Anneka Gupta is the Chief Product Officer at Rubrik, a leading B2B cybersecurity company. She previously spent 11 years at LiveRamp, where she was the President and Head of Product and Platforms leading product development and go-to-market operations and strategy. Anneka also sits on the board of directors for Tinuiti and teaches product management at Stanford University. In our conversation, we discuss:
• Navigating “founder mode” dynamics in organizations
• Navigating difficult personalities and aligning teams
• The PM skill of summarization
• Giving and receiving hard feedback effectively
• The value of a positive mindset
• Tips for breaking into product management
• Much more
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Find the transcript at: <a href="https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/becoming-more-strategic-anneka-gupta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/becoming-more-strategic-anneka-gupta</a>
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Where to find Anneka Gupta:
• X: <a href="https://x.com/annekagupta" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://x.com/annekagupta</a>
• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/annekagupta/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/annekagupta</a>
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• LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/</a>
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In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Introduction to Anneka Gupta
(01:43) Key mindsets for success
(05:30) Managing energy for optimal performance
(09:05) Founder mode
(18:26) Becoming more strategic
(27:54) The importance of decision-making
(37:18) Navigating difficult personalities
(41:38) Techniques for giving and receiving feedback
(51:01) Transitioning into product management
(54:56) Advice for aspiring product managers
(59:39) Leveraging AI tools in product management
(01:01:27) The power of a positive mindset
(01:04:30) Lightning round
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Referenced:
• Founder Mode: <a href="https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://paulgraham.com/foundermode.html</a>
• Building a long and meaningful career | Nikhyl Singhal (Meta, Google): <a href="https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-a-long-and-meaningful-career" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-a-long-and-meaningful-career</a>
• The Skip community: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/skip-community/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/company/skip-community/</a>
• Rubrik: <a href="https://www.rubrik.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.rubrik.com/</a>
• 5 essential questions to craft a winning strategy | Roger Martin (author, advisor, speaker): <a href="https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-strategy-roger-martin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-strategy-roger-martin</a>
• Playing to Win: How Strategy Really Works: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-Strategy-Really-Works/dp/142218739X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Win-Strategy-Really-Works/dp/142218739X</a>
• Thinking like a gardener not a builder, organizing teams like slime mold, the adjacent possible, and other unconventional product advice | Alex Komoroske: <a href="https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/unconventional-product-advice-alex-komoroske" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/unconventional-product-advice-alex-komoroske</a>
• Acquired podcast interviews Zuckerberg in San Francisco: <a href="https://transistor.fm/acquired-live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://transistor.fm/acquired-live/</a>
• Hema Mohan on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemamohan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemamohan/</a>
• Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/1250103509" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Candor-Kick-Ass-Without-Humanity/dp/1250103509</a>
• Radical Candor: From theory to practice with author Kim Scott: <a href="https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/radical-candor-from-theory-to-practice</a>
• LiveRamp: <a href="https://liveramp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://liveramp.com/</a>
• Product Management class at Stanford: <a href="https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/learning/experiential-learning/action-learning-program/product-management" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/experience/learning/experiential-learning/action-learning-program/product-management</a>
• Figma: <a href="https://www.figma.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.figma.com/</a>
• Dovetail: <a href="https://try.dovetail.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://try.dovetail.com/</a>
• The Remarkable Advantage of Abundant Thinking: <a href="https://review.firstround.com/the-remarkable-advantage-of-abundant-thinking/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://review.firstround.com/the-remarkable-advantage-of-abundant-thinking/</a>
• The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.amazon.com/Hard-Thing-About-Things-Building/dp/0062273205</a>
• Brandon Sanderson’s books: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brandon-Sanderson/author/B001IGFHW6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.amazon.com/stores/Brandon-Sanderson/author/B001IGFHW6</a>
• Fallout on Prime Video: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN4HV16N" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN4HV16N</a>
• Thunderbolt 4 ( 3-meter cable): <a href="https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MW5H3AM/A/thunderbolt-4-usb%E2%80%91c-pro-cable-3-m" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MW5H3AM/A/thunderbolt-4-usb%E2%80%91c-pro-cable-3-m</a>
• Isaac Asimov: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov</a>
• The complete Foundation series: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Asimovs-Foundation-Foundations-Prelude/dp/B01EFDEMS8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Asimovs-Foundation-Foundations-Prelude/dp/B01EFDEMS8</a>
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Lenny Rachitsky

Becoming more strategic, navigating difficult colleagues, harnessing founder mode, and more | Anneka Gupta (Chief Product Officer at Rubrik)

Anneka Gupta is the Chief Product Officer at Rubrik, a leading B2B cybersecurity company. She previously spent 11 years at LiveRamp, where she was the President and Head of Product and Platforms leading product development and go-to-market operations and strategy. Anneka also sits on the board of directors for Tinuiti and teaches product management at [&hellip;]