How to Build Your Product Sense: The Trait That Sets Leaders Apart
Why product sense is critical for PMs and how to cultivate it
“Do you know of any good classes that can improve my product sense?” One of my coworker asked me this last week.
“I’d also like to know. No promo for me this time, my manager told me to improve my product skills.”Another PM also shared.
Product sense, execution, and analytics are the three core traits of any successful PM.
But they’re not all created equal.
Among these, product sense is the most sought-after and arguably the hardest to acquire. It’s also what sets great leaders apart from average ones.
Why product sense will make or break your PM career
With AI-driven tools rapidly advancing, 10x execution and analytics will soon become table stakes.
In the near future, product sense will emerge as the only key differentiator in building exceptional products and leading successful teams.
But what exactly is product sense? It’s about perspectives.
It’s about rewiring your brain to think deeply, broadly, and insightfully about problem spaces, customers, and users.
According to Shreyas Doshi
A common misconception of Product Sense is that it is something you either have or you don't.
In reality, you can significantly improve your Product Sense by understanding and practicing a number of principles of human motivation, behavior, and creativity.
Most PMs struggle to improve their product sense
Like any skill, there are countless resources to help you sharpen your product sense. You can take courses, listen to world-class product leaders, and get a peek into how they approach problems.
You’ll likely walk away feeling inspired, enlightened, and brimming with fresh perspectives to bring back to work.
But then reality sets in.
Applying those insights can feel overwhelming, and without regular practice, the lessons fade.
Six months later, much of what you learned is forgotten.
I’ve been there.
How to continuously improve your product sense
In my experience, improving it requires more than passive learning.
You need to:
1. Gain new perspectives through exposure to diverse ideas and approaches.
2. Build a system to practice it regularly.
Here are five practical ways to get started:
1. Join other PMs’ product reviews
Expose yourself to diverse problems and solutions by sitting in on product reviews outside your immediate team. You’ll broaden your perspective and see how others tackle challenges.
2. Decode the feedback of product leaders
Study comments from senior product leaders. Don’t just read their suggestions—dig deeper. Ask yourself:
Why did they give this feedback?
What assumptions are they making?
How would they have approached it differently?
3. Reverse engineer successful product features
When you come across other successful products at your company, reach out to the PM responsible. Understand their decision-making process—what went well, what didn’t, and why they made certain decisions. Dive into their thought process:
Why did they build the product the way they did?
What factors influenced their choices?
What lessons did they learn along the way?
4. Practice explaining your product decisions to different audiences
Talking through your product decisions with diverse audiences can strengthen your product thinking. Different groups will give you different feedback—and challenge you to think in ways you might not have considered.
For example:
Business development teams might focus on market fit and revenue impact.
Engineers will dig into technical feasibility and scalability.
Designers might question user flow or interface choices.
Each perspective adds a new layer to your understanding and forces you to think holistically about your product.
5. Learn from a mentor
Don’t hesitate to reach out to great product leaders and ask for mentorship. Working closely with someone who excels in product sense can be transformative.
Here’s how to make the most of a mentorship relationship:
Break down how they think. Observe their approach to problem-solving, decision-making, and prioritization.
Learn about their routines. Understand how they stay sharp—what they read, how they analyze products, and how they approach their work.
Meet with them regularly. Schedule consistent check-ins to review your progress and discuss challenges. Use these sessions to seek their feedback on your thinking and growth.
Mentorship isn’t just about getting answers—it’s about learning to ask the right questions, understanding different perspectives, and developing a framework for your own product sense.
Product sense is about seeing what others miss
Product sense is not just about identifying what’s broken—it’s about seeing opportunities no one else sees.
In a world where execution and analytics are becoming table stakes, product sense will be the trait that propels you into leadership roles.
The best PMs I’ve worked with don’t just solve problems—they reframe them, think strategically, and consistently deliver innovative solutions. That’s the power of product sense.
Key Takeaways:
Product sense is the most critical skill to cultivate for long-term PM growth.
It can be learned and practiced through exposure, feedback, and regular reflection.
Build a system to practice product sense daily—don’t let it fade after a course or workshop.
Next Week
We’ll continue small talks with deeper discussions about planning for effective end-of-year career conversations with your manager.
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