Skeptical-Leader Pitch Technique

A two-step script Leah Hitman uses to open a skeptical leader to Product Model (vs. Roadmap Model) transformation without triggering defensiveness.

Ask whether they've ever released a capability that didn't achieve the results they expected.
Once they admit yes (nearly everyone has), offer a formula that 'great companies' use to mitigate that exact risk — framing the product model as industry best practice rather than as criticism of the leader's past decisions.

The technique works because it lets the leader arrive at the need for change themselves, rather than being told their organization is broken. Pairs with Ingredients of a Product-Model Transformation, since admitting a problem exists is the first ingredient that unlocks everything else.

Internal Case Studies Beat External Best Practice

The most convincing proof for a skeptical leader is a case study from inside their own company — a team, a launch, a metric they already recognize — not an outside best-practice story from another company they have no stake in. Internal proof removes the "sure, but that's not us" objection that external examples invite, which makes it a stronger tool than industry benchmarking when pitching to doubters (see Believers vs. Doubters (Transformation Stakeholder Split)).

Из тем: Transformation in Practice