Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

Making time for what matters | Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky (authors of Sprint and Make Time, co-founders of Character Capital)

Feb 11, 2024

Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky, co-founders of Character Capital and authors of best-sellers like Sprint and Make Time, share intriguing insights on productivity. They discuss the concept of the 'busy bandwagon' and suggest focusing on daily highlights to enhance satisfaction. Their four-part framework emphasizes structured scheduling and creating friction to curb distractions. Personal anecdotes about managing digital distractions and enhancing focus provide practical strategies, all while advocating for reflection and emotional well-being.

01:35:39

Creator website

Episode guests

John Zeratsky

Jake Knapp

AI Summary

Highlights

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The highlight concept helps prioritize and shape time around important tasks.

Creating barriers to distraction improves productivity by making it harder to get off track.

Adaptation and reflection are vital for optimizing productivity.

Being intentional in structuring time and prioritizing tasks can significantly impact productivity.

Deep dives

The Power of the Highlight

The highlight is a powerful concept in optimizing productivity. By envisioning the end of the day and asking yourself what would be the highlight, you can prioritize and shape your time around that important task or activity. It can be something that brings satisfaction, joy, or is urgent. Writing it down on a sticky note or adding it to your calendar serves as a reminder and helps you stay focused on that highlight.

The Four Parts: Highlight, Laser, Energize, and Reflect

02:47

Prioritizing Sleep and Accountability for Energy

01:26

Identify Your Highlight and Write It Down

01:28

Letting Go of the Constant Pressure

03:31

Intro

4min

Recording the Audiobook: A Joyful Experience

2min

Reimagining Productivity: From Chaos to Clarity

25min

Mastering Time Management Through Structured Scheduling

3min

Prioritizing Daily Highlights for Fulfillment

12min

Navigating Parenthood and Enhancing Focus in a Distracting World

4min

Navigating Digital Distractions

14min

Mastering Information Overload and Focus

14min

Maximizing Productivity with Mindful Management

4min

10.

Embracing Daily Reflection for Personal Growth

2min

11.

Practical Strategies for Better Time Management

2min

12.

Harnessing the Power of Design Sprints for Rapid Prototyping

4min

13.

Five-Day Sprint for Startup Success

5min

Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky are the authors of best-selling books Sprint and Make Time. They have helped more than 300 teams design new products and bring them to market, including those at YouTube, Gusto, One Medical Group, and Slack. Jake and John are co-founders of the venture capital firm Character, where they support startups with capital and sprints. Previously, they were operating partners at Google Ventures and, before that, design leaders at Google, where John worked on Google Ads and YouTube and Jake helped build Gmail and co-founded Google Meet. In our conversation, we discuss:

• “Busy bandwagon” and “infinity pools”

• Creating one “highlight” each day

• Their four-part framework for productivity

• How to use the calendar to design your day

• How creating friction can help you avoid distractions

• Tips on creating a distraction-free phone

• Strategies for managing email and distractions

• The importance of reflecting on the day and making time for meaningful work

• Design sprints

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