# Curated Reads ## If you're seeking to improve as a manager: A manager’s journey can often feel like a lonely uphill climb in the dark. This advice lights the path forward. **[Managers, Take Your 1:1 Meetings to the Next Level with These 6 Must Reads](https://review.firstround.com/managers-take-your-1-1s-to-the-next-level-with-these-6-must-reads/)** **[The Essential Questions That Have Powered This Top Silicon Valley Manager’s Career](https://review.firstround.com/the-essential-questions-that-have-powered-this-top-silicon-valley-managers-career/)** **[Our 6 Must Reads for Managers to Give Feedback That Helps People Grow](https://review.firstround.com/our-6-must-reads-for-managers-to-give-feedback-that-helps-people-grow/)** ## If you're thinking about starting a company: Advice for pressure-testing ideas, finding a co-founder, and all you need to know before taking the founder's leap. **[This Founder Built Startups in 2008, 2016 and 2018. Here’s What He’s Learned About Resiliency](https://review.firstround.com/this-founder-built-startups-in-2008-2016-and-2018-heres-what-hes-learned-about-resiliency/)** **[The Founder Dating Playbook – Here’s the Process I Used to Find My Co-Founder](https://review.firstround.com/the-founder-dating-playbook-heres-the-process-i-used-to-find-my-co-founder/)** **[Navigating the Leap from Big Tech to Startups — Advice from a Former Google and Flipkart Exec](https://review.firstround.com/navigating-the-leap-from-big-tech-to-startups-advice-from-a-former-google-and-flipkart-exec/)** ## If you're a hiring manager: Tips for leading interviews and reducing bias **[40 Favorite Interview Questions from Some of the Sharpest Folks We Know](https://review.firstround.com/40-favorite-interview-questions-from-some-of-the-sharpest-folks-we-know/)** **[Our 6 Must Reads for Hiring Tactics that Break the Mold](https://review.firstround.com/our-6-must-reads-for-hiring-tactics-that-break-the-mold/)** **[Atlassian Boosted Its Female Technical Hires By 80% — Here’s How](https://review.firstround.com/atlassian-boosted-its-female-technical-hires-by-80-percent-heres-how/)** ## If you're an engineering leader: Advice for making the leap from IC to manager **[The Engineer’s Guide to Career Growth — Advice from My Time at Stripe and Facebook](https://review.firstround.com/the-engineers-guide-to-career-growth-advice-from-my-time-at-stripe-and-facebook/)** **[Why This Engineering Leader Thinks You Shouldn’t Aim for Zero Regrettable Attrition](https://review.firstround.com/why-this-engineering-leader-thinks-you-shouldnt-aim-for-zero-regrettable-attrition/)** **[How to Size and Assess Teams From an Eng Lead at Stripe, Uber and Digg](https://review.firstround.com/how-to-size-and-assess-teams-from-an-eng-lead-at-stripe-uber-and-digg/)** ## If you're transitioning from scrappy founder to established CEO: How to step up as your startup's leader **[Hit the Emotional Gym — The Founder's Framework for Emotional Fitness](https://review.firstround.com/hit-the-emotional-gym-the-founders-framework-for-emotional-fitness/)** **[NerdWallet’s CEO on Navigating the Shift from First-Time Founder to Seasoned Exec](https://review.firstround.com/nerdwallets-ceo-on-navigating-the-shift-from-first-time-founder-to-seasoned-exec/)** **[I Asked 100 Founders, CEOs and VCs About Career Transitions — Here’s What I Learned](https://review.firstround.com/i-asked-100-founders-ceos-and-vcs-about-career-transitions-heres-what-i-learned/)** ## If you're a startup's first people leader: How to make HR your company's secret weapon from the beginning **[A New Approach to People Ops That Puts Employee Experience First](https://review.firstround.com/a-new-approach-to-people-ops-that-puts-employee-experience-first/)** **[Warning: This Is Not Your Grandfather’s Talent Planning](https://review.firstround.com/warning-this-is-not-your-grandfathers-talent-planning/)** **[A People Ops Veteran on Navigating the Gnarliest Conversations](https://review.firstround.com/a-people-ops-veteran-on-navigating-the-gnarliest-conversations/)** ## If you're a founder brushing up on Sales 101: Essential advice for building a pipeline with your startup's best customers **[Growth at All Costs is Perilous — This is How to Scale Sales Sustainably](https://review.firstround.com/growth-at-all-costs-is-perilous-this-is-how-to-scale-sales-sustainably/)** **[Start Up on the Right Foot — Build a Customer Advisory Board](https://review.firstround.com/start-up-on-the-right-foot-build-a-customer-advisory-board/)** **[The Three Frameworks You Need to Kick-start Sales](https://review.firstround.com/the-three-frameworks-you-need-to-kick-start-sales/)** ## If you're trying to take better care of yourself: Don't wait until the pot boils over — stop putting self-care on the backburner with these low-lift tactics **[How to Take Personal Development Off the Backburner — Tactical Frameworks for Leveling Up](https://review.firstround.com/how-to-take-personal-development-off-the-backburner-tactical-frameworks-for-leveling-up/)** **[Hit the Emotional Gym — The Founder's Framework for Emotional Fitness](https://review.firstround.com/hit-the-emotional-gym-the-founders-framework-for-emotional-fitness/)** **[When “Grin and Bear It” Isn't the Right Answer — This Behavioral Scientist Shares What to Do Instead](https://review.firstround.com/when-grin-and-bear-it-isnt-the-right-answer-this-behavioral-scientist-shares-what-to-do-instead/)** ## If you're wondering how other startups got their start: Some of our favorite origin stories from founders and companies that have tread remarkable paths **[The Inside Story of How This Startup Turned a 216-Word Pitch Email into a $2.6 Billion Acquisition](https://review.firstround.com/the-inside-story-of-how-this-startup-turned-a-216-word-pitch-email-into-a-2-6-billion-acquisition/)** **[How Superhuman Built an Engine to Find Product Market Fit](https://review.firstround.com/how-superhuman-built-an-engine-to-find-product-market-fit/)** **[PlanGrid's Playbook for Startups to Crack Big, Established Industries](https://review.firstround.com/plangrids-playbook-for-startups-to-crack-open-big-established-industries/)** ## If you're searching for product-market fit: Demystifying this critical — yet often unstable — stepping stone for every startup **[Guideline's Path to Product-Market Fit — The Early Decisions That Powered Its Acquisition by Gusto](https://review.firstround.com/guidelines-path-to-product-market-fit/)** **[Gusto’s Path to Product-Market Fit — How Listening to Customers Built a $9.6B Company](https://review.firstround.com/gustos-path-to-product-market-fit/)** **[Canva’s Path to Product-Market Fit — How a Two-Hour Founder Date Led To a $42B Design Platform](https://review.firstround.com/canvas-path-to-product-market-fit-2/)** ## If you're prepping for performance reviews: Don't just check a box, tap into a vital conversation with your employees to help them level up **[The Power of Performance Reviews: Use This System to Become a Better Manager](https://review.firstround.com/the-power-of-performance-reviews-use-this-system-to-become-a-better-manager/)** **[Our 6 Must Reads for Managers to Give Feedback That Helps People Grow](https://review.firstround.com/our-6-must-reads-for-managers-to-give-feedback-that-helps-people-grow/)** **[Betterment Tested Three Performance Management Systems So You Don't Have To](https://review.firstround.com/betterment-tested-three-performance-management-systems-so-you-dont-have-to/)** ## If you're in need of some unexpected inspiration: Sometimes the most creative, game-changing ideas come from different kinds of teachers **[What Sweetgreen Can Teach Startups About Scaling Intimacy](https://review.firstround.com/what-sweetgreen-can-teach-startups-about-scaling-intimacy/)** **[How Backcountry’s Support Reps Go the Extra Mile — And Get Invited to Their Customers’ Weddings](https://review.firstround.com/how-backcountrys-support-reps-go-the-extra-mile-and-get-invited-to-their-customers-weddings/)** **[What Your Startup Can Learn from Astronauts, The Daily Show, and the Coach of the Boston Celtics](https://review.firstround.com/what-your-startup-can-learn-from-astronauts-the-daily-show-and-the-coach-of-the-boston-celtics/)** ## If you're seeking some career advice: Honest, vulnerable advice from folks that have been there **[I Asked 100 Founders, CEOs and VCs About Career Transitions — Here’s What I Learned](https://review.firstround.com/i-asked-100-founders-ceos-and-vcs-about-career-transitions-heres-what-i-learned/)** **[These Seven Emotions Aren't Deadly — They're Your Secret Career Superpowers](https://review.firstround.com/these-seven-emotions-arent-deadly-theyre-your-secret-career-superpowers/)** **[Make Friends With the Monster Chewing on Your Leg, and Other Tips for Surviving Startups](https://review.firstround.com/make-friends-with-the-monster-chewing-on-your-leg-and-other-tips-for-surviving-startups/)** ## If you're hoping to get better at talking to customers: How to unearth early insights and cultivate the powerful customer relationships that will change the trajectory of your product **[Mastering the Art of the Outcome: How Guru Turned Customer Success Into a Company Cornerstone](https://review.firstround.com/mastering-the-art-of-the-outcome-how-guru-turned-customer-success-into-a-company-cornerstone/)** **[How Backcountry’s Support Reps Go the Extra Mile — And Get Invited to Their Customers’ Weddings](https://review.firstround.com/how-backcountrys-support-reps-go-the-extra-mile-and-get-invited-to-their-customers-weddings/)** **[Start Up on the Right Foot — Build a Customer Advisory Board](https://review.firstround.com/start-up-on-the-right-foot-build-a-customer-advisory-board/)** ## If you're a founder building out your team: Essential startup roles and how to fill them **[So You Think You’re Ready to Hire a Marketer? Read This First.](https://review.firstround.com/so-you-think-youre-ready-to-hire-a-marketer-read-this-first/)** **[Defining Growth Design: The Guide to the Role Most Startups are Missing](https://review.firstround.com/defining-growth-design-the-guide-to-the-role-most-startups-are-missing/)** **[Why You Need Two Chiefs in the Executive Office](https://review.firstround.com/why-you-need-two-chiefs-in-the-executive-office/)** ## If you're joining an early-stage startup: Life at a startup can be a bit of a rollercoaster. Here are our best reads on how to hang on. **[Make Friends With the Monster Chewing on Your Leg, and Other Tips for Surviving Startups](https://review.firstround.com/make-friends-with-the-monster-chewing-on-your-leg-and-other-tips-for-surviving-startups/)** **[Hypergrowth and The Law of Startup Physics](https://review.firstround.com/hypergrowth-and-the-law-of-startup-physics/)** **[Read This Before Joining as Employee 1 to 20 at a Startup](https://review.firstround.com/read-this-before-joining-as-employee-1-to-20-at-a-startup/)** ## Insights from Building Instacart Curated from The Review archives, this collection features hard-won lessons from everyone from CEO Fidji Simo and co-founder Max Mullen, to former execs who helped shape the company's approach to growth, data science, and comp. **[How Fidji Simo Finds Focus and Creates Conditions for Intentional Work](https://review.firstround.com/how-facebooks-vp-of-product-finds-focus-and-creates-conditions-for-intentional-work/)** **[How Instacart Uses Data to Craft A Bespoke Comp Strategy](https://review.firstround.com/how-instacart-uses-data-to-craft-a-bespoke-comp-strategy/)** **[How A/B Testing at LinkedIn, Wealthfront and eBay Made Me a Better Manager](https://review.firstround.com/how-a-b-testing-at-linkedin-wealthfront-and-ebay-made-me-a-better-manager/)** ## Insights from Building Notion Curated from The Review archives, this collection features hard-won lessons from everyone from the early marketing team, to execs who helped shape the company's approach to partnerships, data science and product-led growth. **[How Notion Does Marketing: A Deep-Dive Into its Community, Influencers & Growth Playbooks](https://review.firstround.com/how-notion-does-marketing-a-deep-dive-into-its-community-influencers-growth-playbooks/)** **[Notion’s Head of Marketing on building a growth marketing engine at a PLG company — Rachel Hepworth](https://review.firstround.com/podcast/notions-head-of-marketing-on-building-a-growth-marketing-engine-at-a-plg-company-rachel-hepworth/)** **[Lessons from Notion on building a thriving decentralized community — Ben Lang](https://review.firstround.com/podcast/lessons-from-notion-on-building-a-thriving-decentralized-community-ben-lang/)** ## The Best Bits of Company Building Advice since 2013 Every January, our editorial team revisits all of the advice we published in the past year to surface the best tactical wisdom that seasoned company builders had to offer. It's a tradition that's now more than a decade in the making — revisit each time-capsule-like toolkit here. **[The 30 Best Pieces of Company Building Advice We Heard in 2024](https://review.firstround.com/the-30-best-pieces-of-company-building-advice-we-heard-in-2024/)** **[The 30 Best Pieces of Advice for Entrepreneurs in 2023](https://review.firstround.com/the-30-best-pieces-of-advice-for-entrepreneurs-in-2023/)** **[The 30 Best Pieces of Advice for Entrepreneurs in 2022](https://review.firstround.com/the-30-best-pieces-of-advice-for-entrepreneurs-in-2022/)** ## Insights from Building Figma Curated from The Review archives, this collection brings together advice from Figma's early and current builders from every corner of the company. **[The Art of Evals: How Figma Put People at the Center of Its AI Product](https://review.firstround.com/figma-ai-eval-process/)** **[Lessons in Product Scaling and Storytelling from Figma’s CPO](https://review.firstround.com/lessons-in-product-scaling-and-storytelling-from-figmas-cpo/)** **[How to Make Your Product Idea Go Viral Inside Your Company: Lessons from Figma Slides](https://review.firstround.com/how-to-make-your-product-idea-go-viral-inside-your-company-lessons-from-figma-slides/)**