| name | pm-playbooks |
| description | Role-based skill combinations - 9 curated playbooks for founders, PMs, managers, growth leaders, and more |
| triggers | ["playbook","founder playbook","PM playbook","manager playbook","growth playbook","career playbook","role guide","AI builder","engineering manager","sales leader","executive"] |
PM Playbooks: Role-Based Toolkit Combinations
Each playbook combines PM Toolkit modules into a workflow sequence for a specific role. Follow the modules in order for the recommended progression.
1. Startup Founder
For: First-time founders, pre-seed to Series A
Workflow Sequence:
- pm-discovery → Validate the problem exists
- pm-strategy → Define vision, north star, MVP scope
- pm-execution → Ship the MVP fast
- pm-growth → Find product-market fit
- pm-team → Hire founding team, run founder sales
- pm-leadership → Fundraise, pivot if needed
Key Skills: Problem Definition, Scoping & Cutting, Shipping Products, Measuring PMF, Founder Sales, Fundraising Strategy
2. First-Time Manager
For: ICs transitioning to management
Workflow Sequence:
- pm-team → Running 1:1s, delegation, difficult conversations
- pm-communication → Written communication, stakeholder alignment
- pm-execution → Meetings, decisions, cross-functional work
- pm-leadership → Coaching, energy management, imposter syndrome
Key Skills: Running Effective 1:1s, Delegating Work, Having Difficult Conversations, Coaching Product Managers, Energy Management
3. Product Manager
For: PMs at any level
Workflow Sequence:
- pm-discovery → User interviews, problem definition
- pm-strategy → PRD, OKRs, roadmap, prioritization
- pm-execution → Ship, coordinate, decide
- pm-communication → Stakeholders, presentations
- pm-leadership → Product taste, systems thinking
Key Skills: Conducting User Interviews, Writing PRDs, Prioritizing Roadmap, Shipping Products, Stakeholder Alignment, Developing Product Taste
4. Growth Leader
For: Growth PMs, growth marketers (post-PMF)
Workflow Sequence:
- pm-growth → PMF measurement, growth loops, experiments
- pm-discovery → Surveys, user feedback analysis
- pm-analytics → Metrics trees, cohort analysis
- pm-communication → Content marketing, community, positioning
- pm-leadership → AI strategy, behavioral design
Key Skills: Designing Growth Loops, Retention & Engagement, Pricing Strategy, User Onboarding, A/B Testing, Content Marketing
5. Engineering Manager
For: Tech leads and EMs
Workflow Sequence:
- pm-execution → Decisions, meetings, design reviews, retros
- pm-analytics → Tech debt management, platform decisions, design systems
- pm-team → Hiring, 1:1s, onboarding, culture
- pm-communication → Stakeholder alignment, offsites
Key Skills: Managing Tech Debt, Technical Roadmaps, Conducting Interviews, Running Effective Meetings, Design Systems, Engineering Culture
6. Sales Leader
For: VP Sales, CROs, sales managers
Workflow Sequence:
- pm-team → Building sales team, compensation, founder sales, enterprise sales
- pm-communication → Presentations, positioning, stakeholder alignment
- pm-strategy → Competitive analysis, north star metrics
- pm-growth → Pricing strategy, marketplace dynamics
Key Skills: Founder Sales, Enterprise Sales, Sales Compensation Design, Sales Qualification, Building Sales Team, Positioning & Messaging
7. AI Builder
For: AI/ML PMs, AI engineers, AI startup founders
Workflow Sequence:
- pm-leadership → AI product strategy, building with LLMs, evals
- pm-strategy → PRD, problem definition, scoping
- pm-discovery → User research, usability testing
- pm-growth → PMF for AI products, activation
- pm-execution → Ship, iterate, design reviews
Key Skills: AI Product Strategy, Building with LLMs, AI Evaluation (Evals), Vibe Coding, Evaluating New Technology, Dogfooding
8. Executive Communication
For: Directors, VPs, C-suite
Workflow Sequence:
- pm-communication → Presentations, writing, media, offsites
- pm-leadership → Org design, coaching, energy management
- pm-strategy → Vision, north star, systems thinking
- pm-execution → Decision processes, planning under uncertainty
Key Skills: Giving Presentations, Stakeholder Alignment, Media Relations, Organizational Design, Brand Storytelling, Running Offsites
9. Career Growth
For: Anyone advancing their career
Workflow Sequence:
- pm-leadership → Imposter syndrome, productivity, startup ideation
- pm-communication → Writing, presentations
- pm-team → Managing up, building a promotion case, finding mentors, negotiation
Key Skills: Managing Imposter Syndrome, Personal Productivity, Building a Promotion Case, Career Transitions, Finding Mentors & Sponsors, Written Communication
Custom Playbooks
Combine any modules for your specific situation:
- "I'm a technical PM at a growth-stage B2B SaaS" → discovery + strategy + analytics + execution
- "I'm a PM transitioning to founder" → leadership (ideation) + discovery + strategy + team (founder sales)
- "I'm an EM moving to product" → discovery + strategy + communication + growth
Source
Playbooks curated from Lenny's Podcast (297 episodes). Database: refoundai.com/lenny-skills
