Drawer 09 · 288 notes · 89 people · 2005–2026

Startups & founders

Product-market fit, fundraising, early-stage building, and founder lessons

Q:
Answers from Startups & founders notes, cited
SVPG · Marty CaganOct 31, 2011

Product Market Fit vs. Product Vision

Oct 31, 2011 · 4 min

Marty Cagan argues that Product Market Fit and the Product Vision are related but distinct, and that teams often confuse them. The Product Vision describes the services and customers a company intends to serve over…

Lenny’s Newsletter · Free post♥ 146

How to know when to stop

Apr 12, 2022 · 26 min

Andy Johns, a growth leader who stepped away from a presidency at Wealthfront after a heart scare, argues that high achievers need a deliberate way to recognize and respect their personal limits. He introduces a…

Product Talk · Teresa TorresJan 4, 2023

Slowing Down: Choosing Not to Set Goals for 2023

Jan 4, 2023 · 8 min

“Happy New Year! For the past several years, I’ve published a state of the business report as my initial blog post of the year. And this year will be no different. In this post, I’ll reflect on the past year and look at the year ahead. Let’s”

Lenny’s Newsletter · Free post♥ 85

The Atomic Network

Dec 9, 2021 · 10 min

This excerpt from Andrew Chen's book argues that networked products should first build a small, self-sustaining 'atomic network' before expanding. The atomic network is the smallest unit that can stand on its own, and…

SVPG · Marty CaganDec 28, 2009

The Product Decade

Dec 28, 2009

Marty Cagan argues that the coming decade will be among the most productive for product innovation. He points to four converging forces: ubiquitous connected mobile devices, powerful platforms that give apps instant…

Lenny’s Newsletter♥ 263

Which companies accelerate PM careers most

Dec 10, 2024 · 10 min
Subscriber post — summary only

Lenny Rachitsky, working with a labor-data firm, ranks roughly 50 companies by how much they accelerate the post-departure careers of their former product managers, using promotion, leadership, CPO, first-PM, and…

Lenny’s Newsletter♥ 32

How marketplaces win

Aug 3, 2021 · 7 min
Subscriber post — summary only

The post argues that marketplaces succeed by choosing one of three routes: delivering far more convenience, offering a significantly lower price, or unlocking desirable supply that customers want. It also explains what…

SVPG · Marty CaganApr 21, 2013

Value Creation vs. Value Capture

Apr 21, 2013 · 3 min

Marty Cagan argues that many product teams, both in startups and established companies, spend most of their effort capturing value (pricing tests, ad optimization, cost cutting) rather than creating it. Startups often…

Product Talk · Teresa TorresJun 17, 2013

Read Lean Analytics

Jun 17, 2013 · 3 min

Teresa Torres reviews Lean Analytics by Alistair Croll and Ben Yoskovitz and argues it is an essential, accessible guide to product and startup analytics. She notes it covers the basics of good metrics and segments…

HEY World · Jason FriedMay 8, 2025

Why new when?

May 8, 2025

Jason Fried, co-founder of Basecamp, answers a common question: why build something brand new instead of adding it to an existing product? He argues that a fresh start gives teams the freedom to explore new technology…

Product Talk · Teresa TorresNov 4, 2015

Happy Birthday, Product Talk - Thank You!

Nov 4, 2015 · 8 min

Teresa Torres recounts a difficult period in 2011 when she was CEO of a struggling startup, dealing with severe anxiety and feeling unable to ask for help. After the company was sold and she stepped away, a master's…

SVPG · Marty CaganSep 9, 2024

Coaching Founder Mode

Sep 9, 2024 · 11 min

Marty Cagan argues that when companies grow, boards often push founders to hand over leadership to professional managers, but the stronger path is to coach founders into strong product leaders. He contrasts two failure…

Product Talk · Teresa TorresMar 17, 2014

Practice Defining Your MVP

Mar 17, 2014 · 5 min

Teresa Torres argues that an MVP should be defined by what you need to learn, not by the smallest or easiest feature set to ship. Using a hypothetical SMS-based event tool for soccer teams, she shows how the riskiest…

Lenny’s Newsletter♥ 30

Magical growth loops

Nov 17, 2020 · 10 min
Subscriber post — summary only

Lenny Rachitsky catalogs over thirty examples of 'magical growth loops,' where new users come mainly from existing users rather than paid acquisition. He groups them into four types: supply driving demand, demand…

Lenny’s Newsletter♥ 84

What is a good growth rate

Apr 26, 2022 · 12 min
Subscriber post — summary only

Lenny Rachitsky surveys about two dozen venture investors on what growth rates count as good or great at each stage of a business. The post argues that early-stage investors weigh time-to-$1M ARR, retention, and…