CEO of the product?

🤔 I've heard "CEO of the product" used to describe the role of product manager. I think the metaphor is misleading - and I've been both a CEO and a product leader.

As PMs, we don’t have the final say on resources or decisions like a CEO does. We can't dictate outcomes from the top. Instead, we are **entrepreneurs in the product** - we take risks, find opportunities, make the most of limited resources, and bring people together around a shared vision. We lead by influence, not by authority.

CEOs set high-level vision from a distance. Product managers are in the trenches, talking to customers, identifying pain points, and iterating. We’re connected to the daily reality of what users need.

CEOs pivot big strategies over long horizons. Product managers make small course corrections all the time, adjusting to feedback and shifting priorities on the fly (in the context of a larger product vision).

This is a photo of me presenting our product vision to 50 cross-functional colleagues. I'm not mandating acceptance, I'm fielding questions, concerns, objections - absorbing the feedback. I'm working hard to build understanding and consensus.

For product folk, embracing an entrepreneurial mindset means staying scrappy, customer-focused, and collaborative. It’s not about being in charge—it's about creating impact, together.

Let's move beyond the myth of being the "CEO of the product" and celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit in what we really do: we innovate, we hustle, and we build.

(Originally published on LinkedIn)