Who Owns Product Decisions in Your Company?
I led a workshop recently for a company that was adding the product manager role. Part of the conversation was getting the team aligned on a new structure and what it means to have someone leading product decisions.
That conversation reminded me of something in football. When an offensive team goes into the huddle, all of the players look to the quarterback. He calls the play, sets the direction, and the team leaves the huddle aligned on what needs to happen next. There is no confusion about who is leading in that moment, and it allows the team to operate effectively.
If you imagine the opposite, where multiple players are trying to call the play at the same time, each with a different idea of what should happen, it becomes clear how quickly things would break down. It would be difficult, if not impossible, to move the ball forward with any consistency even with the best talented players.
I see a version of that in many teams.
When it comes to product decisions, it is not always clear who is responsible for guiding the direction. Different perspectives come into the conversation, but without clear ownership, the team is not always aligned on how to move forward and play their best.
I see this come up often as companies begin to add a product role.
Early on, the CEO is usually the one guiding product decisions. They are close to customers, involved in key conversations, and able to connect what the business needs with what should be built.
That works well for a period of time. But as the business grows, the CEO needs to focus on new priorities to keep scaling the company.
That is when product ownership needs to shift.
The product manager's role is not to manage tasks or coordinate work. That is a project manager. The product manager needs to take ownership of product decisions.
They spend time listening to customers and understanding what they are trying to accomplish, where they struggle, and what outcomes matter most. They use that understanding to guide how ideas are worked through development and how decisions are made.
They help the team focus on the problems that are worth solving, where there is real demand, and what will create meaningful value for the customer. From there, they prioritize the work based on what will have the greatest impact for the business.
Over time, the list of priorities becomes more focused, and the direction becomes clearer.
The team is no longer waiting for direction or revisiting the same conversations. Decisions are made more consistently, and the work begins to feel more connected.
The shift is about making sure there is clear ownership for how those decisions are guided day to day.
If you look at your team today, who is responsible for guiding product decisions?
And, how clearly is that responsibility understood?
