The Questions Great Product Leaders Ask
Great leaders aren’t the ones with all the answers. They’re the ones who know which questions matter. Nowhere is this truer than in product decision-making.
When facing ambiguity, strong product leaders resist the urge to rush into solutions. Instead, they slow down just enough to ask sharper questions that cut through noise. A few that consistently elevate decision quality:
Do we have the expertise to make this decision?
If not, who needs to be in the room, or what evidence do we need before moving forward?How reversible is this decision?
If it’s a two-way door, decide quickly. If it’s a one-way door, pause for deeper analysis.What data or evidence would change our minds?
This prevents confirmation bias. If you can’t name evidence that would alter your course, you’re not really testing assumptions.What does success look like, and how will we measure it?
A decision without a success definition is just an activity. Metrics keep teams honest.
These aren’t exhaustive. But they reveal the habit that separates great product leaders: using questions as a discipline to sharpen judgment.
You don’t need to have perfect foresight. You just need the humility to ask better questions, and the discipline to listen to the answers.
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