Evangelizing product management within an organization often comes with a variety of challenges and roadblocks. Product leaders must be prepared to face and overcome these obstacles to successfully drive the adoption of product management best practices. Let’s explore some common challenges and provide concrete actions for addressing them.

1. Resistance to Change

One of the most significant challenges product leaders face is resistance to change. Many organizations are entrenched in their ways of working, and introducing new practices and mindsets can be met with skepticism or outright opposition.

Actions to Overcome:

• Identify key influencers and stakeholders who may be resistant to change. Set up one-on-one meetings to understand their concerns and address them directly.
• Demonstrate the value of product management through small, quick wins. Start with a pilot project that can showcase the benefits of a product-led approach without requiring significant changes to existing processes.
• Share success stories and case studies from other organizations that have successfully adopted product management practices. Use these examples to build credibility and excitement around the potential impact.

2. Misunderstanding that Product Management Leads to Faster Development

A very common misconception about product management is that it will automatically lead to faster product development. This misunderstanding can create significant challenges for product leaders trying to evangelize best practices.

In reality, effective product management is not about speed, but about focus, efficiency, and maximizing value. It’s about deeply understanding customer needs, prioritizing the right features and initiatives, and ensuring that the team is working on the most impactful things. This often means saying no to many good ideas in order to focus on the great ones that will deliver the most value.

Actions to Overcome:

• Clearly communicate the product strategy and roadmap, highlighting how each initiative ties back to key customer needs and business goals. This helps stakeholders understand the rationale behind prioritization decisions.
• Share case studies and examples of successful product companies that have embraced a focused, customer-centric approach. Highlight how this approach led to breakthrough innovations and competitive advantage, even if it meant saying no to some good ideas along the way.
• Educate stakeholders on the cost of building the wrong things. Use data and insights to show how much time and resources are wasted on features that don’t get used or that don’t deliver real customer value.
• Celebrate and communicate the impact of successful product initiatives. When a new feature or product delivers strong results, make sure everyone knows about it. This helps reinforce the value of a focused, data-driven approach.
• Be transparent about the trade-offs and decisions that come with a product-led approach. Acknowledge that it can sometimes feel slower in the short-term, but emphasize the long-term benefits of building the right things the right way.

3. Lack of Resources and Investment

Another common roadblock is a lack of resources and investment to support product management initiatives. Product leaders may struggle to secure budget, headcount, or executive sponsorship to drive their vision forward.

Actions to Overcome:

• Build a compelling business case that ties product management practices to key business metrics and outcomes. Use data and insights to show how investing in product management can drive growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
• Start small and scrappy. Look for ways to implement product management practices using existing resources and tools. Prioritize high-impact, low-cost initiatives that can demonstrate value quickly.
• Partner with other departments and functions to pool resources and expertise. For example, work with the UX team to conduct joint user research, or collaborate with the data team to build dashboards and metrics.

4. Skill and Knowledge Gaps

Evangelizing product management often requires upskilling and reskilling teams across the organization. Product leaders may encounter skill and knowledge gaps that hinder the adoption of best practices.

Actions to Overcome:

• Conduct a skills assessment to identify areas where teams need the most support and development. Use this data to prioritize training and enablement efforts.
• Create a comprehensive onboarding and training program for new and existing PMs. Cover core concepts, frameworks, and tools, as well as soft skills like communication and influencing.
• Establish a mentorship program that pairs experienced PMs with newer ones. Encourage knowledge sharing and provide opportunities for hands-on learning and shadowing.
• Bring in external experts or trainers to provide specialized workshops or coaching. Leverage their expertise to fill specific skill gaps and expose teams to industry best practices.

5. Misalignment and Conflicting Priorities

Product management often involves balancing competing priorities and stakeholder needs. Product leaders may face challenges in aligning everyone around a shared vision and roadmap.

Actions to Overcome:

• Establish a clear, compelling product vision and strategy that ties back to overarching business goals. Communicate this vision regularly and consistently to all stakeholders.
• Implement a robust prioritization framework that takes into account multiple factors, such as strategic impact, customer value, and feasibility. Use this framework to make objective, data-driven decisions about what to build and when.
• Create a transparent, accessible roadmap that shows how individual initiatives tie back to the overall strategy. Share this roadmap widely and provide regular updates on progress and changes.
• Set up cross-functional working groups or committees to provide input and feedback on product decisions. Ensure that all key stakeholders have a voice and feel bought into the direction.

6. Measuring and Communicating Impact

Finally, product leaders may struggle to measure and communicate the impact of their evangelism efforts. Without clear metrics and milestones, it can be challenging to sustain momentum and investment over time.

Actions to Overcome:

• Define a clear set of KPIs and success metrics that align with business goals and product management maturity. These might include metrics around user engagement, customer satisfaction, speed to market, or revenue growth.
• Establish a regular cadence of reporting and communication around these metrics. Share progress updates with executives, stakeholders, and team members to build transparency and accountability.
• Celebrate wins and milestones along the way. Recognize teams and individuals who are embodying product management best practices and driving real impact.
• Continuously iterate and improve on your metrics and measurement approach. Seek out feedback and input from stakeholders on what’s working and what needs to be adjusted.

By taking proactive, concrete steps to address these common challenges and roadblocks, product leaders can more effectively evangelize product management within their organizations. It’s not always easy, but with persistence, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous improvement, it is possible to drive meaningful, lasting change.

The Rewards of Successful Evangelism

For those product leaders who are able to overcome these challenges and successfully evangelize product management, the rewards are significant. They are able to build products that customers love, that drive meaningful business results, and that create lasting competitive advantage.

One powerful example comes from a large software company that had historically been very sales-driven. The product team was seen as an order-taker, building whatever features the sales team requested. But a new CPO came in and began evangelizing a different approach. She pushed for more user research, more experimentation, and more collaboration with design and engineering. She tied product metrics to business goals, and demonstrated how a product-led approach could drive growth and profitability. Over time, she was able to transform the culture of the organization, putting product at the center of the company’s strategy and decision-making. The result was a wave of innovation, with new products and features that delighted customers and drove record-breaking revenue growth.

A Call to Action

My advice to product leaders is this: don’t underestimate the power of your influence. By consistently advocating for product management best practices, by elevating the voice of the customer, and especially by demonstrating the impact of a product-led approach, you can drive transformational change within your organization.

If you cares deeply about building great products, you have the opportunity to be an evangelist for product management. Embrace that opportunity. Be the change you want to see in your company. And watch as the impact of your advocacy ripples throughout your organization, driving better products, happier customers, and stronger business results.

If you’re ready to take on the mantle of product management evangelism, here are some concrete steps you can take to get started:

1. Educate yourself and your team. Invest in learning about product management best practices, whether through books, blogs, podcasts, or training programs. Share these resources with your colleagues, and start building a shared understanding of what good looks like.
2. Start small and iterate. Look for opportunities to apply product management practices within your current projects and initiatives. Run a user research study, even if it’s just a few interviews. Experiment with a new prioritization framework. Test a new collaboration model with your cross-functional partners. Use these small wins to build momentum and prove value.
3. Find allies and build coalitions. Identify the other leaders and influencers within your organization who share your passion for product excellence. Enlist them as evangelists and thought partners. Work together to identify opportunities and overcome obstacles.
4. Measure and communicate your impact. Define the key metrics that matter for your product and your business, and track them religiously. Share your progress and insights with stakeholders at all levels of the organization. Celebrate your successes, and use your failures as opportunities to learn and improve.
5. Never stop advocating. Evangelizing product management is not a one-time event – it’s an ongoing commitment. Keep pushing for better practices, keep elevating the voice of the customer, keep driving change and innovation. It won’t always be easy, but it will always be worth it.

The future of product management is bright – and it starts with you. Get out there and amplify your impact!

Interested in more?

We recently discussed this topic and much more on last week’s TPG Live roundtable discussion.  Missed the event? Watch the replay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RKReSrdDB4

And don’t forget to mark your calendars for our next TPG Live session on August 1st at 7 PM ET, where we will be exploring “Decision Making & Storytelling.” You can RSVP here: RSVP for the Next Event. Even if you can’t attend live, RSVP to receive a recap and a link to the recording.