Product Sense Isn’t Binary: How Biases Undermine True Product Leadership

Introduction: A Fresh Perspective on Product Management

Recently, I came across a compelling post on LinkedIn from Darshan Gajara that challenges traditional thinking about product management. The post claims, “I don’t trust a Product Manager who has only ever done product management. Product sense is developed by writing code, designing ideas, selling solutions, etc. And not by collecting an MBA degree or taking a boot camp.”

This viewpoint resonates with many in the industry who see hands-on experience essential to building genuine products.

Beyond Hands-On Experience: A Multi-Dimensional Approach

Why Product Sense is More than “Getting Your Hands Dirty”

Thank you for sharing this viewpoint. I understand the value of ‘getting your hands dirty’ in developing a deep understanding of product management. At Insights Without Borders (IWB), however, we encourage looking at product sense as a multi-dimensional skill that benefits not only from coding or design experience but also from a broader, integrated approach to learning and development.

Learning Experience Design (LXD) plays a key role here, enabling us to craft tailored, impactful learning paths that deepen understanding and adaptability. Through LXD, we focus on structured, experiential learning that enhances skills and fosters the strategic thinking and cross-functional alignment essential for resilient product management.

Building Resilience: Combining Practical Experience with Strategic Insight

The Power of Sensemaking, Mindscapes, and Mindshare

I invite readers to open their thinking and consider how combining practical experience, sensemaking, mindscapes, mindshare, and adaptive learning can create resilient product managers well-equipped to navigate today’s complex landscape.

Cross-Functional Skills for Adaptability

Through IWB Coaching and the IWB Institute, we focus on cross-functional immersion and adaptive skill-building. In our work, we find that product leaders who combine tactical experience with broader strategic skills—like sensemaking, stakeholder alignment, and market understanding—create products that better serve diverse needs and adapt to change more effectively.

Mindshare Over MarketShare: The Influence of Internal Alignment

Cultivating Influence, Trust, and Strategic Alignment

At IWB, we evangelize that “Mindshare is often as important, if not more so, than simply MarketShare as a Big Footprint.” Mindshare represents the strength of influence, trust, and alignment across teams and stakeholders, and we believe that lasting impact in product management comes from a combination of external reach and deep internal alignment.

From my experience and through my practical work in IWB and content creation, I advocate that true product sense comes from an openness to diverse experiences and learning methods. For instance, MBA programs and boot camps can provide invaluable insights into business frameworks, market trends, and communication strategies—skills essential for cross-functional collaboration and alignment. When paired with real-world experience, these perspectives can create a powerful toolkit for innovative, resilient product management.

At IWB, we see product sense as less about rigid criteria and more about integrating hands-on experience with the ability to anticipate, align, and execute across organizational boundaries—breaking down silos and mitigating their adverse effects.

Silos can limit communication and hinder innovation, but by fostering cross-functional collaboration, product managers can ensure that knowledge flows freely across teams, driving cohesive strategies and adaptive decision-making. For those who embrace this combination, the sky’s the limit.

Tradecraft and Streetcraft: Lessons from Intelligence and Military Frameworks

Structured Learning (Tradecraft) vs. Real-World Experience (Streetcraft)

This optics and landscape raises an intriguing parallel with intelligence and military frameworks, where developing expertise relies on both tradecraft and streetcraft.

Tradecraft refers to structured training, formal education, and the foundational skills acquired through courses, boot camps, or degrees. Product management might include MBA programs or workshops that equip leaders with strategic frameworks, market analysis skills, and stakeholder management techniques.

Streetcraft, on the other hand, is about hands-on experience—the direct insights gained through coding, designing, selling, or building, much like field experience in intelligence or tactical military operations. It’s where individuals navigate real-world constraints, react to dynamic changes, and refine their intuition and adaptability.

Rebooting the Mind Through Mental Athletics

At IWB, I stress and work with “Rebooting the Mind through Mental Athletics,”—a practice of actively challenging assumptions, engaging in adaptive thinking exercises, and honing mental agility to stay sharp and responsive in rapidly shifting environments. This approach enables leaders to continually evolve their strategic instincts and remain resilient in the face of complex challenges.

At Insights Without Borders (IWB), we believe that the most effective product leaders integrate tradecraft and streetcraft. Through our IWB Institute and IWB Coaching, we focus on building this balance, blending tradecraft’s structured, scalable methodologies with the adaptive, quick-thinking skills of streetcraft. Our approach is to create leaders who can pivot between structured planning and agile, responsive problem-solving—critical in today’s fast-paced markets.

In my LinkedIn articles and posts, including on our IWB website, I often emphasize that mastering product management isn’t about dismissing one approach in favor of the other. Rigid, dichotomous thinking—such as choosing legacy over innovation and disruption, habituation over dishabituation, or allowing biases to shape decisions—ultimately limits growth. Instead, it’s about understanding that each dimension adds to the whole. Leaders trained in tradecraft might miss out on crucial aspects without real-world exposure, but those with only streetcraft may struggle to scale insights or apply structured strategies when the stakes rise.

Breaking Down Silos: Cross-Functional Collaboration and Communication

Overcoming Silos to Drive Innovation and Strategic Alignment

At IWB, we see product sense as alignment and adaptability—knowing when to apply structured frameworks and when to embrace practical ingenuity. By blending tradecraft and streetcraft, leaders develop a robust, flexible skillset that empowers them to navigate predictable and unpredictable challenges effectively.

The Value of Diverse Backgrounds in Product Management

Integrating Varied Experiences for Stronger Decision-Making

I also appreciate the different experiences shared in the running commentary in the post here. They highlight the diversity of backgrounds that can contribute to solid product management.

For example, as one mentioned, product managers often gain exposure to multiple functions over time, from design and development to sales and marketing. This exposure allows them to broaden their perspective and avoid the “tunnel vision” that can limit decision-making.

Examples of Non-Technical Backgrounds in Product Management Success

Another point raised was that someone from a role as a subject matter expert (SME) in a field like hypervisor security, for example, can transition into product management and excel in this workflow and workstream. This type of background enables a PM to go deep with engineering teams, engage effectively with customers, and deliver valuable feedback. It’s a prime example of streetcraft—building understanding and trust through hands-on engagement and specific technical expertise.

While early-stage companies or small teams may need more generalized, versatile PMs, larger companies sometimes see a shift toward those specializing in structure and processes. This approach can seem “bureaucratic,” but it often fulfills the demand for structured thinking in complex, scaled environments. These varied perspectives reflect the dynamic reality of product management across contexts.

Someone raised an insightful point: Understanding the technology and collaborating with technical teams are essential, yet coding is not always necessary—especially if the product isn’t developer-facing. Many successful PMs come from non-technical backgrounds, proving that tradecraft in market research, user experience, or strategy can make invaluable contributions.

By blending structured approaches with hands-on insights, product managers can respond to today’s fast-changing demands, whether from technical, non-technical, or multi-functional backgrounds.

These perspectives underscore the importance of flexibility and diverse experience in product management today.

At IWB, we believe this integration of tradecraft and streetcraft enables PMs to add value across organizational levels—balancing innovation with consistency and agility with alignment.

Tactical and Operational Takeaways for Product Managers

Balancing Tradecraft and Streetcraft for Holistic Development

If you’re a product manager—or training to become one—I encourage you to reflect on how tradecraft and streetcraft complement each other in your career. What skills do you need to round out your toolkit? Whether refining your sensemaking skills, adopting more cross-functional insights, or immersing yourself in hands-on projects, consider how to blend these approaches to drive long-term product success.

What’s In It for You? Resources to Expand Your Product Management Skillset

IWB Institute offers free resources and learning tools to help you think beyond traditional product management models. By integrating mindscapes, mindshare, and adaptive frameworks, we’re helping product leaders balance the structured with the agile. I invite you to explore these resources, try new approaches in your workflows and workstreams, and see how they impact your perspective.

Reimagining Product Sense: Beyond Hands-On Experience

In today’s fast-paced market, true product sense transcends any single skill set or rigid formula. It’s not about choosing between hands-on experience and structured strategy; it’s about blending practical insights with broad vision, agility with alignment, and innovation with grounded understanding.

At IWB, we believe that when product managers integrate tradecraft and streetcraft, they’re not just building products but creating resilient, adaptable solutions that resonate across teams, markets, and user needs.

Are you ready to break out of traditional molds and redefine your approach? Embrace cross-functional learning, tackle new challenges, and foster mindshare within your team. The future of product management is dynamic, multi-dimensional, and open to diverse perspectives.

Closing Thoughts: Let’s Connect, Learn, and Grow Together

If you’re ready to expand your skills, align with a broader vision, and embrace this integrated approach to product management, let’s connect.

Together, we can shape a new standard for product leadership that skillfully, insightfully, and impactfully meets the demands of our complex world.