This might sound a bit like “get off my lawn” grumbling, but it’s been on my mind lately. 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,” as if shouting, “Me!” 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 often shift toward features that seem bold but don’t align with user needs. Even in flashy 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 aren’t the glamorous parts of the job. They’re the collaborative grind. But when individualism takes the wheel, the product’s overall value often takes a hit.

2. Silos Get Worse

Treating a product like a personal extension makes silos harder to break down. It’s no fun collaborating with someone who’s self-interested. People care less about how egocentric work fits into the bigger picture. The walls of the silo thicken, and the uninspired turn inward.

A Timeless Reminder

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

When we prioritize personal pride over collaboration, we don’t just risk missing deadlines or losing user trust—we risk losing the opportunity to create something meaningful together.

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