Marty Cagan uses the question of whether a product manager is the 'CEO of the product' as a revealing interview prompt. He finds candidates typically fall into three groups: those drawn to the power and influence, those…
“The job search process is often unpredictable. How long will it take to hear back from a company? What questions will they ask you during your interview? Will you even enjoy working there? While it’s not possible to remove all the uncertainty and ambiguity from the job search, Teeba”
Cagan asks how much technical competency a product manager really needs, noting that managers and candidates alike are unsure where the bar sits. He argues technology knowledge matters because great products pair a real…
Teresa Torres and Petra Wille address how product managers can choose a coach in a crowded market where thousands of self-described product coaches compete for attention. They argue that red flags such as overpromising…
Marty Cagan argues that the product industry needs more skilled product coaches, and that many self-described coaches lack real product experience. He insists that effective product coaching must rest on relevant…
Marty Cagan argues that the most important trait of a capable product manager is the ability to think, which is distinct from raw intelligence. Product management is fundamentally problem solving under many simultaneous…
Marty Cagan responds to a Product Therapy interview with Shreyas Doshi, which described three product leader archetypes: craftsperson, operator, and visionary. Cagan argues that deep product craft is non-negotiable…
Marty Cagan argues that a layoff, though painful, can be turned into a valuable period for building product management skills and becoming a more desirable candidate. He briefly advises keeping professional social…
Lenny's newsletter opens with his own sabbatical experience and then hands the floor to DJ DiDonna, founder of The Sabbatical Project, who has interviewed over 250 people about extended time off. DJ argues that…
Marty Cagan argues that the MBA pathology, the set of habits instilled by many business programs, continues to produce weak product managers and weak products despite claims that it would self-correct. He stresses he is…
The author analyzed 51 Silicon Valley tech job postings, ranging from startups to large companies like Uber, Visa, and Amazon, to see what companies actually expect Product Managers to own. The findings show PMs are…
Teresa Torres and Petra Wille discuss the crowded product coaching landscape and help listeners understand the different coaching settings (individual, group, team) and coaching types (general product, discovery…
This edition of Lenny Rachitsky's newsletter answers two reader questions. First, with input from Jackie Bavaro, it argues that early-career PMs should prioritize shipping wins, learning best practices, building…
This issue of Lenny Rachitsky's newsletter answers three reader questions about career and organizational challenges in product work. The first, drawing on growth leader Brian Balfour, explains how to break into a…
Teresa Torres argues that job seekers should treat themselves as a product and, like any good product, target a narrow market rather than trying to appeal to everyone. A broad search across trendy tech companies leaves…
Marty Cagan shares an explicit product manager job description tailored to empowered product teams, where PMs are accountable for outcomes rather than just delivering features. He explains that the PM owns making sure a…
This is Lenny Rachitsky's year-end roundup of his newsletter and podcast, organized as a curated guide to his best content by the problem a reader wants solved. Rather than a single argument, it is a directory: it…
Torres argues that the standard job-hunt routine of polishing a resume and mass-applying to postings rarely works, even for strong candidates. Instead, she proposes treating yourself as a product and applying the…
Lenny Rachitsky answers a reader weighing a move from software engineering to product management after three years. He describes his own switch and lays out the daily work of PMs across shaping, shipping, and…