Not long ago, a product manager asked me, “What’s the one thing most PMs get wrong?”
Now, there are plenty of easy answers—ignoring data, neglecting stakeholders, frameworks, . But let’s go deeper. Here’s the truth:
Many product managers love their product too much.
Sounds counterintuitive, right? But over-identifying with your product can quietly derail your impact in two fundamental ways.
Now don’t get me wrong—passion is good. You need to care. But there’s a tipping point where care turns into attachment, and that’s where things go sideways.
I’ve seen both other side of this coin. Earlier in my career, I managed a financial product I didn’t care for at all. No spark. No drive. And without that connection, I struggled to make decisions that mattered. I learned the hard way that detachment can be just as risky as over-attachment.
Here’s what happens when you love your product too much:
Output Mode: The Silent Career Killer
When you care too much, you tend to protect your product. You start prescribing solutions instead of facilitating outcomes. You hand your team a pre-cooked meal instead of inviting them to co-create. And that subtly transforms your role—from strategic thinker to tactical executor.
Even worse: conversations with stakeholders become about delivery rather than direction. You’re not steering anymore. You’re reporting.
This is how product managers slide into what we call the delivery drain. And once you're there, it's hard to climb out.
You’re Fluent in Product—But Not in Business
Stop Talking Product, Start Speaking Impact. When PMs are too in love with the product, they default to customer language—user journeys, features, NPS—when talking to the business. That’s valuable, but insufficient. Stakeholders don’t fund features; they invest in outcomes resulting in business impact.
You need to translate product progress into organizational impact. That means elevating the conversation: from usability to growth, from feature delivery to strategic leverage.
Product Has Become Strategic
Most product managers operate at the operational level—what’s being built, what’s being released, what’s on the roadmap. And yes, that’s crucial. But the real impact? It’s made at the tactical and strategic levels.
This is where product managers distinguish themselves. Those who can fluidly move across all three levels—strategy, tactics, and operations—will lead their organizations forward.
As I’ve outlined in my whitepaper Product Has Become Strategy, the role of product has fundamentally shifted. It's no longer just a function; it is the strategy. And navigating that landscape requires more than loving your product. Those who can work across all levels—strategic, tactical, operational—are the ones who create real impact.
So yes, love your product. But not blindly. Care about it like you would a good story: one that evolves, includes others, and ultimately serves a greater goal.
Because in the end, your job isn’t to ship features. It’s to create the conditions for change.