True product rebellion isn't disruption for its own sake. It's upholding user needs—which ultimately serve the company—against short-term schemes or departmental politics. This requires strategically giving ground on minor issues to maintain momentum on the most important, long-term goals.
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Don't just collect feedback from all users equally. Identify and listen closely to the few "visionary users" who intuitively grasp what's next. Their detailed feedback can serve as a powerful validation and even a blueprint for your long-term product strategy.
Artist's CPO notes that while frameworks and processes can feel productive, the best product work is often messy and uncomfortable. It involves fighting with stakeholders and making bets on uncertain features rather than fixing known, smaller issues. This contrasts with the idealized view of smooth, process-driven development.
Engineering often defaults to a 'project mindset,' focusing on churning out features and measuring velocity. True alignment with product requires a 'product mindset,' which prioritizes understanding the customer and tracking the value being delivered, not just the output.
A 'Product Rebel' is not a constant disruptor but is situationally aware. Sometimes they must be a 'chameleon,' blending in with stakeholders to build trust. Other times, they must be the 'lead goose,' stepping out to galvanize the team towards a shared goal. The skill is knowing when to switch personas.
Don't design solely for the user. The best product opportunities lie at the nexus of what users truly need (not what they say they want), the company's established product principles, and its core business objectives.
Top product builders are driven by a constant dissatisfaction with the status quo. This mindset, described by Google's VP of Product Robbie Stein, isn't negative but is a relentless force that pushes them to question everything and continuously make products better for users.
To get buy-in from skeptical, business-focused stakeholders, avoid jargon about user needs. Instead, frame discovery as a method to protect the company's investment in the product team, ensuring you don't build things nobody uses and burn money. This aligns product work with financial prudence.
Instead of debating whether Product Management or Product Marketing "owns" positioning, teams should treat it as a critical point of shared alignment. It's a collaborative space where the entire team agrees on the product's value and market strategy.
When pitching a long-term strategic fix, regional leaders prioritized immediate revenue goals. The product team gained traction not by dismissing these concerns, but by acknowledging their validity. This respect builds the trust necessary to balance short-term needs with long-term investment.
The pivot from a pure technology role (like CTO) to product leadership is driven by a passion shift. It's moving from being obsessed with technical optimization (e.g., reducing server costs) to being obsessed with customer problems. The reward becomes seeing a customer's delight in a solved problem, which fuels a desire to focus entirely on that part of the business.
