The End of the "CEO" Myth: Why the Best PMs are Diplomats
The Most Dangerous Advice in Tech Ben Horowitz famously wrote, “A good product manager is the CEO of the product." It is the most quoted line in our industry. It is also the most dangerous. When a Junior PM hears this, they walk into a room of Senior Engineers and think, “I am the boss here. I decide the roadmap." The result? Friction. Resentment. And eventually, a failed product. The reality of modern Product Management is simple: You have all the responsibility, but none of the authority. You are responsible for the success or failure of the product, but you do not report to the people who build it (Engineering) or the people who sell it (Sales). ...