One Sentence Year-End Success Statement

The "Impact First" approach ensures product teams align their work directly with business-critical outcomes, making them more valuable and less vulnerable to layoffs.

Why Impact Alignment Matters

More product managers and teams are getting laid off when they can't demonstrate clear business impact
Daniel Ek (Spotify CEO) during 2024 layoffs: "We still have too many teams doing work around the work rather than focusing on opportunities with real impact"
Even if executives ask you to build something, you're still vulnerable if that work doesn't drive meaningful business outcomes
The fundamental question: "If you were the CEO of this company, would you fully fund your own team?"
- Most product managers can't confidently answer this question right away
- If you can't answer it, you're in a risky position

The Low Impact PM Death Spiral

Teams take on low-impact work (adding small features, cosmetic improvements) because:
- It invites less scrutiny
- It's easier to execute
- You're less likely to mess up something important
This creates a downward spiral:
- More teams add small features with little impact
- Product becomes more complex ("the hood gets heavier")
- Dependencies multiply, making high-impact work harder
- Companies add program management layers to manage complexity
- Teams go deeper into low-impact work because it's the path of least resistance
- This continues until the next round of layoffs

Three Steps to Become an Impact-First Product Team

1. Set team goals no more than one step away from company goals

Don't let goals get "cascaded into oblivion" through multiple layers
Use Christina Woodkiss's model: company goal as center of gravity with team goals orbiting one level around it
Example: If company goal is $1M revenue, team goal might be "convert X single-product users to multi-product users" with clear revenue impact
When leadership sees this direct connection, they understand your value immediately

2. Keep impact first at every step

Don't just set impact goals during planning then forget them
Make impact visible throughout execution
Example: A growth team leader who put "1 million users" on the whiteboard and said: "If our conversation doesn't start with this, I don't want to have the conversation"
Maintain a clear line of sight to impact in every meeting and decision

3. Connect every bit of work back to impact

When prioritizing, express impact in the same unit of measure as your goals
Avoid abstract scoring systems that disconnect work from business outcomes
Example: Instead of generic "high impact" scores, estimate "how many users this will convert" or specific revenue contribution
Be willing to pursue higher-impact work even when it requires coordination with other teams

How to Push Back Without Saying "No"

Present options with trade-offs rather than rejecting ideas outright
"If you're doing product management really well, you never have to say yes and you never have to say no"
When executives request low-impact work:
- Show how it affects your ability to hit agreed-upon goals
- Provide multiple options with clear trade-offs
- Make a recommendation based on business impact
- Recognize executives may have information you don't have

Practical Application

Use commercial realities as guideposts, not obstacles
Embrace constraints as the things that give your work shape
Ask: "What's one sentence you'd want to be able to say at the end of this year that would leave you feeling awesome about this team's work?"
Remember that no good work is wasted, but impact-focused work creates more value
Maintain curiosity when things are going well to understand what's working and why

Mindset Shift

Accept that business outcomes are partially outside your control, but you're still accountable for them
Surprisingly, commercially-minded PMs are often happier because they:
- Have clearer priorities
- Understand their role in the business
- Don't fight losing battles over "doing product the right way"
- Can separate work from personal life more effectively