Zippy

Founding Product Manager - 1500% increase in Loan Volume in 2023. 

Working on B2C and B2B initiatives across the business.

Product Manager

Thrive

Founding Product Manager for Thrive Pulse - 0 to 30,000 WAUs in six months

Product Manager for:
- Thrive Pulse
- Thrive for Chat (Slack and Teams)

Overtime

10,000 WAUs

Increased user retention by guiding product decisions through cohort and funnel analyses using MixPanel.

Data Analyst, Mobile App

THE ENDLESS CO.

Managed projects ranging from a mobile app for Covid-19 diagnostics to an augmented reality sneaker activation. Helped prepare pitch materials for new projects and clients.

Strategy and Product

eevo, Inc.

Built and launched virtual reality experiences for customers like Merck, Zoom, Logitech, McKinsey and The BBC.

AlphaSights

I worked predominantly with management consultancies and institutional investors - communicating daily with senior professionals and executives in early stage industry research, due diligence, and M&A processes, worldwide across all industry sectors.

Analyst

Sisasa Inc.

Co-Founder

MIT D-Lab

Funded by MIT D-lab, worked specifically on solarclave project in Nicaragua.

Solarclave Medical Device Intern

Founder turned Product Manager, passionate about the intersection of technology and behavior change. I also run an agency that specializes in B2B content and personal branding. 

I write about: product, entrepreneurship, content creation, neuroscience, gaming, growth, and social. 

Dear Sales rep – There is ZERO chance I'm getting on a call with you

Put down the phone
Delete that cold outbound message
And stop wasting your time 

👉 Instead:

Create some value upfront by sharing some content you've created that addresses a pain point. 

❌ What doesn't work:
"Hey saw you're a PM in a fintech co and I know how much of a pain compliance can be, got a couple of minutes to chat"

My reaction:
Ffffff*ck no

✅ What might work:
"Hey saw you're a PM in a fintech co and I know how much of a pain compliance can be, which is why I created this flowchart on the different solutions in the market and pros of cons of each. Feel free to ping me with any questions"

My reaction:
Sweet, I'll check it out.

👨‍💻 This is the future of sales: 

The best reps will be able to create value outside of company-made sales and marketing collateral. 

They will be content creators building their own funnel for inbound leads.

Alejandro Dinsmore

Product Manager | Content Creator | Forbes 30 under 30

To everyone working remotely:

You're a content creator whether you know it or not.

Your ability to:
- create trust online
- write well (and persuasively) 
- have a strong digital presence

Will only become more important over the next 10 years. 

That: 
- Slack post
- Github commit note 
- Slide you're working on for your manager

It's all content. 

Learn how to create better content and you will be better at your job.

Remote work changed everything:

Five years ago I was living in NYC and thought I would never leave. 

Now I live in Whitefish, Montana. 

Have you ever thought about leaving the city? 

Is there a small voice in your head saying you might like something different? 

Give it a shot.

Worst case you'll have a new experience,

which will teach you plenty. 

Having done it myself, I can say all my worst fears about leaving the city never came true.

In fact, the opposite happened:
- I'm in better shape
- Slowing down didn't kill me
- I'm less anxious and stressed
- I have met lots of ambitious people 
- I spend more time on creative projects 

And the city will always be there 
(I go to LA all the time).

Anyone who has travelled knows that new places change the way you think and view the world. 

I'm also convinced it changes your brain to live closer nature. 

What do you think?

Managers should encourage side-hustles not shame people for them:

I used to get burnt out a lot...

And going on vacation never solved the issue.
(only made it better for a little while)

The one thing that has helped me push through long sprints of work is having a side hustle.

Some personal observations from having a side-hustle:
↳ I sleep better 
↳ I feel more psychological safety
↳ I have energy to work weekends
↳ I don't feel the need to take long vacations 
↳ I don't feel the ups and downs of work as much

How my manager wins →
🏆 I bring more energy to work
🏆 I use work hours more efficiently
🏆 I apply learnings from side-hustle at work
🏆 I feel supported by team and can give back more 

What do you think? Are side-hustles good or bad? 

♻️ Don't forget to share this with your network.
If you enjoy my content, follow me Alejandro for more.

I had a lot of early success but it made me pretty miserable.

And thats because there is a tradeoff to ambition:

In buddhist teaching there is a phrase –

"Desire is the root of suffering"

Or as Naval Ravikant puts it:

"Desires are contracts you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want"

There is a lot of truth to that. 
We're unhappy when we want what we don't have.
And happy when we want what we already have.

𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲.  

So how do you balance ambition and happiness? 

The answer: fall in love with the process.

Forget the outcome. 
Focus on the daily actions and craft.
Ironically this will also help your ambitions become real.

This is embodied in the Japanese concept of "Shokunin Kishitsu" –

Meaning "The craftsman's spirit".

So accept where you are today.

And focus on the inputs, not the outputs.

This is how one creator got 12.3M impressions 
and gained 22,000 followers in seven days:

He did it with two posts.

I covered Josh Sanders growth recently,
while covering some of the fastest growing creators on LinkedIn.

But, I wanted to dive a bit deeper.

And talk about a format lots of creators are using to drive growth on the platform.

NOTE: - Good reminder that Josh has been in this game for a while.

So this isn't accidental virality. 

He was on an upwards trend before these posts went viral and has learned a ton helping Chris Donnelly become one of the biggest creators on LI. 

So as with anything, if you focus on consistent improvement over the long term – results will follow. 

And let me know your thoughts on these cheat sheets in the comments below.

(Honest comments only)

➕ Follow for more weekly breakdowns on what is driving growth for creators and how to create more leverage with your content.

Day 1 of asking people what they're looking forward to:

△ Dan Ahn ▼'s answer: Cold plunge and sauna.

Not your typical answer, but Dan's not your typical guy.

He's training to run 100 miles, lift 1000 lbs, and trying to build a $1M business in 2024. 

It was interesting to hear his answer because recently long sauna sessions and cold plunging have become some of the things I look forward to most. 

Used to hate both but now they (especially sauna) have become an increasingly important part of my mental health and energy.

_

 What is one thing you're looking forward to this week?

Stop chasing impressions:

This is your reminder that content creation (like product development) is a long term game. 

Instead of views focus on:
- consistent improvement
- creating value
- having fun

 That's it!

Stop chasing trends.

Or you'll always be behind.

👉 Instead, 

Focus on:
1️⃣ Creating value 
2️⃣ Consistent improvement 

What is the content you want to create?
What do you have unique insight on?
What are you passionate about?
What is your "why"?

Spend time answering these questions instead of chasing growth hacks. 

✍️ As you develop your "why":
- growth hacks will come and go
- new platforms will emerge
- the algorithm will change 

You'll have your lucky moments where you're in the right place at the right time.

But unless you're ahead of the curve, trying to chase that trend is going to give diminishing returns. 

So just focus on 1️⃣ and 2️⃣ and you'll win in the long term.

Founders need to stop chasing Linkedin trends and focus on video

Here is why:
- video content is evergreen
- becoming more important for search
- can't be created by AI (high authenticity)
- converts at a higher rate than any other format 

With the rise of AI, ghost writers, and growth-hackers –

Text-based content is being commoditized and easier to create than ever. 

This increase in volume leads to more competition for attention. 

Meanwhile not enough people are creating the only kind of content AI will struggle to replace: 

→ Video ←

There’s no such thing as passive income:

Some work leads to getting paid right away

Other work creates leverage that gets you paid later 

Passive income is actually harder to earn because you have to put in lots of work upfront to get there. 

Whether it’s ATMs, Dividend Stocks or Real Estate all require some kind of leverage (hours you put in without getting paid) to generate that “passive” income later. 

To get $10 of passive income from a high dividend stock you have to work (and save up) $5,000. 

There’s no shortcut.

To create income streams that work for you while you sleep you need to put in the work first. 

So instead of chasing “passive” income trends, find something you’re willing to put in hundreds (if not thousands) of hours to up front to create leverage. 

Whatever it is, know that leverage takes years to create. 

Sure you can sell a course, but it will take hundreds of hours to build an audience, get product/market fit, and retain customers. 

All that passive income will only happen as a result of the equity you build by investing the most important resource you have: 

Time

Not saying not to do it, but don’t do it because you want an easy life, do it because it’s something you love.

How to achieve anything: 

Find something you actually want.
(not what society tells you)
Set goals for direction. 
Pick your daily inputs.
Adjust if needed. 
Put in the work.
Don’t give up.

Don't over complicate it.

If you're feeling stuck:

Here's a secret (and it's not about soft skills).

We all love to play games. 

Deep down, all high-achievers find a way to love the work.

To "embrace the suck".

All the best performers:
- learn how to make the work fun
- examine the system and look for leverage 
- play for the game not the reward

As Einstein said, "Play is the highest form of research"

Most people just haven't figured out the game they want to play. 

What would you add?

Things you can control graphic (soft skills, leadership, self-improvement)

At the end of the day, it's all about community:

You can have the best job or live in the best place

But if you're not surrounded by good people it won't matter 

(and vice versa) 

The thing is, community is not always guaranteed 

It will come and go

This is your reminder to appreciate community when you have it

And know you will eventually will find it again if you don't.

Start tomorrow.
Avoid the work.
Chase quick hacks.
Wait until you're comfortable.
Read about ways to get rich quick.
Don't stick with things long enough. 
Crave the outcome but not the journey.

⬆️ This is what 99% of people do.
Most people aren't actually willing to put in the work.

But the work is the best part. 

Once you accomplish everything you wanted –

The thing you will be proudest of is the journey it took to get there.

Goals matter.

And most people are thinking about goals for content the wrong way.

When it comes to content these are the three goals that matter:

1. Growth (0:14)
2. Authority (0:36)
3. Authenticity (1:01)

Each one is very different and chasing one without the other won't work out well for you in the long term... 

What goal are you focused on right now?

Anyone else bored with the Linkedin feed right now?

What happened to the more authentic content we used to see? 

The was a moment there where Linkedin was getting really fun and I was seeing content from smaller creators and learning a lot of new things.

Now it just feels like the same "5 ways to x" type posts that are being recycled and reused.

Despite the current trend –

Authenticity will always be the best long-term strategy. 

Which is why it's important to be working on:
- video
- storytelling
- real conversations (not ai)
- core value props and insights

Regardless of what content is trending right now.

I was a founder for five years then went into product in 2020:

18 months ago I joined a company as the first product hire.

Let me tell you, it is an entirely different role then being an individual contributor at a later stage company. 

❌ You won't have:
- processes
- coaching 
- PRDs

✍️ BUT You will have to:
- create alignment 
- balance executive stakeholders 
- own both IC and senior level responsibilities at the same time

🧪 Combine that with (usually) limited resources and you get a challenging scenario for any product manager. 

You're basically on your own (kind of like being a founder).

But for the right person it can be a role that really rewarding and a great learning experience. 

ALSO good founders and engineering leadership will make your life 100x easier. 

⚠️ (so for any PMs thinking about being the first product hire, make sure you really like your exec counterparts) 

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲

👉 Here is what I would look for:

- Founder experience is a huge plus (they get the messiness of build mode)

- They don't want to be a manager 𝙮𝙚𝙩 (that first PM hire is likely going to do way more IC and stakeholder management work than actually hiring and growing out a team)

- A PM from FAANG or later stage companies will have VERY little transferrable experience to this context (early stage experience should be a requirement)

- Evidence of high ownership, this a role that will require managing and setting their own priorities.

Don't hire a CPO/VP off the bat, often times they will be too senior and not able to get in the weeds on the IC work that just needs to get done. Instead consider a consultant or fractional CPO to help that first product hire, then when the team is ready to scale bring in your exec product leader.

What did I miss?

There is a reason Alex Hormozi is leaning into long form content

Social media is just many 1:1 conversations at scale.

Every piece of content is a way to advance that conversation. 

When someone spends 60 minutes listening to your podcast or 10 minutes reading a long form piece of content.

You're spending way more time having a conversation with them than the 10 seconds someone might spend on a catchy short-form text or photo post.

If you've ever purchased something from a creator, I'll bet it was after watching a long-form piece of content. 

So that video or long form piece might get less impressions but its taking the conversation further.

I've messed up big time

and a lot of my biggest mistakes have come from not being honest with myself

It's one of the biggest lessons I learned from being a founder 

(you won't have a manager to call you out)

Not only is this important, its also really hard

Progress is impossible until you see things as they are

Not how you want to see them

As Richard Feynman said: 

“The first principle is not to fool yourself – and you are the easiest person to fool.”

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