Maven

How to Increase Your Technical Depth

Stripe

Notion

First Round

Cristina Cordova

Chief Operating Officer at Linear. Prev. Stripe, Notion, First Round.

Deeply understand a new product through the eyes of a customer.

Understand what matters to a technical stakeholder.

Learn to speak the same language as your technical counterparts.

You sat through another meeting today feeling totally lost as the devs threw around terms like “rate limits” and “microservices”. Every time you have to make decisions that impact an engineer’s implementation, you feel like you’re on the back foot and struggling to keep up with the details. After you hand off a feature to engineering, you have no idea if it will be delivered the way you're expecting. You can feel confident, you just need the right plan. The reason most PMs can’t improve their technical skills is that they follow random online tutorials with no real plan or guidance. Or try to go from zero to 100 overnight by upskilling on complex topics - only to give up feeling frustrated and disappointed. That’s why this cohort is designed to help you build a foundational understanding of software applications. You won’t just memorize a bunch of terms - you’ll actually understand how software products are designed and deployed to handle millions of users. And our community will be here to give you the support, guidance, and accountability you’ll need to finally stick with it. After only 4 weeks, you’ll look back and think.. “WOW! I can’t believe I did that.”&nbsp; Now imagine if you could: ✅ Master technical concepts without getting lost in an internet maze. ✅ Stop asking engineers to dumb down concepts when talking to you. ✅ Predict risks, anticipate issues, and avoid endless back-and-forth. ✅ Improve your communication with engineers, users, and technical stakeholders&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Getting started is easy. 1️⃣ Start with my 8-day email course to start building confidence with APIs today (enroll for free below!) 2️⃣ Enroll in the 4-week cohort to build your foundations with application architecture, APIs, software development lifecycle, and system design. 3️⃣ Continue your journey with The Vault, our content library covering technical tradeoffs, generative AI, technical interview prep, and more. 🎉 Bonus: When you enroll in this course, you’ll receive $1,395 in free credits to level up your workflow with Superhuman, Linear, Sprig, Dovetail &amp; Gamma (see FAQ for details) 🚨 Starting January 15th, Technical Foundations will be $850. Enroll in an upcoming cohort to get the current price!

Does this sound familiar? 

Understand how technical skills fit into a PMs toolkit and why technical PMs get ahead faster.

Why PMs with Tech Skills Win

Start with fundamental application architecture and move to advanced topics such as containerization, microservices, and more

Application Architecture

Learn how APIs work and why they are a requirement for almost every modern software product

APIs

Get up to speed with SQL and start retrieving and analyzing data independently

Data Models

Build rapport with engineers by understanding development workflows and lifecycles.

Software Development Life Cycle

Learn how to scale applications to millions of users.

System Design + Scalability 

Course syllabus

Live Sessions

Recorded Lessons

Practice Exercises

Course schedule

Senior Product Managers.Build confidence and gain a competitive edge amongst your peers

Non-technical PMs.Overcome imposter syndrome, improve communication, and make better product decisions

MBA graduates and consultants.Seamlessly transition into product by learning critical technical skills

Who is this course for

What you’ll get out of this course

Feel more confident in your decisions by building a deeper understanding of technical tradeoffs

Build confidence

Engage engineering by using common language

Improve communication

Understand fundamentals by learning and practicing essential concepts

Grow your technical skills

Gain a competitive edge in your career by demonstrating your technical acumen

Excel in your Product career

Build confidence without getting lost in technical jargon 
🔥Featured on Lenny's Newsletter🔥 

Cohort 11 

Colin Matthews

Product Manager @ Datavant

Cohort 10

Cohort 12

Tech leaders are remembered not just for their technical prowess, but for the lasting impact they have on their team's careers and success. This course equips both new and experienced software engineering managers with the essential skills to amplify their influence and drive team performance. Over 100 software engineers and engineering managers have already enhanced their leadership capabilities through this course. Join them and transform your approach to tech leadership. --- This interactive course will teach you how to solve 3 key problems faced by senior engineers and engineering leaders: • Identifying opportunities for growth within your team and working with your team to fill these missing gaps • Effective communication with your direct reports, peers, and upper management • Asking for and delivering constructive, actionable feedback For the duration of this course you'll receive: • 4 hours of engaging content over Zoom, with interactive lessons and breakout sessions • Hands-on learning by walking through case studies and real life examples with your cohort • Templates you can immediately start using on the job • In-depth live Q&amp;A session to get immediate answers to your on-the-job questions • Recording and slides for future reference and review NEW: All current and past students will receive lifetime access to a private Discord community for tech leaders to keep the conversation going. Don't just take my word for it! “Kelly taught me both how to implement effective processes to improve the efficiency of my team and how to lead with empathy and thoughtfulness. This combination of hard and soft skills has paid dividends for my team and me and is all the result of Kelly’s mentorship.” — Dunchadhn Lyons, Engineering Manager @ Spot AI "It's very rare to see the artful combination of empathy and effective leadership that Kelly possesses, and she bestows those traits generously on the engineers and aspiring leaders she supports." — Ivy Astrix, Former Senior Systems Engineer @ Govalo

What makes a great engineering leader?

You'll learn how to identify growth opportunities for each team member and work one-on-one with them both on a long-term quarterly basis and during regular check-ins to ensure your team members are continuing to grow as engineers.

Developing your engineering team

You'll learn how to build influence through facing challenging conversations head-on with your engineering team, peers, and upper management.

Conflict resolution across an organization

You'll learn how to give effective feedback to your engineering team and peers to build a more effective work culture.

Giving and receiving constructive feedback

Saturday Morning

Saturday Afternoon

Choose the morning or afternoon session to fit your schedule

New and experienced engineering managers looking to build the interpersonal skills required to succeed as a leader

Technical engineering managers who want to develop their team and build influence across their company

Aspiring engineering managers looking to lay the groundwork to create an impact as an IC and future leader

Who this course is for:

After taking this course, you'll be able to:

Your success as an leader is measured by your team's execution, and to have great execution, you need a great team. We'll talk through how to identify and leverage technical and interpersonal strengths of your current team and empower your team to grow professionally.

Build and scale a high performing team

1:1s and performance reviews don't have to be stressful–my own team can back me up! I'll teach you how to keep the feedback loop active by applying my framework to conduct meaningful 1:1s and provide tactical, actionable feedback to your team on a regular cadence.

Conduct impactful 1:1s and development check-ins

Learn how to give constructive feedback from a trained therapist! I'll teach you effective communication strategies for conflict resolution within your team and building influence within your organization.

Navigate challenging conversations with peers and direct reports

Learn the 3 key skills you need to be an impactful technical leader with this interactive workshop

Kelly Vaughn

Cohort 4

Cohort 5

As engineers, we are used to having things in our control - the outcome of the task normally depends on our implementation. Growing from senior engineer to a lead role requires a mindset shift. You become a multiplier for the team and helping others around you becomes one of the main priorities. You are not judged by your individual contribution anymore. The overall success of the team and projects is what becomes important. We will define the difference between engineering lead roles (1st week): - Overview of career paths and different options available + what you can expect- My personal recommendation for which may be the right fit for you- Main differences between Tech Lead, Team Lead and Engineering Manager We will define the exact steps you need to take to grow toward a lead role (1st and 2nd week): - How to build credibility in the engineering industry- How to let your manager know about your goals and aspirations- How to keep a brag list of all the wins that you achieve- How to become the go-to person or considered an expert in a certain engineering domain- How to manage up as an engineer- How to become a team player and a great engineer to work with- How to become business and product-minded engineer- Real world examples on how Gregor and others have grew from engineers to lead roles We will define the details to help you thrive in a lead role (2nd week): - Mistakes that Gregor has made as a first time manager- How to manage your time- How to have great 1:1 meetings- How to give feedback- How to create a great engineering culture- How to do hiring- How to build engineering teams- How to make decisions and resolve conflicts between engineers 10 exercises that will help you to apply your learnings immediately:﻿- Build your pros and cons list to help you with path selection- Become a credible engineer- Tell your manager about your goals and aspirations- Note down all the wins that you have achieved- Become the go-to engineer- Prepare your list of questions to ask before making your next technical decision- Optimize and manage your time- Fill in the agenda for the next 1:1 meeting- Checklist for a great engineering team or organization- Create a job brief for your next hire Bonus: 1. You'll receive 17 guides and templates (worth 255$) to help you to grow past senior engineer and thrive in a lead role.- Engineering Career Path Guide- Behavioral Interview List of Questions- Notion Template: Technical Specification- Notion Template: Incident Retrospective- Notion Template: Job Brief- Notion Template: 1:1 Meeting- Notion Template: Checklist for Great Engineering Organization- Notion Template: Hiring Board- Notion Template: Technical Strategy- Notion Template: List of questions to ask before making a technical decision- Notion Template: List of Achievements- Notion Template: Become a go-to person- Notion Template: Tell your manager about your goals and aspirations- Notion Template: Career Growth Plan- Notion Template: Become a credible engineer- Notion Template: Engineering Guild Space- Notion Template: Buy vs Build 2. You'll receive a yearly subscription to the Engineering Leadership newsletter (worth 100$) (if you are already a paid subscriber, you’ll receive this course at a discounted price). 3. A LOT of other materials for self-study and to learn further! All of the actionable insights from this course are based from Gregor's experience growing from Senior Engineer to Lead roles (Team Lead to Engineering Manager to Head of Engineering to VP of Engineering to CTO) and through countless successful projects + his network of professionals across various of different fields and disciplines.

Grow past senior engineer and develop the mindset needed for the lead role!

Provide a brief description for each module as a way to sell the value of what students will be learning throughout the course.

First Module

Second Module

Third Module

5:00pm - 6:30pm CET, 11.00am - 12.30pm EST, 8.00am - 9.30am PST

Tuesdays & Thursdays

November 12, 14, 19 and 21 2024

Optional Q&A

Senior Software Engineers who wish to learn the competencies needed to grow and thrive in the Lead role (Tech Lead (Staff), Team Lead, EM).

Ambitious Software Engineers&nbsp;that want to level up and get to know all the skills needed in order to grow and thrive in a lead role.

Everyone in the engineering lead role who wishes to thrive in the role or help their reports with actionable steps towards a lead role.

You'll know what are the key differences between the Team Lead, Tech Lead (Staff), Engineering Manager. I will also share my&nbsp;personal&nbsp;recommendation which may be the right fit for you.

You'll know the exact differences between engineering lead roles

Whether that is the Tech Lead (Staff), Team Lead, Engineering Manager or Architect. You'll know which path is right for you.

You'll know the exact path you wish to take for your next step in your career

You'll get actionable steps for you to work on to grow toward the lead role. We will also go through real-world examples of how I and others have grown to a lead role.

You'll know the exact steps you need to take to grow toward the engineering lead role

You'll learn and understand how to adjust your mindset and focus on good communication and team alignment. I'll be sharing also the mistakes I made as a first-time manager.

You'll know the details to help you thrive in the engineering lead role

15 guides and templates to help you grow and thrive in the lead role. Free yearly access to the Engineering Leadership newsletter and a LOT of other resources for you to learn further.

You'll get 15 guides and templates, a free paid subscription, which will give you access to a LOT of resources for self-study

Learn skills and competencies to grow beyond Senior Engineer and thrive in a lead role (Team Lead, Tech Lead (Staff), Engineering Manager).

Gregor Ojstersek

CTO and Author of Engineering Leadership newsletter (81k+ subscribers)

Cohort 2

Your days are jam-packed with meetings and urgent slacks. You're always busy, but never accomplished—feels like treading water. Deep work feels like a distant dream: Instead of proactively driving strategy, you're stuck putting out fires left and right. It's going to get tougher. Boom times are over, and tech orgs are flattening. More experienced people are competing for scarcer product roles. Companies are increasingly expecting&nbsp;product managers to own a broader swath of the product, lead multiple teams, and set strategy—while staying hands-on.&nbsp; Every PM in this situation will inevitably hit a wall.&nbsp;What worked in the past won't work anymore. (This is where many senior PMs burn out.)&nbsp;Now imagine if you could: ✅ End your day with a sense of accomplishment, knowing you've moved the needle on strategic initiatives. ✅ Spend a good chunk of every day in deep focused work&nbsp;(guilt-free!) ✅ Lead multiple teams with successful outcomes ✅ Cultivate self-reliant teams that operate smoothly, even when you're not in the room ✅ Communicate confidently with leadership about your capacity and priorities. After working with &amp; interviewing dozens of successful product leads, they all consciously rebuilt these three career-critical areas: 1. Redesigned their personal operating system2. Implemented the key habits of self-reliant teams3. Recognize overhead and influence product org structure This live, hands-on, cohort-based program is radically tactical. Together, we'll implement the best practices by tailoring templates, tactics, frameworks, screenshots, and scripts you can apply instantly to your individual situation. 🏆 Why this course will help you win&nbsp;🏆 Lead Multiple Teams Successfully: Manage teams across domains without feeling spread thin. Become More Strategic While Staying Hands-on: Carve out ample breathing room for creative deep work and reflection. Prevent Burnout: Feel a clear sense of progress, handle strong emotions of overwhelm, and make room for self-care. Future-Proof Your Career: Stand out in a competitive market with a track record of broad capacity &amp; getting shit done. Accelerate Career Advancement: Position yourself for promotions and leadership roles by demonstating strategic influence while remaining hands-on. Getting started is easy: 1️⃣ Start with my 6-day email course to get free content from behind the paywall (scroll down to sign up) 2️⃣ Enroll in the 2-week live cohort for accountability, live interactions, and small group learning (plus 2x 90-minute AMA office hour sessions) 3️⃣ Continue your journey with bonus content and a private&nbsp;community&nbsp;of experienced PMs who are ready to level up. Join professionals from Google, Microsoft, Amazon, TikTok, Meta, Stripe, Adobe &amp; Hubspot who have already enrolled. PS Lenny has selected this course as "Top Course in Product" 🔥 this means when you enroll in this course, you’ll receive $1,395 in free credits to level up your workflow with Superhuman, Linear, Sprig, Dovetail &amp; Gamma (see FAQ for details)

Does this sound familiar?

All sessions will be recorded — recordings will be available in your Maven account within an hour

Four Live Sessions on Mondays & Wednesdays

Two AMAs on Sundays (Optional)

This course is optimized for very busy schedules of senior product managers. Each project is quick, concrete, and immediately accelerates your productivity.

Bite-sized weekly projects

Senior PMs who want to expand their scope and lead multiple large, strategic initiatives while remaining hands-on.

Product managers who feel overwhelmed and treading water and want to be in the driver's seat of their time and well-being.

Product leaders who want to coach their reports for outsized impact, and set up their product teams to ship faster.

🏗️ Build a system to manage multiple large initiatives across multiple teams.📝 Design your personal to-do queue to reduce anxiety and feel progress.☑️ Make time for self-care without feeling guilty.

Craft Your Custom Tools

📜 Learn product scrapbooking to cut time required for large, strategic tasks.⚔️ Pre-empt busywork from ever reaching your to-do list (or anyone else's).🌅 Turn Slack into a tool that brings peace of mind, not chaos.

Eliminate Tasks

🔒 Deep work for PMs: key habits that make focus time a reality🏆 Lead recurring meetings that get more valuable with time.🍉 Actively manage your brain’s freshness and creativity.

Design Your Days

🔥 Bring out your teammates' full superpowers.🎖️ Earn engineers' trust—without being technical.🙃 Assess when an engineer isn’t a fit for working on an innovative product team.

Motivate Engineers

🚨 Drive urgency without burnout🏎️ Write updates &amp; schedule meetings that create velocity💬 Foster slack habits of fast-moving teams

Ship Sooner

🌊 Practical steps for managing overwhelm when things feel impossible.🪩 Learn how to embrace, not fear, our desire for distraction.📦 Asks from Leadership: How to respond when you’re at capacity.

Handle Feeling Flooded

💎 Be valuable, not needed: focus where you can uniquely support your team.🎙️ Launch three habits that promote team autonomy and elevate your role to a strategic level.

Cultivate Self-Reliant Teams

🏋️ Identify the four types of overhead your product org creates for PMs.🏛️ Frameworks for organizing roles and teams📜 Construct a script to reflect observations to leadership.

Assess How Your Product Org Affects PM Productivity

Earn a reputation as a product manager who gets s*** done—without feeling overwhelmed, treading water, or working nights and weekends.

Lightning Lessons

How to Increase Your Technical Depth