How do I deal with Product Management stress?

Do you feel that you, the Product Manager, have to carry the weight of your company and product alone on your shoulders? I’ve been there and the stress can be devastating. How to survive and enjoy your work?

Well, as a person who product-managed start-ups and Products in various sizes of corporations, I know firsthand how brutal things can be. In start-ups, your decisions determine whether you will get your next paycheck or not. Corporations can be built in a way that they slowly change you into a slave who enjoys the 10–12h work days to deliver results that might end up in a promotion or a small raise.

Pair that with limited ownership and decision-making and front row sit in the “Who is to blame for the failure” room, your health and optimism can die out quickly.

What to do?

Over the years I have built three pillars meant to keep me sane and smiling in the role that I love.

Pillar 1: Extreme prioritization
There will be always more to do than can be done in a day. I focus on 2–3 topics at one time and basically neglect anything else to the point I don’t attend meetings about topics that don’t make the top 3.

Pillar 2: Emotional detachment
This is the hardest one to implement. While I care about my Products deeply…