Navigating the Product Mindset Pitfalls

There are plenty of organizations that say they want to be “customer-focused”—but in practice? It’s easy to fall back on leader-driven opinions and assumptions about what customers really want. That’s especially true in big companies with entrenched processes and hierarchies that prioritize internal agendas. In those environments, staying aligned with customer needs can be an uphill battle—and organizations instead get stuck building solutions based on what leaders think customers should want, rather than what they need, leaving exciting opportunities on the cutting room floor.

In this episode, Rodney and Sam dig into what it actually takes to adopt a product mindset. From navigating a “hammer looking for nails” ethos to designing flexible solutions that adapt to actual user behavior, they unpack how to bring customer-centricity into daily practice—and what to do when you start to veer off course.

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Mentioned references:

• Depthfinding
• psych safety ep: AWWTR Ep. 20
• experimentation ep: BNW Ep. 62
• founder mode ep: AWWTR Ep. 22
• Josh Bersin ep: The Future of HR Ep. 12 with Josh Bersin
• revealed preference