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Product Management and the 10X Mindset: Building for Exponential Impact
In product management, the difference between stagnation and exponential growth comes down to mindset. If you focus on incremental improvements, you’ll get incremental results. But if you embrace 10X thinking, you force yourself to rethink the problem, unlock innovation, and build products that truly scale.
What Is 10X Thinking?
10X thinking isn’t about doing things slightly better—it’s about reimagining what’s possible. Instead of asking, How can we improve this by 10%?, ask, How can we make this 10X better? This forces you to:
• Challenge assumptions
• Seek leverage instead of effort
• Prioritize transformative solutions over safe, incremental changes
We’ve seen this play out with companies that fundamentally redefined industries:
• Tesla didn’t just refine gas-powered cars; they rebuilt transportation from the ground up.
• Airbnb didn’t create a better hotel; they unlocked a global network of unused living space.
• OnBoard isn’t just making board meetings digital; we’re transforming how leaders prepare, collaborate, and make impactful decisions.
How I’m Applying 10X Thinking at OnBoard
As OnBoard's Chief Product Officer, I’m focused on scaling a product that helps boards and leadership teams move faster, make smarter decisions, and operate efficiently. We’re thinking bigger, layering AI and simplifying the experience.
Helping Other Tech Companies Think 10X.
Beyond OnBoard, I’m advising growing SaaS companies, helping founders and product teams break out of linear thinking. Most companies start with a solid product idea but get stuck optimizing rather than reimagining. My focus is helping them:
1. Identify the biggest levers for growth—what moves the needle exponentially, not marginally
2. Break bottlenecks in product, strategy, and execution
3. Develop products that scale without just adding more complexity
How to Apply 10X Thinking to Product Management
If you’re in product management or leadership, here are three ways to push your thinking:
1. Stop solving for efficiency—solve for scale.
• Instead of asking, How can we make this process faster?, ask, How can we eliminate this process entirely?
2. Look beyond customer requests.
• Customers ask for better horses; your job is to build the car.
3. Focus on leverage, not effort.
• The best solutions remove friction, unlock new behaviors, and make growth feel inevitable.
Are You Thinking Big Enough?
10X thinking isn’t just about ambition—it’s about forcing yourself to think differently. Whether at OnBoard, advising SaaS founders, or scaling new ventures, my focus is on pushing the limits of what’s possible and building products that create real, exponential impact.
