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Saying No

52 people are learning this skill right now!
Saying No is part of our Engineering Career Leveling Framework. Explore next steps in your career from this industry-standard model.

  1. Why to Say No

    Saying No can help you prioritize your time and energy, maintain boundaries, and reduce stress.
    • Union Square Ventures logo
      Saying No

      Fred Wilson, Managing Director, Union Square Ventures

      Very short article with a nice anecdote from Fred about the importance of being focused and saying no.

  2. How to Say No

    Start by acknowledging the request, then explain your reason for declining, offer an alternative solution, and end with gratitude.

  3. Saying No for PMs

    Product managers need to say No to requests that don't align with project goals, communicate clearly and respectfully, and offer alternative solutions. It's important to balance stakeholder needs with project constraints.
    • Intercom logo
      Product Strategy Means Saying No

      Des Traynor, Co-founder, Intercom

      Product Strategy means focusing on a cohesive vision and saying no to extra features that don't fit. While good ideas may come from customers or colleagues, adding unnecessary features increases complexity and weakens the product definition. Optional features also hide complexity and lead to a messy interface. Instead of constantly adding new work, product managers should pay down Technical Debt through Refactoring and bug fixes. Competitors' features may not be good fits, and speculation about potential new features is no substitute for making hard decisions. Saying no to even popular ideas is important for delivering the best experience to the majority of users.
    • Co-op logo
      A Product Manager’s Guide to Saying No

      Holly Donohue, Interim Head of Product, Co-op