How to Speak Product

I often hear about friction points and painful interfaces between product and other functions. It’s common and it’s normal. Yet, it can be minimized. How? It always comes down to one key thing: learning to speak Product. In this post I’ll explain what I mean.

This post is for the non-technical founder/CEO/Executive or any non-product team member who wants to better lead or work with PMs.

1. Speak data and speak logic

Product managers (the good ones) are great at differentiating between signal and noise. If you’re trying to make your case using an anecdotal example it may be dismissed as such. It’s ok to use singular examples but make sure to connect it to a bigger trend and have a sound logic. Try to have some data, even if it’s qualitative, and try to explain why your idea is applicable to a large audience and/or why it will make a big impact.

2. When talking about impact, features aren’t game changers (usually)

Features are typically just that. Features.

Expanding functionality, improving UX, adding another integration are all great but don’t expect a game changer. If you really want to make a big dent then use the 15% rule — is the new feature going to make at least 15% improvement for the target audience? If not then think bigger (and, as cycles of innovation becoming shorter and shorter, the 15% is actually more like 50%).

Good PMs understand it and always weigh it in when making go/no-go decisions. If a PM doesn’t get excited about a certain new feature idea then it’s probably because of the 15% rule.

3. Resources are a zero sum game

When making go/no-go decisions, PMs always consider the cost, and especially the alternative cost. Even if the product idea has the potential for a big impact and will be ROI positive, it doesn’t mean the company should do it. Why?

Because products don’t live in a vacuum. Reality is that PMs never have available resources to execute on an idea. Even if technically there are available resources, they may not be applicable because of the notion of alternative costs. If we execute on idea X, we’re not going to be executing on Y so the PM always wants (and should) evaluate other features and products that are on the table and how they relate to the overall roadmap and the company’s priorities.

So if you really want to have a fruitful conversation with your PMs, always be open and patient to talk about the alternative costs.

4. Don’t come in with an agenda

Come to share. Come to discuss. Come to listen.

Come to think together. Don’t come to command or dictate things.

The last thing PMs like is to take orders from someone else. PMs are leaders. They are trained to listen, understand, analyze then come up with solutions. They take pride in using their skills to solve problems. If you come in straight with your own solution, you are diminishing the PM. Expect push backs and an ineffective conversation.

And now to the most important rule.

5. PMs aren’t stubborn. They are just doing their job.

To be a PM is to be a synthesizer. PMs need to balance different aspects, perspectives, agendas and priorities that are often invisible unless you are in the PM shoes. Their job requires them to wear many hats and be very analytical, logical and steady (which sometimes mean pushing back on things). So that stubbornness you feel, is just them doing their job.

If you’re willing to come into the conversation open minded, you might see things differently afterwards and you are likely to find yourself in a much better position at the end.

So my advice to you is to be patient and accept that you don’t understand everything. Trust your PM and try to get into his or her shoes by speaking the PM language. Unpack things, talk about facts and alternatives and be open to deviate from your own view. You’ll be surprised where you’ll end up.

Have I missed anything? Have a suggestion for a different or a follow-up topic? Let me know at ronnie@ronnielavi.com