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Lenny Rachitsky

Lenny Rachitsky

Ex-Product Lead @ Airbnb
Lenny Rachitsky is a growth-focused digital product specialist who spent 7 years working at the disruptive tech platform Airbnb as a product manager before working up to product lead for supply growth. He is now a writer, investor, and product consultant.

Lenny Rachitsky - Ex-Product Lead - Airbnb

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Who is Lenny Rachitsky?

Lenny Rachitsky is a well-known face in the world of digital growth and product management. 

Best known for his time spent in the product team at Airbnb, Lenny’s career trajectory actually took flight back in 2011. At the time, he was the CEO of a small start-up called "Localmind" — a recommendation platform facilitating location-based questions and answers. In simple terms? Travelers used "Localmind" to get local intel from a city’s residents.

"Localmind" was growing well until an offer of acquisition came from — yep, you guessed it — Airbnb. After the acquisition in 2012, Lenny moved from engineering into the product team and the rest, as they say, is history.

Lenny now pens a regular newsletter, Lenny’s Newsletter, and spends his time writing, working with investments, and advising companies in the tech space. 

What is Lenny Rachitsky known for?

Lenny is arguably best known for the seven years he spent at Airbnb.

Lenny joined Airbnb in 2012 as product manager for guest conversion and host quality. In this role, Lenny’s work was focused on driving growth by improving the booking experience for guests and delivering more useful host tools.

In 2016, Lenny was promoted to product lead, supply growth at Airbnb. Here, Lenny led a team of five product managers and managed a team of over 80 other individuals, including engineers, data scientists, and designers.  

Since leaving Airbnb, Lenny has become known for his monthly (or weekly for paid subscribers) newsletter Lenny’s Newsletter, covering topics such as product growth and people management. 

What is Lenny Rachitsky's advice for other product managers?

Few people know product management like Lenny Rachitsky.

His experience and insight is just one reason that Lenny’s Newsletter is so popular. And it’s here that he shares some of his most valuable advice — especially for anyone looking to break into, or progress within, the world of product management. 

You can read Lenny’s complete guide on his website, but here are the highlights:

  • Make sure you understand exactly what the role entails, and that it’s something you’re passionate about.

  • Learn about the best routes in product management and how to plot your own path to get there. 

  • Develop the seven core skills a PM needs to thrive: strategic problem-solving, execution, communication, leadership through influence, data-led decision-making, knowing what makes a great product (and how to build them!), and always being prepared.

Where can you learn more about Lenny Rachitsky?

If you like Lenny’s style, there are plenty of ways to keep up-to-date with him online. 

Of course, the best way to stay updated is by subscribing to Lenny’s Newsletter. It’s packed with expert insights delivered to your inbox once per month (or more frequently if you become a paid subscriber). 

Outside of his newsletter, you can also follow Lenny on Twitter and read some of his work via his Medium profile

General FAQ

Who is Lenny Rachitsky?
Lenny Rachitsky is a growth-focused digital product specialist based in San Francisco, CA. Lenny spent 7 years working at the disruptive tech platform Airbnb, starting in 2012 as a product manager before working up to product lead for supply growth. He is now a writer, investor, and product growth consultant.
What is Airbnb?
Airbnb is a digital vacation rental marketplace platform based in San Francisco, California. The platform allows anyone to turn their home or property into a bed-and-breakfast in just a few clicks. Founded in 2008, Airbnb is a great example of disruptive technology.
How did Airbnb change the travel industry?
Airbnb has had a transformative, and disruptive, effect on the travel industry since its launch in 2008. Effectively democratizing hotel stays, the platform allows anyone to transform their home or property in a bed-and-breakfast. Airbnb is now many travelers’ first choice (over hotels), providing a more local and authentic traveling experience.

Curated resources from Lenny Rachitsky

How To Know If You’ve Got Product/Market Fit
How To Know If You’ve Got Product/Market Fit ✨
Strategy
Product Management
Scaling up
28 ways to grow supply
28 Ways to Grow Supply in a Marketplace 📈
Product Management
Strategy
Innovation
Where great ideas come from
Where Great Product Roadmap Ideas Come From
Product Management
Strategy
Innovation
How To Get Into Product Management (And Thrive)
How To Get Into Product Management (And Thrive) ✨
Product Management
Strategy

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