BROADCASTS.com

Jules Walter is a product leader at YouTube and co-founder of both the Black Product Managers Network and Codepath.org. Previously, he led monetization and mobile growth teams at Slack. He\u2019s also a very well-known leader in the broader product community. In today\u2019s episode, we discuss the skills that matter most to PMs, and how to build those skills. We also spend quite a bit of time talking about the importance of finding mentors to help you learn new skills, how to nail your next job interview, barriers to entry for underrepresented people, and some of the most common paths into product management.

\u2014

Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/leveraging-mentors-to-uplevel-your

\u2014

Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for supporting this podcast:

\u2022 Vanta\u2014Automate compliance. Simplify security: https://vanta.com/lenny

\u2022 Notion\u2014One workspace. Every team: https://www.notion.com/lennyspod

\u2022 Linear\u2014The new standard for modern software development: https://linear.app/lenny

\u2014

Where to find Jules Walter:

\u2022 Twitter: https://twitter.com/julesdwalt

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juleswalter/

\u2014

Where to find Lenny:

\u2022 Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

\u2022 Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan

\u2022 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

\u2014

Referenced:

\u2022 Black Product Managers Network:\xa0https://www.blackproductmanagers.com

\u2022 Maryanna Quigless on LinkedIn:\xa0https://www.linkedin.com/in/quigless/

\u2022 Brittany Bankston on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-bankston-77693a85/

\u2022 Benin Saffo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benin-saffo/

\u2022 Lawrence Ripsher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawrenceripsher/

\u2022 Matt Mochary on Lenny\u2019s Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/videos/how-to-fire-people-with-grace-work-through-fear-and-nurture-innovation-matt-mochary/

\u2022 Adriel Frederick on Lenny\u2019s Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/humanizing-product-development-adriel-frederick-reddit/id1627920305?i=1000583287891

\u2022 Bangaly Kaba on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iambangaly/

\u2022 The Minto Pyramid Principle: Logic in Writing, Thinking, and Problem Solving: https://www.amazon.com/Minto-Pyramid-Principle-Writing-Thinking/dp/0960191046

\u2022 Pathwise Leadership: https://pathwiseleadership.com/

\u2022 Erin Teague on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinteague/

\u2022 Bradley Horowitz on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradleyhorowitz/

\u2022 Nikhyl Singhal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikhyl/

\u2022 Tim Ferriss on what makes a great mentor: https://www.businessinsider.com/tim-ferriss-what-makes-great-mentor-2017-11

\u2022 Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended on It: https://www.amazon.com/Never-Split-Difference-audiobook/dp/B01COR1GM2

\u2022 Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues:\xa0https://www.amazon.com/Connect-Building-Exceptional-Relationships-Colleagues/dp/0241986869

\u2022 Chris Voss\u2019s MasterClass on negotiating in the workplace: https://www.masterclass.com/sessions/classes/win-workplace-negotiations

\u2022 Lex Fridman\u2019s podcast: https://lexfridman.com/podcast/

\u2022 Never Have I Ever on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/80179190

\u2022 Top Gun: Maverick on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0KBTJBiL3oQ

Interview Prep Communities:

\u2022 Lewis C Lin's Interview Community: https://join.slack.com/t/pminterview/shared_invite/zt-1mqc5lzdt-SZuIvbzZIl8ob7UJeydVGg

\u2022 Exponent: https://www.tryexponent.com/

\u2022 StellarPeers: https://stellarpeers.com/

\u2014

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Jules\u2019s background

(06:07) Two paths to becoming a product manager

(07:20) How Jules became the first growth PM at Slack

(09:03) Black Product Managers Network and Codepath.org

(12:05) The most important skills to refine as a PM: IQ skills and EQ skills

(14:48) How to improve your interview skills\xa0

(18:50) Why interviewing is more difficult for underrepresented people

(20:39) EQ skills: what are they and how to improve them

(22:44) The EQ skills Jules has had to develop over the course of his career

(24:27) The importance of having a mentor or coach for self-reflection

(26:09) How cultivating self-awareness helped Jules improve his communication

(30:13) Strategies for learning new skills

(35:32) Improving strategy, execution, and product sense

(37:00) How identifying best practices can help you improve skills

(40:22) Communicating clearly and asking for feedback

(42:38) Methods Jules uses to improve skills

(45:31) How to approach asking for feedback

(47:46) Why it\u2019s harder to get honest feedback on EQ skills

(50:56) The importance of understanding your strengths and weaknesses and leaning into the former

(55:18) Jules\u2019s most impactful mentors

(56:14) The qualities to look for in a good mentor and how to approach them

(1:02:15) How to foster the best relationship with your mentor

(1:06:51) Lightning round

\u2014

Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.