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Why Politics in Product Isn't a Dirty Word—It's a Reality You Must Master

news.aakashg.com · 1,526 words · saved by 1 readers

It's the 800-pound gorilla in the room. The ticking time bomb that could detonate your feature any second. Every Product Manager (PM) and leader faces it, yet most shy away. Why? Let me take you back. When I was a PM at Google, I had a project to improve our enterprise readiness for the Job Search API. It wasn’t just any project; it was THE project. The numbers were spot-on. User testing was through the roof. Every indicator screamed 'Go!' And yet, we never built it. Why? Politics. One of the most influential adjacent Engineering Managers felt threatened. He had a competing project, you see. So behind closed doors, strings were pulled. I later learned one meeting was all it took. And just like that, my project was canned. This wasn’t a setback. It was an enlightenment. It dawned on me: no amount of data or strategy could have saved me. Because I had ignored the political landscape. You can be the smartest person in the room. You can draft the most beautiful roadmap. All your KPIs could

Why Politics in Product Isn't a Dirty Word—It's a Reality You Must Master Aakash Gupta Sep 18, 2023 ∙ Paid 59 3 Share Why is politics often considered a "dirty word" in product circles? It's the 800-pound gorilla in the room. The ticking time bomb that could detonate your feature any second. Every Product Manager (PM) and leader faces it, yet most shy away. Why? My Political Awakening Let me take you back. When I was a PM at Google, I had a project to improve our enterprise readiness for the Job Search API. It wasn’t just any project; it was THE project. The numbers were spot-on. User testing

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