Episode · Lenny's Podcast · 2025-09-21
Lenny Rachitsky & Julie Zhuo: books mentioned on Lenny's Podcast (Sep 2025)
From managing people to managing AI: The leadership skills everyone needs now | Julie Zhuo (Facebook VP, Sundial CEO, The Making of a Manager author)
Julie Zhuo is the former VP and Head of Design at Facebook (now Meta), author of the bestselling book The Making of a Manager, and co-founder of Sundial, an AI-powered data analysis company. Also, my first-ever podcast guest over 3 years ago!
Lenny Rachitsky discussed The Making of a Manager by Julie Zhuo and High Output Management by Andrew S. Grove. Julie Zhuo recommended Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig, Conscious Business by Fred Kofman, and Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy.
Books mentioned, in the order they came up
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The Making of a Manager
Discussed“So the reason we are chatting again three years later is uh you're re-releasing your incredible book, The Making of a Manager. I've got it right here.”
Where to get it
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High Output Management
Discussed“I feel like it's the modern-day high output management. It feels that's the book that's been mentioned most on this podcast. And it feels like this is just like a modern version.”
Where to get it
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Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Recommended“The first is Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I absolutely love that book. It's beautifully written. It's so deep.”
Where to get it
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Conscious Business
Recommended“It is my favorite management book. It's a little bit of a sleeper hit because I actually end up recommending this one far more than my own book.”
Where to get it
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Good Inside
Recommended“I love the uh the book Good Inside by Dr. Becky. It's a parenting book and it's a very wildly popular parenting book. So, I really recommend it to all parents.”
Where to get it
Other mentions in this episode (4) — ad reads, self-promotion and passing references, never counted
Passing The Making of a Manager
“She's also the author of the best-selling and very important book, The Making of a Manager.”
Plugged The Making of a Manager
“This was chapter five of my book. It's called managing yourself. In fact, when I wrote it, I kind of wanted to be chapter one.”
Passing The Making of a Manager
“Second is Conscious Business. It is my favorite management book. It's a little bit of a sleeper hit because I actually end up recommending this one far more than my own book.”
Plugged The Making of a Manager
“And then, of course, I have my book, the a revised edition with two additional chapters. One is around managing remotely and the other one is around uh managing in a downturn or managing in change difficult change scenarios.”