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100% on the clarity of who owns what. You need accountability. And if you are accountable, then you should have the authority to make decisions.

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Great post illustrating the complexities that go with managing products. I have been in multiple situations with and without authority. The best situations where the ones where it was clear where there was ownership.

That being said, from being a product owner to head of product, leading through influence is always critical. Unless you are the CEO, and even they have to work with their board, you need to be able to work with your peers and they are all going to have different priorities. You will need to be able to communicate and win over why the direction you want to take is the right one.

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Thanks for adding your insights, Josh. We sometimes think authority will make things easier, but we still need to win people over and get buy-in, as you mention, or we end up with many disgruntled employees. I love the emphasis on clarity of who owns what; sometimes, that alone is all the authority you need.

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