By Lenny Rachitsky · lennysnewsletter.com · @lennysan on X · YouTube · LinkedIn
This weekly newsletter answers three reader questions on product work. A guest contributor, Hiten Shah, argues that remote teams suffer from miscommunication and that clarity, written documentation, screenshare-based collaboration, and postmortems are the fix. The author then offers a framework for building user trust in a fintech product, covering social proof, authority, guarantees, reputation, UX polish, and delivery, plus referral, landing page, and retention levers. Finally, it advises a PM on a career break to follow their energy, read with and without goals, write, and take experiential classes to build PM skills.
01Key takeaways
- Write down decisions, next steps, and owners from every call, and keep one living document for recurring meetings.
- Screenshare the actual ticketing or spec tool during discussions so updates happen in real time.
- Postmortem every significant shipment to learn what worked and refine team processes.
- Use social proof, authority badges, and guarantees early to reduce user distrust in sensitive products.
- Pay referral rewards only after new users hit a valuable milestone to incentivize the right behavior.
- When building skills off the job, pick two or three focus areas and avoid stacking too many books you won't enjoy.
02Key sections
- Cultivating remote relationships
- Remote work increases miscommunication, so teams should build a culture where asking for clarification is normal. Documenting decisions, screensharing work tools, and postmortemming shipped work keep everyone aligned.
- Building trust in fintech
- Trust is built through social proof, authority signals, guarantees, reputation systems, polished UX, and consistent delivery. These elements reduce suspicion for users sharing sensitive financial information.
- Growth levers for a non-daily product
- Referrals, a clear and trust-building landing page, and end-of-funnel reminders of value can drive growth for a product that is not used daily. Referral rewards should pay out only after a meaningful user milestone.
- Leveling up during a career break
- Improving as a PM requires doing the work, but time off can still build skills through self-directed reading, writing, and hands-on classes outside the digital world. Focus on two or three skills and avoid overloading the list.
03From the post
“Hello and welcome to my humble newsletter, where I attempt to answer your questions and offer candid advice about building product, driving growth, working with other humans, and anything else that’s stressing you out at the office. 🤝 If you’re returning from last week, thank you! If you’re new, nice to have you! Help spread the word by telling your friends to sign up here. 🙏 New this week:The one and only Hiten Shah guest-answering one of your questions. Don’t miss it! 😍 On to this week’s questions… [](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s!B2he!,fauto,qauto:good,flprogressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F84d8b63e-afb9-4c7e-baae-14c69b8e4227480x206.gif) Q: In the next year, more and more of the engineers and designers I’ll be interacting with will be remote. What advice do you have for cultivating a good relationship with remote engineers and designers? Since I have very little experience with extended remote work myself, I decided to ask someone who has lived (and written about) this life for years, Hiten Shah, to take this question. He immediately (and generously) agreed. If you don’t know Hiten, he’s a legend. Not only is he one of the nicest, most insightful, and…”
04Frameworks mentioned
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.