Read the original at Lenny’s Newsletter ↗lennysnewsletter.com · subscriber post
By Lenny Rachitsky · lennysnewsletter.com · @lennysan on X · YouTube · LinkedIn
Lenny uses the Lord of the Rings, especially Frodo's journey, as a lens for how product managers can build influence without relying on formal authority. He walks through seven strategies, each illustrated with Airbnb examples and a short reflective prompt for the reader.
Subscriber post — summary only01Key takeaways
- Frame your ask around the other person's goals, incentives, and what matters to them right now
- Build trust steadily through reliability, listening, and reciprocity so you can draw on it when needed
- Bring people into your thinking early and explain the why rather than jumping to the ask
- Consistently delivering good outcomes and decisions earns influence over time
- Back proposals with the most persuasive evidence first, starting with hard data and user research
- Use authority sparingly, and being likable makes persuasion far easier
“With people, slow is fast and fast is slow.”Stephen Covey · Lenny’s Newsletter
“The more you like someone, the more you'll be persuaded by them.”Robert Cialdini · Lenny’s Newsletter
02Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.