Welcome to the 10th issue of The Street Smart Edge, the free version of my newsletter, Street Smart Product Manager, to help you boost your confidence, stay focused, and reconnect with what really matters. Upgrade to a paid subscription or Inner Circle Membership for in-depth practical insights, templates, and career development toolkits to transform your impact and how stakeholders perceive your value.
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Every company has problems.
Startups. Large companies. All of them.
Customer problems.
Product problems.
Process problems.
Operational problems.
Organizational problems.
Management problems.
Team problems.
People problems.
Especially people problems!
Product Management is hard enough. Sometimes, it gets to be a bit much, and we need to blow off some steam.
We didn't get the outcome we wanted.
A decision is made that we disagree with but is out of our hands.
A difficult colleague.
A prickly stakeholder.
These situations can be frustrating. To get frustrated is to be human. We all get frustrated. I do. You do.
And sometimes we just need to vent.
I used to welcome my team to “Closed door vent sessions.”
If they felt frustrated and needed to complain, they could enter my office any time (or private Zoom call), shut the door, and feel free to let loose.
No judgment. Just an empathetic ear.
There was just one rule.
As soon as they walked of my office (or the Zoom call), they were required to be professional and collaborative.
That included me too.
Because there’s one simple rule when it comes to career advancement:
Those who solve problems, advance.
They make a bigger impact.
They get more opportunities.
They get the cool projects.
They get the good jobs.
They get access to influential people.
They get the promotions.
They make more money.
The ones who don't?
The ones who always complain?
They get left behind.
They trade in blame.
It may get them sympathy.
It also gets them the wrong reputation.
How do you react to problems?
Here’s a scale to assess your performance. At each level, you get labeled by management.
1. This is a problem. I complain about it to anyone who will listen.
The Whiner.
2. This is a problem. I trade in reminding folks that I’ve been raising it for a long time.
The CYA.
3. This is a problem. I flag it to my manager — “You need to fix this.”
The Deferrer.
4. This is a problem. I have ideas on how to fix it. I expect my manager to drive.
The Ideator.
5. This is a problem. I have ideas on how to fix it. I will drive.
The Problem Solver.
6. This is a problem. I understand it’s not worth solving right now because there are more important things to do.
The Strategist.
7. This is a problem. I’m already fixing it.
The Doer.
8. This was a problem. I fixed it.
The Impact Player.
Who advances? Who doesn’t?
Managers like people who operate above level 4. They get appreciation.
Managers need people who operate above level 5. They get favored attention.
Managers LOVE people who operate above level 6. They get promoted.
Those who operate below level 4?
They spiral into a vicious cycle of whining and blaming.
And get sidelined.
Leading to further frustration.
Resulting in stagnation, quitting, or being shown the door.
When that happens, believe me, the manager is not sorry to lose them.
And Product Managers who operate below level 4?
They’re on the street searching for a new job.
Takeaway
As a product leader:
Create a safe space for your people to vent. Your job is to support them.
Get rid of Whiners, CYAs, and Deferrers. They add nothing and subtract a lot.
If an employee is suffering from stress, anxiety, burnout, or mental health challenges, be kind — support them and encourage them to seek professional help.
As a Product Manager:
It’s okay to be frustrated. It’s okay to vent. Do so in private, in a safe space.
Then, get to work.
If you’re suffering from serious stress, anxiety, burnout, or mental health challenges, then please help yourself by seeking professional help.
Your career depends on it.
That’s it for today.
Have a joyful week, and, if you can, make it joyful for someone else too.
cheers,
shardul
Here are 4 ways I can help you today:
Strategy Design Workshop: Transform scattered priorities into clear, actionable direction. I’ll facilitate your team through a customized workshop to align stakeholders and create strategies that actually get executed instead of forgotten. Book a call.
Product Management Audit: Get a clear picture of what’s working and what’s holding your team back. Through a systematic analysis, I’ll evaluate your strategy, processes, roles, metrics, and culture. You’ll walk away a practical set of findings and actionable recommendations to strengthen your product organization. Book a call.
Corporate Training: Elevate your entire product organization. I’ll teach your team how to think and act strategically, craft outcome-driven roadmaps, and dramatically improve how they deliver measurable results that matter to your business. Book a call.
Improv Based Team Building Workshop: Boost creativity, trust, and collaboration through improv. Your team will problem-solve faster and work better together. Book a call.
Shardul Mehta
I ❤️ product managers
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