PMs - Stop thinking that you are the CEO of Product, you are not
Why thinking this way is detrimental to your product career
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I get it. We've all been there. You’ve worked hard, done your research, built your case, and made your decisions, only for someone—often someone higher up the chain—to reject your ideas. And what happens next? A punch to your ego. Maybe some imposter syndrome. A little existential crisis. "Was all that work for nothing?"
You know what's worse? When you hear other PMs proudly declaring themselves the "CEO of Product" or hear that phrase being tossed around in forums and social media. It’s a catchy title, sure, but it creates a false sense of authority. The reality is, the PM is not the CEO of Product. This mindset does more harm than good in the long run and is a one-way ticket to burnout and frustration.
The Pitfall of the "CEO of Product" Mindset
When you call yourself the "CEO of Product," it’s easy to get trapped in the illusion that your decisions are final, that your vision must be executed, and that your ideas must be the ones that get approved. You become so fixated on being "in charge" that you forget the one crucial aspect of being a successful PM: collaboration.
In reality, the PM’s role is far from being an isolated decision-maker. You're an agent, a facilitator, someone who gathers the voices of stakeholders, end-users, engineers, designers, and marketers. You’re there to make sure everyone's input is heard and that the product moves forward in the best possible direction—not to force your will.
It took me a long time to accept this. I used to put so much pressure on myself to have all the answers, to make the right call every single time. And when I faced pushback, or worse, when a decision was rejected outright, I took it personally. My stress levels shot through the roof. I spent sleepless nights obsessing over why my decisions weren’t accepted and what I could have done differently. I couldn't shake the feeling that if my decisions weren’t embraced, it meant I had failed in some way.
I was wrong.
The stress that comes from feeling like the "CEO of Product" is crushing, and it can take a serious mental toll. I’ve quit jobs because of it. My career felt like it was spiraling, and the mental strain became unbearable. But here’s the thing: the job itself wasn’t the problem—it was my mindset.
Collaborative Leadership: The Key to Product Success
I realized that in order to thrive as a PM, I had to abandon this myth of being "the CEO of Product." What we need in product management is collaborative leadership. We are not the final decision-makers. We are the facilitators of collaboration.
Think about it: we bring together all the necessary inputs from various stakeholders and channels and help make decisions that are best for the product. No decision is made in a vacuum. And that's why being rejected doesn't mean you’ve failed—it simply means that another perspective was considered more viable at that time. And that’s okay.
Junior PMs often face the brunt of this. You spend hours researching, gathering data, synthesizing insights, and presenting a well-thought-out proposal, only for it to be shot down for reasons that are beyond your control. This rejection stings, and sometimes it feels like your effort wasn’t even acknowledged. It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it’s personal. That your work isn’t good enough. But the truth is, product management is a team sport—and no one person, not even the PM, can win the game alone.
Managing Stress and Expectations
Once I adopted the mindset that I wasn’t the "CEO of Product" but instead an agent of collaboration, my stress levels drastically decreased. I stopped internalizing rejection. When my decisions or ideas weren’t accepted, I viewed it as an opportunity to learn, to adapt, and to work closer with my team to refine the product’s direction.
Being a PM becomes infinitely less stressful when you stop assuming that every decision you make has to be the "final" one. If your decisions are rejected, it doesn’t mean you’re not capable. It means the team, the market, or the business need something else. And you have to be open enough to see that. In fact, you’ll be a better PM if you accept that your ideas aren’t always the best.
That’s why PM forums are filled with discussions about how stressful and unthankful the job is. Junior PMs, especially, are constantly grappling with the emotional toll of presenting their ideas only to have them rejected. But what they don’t always realize is that their role isn’t to be the "CEO" but to bring all the right people together and make the best decisions possible—regardless of whether those decisions are the ones they originally envisioned.
So, to all the PMs out there: Stop calling yourself the "CEO of Product." It's not a title that fits. Instead, embrace the role of a collaborative leader—someone who brings teams together, facilitates decision-making, and adapts to the changing needs of the product.
Once you let go of the idea that every decision has to be yours and that you have to "own" everything, you’ll realize that product management doesn’t have to be stressful. In fact, it can be incredibly fulfilling when you stop shouldering the burden of being the final decision-maker and start thriving as an agent of collaboration.
It might take time to let go of the old mindset, but trust me—it’s worth it.