In a recent LinkedIn post, Melissa Perri discusses a critical gap in the training of product managers: while most learn execution skills, few are taught how to craft product strategy. Perri, a prominent voice in the product management community, argues that this deficiency is not the fault of individual product professionals but rather a systemic issue within how the discipline is taught.
Perri highlights the common curriculum focus on tactical execution, stating:
“Most curriculums are heavy on execution: writing specs, running sprints, grooming backlogs, prioritizing what’s in front of you. The skills that get you hired as an early-stage PM are the same skills that plateau your career at senior.”
The Transition from Execution to Leadership
According to Perri, the skills that lead to success in early-stage product management roles are often insufficient for advancement into leadership positions. She points out that the transition to a product leader, particularly at the VP level, requires a fundamentally different skillset focused on strategic decision-making.
As Melissa Perri explains, the role of a product leader involves making informed bets about a company’s future direction. This requires defending those strategic choices to stakeholders who are often focused on financial outcomes rather than detailed roadmaps.
The Strategy Deficit in Practice
Perri shares an anecdote illustrating this point, noting instances where highly capable senior product managers were overlooked for executive roles. The reason, she suggests, was a lack of strategic vision.
“I’ve worked with companies where brilliant senior PMs got passed over for VP roles because they couldn’t answer one question: ‘What’s your strategy for the next three years, and why?’ They could ship. They couldn’t choose.”
This distinction between shipping products and choosing the right direction is central to Perri’s argument. She emphasizes that the ability to make strategic choices is paramount for those aspiring to lead product organizations.
Strategy as a Teachable Craft
Challenging the notion that strategic thinking is an innate talent, Perri asserts that it is, in fact, a learnable craft. She advocates for the explicit teaching of strategic frameworks and methodologies within product management education.
In Perri’s view, equipping product managers with strategic skills early in their careers can significantly shorten the learning curve.
“The PMs who learn it early skip years of trial and error.”
To address this educational gap, Perri mentions the development of the “Mastering Product Strategy” course at Product Institute. This initiative aims to provide product professionals with the strategic thinking and decision-making skills necessary for career advancement and effective leadership.
Perri concludes by engaging her audience, asking about their own experiences:
“What was the moment you realized execution skills weren’t going to take you the rest of the way?”
Her post serves as a call to action for both educational institutions and product leaders to prioritize the development of strategic capabilities within the product management profession.
📝 About This Content
This article is based on insights shared by Melissa Perri on LinkedIn.
📅 Originally posted on April 13, 2026 | View original post on LinkedIn →