We Want to Solve Problems, But We Keep Getting Solutions: Bridging the Gap Between Your Team and Stakeholders
Shifting a team to a product mindset sounds simple on paper. Build less. Focus on user outcomes. Ask for problems, not features. But when you’re in the weeds, it hurts.
I spent years as a dev, getting tickets that read, “Add a dropdown,” or “Split this list in two.” Now, as a senior manager, I see the cost of working this way. You get faster output, but your team never learns why it matters. They follow a blueprint, but they don’t understand the building or the people inside it.
Old habits die hard—especially with stakeholders trained on velocity and checklists. They want the job “done.” So they hand us “solutions.” But “just build this” kills autonomy. It shuts down creative thinking, but mainly:
- it turns your team into a feature factory
- it hides the real pain, so you fix only symptoms
- it blocks better options with less risk
- it breaks ownership, so velocity slows later
Here’s where I lean in. With my teams, I push back gently but relentlessly. Every time a prescriptive ticket lands, I ask, “Why do we need this? Who does this help? What problem are we solving?” Sometimes, it takes three rounds to break through. But slowly, people stop sending tasks and start describing pain points.
Same with the devs. I coach them to get curious. Don’t say yes. Ask “why.” Ask about users. Make the PM uncomfortable—in a good way. If your team can’t explain the impact, don’t start coding. This approach is tough when you’re used to “output equals value,” but it’s the only way to build real ownership.
For managers, your job is to protect this mindset shift. Teach your team to hunt for context. Teach your stakeholders to give it. Reward questions, not speed. Track outcomes, not story points. Over time, you go from a feature factory to a product team. Morale improves. So does the product.
It’s not easy. Most days, it feels like swimming upstream. But if you want teams that care about impact, not just tasks, you need to change the conversation—one painful, awkward, necessary “why?” at a time.