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Lenny Rachitsky
LennysNewsletter.com
Lenny Rachitsky is a prominent figure in the product management and tech industry, known for his widely popular newsletter and podcast. Here's an overview of Lenny Rachitsky's background and current work:
Professional Background
Lenny previously worked at Airbnb for 7 years as a Product Lead, where he managed multiple teams, supported strategy for the anti-discrimination team, and built new tools for hosts.3 Before joining Airbnb, he was the CEO of a startup called Localmind, which was acquired by Airbnb in 2012.3
Current Work
Lenny is currently self-employed and focuses on several ventures:
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Lenny's Newsletter: He writes a weekly advice column about product, growth, and career development, which has over 700,000 subscribers.12
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Lenny's Podcast: He hosts a podcast where he interviews leading product experts to extract actionable advice on building and growing successful products.3
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Angel Investing: Lenny is an active angel investor, having invested in companies like Figma, Vanta, and Webflow.3
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Job Board: He runs a job board for product professionals.3
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Consulting: Lenny works as a product consultant.3
Skills and Expertise
Lenny is known for his deep research and insights into product management, growth strategies, and career advice.2 He is bilingual, with native or bilingual proficiency in both Russian and English.2
Impact and Recognition
Lenny's work has gained significant traction in the tech industry:
- His newsletter is considered the #1 business newsletter on Substack.4
- His podcast is ranked as the #1 product/growth podcast.4
- He has built a community of over 10,000 founders and product leaders.4
Lenny's content is highly valued for its practical advice, deep insights, and actionable strategies for product managers and tech professionals. His unique approach combines his extensive experience in the industry with thorough research and expert interviews, making him a trusted voice in the product management space.
Highlights
Everything you’ve ever wanted to know about SAFe and the product owner role, with Melissa Perri (@lissijean) 🌶️
Melissa is the author of Escaping the Build Trap, host of the Product Thinking Podcast, and the founder of Product Institute where she works with startups, Fortune 50 companies, and everything in between to help them build better products.
In our conversation, we discuss: 🔸 The evolution of and problems with the SAFe framework 🔸 The history of the product owner role 🔸 The differences between product owners and product managers 🔸 How to transition from product owner to product manager 🔸 How large non-tech companies can improve their product practices 🔸 Much more
Listen now 👇
- YouTube: https://t.co/q5Ufawxk3M
- Spotify: https://t.co/g60DdwBlMT
- Apple: https://t.co/Qo3c0f7hms
Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting the podcast: 🏆 @Pendoio — The only all-in-one product experience platform for any type of application: https://t.co/ob3ps1KQrS 🏆 @OneSchema_co — Import CSV data 10x faster: https://t.co/awfcZaoXqj 🏆 @Coda_hq — The all-in-one collaborative workspace: https://t.co/sP4vEcSaUY
Some key takeaways:
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The product owner role is rooted in Scrum, not traditional product management. It was established by software developers to assist with task prioritization rather than complete product oversight.
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Don’t just turn your product owners into order-takers. Empower them to engage in discovery, customer conversations, and prioritization. Make sure they’re not bogged down by an endless backlog of user stories that don’t contribute to real value. If your product owner is spending 40 hours a week writing user stories for things that are already working, you have a problem.
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If you’re already talking to your team daily and breaking down tasks collaboratively, great! You probably don’t need a rigid Scrum framework. Instead, focus on what works for your team, whether that’s weekly sprints or daily check-ins. The key is to keep the lines of communication open and ensure that everyone is aligned on priorities without unnecessary meetings.
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Look for organizations that offer real training and mentorship, not just surface-level certifications. The best environments for growth are those where you can learn from experienced product managers and apply that knowledge practically.
