In my career, I've observed a consistent challenge for leaders in product and design: the leap from being a craft expert to becoming a true business executive. It's not that these individuals aren't talented or accomplished; quite the opposite. They are often some of the best at what they do. Yet, when it comes to stepping into broader business leadership, many find themselves struggling to transcend the familiar terrain of craft and specialization.
This post is about bridging that gap—about identifying what prevents some great product and design leaders from successfully becoming impactful business executives, and how we can reduce the chances of getting stuck there ourselves.
The Problem: Craft Experts Struggling as Business Executives
The problem isn't a lack of talent or hard work—it's often a matter of perspective. When you spend years perfecting your craft, whether it's designing brilliant user experiences or crafting cohesive product strategies, you naturally develop a deep, almost instinctual expertise. However, leading at the business level requires a different orientation.
Here are a few key reasons why this gap appears:
- Depth Over Breadth: Product and design leaders thrive in environments that value depth of knowledge. Their value is derived from knowing every nuance of the customer journey, the product features, or the intricacies of a design system. Yet, a business executive must be equally comfortable with broad, company-wide issues—not just knowing the user but understanding how that user's experience affects the financial performance of the company, how it ties into market strategy, and how operations and sales align to support it.
- Outputs vs. Outcomes: In craft roles, we often judge our success by the quality of our outputs—beautiful interfaces, well-executed products, clear research findings. But a business executive must prioritize outcomes—like profitability, market expansion, customer retention—and make tough decisions based on these metrics, sometimes at the cost of beautiful outputs.
- The Bias Toward the Known: It’s natural to lean into what we know best. For craft-specific leaders, this means they may double down on product or design issues when faced with challenges, rather than looking at the full business picture. They may shy away from financials or market strategy simply because those areas feel less comfortable, which can hinder their ability to lead holistically.
The Solution: How to Bridge the Gap
The good news is that the gap can be bridged—if we consciously prepare ourselves for that transition. Here are some key approaches:
- Cultivate Business Acumen Early: Start by understanding your company’s P&L statements. Learn how to read financial reports and ask yourself, "How does my team’s work impact these numbers?" Seek out opportunities to collaborate with sales, marketing, and operations to gain exposure to other parts of the business.
- Shift from Craft to Strategy: The move from craft leader to executive is fundamentally about shifting your thinking from the details of the craft to the strategic positioning of the company. This means thinking about how your product strategy impacts market differentiation, competitive positioning, and long-term business sustainability.
- Rethink Success Metrics: As a business leader, your success is no longer just about user satisfaction or design quality; it’s about tying those metrics to broader business success. Consider KPIs that reflect impact beyond the immediate user experience, like customer lifetime value, market share, or cost efficiency.
- Elevate Your Communication: Communication is key at the executive level. It’s not enough to have the right insights; you need to frame those insights in a way that resonates with diverse stakeholders—from board members to finance leads. Learning to tell the business story behind your product or design choices is crucial.
- Embrace Uncertainty: Moving beyond your comfort zone means embracing areas where you don’t have all the answers. The best business executives aren’t experts in every function, but they are skilled at asking the right questions, trusting the right people, and making informed decisions in the face of uncertainty.
TL;DR: A New Type of Leader
The transition from craft expert to business executive isn’t easy, but it’s necessary if we want to lead effectively at the highest levels. We need more leaders who understand not just how to build great products, but how to align those products to business goals, and how to steer entire organizations to deliver value. For those of us in design or product roles, it’s a call to step outside of our comfort zones and embrace the broader, messier challenges of business.
By consciously bridging this gap, we not only grow as individuals but also create environments where the value of design and product thinking is fully realized—not just in our products but in our business decisions.
👉🏽 More Notes from Ellis
👉🏽 More Notes from Ellis