Three lessons every Product person should carry with them
The Product-Led Summit this December was a Product Manager haven – a gathering of experts sharing insights that could genuinely be put to practical use across the sprawling diversity of what ‘product’ might actually represent in any one business or industry. From financial companies like Revolut and Monzo to entertainment and sports through DAZN and London Marathon it was refreshing to hear that really, despite our differences, we’re all just trying to figure out the best ways to optimise our products while navigating the emergence of new technologies and shifting user needs.
What I found particularly valuable was the camaraderie of what being a Product Manager actually represents, and the evolutions we experience within the role, beyond the growth and development of the products we look after. A few speakers called this out specifically in ways that stuck with me – here are three lessons that every product person should carry with them in their careers, highlighting a few of the speakers from the two-day event:
1. There is no crowning moment in Product
Pippa Topp, the Interim Chief Product Officer at giffgaff™, spoke at length about ‘pockets of brilliance’. These pockets are the combination of values, capabilities, and people, paired with the underlying thread of context – in other words, the value we, as product people, provide as a quiet constant.
What Pippa articulated so clearly is that there is no single triumphant moment that defines a Product career. We don’t get standing ovations, finish lines, or cinematic breakthroughs. Instead, our work is an accumulation of tiny decisions, half-formed hypotheses, tricky conversations, scrapped ideas, incremental improvements, and moments of clarity that only reveal their significance when stitched together later. Product progress happens in the margins: the Slack message that unblocks a designer, the data point that shifts a roadmap, the user interview that recalibrates a team’s assumptions.
Pippa spoke vulnerably about the shared sentiment of not doing product ‘properly’ — that constant sense of being slightly out of depth, slightly behind, slightly unsure. It’s a feeling most product people carry quietly, because so much of our role is navigating ambiguity while appearing composed. In the moment, it rarely feels like we’re doing anything right. But as she noted, it’s only when we step back (sometimes months, even years later) to see what we’ve guided into existence that we recognise the leadership embedded in those countless, ordinary actions.
Her message served as a reminder that product impact isn’t measured in singular victories but in the steady, nearly imperceptible consistency of showing up, making judgment calls, building trust, and keeping momentum alive. Our successes aren’t spikes, they’re landscapes – and they only come into view when we pause long enough to see the ground we’ve collectively covered.
2. Product is never linear
Product Operations is a relatively new discipline in the Product space, but its influence is quickly becoming indispensable. It exists to optimise how product teams work: smoothing friction points, creating clarity in process, handling operational overhead, and providing the insights and frameworks that allow Product Managers to stay focused on solving problems rather than navigating organisational noise.
At first glance, it can seem like Product Ops simply owns tooling and process – but that only scratches the surface. Often it is their responsibility to determine which tools, technologies, and systems will genuinely support the business, not just today but as it scales. Those decisions ripple outward through multiple teams, shaping how Product Managers build roadmaps, interpret data, communicate priorities, and collaborate cross-functionally. Consistency and cohesion are the apparent benefits, but the real value sits in the foresight: understanding not just what a tool does, but when it matters.
Matthew Feczko, Director of Product Operations at Ocado Technology, captured this concept when he emphasised that Product Ops is fundamentally about pairing tools with the moments in which they’re used. It’s the interception of timing, context, and intent. Introducing a new workflow isn’t just an operational upgrade; it’s a strategic act that influences how teams think, how decisions get made, and how quickly organisations can adapt.
Matthew’s point reinforces a truth that many Product Managers learn the hard way: product work is never linear. It doesn’t unfold as a neat sequence of steps or in predictable stages. Instead, it’s a compilation of moments – tiny decisions, behavioural shifts, technology choices, experiments, and insights – that accumulate into meaningful change. Product Ops helps teams zoom out, recognise those moments for what they are, and understand how they shape long-term impact. Ultimately, it’s this ability to see both the micro and the macro that keeps product organisations aligned, resilient, and ready for whatever their users need next.
3. Product leadership shifts as your company shifts
John Martin, Chief Product Officer at Flagstone, offered a thoughtful framework surrounding the contrast between wartime and peacetime product leadership. In scale-ups, the environment changes so quickly that Product Managers often don’t notice the ground shifting beneath them. John’s talk made one thing clear: the leadership style that gets you through survival isn’t necessarily the one that sustains long-term growth.
In wartime, everything is urgent. Every decision feels existential. Teams operate in survival mode when they’re in the early stages of growth or later as they scale, and leadership becomes decisively action-oriented, seeking command, clarity, and rapid response. This phase builds resilience, but it also relies on centralised direction and intense focus.
As companies stabilise and ultimately reach a state of ‘peacetime’ with a defined product and product market fit, the demands on product leaders shift. The challenge becomes less about firefighting and more about building legitimacy, systems, and autonomy. John spoke about the importance of moving from ‘command and control’ to what he described as aligned autonomy, anchored in the military principle of Commander’s Intent: absolute clarity on the outcomes required, but freedom in how teams achieve them. It’s a leadership style built for scale – simple, outcome-driven, and decentralised.
The lesson for product people is powerful: your leadership evolution must match your organisation’s evolution. Staying in wartime mode during peacetime burns out teams. Operating with peacetime assumptions during wartime slows the company down. Knowing when to shift – when to tighten control, to distribute decision-making, to prioritise resilience, to prioritise speed – is part of the craft of modern product leadership. John’s framework reminds us that product leadership isn’t static; it’s situational. And our ability to adapt is often the difference between merely surviving and truly scaling.
On reflection
The product leader talks at the Product-Led Summit reflected a shared truth: regardless of sector, every team is focused on optimising products amid evolving technologies and shifting user expectations. Beyond the tools and tactics, the event highlighted the human side of product work – the mindsets, behaviours, and leadership qualities that shape long-term success.
The concepts above reinforce the central insight that product work is fluid, complex, and deeply human. Success comes from embracing its non-linearity, adapting to context, and recognising that real product impact is often felt long before – and long after – it’s fully understood.
