What it takes to become a top 1% PM | Ian McAllister (Uber, Amazon, Airbnb)

Lenny's Podcast November 20, 2022
Video Thumbnail
Lenny's Podcast Logo

Lenny's Podcast

View Channel

About

Interviews with world-class product leaders and growth experts to uncover concrete, actionable, and tactical advice to help you build, launch, and grow your own product.

Video Description

Ian McAllister is the Senior Director of Product for Vehicles at Uber. Before moving to Uber, Ian spent over a decade directing teams at Amazon, where he created and led Amazon Smile. He was also Director of Product Management at Airbnb, where I was lucky enough to have worked alongside him. In today’s episode, we discuss Ian’s famous document about the essential attributes of the top 1% of product managers. Ian outlines the most important skills to focus on for entry-level PMs and how to broaden your experience and diversify skills as you move up the ladder. He also shares what he learned working with Jeff Wilke, Jeff Bezos, and other leaders at Amazon, and goes in depth on Amazon’s working-backwards framework.  — Find the full transcript here: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/what-it-takes-to-become-a-top-1-pm-ian-mcallister-uber-amazon-airbnb/#transcript — Where to find Ian McAllister: • Newsletter: https://ianmcallister.substack.com/ • Twitter: https://twitter.com/ianmcall • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmcallister/ — Where to find Lenny: • Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com • Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/ — Thank you to our wonderful sponsors for making this episode possible: • Mixpanel: https://mixpanel.com/startups • Athletic Greens: https://athleticgreens.com/lenny • AssemblyAI: https://www.assemblyai.com/?utm_source=lennyspodcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=nov20 — Referenced: • What distinguishes the top 1% of product managers from the top 10%, on Substack: https://ianmcallister.substack.com/p/what-distinguishes-the-top-1-of-product • What distinguishes the top 1% of product managers from the top 10%, on Quora: https://www.quora.com/What-distinguishes-the-Top-1-of-product-managers-from-the-Top-10 • Amazon’s working-backwards method: https://www.productplan.com/glossary/working-backward-amazon-method/ • Jeff Wilke on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeffawilke • Getting Real: The Smarter, Faster, Easier Way to Build a Successful Web Application: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Real-Smarter-Successful-Application/dp/0578012812 • Wool (Wool trilogy #1): https://www.amazon.com/Wool-Trilogy-Howey-25-Apr-2013-Paperback/dp/B011T7ACU0/ • Energy and Civilization: A History: https://www.amazon.com/Energy-Civilization-History-MIT-Press/dp/0262035774 • How I Built This podcast: https://www.npr.org/series/490248027/how-i-built-this • EV News Daily podcast: https://www.evnewsdaily.com/ • Yellowstone on Peacock: https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/yellowstone • Everything Everywhere All at Once on Showtime: https://www.sho.com/titles/3493875/everything-everywhere-all-at-once • Gibson Biddle’s website: https://www.gibsonbiddle.com/ • Gibson Biddle on Lenny’s Podcast: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/gibson-biddle-on-his-dhm-product-strategy-framework-gem-roadmap-prioritization-framework-5-netflix-strategy-mini-case-studies-building-a-personal-board-of-directors-and-much-more/ • Gibson Biddle’s Ask Gib newsletter: https://askgib.substack.com/ — In this episode, we cover: (00:00) What Ian expected from his initial post on product management (05:30) How the post impacted Ian’s career (07:06) How writing can help you crystallize your thoughts (08:26) Ian’s background (10:57) Attributes of the top 1% of PMs (14:32) The top three skills for new PMs to perfect (20:32) Tips on strengthening communication and prioritization (23:06) How to level up as a PM (26:37) What kind of impact should new PMs expect to make? (29:36) How to broaden your view and think big (33:06) How to earn the trust of others (34:30) How Ian could have done more to earn trust at Airbnb (37:27) Why people tend to stick around Amazon for a while  (39:53) What Ian learned from Bezos and Wilke (46:38) How teams get working backwards wrong (53:51) The two parts of working backwards and how Ian utilizes it at Uber (58:57) Lightning round — Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].

You May Also Like

Craft Your Career Kit

AI-recommended products based on this video

Loading...
Apple iPad 11-inch: A16 chip, 11-inch Model, Liquid Retina Display, 128GB, Wi-Fi 6, 12MP Front/12MP Back Camera, Touch ID, All-Day Battery Life — Blue EPEAT
Best Seller

Apple iPad 11-inch: A16 chip, 11-inch Model, Liquid Retina Display, 128GB, Wi-Fi 6, 12MP Front/12MP Back Camera, Touch ID, All-Day Battery Life — Blue EPEAT

(10,496)
$279.00$276.21
FREE delivery Fri, Oct 17
10K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Wireless Bluetooth Mouse for Apple iPad iPhone MacBook Android Samsung Tablet Phone Dual-Mode Rechargeable 2.4G Portable Computer Mice for Windows Laptop Notebook PC Mac Desktop USB Receiver (Black)

Wireless Bluetooth Mouse for Apple iPad iPhone MacBook Android Samsung Tablet Phone Dual-Mode Rechargeable 2.4G Portable Computer Mice for Windows Laptop Notebook PC Mac Desktop USB Receiver (Black)

(1,960)
9.99
PrimeFREE delivery Saturday, June 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
500+ bought in past month
Loading...
Apple AirTag 4 Pack. Keep Track of and find Your Keys, Wallet, Luggage, Backpack, and More. Simple one-tap Set up with iPhone or iPad

Apple AirTag 4 Pack. Keep Track of and find Your Keys, Wallet, Luggage, Backpack, and More. Simple one-tap Set up with iPhone or iPad

(33,518)
$64.99$63.04
FREE delivery Sun, Nov 2
10K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Apple AirTag. Keep Track of and find Your Keys, Wallet, Luggage, Backpack, and More. Simple one-tap Set up with iPhone or iPad

Apple AirTag. Keep Track of and find Your Keys, Wallet, Luggage, Backpack, and More. Simple one-tap Set up with iPhone or iPad

(44,035)
$24.99$23.44
FREE delivery Tue, Nov 4 on $35 of items shipped by Amazon
10K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Headphones, Wireless Headphones with Active Over Ear Noise Cancelling and Mic, Deep Bass, Up to 24 Hours of Playtime, White Smoke

Bose QuietComfort Bluetooth Headphones, Wireless Headphones with Active Over Ear Noise Cancelling and Mic, Deep Bass, Up to 24 Hours of Playtime, White Smoke

(10,961)
249.00
FREE delivery Wednesday, June 11.
1K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Lenovo V15 Laptop | 15.6" FHD Anti-Glare Display | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | 40GB RAM | 1TB PCIe SSD | HDMI | Type-C | Webcam | Wi-Fi | THUNDEROBOT Wireless Ergonomic Mouse | Windows 11 Pro | Black

Lenovo V15 Laptop | 15.6" FHD Anti-Glare Display | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | 40GB RAM | 1TB PCIe SSD | HDMI | Type-C | Webcam | Wi-Fi | THUNDEROBOT Wireless Ergonomic Mouse | Windows 11 Pro | Black

(26)
$649.00$636.02
FREE delivery Jun 18 - 23
Loading...
acer Nitro V 15 Gaming Laptop, Intel i9-13900H Up to 5.4GHz, GeForce RTX 4060, 15.6" 144 Hz IPS Display, 64 GB DDR5, 4 TB SSD, Wi-Fi 6, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 11 Pro, Gaming Mouse, 256GB UFD

acer Nitro V 15 Gaming Laptop, Intel i9-13900H Up to 5.4GHz, GeForce RTX 4060, 15.6" 144 Hz IPS Display, 64 GB DDR5, 4 TB SSD, Wi-Fi 6, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 11 Pro, Gaming Mouse, 256GB UFD

(2,753)
$1,899.99
FREE delivery Tomorrow, Jun 12Arrives before Father's Day
Loading...
UGREEN USB C to USB Hub with 4 USB 3.0, Powered USB C Splitter for Laptop, MacBook Pro, Mac mini M4, iMac, iPad Pro, Chromebook, Dell XPS, Galaxy S23, and More, 0.5FT

UGREEN USB C to USB Hub with 4 USB 3.0, Powered USB C Splitter for Laptop, MacBook Pro, Mac mini M4, iMac, iPad Pro, Chromebook, Dell XPS, Galaxy S23, and More, 0.5FT

(12,070)
9.99
PrimeFREE delivery Saturday, June 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
400+ bought in past month
Loading...
SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Ultra 47mm LTE AI Smartwatch Bundle w/ 25W Power Adapter, Energy Score, Wellness Tips, Heart Rate Tracking, Sleep Monitor, Fitness Tracker, GPS, 2024,Titanium Silver

SAMSUNG Galaxy Watch Ultra 47mm LTE AI Smartwatch Bundle w/ 25W Power Adapter, Energy Score, Wellness Tips, Heart Rate Tracking, Sleep Monitor, Fitness Tracker, GPS, 2024,Titanium Silver

(3)
$411.98
Delivery Wednesday, June 11.
Loading...
USB C Car Charger, 3-Port 67W Dual USB-C & USB-A Car Power Adapter PD/QC Fast Charging Cigarette Lighter for iPhone 17/16/15/14/13/12/11 Pro Max, iPad, Samsung Galaxy S25 S24/S23/S22, Pixel, Android

USB C Car Charger, 3-Port 67W Dual USB-C & USB-A Car Power Adapter PD/QC Fast Charging Cigarette Lighter for iPhone 17/16/15/14/13/12/11 Pro Max, iPad, Samsung Galaxy S25 S24/S23/S22, Pixel, Android

(5,196)
$9.89
FREE delivery Sun, Sep 21 on $35 of items shipped by Amazon
10K+ bought in past month
Loading...
Megoo 14" Laptop Sleeve Case for Surface Laptop 7/6/5/4/Studio, Surface Book, Samsung Galaxy Tab S9/S8, Shockproof Water-Resistant Carry Pouch Bag for 13.5"-14.6" Notebook Computers(Light Gray)

Megoo 14" Laptop Sleeve Case for Surface Laptop 7/6/5/4/Studio, Surface Book, Samsung Galaxy Tab S9/S8, Shockproof Water-Resistant Carry Pouch Bag for 13.5"-14.6" Notebook Computers(Light Gray)

(1)
11.89
PrimeFREE delivery Saturday, June 14 on orders shipped by Amazon over $35
Loading...
The Book of Sheen: A Memoir
Best Seller

The Book of Sheen: A Memoir

(247)
$0.00
Available instantly
Loading...
Releasing 10: An Epic, Emotional, and Addictive Romance from TikTok Phenomenon! (Boys of Tommen Book 6)

Releasing 10: An Epic, Emotional, and Addictive Romance from TikTok Phenomenon! (Boys of Tommen Book 6)

(3,548)
$7.39
Available instantly
Loading...
Partypooper: A side-splitting birthday disaster from the #1 international bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (Book 20) (Volume 20)

Partypooper: A side-splitting birthday disaster from the #1 international bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (Book 20) (Volume 20)

(1,899)
$10.97
FREE delivery Sun, Nov 23 on $35 of items shipped by Amazon
Loading...
The Road of Bones: The Ashen Series, Book One

The Road of Bones: The Ashen Series, Book One

(8,568)
$1.99
Available instantly
Loading...
FIFINE XLR/USB Gaming Microphone Set, Dynamic PC Mic for Streaming Podcasting, Computer RGB Mic Kit with Boom Arm Stand, Mute Button, Headphones Jack, for Recording Vocal Voice-Over-AmpliGame AM8T Global Recycled Standard
Best Seller

FIFINE XLR/USB Gaming Microphone Set, Dynamic PC Mic for Streaming Podcasting, Computer RGB Mic Kit with Boom Arm Stand, Mute Button, Headphones Jack, for Recording Vocal Voice-Over-AmpliGame AM8T Global Recycled Standard

(3,527)
$67.99
FREE delivery Thu, Sep 4
4K+ bought in past month
Loading...
FIFINE USB/XLR Dynamic Microphone for Podcast Recording, PC Computer Gaming Streaming Mic with RGB Light, Mute Button, Headphones Jack, Desktop Stand, Vocal Mic for Singing YouTube-AmpliGame AM8 Global Recycled Standard ClimatePartner certified
Best Seller

FIFINE USB/XLR Dynamic Microphone for Podcast Recording, PC Computer Gaming Streaming Mic with RGB Light, Mute Button, Headphones Jack, Desktop Stand, Vocal Mic for Singing YouTube-AmpliGame AM8 Global Recycled Standard ClimatePartner certified

(6,248)
$54.99
FREE delivery Thu, Sep 4
8K+ bought in past month