Google Product Leader told me things Top 1% Product Managers AVOID

Avoid these 7 Mistakes

Imagine this:

You’ve just landed your dream job as a product manager at a fast-growing tech company.

You’ve got a sharp team, a great product idea, and everyone’s counting on you to deliver the next big thing.

But here’s the catch — your success may hinge more on what you don’t do than what you actually do.

7 Meet Sarah. She was managing a talented team working on a mobile app with the potential to revolutionize how we order food.

But Sarah had a problem — she didn’t know how to let go.

Every design decision, every line of code, every marketing message had to pass through her. Her team felt suffocated, their creativity stifled. Deadlines were missed, and morale dropped.

What Sarah Learned: The best product managers delegate and trust their teams. Sarah needed to set clear goals and step back, allowing her team to do what they were hired for. Great PMs give people room to thrive — they guide, but they don’t hover.

6. Now, take a look at Alex. He thought he had the perfect product — a new software tool for remote teams.