What Buddhism Taught Me About Product Management

Lenny Rachitsky argues that three core Buddhist teachings (dukkha, impermanence, and non-self) map well onto product management work. He explains that dissatisfaction is a built-in feature of human psychology, so PMs should expect problems to recur and find fulfillment in solving them rather than in eliminating them. He describes how clinging to products, strategies, and ego hurts teams, and that welcoming change and killing bad ideas leads to better outcomes. The piece matters because it offers a grounded, practical mental model for handling the constant flux and ego pressures of product work.

01Key takeaways

• Expect problems to recur and find fulfillment in solving them rather than in preventing all problems.
• Don't cling to a product or plan; help accelerate good ideas and kill bad ones early.
• Welcome and anticipate change, using it to your advantage rather than fighting it out of fear.
• Keep your ego in check by deflecting personal credit and sharing opportunities with team members.
• Recognize that wanting things to be different than they are is a major source of suffering.

02Key sections

There is suffering

Dissatisfaction is rooted in evolution, so we expect that reaching a goal will bring lasting happiness. The author applies this to teams and users, arguing that problems never fully go away.

All things are impermanent

Suffering comes from clinging to things that change. The author describes welcoming reorgs and shifting priorities at Airbnb, and letting go of bad ideas, including one's own.

There is no lasting self

The sense of a fixed ego is a mental construct. The author suggests PMs keep ego in check by giving credit to the team, citing Jim Collins' Level 5 leadership.

Additional resources

The author recommends books and listening materials for readers who want to explore Buddhism further.

03From the post

“[](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s!3q3A!,fauto,qauto:good,flprogressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb237910d-fa7d-453c-b37e-58abd0d8b5961600x1199.jpeg) The Buddha would have made an excellent product manager 🤩️.He was obsessed with solving people’s problems, he summarized his ideas into handy lists, and he developed simple frameworks for achieving his vision. He was also one of the earliest practitioners of working from first principles, famously sitting under a Bodhi tree for forty nine days straight in order to “see things as they truly were.” 🧘‍♂️ Though it seems like everyone in tech is talking about mindfulness and meditation these days (sometimes too much), there’s a reason: it works. As I’ve delved into the practice myself over the past year (a.k.a. just started to scratch the surface), the simple teachings have proven to be surprisingly valuable in my day-to-day life. Below I look at the three core teachings within Buddhism, and share how I’ve applied them to my job as a product manager. If any of the following resonates with you, I would encourage you to explore the ideas for yourself (see suggested reading at the end of this post). These truths are not presented in Buddhist teachings as…”

04Frameworks mentioned

Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.