In under 500 words, she shares:

• How she determines the most critical stakeholders to work with…

• Her most formidable stakeholder challenge…

• Some of her sources of learning…

And more…

Enjoy!

“How did you get into product management?”

My management career journey started as a Project Manager in a B2B company in the Marketing field. I then turned to the B2B software solutions area, focusing on platform development within the gambling industry. This progression led me to my current role in product strategy, where my goal is transforming ideas into value for both business and users.

“How do you determine the most important stakeholders for you?”

I regularly review all key information sources—emails, internal and external channels—and quickly scan the Kanban board, backlog, and personal dashboards. I ensure alignment between the global company's objectives, the team’s goals, and our clients’ missions. This approach keeps me focused on what truly matters: delivering impactful products. As the leader of the Product Management team, my primary goal is to guide the team in delivering the best incremental value to the product.

“What do you know about influencing stakeholders now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

Successfully aligning these elements in a clear, unified direction is crucial. It enables you to create a strategic advantage for both the platform and the clients, which is key for influencing stakeholders and overall business success.

What did your toughest stakeholder challenge teach you?

It taught me the importance of clear communication—it’s essential to articulate expectations, progress, and limitations so everyone understands. Equally important is managing conflicting priorities.

It was challenging to learn how to navigate these conflicts and align priorities toward a common goal, but I have made great progress in dealing with these situations.

What’s the #1 method that has helped you align all stakeholders in your favor?

Understanding stakeholders' needs and goals is essential to aligning them with the product’s long-term vision and strategy.

How do you stay updated on the best practices in influencing stakeholders?

To stay updated on best practices for influencing stakeholders, I continuously track industry trends, analyze incremental value, and assess analysis based on the return on investments to ensure my strategies remain relevant and impactful. I also reflect on missed opportunities within specific time frames to refine my approach. My primary focus is maximizing product value, creating competitive advantages, and driving revenue growth—key factors that shape the product’s success and build trust and alignment with stakeholders.

In under 500 words, he shares:

• How he determines the most critical stakeholders to work with…

• His most formidable stakeholder challenge…

• Some of his sources of learning…

And more…

Enjoy!

“How did you get into product management?”

After working as a project manager for 10 years, I decided to narrow my focus to business knowledge and hone my skills in a specific domain—online payments. Qaiware supported my decision and allowed me to shift my focus from project to product.

“How do you determine the most important stakeholders for you?”

We all learned the standard matrix of interest vs. influence at some point in our careers. It is a useful segmentation of stakeholders; however, I believe it is better suited as a project management tool.

“What do you know about influencing stakeholders now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

I wish I had known this initially, as it would have spared me countless hours of arguing over meaningless topics. After all, I am a person, and the same way I am trying to influence the view of a stakeholder, the person in front of me is trying to do the same. And sometimes, they are correct. Accepting this was the biggest challenge of my career, and I wish I had known it earlier.

What did your toughest stakeholder challenge teach you?

Someone who believes they have completed their personal development and have achieved complete self-awareness. In project management terms, that would be a high-interest, high-influence stakeholder with a superiority complex. Speaking with such a person about delivering a specific value or achieving a specific goal can either be irrelevant or extremely hard. I found out that the approach to influencing such a stakeholder is exactly the same as handling risks—you either avoid it, transfer it to someone else, or mitigate and accept it (combined on purpose).

What’s the #1 method that has helped you align all stakeholders in your favor?

Find out how each one of them perceives the value of your product.

How do you stay updated on the best practices in influencing stakeholders?

I believe that a lot of very smart people have spent a large amount of time researching the topic of communication and influencing people. Those topics are not new, and even though there are some emerging practices, first, I want to understand the underlying concept of it. That’s why I spend my time reading books such as Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” and Leil Lowndes’ “How to Talk to Anyone”. However, none of that would be useful without spending time on self-reflection and improving your self-awareness.

In under 500 words, he shares: 

• How he determines the most critical stakeholders to work with…

• His most formidable stakeholder challenge…

• Some of his sources of learning…

And more…  

Enjoy!

“How did you get into product management?”

I transitioned from Lean & Sigma and Process Management into Product Management. My first role was in a bank, where I was assigned as the Product Owner for a new Robotics Automation initiative with a newly established development team. This opportunity came about in 2018.

“How do you determine the most important stakeholders for you?”

It’s a continuous process. First, I identify all possible stakeholders for the product. Then, I assess them based on two dimensions: Influence and Interest. I continuously analyze and evaluate their needs and expectations about the strategic goals. Stakeholders whose interests align closely with these goals are considered the most important. 

“What do you know about influencing stakeholders now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

There is no single formula for success in stakeholder management. I believe in engaging with stakeholders early and regularly. When possible, I try to involve the stakeholders early and regularly ask for their feedback. Effective communication is crucial in influencing stakeholders. I always try to use data and evidence to support my arguments in front of the stakeholders.

What did your toughest stakeholder challenge teach you?

It taught me to invest more time in communication with stakeholders. Transparency is key—I openly share necessary information, including challenges and risks.

What’s the #1 method that has helped you align all stakeholders in your favor?

I advise making it easy for stakeholders to approach you with concerns or ideas. An open-door policy encourages collaboration and reduces resistance, helping to align stakeholders in your favor.

How do you stay updated on the best practices in influencing stakeholders?

I keep myself informed about the latest product management developments through podcasts, such as "Product Thinking" by Melissa Perri. I’m also a big fan of Teresa Torres, author of Continuous Discovery Habits, and often read the success stories shared on her blog.

In under 500 words, he shares: 

• How he determines the most critical stakeholders to work with…

• His most formidable stakeholder challenge…

• Some of his sources of learning…

And more…  

Enjoy!

“How did you get into product management?”

I've always been passionate about building and driving change (I’ve got some fun stories going back to kindergarten). When I joined Paysafe as a Project Manager, I soon realized I could make a more significant impact in a product role. I shadowed the lead Product Manager in Crypto and enrolled in Telerik’s inaugural Product Management course. A few months later, I became a Product Manager in Paysafe’s Crypto area, and things quickly took off. 

“How do you determine the most important stakeholders for you?”

It’s crucial to distinguish between Stakeholders and Functional team members.

By defining everyone else as functional team members, you reduce noise and shift the power dynamic. Many people prefer to act as stakeholders, but by framing them as team members, they become responsible and accountable for the project’s success. This also helps you identify who you really need, depending on the nature of the change. 

“What do you know about influencing stakeholders now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

Understanding the distinction between Stakeholders and Functional team members would have been helpful. You don’t need to oblige every request; holding people accountable for what you need from them is critical. 

What did your toughest stakeholder challenge teach you?

Focus on the people who matter and choose your battles. There’s a lot of noise in large organizations, and you can’t address or control everything. Spend time with key people, get their support, and don’t spread yourself too thin by reacting to everything. 

What’s the #1 method that has helped you align all stakeholders in your favor?

1. Know who really needs to be in your corner. 

2. With detractors, sometimes the best you can do is ensure they stay neutral. 

3. Understand the needs, pains, and incentives of the people you work with and around. 

How do you stay updated on the best practices in influencing stakeholders?

The more appropriate question is, “How do I learn to influence people and reinforce that skill?”: 

There are quite a few good books; my top 3 are:

• "Influence" by Robert Cialdini

• "Thank You for Arguing" by Jay Heinrichs

• "The Art of Public Speaking" by Dale Carnegie

If you struggle with public speaking, find a way or place to exercise:

• Toastmasters clubs can be great (not all of them, though, and bear in mind that a “Toast” is not your everyday speech)

• Debate Clubs (I am slightly biased, given that I am co-founder of the national association)

• Impromptu Theater – Both HaHa and Shizi in Bulgaria are pretty decent.

Podcasts like "You Are Not So Smart" can teach you much about logical fallacies.

Most importantly, look for any and all opportunity to speak to and in front of people, then reflect on what works and what doesn’t for you. It’s so individual and you need to find your style and pattern.  

Boginya Ventsislavova is a Product Manager at Quickbase, a leading no-code application platform for dynamic work. The company offers tailored solutions to simplify complex work from project inception to completion. 

In under 500 words, she shares: 

• How she determines the most important stakeholders…

• What her toughest stakeholder challenge taught her…

• The #1 method that has helped her align all stakeholders in her favor…

• Some of her sources of learning…

And more…  

Enjoy!

“How did you get into product management?”

I have a very diverse background, and in hindsight, every step led me to product management. I am self-educated, and I worked in project management before I transitioned. At the time, this was super exciting, and I felt great satisfaction from seeing my customers happy.

With time, however, I realized that what moves me is the product. Back then, I was lucky to carry on projects in an interesting SaaS product, and I remember seeing multiple opportunities to grow the product. And that's how it started for me. I began to read a lot, enroll in different courses, and embark on a journey to land my first product-related role. 

“How do you determine the most important stakeholders?”

I'll offer a slightly different perspective here—I don't believe there are unimportant stakeholders when it comes to product success. Rather, I prefer to consider the varying degrees of influence and priority among the different driving factors and stakeholder groups.  

The key is to start by asking a series of foundational questions:  

• WHAT problem are we solving?  

• WHY are we solving this problem?  

• WHO are we solving it for?  

• WHEN are we solving this problem?  

Every stakeholder plays a role in this cycle. The challenge is calibrating their relative priority and involvement level.

“What do you know about influencing stakeholders now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

Lead with the solution, backed by evidence, then provide context on the problem. Stakeholders respond to value, not problems. Last but not least, be succinct and to the point. 

“What did your toughest stakeholder challenge teach you?”

My toughest stakeholder challenge taught me the importance of adaptability. Early on, I focused too heavily on the validated problem, neglecting how to communicate the solution effectively. Over time, I learned to tailor my pitch based on each stakeholder's unique drivers and priorities. This flexibility in communication has been invaluable, transforming how I approach stakeholder management and positioning my product ideas. 

What’s the #1 method that has helped you align all stakeholders in your favor? 

The most effective method for aligning stakeholders is deeply understanding their motivations and pain points. By tailoring my approach to address each group's specific concerns - highlighting ROI for executives, demonstrating user benefits for customer-facing teams, or collaborating with UX to ensure the most intuitive flow- I've gained buy-in across the organization. 

“How do you stay updated on the best practices in product management?”

I am doing the same thing I was doing when I began my product manager journey: reading and continuing to attend various trainings.

In under 500 words, she shares: 

• How she determines the most critical stakeholders to work with…

• What her most formidable stakeholder challenge was…

• Some of her sources of learning…

And more…  

Enjoy!

“How did you get into product management?”

After trying out roles in quality assurance, project management, and development, I moved into product management. I felt that these roles did not fully utilize the combination of my technical and communication skills. I expressed my interest in product management to my colleagues, and the idea received support. Watching my colleagues work on business tasks and technical requirements increased my interest, and their support was crucial.

“How do you determine the most important stakeholders for you?”

Once you set a clear and achievable goal, you can see how to get there. You mainly follow set processes and make sure everyone is aligned. In other cases, you need to figure out what essential changes are required and what steps need to be taken to make those changes.

“What do you know about influencing stakeholders now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

I wish I had known from the start the importance of finding common goals with stakeholders so that everyone feels involved and works harder rather than trying to convince everyone to see things from my perspective.

What did your toughest stakeholder challenge teach you?

The biggest challenge has been, and likely always will be, managing the lack of time due to the high team load. This has taught me to be creative and proactive. Instead of waiting my turn and giving up, I learned to think differently and act quickly.

This roughly describes how I learned Python and how to write marketing texts. I've also learned the importance of investing in my team. A team of true professionals always helps you excel. 

What’s the #1 method that has helped you align all stakeholders in your favor?

To align stakeholders, I try to think from their perspective and speak their language. This means discussing technical details with developers and benefits and value with marketing teams.

How do you stay updated on the best practices in influencing stakeholders?

I don't follow any specific program to stay updated. Occasionally, I read articles (HBR, Medium, and what I get from Google Alerts) or take courses in relevant areas. I think my natural curiosity drives me to learn how other departments operate, what processes they use, and how they measure success. I think that helps the most. 

In under 500 words, he shares: 

• How he determines the most important stakeholders to work with…

• His toughest stakeholders challenge…

• Some of his sources of learning…

And more…  

Enjoy!

“How did you get into product management?”

After spending about six years in various roles within customer service at Skrill, I developed a deep understanding of our end users' pain points and the areas where our products could be improved. This experience provided me with valuable insights into customer needs and product shortcomings.

Eventually, I had the opportunity to transition internally to the IT department as a Business Analyst. In this new role, I focused on enhancing the same products that customers frequently called about, leveraging my customer service experience to drive meaningful improvements. 

“How do you determine the most important stakeholders for you?”

Determining the most important stakeholders often comes naturally with experience and time spent within the company. You gradually learn who the key stakeholders for your projects are.

“What do you know about influencing stakeholders now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”

One crucial lesson I've learned about influencing stakeholders is that it's okay to say "no." Often, stakeholders and clients believe they know what they need, but they might not fully understand the underlying problem. They may come to you with a proposed solution rather than describing the actual issue. I've learned to challenge their assumptions and ask guiding questions to uncover the root problem they need to solve. This approach ensures that we address the real needs and develop more effective solutions. 

What did your toughest stakeholder challenge teach you?

Organizing a company-wide project involving about 15 high-level stakeholders over the course of a year and a half taught me valuable lessons about project and time management. I learned that keeping everyone informed and aligned was crucial to the project's success.

What’s the #1 method that has helped you align all stakeholders in your favor?

The key method that has helped me align all stakeholders in my favor is building and maintaining trust. Trust is not gained overnight, but it allows for open communication and mutual support once established.

How do you stay updated on the best practices in influencing stakeholders?

I consistently follow reputable sources within the product management community—"Mind the Product", the "Product Mastery" podcast, "Lenny’s Podcast", and "No BS, Just Product” These resources provide valuable insights and inform me about the latest trends, strategies, and methodologies in the field.

Maria Goritsova is a Product Manager at Quickbase, a leading application platform for dynamic work. The company offers tailored solutions to simplify complex tasks from project inception to completion.  

In under 500 words, she shares: 

• Her product discovery secrets…

• How she deals with stakeholders’ conflicting opinions…

• Some of her sources of learning…

And more…  

Enjoy!

“What's the main secret to your product idea validation process?”

When validating product ideas, I focus on being precise and adaptable. I start by researching the market and competitors to find opportunities. Then, I talk to potential users early to understand their needs. Continuous feedback and data help improve the product. I run simple tests to check assumptions efficiently.

“What did your biggest product discovery failure teach you?”

Looking back, a significant failure stands out: making assumptions without sufficient evidence, leading to numerous iterations and negative customer feedback during initial user interviews. This humbling experience highlighted the importance of thorough analysis and validation, emphasizing the need for humility, objectivity, and effective team communication to prevent future similar missteps.

“Can you share an example of a successful product feature or improvement originating from user research or feedback?”

In a significant instance, our team introduced a customizable data scanning feature, bringing millions in ARR. Through user interviews, usability testing, and Pendo surveys, we tackled compliance needs for sensitive data. Empowering users to personalize scans addressed this pain point, increasing engagement and satisfaction.

“How do you handle situations where there is conflicting feedback from stakeholders, users, and internal teams during the product discovery phase?”

Navigating conflicting feedback in product discovery is challenging. Understanding stakeholder motivations is crucial.

Balancing user needs, stakeholder interests, and objectives is tricky. I aim to make the best decisions by keeping an open dialogue, aligning feedback with the product vision, and seeking stakeholder consensus.  

“How do you stay updated on the best practices in product management?”

Staying informed in product management is an ongoing journey for me. I attend industry events, read insightful articles, and engage with online communities for fresh perspectives. Additionally, I enjoy listening to podcasts like Lenny's Podcast and receiving newsletters like Itamar Gilad's (ex-Google PM). ProductTank Sofia also provides valuable learning opportunities with their events. These diverse sources keep me updated and enhance my understanding of the field.

Recently I asked Product Managers from the ProductTank Sofia Community about some 🚩 to look out for when collaborating with stakeholders. I collected some insights that can serve as an early warning system. When you see any of those described below, it's time to rethink how you influence your stakeholders.

1️⃣ Coming with a ready-made solution in mind instead of a problem.

How to handle: Try to go back a couple of steps. Use the problem - insights - hypothesis - solution(s) approach. You may arrive at a much better solution than the proposed one.

2️⃣ Making product decisions based on gut feeling rather than on evidence.

How to handle: Know your facts. Mention that the data points in a different direction and respectfully ask for a meeting to explain. Come loaded with facts, examples, and customer feedback. Prepare the data in a visually understandable format to match your stakeholder's attention span.

3️⃣ Acting on behalf of the product team or taking over the role of the PM. For example, a CEO/CPO/C-level working with engineers directly or making unrealistic time estimates on behalf of the product team.

How to handle: Try to clarify the importance of accountability relative to achieving your goals. If this behavior continues, probably better to move on. Clear accountability and responsibilities are critical to product success.

4️⃣ Not dedicating enough time to make the needed decisions.

How to handle: Split your requests into small, manageable pieces and take them one by one. Wait for the previous request to be completed before moving to the next one. When in a meeting, be very specific about what the meeting is about and what the expected result is.

5️⃣ Communicating ambiguously or in an unstructured way.

How to handle: Clear and respectful feedback goes a long way in this case. The person may not be aware of how the message is received on the other end. I put a link to a good technique to use in the comments.

6️⃣ A non-believer in the product or the team.

How to handle: Take the time to agree on how you prefer to work together. If necessary, involve direct superiors until you reach an agreement. Only then move on to making decisions together. 

Special thanks to all contributors: Plamen Mandadjiev, Konstantin Petrov, Krasimir Tsonev, George Georgiev, Mihail Minkov, Georgi Ivanov, Mariya Rashkovska, Vassil Popovski, Kostadin Golev, Ivan Gouychev, Theo Vachovsky, Ivailo Ivanov, Doichin Iordanov, Aleksandar Rusev.

According to the NN Group, visitors will probably leave your website within 20 sec. To avoid this, you must clearly communicate why they should stay within the first 10 seconds of attention.

You better be a great storyteller.

PMs face the same challenge. Either keep somebody’s needed attention long enough to secure a decision, or go home empty.

We've all had conversations that included too much detail. You probably forgot most of it by the time the conversation ended. The great storytellers convey meaning by saying/writing as little as possible.

If you lead a team of PMs or you are a PM, how about you try and do the following:

- Limit all presentations to 15 min + questions.
- Always start with a (TL;DR) version.
- Always use the same structure to tell the story.
- Write as if a 6-year old needs to understand it.
- Reflect on whether or not you kept your listener/reader’s attention and why.

The challenge will be great but the focus will follow.

If you enjoyed reading this, please take a second to 👍 and comment on this LinkedIn post. This way this snippet will reach many more PMs in need. Thank you for your support!