDoDpQ7Xg" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOWDoDpQ7Xg" video_id: "IOWDoDpQ7Xg" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOWDoDpQ7Xg"
references/03-podcasts/sander-schulhoff.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Sander Schulhoff" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKuFqQKYRrA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKuFqQKYRrA" video_id: "eKuFqQKYRrA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKuFqQKYRrA"
references/03-podcasts/sarah-tavel.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Sarah Tavel" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9g4pzcz6Tk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9g4pzcz6Tk" video_id: "H9g4pzcz6Tk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9g4pzcz6Tk"
references/03-podcasts/scott-belsky.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Scott Belsky" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCKosdV1J-8" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCKosdV1J-8" video_id: "HCKosdV1J-8" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCKosdV1J-8"
references/03-podcasts/scott-wu.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Scott Wu" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m_xKFqSxTo" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m_xKFqSxTo" video_id: "7m_xKFqSxTo" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7m_xKFqSxTo"
references/03-podcasts/sean-ellis.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Sean Ellis" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjJ6xcv7e8s" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjJ6xcv7e8s" video_id: "VjJ6xcv7e8s" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjJ6xcv7e8s"
references/03-podcasts/seth-godin.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Seth Godin" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyWTDmDjNy4" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyWTDmDjNy4" video_id: "UyWTDmDjNy4" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyWTDmDjNy4"
references/03-podcasts/shaun-clowes.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Shaun Clowes" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVS1gTAQYSU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVS1gTAQYSU" video_id: "yVS1gTAQYSU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVS1gTAQYSU"
references/03-podcasts/shishir-mehrotra.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Shishir Mehrotra" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uSuMIJhONA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uSuMIJhONA" video_id: "7uSuMIJhONA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uSuMIJhONA"
references/03-podcasts/shreyas-doshi.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Shreyas Doshi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atS060bNpE0" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atS060bNpE0" video_id: "atS060bNpE0" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atS060bNpE0"
references/03-podcasts/shweta-shriva.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Shweta Shriva" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtNmAjNF3Tc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtNmAjNF3Tc" video_id: "VtNmAjNF3Tc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtNmAjNF3Tc"
references/03-podcasts/sri-batchu.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Sri Batchu" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcYCU5UAZOk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcYCU5UAZOk" video_id: "RcYCU5UAZOk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcYCU5UAZOk"
references/03-podcasts/sriram-and-aarthi.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Sriram and Aarthi" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsD5ycT_umw" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsD5ycT_umw" video_id: "HsD5ycT_umw" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsD5ycT_umw"
references/03-podcasts/stewart-butterfield.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Stewart Butterfield" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLe-zy5r0Mk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLe-zy5r0Mk" video_id: "kLe-zy5r0Mk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLe-zy5r0Mk"
references/03-podcasts/tamar-yehoshua.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Tamar Yehoshua" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoSeOltKqQk" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoSeOltKqQk" video_id: "ZoSeOltKqQk" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoSeOltKqQk"
references/03-podcasts/tanguy-crusson.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Tanguy Crusson" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZqpqb5qR5A" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZqpqb5qR5A" video_id: "cZqpqb5qR5A" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZqpqb5qR5A"
references/03-podcasts/tim-holley.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Tim Holley" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4hRs2FsRug" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4hRs2FsRug" video_id: "n4hRs2FsRug" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4hRs2FsRug"
references/03-podcasts/timothy-davis.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Timothy Davis" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNJyb3R_Pnc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNJyb3R_Pnc" video_id: "zNJyb3R_Pnc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNJyb3R_Pnc"
references/03-podcasts/todd-jackson.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Todd Jackson" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc1Uwhfxacs" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc1Uwhfxacs" video_id: "yc1Uwhfxacs" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yc1Uwhfxacs"
references/03-podcasts/tom-conrad.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Tom Conrad" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maK0XD9ARoI" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maK0XD9ARoI" video_id: "maK0XD9ARoI" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maK0XD9ARoI"
references/03-podcasts/tomer-cohen.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Tomer Cohen" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-zCfLQD_84" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-zCfLQD_84" video_id: "R-zCfLQD_84" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-zCfLQD_84"
references/03-podcasts/tristan-de-montebello.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Tristan de Montebello" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQM3Yq93nVc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQM3Yq93nVc" video_id: "BQM3Yq93nVc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQM3Yq93nVc"
references/03-podcasts/upasna-gautam.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Upasna Gautam" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRiCzfFEd7c" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRiCzfFEd7c" video_id: "gRiCzfFEd7c" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRiCzfFEd7c"
references/03-podcasts/uri-levine.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Uri Levine" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj4ORGGEJcA" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj4ORGGEJcA" video_id: "Cj4ORGGEJcA" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj4ORGGEJcA"
references/03-podcasts/varun-mohan.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Varun Mohan" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z0RCxDZdrE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z0RCxDZdrE" video_id: "5Z0RCxDZdrE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z0RCxDZdrE"
references/03-podcasts/varun-parmar.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Varun Parmar" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=furNg4njlsg" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=furNg4njlsg" video_id: "furNg4njlsg" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=furNg4njlsg"
references/03-podcasts/vijay.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Vijay" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-2oXtZrlEc" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-2oXtZrlEc" video_id: "t-2oXtZrlEc" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-2oXtZrlEc"
references/03-podcasts/vikrama-dhiman.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Vikrama Dhiman" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImSvm11GR0Y" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImSvm11GR0Y" video_id: "ImSvm11GR0Y" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImSvm11GR0Y"
references/03-podcasts/wes-kao.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Wes Kao" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIvVGhy_VxU" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIvVGhy_VxU" video_id: "BIvVGhy_VxU" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIvVGhy_VxU"
references/03-podcasts/will-larson.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Will Larson" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9ftpRhRiJE" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9ftpRhRiJE" video_id: "Z9ftpRhRiJE" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9ftpRhRiJE" - Possible obfuscationline 201
Okay. And then also many, many blog posts for many, many years. I asked a few people what to ask you, and this came up a lot, Gergely Orosz and Alex Xu from <U+200E>ByteByteGo both asked just this question of just, "How do you make time to write a
references/03-podcasts/zevi-arnovitz.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Zevi Arnovitz" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1em64iUFt3U" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1em64iUFt3U" video_id: "1em64iUFt3U" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1em64iUFt3U"
references/03-podcasts/zoelle-egner.md
- Network accessline 5
guest: "Zoelle Egner" channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P8LMyeYl1U" - Network accessline 6
channel: "Lenny's Podcast" youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P8LMyeYl1U" video_id: "0P8LMyeYl1U" - Network accessline 7
youtube_url: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0P8LMyeYl1U"
scripts/lenny_search.py
- Executable scriptline 1
#!/usr/bin/env python3
How the signals fit together
Facts from a static read of the files at the pinned commit. They describe what the code does, not why.
Some files could not be read; the facts below still hold.
Signal confidence: 500 facts
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:29Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:30Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:31Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:77Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:78Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:100Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:101Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:102Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:137Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:138Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:144Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:147Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationREADME.md:148Low confidence
- Network access in prose of the SKILL.mdSKILL.md:17Low confidence
- Network access in prose of the SKILL.mdSKILL.md:19Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/01-start-here/LICENSE.md:33Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/01-start-here/README.md:8Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/01-start-here/README.md:9Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/01-start-here/README.md:10Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:10Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:14Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:16Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:18Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:20Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:22Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:30Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:36Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:38Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:57Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:58Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:70Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:74Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:76Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:80Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:86Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:90Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:91Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:102Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:103Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:105Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:117Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:118Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:120Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:124Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:136Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:148Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:152Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:153Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:154Low confidence
- Network access in prose of documentationreferences/02-newsletters/1000000-taking-a-moment-to-celebrate-and-reflect-and-then-back-to-work.md:155Low confidence
and 450 more
Only the first 500 facts are listed.
Works with
| Agent | Status | Evidence | Install to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | Compatible | Standard SKILL.md SKILL.md | .claude/skills/<skill-name>/ |
| Codex | Compatible | Standard SKILL.md SKILL.md | .agents/skills/<skill-name>/ |
| Cursor | Compatible | Standard SKILL.md SKILL.md | .cursor/skills/<skill-name>/ |
| Gemini CLI | Compatible | Standard SKILL.md SKILL.md | .gemini/skills/<skill-name>/ |
| GitHub Copilot | Compatible | Standard SKILL.md SKILL.md | .github/skills/<skill-name>/ |
| OpenCode | Compatible | Standard SKILL.md SKILL.md | .opencode/skills/<skill-name>/ |
- Native The repository ships a manifest, folder or frontmatter field for this agent.
- Compatible A standard SKILL.md that this agent can read.
- Unknown No evidence either way.
Derived automatically from paths, manifests and frontmatter. Not tested on each agent.
