Hey product folks!
What's worse than a failed strategy? One that fails silently—while everyone smiles and nods in the meeting room. Today, I'm sharing a personal story that taught me a crucial lesson about the hidden dangers of untrustworthy strategies.
The Illusion of Agreement
Years ago, I was leading a critical product initiative at a fast-growing SaaS company. On paper, our strategy was bulletproof—data-driven, aligned with company goals, and ambitious enough to excite leadership. I poured hours into crafting the perfect deck, presenting it at the all-hands, and answering every question. People nodded enthusiastically in the room, some even congratulated me afterward.
But nothing moved forward.
The Wake-Up Call
I noticed something was wrong when dependencies lingered, deadlines slipped, and collaboration felt like pulling teeth. Then came the moment that hit like a gut punch—I overheard a colleague from sales at lunch say, "I don't know what they're doing in product, but it's all smoke and mirrors. We just nod because no one wants to challenge it."
That gossip unraveled the truth: my team wasn't following the strategy because they didn't trust it. And they didn't trust it because they didn't understand it.
The Turnaround
I realized I'd made a fatal mistake—assuming that a strategy presented with polish was a strategy understood and believed. To fix this, I stripped the strategy down to its core:
- What we were solving
- Why it mattered
- How we'd measure success
Then I went department by department, having one-on-one conversations. I shared our reasoning, invited questions, and addressed concerns in real time.
Slowly, things shifted. Instead of silence, I started hearing, "This makes sense now," and "I see how this helps us hit our numbers." The strategy wasn't just mine anymore—it was ours.
The Lesson
Strategies don't fail because of bad ideas; they fail because people don't believe in them. And belief comes from clarity, connection, and conversation. As a product leader, your real work isn't just creating a strategy—it's making sure everyone can carry it with you.
This Week's Challenge
Take a hard look at your current product strategy. Are you seeing enthusiastic nods but minimal action? It might be time for a trust check. Schedule one-on-one conversations with key stakeholders across departments. Ask them to explain the strategy back to you in their own words. You might be surprised at what you learn—and how much stronger your strategy becomes as a result.
Share your experiences or questions in the comments. I'm eager to hear how you're building trust in your product strategies!
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