The Real Work of Influence as a Product Manager

Hey friends,

We talk a lot about stakeholder alignment in product management. But here’s the thing: alignment on paper doesn’t mean buy-in in reality.

I’ve seen roadmaps stall, not because leadership said no, but because the team never truly said yes.
If your squad isn’t bought in, your strategy is just theater.
So, how do you create real buy-in?

Here are a few lessons I’ve been coming back to this week:

🎯 Lesson 1: Buy-In Starts Before the Roadmap

By the time you’re asking for input in a kickoff meeting, it’s already too late. Buy-in starts much earlier through casual conversations, gathering feedback, and making people feel like they’re part of the process before decisions are locked in.

Where to Start:
👥 Informal coffee chats to surface concerns early
🔍 Spotting hesitations in Slack and 1:1s
🎤 Getting input before things go on the roadmap

Try this: Before your next big roadmap discussion, ask your team: “If you had to pitch this initiative to someone else, what would you say?” If they struggle, they’re not bought in yet.

🚀 Lesson 2: The First Win Matters More Than the First Step

Teams don’t buy into ideas, they buy into momentum. The fastest way to get buy-in is to show a quick, meaningful win that proves the value of the work.

Instead of focusing on a massive launch, focus on:
✅ A small prototype that validates the concept
✅ A low-risk experiment that builds confidence
✅ A tiny feature update that makes an immediate impact

💡Pro Tip: If your team is dragging their feet, ask: “What’s the smallest thing we could ship next week to prove this is worth doing?” That first step can change everything.

🔍 Lesson 3: Your Team’s Hesitation Is a Clue, Not a Blocker

If your team isn’t fully on board, don’t push harder; get curious.

Hesitation usually signals that there’s an underlying concern that hasn’t been addressed yet.

Where to Listen:
📢 Who’s being quiet in meetings? Silence often means uncertainty.
📝 What’s getting challenged in Slack? That’s where the friction is.
🤝 Who’s hesitant to commit? They might see a risk you’ve missed.

Mini Challenge: This week, if someone seems hesitant about an initiative, ask them: “What would make you 10x more confident in this idea?” Their answer might be the missing piece.

💡 Final Thoughts

Getting buy-in isn’t about pitching harder, it’s about making people feel like they’re part of the process.

If you’re feeling resistance, step back and ask:
👉 Have I involved people early enough?
👉 Have we shown a quick win to build confidence?
👉 Am I treating hesitation as a blocker or a signal?

When teams believe in the work, execution becomes the easy part.

Want to put this into action?
I put together a simple Stakeholder Influence Framework with key tactics and a stakeholder mapping template.

What’s the best thing you’ve done to get real buy-in from your team?
Reply and let me know!

I read every response!

Until next time,
Stefanie