Junior PM: My feature got deprioritized again. Engineering says they don't have bandwidth. Senior PM: What did you do next? Junior PM: Told my manager. It's not my fault engineering is understaffed. Senior PM: Is that where it ended? Junior PM: What else can I do? I don't control hiring. Senior PM: You don't control hiring. What do you control? Junior PM: …my roadmap? Senior PM: Keep going. Junior PM: My relationships with engineers? Senior PM: Getting warmer. Junior PM: I could understand why they're overwhelmed? Senior PM: Now you're thinking. What would you find? Junior PM: They're drowning in bugs from the last release. Senior PM: And? Junior PM: If we fixed those bugs, they'd have bandwidth. Senior PM: But that's not your job, right? Junior PM: It's not in my OKRs... Senior PM: There it is. The cage you built. Junior PM: What cage? Senior PM: "Not my job." "Not my fault." "Can't control that." Junior PM: But those are facts. Senior PM: They're excuses dressed as facts. Junior PM: How? Senior PM: Watch this. What if you owned those bugs? Junior PM: But I didn't create them. Senior PM: So? Junior PM: …I could organize a bug bash? Senior PM: What else? Junior PM: Prioritize which bugs actually matter to users? Senior PM: More. Junior PM: Write reproduction steps so engineers save time? Senior PM: Notice what just happened? Junior PM: I found things I could do. Senior PM: You went from victim to owner. Junior PM: But this is extra work. Senior PM: Is getting your feature built extra? Junior PM: …no. Senior PM: Here's what separates good PMs from great ones. Junior PM: Tell me. Senior PM: Good PMs manage their features. Junior PM: And great PMs? Senior PM: Great PMs manage outcomes. However they can. Junior PM: Even if it means doing "engineering work"? Senior PM: There is no "engineering work." There's only "what needs doing." Junior PM: My manager might not like me spending time on bugs. Senior PM: Will they like you shipping nothing? Junior PM: Point taken. Senior PM: But here's the real mindshift. Junior PM: What? Senior PM: Stop asking "whose job is this?" Junior PM: Ask what instead? Senior PM: "What would I do if I was CEO?" Junior PM: CEO's delegate. Senior PM: No. CEOs ensure things get done. Junior PM: There's a difference? Senior PM: Delegation is a method. Ownership is a mindset. Junior PM: So high agency means doing everyone's job? Senior PM: High agency means refusing to be blocked. Junior PM: How do I know if I'm high agency? Senior PM: Simple test. Junior PM: Go on. Senior PM: Count how often you say "they" vs "I" when explaining why something isn't done. Junior PM: Ouch. Senior PM: If "they" outnumber "I" - you're making excuses. Junior PM: But some things really are out of my control. Senior PM: Name one. Junior PM: Budget cuts. Senior PM: What would you do if your kid needed medicine during budget cuts? Junior PM: I'd find a way... Senior PM: Exactly. Junior PM: So it's about caring enough? Senior PM: It's about owning the outcome. Not the circumstances. Junior PM: This is exhausting though. Senior PM: Know what's more exhausting? Junior PM: What? Senior PM: Spending your career waiting for perfect conditions.