Mentioned in Podcasts

Person

Every book Nickey Skarstad recommended on podcasts

Key facts

  • Nickey Skarstad has recommended or discussed 2 books on podcasts, as of July 18, 2022.
  • Nickey Skarstad has talked about books on 1 podcast, as of July 18, 2022.
  • Those books came up in 1 episode, as of July 18, 2022.
  • The 2 books Nickey Skarstad has mentioned in the most episodes, as of July 18, 2022: Never Split the Difference and Thinking in Systems.
  • The latest episode with a book mention from Nickey Skarstad aired on July 18, 2022.

Updated

Guest on Lenny's Podcast · 2 books · 1 episode across 1 podcast

Nickey Skarstad appeared on Lenny's Podcast to share insights on translating high-level vision into concrete product goals, drawing from her background working with prominent technology companies like Airbnb, Etsy, Shopify, and Duolingo. During the episode, she offered thoughtful book recommendations for product professionals seeking to improve their craft. Nickey brought up Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz, noting that while slightly tangential, the book applied well to the challenge of getting people to align on complex decisions. When asked by the host for her top recommendation for other product managers, she enthusiastically named Thinking in Systems by Donella Meadows. Nickey explained that the book served as a great read for anyone looking to deeply understand how systems function, manage second-order effects, and reason through organizational and product challenges. Her recommendations reflected a strong focus on practical alignment strategies and foundational systemic thinking.

Books Nickey Skarstad recommended or discussed

Who said what is our best reading of each episode. In hand-checked samples, at least 6% of mentions were credited to the wrong speaker, sometimes an interviewer’s line recorded as the guest’s, sometimes the reverse. Every entry below quotes the words and links to the episode, so you can check it.

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  1. Never Split the Difference

    Chris Voss; Tahl Raz · Recommended · 1 episode

    Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz is a practical guide to negotiation that draws on the author's extensive experience as an international FBI hostage negotiator, focusing on psychological strategies rather than traditional compromise.

    Recommended
    “I actually just read this really great book that is slightly tangential, but I thought it really applied to this type of basically getting people to align on decisions. It's by Chris Voss.”
    Lenny's Podcast Nickey Skarstad (Airbnb, Etsy, Shopify, Duolingo) on translating visio… 2022-07-18
    Where to get it
    Listen free with an Audible trialAmazon

  2. Thinking in Systems

    Donella Meadows · Recommended · 1 episode

    Thinking in Systems: A Primer by Donella Meadows is an accessible introductory guide to systems thinking that explores how complex structures operate and how individuals can model reality to improve strategic decision-making.

    Recommended
    “A great book to read if you are a product person is Thinking in Systems by Danella Meadows. It's just about like really thinking through how systems work.”
    Lenny's Podcast Nickey Skarstad (Airbnb, Etsy, Shopify, Duolingo) on translating visio… 2022-07-18
    Where to get it
    Listen free with an Audible trialAmazon

Appearances

EpisodePodcastDateBooks
Nickey Skarstad (Airbnb, Etsy, Shopify, Duolingo) on translating vision into goals, operationalizing product quality, second-order decisions, brainstorming, influence, and much moreLenny's Podcast2022-07-183