Next Steps for Staff+ Product Sense
Learn how to shape product direction and roadmap.
We'll cover the following...
You don’t need a Staff title to start shaping product direction. Here’s how you can show leverage today:
PRD ↔ Design doc bridge: Next time you’re given a vague ticket like “make onboarding faster,” write a one-paragraph note connecting it to a user impact metric (e.g., “time to first action” or “activation %”). That translation alone signals you’re thinking beyond code.
Mini docs: Don’t wait until you’re drafting 10-page RFCs. Start with lightweight decision notes in your PRs: “I chose option A over B because it reduces latency at scale.” It makes your reasoning visible and trains you to think like a tech lead.
Stakeholder alignment: You don’t have to wrangle execs. Start by pre-wiring decisions with your immediate teammates. Share a design before a meeting so the discussion is focused and productive.
These small moves are noticeable. They get you pulled into bigger conversations earlier and accelerate your path to Staff+.
Where to learn more
We’ve got a few powerful options for you to get more into product sense:
If you want to go deeper into discovery, prioritization, and metrics, check out:
To hone your writing skills:
Grokking the Technical Writing Process will help you write clearly and persuasively to drive change.
You can guide products—now let’s learn to guide people with “Multiplier Habits and Systems.”