The one question that saves product careers | Matt LeMay

In this episode of Lenny's Podcast, Lenny Rachitsky interviews Matt LeMay, product leader and author, about his new book, "Impact-First Product Teams." Matt shares insights on aligning product team efforts with business-critical outcomes to avoid layoffs and increase job security. He introduces the concept of the "low-impact PM death spiral," where teams focus on minor features instead of high-impact work. Matt outlines three steps for product teams to become more impact-focused: setting team goals close to company goals, keeping impact first at every step, and connecting every bit of work back to impact. He emphasizes the importance of understanding a company's business model and encourages product managers to think like CEOs within their teams. The conversation also covers pushing back on low-impact executive requests and the courage required to prioritize business-critical outcomes.