How PMs push back against designers: "That's not the priority right now" "We don't have the engineering resources for that" "This design is not going to work" "The data shows that metrics dropped with this design change" Here's how you can respond: 1) "That's not the priority right now" or "We don't have the eng resources for that" => usually a response to a proposal that: a) doesn't directly tackle the team's specified problem (may tackle a different problem) OR b) addresses the problem but seems like too much work The key to debating this is aligning on what matters most for the company, and painting a picture of why doing your proposal now is the best path to get there: 1) "Here's why solving X is more important than Y..." 2) "Solving X is actually a dependency for Y..." 3) "Solving X helps us accelerate our future plans..." --- 2) To address a proposal being "too much work": a) Show a range of design proposals, from low to high work. Explain the differences in expected outcomes. Consider user-testing to validate. You want to make clear that your proposal is far more likely to work than cheaper options. b) Break down a big project into smaller launch milestones—easier to digest. --- 3) "This design is not going to work" → said when someone feels skepticism about what they see. Always ask, "Why do you think that?" and listen to their reasoning. Avoid relying on the "I am the designer, so I know best" approach. If concerns have been expressed but disagreement persists, articulate the differing assumptions. For example, "You're assuming users will understand X, and I'm assuming they won't." Then suggest actions to move forward: a) "Let's escalate to the director/VP/CEO b) "Let's show this design to X users and get their take" c) "Let's build both and A/B test them" d) "This decision isn't important, so happy to defer" --- 4) "The data shows that metrics dropped with this design change" => said when someone feels skepticism about the design and considers this proof the design did not work. The design may indeed not have worked, but if you truly feel the design was better, make sure you are convinced by some reason why it did not work. Otherwise, the team learns nothing: 1) "Do you have a hypothesis for why it didn't work?" Suggest speaking with users if not. 2) "What metrics were down? Could the change be good but the metrics not capture it?" --- I can't count the number of times designers have told me they struggle in debating with PMs. Many say it’s draining. This is because PMs are usually: a) articulate b) decisive c) present what seems like convincing data. But making this about the PM is disempowering. Focus on what *you* can do. As Jeff Bezos said: “You do need the data, but then you need to check that data with your intuition and your instincts.” Every discipline has strengths. Designers, you have killer instincts for customer problems and solutions. Speak up about it. You *can* debate effectively. --- By Julie Zhuo through Felix Lee's [Linkedin Post](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/felixleezd_how-pms-push-back-against-designers-thats-activity-7240005487650332672-Rgb2?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop)