The Most Common Product Management Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

Product management is one of those disciplines where it’s easy to think you’re doing it right—until everything starts falling apart.

I’ve worked with enough teams to see the same mistakes pop up over and over again. And I get it. When a company doesn’t have a strong product leader (or any product leader at all), things can spiral fast.

Missed deadlines. Wasted resources. Features no one actually wants. I’ve seen it all.

So, let’s talk about the biggest product management mistakes I’ve seen—and more importantly, how to fix them before they cost you millions.

Mistake #1: Skipping Discovery and Jumping Straight to Building

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard:

We don’t have time for research, we just need to ship this ASAP.

And every time, I cringe.

Because building without discovery is like playing blackjack blindfolded. Sure, you might hit 21 every now and then, but most of the time? You’re burning money.

How to Fix It:

Start with customer discovery, not assumptions.

• Talk to actual users before committing to a roadmap.
• Run lightweight experiments to validate ideas before investing months of development.
• Use no-code tools to test demand before engineering even gets involved.

Good discovery doesn’t have to slow you down—it saves time by ensuring you’re not building the wrong thing.

Mistake #2: Your Roadmap Is Just a List of Features

If your roadmap looks like a glorified feature dump with arbitrary deadlines, you’re doing it wrong.

A roadmap should be a strategic plan, not a backlog with dates.

The worst offenders? The companies that tie everything to specific deadlines without any flexibility—then panic when reality doesn’t match the Gantt chart.

How to Fix It:

• Build a roadmap that focuses on outcomes, not just outputs.
• Organize work by goals and themes, not just “we need feature X by Q3.”
• Make it adaptable—because reality never follows a perfect timeline.

When your roadmap is strategic instead of just a wish list, it’s a hell of a lot easier to make smart product decisions.

Mistake #3: Ignoring Execution Until It’s Too Late

A strong strategy is worthless if your execution is a mess.

I’ve seen teams spend months planning, only to realize that nothing actually gets built the way they envisioned. Why?

• Product and engineering aren’t aligned.
• Priorities keep shifting mid-sprint.
• Features get delivered, but they’re buggy, half-baked, or completely different from the original vision.

How to Fix It:

Treat execution like a first-class problem.

• Get product and engineering in sync early—not just in sprint planning, but throughout the entire process.
• Focus on iterating and shipping fast, rather than getting stuck in analysis paralysis.
• Have a clear definition of done—“code complete” isn’t enough if it’s not solving the right problem.

Great execution isn’t about perfect planning—it’s about tight feedback loops, fast iteration, and constant alignment.

Mistake #4: Building for the Business, Not the User

If your product strategy is driven only by what executives want, you’re in trouble.

I once worked with a company that kept prioritizing features based on what the CEO thought was cool—instead of what users actually needed.

Guess what happened?

• Users churned.
• Revenue tanked.
• And those “cool” features? No one even used them.

How to Fix It:

• Balance business goals with user needs—one can’t exist without the other.
• Make product decisions based on data, not gut feelings.
• Use customer feedback to drive prioritization, rather than just executive requests.

The best products serve the user first—because when users win, the business wins.

Mistake #5: Thinking Product Management Is Just a Support Function

Some companies treat product management like a glorified ticket factory for engineering.

They assume product’s job is just to gather requests, write specs, and get out of the way.

That’s a huge mistake.

A great product team doesn’t just translate requirements—they shape the strategy, identify opportunities, and drive outcomes.

How to Fix It:

• Elevate product management from execution mode to strategic leadership.
• Give PMs the space to challenge assumptions and influence direction.
• If product is just order-taking from other teams, you need a reset.

Product management should be leading the charge—not just reacting to requests.

Final Thoughts: Stop Making These Mistakes Today

Bad product management doesn’t just lead to bad products—it wastes time, money, and talent.

The good news? These mistakes are fixable.

• Start with discovery. Don’t just build—validate first.
• Make your roadmap strategic. It’s not just a list of features.
• Treat execution as a priority. A great idea means nothing if you can’t ship it well.
• Focus on the user. Business goals follow when you solve real problems.
• Let product lead. If PMs are just filling Jira tickets, you’re doing it wrong.

If your company is struggling with any of these, I can help. I work with teams to fix product strategy, streamline execution, and build products that actually make an impact.

Need a second opinion on your roadmap or execution? Let’s talk.