The Game has Changed: High Agency Product Management
The room got awkwardly quiet. The demo went sideways even after all that prep. The AI returned three good predictions, then two bizarre ones. The VP of Product stared at the screen. The data scientist looked at their shoes. "I don't think we can launch," someone finally said. But that's the wrong frame. It always is.
The Real
There's a lot of product people just going through the motions. They chase features. They follow trends. They implement AI because their competitor did.
High agency product people are built different.
They know what matters. They ship what users actually need. They don't wait for permission.
Discovery Truths
You want truth? Here it is: Your first three ideas are trash. Your job is to keep going.
High agency discovery is ruthless:
- Map the problem. All of it. No shortcuts.
- Make a guess you can test by tomorrow.
- Run the test. Learn something. Repeat.
Gut check your process: Are you learning something new every week? If not, you're just collecting paychecks.
Level Up your Prototyping
Weak product managers build what their boss asked for.
High agency product managers build what answers the question nobody thought to ask.
Each prototype should do one thing. Make it tiny. Make it fast. Read the room when you show it. The silence tells you more than the words.
Your first prototype exists to be killed. Make it so you can kill it without crying.
The Squad
Your team is everything. Pick people who tell you the truth even when it hurts.
Three rules:
- Keep decisions clear.
- Keep responsibility clearer.
- Keep meetings short.
No one remembers meetings. Everyone remembers shipping.
Knowledge is Based
Technical literacy isn't optional. You need to know enough to call BS.
- Learn what's possible.
- Learn what's valuable.
- Learn what's hard.
The gold is where those three circles overlap.
Uncertainty? That's the Whole Point
The market doesn't reward perfection. It rewards shipping.
When the path isn't clear:
- Take your best guess.
- Tell everyone it's your best guess.
- Ship it anyway.
- Learn fast.
High agency means moving through fog while others wait for it to clear.
Start Tomorrow
Do this now:
- Kill one meeting you hate.
- Test one assumption you're making.
- Block two hours to think.
- Pick one number that matters. Watch it like money in your Venmo.
The Real Real
The secret: High agency product work isn't about the product. It's about you.
Build the process. Trust the process. Question the process. Change the process.
Years from now, when someone asks how you made something great, just say: "I didn't ask for permission. I found out what mattered. Then I did that."
Products aren't built. They're decided.
Choose better. Ship faster. Do more.