Lenny's Reads

If you’re a premium subscriber, add the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comIf you’re trying to feel better, build longer, and avoid quietly poisoning yourself along the way, this episode’s for you.After a run of injuries, weird labs, and a “half-man/half-plastic” toxin screen, I went deep on cleaning up my life. Enter: Justin Mares, founder/operator (Kettle & Fire, Perfect Keto, Surely, Truemed), and meticulous health nerd who has spent hundreds of hours testing what’s actually worth buying.In this episode, we walk through Justin’s guide for safer, higher-quality living so you can stay healthy, perform your best, and continue to build amazing products.In this episode, you’ll learn:• The 80/20 of great sleep (and why temperature control and magnesium often matter most)• What to wear (and avoid) to reduce PFAS, phthalates, and dye exposure on skin• A sourcing playbook for nutrient-dense, low-toxin food• Supplements that you actually need and why• Practical toxin-mitigation at home: air, water, lighting, EMFs, kitchens, and cleaning• Low-effort swaps for everyday products (deodorant, soaps, skincare, blue-light blockers)References:• Andrew Huberman: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman/• Bryan Johnson: https://x.com/bryan_johnson• Chemicals in Textiles: https://www.kemi.se/en/publications/reports/2014/report-6-14-chemicals-in-textiles• How to Prevent & Treat Colds & Flu: https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/how-to-prevent-treat-colds-flu• Justin Mares: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinmares/• Levels: https://www.levelshealth.com/• Rhonda Patrick: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickrhonda/• Surely: https://drinksurely.com/• The Great American Poisoning: https://justinmares.substack.com/p/the-great-american-poisoning• Tim Ferriss: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timferriss/• Truemed: https://www.truemed.com/• What are EMFs?: https://andybromberg.com/rational-guide-to-emfsSleep:• Avocado mattress: https://www.avocadogreenmattress.com/• Coyuchi sheets: https://www.coyuchi.com/collections/sheet-sets• Eight Sleep: https://www.eightsleep.com/• Essentia mattress: https://myessentia.com/• Hästens: https://hastens.com/us/• Naturepedic mattress: https://www.naturepedic.com/• Woolshire pillow: https://thewoolshire.com/products/wool-pillowClothing:• Caraway: https://www.carawayhome.com/• Faherty: https://fahertybrand.com/• Industry of All Nations: https://industryofallnations.com/collections/underwear• Nads: https://nadsunder.com/• Pact: https://wearpact.com/• Paka: https://www.pakaapparel.com/• Wax London: https://waxlondon.com/collections/organic-cottonFood:• Beeswax wraps: https://www.amazon.com/Bees-Wrap-Assorted-Sustainable-Alternative/dp/B0126LMDFK• Force of Nature beef: https://forceofnature.com/products/regenerative-beef-ancestral-blend• Groundwork coffee: https://www.groundworkcoffee.com/collections/regenerative-organic-certified• Jacob protein bar: https://eatjacob.com/• Kettle & Fire bone broth: http://kettleandfire.com/• Maui Nui meat sticks: https://mauinuivenison.com/products/snack-membership• Maui Nui Organ Blend: https://mauinuivenison.com/products/organ-blend-supplement• Radius: https://www.eatradius.com/• White Oak Pastures meats: https://whiteoakpastures.com/Supplements:• AHCC: https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Kinoko-Platinum-AHCC-Supplement/dp/B00HG0YZMG/ref=sr_1_6_pp• Astaxanthin: https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Synergy-SuperPure%C2%AE-Astaxanthin-Antioxidant/dp/B07KX3NZJ5/• Equip protein: https://equipfoods.com/• Lineage: https://lineageprovisions.com/products/creatine-monohydrate• Momentous creatine: https://www.livemomentous.com/products/creatine-monohydrate• Momentous magnesium L-threonate: https://www.livemomentous.com/products/magnesium-threonate• Orgain: https://www.orgain.com/• Perfect Keto: https://shop.perfectketo.com/products/grass-fed-collagen-with-mct• Thorne B complex: https://www.amazon.com/Thorne-Methyl-Guard-Plus-methylation-homocysteine/dp/B00O5AHC4S/• Toku: https://tokuhealth.com/• Viraldine: https://www.amazon.com/VIRALDINE-Povidone-Iodine-Designed-Congestion-applications/dp/B0CTWWS1DKToxin mitigation:• Aquasana: https://www.aquasana.com/• Circadian bulbs: https://thehealthyhome.shop/collections/lights• Inuspheresis: https://www.inuspheresis.com/• Jaspr: https://jaspr.co/• Lightwork: https://lightworkhome.com/• Ophora: https://www.ophorawater.com/whole-home/• PowerScale: https://www.amazon.com/Powerscale-Generator-Vegetable-Multipurpose-Pesticides/dp/B0D8DM18HV/ref=sr_1_17• Proxima: https://www.proxima.health/• PuroAir: https://getpuroair.com/?utm_source=shop_truemed• Renovera: https://www.amazon.com/Renovera-Vegetable-Infant-Friendly-Powdered-Produce/dp/B07R3W8H41/• Rorra: https://rorra.com/products/countertop-system?utm_source=shop_truemed• Smart plug: https://www.amazon.com/Govee-WiFi-Outlet/dp/B08731J1L4/ref=sr_1_6• Teakhaus: https://teakhaus.com/collections/cutting-boardsEveryday items:• Alitura Meteorite scrub: https://alitura.com/collections/skincare/products/the-meteorite-facial-scrub?selling_plan=4148527355• Alitura Pearl cleanser: https://alitura.com/collections/skincare/products/alitura-pearl-cleanser• Branch Basics: https://branchbasics.com/• Chroma blue-light glasses: https://getchroma.co/collections/blue-light-blocking-glasses• Dr Bronner's soaps: https://www.drbronner.com/• Kari Gran sunscreen: https://karigran.com/products/essential-spf• Mirror Skin serum: https://mymirrorskin.com/• Native deodorant: https://www.nativecos.com/• Primally Pure deodorant: https://primallypure.com/collections/deodorant• Ra Optics blue-light glasses: https://raoptics.com/• Shwally tallow balm: https://www.shwallyhome.com/collections/our-balms/products/shwally-face-and-body-balm• Read the newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-builders-guide-to-living-a-long: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-builders-guide-to-living-a-longSubscribe• 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. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you’re a premium subscriber, add the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comClaude Code isn't just for developers - it’s actually one of the most underrated AI tools for non-technical people.In this episode, I share 50 ways to use it: decluttering your hard drive, enhancing images, synthesizing customer calls, drafting presentations, and more, all collected from 500+ stories shared by this community. If you've been sleeping on Claude Code, then this episode is your wake-up call.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Exactly how to install and launch Claude Code on Mac and Windows• Five ways I used it this month• 45 creative non-technical workflows, from file organization, to lead discovery, roadmap support, and social listening• Ten more detailed advanced Claude Code use casesReferences:• Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/• Apple: https://www.apple.com/• arXiv: https://arxiv.org/• Asana: https://asana.com/• Brex: https://www.brex.com/• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com/• Claude Code: https://www.claude.com/product/claude-code• Clay: https://clay.com/• Cursor: https://cursor.sh/• Dan Shipper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danshipper/• Docker: https://www.docker.com/• Fireflies: https://fireflies.ai/• Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/• Git: https://git-scm.com/• GitHub: https://github.com/• Gmail: https://mail.google.com/• Homebrew: https://brew.sh/• Intercom: https://www.intercom.com/• Jira: https://www.atlassian.com/software/jira• Linear: https://linear.app/• Mercury: https://mercury.com/• Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/• Notion: https://www.notion.com/• OpenAI: https://openai.com/• Playwright: https://playwright.dev/• Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/• Slack: https://slack.com/• VS Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/• Warp: https://www.warp.dev/• X (Twitter): https://x.com/Subscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter• Substack: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribeRead the post • Substack: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/everyone-should-be-using-claude-codeSubscribe to Lenny's ReadsYouTube: 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/@lennyspodcast To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you’re a premium subscriber, add the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comIf feedback is a gift, why does it often feel so difficult?In this episode, we break down executive coach Jack Cohen’s evidence-based GAIN framework - a simple, memorable way to give feedback that actually lands.Whether you manage a team or want to nudge a peer, this is a step-by-step playbook for feedback that strengthens relationships, drives behavior change, and leaves people feeling supported and motivated to change.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why we struggle to give tough feedback• How “start with the Goal” flips defensiveness into motivation• Why great feedback names Actions and Impacts, not judgments• How acknowledging your contribution disarms resistance• Scripts that make tough conversations feel collaborative• A framing that helps preserve ambition and psychological safety• A Stanford-tested “wise feedback” sentence that boosts follow-through• The 3 Ws framework to lock in change• A live case study: a VP uses GAIN to unwind a founder’s micromanaging habitReferences:• Amy Edmondson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycedmondson/• “Breaking the cycle of mistrust: Wise interventions to provide critical feedback across the racial divide”: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2013-28213-001• Brian Martin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-e-martin-50575a2b/• Carol Dweck: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-dweck-4618236/• Cycle of conflict or cycle of connection?: https://speakerdeck.com/jackcohen/cycle-of-conflict-or-cycle-of-connection• FeedbackGPT: https://maven.com/p/6f79f8/feedback-gpt-give-feedback-people-thank-you-for• “Framing for Learning: Lessons in Successful Technology Implementation: https://www.notion.so/27d43d3a2709810a9f8de040eea2b01a?pvs=21”• How to become a supermanager with AI: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-become-a-supermanager-with• How to motivate your team for free: https://actionablewisdom.beehiiv.com/p/how-to-motivate-your-team-for-free• Jack Cohen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackadamcohen/• John Gottman: https://www.gottman.com/author/john-gottman-ph-d/• ManagerGPT: The AI Tools and Human Systems to Scale Yourself and Your Team Fast: https://maven.com/actionablefeedback/managergpt• Nischal Nadhamuni: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishchaln/• Nonviolent Communication (book): https://www.amazon.ca/Nonviolent-Communication-Language-Life-Changing-Relationships/dp/189200528X• “On the elicitation of preferences for alternative therapies”: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7070445/• “Praise for intelligence can undermine children's motivation and performance: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9686450/”• Radical Candor (book): https://www.amazon.ca/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/1250103509• Satya Nadella: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satyanadella/• Sheryl Sandberg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sandberg-5126652/• Slack: https://slack.com/• Stanford University: https://www.stanford.edu/• Tal Raviv: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsraviv/• “The effectiveness of the “But-you-are-free” technique: Meta-analysis and re-examination of the technique: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344807911_The_effectiveness_of_the_But-you-are-free_technique_Meta-analysis_and_re-examination_of_the_technique”• The Founder’s Dilemmas: Anticipating and Avoiding the Pitfalls That Can Sink a Startup (book): https://www.amazon.com/Founders-Dilemmas-Anticipating-Foundation-Entrepreneurship/dp/0691158304• The GAIN Feedback Template: https://maven.com/p/ad08cc/the-gain-feedback-template• Read the newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/introducing-the-gain-framework-forSubscribe• 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.comFollow 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. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you’re a premium subscriber, add the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comIf you’ve been wondering how to get real value from the subscriber product pass, this episode is for you. I break down exactly how I’m using eight of the tools today - from what they’re great at, what surprised me, and where they slot into a modern PM’s stack. Consider this your field guide to turning these tools into real workflow improvementsIn this episode, you’ll learn:• What each tool actually does for PMs (beyond the tagline): where it shines vs. falls short• How to vibe code entire apps with Replit, including auth, DB, testing, and auto-fix loops• Why Warp turns your terminal into an agentic sidekick• Linear’s sweet spot for teams• When voice beats typing: workflows where Wispr Flow is faster and more accurate• Rapid content creation with Gamma 3.0, including decks, landing pages, and shareable summaries• Fast prototyping with Magic Patterns using your own component library• How non-video-people ship great video with Descript + Underlord• Smart real-life examples of how PMs and teams are using each tool right nowReferences:• Read the post: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-your-product• A peek at an upcoming episode on evals: https://the-rise-of-ai-evals-q62i0s7.gamma.site/• Announcing 15+ free premium tools available exclusively to paid annual subscribers: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/productpass• Ben Horowitz’s episode on leadership: https://gamma.app/docs/10-Hard-Truths-That-Built-Billion-Dollar-Companies-onh55jsg26xrzp5• Brendan Foody’s story of Mercor: https://ai-revolutions-hidden-bo-3k6n3li.gamma.site/• Creating a unique resume: https://suchita-kaundin-bsb2sbo.gamma.site/• Ethan Smith’s episode on AEO: https://gamma.app/docs/Mastering-Answer-Engine-Optimization-n4gxgak9z9tpzhc• Lenny’s product pass: https://lennysproductpass.com/• Turning PRDs into decks: https://x.com/clairevo/status/1968002491724988923• Yoto: https://us.yotoplay.com/Tools + use-case examples:Descript: https://descript.com/lenny• Creating ads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvBGR5cSeNw• Creating avatar-based demos: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/burkhauser_guys-now-on-descript-you-can-instantly-create-activity-7320888554761453568-Eex_• Adding big juicy text to videos: https://youtube.com/shorts/phEBSCJP8xw• Creating a rough cut with AI: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RtC7_wQ1Arg• Creating YouTube Shorts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rXZkt6YkZw• Underlord example: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/fatemeh-alavizadeh_ever-wonder-how-ai-actually-thinks-about-activity-7350929550232444928-fc6sGamma: https://gamma.app/partners/lenny• Gamma 3.0: https://x.com/thisisgrantlee/status/1967943621782413388• 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/• Creating landing pages: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/charlie-hills_how-to-make-a-landing-page-in-5-minutes-activity-7321473049843621888-BTLe/• Turning meeting notes into a deck and follow-up email: https://x.com/riyazmd774/status/1967978262015160802• The story of Gamma: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/20/technology/ai-silicon-valley-start-ups.html• Turn Granola notes into presentations with Gamma: https://zapier.com/templates/details/meeting-notes-to-presentations-granola-gammaLinear: https://linear.app/• Claire at ChatPRD on building an agent in Linear: https://linear.app/integrations/chatprd• How Commure is building dashboards to monitor their team’s progress: https://linear.app/now/commure-dashboards in Linear• Linear’s secret to building beloved B2B products with Nan Yu (their Head of Product): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTr21kgCFF4• How Linear uses Linear to manage their own customer feedback: https://linear.app/now/how-we-think-about-customer-experience-at-linearMagic Patterns: https://magicpatterns.link/lpp1• Copy-and-pasting PRDs, creating a Magic Patterns prototype, and then: https://magicpatterns.link/llp1x sharing with engineering• Creating personalized customer demos: https://magicpatterns.link/lpp1lu• Skipping Figma entirely: https://magicpatterns.link/llp1jh when prototyping• Magic Patterns tutorials: https://www.magicpatterns.com/docs/documentation/ai-prototyping-course/introductionMobbin: https://mobbin.com/lenny• Copy-and-pasting best-in-class flows into your Figma: https://youtu.be/E4idM0hC_AY?si=tJA95mUdzSmya0Wa&t=1537• Designing a viral app: https://youtu.be/T64X2GUoDwc?si=8f98NKkKPygr9QHS&t=360• Elevating your design taste: https://youtu.be/8mMH6Pq8qnE?si=xCt-KLIZsOhxrV-v&t=533• Getting design inspiration: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3px5ESAwxA/• Studying in the best way: https://x.com/rexan_wong/status/1967789508717650388Replit: https://replit.com/?utm_source=lenny&utm_medium=lenny&utm_campaign=v2• Building a fully featured website for Saastr: https://x.com/jasonlk/status/1967408276825575753• Building a social networking platform (in 193 minutes): https://x.com/anthropiast/status/1966109218479714593• Coming up with startup ideas: https://x.com/daniel_mac8/status/1966260595143094534• Vibe-coding automations: https://x.com/omarsar0/status/1966949907149058551• Taking on Upwork projects: https://x.com/niconley/status/1966505076849074618Warp: http://go.warp.dev/lenny• How Warp helps a dad teach his kids how to build websites: https://x.com/some_user123/status/1950443062016041377• Building a Strava clone: https://youtu.be/cmHheGcDWTQ• Converting MRI imaging files to JPEGs: https://x.com/aaronwhite/status/1958281839333794057?s=46• Warp tutorials: https://warp.dev/universityWispr Flow: https://wisprflow.ai/• Doctors transcribing their notes: https://x.com/RutaB_/status/1956099269544567236• Slow typers speeding up their workflows: https://x.com/rywiggs/status/1937991165217017879• Talking to chatbots: https://x.com/MatthewGattozzi/status/1967952481419403609• Vibe coding: https://x.com/tankots/status/1891138380404060298• Writing: https://x.com/deedydas/status/1930130567649210879 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

If you’re a premium subscriberAdd the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comIn this episode, we unpack the elusive skill of product sense: what it really means, why it matters, and exactly how to build it. With hard-earned wisdom from Jules Walter (Slack, YouTube), we go beyond vague instincts and into concrete habits that sharpen your intuition and creativity as a product builder.Listen now: YouTube | Apple | SpotifyIn this episode, you’ll learn:* Why product sense isn’t magic: it’s a muscle you can train* How to build product sense by developing deeper user empathy* Why watching real users interact with products sharpens your intuition* How to reverse-engineer everyday products to uncover what makes them work* How creativity plays a key role in building great products* What you can learn by studying how top product thinkers make decisions* Why staying curious about new technology trends fuels innovation* How to tell if your product sense is actually improving over timeReferences:* A comprehensive survey of Product Management* Anthropic* Are You Solving the Right Problems?* Balaji Srinivasan* Bangaly Kaba* Braze* Camille Edwards* Cash App* Carta* Courtney Lessard* David Lieb* Elad Gil* Erin Teague* How to Do a Product Critique* How to Get Startup Ideas* Inspired* Intro to the Design of Everyday Things* Jules Walter* Julie Zhuo* Lawrence Ripsher* Marty Cagan* Naval Ravikant* Paul Graham* Rahul Vohra* Shreyas Doshi* Slack* Stewart Butterfield* Stripe* Superhuman* Textract (Amazon)* The First Secret of Great Design* Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg* Todd Sherman* Tony Fadell* Uber* Venmo* Why now 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

If you’re a premium subscriber, add the private feed to your podcast app at https://add.lennysreads.comIn this episode, we dive into the fast-emerging discipline of AI evaluation with Hamel Husain and Shreya Shankar, creators of AI Evals for Engineers & PMs, the #1 highest-grossing course on Maven.After training 2000+ PMs and engineers across 500+ companies, Hamel and Shreya reveal the complete playbook for building evaluations that actually improve your AI product: moving beyond vanity dashboards, to a system that drives continuous improvement.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why most AI eval dashboards fail to deliver real product improvements• How to use error analysis to uncover your product’s most critical failure modes• The role of a “principal domain expert” in setting a consistent quality bar• Techniques for transforming messy error notes into a clean taxonomy of failures• When to use code-based checks vs. LLM-as-a-judge evaluators• How to build trust in your evals with human-labeled ground-truth datasets• Why binary pass/fail labels outperform Likert scales in practice• Evaluation strategies for complex systems: multi-turn conversations, RAG pipelines, and agentic workflows• How CI safety nets and production monitoring work together to create a flywheel of continuous product improvementReferences:• Read the newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-eval-systems-that-improve• AI Evals for Engineers & PMs: https://maven.com/parlance-labs/evals• A Field Guide to Rapidly Improving AI Products: https://hamel.dev/blog/posts/field-guide/• Aligning LLM-Assisted Evaluation of LLM Outputs with Human Preferences: https://arxiv.org/abs/2404.12272• Aman Khan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanberkeley/• Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/• Arize Phoenix: https://phoenix.arize.com/• Braintrust: https://www.braintrust.dev/• Beyond vibe checks: A PM’s complete guide to evals: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/beyond-vibe-checks-a-pms-complete• Frequently Asked Questions (And Answers) About AI Evals: https://hamel.dev/blog/posts/evals-faq/• Hamel Husain: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamelhusain/• LangSmith: https://smith.langchain.com/• Not Dead Yet: On RAG: https://hamel.dev/notes/llm/rag/not_dead.html• OpenAI: https://openai.com/• Shreya Shankar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shrshnk/Listen:• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribeFollow Lenny:• Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcastSubscribe• 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. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

In this episode, naming expert David Placek shares his foundational principles that helped him create some of the world’s most iconic brands: BlackBerry, Azure, Sonos, and Impossible Foods, to name a few.Whether you’re launching a new company or naming a product, this episode will sharpen how you think about brand strategy and help you avoid costly mistakes.If you’re a premium subscriberAdd the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.com: https://add.lennysreads.com/Listen now: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreadsApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypToojIn this episode, you’ll learn:• Why naming is the single highest-leverage brand decision you’ll make• The 3 pillars of effective names• How invented names outperform descriptive ones (and cost less to build)• Why brainstorming rarely works - and what to do instead• The story behind Intel’s Pentium and how one name changed the industry• Why “Swiffer” made mopping fun• How Vercel went from “Zeit” to a name built for momentum• The 6 challenges every name must overcome in today’s AI-driven world• What not to do: common naming traps that lead to forgettable brandsReferences:• AMD: https://www.amd.com/• Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/• BlackBerry: https://www.blackberry.com/• Codeium: https://codeium.com/• Dell: https://www.dell.com/• HP: https://www.hp.com/• Impossible Foods: https://impossiblefoods.com/• Intel: https://www.intel.com/• Lexicon Branding: https://www.lexiconbranding.com/• Microsoft: https://www.microsoft.com/• Navan: https://navan.com/• Procter & Gamble: https://us.pg.com/• Sonos: https://www.sonos.com/• Subaru: https://www.subaru.com/• Vercel: https://vercel.com/ To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

In this episode, Aishwarya Reganti and Kiriti Badam introduce a powerful new framework for building AI products: the Continuous Calibration/Continuous Development (CC/CD) framework.If you’ve ever shipped an AI demo that looked magical but struggled to scale, this framework will resonate. The CC/CD framework provides a practical and structured approach to navigating these realities and building AI systems that are stable, intentional, and trustworthy.Listen: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreadsApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypToojNewsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribeIn this episode, you’ll learn:• The two core differences every AI builder must account for: non-determinism and the agency–control tradeoff• The six phases of the CC/CD loop• How to scope capabilities across different versions of your product to gradually earn trust and agency• The role of reference datasets in taming unpredictability and guiding evals• How to design application-specific evals that act as the equivalent of tests for AI• Why control handoffs are essential for maintaining user trust• How to transform deployment from a finish line into the start of continuous calibration• Why you should never “jump to full agency” before the system earns it• How to apply the CC/CD loop with real-world examples: customer support, marketing assistants, and coding copilotsReferences:• Beyond vibe checks: A PM’s complete guide to evals: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/beyond-vibe-checks-a-pms-complete• “Building agentic AI applications with a problem-first approach” [Maven course]: https://maven.com/aishwarya-kiriti/genai-system-design• Cursor: https://cursor.com• “Don’t build AI products like traditional software” [Free lightning talk]: https://maven.com/p/88a325/don-t-build-ai-products-like-traditional-software• GitHub Copilot: https://github.com/features/copilot• Why premature pptimization is the root of all evil: https://stackify.com/premature-optimization-evil/• Why your AI product needs a different development lifecycle: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/48e7fb02-1fc1-4bb7-bf85-85f4165e8225 To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you’re a premium subscriberAdd the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comIn this episode, I share another 10 must-read essays that continue to shape how I think about product, startups, and career.Whether you’re scaling a startup, leading a team, or sharpening your thinking, this episode will expand your perspective and give you practical tools you can use immediately.Listen now:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreadsApple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypToojSubstack: https://lennysreads.com/In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why solving the right problem for the right audience is obvious - yet essential• Why leaders must take full responsibility for any communication discrepancies• How to use the SCQA (Situation, Complication, Question, Answer) framework for concise, persuasive messaging• Why sales, often overlooked, is critical to your product’s success• A tremendously clarifying way to think about your market• The four types of “fit” every startup needs• What we get wrong about our definition of a startup• How to start giving away your Legos• How reframing what you’re selling can strengthen your positioning• What “Schlep blindness” is - and how founders can avoid itReferences:References:• Building Products: https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/building-products-91aa93bea4bb• Communication is the Job: https://boz.com/articles/communication-is-the-job• Distribution: https://a16z.com/distribution/• Eigenquestions: The Art of Framing Problems: https://coda.io/@shishir/eigenquestions-the-art-of-framing-problems• Executive Communication: https://www.heavybit.com/library/video/executive-communication/• Give Away Your Legos: https://review.firstround.com/give-away-your-legos-and-other-commandments-for-scaling-startups/• How to Work with Designers: https://medium.com/the-year-of-the-looking-glass/how-to-work-with-designers-6c975dede146• Product Management Mental Models for Everyone: https://blackboxofpm.com/product-management-mental-models-for-everyone-31e7828cb50b• Schlep Blindness: https://www.paulgraham.com/schlep.html• Startup = Growth: https://paulgraham.com/growth.html• The Four Fits: https://brianbalfour.com/four-fits-growth-framework• The Market Curve: https://medium.com/sequoia-capital/the-market-curve-44097b626f6d• 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/• We Don’t Sell Saddles Here: https://medium.com/@stewart/we-dont-sell-saddles-here-4c59524d650d• What Makes a Strong Product Culture?: https://www.bringthedonuts.com/essays/what-makes-a-strong-product-culture/ To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you're a premium subscriber, get the full episodes in your podcast feed by visiting https://add.lennysreads.comRead the full post: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/c674cb15-93c5-44f0-9a11-33ca626b8179Peter Yang interviewed leaders at six of the most AI-forward companies—Zapier, Ramp, Duolingo, Shopify, Intercom, and Whoop—to uncover 25 real-world tactics for driving employee AI adoption. If your team is still struggling to get value from AI tools, this episode is packed with practical advice, internal playbooks, and strategies you can use right away.In this episode, you’ll learn• The five steps to driving AI adoption at your company• Why vague AI-first mandates don’t work—and what to do instead• How to track and reward adoption, usage, and outcomes• How to cut through red tape and unblock company-wide access• How to turn AI power users into internal teachers• Which high-impact tasks top companies are automating first• What separates real AI adoption from flashy demo theaterReferences• Gallup poll: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/691643/work-nearly-doubled-two-years.aspx• Hilary Gridley’s 30 days of GPT: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1zJ4rbi9YcQuGqGxc6-AQD0-44oT9l4Eyono0AdpgJbA/edit?gid=0#gid=0• How Zapier measures AI fluency: https://x.com/wadefoster/status/1930680089651425452• Tobi Lütke’s AI memo: https://x.com/tobi/status/1909251946235437514?lang=en• Zapier’s code red playbook: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zbkjL0d-ev87PO0yKJBBMlliByVaUIREKNQfvtVwXbg/ To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you're a premium subscriber, get the full episodes in your podcast feed by visiting https://add.lennysreads.comRead the full post: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/build-your-personal-ai-copilotTal Raviv went from an AI skeptic to teaching over 20,000 tech workers how to use AI to move faster at work. In this episode, he shares a step-by-step guide to building your own AI copilot using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or M365 Copilot. If you're still wondering how to leverage AI, start here.In this episode, you'll learn• How AI copilots become thinking partners that know you and your work inside out• Why Tal prefers the term context engineering• The four-step framework for building a useful copilot• Dozens of example prompts for strategic thinking, learning, and productivity• How to output structured documents, prototypes, and automations• How to create a copilot that gets smarter with every project• What's next: AI copilots that push you to be betterReferences• A guide to AI prototyping for product managers: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-guide-to-ai-prototyping-for-product• Becoming a super IC: Lessons from 12 years as a PM individual contributor | Tal Raviv: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFhurV1l6Jk&t=975s• How Experienced Growth PMs Analyze Data with AI: https://maven.com/p/eddc27/how-experienced-growth-p-ms-analyze-data-with-ai• How to book Tal for one-day team workshops: https://talraviv.co/• Make product management fun again with AI agents: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/162096097/ai-agent-builder-prompt• Oleksii Monchyk: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oleksii-monchyk-91ba09171/?originalSubdomain=de• OpenAI researcher on why soft skills are the future of work | Karina Nguyen: https://youtu.be/DeskgjrLxxs?si=4boISMhdv6pSkiOc&t=3071• Product manager is an unfair role. So work unfairly: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/151079492/get-a-head-start-on-discovery-with-product-scrapbooking• Student Example #1: Career development copilot for women: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sblODeX-FGk• Student Example #2: Onboarding copilot for new PMs: https://darshen.substack.com/p/the-pm-onboarding-copilot• Tal’s “Build Your Personal PM Productivity System & AI Copilot” course in September: https://maven.com/tal-raviv/product-manager-productivity-system?promoCode=LENNYSLIST (use code LENNYSLIST for $100 off)• Tal’s free guide and live demos of advanced copilot use cases: https://talraviv.co/• Tal’s upcoming free lightning lesson on how to use Cursor as a PM copilot: https://maven.com/p/0a96cb/cursor-isn-t-just-for-coding-how-ai-native-p-ms-workListen: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads | Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693 | Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj | Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribeFollow Lenny: Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lennysan | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/ | Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcastFollow Tal: Twitter/X: https://x.com/talraviv | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talsravivWelcome 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

If you’re a premium subscriberAdd the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comI share seven timeless essays that have shaped how I think about product, startups, and career. These are the pieces I quote often, revisit regularly, and think about long after reading. You likely haven’t come across most of them—but they’re must-reads for any … To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

Ben Erez is a former PM at Meta, the first PM at three different startups, and now a full-time interview coach and educator. In this episode, Ben shares the five-part framework he developed after studying dozens of mock interviews, interviewing 50+ candidates at Facebook, and coaching hundreds of PMs through their job searches. It’s designed to help you master one of the most misunderstood stages of the PM interview loop: the product sense interview.If you’re a premium subscriber:Add the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.com: https://add.lennysreads.com/Subscribe: • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypToojIn this episode, you’ll learn• Ben’s five-part framework for acing product sense interviews• How to set assumptions and lead with structure• How to define a clear mission that guides every decision• A process for segmenting users and developing strong personas• How to map user journeys and surface high-impact problems• A method for brainstorming, prioritizing, and scoping solutions• Lessons from mock-examples (Claude, Meta, and Netflix)• Common pitfalls to avoid, and how to practice effectivelyReferences• AI Practice Copilot for Product Sense & Analytical Thinking Interviews: https://payhip.com/b/LCkbr• Attentive: https://www.attentive.com/• How to Ace Product Sense PM Interviews: https://maven.com/p/af5908/how-to-ace-product-sense-pm-interviews• Lewis Lin’s PM Question Bank: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rz10oEeLx-eGnilahKczYPhGfCUzIEKL-xRnjoQ-SX4/edit?gid=1024620532#gid=1024620532• Product Sense Interview Template: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/1-jdZAVtLuk8dUnf9peUKlNkguSOuAk5VdMPTmgr9Kns/edit• Recorded Mock of PS Response: https://grain.com/share/recording/be7899c9-f09e-4a18-93ec-ef40e7a26fac/Sex5ycmtyfFMOytY9K16yYQAx5p7lEn7X8D0fy2b and the Completed Template: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WV2kQNdM_kKHvr6Wsq0Znx7-r1gLK0qTOcuZg3LPqwo/edit?usp=sharing• The Definitive Guide to Mastering Analytical Thinking Interviews: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/8fe3dc12-1ed3-4876-a73d-2be943f18204Follow Lenny: • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcastFollow Ben: • Twitter/X: https://x.com/ViableBen• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/• Newsletter: https://benerez.substack.com/AboutWelcome 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

If you’re a premium subscriberAdd the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comBen Erez is a former PM at Facebook, the first PM at multiple startups, and now a full-time interview coach and educator. In this episode, he shares the five-part framework he’s used to help hundreds of PMs land roles at top companies. It’s the most practical, e… To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you’re a premium subscriberAdd the private feed to your podcast app at https://add.lennysreads.comYou’ve probably heard terms like LLM, transformer, and hallucination, but do you really know what they mean?In this episode, I walk through 20 of the most common AI terms with dead-simple explanations you can actually understand (and use).In this episode, you’ll learn• What a “model” actually is• The difference between pre-training, fine-tuning, and RLHF• What transformers are—and why they changed everything• How prompt engineering and RAG improve model outputs• What AGI and ASI really mean• The difference between LLMs, GenAI, and GPT• Why models hallucinate (and how to prevent it)• What synthetic data is—and why it matters• How vibe coding works and what agents can actually do• What MCP, inference, and tokens are in plain EnglishReferenced• A complete guide on RLHF• AGI vs ASI• Andrej Karpathy on LLMs• Andrej Karpathy on vibe coding• Anthropic’s guide on building effective agents• Anthropic’s guide to reducing hallucinations• Fine-tuning vs RAG vs prompt engineering• Guide to model context protocol (MCP)• How LLMs work• How fine-tuning works• How top models tokenize words• How training and pre-training works• Ilya Sutskever on AGI• Ilya Sutskever on next-word prediction• Lenny’s Podcast on prompt engineering• Make product management fun again with AI agents• RLHF explainer• Sam Altman on synthetic data• Technical deep dive on transformers• What are transformers?Subscribe: YouTube | Apple | SpotifyFollow Lenny: Twitter/X | LinkedIn | PodcastAboutWelcome 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. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you’re a premium subscriberAdd the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comThree weeks ago, Noam Segal and I shared data showing that 84% of tech workers feel burned out. That left one big question: Who are the 16% who aren’t?This episode is their playbook. We analyzed 175 follow-up surveys and spoke with 15 “burnout conquerors” to understand how they’ve cracked the code.In this episode, you’ll learn• The five-part “ARMOR” framework for burnout protection• The habits, systems, and beliefs that keep burnout at bay• How to set boundaries that actually hold• How to prioritize mental and physical wellbeing, without guilt• Early warning signals that most people miss• How to take rhythmic, reflective, and restorative breaks• How to choose roles based on energy, not ego• Why relationships, not perks are your best defenseReferences• Conversations online about the first sentiment survey• How tech workers really feel about work right now• Make product management fun again with AI agents• Managing up• The burnout check• The “How I Work” templateSubscribe: YouTube | Apple | SpotifyFollow Lenny: Twitter/X | LinkedIn | PodcastAboutWelcome 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. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you’re a premium subscriber• Add the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comAboutColin Matthews was a longtime PM and is the creator of my favorite AI prototyping course, AI Prototyping for Product Managers. He already has two posts in my all-time top 10 — and I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes his third.In this post, Colin shares his hands-on playbook for turning AI prototyping from scattered experiments into a repeatable, team-wide workflow.In this episode, you’ll learn• Colin’s go-to template prompt for rapid prototyping• A six-step guide for shipping fast• How to build reusable component libraries for high-quality mocks• Three tactics to generate better components• What “baselines and forks” are and how they streamline workflows• Where prototypes fit into the product development lifecycle• Common mistakes teams make with AI tooling• Plus: time-saving prompts, tool comparisons, and a better way to add your logoReferenced• Read this post• AI prototyping for product managers• A guide to AI prototyping for product managers• Become a more technical product manager• Bolt• Book a place in Colin’s free 45-minute live online class, coming up on July 8th• Book a place in Colin’s AI Prototyping for Product Managers, which kicks off again on June 30th (use code LENNYSLIST to get $100 off)• Book Colin for one-day team workshops• Cursor• Figma’s MCP• Magic Patterns• Unsplash• v0Subscribe: YouTube | Apple | SpotifyFollow Lenny: Twitter/X | LinkedIn | PodcastFollow Colin: LinkedIn To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you’re a premium subscriberAdd the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comTogether with Noam Segal, we unpack the most surprising insights from a sweeping new study of over 8,200 tech professionals—across roles, company sizes, and work setups.In this episode, you’ll learn• Why burnout is rampant• Who’s thriving in tech right now (and who’s not)• The shocking stat: Only 1 in 4 workers think their manager is effective• How sentiment shifts between remote, hybrid, and in-office setups• Why you might want to switch to a smaller company• What’s driving the mid-career slump—and how to escape it• The clarity gap that’s holding people back• Why women are more engaged but more burned-out than men• How AI is fueling both career anxiety and reinventionReferenced• Become better at managing up• Lennybot manager prompts• Start your own company• Take the burnout check• The SOLO methodSubscribe: YouTube | Apple | SpotifyFollow Lenny: Twitter | LinkedIn | PodcastFollow Noam: 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. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

If you’re a premium subscriberAdd the private feed to your podcast app at add.lennysreads.comSaumil 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 NewsletterSubscribe: 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

The 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 To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com