Become a better communicator: Specific frameworks to improve your clarity, influence, and impact | Wes Kao (coach, entrepreneur, advisor)
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-in
- Wes’s MOO (Most Obvious Objection) framework to consistently anticipate and overcome pushback in meetings
- How to master concise communication—including Wes’s tactical approach for brevity without losing meaning
- The art of executive presence: actionable strategies for conveying confidence and clarity, even under pressure
- The “sales, then logistics” framework—and why your ideas keep getting ignored without it
- The power of “signposting”—and why executives skim your docs without it
- Exactly how to give feedback that works—Wes’s “strategy, not self-expression” principle to drive behavior change without friction
- Practical ways to instantly improve your writing, emails, and Slack messages—simple techniques Wes teaches executives
- Managing up like a pro: Wes’s clear, practical advice on earning trust, building credibility, and aligning with senior leaders
- Career accelerators: specific habits and tactics from Wes for growing your influence, advancing your career, and standing out
- Real-world communication examples—Wes breaks down real scenarios she’s solved, providing step-by-step solutions you can copy today
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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
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Where to find Lenny:
- Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com
- X: https://twitter.com/lennysan
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/
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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
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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
- How to be more concise: https://newsletter.weskao.com/p/how-to-be-concise
- Signposting: How to reduce cognitive load for your reader: https://newsletter.
