Lenny's Reads

Hamza Farooq and Jaya Rajwani, who teach two of the most highly-rated courses on building AI agents, share a practical framework for categorizing and prioritizing your agent initiatives. Drawing on over 50 hours of research and work with Fortune 500 companies, including Jack in the Box, Tripadvisor, and The Home Depot, they explain why most teams get stuck when building agents—and how a three-category taxonomy transforms a confusing backlog into a clear, sequenced roadmap.

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In this episode, you'll learn:
• Why prioritizing AI agent initiatives is so hard, and why familiar planning tools like impact-effort matrices break down
• The three architectural categories every agent falls into
• How to choose the right platform for each category
• Success metrics and ROI frameworks tailored to each architectural type
• How to quickly course-correct when you’ve picked the wrong architecture

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References
• Agent Engineering Bootcamp: https://maven.com/hamza-farooq/agent-engineering-bootcamp
• Agentic AI for PMs: https://maven.com/
• AutoGen: https://microsoft.github.io/autogen/
• Claude Code: https://claude.ai/code
• CrewAI: https://crewai.com
• Google ADK: https://google.github.io/adk-docs/
• Google A2A Protocol: https://google.github.io/A2A/
• Gumloop: https://gumloop.com
• Hamza Farooq: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamzafarooq/
• Jaya Rajwani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayarajwani/
• LangGraph: https://langchain-ai.github.io/langgraph/
• Lindy: https://lindy.ai
• Make.com: https://make.com
• n8n: https://n8n.io
• OpenAI AgentKit: https://openai.github.io/openai-agents-python/
• OpenClaw: https://openclaw.ai
• Zapier: https://zapier.com

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Read the newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/not-all-ai-agents-are-created-equal

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Follow Lenny
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcast

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About
Welcome to Lenny's Reads, where every week you'll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot.


To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

In this episode, my wife Michelle Rial, cartoonist and author, celebrates the launch of her new book "Charts for Babies" by sharing a pep talk for anyone stuck in a creative rut. She walks through 12 tried-and-tested steps designed to lift you out of a creative block and get back to making things that matter.

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In this episode, you'll learn:
• Why it's necessary to create work that might feel embarrassing
• The simple mindset shift that stops stalling and gets you to just start
• How to reframe scorn as a positive signal
• The thought process that can help you move out of a state of rumination
• How to treat failed ideas as seeds for future breakthroughs

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References:
• "Charts for Babies": https://www.amazon.com/Charts-Babies-Picture-Book/dp/1419785184
• How I AI: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/s/how-i-ai
• Michelle Rial: https://www.michellerial.com/

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Read the newsletter:
https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-visual-guide-to-getting-out-of

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Subscribe to Lenny's Newsletter:https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

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Subscribe:
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads
• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj
• Substack: https://lennysreads.com/

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Follow Lenny:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcast

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About:
Welcome to Lenny's Reads, where every week you'll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot.


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Claire Vo went from public OpenClaw skeptic to running nine dedicated AI agents that manage her businesses, write code, close sales deals, and make sure she gets to her kids' basketball games on time. In this episode, she shares her complete power-user's guide to OpenClaw—covering everything from setup and key concepts to practical workflows and building your own team of agents.

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In this episode, you'll learn:
• What OpenClaw is and why it's more autonomous and powerful than other AI tools
• How to choose the right setup: Mac Mini, VPS, or a hosted option
• Six ready-to-copy workflows you can start using immediately
• How to run multiple agents with specific roles (Claire's full 9-agent setup)
• The best tools and integrations to connect your agents to the real world
• Key security considerations and how to think about risk
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References:
• 1Password: https://1password.com
• Attio: https://attio.com
• Brave Search API: https://brave.com/search/api/
• Buffer: https://buffer.com
• ChatGPT: https://chatgpt.com
• ChatPRD: https://chatprd.ai
• Claire Vo: https://linkedin.com/in/clairevo
• ClaWHub: https://clawhub.com
• Claude: https://claude.ai
• DigitalOcean: https://digitalocean.com
• Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com
• Exa: https://exa.ai
• Every / Plus One: https://every.to
• Firecrawl: https://firecrawl.dev
• GitHub: https://github.com
• Google Cloud: https://cloud.google.com
• Hostinger: https://hostinger.com
• How I AI podcast: https://howiai.com
• Intercom: https://intercom.com
• Linear: https://linear.app
• Mac Mini: https://apple.com/mac-mini
• Obsidian: https://obsidian.md
• OpenClaw: https://openclaw.ai
• Perplexity: https://perplexity.ai
• Railway: https://railway.app
• Render: https://render.com
• Slack: https://slack.com
• Sonos: https://sonos.com
• Telegram: https://telegram.org
• TikTok: https://tiktok.com
• WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com
Read the newsletter:
https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/openclaw-the-complete-guide-to-building
Subscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter:
https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
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Subscribe:
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads
• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj
• Substack: https://lennysreads.com/
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Follow Lenny:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcast

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About:
Welcome to Lenny's Reads, where every week you’ll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot.


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

Contrary to what the headlines might be telling you, PM job openings are at their highest point in over three years, AI roles are hockey-sticking, and tech headcount is growing. Today’s episode is our fourth biannual update on the tech job market (the most optimistic yet) and breaks down seven key trends shaping the job landscape right now.
In this episode, you'll learn:
• Why PMs have reason to be optimistic
• How the influx of new AI roles is shaping the industry
• The unexpected sign of tech growth
• What current job openings look like for design and software engineering roles
• Surprising trends across remote job opportunities

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References:
• AI Practice Copilot for PM Interviews: https://www.benerez.com/copilot/lenny
• Analytical thinking interviews guide: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/analytical-thinking-interviews
• Google Career Dreamer: https://grow.google/career-dreamer/home/
• How to pass any first-round interview: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-pass-any-first-round-interview
• How to use AI for your job interview: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-to-use-ai-in-your-next-job-interview
• The definitive guide to mastering product sense interviews: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-definitive-guide-to-mastering
• TrueUp: https://www.trueup.io/

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Read the newsletter:https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/191595250?r=1o9eyi

Subscribe to Lenny’s Newsletter:https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe

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Subscribe:
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads
• Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj
• Substack: https://lennysreads.com/

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Follow Lenny:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
• Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcast

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About:
Welcome to Lenny's Reads, where every week you’ll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot.


To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com

When Lenny released his full podcast transcript archive, Ben Shih a non-technical designer at Miro — built LennyRPG: a Pokémon-style RPG where you battle podcast guests with product trivia. In this episode, Ben walks through the exact six-step workflow he used to go from sketch to shipped game, including the tools, prompts, and decisions at every stage, along with the broader lessons he learned along the way.
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In this episode, you'll learn:
• How to have AI interview you instead of writing the PRD yourself
• When to pivot your framework, rather than force the wrong tool
• How to systematically process 300+ transcripts into game data
• Three core lessons Ben learned from building LennyRPG
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References
Ben Shih: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hbshih/
Brian Balfour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbalfour/
Claude Code Awesome Skills marketplace: https://github.com/ComposioHQ/awesome-claude-skills
LennysData.com: https://lennysdata.com/
LennyRPG: https://www.lennyrpg.fun/
Lenny's Product Pass: https://www.lennysproductpass.com/
OpenGameArt.org: https://opengameart.org/
Phaser 3: https://phaser.io/
RPG-JS: https://github.com/RSamaium/RPG-JS
Supabase: https://supabase.com/
Wispr Flow: https://wisprflow.com/
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Read the newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-i-built-lennyrpg
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Subscribe to Lenny's Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
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Subscribe
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lennysreads
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lennys-reads/id1810314693
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0IIunA06qMtrcQLfypTooj
Substack: https://lennysreads.com/
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Follow Lenny
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lennysan
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@lennyspodcast
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About
Welcome to Lenny's Reads, where every week you'll find a fresh audio version of my newsletter about building product, driving growth, and accelerating your career, read to you by the soothing voice of Lennybot.


To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com