The Challenge of Prioritization and Saying No

Topics Covered:

• Why saying no is an essential part of being a product manager
• How to embrace the reality that there’s always more work than you can do
• Creating systems for capturing and evaluating ideas from anywhere
• Frameworks for deciding: Is it right for my team? Is it right right now?
• How to manage stakeholder expectations with transparency and regular rituals
• The difference between a hard no, a not yet, and an easy yes
• The importance of small wins and the value of a "Friday afternoon list"
• Balancing strategic focus with room for spontaneous moments of customer love

Key quotes:

• "You’re not Santa Claus. You can’t give everyone what they want."
• "Good ideas can come from anywhere — the hard part is choosing the right ones for right now."
• "A motivated engineering team is sometimes the best outcome you can deliver."

Resources & Links:

• Follow Teresa Torres: https://ProductTalk.org
• Follow Petra Wille: https://Petra-Wille.com

Mentioned in the episode:

• HIPPO prioritization model
• Shifting from Outputs to Outcomes: Why It Matters and How to Get Started
• 6 Guiding Principles for Effective Product Discovery
• Idea backlog
• Ask the Community: What Do You Do When You Inherit a Giant Product Backlog?
• Opportunity Solution Trees: Visualize Your Discovery to Stay Aligned and Drive Outcomes
• How Linear builds product from Lenny’s Newsletter
• Product Discovery Course by Teresa