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Wes Kao

Published podcast speaker

Claims
25
Episodes
2
Shows
1
Named items
2

Books, apps, and tools

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book / recommends

High Output Management

“One is High Output Management by Andy Grove, which is a classic. Another one is Your Brain At Work by Dr. David Rock. And that one is all about better understanding your own brain and attention span so that you can allocate your mental resources appropriately. So that one's great. Ever since reading that, I hide my phone from view because there have been studies that show that even seeing your phone in the corner of your eye, it's distracting. And I do the hardest things earlier in the day when you have more cognitive resources available. So that one's really good. Yeah, those two.”

Lenny's Podcast · 6 Apr 2025

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

book / recommends

Your Brain At Work

“One is High Output Management by Andy Grove, which is a classic. Another one is Your Brain At Work by Dr. David Rock. And that one is all about better understanding your own brain and attention span so that you can allocate your mental resources appropriately. So that one's great. Ever since reading that, I hide my phone from view because there have been studies that show that even seeing your phone in the corner of your eye, it's distracting. And I do the hardest things earlier in the day when you have more cognitive resources available. So that one's really good. Yeah, those two.”

Lenny's Podcast · 6 Apr 2025

Evidence receipt · Source ↗

Claim ledger

What Wes said.

25 transcript-backed records

01 / recommendation

Recommends High Output Management. Recommends Your Brain At Work.

“One is High Output Management by Andy Grove, which is a classic. Another one is Your Brain At Work by Dr. David Rock. And that one is all about better understanding your own brain and attention span so that you can allocate your mental resources appropriately. So that one's great. Ever since reading that, I hide my phone from view because there have been studies that show that even seeing your phone in the corner of your eye, it's distracting. And I do the hardest things earlier in the day when you have more cognitive resources available. So that one's really good. Yeah, those two.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

02 / belief

Whereas when you are a solo operator running your own business, doing your own thing, you have a lot of freedom to craft your work around only your strengths, only the part that you are really good at, that adds a lot of value for other people where there's market demand. And so, for me, there was a bit of a shift where when I realized that I could craft my business, my work around only the part that I'm best at, and that can be a narrow-ass slice, that's actually really, really freeing.

“Whereas when you are a solo operator running your own business, doing your own thing, you have a lot of freedom to craft your work around only your strengths, only the part that you are really good at, that adds a lot of value for other people where there's market demand. And so, for me, there was a bit of a shift where when I realized that I could craft my business, my work around only the part that I'm best at, and that can be a narrow-ass slice, that's actually really, really freeing.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

03 / belief

Getting that energy out, I would say step one, so that you can go into the conversation clear, grounded, setting that emotional tone that is more positive and that allows you to stay focused on only the part that will get them to behave in the way you want them to behave.

“Getting that energy out, I would say step one, so that you can go into the conversation clear, grounded, setting that emotional tone that is more positive and that allows you to stay focused on only the part that will get them to behave in the way you want them to behave.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

04 / belief

Going back to something that you were saying earlier with rereading what you wrote, I think the blast radius of a poorly written memo is way bigger than most people think.

“Going back to something that you were saying earlier with rereading what you wrote, I think the blast radius of a poorly written memo is way bigger than most people think.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

07 / commitment

I will also say that as someone who tries to walk the talk, I feel like I get a pretty good response rate pretty quickly for the things that I ask for, for the recommendations I'm making.

“I will also say that as someone who tries to walk the talk, I feel like I get a pretty good response rate pretty quickly for the things that I ask for, for the recommendations I'm making.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

10 / belief

I think people think there's a thinking as phase one and then communicating the thinking, and the reality is a lot more intertwined.

“I think people think there's a thinking as phase one and then communicating the thinking, and the reality is a lot more intertwined.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

11 / preference

I also ask myself, how might I be adding cognitive load to whatever it is that I'm saying? So is there a tighter, clearer, cleaner way that I can ask what I'm asking or present the information I'm presenting or make the recommendation that I'm making?

“I also ask myself, how might I be adding cognitive load to whatever it is that I'm saying? So is there a tighter, clearer, cleaner way that I can ask what I'm asking or present the information I'm presenting or make the recommendation that I'm making?”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

12 / preference

It adds structure to where are we going and what certain sections of paragraphs are about. So some of my favorite signposting words are, "for example," shows that you're about to show an example because shows that you're about to share your logic and rationale behind something.

“It adds structure to where are we going and what certain sections of paragraphs are about. So some of my favorite signposting words are, "for example," shows that you're about to show an example because shows that you're about to share your logic and rationale behind something.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

13 / preference

For me, I have a file, an Apple Notes, file called Smart Things People Have Said, where I will basically paste in phrases, words, things people have said that I thought were well articulated or sounded really intelligent or sounded strategic. And I don't actually go back and look through my swipe file very often, I think other people do, but for me, even the act of adding it to my swipe file, I've already gotten value from it because it's training me to be more alert to noticing when something is working well.

“For me, I have a file, an Apple Notes, file called Smart Things People Have Said, where I will basically paste in phrases, words, things people have said that I thought were well articulated or sounded really intelligent or sounded strategic. And I don't actually go back and look through my swipe file very often, I think other people do, but for me, even the act of adding it to my swipe file, I've already gotten value from it because it's training me to be more alert to noticing when something is working well.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

14 / recommendation

You should look at the report too and point out insights and takeaways. So it's really changing that posture from more reactive and more waiting to be told what to do or kind of staying in this narrow box to being willing to share your recommendation, your point of view, share what you're noticing, and this is something that even junior people could do.

“You should look at the report too and point out insights and takeaways. So it's really changing that posture from more reactive and more waiting to be told what to do or kind of staying in this narrow box to being willing to share your recommendation, your point of view, share what you're noticing, and this is something that even junior people could do.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

15 / preference

Whereas if I say, "I am not sure about how to tell this person no, because I previously said yes and so I feel on the hook, but history has changed and so is there a nice way where I can be really respectful of our relationship and also make them feel seen and heard, but decline?

“Whereas if I say, "I am not sure about how to tell this person no, because I previously said yes and so I feel on the hook, but history has changed and so is there a nice way where I can be really respectful of our relationship and also make them feel seen and heard, but decline?”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

16 / recommendation

For things that are not working, adjust your execution because it might not be that the tactic doesn't work, it might be your execution of it wasn't great.

“For things that are not working, adjust your execution because it might not be that the tactic doesn't work, it might be your execution of it wasn't great.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

17 / evaluation

Then I would schedule a one-on-one with a coworker to tell them the feedback and it would inevitably turn into a venting session where I was in the name of sharing the impact of what they did would share all my frustrations and all the ways that they have basically harmed me and made my life difficult. And this would be very counterproductive because the person would either feel like and feel really demoralized or they'd get really defensive and they'd want to argue with me about how what they did actually was not that bad or it was partially my fault too or whatever.

“Then I would schedule a one-on-one with a coworker to tell them the feedback and it would inevitably turn into a venting session where I was in the name of sharing the impact of what they did would share all my frustrations and all the ways that they have basically harmed me and made my life difficult. And this would be very counterproductive because the person would either feel like and feel really demoralized or they'd get really defensive and they'd want to argue with me about how what they did actually was not that bad or it was partially my fault too or whatever.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

19 / evaluation

" And so you have to be able to defend what it's that you're saying and make sure that what you're saying is rigorous. And I think that thinking about that content hierarchy of BS is great for holding ourselves to a higher standard, to make sure that we are not allowing ourselves to spew BS, just because a format might allow it.

“" And so you have to be able to defend what it's that you're saying and make sure that what you're saying is rigorous. And I think that thinking about that content hierarchy of BS is great for holding ourselves to a higher standard, to make sure that we are not allowing ourselves to spew BS, just because a format might allow it.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

21 / recommendation

I think one really big way of doing that is keeping your boss in the loop on the kinds of decisions that you're making and what you are working on. It feels almost blase like, well, duh, but actually I think we all know that we should do that, but the way that we execute, I think sometimes your boss doesn't feel like they're in the loop.

“I think one really big way of doing that is keeping your boss in the loop on the kinds of decisions that you're making and what you are working on. It feels almost blase like, well, duh, but actually I think we all know that we should do that, but the way that we execute, I think sometimes your boss doesn't feel like they're in the loop.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

22 / evaluation

" It's easy to say that and be polite, but when someone's eyes light up, that's a sign that something that you said triggered a reaction in them, a visceral reaction. And I think so many of us, we like to pretend that, oh, I don't get enough data from people and this person said this, but what do they really mean?

“" It's easy to say that and be polite, but when someone's eyes light up, that's a sign that something that you said triggered a reaction in them, a visceral reaction. And I think so many of us, we like to pretend that, oh, I don't get enough data from people and this person said this, but what do they really mean?”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

23 / recommendation

They have a whole series on leadership, managing up, writing, et cetera. And I recommend those two books usually to new team members who join because they cover more of the craft of creating strong sentences, paragraphs, arguments and thinking about the logic of what you're saying.

“They have a whole series on leadership, managing up, writing, et cetera. And I recommend those two books usually to new team members who join because they cover more of the craft of creating strong sentences, paragraphs, arguments and thinking about the logic of what you're saying.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

24 / evaluation

There's no point in seniority where, as you climb the career ladder, that it just doesn't matter anymore. And I think some people think that senior people don't need to manage up like, oh, once I'm a director of VP, I don't need to manage up anymore, it's only something I need to do when I'm a coordinator or an associate PM or something.

“There's no point in seniority where, as you climb the career ladder, that it just doesn't matter anymore. And I think some people think that senior people don't need to manage up like, oh, once I'm a director of VP, I don't need to manage up anymore, it's only something I need to do when I'm a coordinator or an associate PM or something.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast

25 / evaluation

I think a lot of us have high standards and high expectations of ourselves and it's almost like, oh, if I can't do the best application, then I just shouldn't apply.

“I think a lot of us have high standards and high expectations of ourselves and it's almost like, oh, if I can't do the best application, then I just shouldn't apply.”
Speaker
Wes Kao
Publisher
Lenny's Podcast
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