Avoid Ego and Improve Your Products

Too often, I hear product teams confidently declare, "We know what the customer wants." My brow furrows as I press further, "How do you know?" The response usually reveals more about the team's ego than their customer insight.

The Peril of "Knowing"

Here's the harsh truth: you're not an infallible intuition machine. Your job isn't to innately know what customers want. It's to use the tools and people at your disposal to create products that drive profits and win customers.

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When you say "I know," you're slamming the door on a world of possibilities. Product management is more like calculus than simple arithmetic – there are multiple solutions, not just one right answer.

The Big Problem: Ego-Driven Development

Ego-driven development is when teams rely on their assumptions and preferences rather than customer needs. It's a recipe for failure that leads to wasted time, unsatisfied customers, and products nobody wants.

Many teams believe they're hired for their innate knowledge of customer needs. This attitude is extremely limiting. When you say "I know," you're slamming the door on a world of possibilities. Product management is more like calculus than simple arithmetic – there are multiple solutions, not just one right answer.

Spotting Ego-Driven Development

How can you tell if your team has fallen into this trap? Look for these warning signs:

Customer Disconnect

When was the last time you had a real conversation with a customer about their hopes, dreams, and challenges?

Building Without Learning

Are you constantly pushing forward without pausing to reflect on what you've learned about your market and users?

Missed Reflection Opportunities

How often do you step back to evaluate your team's effectiveness and morale?

Breaking Free from Ego

To excel as a product manager:

Regularly connect with customers to truly understand their needs and pain points.
Balance building with learning and reflection. Don't just push features - pause to evaluate what's working.
Foster a team culture of continuous improvement and self-assessment.
Embrace uncertainty and remain open to new possibilities.

What Meaningful Work Looks Like

Meaningful product management involves:

Solving real customer problems and making their lives better in tangible ways
Creating products that drive business growth and profits
Collaborating across teams to bring a product vision to life
Continuously learning and improving your craft

Good Outcomes for Product Managers

Success means:

Shipping products that customers love and find valuable
Meeting or exceeding key business metrics and KPIs
Building strong, high-performing product teams
Developing a deep understanding of your market and customers

Pitfalls to Avoid

Beware of these common traps:

Assuming you innately "know" what customers want without validation
Building fast but learning slow: Pushing features without pausing to reflect
Losing touch with real user needs
Missing opportunities for team reflection and improvement

Keeping Decisions and Meaning Front and Center

To align your team:

Clearly articulate the "why" behind product decisions
Create and share strategic roadmaps that visualize goals and plans
Hold regular team reflections to evaluate progress and learnings
Connect day-to-day work back to the broader product vision and strategy

Take Action

Schedule regular customer interviews or feedback sessions
Implement a "learning log" in your sprint process
Set up a monthly team retrospective focused on product strategy
Create a clear, visual product roadmap and share it widely

Remember, great product management is about continuous learning and improvement. By focusing on customer needs, making data-driven decisions, and fostering a collaborative team culture, you can create products that truly matter.

What challenges have you faced in keeping your team aligned with customer needs? Have you ever encountered ego-driven development in your organization? Share your experiences, insights, or questions in the comments below or reach out directly. Let’s learn from each other’s journeys in creating products that truly matter!