Lenny's Reads

Saumil Mehta shares his hard-earned framework for becoming a high-impact “manager of managers” — and why skip level leaders, not more middle managers, are the key to scaling product teams.In this episode, you’ll learn:* When a manager struggles, look one level up* Why the jump from line manager to skip lead is so tough* The “API endpoint” trick for leading through layers* How to get feedback without undermining your managers* Why covering for a weak manager can backfire* How to match people to the right projects* A simple 2×2 for knowing when to step in or step back* First-week habits that set skip leads up for successReferenced* High Output Management* Jeff Weiner’s Essay* Read the newsletter* Subscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter* Add Lenny’s Reads to your podcast feedSubscribe: YouTube | Apple | SpotifyFollow Lenny: Twitter | LinkedIn | PodcastFollow Saumil: Twitter/X | LinkedInAboutWelcome to Lenny’s Reads, where every week you’ll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.comThe product job market is flipping. In this post, I break down the latest 2025 data – what’s growing, what’s fading, and where the real opportunities are right now.—In this episode, you’ll learn:• How layoffs are finally slowing after four tough years• Which roles are bouncing back fastest• What Big Tech is pouring billions into, and how it could unlock new hiring• The new baseline for remote-friendly jobs• Where the most AI roles are opening up, and which city leads by farWho’s hiring: The top 20 companies for PMs and AI PMs• Two rising trends changing how PMs work and get hired—References• Browse all open PM roles• Part 1: New Data on the product job market• Part 2: State of the product job market• TrueUp• Read the newsletter• Subscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter—Subscribe to Lenny's Reads• YouTube• Apple• Spotify• Substack—Follow LennyTwitterLinkedInPodcast

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.comJacob Warwick gives a masterclass on how to negotiate like a top-tier product leader, using a five-part framework that’s helped thousands secure compensation packages 2-4x above the posted range.—In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why negotiation is about value, not tactics• A five-step playbook for comp negotiation• How to uncover intel others miss, like hidden power and future pain points• Questions and scripts that shift you from applicant to collaborator• Real-world stories of product leaders who doubled their compensation• Tactics to build advocates, cross-team support, and momentum• How to navigate complexity without losing leverage• What to do after the offer to lock in long-term upside• A case study on how one leader turned chaos into a $1.4M offer—Read the full post: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-negotiating?r=1o9eyi—Subscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe—Subscribe to Lenny’s Reads:• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj?nd=1&dlsi=ab893d56bd4a4050• Substack: https://lennysreads.com/—Follow Lenny:• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcast—About:Welcome to Lenny’s Reads, where every week you’ll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot.

Tal Raviv shares a hands-on playbook for using AI agents to ditch PM busywork and make product management fun again.In this episode, you’ll learn:• The six behaviors that separate “agents” from ordinary AI tools• How to spot an ideal low-risk, high-impact task to automate first• The five-question checklist that keeps your agent safe, scoped, and effective• Smart ways to control cost, curb hallucinations, and satisfy your security team• AI prompts you can copy-paste to identify the right platform for your agent and generate workflows in plain English• Techniques for testing, iterating, and promoting your agent from “intern” to trusted teammate• Where agents are headed next and what that means for your role as a PMReferences:• Zapier Agents: https://zapier.com/agents• Gumloop: https://www.gumloop.com/• Cassidy: https://www.cassidyai.com/• Manus: https://manus.im/• Lindy: https://www.lindy.ai/• Relay: https://www.relay.app/Read the newsletter:https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-much-product-managers-make-inSubscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribeSubscribe:• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj?nd=1&dlsi=ab893d56bd4a4050• Substack: https://lennysreads.com/Follow Lenny:Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcastAbout:Welcome to Lenny’s Reads, where every week you’ll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

I dive into the latest compensation data for product managers across the US, UK, Europe, and Canada, unpacking trends, surprising gaps, and strategies for maximizing your earnings as a PM.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why senior ICs often out-earn managers, and how to pick the right path• How moving to a Tier 1 city can supercharge your salary• Cash versus equity: how to think about your comp tradeoffs• The career levels where PM salaries really take off• Why CPOs are cashing in like never before• How far behind UK and European PM salaries actually are• How to game your comp strategy based on your goalsReferenced:• Pave: https://www.pave.com/• Levels.fyi: https://www.levels.fyi/Read the newsletter:https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-much-product-managers-make-inSubscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter:https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribeSubscribe:• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj?nd=1&dlsi=ab893d56bd4a4050• Substack: https://lennysreads.com/Follow Lenny:• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcastAbout:Welcome to Lenny’s Reads, where every week you’ll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

I dive into the latest trends shaping the tech tool landscape, drawing insights from over 6,500 tech professionals across product, engineering, design, and growth roles.In this episode, you’ll learn:* Why AI assistants like ChatGPT have become more essential than Gmail or Slack* How Linear is chipping away at Jira’s dominance* Why Notion is winning across multiple categories* How Figma continues to own design workflows, and where Canva is catching up* The surprising role of Slack and Notion in CRM and customer support* Why developers are flocking to AI-native coding tools like Cursor* Three meta-trends reshaping tech stacks: bundling, craft, and mix-and-match flexibilitySubscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribeRead the newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/whats-in-your-stack-the-state-ofSubscribe• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj?si=14152627f173493d• Substack: https://lennysreads.com/Follow Lenny• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcastAboutWelcome to Lenny’s Reads, where every week you’ll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

I dive into the most comprehensive analysis ever conducted on Y Combinator, revealing what truly drives its success and how it shapes the startup ecosystem.In this episode, you’ll learn:* How YC pivoted from consumer startups to B2B software* The new bets YC is making, and what it signals about the future of startups* Why solo founders are struggling to get into YC* How US startups dominate YC’s biggest wins, and why* Why YC-backed companies survive longer than almost anyone elseSubscribe• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj?si=14152627f173493d• Substack: https://lennysreads.com/Subscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribeRead the newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/pulling-back-the-curtain-on-the-magicFollow Lenny• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcastAboutWelcome to Lenny’s Reads, where every week you’ll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Chandra Janakiraman dives into a practical, step-by-step framework for crafting and aligning product strategy, which he developed during his time at companies like Meta, Headspace, and VRChat.In this episode, you’ll learn:* Why most product strategies fail* How to bridge vision and execution* The five Strategy Blocks that turn fuzzy ideas into focused action* How to get stakeholders aligned fast using a shared strategy language* How Meta, Headspace, and VRChat used this framework to unlock real growth* How to apply Strategy Blocks to your team today — whether you’re a PM, a founder, or a product leaderRead the newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/strategy-blocks-an-operators-guideSubscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribeSubscribe• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj• Substack: https://lennysreads.com/Follow Lenny• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcastAboutWelcome to Lenny’s Reads, where every week you’ll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Many of you have told me that you’d prefer to listen to this newsletter instead of read it. I’m excited to share that now you can.Introducing Lenny’s Reads: an audio podcast edition of Lenny’s Newsletter. Every newsletter post will now be transformed into an audio podcast, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot. Our goal is to ship an audio version of each post 48 hours after it goes live. If you’re a paid subscriber, you’ll get the full post. If you’re a free subscriber, you’ll get the free preview.We’re excited to hear what you think! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe