PRODUCT LEADERSHIP UNLOCKED

Product strategy decisions are
expensive to get wrong.

One strategic essay each Tuesday morning. For sitting CPOs, VPs and senior PMs. By Elena Leonova — former CPO, advisor, coach.

5 minutes · Tuesday mornings · Unsubscribe anytime

Elena Leonova · Author

Apr 28, 2026

Most ROI Math Is Backwards. That's Why Your Strategy Doesn't Sell

Most product investment cases die before slide two — not because the bet is weak, but because the math runs backwards. Here's the ROI structure that actually gets funded.

Apr 21, 2026

Your Strategy Won't Fail on Quality. It Will Fail on Power.

A strategy gets approved, then quietly stalls. The reason is rarely the logic — it's that every bet redistributes power, and you didn't map who loses before the board did.

Apr 14, 2026

Your Strategy Is Built for the Wrong Company

A strategy can be logical, well-researched, and still fail — because it's built for the company you used to be, not the one you are now.

Apr 7, 2026

Your Roadmap Is Not a Product Artifact

You think you're prioritizing features. You're actually allocating the company's capital — and pretending you're not. Every roadmap is a set of bets the business will be judged on.

Apr 2, 2026

You Don’t Have a Product Strategy

Most teams believe they have a strategy. They have a roadmap with justification attached. The difference stays invisible — until something fails and execution drifts.

Mar 24, 2026

Why Many Product Leaders Avoid the Revenue Conversation

At the executive level, product strategy is judged by revenue. Most product leaders still treat that number as someone else's problem — and quietly forfeit their seat at the table.

About the Author

Elena Leonova.

Former Chief Product Officer with 15+ years across eBay, PayPal, BigCommerce and Spryker. Now an executive product strategy advisor and coach. Writing the book The Art of Platform Products (2026).

This newsletter is for sitting CPOs, VPs and senior PMs making strategic decisions under constraint. No tactics, no roundups — original essays anchored in business reality, written in the voice I use with the leaders I advise.

Work with me at elenleonova.com →

Product strategy decisions are
expensive to get wrong.

Most ROI Math Is Backwards. That's Why Your Strategy Doesn't Sell

Your Strategy Won't Fail on Quality. It Will Fail on Power.

Your Strategy Is Built for the Wrong Company

Your Roadmap Is Not a Product Artifact

You Don’t Have a Product Strategy

Why Many Product Leaders Avoid the Revenue Conversation

Elena Leonova.

Quick Links

Subscription

Socials

Product strategy decisions areexpensive to get wrong.

Most ROI Math Is Backwards. That's Why Your Strategy Doesn't Sell

Your Strategy Won't Fail on Quality. It Will Fail on Power.

Your Strategy Is Built for the Wrong Company

Your Roadmap Is Not a Product Artifact

You Don’t Have a Product Strategy

Why Many Product Leaders Avoid the Revenue Conversation

Elena Leonova.

Quick Links

Subscription

Socials

Product strategy decisions are
expensive to get wrong.