Spencer Abrams

It’s just easier to deflect and let “sh*t roll down hill”. John Cutler is right. More engaged IT team members aren’t enough to overcome systemic #culture and leadership issues. “Someone hired those PMs. Someone funded those companies. Someone set expectations for those PMs. A leader benefitted (or didn't from their work). Someone had the job to mentor those PMs, and share business context and the strategy (assuming one even existed).” #itleadership #projectleadership #projectmanagement #productleadership #productmanagement.

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When does a product manager truly earn that coveted "Senior" title? Everyone wants that promotion, but do they deserve it? And how can you tell? A senior title isn't just about years of experience or following a rigid timeline. It's about consistently delivering at an exceptional level with very little hand-holding required. A true senior product manager can oversee large, complex product areas while tying their work back to the overarching vision and goals. They engage stakeholders masterfully, tell compelling stories, and clearly communicate how their efforts ladder up to leadership's objectives. You don't have to worry about giving them excessive direction - just point them in the right direction, and they run with it autonomously. Now in startup environments, high performers can usually reach senior roles faster than at established companies. Why? Because in startups, you ship products and features at lightning speed, allowing individuals to take on bigger responsibilities and prove themselves sooner. So it’s not just about years of experience, but what they actually delivered. Of course, if someone on your team has their eyes on that senior role, it's crucial to have an open dialogue. Understand their motivations and perspectives, which may differ based on previous work environments. For some industries like banking or consulting, people expect a promotion every two years - that’ show those companies operate. In the software world, the it’s different. Evaluate objectively: Are they truly operating at that senior level already? If so, strongly consider promoting them - a worthy investment in top talent. If not, provide clear guidance on the skills and autonomy they need to develop. You can also explore alternatives like a pay raise to recognize their contributions as they continue growing into a full senior role. Ultimately, titles are just labels. The real reward is empowering your team to expand their impact through increasing challenges that unlock their full potential. When you cultivate an environment of continuous growth, the titles - and success - will follow. What does earning a senior product role mean to you? Let me know in the comments below! 👇 Listen now: https://lnkd.in/ejtWrJKp Do you have a burning product-related question for me? Feel free to submit one here DearMelissa.com and you might find your question featured and answered in an upcoming episode. #ProductManagement #CareerGrowth #SeniorPM #StartupLife #Leadership

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What really changes on the journey from a "Product Manager" to a "Principal Product Manager?" Two things: ambiguity and scope. Let's dig in. At the product manager level, you're handed a problem and a rough solution. Your task? - Dive deep into the business and customer issues. - Polish the solution and test its viability. - Launch, measure, refine. Moving up to senior product manager, the problem is clear, but what is the solution? Not so much. Your role expands to: - Define the solution from scratch. - Drive alignment. - Execute as you did at the product manager level. At the principal level, things get murkier. The problem isn't well defined. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: - Identify the problem. - Drive alignment. - Repeat the Senior Product Manager process. - Have a point of view beyond your own scope. As you ascend the professional ladder, ambiguity becomes a fascinating and ever-present challenge, your constant companion. But here's the good news: If you can demonstrate to your manager and stakeholders your adeptness at handling any ambiguous problem of increasing scope, you can accelerate your journey to success and professional growth.

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Gotta love lunchtime conversations around my house. These were just from today! This is what happens when you have two product people under one roof. - How to handle WCAG compliance recommendations - Dealing with scope creep - How to document assumptions around R&D for quarterly planning

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> you always have a strategy, even if it is implicit and not written down. Writing helps you sharpen it, have a shared understanding. > one of the simplest yet most powerful things you can do, is to write your strategy down.

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I am increasingly worried that instead of addressing systemic challenges we're choosing to direct our ire on personas (e.g., zero-interest PMs). I understand Casey Winters's statement (and have spoken with him about it), and I understand Ed Biden's sentiment. But... Someone hired those PMs. Someone funded those companies. Someone set expectations for those PMs. A leader benefitted (or didn't from their work). Someone had the job to mentor those PMs, and share business context and the strategy (assuming one even existed). Zero-interest rates impacted their companies, and may have in turn set expectations for their roles. This makes it about the PMs vs. the perverse incentives in companies during zero interest rates. Also creeping into these descriptions are character judgements on individuals ("Don't feel accountable"). Do we really believe there is some epidemic of people who don't feel accountable vs. environments where accountability is increasingly unsafe, unhealthy, or otherwise? These statements are giving a get-out-of-jail card to people presiding over (and shaping) these environments.

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I'm loving this debate between John Cutler and Ed Biden - both are thinkers and leaders I deeply admire. Zero-interest PMs were hired by zero-interest Product Leaders, who were probably hired by zero-interest CEOs. It's turtling all the way up 🐢 Are they all incompetent? Nah, they are just a product of the environment. It would've been foolish to not take advantage of the zero-interest capital. The key question is whether these people - at all levels from the CEO to the PMs - are capable of adapting to the current environment where profit margin and sustainability are key. Everyone needs to 'sober up' after years of being drunk and high with cash. Zero-interest leaders focus on acquisition at all costs. Sober leaders focus on bringing solid value that leads to retention and sustainable growth. Zero-interest leaders double, triple, even quadruple the size of their team. Sober leaders realize that team size != productivity, that spending hours in alignment meetings for a small feature isn't any fun. Running lean is the way forward. Zero-interest leaders build or even acquire aggressively, trying to capture as much market as possible. Sober leaders are thoughtful in choosing just 1 or 2 things to do. Zero-interest leaders care about framework and rules "This is the only correct way to do product." Sober leaders care about results, knowing that those frameworks and rules are merely vehicles to achieve results. Ultimately, sober leaders are accountable for business performance, not just acting like consultants in suits talking big words and making pretty slides. It's not easy to sober up - but it's adapt or die.

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Product roadmaps shouldn't be treated like a to-do list. They're living documents that tell the story of your product's evolution and adapt with customer needs. 🌱 I learned this lesson the hard way. Early in my career, like many founders and product folks, I viewed roadmaps as rigid plans to execute against - plugging items into project management tools and checking off boxes each quarter. While this felt satisfying, this output-based approach missed the point entirely. 😬 Here’s the roadmap philosophy I live by today: The art of roadmapping isn't about the output - it's about the process. 🏗️ Or, as Winston Churchill offers, "Plans are of little importance, but planning is essential." When viewed through this lens, startup roadmaps are a tool that helps you: 🗣️ Articulate your vision clearly to different stakeholders 🎯 Prioritize work that moves you toward that vision 🛞 Adjust quickly based on customer feedback 🤝 Unite teams around shared goals For early-stage companies, I’ve found the best way to do this is to create and maintain three versions of the roadmap, each for a distinct audience: 1️⃣ Annual roadmaps for investors: Focus on major milestones and market opportunities 6-12 months out. This shows your strategic thinking and excites investors about long-term potential. 2️⃣ Quarterly roadmaps for customers: Share concrete value coming in the next 3-4 months. This builds excitement while maintaining flexibility to pivot based on feedback. 3️⃣ Internal roadmaps for teams - Break down the work into specific problems and experiments to tackle this quarter. This connects daily tasks to bigger goals (which we manage in Linear). For each version, the key is focusing on the problems you're solving rather than features you're building. This shift in mindset leads to better products, more engaged customers, and teams that understand the "why" behind their work. ❤️ The best roadmaps aren't about checking off feature boxes - they're about delivering value by aligning your team, customers, and investors around a shared vision for the future. If you’d like to dive deeper into my thoughts around this topic, I’ve written up a post on creating your first roadmaps as a startup founder on the Clarify blog. I’ll drop the link in the comments 👇

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Important : ruthless prioritization . Random inputs will generate random outcomes

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Product Leaders: Visibility is your responsibility. Don't just say, "Oh, that's all politics." If you don't take 100% ownership of communicating your achievements to your organization, your career suffers. But even more so, the company suffers because wrong decisions get made on who gets promoted and put in charge of important things. Do the work, and then take responsibility for communicating it.

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Closing slide from my presentation yesterday on design quality. This is the standard I hold for our industry: Every company large enough to have a CPO or CTO should also have a CDO. The Chief Design Officer (CDO) is most responsible for elevating the quality of the customer experience, with special attention to craft. No other individual should care more about craft and quality, with the exception of the CEO in some cases. If you're actively interviewing for your next role, when you're asked “what questions do you have for me" ask who Design reports into. Follow up by asking how this impacts design quality and craft, and how your role can also impact these. #design #quality #craft

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🚨 Sneak Peak for next week's episode of Bounce Podcast ⚫️ with Laura Baker Having empathy for users is a guiding principle for product teams. But where is our empathy for each other? Laura says it best, “Leave your ego at the door.” Product designers + managers + marketers + engineers should rally behind the problem we are solving for customers and embrace empathy for each other. Join us next week for our conversation with Laura Baker, the Global Design Leader at Fearless. Tune in on Thursday, September 12th, for a fresh perspective on nurturing culture within product teams! #Product #Leadership #ProductDesign

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Introverted Product Managers: you don't need to say more to make an impact. What you need is executive presence. Here’s what I mean: Those who talk the most often get ignored. They’re: - Always talking - Constantly making noise - Continuously giving opinions - Over time, their voice just becomes... noise. They lose respect, and their impact dwindles. But those who speak less? When they speak, everyone stops and listens. Their gravitas is felt by all. They have an executive presence. How to develop executive presence: It’s not about positional power. It’s about two things: -> Engaging your audience -> Communicating your expertise A Product Manager can command attention and influence others by mastering this one skill of executive presence. Say less → Mean more. --- Thanks for reading, and if you enjoyed this: 1. Save it 2. Repost it to share with others 3. Comment with your favorite takeaway Then hit follow → Shobhit Chugh for more posts on product management.

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Many new people getting into PM roles face difficulty in identifying north star metric of the product. Identifying north star metric can be very simple, if you ask one question to yourself: "What data I will look at to track the financial growth of the product when I do not have direct access to revenue numbers". The metric which helps you track this will generally be the north start metric of the product. North star metric is very closely related to how do you monetize your product.

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Check yourself before you wreck a product manager’s career. Is a PM on your team struggling? Before writing them off, take a look at systemic issues. This isn’t just about fairness; it is essential to ensure you aren’t going to repeat the same problem with your next hire. Some organizational issues to watch out for include: * Is the PM role clearly defined and understood in your org? * Does the PM have the resources they need to execute effectively? * Has the PM received enough support as they ramped up? * Does your org communicate effectively across departments? * Do you have clear product-market fit, or are you still searching? And some tough questions to ask yourself: * Have you put in the time to establish a relationship with the PM? * Have you made it safe to come to you with problems and questions? * Were you clear about what it takes to succeed on your team? * Have you provided the air cover they need to make tough calls? If you answered 'no' to many of these questions, consider whether the issues you observe in a PM’s performance may actually be symptoms of more fundamental organizational problems. (Check back in the comments soon for a longer article on this topic.)

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I use a pretty simple 4-part framework for finding Product Market Fit. Nothing can make finding PMF easy, but this structure helps me break it down. Achieving PMF* means solving 4 questions: 1. What problem are we solving? (For the customer, for our business) 2. How are we solving it? 3. What is our market? (who is the customer, and is it big enough) 4. What is our GTM strategy? (Repeatable, scalable growth engine) Using that, we can build a table with four rows, one for each of these questions. We can then add a column for our hypotheses. This is what we think the answer is, based on what we know now (which might be nothing more than a guess). Now, for each of these hypotheses, there’s an underpinning set of assumptions that need to be true in order for the hypothesis to be true*. These assumptions might be about user behavior (“people are willing to buy [x] online”), internal execution (“we’re actually able to do [x]”), performance (“users convert at [x%]”), or spend (“customers pay at least $x”)*. We can then sort these assumptions into two sets: “Probably true” and “Not validated”. Our task is to open up our toolkit — e.g. user interviews, surveys, card sorting, data analysis, modeling, user testing with design prototypes, painted door tests, A/B tests, Pilots, etc. — and find the cheapest & fastest way we can move these assumptions into the “Probably true” column. At some point, we’re going to run into assumptions that prove to be probably NOT true. That’s when we need to go back and iterate on the hypotheses, and restart this entire exercise, with new assumptions born out of the new hypotheses that need to be moved from “Not validated” —> “Probably true”. As you get more experienced, you’ll get faster at 1) spotting the assumptions that are most likely to be wrong, 2) identifying the right tool for the job of testing that assumption, and 3) coming up with hypotheses that are more likely to be right. None of this is easy* and it’s not quick. But I’ve found this way of structuring things to help me not get overwhelmed by the complexity of going 0 → 1, and more quickly get focus on what to do next. I hope it helps you, too. —————— *If you’re interested in reading the footnotes as well as my work-in-progress thoughts (today: r/ProductManagement as a reminder of what Product is like for many people), sign up for my free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/g44P3_rB

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Can a Product Manager own the P&L for a product if the teams building and supporting the product don’t report to the #ProductManager? You must set people up for success if you want them to succeed. Giving a product manager the responsibility of profit and loss over a product without authority over how it is built and maintained is the opposite of setting them up for success. I had a conversation with Ruby Raley about this yesterday. I shared a story about a company I know where the CTO was charged with building a new product. He outsourced it to an IT vendor. They got it built in about 9 months. It was sold to a handful of clients. The clients started using it. The bill arrived from the cloud hosting service and it was $1.2M for the month‼️ The company was going to lose over $1M a month just to run the product. 👆🏻This is what happens when goals and incentives are misaligned and constraints are not communicated. The CTO was not involved in pricing; nor had he considered the cost of the architectural decisions made by the outsource team. I rarely see the engineering organization report into the Head of Product. And even more rarely are product managers setting pricing for the products they manage, or determining the size and quality of their design and development teams. Honestly, I am on the fence about this topic. I see so many product managers struggling with the demands of doing all the things they need to do to manage their products. Many PMs only have 3-5 years of business experience. Do they have the time, skills, training, and aptitude for managing a P&L too? Does the reporting structure support it? Will the executive team support it? I would love to hear from product managers. Do you manage your product’s #ProfitAndLoss? Do you want to?

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