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How to Create a Product-Led Culture (Even in a Delivery-Driven Organisation)

A guide for Senior Product Managers ready to shift from outputs to outcomes

Product Led

 

Feeling stuck in a feature factory? You’re not alone.

 

If you’re a Product Manager working in a delivery-led organisation, you’ve likely felt it:


📉 Delivering features that don’t drive outcomes
📦 Shipping fast, but learning little
😞 Feeling responsible — even though strategy decisions sit far above your pay grade

 

I recently saw a post about PMs feeling stuck in this trap. It hit hard. I’ve felt that same frustration. But over time, I’ve learned that while we might not control the culture from the top down, we do hold influence — and influence can be powerful.

This article shares how senior PMs can lead by example and help build a more product-led culture, starting from wherever they are.

 

 

What Does “Product-Led” Really Mean?

 

Being product-led means prioritising outcomes over outputs, users over features, and learning over guessing. It’s a mindset shift — and a set of behaviours you can model every day.

Let’s walk through some concrete ways you can do just that.

 

 

1. Set OKRs Around Outcomes

Forget features. Great OKRs (Objectives & Key Results) focus on customer and business outcomes — like reducing support calls, increasing retention, or boosting self-service success.

Align your team around a shared goal, not a list of tasks. Ask:

  • What does success look like from the user’s perspective?
  • What signals will tell us we’re on the right track?

 

Practical tip: Use North Star Metrics to frame success, then break them down into measurable Key Results.

 

 

2. Discover the Right Problems

Start with real user pain — not internal wishlists. Prioritise discovery through:

  • Interviewing users early and often
  • Reviewing support tickets and NPS comments
  • Shadowing customer-facing teams

 

The best ideas don’t come from the org chart — they come from the people using your product.

👉 Recommended read: Continuous Discovery Habits by Teresa Torres

 

 

3. Design With (and For) Users

 

Design isn’t decoration. It’s problem-solving. Bring prototypes into the wild before polishing them:

  • Co-design with users or frontline teams
  • Build for accessibility and equity
  • Test flows that reduce friction or empower users to help themselves

 

Reminder: A clickable Figma prototype is often enough to learn what you need.

 

4. Deliver to Learn, Not Just to Launch

 

Launch small. Learn fast. Then iterate.

Instead of shipping a big release and hoping it lands, treat delivery as the beginning of a feedback loop:

  • Use A/B tests, analytics, and user feedback to validate hypotheses
  • Celebrate learnings, not just launches

 

 

5. Let the Product Speak

 

Your product is a communication channel. Use it.

Smart product teams collaborate across design, marketing, and support to:

  • Use onboarding flows to drive activation
  • Nudge users with in-app messages at just the right moment
  • Highlight new value based on real behaviours

 

6. Grow With Feedback, Not Features

 

More features ≠ more value. The best growth comes from listening.

Build feedback loops into everything you do:

  • Track usage, drop-offs, and success rates
  • Follow up on closed tickets to check user satisfaction
  • Ask why customers leave, not just when

 

This mindset helps you stay customer-led, not just delivery-efficient.

 

 

So… What Can You Do Today?

 

If you’re a Senior PM in a delivery-led org, here are 5 things you can start doing now:

 

  1. Audit your backlog – Are you solving problems or shipping features?
  2. Run a discovery spike – Interview 3 users. Bring their voices to sprint planning.
  3. Frame OKRs – Pitch a simple outcome to rally your team behind.
  4. Prototype fast – Share early ideas. Don’t wait for “pixel-perfect.”
  5. Share learnings publicly – Build product culture through transparency.

 

 

Join the Conversation

Have you experienced the build trap?
Are you trying to lead change from within?

Let’s talk! Drop your story or advice in the comments — or share this article with someone who might need it. 

 

 

📚 References & Further Reading

  1. Doerr, John – Measure What Matters: How Google, Bono, and the Gates Foundation Rock the World with OKRs. Portfolio, 2018. OKRs Overview
  2. Torres, Teresa – Continuous Discovery Habits: Discover Products that Create Customer Value and Business Value. Product Talk, 2021. Product Discovery Resources
  3. Amplitude – North Star Metric Framework
  4. Cagan, Marty – Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love.