The art of influence: The single most important skill that AI can’t replace | Jessica Fain (Webflow, ex-Slack)
Lenny's Podcast: Product | Career | Growth
Mar 22, 2026
Jessica Fain reveals why most product managers fail to get buy-in by ignoring the "strobe light" reality of leadership calendars. She argues that influence isn't office politics—it's the high-leverage skill of aligning your domain expertise with the specific board pressures driving your CEO.
Key insight: "It’s your fault if the leaders didn’t buy into your idea." Fain suggests the most senior move a PM can make to build executive trust isn't shipping more features—it's proactively killing projects that no longer serve the business goal.
