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“Yesterday, I was talking to Big Industry Player and they mentioned they have Shiny Object. I think we should have Shiny Object too. How fast can we get it done?”
Sound familiar? What do you do?
Shiny Object Syndrome
We’ve all been there.
You spend weeks crafting a roadmap, aligning stakeholders, and setting priorities… and then one request threatens to derail it all.
It could come from anywhere: customers, sales, support, ops, finance, legal, and, of course, an executive.
And every time, the idea is pitched as the thing — the magic revenue unlock, the unbeatable differentiator, or the feature that lands that whale customer.
Our instinct? To say “No.”
After all, we’ve been told that’s the PM’s job. Otherwise, we’re doomed to become a “feature factory.”
I used to handle it this way. I’d push back, cite the full backlog, explain how it didn’t fit strategy, warn about copycat risks, lecture on process… I even threw that famous Steve Jobs quote about focus at a CEO once.
Predictably, these tactics got me nowhere.
Instead, I came across as defensive, arrogant, and — ironically — not customer-focused.
Saying “No” Doesn’t Work
These approaches backfire:
Sales escalates around you.
Stakeholders feel ignored.
Faith in the roadmap erodes.
PMs get branded as blockers, not enablers.
You’re labeled as “not understanding the business.”
And let’s be real: you and I aren’t Steve Jobs.
Executives and commercial teams don’t care about backlogs, story points, or tech debt. It’s not their job to adhere to our product development processes. They just want what they want — and ignoring them can be career-limiting.
So what’s the alternative?
Your Real Job
It’s not to say no.
It’s to create the context that allows them to say no.
That means framing requests in terms of trade-offs and opportunity costs in language stakeholders care about: money.
Over time, I’ve developed a simple 5-step playbook that’s helped me triage requests quickly, protect focus, and actually build credibility with the people who control my career.
Here it is.
The 5-Step Request Triage Playbook
1. Listen actively with empathy
Make sure the requestor feels heard. Honor why the idea matters to them.
Eye contact, nodding, open posture.
Ask open questions: “Help me understand…”
Mirror key phrases:
Them: “We’re losing millions!”
You: “Losing millions?”
Them: “Yes, 4 RFPs already.”
You: “Got it — we want to be competitive there.”
Parrot back to confirm: “So if I understand correctly, you’re saying…”
Resist judgment for now.
2. Estimate with rough order-of-magnitude impact
You don’t need accurate predictability. Just size the idea.
Examples:
Customer acquisition:
(deals lost + deals gained) × average ARR per deal
→ (5 lost + 10 gained) × $50k = $750k ARRUpsell:
customer base × upsell conversions × incremental revenue
→ 1,000 customers × 5% conversion × $10k incremental per year licensing = $500k ARR
It’s a SWAG, guestimates, not a forecast. You just need to know if it’s a $10k idea or a 7-figure one.
3. Compare to current priorities
Now line it up against what’s already in play:
$2M in renewal enhancements
$1M in faster implementations
$500k savings from tech debt + $800k churn prevention enhancements
A new product opening $5M incremental ARR
How does the Shiny Object stack up to these?
4. Reframe as trade-offs — with a currency symbol
“Let’s say Shiny Object could net us $750k ARR. Not insignificant.
"On the other hand, this quarter we’re focused on product enhancements to prevent $800k in churn (customers X, Y, and Z) and securing $2M in renewals. Should we revisit Shiny Object after that?"
5. Say “no” with them, not at them
When you bring stakeholders into the process using the steps above, they often draw the conclusion themselves. And if an exec still pushes forward, you’ve at least made the trade-offs transparent.
Key Takeaway
By reframing requests in economic terms, you start speaking the language stakeholders care about — revenue, cost, business risk — instead of tech and process.
Instead of being the “no” person, you become a strategic thought partner.
Pretty soon, you’ll find feature requests stop being distractions… and start being opportunities to impress the right people.
Your Request Triage Recipe
Quantify options in economic terms.
Talk business outcomes, not process.
Frame as trade-offs using currency symbols.
Replace AND with OR.
Next time you get hit with a Shiny Object request, pull out this playbook.
Have a joyful week, and, if you can, make it joyful for someone else too.
cheers,
shardul
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Shardul Mehta
I ❤️ product managers
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