Free Lesson
Get Product on Your Side as an Engineering Leader
Part of Accelerate Your Career
45 min
Jul 30, 2026 12:00 PM
Virtual (Zoom)
In this video
What you'll learn
Know what words and terms to avoid
Does bringing up “technical debt” or “team morale” make them tune you out? Better words get you better results.
Get concrete fast
Move from abstract ideas to specific examples, decisions, or teams, so you both know what you're actually talking about.
Have better fights
The problem isn’t that you disagree; it’s that the way you disagree doesn’t move things forward.
Why this topic matters
As a Director+ leader in software or IT, you’re expected to meet the evolving technology needs of your business. But you don’t get to make decisions alone.
The conflicts you have with Product over priorities, capacity, and trade-offs can’t be fixed with better planning.
Your career depends on working with people who have their own priorities—and no particular reason to make yours easier.
You'll learn from
Paul Tevis
Executive Coach to Technology Leaders
Allison Pollard
Strategic Advisor | Former Technical Director