Working notes from product people

Ask the people who’ve done it.

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01 — TopicsFourteen drawers, sorted.

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Open drawer · 10

Product design & UX

131 notes · 24 people · 2005–2026
The Looking Glass · Julie Zhuo♥ 53

AI for No Good Reason

Sep 17, 2026
Subscriber post — summary only

Julie Zhuo's paid essay looks at playful, seemingly pointless things people build with AI when no one is tracking the hours or demanding a business case, such as an unusual bird display, a talking phone, and a game…

The Looking Glass · Julie Zhuo♥ 40

What will make personal AI go big?

Sep 24, 2026
Subscriber post — summary only

Julie Zhuo reflects on Muse, a consumer AI agent she believes could actually change people's everyday habits. The essay, which is paywalled, argues that a few specific design choices explain why personal AI might…

@ttorres · Teresa Torres on X♥ 4
🎙️Unpacking Innovation Is innovation the goal — or just a byproduct of solving customer problems well? In this episode of All Things Product, Petra Wille and Teresa Torres unpack one of the most misused words in product: "innovation." Teresa makes the case that chasing novelty for its own sake…
The Looking Glass · Julie Zhuo♥ 75

How to Stop Complaining About Your Software

Sep 9, 2026
Subscriber post — summary only

Julie Zhuo's paid essay opens with Andy Warhol's point that every Coke tastes the same regardless of who drinks it, then uses that idea to frame a discussion of software. The piece appears to argue that digital products…

Lenny’s Podcast78 min

OpenAI’s Head of Design: This is the best time in history to be a designer

Ian Silber · Aug 16, 2026
Key learnings
  • Designers are still early in adapting to AI; nobody has a settled design process, so starting to experiment today already gives…
  • Design work has not sped up as much as engineering because the process still requires messy iteration, trying and discarding…
  • Use AI tools across the whole design process, including dropping early ideas into a coding or agent tool to prototype and think…
The Looking Glass · Julie Zhuo♥ 166

Eye, Hand, AI: a letter to my daughter

Aug 5, 2026

Julie Zhuo writes a letter to her 11-year-old daughter about the value of struggling through hard work when AI can make almost anything effortless. The piece frames the problem as a question of cultivating the eye…

@joulee · Julie Zhuo on X♥ 86
The software of the future promises more power and flexibility for more imagination. We started with use-case software, moving to platform software, moving to all-purpose coding agents. Interface design is shifting rightward. A few things to keep in mind for designers: 1. Make the interface…

02 — FrameworksModels, annotated.

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03 — PeopleWho wrote the notes.

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04 — QuestionsAnswered from the notes.

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Where notes come from

NewsletterLenny’s Newsletter106 free posts, with a longer excerpt.
Subscriber postsSummary only229 paid posts: our summary, at most two short quotes, and a link.
PodcastLenny’s Podcast322 episodes, each with 5–8 key learnings and timestamps.
EssaysSVPG · The Beautiful Mess499 essays from Marty Cagan and John Cutler.
Substack & blogsShreyas · Julie · Jason · Hiten577 essays and posts from independent writers.
XPosts on product58 posts, filtered for product relevance.