Failure. It’s a word that stings. Yet, as Product Managers (PMs), we encounter failure more often than we might admit. Whether it’s a product that didn’t meet expectations, a flopped feature, or a strategy misstep, failure is part of the job. It’s how we learn, grow, and ultimately build better products.

In this post, I want to share lessons I’ve learned from my product failures and how I’ve managed to bounce back. If you’ve ever experienced failure as a PM — or fear it might be around the corner — this one’s for you. Let’s dive into why failure happens, how to deal with it, and how to turn it into a stepping stone for success.

Lesson 1: Failure Is Inevitable (and That’s Okay)

The first thing to understand is that failure is not a reflection of your worth as a PM. It’s simply a part of the process. Failure often signals you’re trying something new, bold, and innovative.

Think about it: Some of the greatest products and companies were born from failure. Netflix started as a DVD rental service before pivoting to streaming. Slack began as a gaming company before realizing its true potential was in team communication. The point is that failure is a necessary part of discovery.

How to bounce back:

• Accept failure as a natural part of growth.
• Remind yourself that every great PM has a story of failure — yours is just another chapter.

Lesson 2: Learn from the Failure

Failure is only a dead end if you don’t take the time to analyze what went wrong. After every failure, ask yourself and your team:

• What were the fundamental assumptions we made?
• Where did our understanding of the user break down?
• Were there warning signs we missed?

For example, one of my product failures happened when I launched a feature I thought users would love. We didn’t do enough user research upfront, and the feature solved a problem users didn’t care about. Ouch, right? However, that experience taught me to validate assumptions with users first.

How to bounce back:

• Conduct a retrospective with your team to dissect the failure.
• Document lessons learned and apply them to future projects.

Continue at https://bit.ly/4g332hn.