pm-playbooks

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:

1. pm-discovery → Validate the problem exists
2. pm-strategy → Define vision, north star, MVP scope
3. pm-execution → Ship the MVP fast
4. pm-growth → Find product-market fit
5. pm-team → Hire founding team, run founder sales
6. pm-leadership → Fundraise, pivot if needed

Key Skills: Problem Definition, Scoping & Cutting, Shipping Products, Measuring PMF, Founder Sales, Fundraising Strategy

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2. First-Time Manager

For: ICs transitioning to management

Workflow Sequence:

1. pm-team → Running 1:1s, delegation, difficult conversations
2. pm-communication → Written communication, stakeholder alignment
3. pm-execution → Meetings, decisions, cross-functional work
4. pm-leadership → Coaching, energy management, imposter syndrome

Key Skills: Running Effective 1:1s, Delegating Work, Having Difficult Conversations, Coaching Product Managers, Energy Management

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3. Product Manager

For: PMs at any level

Workflow Sequence:

1. pm-discovery → User interviews, problem definition
2. pm-strategy → PRD, OKRs, roadmap, prioritization
3. pm-execution → Ship, coordinate, decide
4. pm-communication → Stakeholders, presentations
5. pm-leadership → Product taste, systems thinking

Key Skills: Conducting User Interviews, Writing PRDs, Prioritizing Roadmap, Shipping Products, Stakeholder Alignment, Developing Product Taste

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4. Growth Leader

For: Growth PMs, growth marketers (post-PMF)

Workflow Sequence:

1. pm-growth → PMF measurement, growth loops, experiments
2. pm-discovery → Surveys, user feedback analysis
3. pm-analytics → Metrics trees, cohort analysis
4. pm-communication → Content marketing, community, positioning
5. pm-leadership → AI strategy, behavioral design

Key Skills: Designing Growth Loops, Retention & Engagement, Pricing Strategy, User Onboarding, A/B Testing, Content Marketing

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5. Engineering Manager

For: Tech leads and EMs

Workflow Sequence:

1. pm-execution → Decisions, meetings, design reviews, retros
2. pm-analytics → Tech debt management, platform decisions, design systems
3. pm-team → Hiring, 1:1s, onboarding, culture
4. pm-communication → Stakeholder alignment, offsites

Key Skills: Managing Tech Debt, Technical Roadmaps, Conducting Interviews, Running Effective Meetings, Design Systems, Engineering Culture

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6. Sales Leader

For: VP Sales, CROs, sales managers

Workflow Sequence:

1. pm-team → Building sales team, compensation, founder sales, enterprise sales
2. pm-communication → Presentations, positioning, stakeholder alignment
3. pm-strategy → Competitive analysis, north star metrics
4. pm-growth → Pricing strategy, marketplace dynamics

Key Skills: Founder Sales, Enterprise Sales, Sales Compensation Design, Sales Qualification, Building Sales Team, Positioning & Messaging

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7. AI Builder

For: AI/ML PMs, AI engineers, AI startup founders

Workflow Sequence:

1. pm-leadership → AI product strategy, building with LLMs, evals
2. pm-strategy → PRD, problem definition, scoping
3. pm-discovery → User research, usability testing
4. pm-growth → PMF for AI products, activation
5. pm-execution → Ship, iterate, design reviews

Key Skills: AI Product Strategy, Building with LLMs, AI Evaluation (Evals), Vibe Coding, Evaluating New Technology, Dogfooding

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8. Executive Communication

For: Directors, VPs, C-suite

Workflow Sequence:

1. pm-communication → Presentations, writing, media, offsites
2. pm-leadership → Org design, coaching, energy management
3. pm-strategy → Vision, north star, systems thinking
4. pm-execution → Decision processes, planning under uncertainty

Key Skills: Giving Presentations, Stakeholder Alignment, Media Relations, Organizational Design, Brand Storytelling, Running Offsites

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9. Career Growth

For: Anyone advancing their career

Workflow Sequence:

1. pm-leadership → Imposter syndrome, productivity, startup ideation
2. pm-communication → Writing, presentations
3. 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

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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