Watch your language!

"More demos, less memos!" 

proclaimed our esteemed leader in the company's all-hands meeting. The irony wasn't lost on me. After spending the last year and a half promoting a writing culture—one of the reasons I was initially excited about joining the company—we were suddenly pivoting away from putting ideas in writing.

The Miscommunication Problem

But the reality was more complex. We still needed to compile product roadmaps for our cross-functional partners, identifying critical projects and technical debt to deliver on our goals and keep the business running.

Of course, we had to present our plans to senior leadership.

"Let's just highlight the top projects in our roadmap presentation, just to give them a flavor of what we'll be working on for the next six months!" my boss said, handing me a slide template with three squares—each meant to describe highly complex projects using no more than 15 words in 20-point font.

Red flags and alarms started sounding in my head.

The Saga Begins

What followed was a saga of endless iterations and dry runs.

"Hey, you need to be more concise. Let's trim it down more. You're exceeding two minutes talking about your slide," my boss would say.

"But this will give them the wrong impression," I'd respond. "They'll think these are the only projects we're working on."

"Don't worry, we'll link the full roadmap memo on the slide. They can read it anytime."

The bitter irony? Just weeks earlier, the same leadership had proclaimed we needed "more demos, less memos" because nobody reads lengthy documents. My unspoken frustration bubbled just beneath the surface.

The Consequences

Three months later, during a quarterly all-hands with our Chief Product Officer, the disconnect became painfully clear. After teams expressed concerns about overwhelming workloads, the CPO declared, "When that happens, send those requests to me. I've been sharing your roadmaps with everyone I talk to as our official plan!"

"Which document have you been sharing?" I asked.

"That slide deck we presented to leadership last quarter."

"That's precisely the problem," I replied. "You're circulating a simplified, stripped-down version of our roadmap. No wonder everyone thinks we have unlimited bandwidth."

The Importance of a Writing and Reading Culture

This experience underscores the critical role of a strong writing and, perhaps more importantly, a strong reading culture within organizations.

I've worked for two successful large companies that share a common trait: a zealous approach to crafting concise, straight-to-the-point business documents. More importantly, there's laser-focused attention when reading those documents. This culture ensures everyone is aligned and understands the objectives and limitations.

While I'm not typically one to recommend business books, there's one I believe is invaluable for anyone looking to improve their professional writing: Writing Without Bullshit by Josh Bernoff.

Let me share its core principles—and some I've learned firsthand:

1. Use Active, Direct Voice: Cut through the noise. Say what you mean, directly and clearly.
2. Avoid Embellishment: Drop the superlatives and jargon. Facts speak louder than fancy words.
3. Be Data-Driven: Ground your arguments in concrete evidence, not wishful thinking.
4. Lead with Recommendations: Start with your key point, then support it with findings and data.

By following these guidelines, you demonstrate respect for your reader's time and intelligence. In a professional context—especially as a product manager—your readers are often senior leaders who have the power to approve or veto your recommendations. Clear, straightforward documents give you a significant advantage.

Where We Went Wrong

Returning to the earlier anecdote, our product organization failed to communicate effectively. When I joined, they had been writing Product Requirement Documents (PRDs) and roadmaps for several months. Reading them was frustrating: they were filled with big words and unsubstantiated claims like "our checkout experience causes high cognitive load." Based on what? And why not just say "confusion"?

Other examples included grandiose statements like "we will deliver best-in-class personalization" without any supporting data or plans. Some tried to be casual or humorous by adding lines like "We are a small but mighty team..." While there's a time and place for informality, product documents aren't it.

Leaders didn't have the patience to sift through the jargon and fluff to find the core recommendations or planned work. This led to misunderstandings about our capacity, priorities, and ultimately, our ability to deliver on commitments.

In Summary

Effective communication is the backbone of successful product management. A strong writing and reading culture ensures everyone—from team members to senior leadership—is on the same page. By writing concise, fact-based, and clear documents, you facilitate better decision-making and avoid the pitfalls of miscommunication.

So, watch your language! It could make all the difference in your organization's success.