Episodes

  • 4 questions Shreyas Doshi wishes he’d asked himself sooner | Former PM leader at Stripe, Twitter, Google

    4 questions Shreyas Doshi wishes he’d asked himself sooner | Former PM leader at Stripe, Twitter, Google
    Oct 31 2024
    Shreyas Doshi is a former product leader at Stripe, Twitter, Google, and Yahoo. He’s now a full-time advisor and coach to founders and executives. Shreyas is known for his incredibly insightful writing on products, which has garnered him a passionate following in the PM and startup community. Last week, we sat down together at the very first Lenny and Friends Summit in San Francisco for a special live episode. We covered:• Why product leaders often feel overwhelmed with work, and how to combat it• The importance of developing good taste, and how to do it• How to reduce frustration in your product leadership role• The critical skill of truly listening as a leader• Common pitfalls in annual planning and decision-making• Lots of laughs—To learn more from Shreyas, check out these courses:• Improving Your Product Sense: https://bit.ly/product-sense• Managing Your PM Career: https://bit.ly/pm-career-course—Brought to you by:• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs• Paragon—Ship every SaaS integration your customers want• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/shreyas-doshi-live—Where to find Shreyas Doshi:• X: https://x.com/shreyas• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shreyasdoshi/• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@shreyas.threads• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/shreyasdoshi• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ShreyasDoshiVideos—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction(05:35) Question one: Why am I so busy?(10:08) Annual planning as an example(16:48) Tactical tips for staying less busy(25:20) Question two: Do I actually have good taste?(38:09) Question three: Why does my job feel so frustrating?(43:29) Question four: Am I really listening?(44:35) Closing remarks—Referenced:• Shreyas Doshi on pre-mortems, the LNO framework, the three levels of product work, why most execution problems are strategy problems, and ROI vs. opportunity cost thinking: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/episode-3-shreyas-doshi• LNO framework: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1492345184171945984• Time management techniques that actually work: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/time-management-techniques-that-actually• Part 2: Time management techniques that actually work: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/part-2-time-management-techniques• Eisenhower quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/dwight_d_eisenhower_164720• Stripe Connect: https://stripe.com/connect• Jeff Bezos explains one-way door decisions and two-way door decisions: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxsdOQa_QkM• Spotify Is America’s Most Loved Workplace: https://www.newsweek.com/2021/10/29/spotify-americas-most-loved-workplace-1639982.html• Shreyas on “thinking is cheap”: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/shreyasdoshi_thinking-is-very-cheap-doing-is-very-expensive-activity-7225237421813116929-Qzi3/• Good Product Strategy, Bad Product Strategy from Shreyas: https://x.com/shreyas/status/1244810075908128768• Shreyas on annual planning and metrics:https://x.com/shreyas/status/1302423854095036421https://x.com/shreyas/status/1304628719374544896• Jensen Huang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenhsunhuang/• Patrick Mahomes’s website: https://www.adidas.com/us/patrick_mahomes• Virat Kohli: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virat_Kohli• Reversible and Irreversible Decisions: https://fs.blog/reversible-irreversible-decisions/• Fail fast: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fail_fast• 3 levels of product work: https://twitter.com/shreyas/status/1370248637842812936• Shakespeare quote: https://nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/famous/to-thine-own-self-be-true/• Rick Rubin: Legendary Music Producer | Lex Fridman Podcast #275: https://Dwww.youtube.com/watch?v=H_szemxPcTI• Blake Burge on Rick Ruben: https://x.com/blakeaburge/status/1794470295828341222• Rick Rubin on X: https://x.com/RickRubin• Dee Hock on X: https://x.com/deewhock• Dee Hock quote on listening: https://x.com/shreyas/status/1351279398423465984• Peter Drucker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Drucker• Peter Drucker quotes on listening: https://www.azquotes.com/author/4147-Peter_Drucker/tag/listening• Lenny’s first podcast recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YP_QghPLG-8—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
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    46 mins
  • Meta’s Head of Product (and 29th employee) on working with Mark Zuckerberg, early growth tactics, why PMs are like conductors, and more | Naomi Gleit

    Meta’s Head of Product (and 29th employee) on working with Mark Zuckerberg, early growth tactics, why PMs are like conductors, and more | Naomi Gleit
    Oct 27 2024

    Naomi Gleit is head of product at Meta, joined as employee #29, and is the longest-serving executive at Meta other than Mark Zuckerberg. She’s been at the center of some of the company’s most foundational products, including Facebook’s early growth team. In our conversation, we discuss:

    • How she originally landed at Facebook

    • The evolution of Facebook’s growth team and key metrics

    • Lessons from working with Mark Zuckerberg

    • Insights from Facebook’s activation metric and retention strategies

    • Leadership lessons and “Naomiisms” for effective product management

    • Tactics for creating extreme clarity in team communication

    • Advice for running effective meetings

    • More

    —

    Brought to you by:

    • Pendo—The only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application

    • Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security

    • Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments

    —

    Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/metas-head-of-product-naomi-gleit

    —

    Where to find Naomi Gleit:

    • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomigleit

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naomi-gleit/

    • Website: https://naomi.com/

    —

    Where to find Lenny:

    • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

    • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

    —

    In this episode, we cover:

    (00:00) Introduction to Naomi Gleit

    (01:53) Naomi’s journey at Meta

    (06:18) Landing a job at Facebook

    (10:40) Becoming a product manager

    (13:40) Working as Head of Product at Meta

    (14:55) Insights on working with Mark Zuckerberg

    (20:04) Small Groups and “disagreeable givers”

    (24:28) The legendary growth team

    (33:45) Activation metrics and onboarding

    (43:44) Naomi’s leadership and PM philosophy

    (53:00) Canonical documents

    (55:55) Simplifying complex projects

    (01:00:33) Teen accounts: a case study

    (01:06:37) Running effective meetings

    (01:12:10) The importance of exercise

    (01:16:36) The role of a product manager

    (01:25:49) Lightning round

    —

    Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

    —

    Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.



    Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
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    1 hr and 38 mins
  • How to see like a designer: The hidden power of typography and logos | Jessica Hische (Lettering Artist, Author)

    How to see like a designer: The hidden power of typography and logos | Jessica Hische (Lettering Artist, Author)
    Oct 20 2024
    Jessica Hische is a lettering artist and New York Times bestselling author based in Oakland, California. She specializes in typographical work for logos, film, books, and other commercial applications. Her clients include Wes Anderson, The United States Postal Service, Target, Hallmark, and Penguin Books, and her work has been featured in design and illustration annuals both in the U.S. and internationally. She’s been named a Print Magazine New Visual Artist (20 under 30), one of Forbes 30 under 30 in Art and Design, an ADC Young Gun, a “Person to Watch” by GD USA, and an Adweek “Creative 100.” In our conversation, we discuss:• My new logo and brand!• Jessica’s process for refreshing my logo/brand• Why most startups shouldn’t worry about their logo/brand• The psychology behind different typography choices• Balancing creativity with business needs in logo design• Jessica’s unique approach to pricing logo work• How AI is (and isn’t) impacting the design world• Jessica’s other creative pursuits, including children’s books and art supply stores—Brought to you by:• The Enterprise Ready Conference — For B2B leaders building enterprise SaaS• OneSchema — Import CSV data 10x faster• Merge — A single API to add hundreds of integrations into your app—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/seeing-like-a-designer-jessica-hische—Where to find Jessica Hische:• Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jessicahische• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jessicahische• Website: https://jessicahische.is—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Jessica’s background(01:32) The logo refresh process(09:45) When to refresh your logo(11:45) High-level overview(18:04) Approaching Lenny’s brand refresh(24:25) How to see like a designer(37:53) Lenny’s new logo: where we landed(44:07) Brand’s role in company success(50:04) Jessica’s flexible pricing strategies and collaborative design process(57:14) Balancing multiple creative projects(01:01:48) Using AI in creative work(01:05:50) Upcoming projects and final thoughts(01:08:24) Lightning round—Referenced:• Jeni’s: https://jenis.com• James Edmondson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamestedmondson/• Figma Config: https://config.figma.com/• Helvetica: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica• MyFonts: https://www.myfonts.com/• Geometric sans serif fonts: https://www.myfonts.com/pages/tags/geometric%20sans%20serif-fonts• The Rise of Fractional Executives: https://www.reforge.com/blog/leveraging-fractional-executives• JH&F: https://jessicahische.shop/pages/my-oakland-store• Drawling: https://drawling.shop/• Jessica Hische’s books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jessica-Hische/author/B082XDN54V• Dreamforce: https://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce• Bezier handles: https://www.tella.tv/definition/bezier-handles• My First Book of Fancy Letters: https://www.amazon.com/My-First-Book-Fancy-Letters/dp/0593385012/r• The Creative Act: A Way of Being: https://www.amazon.com/Creative-Act-Way-Being/dp/0593652886/• Inside Paragraphs: Typographic Fundamentals: https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Paragraphs-Fundamentals-Cyrus-Highsmith/dp/1616899417• Just Kids: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Kids-Patti-Smith/dp/0060936223• Robert Mapplethorpe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mapplethorpe• The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer: https://www.amazon.com/Emperor-All-Maladies-Biography-Cancer/dp/1439170916/r• Severance on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Severance-Toby-Stephens/dp/B001ARYGCU• Penco brown bag stand: https://penco.jp/en/products/db079/• XOXO: https://xoxofest.com/• Mariame Kaba quotes: https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/8156101.Mariame_Kaba—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Becoming more strategic, navigating difficult colleagues, harnessing founder mode, and more | Anneka Gupta (Chief Product Officer at Rubrik)

    Becoming more strategic, navigating difficult colleagues, harnessing founder mode, and more | Anneka Gupta (Chief Product Officer at Rubrik)
    Oct 17 2024
    Anneka Gupta is the Chief Product Officer at Rubrik, a leading B2B cybersecurity company. She previously spent 11 years at LiveRamp, where she was the President and Head of Product and Platforms leading product development and go-to-market operations and strategy. Anneka also sits on the board of directors for Tinuiti and teaches product management at Stanford University. In our conversation, we discuss:• Navigating “founder mode” dynamics in organizations• Navigating difficult personalities and aligning teams• The PM skill of summarization• Giving and receiving hard feedback effectively• The value of a positive mindset• Tips for breaking into product management• Much more—Brought to you by:• The Enterprise Ready Conference — For B2B leaders building enterprise SaaS• Command AI — AI-powered user assistance for modern products and impatient users• Eppo — Run reliable, impactful experiments—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/becoming-more-strategic-anneka-gupta—Where to find Anneka Gupta:• X: https://x.com/annekagupta• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annekagupta—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Anneka Gupta(01:43) Key mindsets for success(05:30) Managing energy for optimal performance(09:05) Founder mode(18:26) Becoming more strategic(27:54) The importance of decision-making(37:18) Navigating difficult personalities(41:38) Techniques for giving and receiving feedback(51:01) Transitioning into product management(54:56) Advice for aspiring product managers(59:39) Leveraging AI tools in product management(01:01:27) The power of a positive mindset(01:04:30) Lightning round—Referenced:• Founder Mode: https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html• Building a long and meaningful career | Nikhyl Singhal (Meta, Google): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-a-long-and-meaningful-career• The Skip community: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skip-community/• Rubrik: https://www.rubrik.com/• 5 essential questions to craft a winning strategy | Roger Martin (author, advisor, speaker): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-strategy-roger-martin• Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works: https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-Strategy-Really-Works/dp/142218739X• Thinking like a gardener not a builder, organizing teams like slime mold, the adjacent possible, and other unconventional product advice | Alex Komoroske: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/unconventional-product-advice-alex-komoroske• Acquired podcast interviews Zuckerberg in San Francisco: https://transistor.fm/acquired-live/• Hema Mohan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemamohan/• Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/1250103509• Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice• LiveRamp: https://liveramp.com/• Product Management class at Stanford: https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/learning/experiential-learning/action-learning-program/product-management• Figma: https://www.figma.com/• Dovetail: https://try.dovetail.com/• The Remarkable Advantage of Abundant Thinking: https://review.firstround.com/the-remarkable-advantage-of-abundant-thinking/• The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers: https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205• Brandon Sanderson’s books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brandon-Sanderson/author/B001IGFHW6• Fallout on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN4HV16N• Thunderbolt 4 ( 3-meter cable): https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MW5H3AM/A/thunderbolt-4-usb%E2%80%91c-pro-cable-3-m• Isaac Asimov: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov• The complete Foundation series: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Asimovs-Foundation-Foundations-Prelude/dp/B01EFDEMS8—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
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    1 hr and 9 mins
  • Why most public speaking advice is wrong—and how to finally overcome your speaking anxiety | Tristan de Montebello (CEO & co-founder of Ultraspeaking)

    Why most public speaking advice is wrong—and how to finally overcome your speaking anxiety | Tristan de Montebello (CEO & co-founder of Ultraspeaking)
    Oct 13 2024
    Tristan de Montebello is the co-creator of Ultraspeaking, the most effective method I’ve come across for rapidly improving communication and presentation skills. In 2017, Tristan became the fastest person ever to reach the finals of the World Championship of Public Speaking, achieving this feat in just seven months with no prior experience. In our conversation, we discuss:• Why public speaking is a meta skill that can transform your life• Practical games and exercises to improve your speaking skills• The “Accordion Method” for preparing talks without memorization• The “Bow and Arrow Technique” for crafting memorable presentations• Tristan’s journey to the World Championship of Public Speaking finals• Lenny doing some of the exercises live on-screenTristan is offering a limited-time discount to Ultraspeaking. Both codes are valid until November 14, 2024:→ $500 off an Unlimited Membership with code UNLIMITEDLENNY500→ $200 off a Rapid Tier pass for a single cohort with code RAPIDLENNY200—Brought to you by:• Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments• Command AI—AI-powered user assistance for modern products and impatient users• Brave Search—A smarter way to search—Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/master-public-speaking-tristan-de-montebello—Where to find Tristan de Montebello:• X: https://x.com/Montebello• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tristandemontebello/• Website: https://ultraspeaking.com• Free email course: https://ultraspeaking.com/lenny/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Tristan de Montebello and Ultraspeaking(01:42) Personal experiences with public speaking(05:35) Misconceptions and meta skills in public speaking(08:56) Enjoyment as a barometer for effective speaking(15:30) Tactical tips for public speaking(29:15) The importance of practice and games(34:50) Game 1: The Conductor (Accessing different emotional states)(45:54) Mindset shift: playing the game(51:07) Game 2: Triple Step (Staying focused amid distractions)(01:07:51) Quieting the noise(01:09:46) Game 3: Conviction Prompts (Building executive presence)(01:17:27) The Accordion Method explained(01:37:57) The Bow and Arrow technique(01:43:43) Final thoughts and encouragement(01:44:55) Lightning round—Referenced:• Michael Gendler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgendler• Alienor playing Conductor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmholFWwHro• Triple Step: https://ultraspeaking.com/triple-step-game/• Rapid Fire Analogies: https://ultraspeaking.com/rapid-fire-game/• Joe Rogan Experience #1309 — Naval Ravikant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qHkcs3kG44• The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear and Take Life to the Next Level: https://www.amazon.com/Big-Leap-Conquer-Hidden-Level/dp/0061735361• Tall poppy syndrome: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tall_poppy_syndrome• Peaky Blinders on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80002479• The Nice Guys on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Nice-Guys-Russell-Crowe/dp/B01FV1GLR8• Ember temperature control smart mug: https://www.amazon.com/Ember-Temperature-Control-1-5-hr-Battery/dp/B07NQRM6ML• How I got to the World Championships of Public Speaking in 7 months: https://medium.com/the-mission/3000-people-staring-c2cbd14c6d6c—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
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    1 hr and 57 mins
  • Behind the product: NotebookLM | Raiza Martin (Senior Product Manager, AI @ Google Labs)

    Behind the product: NotebookLM | Raiza Martin (Senior Product Manager, AI @ Google Labs)
    Oct 10 2024

    Raiza Martin is a senior product manager for AI at Google Labs, where she leads the team behind NotebookLM, an AI-powered research tool that includes a delightful podcast-on-demand feature called “Audio Overviews.” NotebookLM started as a 20% project and has grown into a product that’s spreading across social media and has a Discord server with over 60,000 users. Raiza previously worked on AI Test Kitchen and has a background in startups, payments, and ads. In our conversation, we discuss:

    • The origin story of NotebookLM

    • The future road map for NotebookLM

    • How Google Labs operates differently from the rest of Google

    • The development of the “Audio Overviews” feature

    • Key metrics and growth of NotebookLM

    • Stories about collaborating with author Steven Johnson

    • Navigating potential misuse of AI technology

    —

    Brought to you by:

    • Explo — Embed customer-facing analytics in your product

    • Sprig⁠⁠ — Build products for people, not data points

    • Sidebar — Accelerate your career by surrounding yourself with extraordinary peers

    —

    Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/googles-notebooklm-raiza-martin

    —

    Where to find Raiza Martin:

    • X: https://x.com/raiza_abubakar

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whatsaraiza/

    —

    Where to find Lenny:

    • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

    • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

    —

    In this episode, we cover:

    (00:00) Introduction to NotebookLM

    (05:43) The genesis of NotebookLM

    (08:08) Innovative features and use cases

    (18:52) Building a startup culture within Google

    (24:28) Expanding user demographics

    (27:30) The product roadmap

    (32:18) Other use cases

    (36:11) Collaborating with Steven Johnson

    (42:49) Ensuring ethical AI

    (46:06) Future directions and user engagement

    —

    Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

    —

    Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.



    Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
    Show more Show less
    49 mins
  • Becoming a conscious leader: Leading without fear, finding your life’s objective function, and getting better at vision and strategy | John Mark Nickels (Uber, Waymo, DoorDash)

    Becoming a conscious leader: Leading without fear, finding your life’s objective function, and getting better at vision and strategy | John Mark Nickels (Uber, Waymo, DoorDash)
    Oct 6 2024

    JM Nickels is a Senior Director of Product Management at Uber. Previously, he was Head of Product for Commercialization at Waymo and led product teams at DoorDash. JM is also a coach and advisor focused on conscious leadership. In our conversation, we discuss:

    • How to sharpen your vision and strategy skills

    • What “conscious leadership” means and how to practice it

    • Practical techniques for managing stress

    • The power of soft skills and emotional intelligence in product leadership

    • Lessons from working at Uber, Waymo, and DoorDash

    • Keys to living a successful and fulfilling life

    • Much more

    —

    Brought to you by:

    • Pendo—The only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application

    • The Enterprise Ready Conference — For B2B leaders building enterprise SaaS

    • Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security

    —

    Find the transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/becoming-a-conscious-leader-john-mark-nickels

    —

    Where to find John Mark Nickels:

    • X: https://x.com/nickelsjm

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmnickels/

    • Website: https://www.rhythmofbeing.com/

    —

    Where to find Lenny:

    • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

    • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

    —

    In this episode, we cover:

    (00:00) Introduction to JM

    (02:02) Conscious leadership explained

    (03:41) The power of soft skills

    (07:34) Navigating Uber’s evolution

    (12:41) Embracing emotions and inner work

    (21:46) Crafting strategy and vision

    (41:16) Balancing vision and execution

    (46:13) Lessons from DoorDash, Uber, and Waymo

    (52:32) The future of autonomous ride-hailing

    (55:18) Contrarian corner: Embracing emotions in the workplace

    (59:47) Keys to a fulfilling life

    (01:04:45) Taking responsibility and agency

    (01:07:29) Lightning round and final thoughts

    —

    Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

    —

    Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.



    Get full access to Lenny's Newsletter at www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
    Show more Show less
    1 hr and 18 mins
  • Thinking like a gardener not a builder, organizing teams like slime mold, the adjacent possible, and other unconventional product advice | Alex Komoroske (Stripe, Google)

    Thinking like a gardener not a builder, organizing teams like slime mold, the adjacent possible, and other unconventional product advice | Alex Komoroske (Stripe, Google)
    Oct 3 2024

    Alex Komoroske is a strategic leader who merges the practice, theory, and mindset necessary to tackle complex problems. He spent 13 years at Google, where he worked on Search and DoubleClick and led Chrome’s Open Web Platform. He also spearheaded Augmented Reality in Google Maps and developed toolkits to align companywide strategy from the ground up. After serving as Head of Corporate Strategy at Stripe, he is now co-founding a startup aimed at reimagining the web for the AI era. Alex created the popular “Slime Molds” deck, which offers fresh insights into organizational dynamics. He is also the author of the widely read “Bits and Bobs,” a collection of thought-provoking reflections.In our conversation, we delve into:

    • “Organizational kayfabe”

    • “Gardening” vs. “building”

    • How AI will soon change how we build product

    • How and why to embrace the adjacent possible

    • The power of reflection and how to build it into your workflow

    • How to create emergent properties in organizations

    • How to run effective “strategy salons” or “nerd clubs”

    • Much more

    —

    Brought to you by:

    • Eppo—Run reliable, impactful experiments

    • Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security

    • Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace

    —

    Find the transcript and show notes at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/unconventional-product-advice-alex-komoroske

    —

    Where to find Alex Komoroske:

    • X: https://x.com/komorama

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-komoroske-6597336/

    • Website: https://www.komoroske.com/

    —

    Where to find Lenny:

    • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

    • X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

    • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

    —

    In this episode, we cover:

    (00:00) Introduction to Alex

    (01:53) Alex’s Bits and Bobs document

    (06:20) The Compendium and note-taking process

    (10:10) The impact of AI and LLMs on product development

    (14:24) Skills to lean into as a product manager

    (19:02) How AI makes us better as individuals

    (23:04) Organizational kayfabe

    (31:48) Gardening vs. building

    (34:46) Emergence-oriented thinking

    (41:55) Slime molds and organizational structure

    (45:15) Identifying resonant ideas

    (47:05) The power of metaphors

    (48:02) Strategy salons and nerd clubs

    (52:30) Building and sustaining communities

    (55:59) Productivity hacks and self-control

    (01:01:04) Life philosophy and personal insights

    (01:07:52) The adjacent possible

    (01:15:56) Lightning round

    —

    Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

    —

    Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.



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    1 hr and 25 mins