Lenny Rachitsky

I've been told I undersell the Slack community that you get access to as a paid newsletter subscriber, so here's the sell: For $150/year, get access to a thriving community of 5,000+ PMs, founders, growth leaders, and all manner of product builders. More in thread 🧵 https://t.co/59ugBi7Jey

The community that's formed around the newsletter is probably the thing I'm most proud of in all of the time I've been working on the newsletter. It's mind-boggling how much value is created when you bring smart, driven, generous people together. https://t.co/kStDXr2gi8

In addition to the Slack itself, you also get:
✅ Fireside chats with folks like @andrewchen @cagan @bbalfour @ttorres @shl
✅ Community AMAs led by @ttrauser
✅ A weekly digest of the best conversations curated by @KiyaniBba
✅ Community events and support by @shremanshrestha https://t.co/eUCFIUd0Kq

Some community stats:
✅ 500 daily active users (1,300 weekly)
✅ An average of 250 messages per day, and four replies per thread
✅ Most popular channels: talk-product, tools-and-pro-tips, talk-management, talk-startups, talk-growth, and great-reads-and-listens https://t.co/1R2R6z5n5K

To join, simply subscribe to the newsletter and look for a link in the welcome email. In addition to the community, you also get a weekly newsletter written by yours truly 👀
https://t.co/jk8F9B8WRf

👋 Newsletter https://t.co/LF0tRFp4pl | Podcast: https://t.co/ZQWNT0ipGb | Jobs: https://t.co/h5qbpego8F | Investing: https://t.co/tLghMwfwmW

Seven ways to get attention for your product

Read on for 60+ examples 🧵 https://t.co/yULe5rVVYS

Strategy 1: Create a viral video

Example: @goldieblox
https://t.co/1ZfhykBwFN

Example: @PooPourri
https://t.co/aNRG3MhsIn

Example: @mmhmmapp 
https://t.co/XQtBKi2szW

Strategy 2: Launch a mini-product, or “drop”

Example: @PartyRound Helpful VCs
https://t.co/rCEsyv6oLG

Example: @calm, Do Nothing for 2 Minutes
https://t.co/spVNtPgXhp

Example: @JoinToucan 
https://t.co/7Dh6XTNacD https://t.co/j0QIucyoBY

Strategy 3: Run an enticing limited-time offer

Example: @Coinbase
https://t.co/KdfsoUtuko

Example: @CAH, $5 for nothing
https://t.co/cQEmpH3VO4

Example: @Fast $5 hoodie
https://t.co/xcTpOqyMYm

Example: @CashApp, 99% off everything
https://t.co/JB2zqPVN2l

Strategy 4: Coordinate an influencer-led promotion

Example: @Step and @charlidamelio https://t.co/ICz43nb9Fj

Example: @SPANX x @Oprah
https://t.co/4W2VW78vcF

Example: @Casper x @KylieJenner 
https://t.co/he8r1y24Z8

Strategy 5: Co-marketing

Example: @microacquire x @Pipe
https://t.co/i30noUyPjn

Example: @MainStreet x @stripe
https://t.co/5Gxs6zkibJ

Example: @GoPro x @redbull 
https://t.co/GThs06wZ81

Example: @WearAtoms x @APompliano 
https://t.co/0ycNqZO4NE

Strategy 6: Organize an exciting offline experience

Example: @Snapchat Spectacles vending machines
https://t.co/k6uBFNKLCS

Example: @hinge Launch Party
https://t.co/xw67dAiqGr

Example: @simulate  Dino Nuggs Hunt
https://t.co/2o8MItpewm https://t.co/KR6X0cy6xn

Strategy 7: Pick a fight

Example: @fanhouseapp x @Apple
https://t.co/ssAlwNONRf

Example: @salesforce x Siebel Systems
https://t.co/7HwpOLPV0b https://t.co/hYAIteVsPi

For so much more, including 40+ more examples, don't miss this week's epic guest-post by @abouelatta_ali 
https://t.co/oBAVNuNJYv

And if you enjoy learning about early growth strategies, definitely subscribe to @abouelatta_ali's newsletter https://t.co/1gnimV6yV2

Finding yourself having to often say no—to your manager, your CEO, your team? Worried about becoming the "no" person?

In this week's post, I share five techniques for saying no effectively. Summary in thread below 🧵
https://t.co/dnrgOKi3oI

1/ First of all, as a leader on the team (and company), it’s actually OK to be the “no” person. It’s literally your job to create focus and stability for your team and company. I bet your leader (mostly) appreciates you for it, even if it doesn’t feel good.

2/ Still, there’s certainly a skill to saying no, especially when you have to do it often.

Whenever I reflect on a question like this, I flip the script and imagine I’m the other person. As a manager, how would I want my report to deal with my many brilliant ideas I suggest?

3/ Me, I’d want them to:

° Truly listen
° Assume I know what I’m talking about
° Come at it with an attitude of “How could we do this, if we wanted to?” vs. shutting it down
° Be direct and honest about where they see gaps
° Be open-minded to big, radical, scary ideas

4/ Basically, to treat me like an adult.

At the same time, your team has limited resources, and you have limited brain capacity to evaluate every idea. So you’ll be saying no often. It’s important to get good at it.

5/ My advice to you for saying no effectively is to follow this three-step process:

Step 1: Listen, ask questions
Step 2: Form your own point of view
Step 3: Respond constructively

6/ I'll skip over steps 1 and 2 in this thread and jump straight to step 3.

Here are five phrases you can use to say no, effectively. https://t.co/Qz0IGw1Qth

7/ Option 1: “Yes, but here’s what’ll need to change. Should we move forward?”

Go this route if (1) you actually believe this idea should happen immediately or (2) more to our point, you don’t  love the idea and instead want to communicate how painful it’ll be to make it happen. https://t.co/POj0DlnYOn

8/ Option 2: “Yes, but not right now because we should stay focused on X because of XYZ. Do you agree?”

Go this route if you like the idea but it's not worth disrupting work in-flight. The key is to remind your manager of *why* your team is focused on something else right now. https://t.co/iAvwmnjW8c

9/ Option 3: “No, but how about we do XYZ instead, which achieves a similar outcome?”

Your manager may have identified a big opportunity but may not have nailed the best way to tackle it. Look for a simpler and even more impactful solution to the opportunity your manager found. https://t.co/ZFellURYNX

10/ Option 4: “No, but there’s something there. Let’s explore it further. Here’s what I suggest as a next step…”

Use this path sparingly, because it’s the easy way out. Many ideas will be worth exploring, but you have limited time to explore every interesting idea. https://t.co/S3KgyzGcZ5

11/ Option 5: “No, because it’s a bad idea for reasons XYZ. Do you agree?”

Finally, there are ideas that are just plain bad. They should never be done, and it’s your job to cut them off quickly. https://t.co/EjpBUgApVM

12/ For much more detail on how to execute each of these paths, don't miss the full post https://t.co/dnrgOKi3oI https://t.co/kWjFgTqZf8

niya

The 10 commandments of salary negotiation, by @mediumsizecats

👇 Read on 👇 https://t.co/F7RPZYCclw

1/ Negotiation starts earlier than you think

Every recruiter worth their salt will ask about your salary expectations when you first start interviewing. Do not — I repeat, do not — give them a number.

What to do instead: Ask for the range they’re budgeted for the role.

How to say it: “Can you tell me the salary band for this level? Happy to let you know if it’s within my range, and we can discuss specific numbers later when I’ve met the team.”

Bonus points: If you’re junior/mid, time all your interviews so you get offers around the same time. If you’re senior, get some PR/articles written about/by you before you start meeting folks.

2/ Mine for intel during interviews

Go into the interview ready not just to answer questions but to ask some of your own. You will use this as ammunition to negotiate later. Here are a few examples of what you should ask:

° What’s the biggest priority for the team right now?
° Why is this role open?
° What’s the biggest challenge for someone stepping into this role?
° How does the org structure on the team work?

3/ Don’t give in to the pressure

Once you’ve been offered the role, the recruiter’s job shifts from evaluating you to closing you. Most experienced recruiters will ask you again to put up a number for your salary.

Clever recruiters may even tell you that they “will go to bat for you.”

What recruiters say: “If you give me your number, I will make it happen for you.”

What they mean: “I’ll get you something lower, but kinda close to what you asked for.”

4/ At FAANG, your recruiter may have no say at all

At FAANG-size companies (i.e. over 5K employees), compensation is heavily formulaic. In fact, there is often a separate team — the “compensation committee” — who sets your salary. They take into account your background...

...interview performance, and level. They give the recruiter a number to go with. The recruiter then gives you the number, and every time you negotiate they have to go back to that committee to ask for a re-evaluation.

What do clever recruiters do? They get your number up-front to save some legwork.

If you get caught in this loop, quickly turn the tables: most companies will consider “new information,” like another offer, to reopen a negotiation. An offer from your existing company counts!

5/ Read between the lines

Your initial offer speaks volumes, if you know how to interpret the data. Here are a few scenarios you should consider:

Let’s say you’re applying for an L6 role at a big company.

Initial offer comes in low: The team may have felt that you have a lot of “room for growth.” In this case, my advice is to dig deeper and ask the interviewer to share feedback from folks who met you to fix any misconceptions before you ever negotiate.

Middle of the road: You got “the number” (the medium opening number that’s basically a template recruiters use). It’s the most common opening offer — companies do this to reduce risk of lawsuits. Over 80% of people get it. It likely means you don’t have a strong advocate...

...on the interview loop. Do not negotiate until you match with a team and you have a manager batting for you.

Initial offer comes in top-of-band: There was likely a discussion about giving you a higher level. Many times in this case, you can push for an “out-of-band” offer — essentially getting paid for an L7 while you’re an L6.

6/ At a startup, the playbook is different

You may be dealing with the founder directly. It’s very likely there is no range for the role, as smaller companies have much less access to salary data. The goal at the initial offer conversation is to understand three things:

° The current state of the company (financing, runway, profitability)
° The plan for your role/function
° The value of the equity, considering exit scenarios
https://t.co/sTQQxZhFf3

Ask the questions an investor would ask because, *news flash*, you are now an investor — but instead of cash, you’re staking your time and earning trajectory on the company’s success.

7/ Your job is to win hearts and minds

It can be tempting to think you need to negotiate now that you have data. Nope, not yet. The next step, instead, is to upsell your worth before you come back with any kind of counteroffer. This is especially important if you’re senior.

What to do next: Ask for follow-up meetings with decision makers. If you’re a Director or higher, you can usually ask to meet with any VP and possibly C-level execs. VPs can often meet with the CEO and even board members.

Take your time; this is important if you want your salary to reflect your value. If everyone wants you, you’ll be calling the shots later.

How to run these effectively: Come prepared with three things, tailored to who you’re meeting:

° Questions about how you can create meaningful impact
° Ideas based on your interviews so far
° Bonus points: discussing obstacles to your taking the role and making them sell you on it

8/ OK, now get some good data

Did you know that women make only 47 cents in equity for every dollar a man makes? A HUGE reason for that is that many women don’t fully evaluate their offer before negotiating. Let’s change that. Ask yourself these questions:

° Is the offer competitive? 
° How does it work? (When do I vest; what is the stock worth?)
° Is it all true? (Is the value of the equity over-inflated?)
° Does it add up? (i.e. taxes on bonuses, stock.)
° If you have goaled comp, are the goals realistic?
https://t.co/uUSvamRNkx

9/ Comparing offers

Not all offers are made equal — in fact, they are intentionally confusing. At Google, you may get a front-loaded vesting schedule on your stock; at Amazon, sizable cash bonuses the first two years. It seems obvious that you should look at the comp, but...

...that’s not everything:

° Which company has a better trajectory?
° How do promotions work?
° Is your manager influential enough to pull for you when needed?
° Is your product/team visible enough to get good resourcing?
° What’s the company brand worth to earnings trajectory?

TL;DR: Getting paid more up-front doesn’t always mean you’ll make the most overall. Plan carefully.

10/ Time to make an ask

It can be awkward to ask for more money, but trust me, everyone expects you to do it. On top of that, it doesn’t help that so much of the advice out there is conflicting.

“I need a competing offer.”

MYTH: You absolutely do not need multiple offers. Just being able to say you’re speaking to other companies is sufficient — you can quote the expected salaries for other roles if needed.

“I need to provide copies of my other offers.”

MYTH: Nope, nope, nope (even though Google in particular loves to ask for them). You signed an NDA before every interview, so you can always use that as a reason.

“I should send the recruiter an email with my ask and justification.”

MYTH: Negotiating via email = MAJOR CRINGE and definitely a worse outcome. I know there are folks selling templates out there. If you want a meaningful increase, have the conversation over the phone.

“I need to be aggressive and threaten to walk if they don’t match.”

MYTH: LOL, let me know how that goes for you. You’ll get a mediocre increase worded as a “final offer.” If you want big moves ($100K+), you need to collaborate with your recruiter, not make them an enemy.

11/ 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, ask for a signing bonus.

For much much more, don't miss the full post by special guest author @mediumsizecats 
https://t.co/gKTnhFDjdn

As a PM, having a technical background is like having a superpower: You can predict timelines, anticipate blockers, and avoid black holes of endless work. In this week's post, I share advice for how to quickly level up your technical skills. Summary in 🧵
https://t.co/OyOUncaG1X

1/ Learn the basics

Start by learning the basic terms, technologies, and concepts involved in building product. Investing a few hours here will immediately level up your game.

Here's a lesson plan (links in the full post): https://t.co/SlUoeQKwHc

2/ Ask questions

Leverage the gift right under your nose: the engineers you work with! Guess what, they are experts at the very thing you want to learn. How convenient. And in my experience, most engineers love nothing more than explaining their craft to curious people.

2b/ Questions you might want to ask:

- Can you draw me a rough diagram of how our system is architected?
- Say we were to add feature x—what would be involved in making it happen, from idea to launch?
- What slows your work down the most, in general?

3/ Build something yourself

If you want to reach the pinnacle of being a technical PM, you need to learn to code and then build something yourself. Here are a few places to embark on your coding journey: https://t.co/KByYYQ2ulY

Check out the full post for links and much more https://t.co/OyOUncaG1X

As a small token of appreciation to my newsletter Slack community (now over 5k strong!), I've created crypto-punk-inspired NFTs of the 40 most helpful and active members from over the past year. Cause why not! Check them out in all of their glory
https://t.co/thb6wQrY3z

So much love @fishmanaf @herzigma @KaraSkrip @archismandas @arthcmr @brendan_duong @DanDuett @ludaniel @lciccone @davegoldblatt @derekdehart @eric3000 @andrewcyu @peledg @jfedor @skybondsor  @jananmc @LavKozakijevic @mjltan @ttrauser @nikunj @ngardideh @RebeccaMark ...

(continued) @Product_Foolery @johnnymcnugget @talraviv @wplusv @ylivne @zachary @ZacharyCohn and everyone else who I couldn't find on Twitter

The collection also includes a people who were instrumental early-on: @andrewchen (my first paid subscriber!), @LeeJacobs and @leepnet (for convincing me to go paid), @hunterwalk (for helping spread the word), and @VHSchneider (for helping me learn to write) ❤️

And of course, my mother-in-law https://t.co/meZy3svrXl

If you are in this collection, DM me and I’ll send you your NFT!

If I forgot to include you in the collection, seriously please tell me.

In either case, I appreciate you 💛

NFT art by the great Sid Watters https://t.co/xztcMtujdQ

How could I forget the two people who gave me one of my first big breaks as a budding writer, @jessicraige and @brettberson 
https://t.co/XXTFcXcI7Y

Nice headband @brettberson 
https://t.co/OjMji5KHKh

PartyDAO

Pacaso

Rally

Otis

Masterworks

The rise of fractional ownership:
@prtyDAO for NFTs
@PacasoHomes for homes
@OnRallyRd @withotis for collectibles
@MasterworksIO for art

What's next?

Guessing this is happening now because things are getting more expensive?

There’s an interesting distinction between platforms where you can actually use the product a part of the time (@PacasoHomes) and are just investing (@Roofstock)

My genius wife's second book is coming out next month, and to celebrate I've got a special offer just for you: Pre-order her book in the next 24 hours and you'll get 3 months of my newsletter (a $45 value!) for free 💖 
👇👇👇
https://t.co/tyzlG1s9Ju

2/ The book is called "Maybe This Will Help: How to Feel Better When Things Stay the Same." It’ll make you laugh, think, and feel the feels. It’ll also make a great gift for anyone in your life going through something 🥺 https://t.co/GC87jGzs2N

3/ Once you pre-order her book, submit this quick form with a copy of your receipt and I'll get you the subscription within 24 hours
https://t.co/4cfZdXOUbH

4/ It's also available for pre-order at Bookshop if you'd prefer the independent book route (❤️) https://t.co/1SR2GImZmR

New: A compilation of my all-time best posts, across
📈 Growth strategy
🤌 Product management, the work
🦸‍♀️ Product management, the career
🔭 Finding PMF
📣 Marketing and GTM
🌱 Scaling your startup
🎭 Marketplaces
📊 Metrics
💼 Management and career
https://t.co/1hDrnE4066

A few of my personal favorites...

1/ How the biggest consumer apps got their first 1,000 users
https://t.co/OMjALd5Jjm

2/ The Racecar Growth Framework
https://t.co/k8C7RLhqIi

3/ My favorite product management templates
https://t.co/4iCJKFI27s

4/ How to improve your retention
https://t.co/0Eu9OBE1fg

6/ Choosing your north-star metric
https://t.co/ujQEuwnDE9

7/ Generating buzz
https://t.co/Y5e3TsdRMd

8/ A comprehensive survey of product management
https://t.co/bofRFSpnKF

9/ What it feels like when you’ve found product-market fit
https://t.co/7dw8HBPjh3

10/ The secret to a great planning process
https://t.co/ShPBhrpel2

11/ How to kickstart and scale a marketplace business
https://t.co/hLucGF2k5u

12/ What is good retention?
https://t.co/JeLMYVffzO

13/ I could go on and on, but check out this week's handy post for much more https://t.co/1hDrnE4066

Reforge

Founders, PMs, growth leaders—listen up: @Reforge just opened up applications for their Fall cohort. You should apply. There is no better way to take a step-function leap in your product/growth skills—all for one flat yearly fee. My 5 fav courses below 👇
https://t.co/EaqhO5kU22

1/ (New) Growth for Founders—Gain critical growth tools to help your company traverse the next leg of its growth journey.
https://t.co/cskmdXx8Bi

2/ (New) Product Management Foundations—Build a foundational understanding of the product manager role, and learn the tools required to succeed as a product manager.
https://t.co/86Toi9TAbz

3/ Product Strategy—Build, communicate, and execute a cohesive product strategy across feature, growth, scaling, and innovation product work.
https://t.co/8MzIod16pc

4/ Growth Series—The most comprehensive overview of the systems and frameworks that form the foundation of successful growth.
https://t.co/0W2Pz2Er7z

5/ Advanced Growth Strategy—A step-by-step system to create, analyze, and communicate a compounding growth strategy.
https://t.co/kiRl6WqVY5

5/ Apply here by Sept 10th to get into the Fall cohort  https://t.co/EaqhO5kU22

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