| name | pm-coach |
| description | Coaches product managers on skill development, career growth, and PM craft.
Use when: discussing PM career development, improving product sense, giving/receiving
feedback, understanding PM competencies, developing high agency, or improving
product review skills. Includes: PM Competencies, Product Sense, Three Levels
of Work, High Agency, Design Feedback, Product Reviews frameworks.
Sources: Ravi Mehta, Julie Zhuo, Shreyas Doshi, Ami Vora.
|
PM Coach Skill
Help product managers develop their skills, advance their careers, and improve their craft.
When This Skill Activates
- "How do I grow as a PM?"
- "What PM skills should I develop?"
- "How do I give better feedback?"
- "I want to improve my product sense"
- "How do I run better product reviews?"
- "What level PM am I?"
- "How do I become more high agency?"
- "Career advice for PMs"
Framework Selection Guide
| Situation | Use This Framework |
|---|
| Career development planning | PM Competencies |
| Building product intuition | Product Sense Development |
| Understanding where to focus energy | Three Levels of Work |
| Developing ownership mindset | High Agency |
| Giving design/product feedback | Design Feedback Framework |
| Running effective product reviews | Product Review Best Practices |
Framework 1: PM Competencies (12 Skills)
Source: Ravi Mehta - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: The same 12 competencies apply from APM to CPO—only the scope changes.
The 12 Competencies in 4 Areas
Product Execution (Building Product)
- Functional Specification - Writing clear PRDs and specs
- Product Delivery - Working with eng/design to ship
- Product Quality - Ensuring high quality output
Customer Insight (Understanding Users)
4. Fluency with Data - Using data to make decisions
5. Voice of the Customer - Customer conversations, research
6. User Experience Design - Thinking about UX in detail
Product Strategy (Setting Direction)
7. Business Outcome Ownership - Connecting features to metrics
8. Product Vision & Roadmapping - Creating coherent vision
9. Strategic Impact - Moving strategy forward
Influencing People (Leading Without Authority)
10. Stakeholder Inclusion - Working cross-functionally
11. Team Leadership - Managing and developing others
12. Managing Up - Winning leadership support
Self-Assessment Process
Step 1: Rate Yourself (0-2 scale)
- Needs Focus (0-0.5)
- On Track (1.0)
- Outperforming (1.5-2.0)
Step 2: Get Manager Assessment
- Ask manager to rate same competencies
- Compare ratings
- Discuss differences
Step 3: Identify Patterns
Common PM archetypes:
| Archetype | Strong | Growth Areas |
|---|
| Growth PM | Data, Outcomes | UX, Vision |
| Discovery PM | Customer, UX | Data, Delivery |
| Technical PM | Delivery, Quality | Strategy |
| Strategic PM | Vision, Strategy | Execution |
Step 4: Create Development Plan
Focus on 1-2 competencies per quarter.
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Treating all competencies equally (role matters)
- Only focusing on weaknesses
- Skipping external perspective
- Ignoring scope changes by level
Framework 2: Product Sense Development
Source: Julie Zhuo - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: Product sense is pattern recognition built through deliberate practice, not innate talent.
What is Product Sense?
The ability to:
- Predict what users want before they know it
- Identify good solutions to user problems
- Recognize patterns across products and domains
- Make sound product judgments quickly
Development Methods
Method 1: Product Teardowns
- Pick a successful product
- Ask: Why does this work?
- Identify key decisions and their effects
- Compare to alternatives
Method 2: Prediction Practice
- Before seeing data, predict outcomes
- Compare predictions to reality
- Analyze why you were right/wrong
- Adjust mental models
Method 3: Cross-Domain Learning
- Study products outside your domain
- Extract transferable patterns
- Apply to your context
Method 4: User Observation
- Watch users interact with products
- Note surprises and confirmations
- Build intuition through exposure
Building Blocks of Product Sense
- User empathy (understanding needs)
- Domain expertise (knowing the space)
- Pattern recognition (seeing what works)
- First principles thinking (why things work)
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Thinking product sense is innate
- Not practicing deliberately
- Only studying your own domain
- Ignoring disconfirming evidence
Framework 3: Three Levels of Product Work
Source: Shreyas Doshi - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: Most PMs focus on Execution when they should focus on Impact.
The Three Levels
Level 1: Impact Work (Highest leverage)
- Choosing WHAT to work on
- Setting direction and priorities
- Defining success criteria
- Strategic decisions
Level 2: Execution Work (Where most PMs live)
- HOW to build what was decided
- Project management
- Shipping features
- Day-to-day coordination
Level 3: Optics Work (Necessary but dangerous)
- How work is PERCEIVED
- Status updates and reporting
- Stakeholder management
- Internal communication
The Problem
Most PMs spend:
- 60% on Execution
- 30% on Optics
- 10% on Impact
Should spend:
- 40% on Impact
- 40% on Execution
- 20% on Optics
How to Shift to Impact Work
Step 1: Audit Your Calendar
- Categorize each meeting/task by level
- Calculate current distribution
Step 2: Identify Impact Opportunities
- What strategic questions are unanswered?
- What prioritization decisions need making?
- Where is direction unclear?
Step 3: Delegate or Eliminate
- Delegate Execution work where possible
- Eliminate low-value Optics work
- Protect time for Impact work
Step 4: Make Impact Work Visible
- Impact work is invisible by default
- Document and share strategic thinking
- Help leadership see your Impact work
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Confusing busyness with impact
- Neglecting Optics entirely (you need some)
- Waiting for permission to do Impact work
- Doing Impact work but not communicating it
Framework 4: High Agency Development
Source: Shreyas Doshi - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: High agency people find a way to get things done regardless of obstacles.
What is High Agency?
- Finding a way when there's no obvious path
- Taking ownership beyond job description
- Creative problem-solving around obstacles
- Bias toward action over waiting
Three Dimensions of High Agency
1. Ownership
- Treating the problem as fully yours
- Not waiting for permission
- Filling gaps others ignore
- "If not me, who?"
2. Creative Execution
- Finding unconventional solutions
- Working around blockers
- Leveraging resources creatively
- Not accepting "can't be done"
3. Resilience
- Persisting through setbacks
- Learning from failures
- Maintaining momentum
- Not letting obstacles stop you
Developing High Agency
Practice 1: Expand Your Circle of Influence
- Start with what you CAN control
- Gradually expand what you take ownership of
- Don't wait to be asked
Practice 2: Reframe Obstacles
- "I can't because X" → "How might I despite X?"
- "They won't let me" → "How do I build the case?"
- "It's not my job" → "What if I made it my job?"
Practice 3: Build a Bias for Action
- When in doubt, try something
- Small experiments beat long debates
- Learn by doing, not just analyzing
Practice 4: Seek Feedback on Agency
- Ask: "Where did I wait when I could have acted?"
- Ask: "Where did I accept an obstacle too easily?"
High Agency vs. Low Agency Responses
| Situation | Low Agency | High Agency |
|---|
| Need data but no analyst | Wait for analyst | Learn SQL, get data yourself |
| Engineering says impossible | Accept it | Ask "what would make it possible?" |
| No budget | Don't do it | Find creative alternatives |
| Stakeholder blocking | Give up | Understand their concerns, find win-win |
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Confusing high agency with ignoring rules
- Burning bridges in pursuit of outcomes
- Not knowing when to escalate vs. solve
- Burnout from taking on too much
Framework 5: Design Feedback Framework
Source: Julie Zhuo - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: Good feedback climbs the ladder from Reaction to Solution to Problem.
The Feedback Ladder
Level 1: Reaction (Lowest value)
- "I don't like it"
- "This feels off"
- "I'm not sure about this"
Level 2: Solution (Medium value)
- "What if we made the button blue?"
- "Can we move this to the top?"
- "Add a confirmation dialog"
Level 3: Problem (Highest value)
- "I'm worried users won't notice this"
- "This seems to add friction to checkout"
- "The hierarchy feels unclear"
Giving Better Feedback
Step 1: Notice Your Reaction
- Pay attention to your gut response
- Don't immediately voice it
Step 2: Identify the Problem
- What's causing your reaction?
- What user need isn't being met?
- What principle is being violated?
Step 3: Share the Problem, Not Solution
Instead of: "Make the button bigger"
Say: "I'm worried users might miss this CTA—it seems lost
in the page hierarchy"
Step 4: If Offering Solutions, Offer Multiple
- Provide 2-3 possible solutions
- Makes it clear it's a suggestion, not a mandate
- Enables better alternatives to emerge
Receiving Feedback
Step 1: Listen Fully
- Don't interrupt or defend
- Take notes
Step 2: Clarify the Problem
- "What's the concern behind that suggestion?"
- "Help me understand what's not working"
Step 3: Acknowledge, Then Respond
- "I hear your concern about X"
- Then explain your thinking or agree to iterate
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Giving solution-level feedback (too prescriptive)
- Reacting defensively to feedback
- Not clarifying the underlying problem
- Ignoring feedback because delivery was poor
Framework 6: Product Review Best Practices
Source: Ami Vora - Lenny's Podcast
Key Insight: Leaders give "dinosaur brain" feedback when they haven't experienced the problem first.
The Dinosaur Brain Problem
- Leaders react instinctively without context
- Project personal preferences onto users
- Miss the underlying problem being solved
- Create whiplash for teams
The Right Review Structure
Part 1: Problem Immersion (5-10 min)
Make the reviewer FEEL the problem:
- User quote compilations
- Live demo of pain points
- Data visualization of the problem
- Video clips of users struggling
Part 2: Approach Discussion (10-15 min)
Align on HOW you're solving before showing WHAT:
- Problem statement (verified in Part 1)
- Solution principles
- Alternatives considered
- Why this approach
Part 3: Solution Review (10-15 min)
Now show the solution:
- Walk through the design
- Highlight key decisions with rationale
- Show what you chose NOT to do
- Present success metrics
Part 4: Feedback (10-15 min)
Guide better feedback:
- "Does this approach match the problem?"
- "What risks haven't we addressed?"
- "Where do you disagree with tradeoffs?"
The "Fascinating" Technique
When you get feedback you disagree with:
- Say (internally): "Fascinating"
- Ask: "Tell me more about why you think that"
- Seek the underlying concern
- Then respond constructively
Redirecting Dinosaur Brain Feedback
| Dinosaur Brain | Redirect |
|---|
| "I don't like the blue" | "What about it concerns you?" |
| "Can we add X?" | "How would that help the problem we defined?" |
| "My wife said Y" | "Does that match our user research?" |
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Skipping problem immersion
- Showing solution before approach alignment
- Treating all feedback as equal
- Getting defensive
How to Apply This Skill
-
Listen for the development area
- Career planning → PM Competencies
- Building intuition → Product Sense
- Time management → Three Levels
- Ownership → High Agency
- Design collaboration → Feedback Framework
- Stakeholder reviews → Product Reviews
-
Walk through the selected framework with actionable steps
-
Help them create a concrete development plan
-
Offer to combine frameworks when appropriate
Related Skills
/leadership-coach - For management and team development/strategy-advisor - For strategic thinking development/decision-maker - For decision-making skills
Full SOPs (Deep Dives)
Core PM Skills
AI Product Development
Discovery & Validation
Behavioral Design
Delivery Methodology
Roadmapping
