Clarity is a PM’s superpower. Early in a career, speed feels like the ultimate skill. Later, strategy seems like the key. Over time, it becomes clear - strong communication makes the difference.
Brilliant strategies crumble without understanding. Clear communication creates alignment. Alignment builds trust. A team that trusts your judgement will follow your lead, and leadership confident in your clarity will give you room to excel.
Great PMs don’t just build products. They build trust by making the complex simple and the ambiguous clear.
Hesitating to share a weird idea kills creativity. Fear of judgement silences potential brilliance.
Most unconventional ideas won’t work. But the rare one that does can change everything. What seems absurd in one moment might solve a problem in another. Creativity thrives on the unexpected and bold ideas are the spark for breakthroughs.
By embracing the bizarre, teams unlock new possibilities. Instead of dismissing “stupid” ideas, explore them. Confidence to share fuels progress and every idea becomes a seed for innovation.
-- Posted on LinkedIn -- delete
Hold your solutions back.
Jumping in with answers stifles creativity. Product designers thrive on tackling problems from fresh perspectives. Sharing your solution too soon anchors their thinking, narrowing their exploration. Give them space to wrestle with the challenge, experiment and uncover angles you might not have considered. Their approach could lead to something better—or reveal nuances that refine your idea.
Collaboration works best when it starts with independence.
A successful product balances execution and vision. As Melissa Perri highlights, it’s not just about delivering but steering in the right direction. Markets shift. Challenges arise. Opportunities emerge. Pivoting with purpose defines lasting success.
A good company strategy should be made up of two parts: the operational framework, or how to keep the day-to-day activities of a company moving; and the strategic framework, or how the company realizes the vision through product and service development in the market.
Bold ideas unlock progress.
When crafting new products or features, it's easy to focus on safe, incremental improvements. These solutions feel achievable and practical but they rarely break new ground.
Adding a bold concept into the mix forces the team to think beyond limitations. Even if the daring idea doesn’t make it to launch, it creates a spark. It pushes boundaries, reshapes how problems are viewed and reveals opportunities overlooked in safer designs.
A bold solution isn’t just a backup plan. It’s a catalyst for better work.
Good managers know when to step back.
Intervening too often stifles creativity, ownership and morale. Teams thrive when leaders provide clear direction, trust their abilities and give them space to execute. Micromanagement creates bottlenecks, while autonomy pushes innovation and accountability.
The best work happens when leaders empower, not overshadow.
A short post about trust between a founder and their first Head of Product: Scaling with a Head of Product.
Feedback often triggers defensiveness. Misunderstood intent feels like an attack.
Clarity is your shield. When offering feedback, state your purpose plainly. Highlight the goal—helping, not harming.
Good feedback strengthens, never wounds. Make your intent impossible to misread.
Leaders thrive on connection. Taking time to engage with teams builds trust and fuels collaboration.
The risk lies in misreading commitment. Valuing late nights over outcomes sends the wrong message, tying effectiveness to hours rather than impact.
Great leadership doesn’t trade presence for results. It inspires through balance and focus.
One of the smartest things the new CEO did was start an “open door” policy. His version of that was walking around and getting to know people, but also inviting anyone and everyone to stop by his office after 4 p.m. to talk; there was no agenda. He let them know that he would stay as late as necessary if they wanted to chat. Many nights he didn’t leave the office until 8 or 9 p.m.
David Rohlander, The CEO Code
Uncertainty defines startup life.
Prioritise problems, communicate your vision and stay flexible.
Adaptability and clear focus turn uncertainty into opportunity.