Why He Didn’t Write a Book
The Story
Lenny’s wife, Michelle Rial, is a cartoonist and author who published a bestselling book. Her children’s book “Charts for Babies” launched in spring 2026 (Source 2). Watching her experience with the publishing process was illuminating (Source 1).
It partly convinced him not to write a book himself. The economics were difficult compared to investing the same time in his paid newsletter, which had a much higher ROI (Source 1).
He explicitly avoided paths others suggested: writing a book, becoming a full-time VC, or creating a PM training course (Source 1). He chose to stay focused on the interconnected trio of writing, advising, and investing.
He later did launch a Maven course ($1,250 per enrollment), suggesting the training course objection was about format, not teaching. The difference: a live cohort course generates revenue repeatedly without the sunk cost of a book-length manuscript (Source 2).
Lesson for Creators
The book question haunts every successful creator. “When’s the book coming out?” Lenny’s answer is a masterclass in opportunity cost thinking. A book takes 6-12 months to write, earns a modest advance, and generates royalties slowly. That same time invested in a paid newsletter with tens of thousands of subscribers generates multiples more. The prestige of authorship is real, but Lenny chose revenue over prestige. For creators with a working monetization model, the book might actually be a step backward.
Related
- The One-Person Media Empire — the business model he chose instead
- The Advice Column Format — the content format that outperformed a book
- Test in the Newsletter, Then Productize — newsletter as primary asset over standalone products