Become a better communicator: Specific frameworks to improve your clarity, influence, and impact | Wes Kao (coach, entrepreneur, advisor)

Listen to this episode from Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career on Spotify. Wes Kao is an entrepreneur, coach, and advisor. She co-founded the live learning platform Maven, backed by First Round and a16z. Before Maven, Wes co-created the altMBA with best-selling author Seth Godin. Today, Wes teaches a popular course on executive communication and influence. Through her course and one-on-one coaching, she’s helped thousands of operators, founders, and product leaders master the art of influence through clear, compelling communication. Known for her surgical writing style and no-BS frameworks, Wes returns to the pod to deliver a tactical master class on becoming a sharper, more persuasive communicator—at work, in meetings, and across your career.What you’ll learn:The #1 communication mistake leaders make—and Wes’s proven fix to instantly gain buy-inWes’s MOO (Most Obvious Objection) framework to consistently anticipate and overcome pushback in meetingsHow to master concise communication—including Wes’s tactical approach for brevity without losing meaningThe art of executive presence: actionable strategies for conveying confidence and clarity, even under pressureThe “sales, then logistics” framework—and why your ideas keep getting ignored without itThe power of “signposting”—and why executives skim your docs without itExactly how to give feedback that works—Wes’s “strategy, not self-expression” principle to drive behavior change without frictionPractical ways to instantly improve your writing, emails, and Slack messages—simple techniques Wes teaches executivesManaging up like a pro: Wes’s clear, practical advice on earning trust, building credibility, and aligning with senior leadersCareer accelerators: specific habits and tactics from Wes for growing your influence, advancing your career, and standing outReal-world communication examples—Wes breaks down real scenarios she’s solved, providing step-by-step solutions you can copy today—Transcript: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/become-a-better-communicator-specific—Brought to you by:• WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUs• Vanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security• Coda—The all-in-one collaborative workspace—Where to find Wes Kao:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weskao/• Website: https://www.weskao.com/• Maven course: https://maven.com/wes-kao/executive-communication-influence—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Wes Kao(05:34) Working with Wes(06:58) The importance of communication(10:44) Sales before logistics(18:20) Being concise(24:31) Books to help you become a better writer(27:30) Signposting and formatting(32:05) How to develop and practice your communication skills(40:41) Slack communication(42:23) Confidence in communication(50:17) The MOO framework(54:00) Staying calm in high-stakes conversations(57:36) Which tactic to start with(58:53) Effective tactics for managing up(01:04:53) Giving constructive feedback: strategy, not self-expression(01:09:39) Delegating effectively while maintaining high standards(01:16:36) The swipe file: collecting inspiration for better communication(01:19:59) Leveraging AI for better communication(01:22:01) Lightning round—Referenced:• Persuasive communication and managing up | Wes Kao (Maven, Seth Godin, Section4): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/persuasive-communication-wes-kao• Making Meta | Andrew ‘Boz’ Bosworth (CTO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/making-meta-andrew-boz-bosworth-cto• Communication is the job: https://boz.com/articles/communication-is-the-job• Maven: https://maven.com/• Sales, not logistics: https://newsletter.weskao.com/p/sales-not-logistics...References continued at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/become-a-better-communicator-specific—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email [email protected].—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.