This is a true story about two companies that made very different choices about how to handle complexity. I know it’s true because I worked at both.

Each was trying to grow, serve customers better, and scale. But they responded to complexity in opposite ways. One met it with clarity and constraint. The other met it with technical intricacy.

Both believed they were making smart choices. Only one built something that lasted.

A provocative answer is that [the process of building software products using AI] is fundamentally different and none of what applies to a traditional product is useful. At the other extreme, a conservative answer is that it isn’t different at all – it is simply old wine in a new bottle. From my experience leading teams in the creation of several AI-driven products, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. The core principles are the same, but the specifics are different in significant ways.

More companies are turning to fractional product leaders—experienced VPs and CPOs who embed with the team part-time—to help them build focus, momentum, and clarity without needing to make a full-time hire. And it’s not just startups trying to save on headcount. It’s Series B and C companies that need to scale fast. It’s founder-led orgs looking to shift decision-making to the team. It’s growth-stage companies realizing that having someone ‘own the roadmap’ isn’t the same as having strong product leadership.

The impulse to move fast is powerful. Tech culture celebrates speed, iteration, and rapid execution. But there’s a difference between moving fast and moving with purpose. The best products aren’t the ones that accumulate the most features. They’re the ones that stay focused, intuitive, and built with intention. So the next time you’re faced with a new request, ask yourself: Are we moving fast and breaking things? Or are we taking the time to ensure we’re building the right thing?

A company sets a goal to “onboard 100 customers by the end of Q2.” On paper, it’s a textbook example of a SMART goal: specific, measurable, and time-bound. But as the quarter progresses, cracks emerge. Teams scramble to hit the target at all costs, sacrificing quality, innovation, and sustainability. Customers are onboarded, but many have a poor experience, disengage quickly, or fail to adopt the platform effectively.

What went wrong? The problem isn’t the ambition, it’s the framing. Rigid, number-driven goals often backfire, creating tunnel vision, short-term thinking, and even unethical behavior. The solution is to pair goals with meaningful constraints: parameters that balance quantity with quality and short-term wins with long-term success.

In product management, prioritization isn't just a best practice, it’s a necessity. With limited engineering resources, tight timelines, and fierce competition, deciding what to build next is a high-stakes game. Every hour spent on one feature is an hour not spent on another, and the opportunity cost of building the wrong thing can be crippling. It’s not just about delivering features; it’s about making the bold, strategic moves that will shape your product’s future and determine your company’s success. Prioritization helps you navigate these constraints by focusing on the features that deliver the most value, ensuring that every decision drives impact, aligns with business goals, and keeps you ahead of the competition.

Start by anchoring your roadmap in a clear product vision. Define the long-term impact your product aims to achieve. Without this north star, the roadmap can become just another list that lacks cohesion. The vision acts as a filter for evaluating any feature or initiative's relevance.

Your product vision should articulate the journey you're inviting users to undertake, where they, the heroes of your story, overcome challenges with your product's help. This story anchors everything else.

In my path to product management, I've been shaped by both luck and a diverse background in computer science, economics, and data analysis. Flexibility has been key as I’ve navigated various industries, from e-Commerce to FinTech to InsurTech. In highly regulated sectors, the challenge lies in balancing innovation with compliance, anticipating regulatory changes, and managing risks. I’ve learned that well-rounded skills and strong collaboration are essential to managing complexity and adapting effectively, especially when working within strict regulations while still driving meaningful product development.

How many of us have joined a new company and proposed a promising solution to a problem only to have it rejected with “we tried that n years ago and it didn’t work”? Or conversely, had a new executive join your company and repeat “here’s how we did things at my last company” ad nauseum? (I may or may not have been guilty of the latter in the past.) These are telltale signs of a surface level understanding. As Product Managers, and particularly as executives, we must be able to evaluate and convey the validity of ideas from first principles if we hope to maintain success across companies and over time.