PM Ownership
Distilled from Things a PM owns
When to use
Activate when clarifying PM scope, onboarding new PMs, or establishing what documents and activities a PM is responsible for.
Core principle
PMs capture ideas and turn them into results. This requires writing docs that synthesize work, align the team, and connect with users and customers.
Standard doc structure
Every PM document should include:
- Objective — what are we trying to achieve
- Risks — what could go wrong
- FAQ — open questions with answers as they emerge
- Status & Meeting Notes — running record of decisions
Product requirements / launch docs
Avoid traditional PRDs as single-source-of-truth documents — they get cluttered and unmanageable. Instead, use Ash Maurya’s Lean Stack model:
- Vision — succinct statement of why the product should exist
- Product — problem, solution, key metrics, cost structures
- Market — landscape with customers and competitors, unfair advantage, channels, revenue
- Unique value proposition
- Plan/timeline — milestones that start learning with live users ASAP
- Risks & mitigation
Doc structure: (1) TLDR/Executive Summary, (2) Approval/LGTM table, (3) Go-To-Market, (4) Appendix with people and references.
1:1s and team check-ins
Use the 5P structure:
- People — always start here. Sets the tone that people are the priority.
- Pipeline (customers)
- Product
- Partners
- Planning
Pro forma P&L
Maintain a simple P&L even for internal products. Account for revenue and costs to answer: what is your team’s marginal contribution to the overall business?
Actions
- When a PM says “I wrote a PRD,” ask: does it follow the Lean Stack model? Does it have a clear vision, risks, and plan?
- When onboarding a PM, walk through these ownership areas to set expectations.
- Ensure every recurring meeting has a standing structure (5P for 1:1s).