# 🚀 Quick Start - Awesome PM Skills

Get 26 world-class PM skills active in your AI coding assistant in under 2 minutes.

> **📻 The Lenny Collection**  
> 26 skills built from 300+ episodes of [Lenny's Podcast](https://www.lennyspodcast.com/) by [Lenny Rachitsky](https://twitter.com/lennysan)  
> Curated by [Udi Menkes](https://linkedin.com/in/udimenkes) | [GenAI PM](https://genaipm.com)  
> Based on transcripts from [ChatPRD](https://github.com/ChatPRD/lennys-podcast-transcripts)

---

## Installation

### Option 1: Clone into Your Project

```bash
cd your-project
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/awesome-pm-skills.git skills/awesome-pm-skills
```

### Option 2: Clone Standalone

```bash
cd ~/Documents
git clone https://github.com/YOUR-USERNAME/awesome-pm-skills.git
```

Then reference the skills folder in your AI assistant settings.

---

## How It Works

Skills **automatically activate** based on what you're doing:

### Building Features
```
You: "Help me build a customer feedback dashboard"

Claude activates:
✓ zero-to-launch (MVP scoping with Figma simplicity test)
✓ design-first-dev (Airbnb craft standards)
✓ ai-product-patterns (AI sentiment analysis)
✓ metrics-frameworks (what to track)
```

### Making Decisions
```
You: "Should I refactor this before shipping?"

Claude activates:
✓ strategic-build (LNO framework - Leverage/Neutral/Overhead)
✓ ship-decisions (reversible vs irreversible decisions)
✓ quality-speed (craft vs velocity tradeoffs)
```

### Getting Buy-in
```
You: "I need stakeholder approval for this feature"

Claude activates:
✓ influence-craft (power mapping and coalition building)
✓ positioning-craft (clear positioning statement)
✓ exec-comms (Amazon 6-pager format)
```

---

## Your First 5 Skills

Start with these essentials:

### 1. **zero-to-launch** 
For any new feature - applies OpenAI, Figma, and Airbnb playbooks
```
"Help me scope the MVP for [feature]"
```

### 2. **strategic-build**
Decide what's worth building using Shreyas Doshi's LNO framework
```
"Is building [feature] strategic or tactical?"
```

### 3. **design-first-dev**
Apply Brian Chesky's craft standards when quality matters
```
"Should I polish this or ship it?"
```

### 4. **ship-decisions**
Know when to ship vs iterate more
```
"Is this ready to ship?"
```

### 5. **positioning-craft**
Communicate value clearly using April Dunford's framework
```
"How should I position this feature?"
```

---

## Skill Categories

### 🏗️ Builder Mode (10 skills)
When building features, adding AI, or shipping products:
- `zero-to-launch` - Idea → Prototype
- `strategic-build` - Strategic vs tactical
- `design-first-dev` - Craft quality
- `ai-product-patterns` - AI integration
- `ai-startup-building` - AI startup playbook
- `jtbd-building` - Jobs-to-be-Done
- `growth-embedded` - Viral mechanics
- `exp-driven-dev` - A/B testing
- `quality-speed` - Speed vs craft
- `ship-decisions` - Ship or iterate

### 📢 Communicator Mode (4 skills)
When writing, presenting, or positioning:
- `strategic-storytelling` - Product narratives
- `positioning-craft` - Product positioning
- `exec-comms` - Executive memos
- `confident-speaking` - Presentations

### 🎯 Strategist Mode (4 skills)
When making decisions or setting strategy:
- `decision-frameworks` - Hard decisions
- `strategy-frameworks` - Product strategy
- `okr-frameworks` - Goal setting
- `prioritization-craft` - Feature prioritization

### 🤝 Navigator Mode (3 skills)
When dealing with people and politics:
- `influence-craft` - Power & influence
- `stakeholder-craft` - Stakeholder management
- `workplace-navigation` - Difficult colleagues

### 👥 Leader Mode (3 skills)
When building teams or growing your career:
- `culture-craft` - Team culture
- `career-growth` - Career advancement
- `strategic-pm` - Becoming strategic

### 📊 Measurement Mode (2 skills)
When defining metrics or collecting feedback:
- `metrics-frameworks` - North Star metrics
- `user-feedback-system` - PMF measurement

---

## Deep Dive: Exploring a Skill

Each skill includes:

**1. When This Activates**
Claude knows when to use this skill automatically

**2. Core Frameworks (3-5 per skill)**
Real methodologies from top companies:
- Shreyas Doshi's LNO Framework
- April Dunford's Positioning Canvas
- Bob Moesta's Jobs-to-be-Done
- OpenAI's AI-First Development
- Airbnb's Design-Led Process

**3. Decision Trees**
Visual guides for choosing the right approach

**4. Action Templates**
Copy-paste formats for:
- Feature specs
- Executive memos
- OKRs
- Prioritization matrices
- Stakeholder maps

**5. Real-World Examples**
How Airbnb, Stripe, Figma, OpenAI, and others apply these frameworks

---

## Example Workflows

### Building a New Feature

1. **Scope:** `zero-to-launch` (What's the MVP?)
2. **Strategic Check:** `strategic-build` (Is this Leverage work?)
3. **Design:** `design-first-dev` (Craft level needed?)
4. **Build:** `ai-product-patterns` (Should AI be involved?)
5. **Ship:** `ship-decisions` (Ready to launch?)
6. **Launch:** `launch-execution` (How to announce?)

### Preparing for Promotion

1. **Gap Analysis:** `career-growth` (What do I need?)
2. **Strategic Work:** `strategic-pm` (How to be strategic?)
3. **Build Influence:** `influence-craft` (Get support?)
4. **Document Impact:** `exec-comms` (Write self-review?)
5. **Present Case:** `confident-speaking` (Pitch to manager?)

### Launching a Product

1. **Position:** `positioning-craft` (Who is this for?)
2. **Story:** `strategic-storytelling` (Narrative arc?)
3. **Materials:** `launch-execution` (GTM plan?)
4. **Communicate:** `exec-comms` (Stakeholder memo?)
5. **Measure:** `metrics-frameworks` (Track what?)

---

## Pro Tips

### 1. Skills Work Together
Don't use one skill in isolation. They compound:
```
strategic-build → design-first-dev → ship-decisions
(Is it strategic? → How much craft? → Ready to ship?)
```

### 2. Reference Specific Frameworks
Be explicit when you want a particular framework:
```
"Use Shreyas Doshi's LNO framework to evaluate this"
"Apply April Dunford's positioning canvas"
"Help me write an Amazon-style 6-pager"
```

### 3. Ask for Templates
Every skill has action templates:
```
"Give me the RICE prioritization template"
"Show me the OKR format from the skill"
"What's the pre-mortem template?"
```

### 4. Explore Related Skills
Each skill suggests related skills to use next:
```
zero-to-launch → suggests: strategic-build, design-first-dev
```

---

## Troubleshooting

**Skills not activating?**
- Make sure the skills folder is in your project
- Try explicitly referencing: "Use the zero-to-launch skill"

**Want to learn a skill first?**
- Read the SKILL.md file in any skill folder
- Check SKILLS-INDEX.md for the complete catalog

**Need a specific framework?**
- Each skill lists its core frameworks
- Reference them explicitly in your prompts

---

## What You Get

**26 Active Skills** based on:
- 300+ Lenny's Podcast episodes
- 783K+ views of top episodes
- Wisdom from 40+ world-class PMs

**Top Contributors:**
- Brian Chesky (Airbnb) - 381K views
- Shreyas Doshi (Stripe/Twitter/Google) - 260K views
- Kevin Weil (OpenAI CPO) - 202K views
- Dylan Field (Figma) - 199K views
- Marty Cagan (SVPG) - 226K views
- Jeffrey Pfeffer (Stanford) - 161K views

---

## Next Steps

1. ✅ Clone the repo
2. 📖 Read [README.md](README.md) for full overview
3. 📋 Browse [SKILLS-INDEX.md](SKILLS-INDEX.md) for all skills
4. 🚀 Try building something with the skills
5. 💬 Share feedback and your experience!

---

**Ready to build like the best PMs in the world? 🚀**

Start with: `"Help me build [your idea] using the zero-to-launch skill"`