Article · 10 min read
On Saying No
Lenny Rachitsky · Lenny's Newsletter (Lenny Rachitsky) Freemium Intermediate
Practical scripts for turning down or deferring a request without blowing up the relationship, which is the skill you need when the person asking pays half your bills. The reframe of answering yes, and here is what we would drop to make room is directly usable. Read it for the words to say in the actual conversation.
- Never answer a request with a flat yes or no, answer with the trade-off it forces.
- Ask what problem the customer is really seeing before you scope a feature.
- Saying no is easier when you show what the yes would cost the rest of the plan.
