By Melissa Perri · melissaperri.com · @lissijean on X · LinkedIn
Melissa Perri argues that a new Chief Product Officer must shift from viewing executives as obstacles to seeing them as teammates with their own goals and constraints. The essay stresses that the CEO relationship is the most important one, since trust from the CEO determines whether a CPO gets the room and support to succeed. It notes that CEOs often come from non-product backgrounds, so the CPO must educate them and frame product work around the metrics they are judged on. Founders add emotional intensity because their wealth is tied to the company's outcome, so trust must be built from day one. The piece closes by identifying two blockers that no amount of effort overcomes: a CEO who won't back the direction, and a skills gap that can't be closed in the time the company needs.
01Key takeaways
- Approach other executives with empathy, understanding the goals and constraints shaping their decisions.
- Build a strong relationship with the CEO early, since their trust determines your room to succeed.
- Show the CEO what product can do rather than waiting for them to ask, framed around their success metrics.
- Treat a founder's passion as a sign of their stake in the outcome and respond with trust, not dismissiveness.
- Back proposals with clear data, and recognize when a CEO will never align or when your skills don't match the company's timeline.
- Lead with humility and educate peers on product's value to earn the trust that lets them hand you the wheel.
02Key sections
- Leaders are People Too
- Executives are pursuing business goals under their own constraints and criteria, not working against product teams. A product leader should empathize with each peer, including Sales, and find ways to support their goals while stating clearly what they need.
- They're Not Crazy, They're Invested
- The CEO relationship is foundational, and CPOs should educate CEOs about product's value and tie their work to the CEO's success metrics. Founders' intense passion stems from their financial stake and should be met with trust rather than frustration.
- Wrong Place, Wrong Time
- Normal growing pains differ from insurmountable problems. An immovable CEO or a large gap between the CPO's experience and the company's timeline are two issues that signal the role may be wrong.
- Earning their Trust
- A strong product function supports the whole organization, so CPOs should fill knowledge gaps for peers, show what product can do, and lead with humility and compassion.
03From the post
“How can a new CPO approach building solid relationships within the leadership team? How can you gain your board’s trust? What does a strong CEO/CPO partnership look like?”
Summary and takeaways written by PM Atlas; quotes are short excerpts. © the original author.