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Product vs. Solutioning: Lessons I Learned the Hard Way as a PM
- The author, a Product Manager, realized they had fallen into the trap of solutioning, actively designing custom solutions, and drifting away from building the product.
- Solutioning felt rewarding in the short term but was a deceptive practice that could distract from long-term impact by rewarding immediacy.
- Product Managers often slip into solutioning, neglecting to make the product self-explanatory, self-selling, and scalable.
- A specific example highlighted how a complex custom solution for a client led to technical debt, roadmap deviation, and distraction.
- While solutioning is necessary for Sales Engineering and Solution Architects, a Product Manager's role is to enable rather than lead it.
- The author shared steps taken to bring balance back, such as creating a structured solutioning playbook, running enablement sessions, and allocating dedicated time for deep product work.
- By reducing involvement in ad-hoc calls and focusing on strategic product work, the author regained control over roadmap planning and productive conversations.
- A shift towards proactive product mindset over reactive solutioning mindset was emphasized, encouraging Product Managers to focus on building products that solve problems effectively.
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