By Shreyas Doshi · shreyasdoshi.substack.com · @shreyas on X · LinkedIn
Shreyas Doshi argues that most people are poor listeners and that effective interpersonal communication can be built from a small set of foundational axioms rather than memorized tactics. The core idea is that once you internalize these basic principles about how people process messages, you can derive sophisticated communication approaches yourself. The piece treats communication as a craft that PMs and leaders must practice deliberately, since their work depends heavily on persuading, aligning, and being understood. Its starting point is the observation that listening is rarely done well, which shapes how messages land in every meeting, doc, and conversation.
01Key takeaways
- Assume your listener is distracted and processing only part of what you say.
- Build communication skill from first principles instead of memorizing scripts.
- Adapt your approach to the situation by reasoning from core principles.
- Treat communication as a deliberate practice that improves with reflection.
02Key sections
- The starting observation
- The essay opens with a blunt premise: people generally do not listen well. This frames communication failures as a predictable baseline rather than an occasional accident.
- Axioms over tactics
- Rather than listing scripts, the author focuses on a small set of underlying axioms. Understanding these lets you generate context-specific approaches on your own.
- Deriving sophisticated approaches
- The axioms are presented as a generative base, so more advanced techniques emerge as combinations of simple principles applied to specific situations.
03From the post
“People don’t listen very well”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.