Kenneth Berger
Ask for What You Actually Want
Inspired by Kenneth Berger episode
Kenneth Berger got fired three times before learning to ask for what he wanted—toddlers are born knowing this skill better than most PMs.
Kenneth Berger was the first PM at Slack and got fired three times because he spent a year hinting at what he wanted instead of just saying it. A year. Of implying. Of hoping people would read his mind. They didn't.
Meanwhile, your toddler walks into the kitchen: "I want the red cup." Not the blue cup that's already clean. The red cup. The one in the dishwasher. They're not dropping hints. They're not workshopping their ask. They're just saying the thing they want.
We spend years teaching them to be less direct. "Use your nice words." "Maybe try asking differently." Then we spend our thirties in therapy learning to say "I need help" without adding "but only if you have time, no pressure, actually never mind."
The toddler had it right. Not the screaming part. The part where they just tell you what they want and assume you'll either do it or explain why you can't. No mind games. No interpretive dance of corporate communication.
