TLDR: your customers and teammates want to be the hero, so the greatest opportunity is to help them get there; be the Yoda to their Skywalker
When I became a lead PM, I made a near-fatal career mistake. I was used to working at a tiny startup. A startup is like a baby. It cries 24/7 and requires a team of heroes to keep alive. I liked being a hero, someone trusted to save the day.
A startup is also designed to grow fast. Unlike a real baby, it can become a teenager overnight. And a teenager doesn’t need a hero, it needs a guide.
Most of us see ourselves as the hero. We need to save our customers to win them over. We need to save our teammates and direct reports to add value.
Here’s the truth: nobody is asking for a hero. Everybody is already the star of their own movie — they are the aspiring hero. What they want is a guide who can help them get there.
The best products and leaders recognize this nuance and make an ever-lasting impact. Let’s talk about how to try this for your product and relationships.
Every problem is 3 layers deep
Every juicy problem has three layers. It starts with a practical need, turns into an emotional desire, and is topped with a captivating narrative.
Some examples:
Most of us fixate on the first layer: the practical problem, leaving emotional and narrative voids. We present our product as the best solution — it’s the hero! But customers ignore features unless they translate into benefits that make them the hero. The most convincing benefits align with their aspirational identity.
Connect the dots
In most places, a different team is responsible for each layer, and it shows. A thing is first made, then marketed and explained in the most flattering light.
The real magic happens when you work out the emotion and narrative before you build anything. Details can change, but the very act of drafting all three layers, connecting the dots, takes you to special places.
Amazon famously asks people to write a press release before anything starts. I p
