I recently had a conversation with a product manager from another company that left me thinking. Every time he referred to an initiative, he called it “mine.” Deadlines and priorities were framed as “important for me” - not for the team, not for the users, but for himself.

On one level, this is human nature. We all bring some degree of self-interest to the work we do. But when a product manager frames everything this way, it stops feeling like a team effort and starts looking like a personal project tied to their ego.

Why It’s a Problem

There are two bigger issues with this kind of thinking.

1. Decision-Making Suffers

When the drive to stand out takes over, priorities shift toward features that seem bold but don’t align with user needs. Even in fields like fintech or AI, where innovation gets the headlines, the basics matter most: clear documentation, predictable login flows, simple payments, logical API paths. These are the collaborative parts of the job. When individualism drives decisions, the product’s value suffers.

2. Silos Get Worse

Treating a product like a personal extension makes silos harder to break down. Collaborating with someone who’s self-interested is difficult. People care less about how egocentric work fits into the bigger picture. The silos deepen.

A Timeless Reminder

As George Carlin pointed out, quoting the Bible: “Pride goeth before the fall.”

When we prioritize personal pride over collaboration, we risk missing deadlines, losing user trust, and losing the opportunity to create something meaningful together.

Image credit: Dulwich Picture Gallery. King John. Retrieved November 29, 2024, from Dulwich Picture Gallery.